December 14, 2022 - No. 046 In This Issue : “It’s All About Purpose”: This Engineer Calls the Shots in GE’s Factory for Jet Engine Super Ceramics : NTSB Recommends Immediate Bell 407 Inspections : Garmin Announces Free VFR Database Updates for G3X EFIS : When Will We See Hydrogen-powered Airliners? : Airbus and CERN to partner on superconducting technologies for future clean aviation : Hypersonic Engine with 3D Printed Parts Achieves Key Milestone in Hypersonic Flight : Proposed legislation would require the FAA to diversify airplane evacuation tests : East/West Industries Earns Part 145 FAA Repair Station Certification : Today's Photo “It’s All About Purpose”: This Engineer Calls the Shots in GE’s Factory for Jet Engine Super Ceramics Chris Noon December 06, 2022 • Loren Finnerty manages more than 300 shop floor workers and engineers at GE Aerospace’s giant Asheville plant in North Carolina, where thousands of advanced composite components are produced every year for GE jet engines, such as the GE9X, as well as the LEAP engine manufactured by CFM International — a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines of France. A manufacturing site leader, she starts work at 6 a.m. and doesn’t leave until late afternoon, a schedule that allows her to see something of all three shifts at the factory. “It’s all about purpose,” she explains, “which is why I try to make people feel like what they’re doing matters.” She continues: “They’re not just pushing a button, but making a crucial part that goes into an engine that allows air travel to be more affordable and more sustainable.” GE Aerospace’s plant in Asheville, North Carolina. Finnerty’s ability to grasp fine detail and never lose sight of the bigger picture has earned her a reputation as one of GE’s shop floor gurus. She’s chalked off nearly 20 years at GE businesses, using her engineering, people, and project management skills to enhance safety, motivate teams, and boost production and efficiency everywhere she goes. “I love my job,” she says. “There’s a huge sense of satisfaction in learning how to make these parts in high volumes while using the least amount of resources.” Lightbulb Moment Finnerty’s story begins back in 2003, when she started an internship at GE Lighting in Cleveland, working in regulatory packaging, while studying mechanical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Although she shone as bright as a bulb, she felt a little out of her element. “Packaging was kind of random for me,” she remembers. “I felt that I was probably much better at the engineering side of things.” Her bosses agreed. Two years later, after graduating from college, Finnerty won a place with GE Lighting on the Edison Engineering Development Program, a fast track for entry-level engineers. She felt more at home, ticking off nearly seven years as a design engineer at the iconic lighting unit. While she was interested in halogen and incandescent technology, she was also developing a fascination for the production lines that the bulbs rolled off. She started coming to grips with the orchestra of equipment, people, and processes required for the manufacturing symphony. She learned about process development, high-speed automation, project management, and factory ramp-ups. She unearthed a particular talent: harnessing her design skills to eke out additional manufacturing capability from shop floor equipment. It wasn’t long before she transitioned from engineer to manager, overseeing capacity programs for halogen production lines and leading teams of engineers who squeezed extra output from the shop floor via conversions and refurbishments of manufacturing machines. She mastered the art of managing a program budget, organizing schedules, and integrating her production line with the factory’s other shop floors. Her people skills came to the fore. “I was good at getting others on board, listening to them, and communicating what my team needs to run effectively,” Finnerty says. She learned that effective communication in a giant factory was a two-way street of deft talking and deep listening, and required a dash of empathy. “Why should the rest of the factory care what it is my team is working on? What might they need from us to be able to run effectively for years and years?” Finnerty also became something of a workplace polyglot. “I’m always translating,” she says. “I might take strategy from senior leaders and put that into language that people working in that area can easily understand,” she adds. “I think: What is it that they actually care about? How’s it going to affect them six months from now?” Taking Wing Finnerty was keen to spread her shop floor savvy beyond GE Lighting. In 2015, she took a role as a manufacturing engineering manager at GE Aviation in Dayton, Ohio, heading teams of engineers who were scaling up production on advanced manufacturing of turbine blades. Her work now played to all her strengths: people, cutting-edge technology, and rapidly growing shop floors. She quickly settled in, and has performed roles as an operations manager, service manager, and plant manager at GE Aerospace over the past seven years. This included a stint at the business’s venerable Lynn facility, which was home to the first U.S. jet engine in 1942 and is now a key U.S. Department of Defense hub. Not to mention her time on the overhaul lines in Texas, overseeing the repair of used parts for the GE90, which for several years held the mantle of world’s largest and most powerful jet engine. Along the way, Finnerty has also completed no fewer than three accelerated leadership programs. It’s been a fast track, but the experience is standing her in good stead in her current role, where she oversees output of one of the most promising technologies in the aviation industry, materials called ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). These “super ceramics” are as tough as metals, but they are also one-third as heavy and can operate at 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit — 500 degrees higher than the most advanced alloys. This combination allows engineers to design lighter components for engines that don’t need as much cooling air, generate more power, and burn less fuel. “That’s something we can all get behind,” remarks Finnerty. Ramping Up The 170,000-square-foot Asheville facility was purpose-built in 2014 for CMC manufacturing, and as demand for the cutting-edge technology has soared, she has witnessed the factory floors filling up. She estimates that equipment and workstations occupied around 30% of its shop floor space in 2017. “The rest was clean white floor space with enough room for a basketball hoop,” she remembers. “Now it looks full.” Purpose might be Finnerty’s management mantra, but her day-to-day work requires problem-solving. She employs continuous improvement, the business philosophy incorporated into lean management that is at the core of GE’s culture. “At 6 a.m. I’ll be asking how it went last night, who’s stuck, what machines are down?” she explains. “Lean is now ingrained into every aspect of the way that we work.” But she also encourages sensible risk-taking among her team of engineers, such as trying out new production tools and techniques. “I love the fact that people feel free to come up with ideas, no matter where they work,” she says. “It’s a very curious workforce.” Nurturing an open, innovative culture on her shop floor is crucial, given the relative youth of CMC technology. “We don’t have the luxury of 30 or 40 years of experience to say, ‘Well, we did this or that before.’” One priority is boosting the manufacturing speed of components such as shrouds to keep pace with the production ramp-up of the LEAP engine. “It’s not just volume, but variety,” she says. “We’re also getting ready for the new [families of] engines, and trialing more intricate component designs.” There’s another big item on her list of responsibilities, which is improving access for women on GE’s shop floors. “For young female engineers, a career in lighting or aviation can seem intimidating, but if somebody has the desire and the willingness to learn, it can be a great career.” “It’s All About Purpose”: This Engineer Calls the Shots in GE’s Factory for Jet Engine Super Ceramics NTSB Recommends Immediate Bell 407 Inspections By Kate O'Connor - Published: December 5, 2022 Updated: December 6, 2022 Immage: National Transportation Safety Board (US) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urgently recommending that the FAA and Transport Canada require both immediate and more frequent inspections for Bell 407 helicopters. The recommendations are the result of the NTSB’s ongoing investigation into the crash of a Bell 407 that experienced an inflight separation of the tail boom during an on-demand air tour flight near Kalea, Hawaii, last June. Of the six people onboard, the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured and three passengers sustained minor injuries. “With hundreds currently in service, the Bell 407 helicopter is a popular model among tour operators, police departments, air ambulance providers, and many others, which is why our finding is so urgent,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “We’re calling on regulators to act immediately—before there’s another accident.” The NTSB’s report (PDF) stated that the upper left tail boom attachment hardware on the accident aircraft was missing although the attachment fitting was still connected to the fuselage. Investigators found the remaining three fittings and hardware still attached to the tail boom, noting that one of the fittings had multiple fatigue fractures and two had overload fractures. Alongside immediate inspections targeting tail boom attachment hardware, the NTSB is recommending that the interval for torque checks of the tail boom attachment hardware and visual inspections of the tail boom attachment fittings be reduced from the currently required 300 hours to “a more conservative number.” The tail boom on the accident aircraft was found to have separated just 114 hours after its last inspection. NTSB Recommends Immediate Bell 407 Inspections Garmin Announces Free VFR Database Updates for G3X EFIS By Marc Cook - November 29, 2022 Pilots love the capability of modern electronics instruments but for those needing period database updates, the cost of maintenance can be a sore spot. That’s especially true when there are multiple devices on board that each need their own database and sometimes-costly updates. Garmin has made life a little easier for pilots with the G3X or G3X Touch systems by making the basic VFR database free. Called the “US VFR Basic Database Bundle,” the database is resident on G3X/G3X Touch screens and consists of airport and navigation data, terrain and obstacles. Updates are available every 28 days—though some of the data sets are only updated every 56 days. Garmin says that “this is a great choice for the US VFR flyer wanting simple basemap and airport information updates.” Garmin also tweaked another database product. “Additionally, Garmin is adding extra value to the current US Mini Database Bundle subscription (now called US VFR Plus Database Bundle),” says the company. ”For the current cost of $49.99/yr users will retain the US Airport Navigation Data, Obstacles, Terrain, and SafeTaxi diagrams—but will now feature added US VFR Sectionals and US Airport Facilities Directory at no additional cost.” More info can be found at FlyGarmin.com. Garmin Announces Free VFR Database Updates for G3X EFIS When Will We See Hydrogen-powered Airliners? December 02, 2022 by Kevin Clemens In the quest to achieve zero-emission aviation, scientists and airlines are discovering that flying takes a lot of energy and jet fuel is proving to be very hard to replace. If you want to understand the challenge that zero-emission aviation faces, consider this—Boeing says that a 737 airliner uses almost 600 kilograms (kg) of aviation jet fuel to takeoff and reach 10,000 feet. Jet fuel has an energy density of 43 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg), so the total energy required is about 25,800 megajoules, or about 7,150 kilowatt-hours (kWh)). Airbus plans to test its hydrogen-powered jet engines on large aircraft. Image courtesy of Airbus The best present commercially available lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have an energy density of about 0.9 MJ/kg, or about 0.25 kWh/kg, so for an airliner to take off requires more than 28,000 kg (63,000 pounds) of present-day batteries. Except for lightweight small air taxis and possibly regional commuter flights, at least in the near future commercial aviation using lithium-ion batteries is a nonstarter for airliners. Aviation Industry Supports Sustainable Aviation Fuels What are the alternatives to fossil-fuel-based jet fuel? Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are synthesized by breaking down biomass and waste materials and recombining them into energy-dense fuels that are like fossil-derived jet fuels. The carbon footprint of SAF is smaller than jet fuels (about 80 percent less), and using waste matter solves issues of methane release when biomass is placed in a traditional landfill. Airlines have tested SAFs and mixtures with regular jet fuels without issue. At present, these synthetic fuels are more expensive than fossil-based fuels, but the concept has strong backing from the aviation industry. Hydrogen Could Be an Alternative to Jet Fuel If SAFs represent a solution for lower-emission long-distance air travel, they are not the only solution. Hydrogen has three times more energy per unit of weight than conventional jet fuel (120 to 142 MJ/kg). Hydrogen can be produced from fossil fuels (more than 95 percent is currently produced this way) in a process that is highly greenhouse gas (GHG)-intensive, or it can be produced by electrolysis using renewable energy (a near zero GHG emission method). Although hydrogen’s energy density is high, it is very light, so it requires much larger fuel tanks on board an aircraft when stored in a gaseous state, or cryogenic technologies if stored in a super-cooled liquid state. Both options require significant infrastructure changes to allow refueling on the ground. A German company called H2FLY is developing a liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tank for use on board an aircraft. The cryogenic hydrogen storage tank has recently passed the vibration and LH2 leakage test of its French industrial gas and service supplier Air Liquide. This is considered a major milestone as the company works to integrate LH2 storage into a working demonstration aircraft powered by hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used in two ways to power an aircraft. Hydrogen can be used as a combustion fuel in a conventional jet turbine engine, or it can be combined with oxygen to create electricity in a fuel cell to power an electric motor. Let’s look at both applications more closely. Hydrogen Fuel Cells Still Not Ready for Mass Use Hydrogen fuel cells use catalysts (usually a metal such as platinum or palladium) to combine oxygen from the air with pure hydrogen to create electricity and water vapor. Hydrogen fuel cells have been used extensively in the space program to provide electrical energy to power spacecraft, most notably on Apollo manned missions to the moon. For several decades, fuel cells have been proposed to provide electrical energy for electric vehicles (EVs) in place of battery packs. One advantage of a fuel cell is that refueling with hydrogen, although requiring specialized fueling infrastructure, can take place much more quickly than charging an onboard battery pack. Unfortunately, even with vast amounts of research and development, including several real-world projects with hydrogen-equipped vehicles, the cost of the fuel cell, difficulties with on-board and fueling station storage, and the production of hydrogen that primarily uses fossil fuels, hydrogen still isn’t ready for use on the nation’s highways and city streets. Hydrogen fuel cells, however, might be a viable option for aviation. Companies such as H2FLY are developing an aircraft power system that uses a high-power-density fuel cell that runs on cryogenic LH2 that is stored onboard existing two or four set aircraft in tests. Another European company called H3 Dynamics is also looking at ways to carry hydrogen in pods that hang from an aircraft’s wing and that can be used to feed fuel cells to provide electrical power for motor-driven propellers. H3 Dynamics is exploring ways to carry hydrogen in pods that can power motor-driven propellers. (See Image courtesy H3 Dynamics) Roll-Royce Wants Hydrogen as Combustion Fuel Fuel cells seem to be viable for smaller all-electric commuter aircraft in place of Li-ion battery packs, but jet engine giant Rolls-Royce sees them as useful to replace batteries in auxiliary power units and other onboard applications requiring electrical energy. To produce the thrust necessary for takeoff, Rolls-Royce is proposing to use hydrogen directly as a combustion fuel in gas jet turbines. Rolls-Royce is proposing to use hydrogen directly as a combustion fuel in gas jet turbines. (See Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce in linked article) In initial testing in partnership with easyJet, Rolls-Royce converted an AE 2100-A turboprop engine to run on gaseous hydrogen. A second series of tests will lead to full-scale ground trials of a modified Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engine of the type that is typically found in business jet aircraft. In addition, Airbus has plans to test hydrogen-powered jet engines on a super-jumbo A380 aircraft with the goal of bringing a zero-emissions aircraft into service by 2035. Future Prospects for Lowering Emissions in Aviation Sector In the short term, drop-in SAFs appear to be the most likely way to reduce GHG emissions from the aviation sector. Battery power may be viable for small air taxi applications, while fuel cells using hydrogen produced from renewable energy or using electricity from nuclear reactors with electrolysis are further out and will likely be limited to smaller regional and commuter aircraft. Combustion of hydrogen appears to be the only true near zero-emission way to power a long-range airliner, and although work is underway, it won’t be available for at least a decade or more. When Will We See Hydrogen-powered Airliners? A Look At The Various Aircraft Maintenance Tasks And Checks BY DR. OMAR MEMON PUBLISHED DEC 4, 2022 Keeping the aircraft maintained and airworthy is the operator’s primary responsibility. An aircraft maintenance program is certified at the time of the airworthiness certification acquired by the aviation regulatory authority. A certified maintenance program lists the manufacturer's and operator's responsibilities in keeping the aircraft within serviceable limits. The aircraft operators follow an Operator's Approved Maintenance Plan (OAMP) that includes thousands of maintenance tasks, Service Bulletins (SBs), Airworthiness Directives (ADs), and is approved by the regulatory authority. The OCMP tasks must be clustered based on the time limits of various component groups. The tasks are clustered across multiple maintenance checks at different times during the aircraft’s operational life. Some maintenance checks are more frequent than others. Line checks Tasks performed during a pre-flight walk-around or on an overnight maintenance line are part of line checks. Checking the outer probes, sensors, vents, tires, lights, and any apparent damage to the aircraft surface are examples of a pre-flight check. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying Line-maintenance mechanics perform relatively heavier tasks such as engine oil and hydraulic checks, cabin emergency equipment, tire pressure, and brakes. Ramp checks Ramp checks may be done every week at the home base of the operator. A Minimum Equipment List (MEL) provided by the OEM is followed during the ramp check to ensure the continued operability of the aircraft. During a ramp check, a more extensive inspection is performed. Oil checks, fluid top-ups, crew emergency equipment, and sensor redundancies are checked. Non-urgent but critical items found during pre-flight checks are handled during a routine ramp check. A-checks The A checks are typically performed after approximately every 500 flight cycles or 700 flight hours. A narrowbody Airbus A320 goes through an A check at 400 cycles. With an average of four daily cycles, an A320 may be scheduled for an A check every three months. Numerous inspection and maintenance tasks on an A320 have a 100-day limit, which keeps it right around the three-month maintenance cycle. During an A check, lubricating critical systems, changing filters, and a more detailed emergency equipment inspection is performed. An A check can take between six and 24 hours for a narrowbody jet and up to 72 hours for a widebody jet. C-checks The C-checks, also known as base checks, are heavy system maintenance performed every 18 months to two years. For an A320, a C-check kicks in at around 5,000 flight cycles or approximately 24 months. During a C check, complex systems such as pumps, actuators, and functional assemblies are tested for performance and failure. Load-bearing components such as the fuselage structure, wings, and engine pylons are examined for wear and stress. Moreover, the entire cabin is removed, inspected, repaired, and put together during a C-check. With up to 6,000 labor hours for a C check, the aircraft may spend up to four weeks in the shop, costing several million dollars. D-Checks The D-check, also known as one of the heavy maintenance checks, comprises further teardown of the aircraft. The D-checks are costlier and require 6-8 weeks to complete. Extensive repair of control surfaces and repainting of the fuselage may be part of the D-check. Landing gears are also dismantled, inspected, repaired, and tested during the check. A Look At The Various Aircraft Maintenance Tasks And Checks Airbus and CERN to partner on superconducting technologies for future clean aviation Two European pioneers at the heart of disruptive technology Munich, 01 December - Airbus UpNext, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus, and CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, are launching a project to evaluate how superconductivity can contribute to the decarbonisation of future aircraft systems. The Super-Conductor for Aviation with Low Emissions (SCALE) demonstrator aims to promote the adaptation and adoption of superconducting technologies in airborne electrical distribution systems. “In its research, CERN pushes the limits of science and engineering, and partners with industry to enable innovation, with positive environmental impact,” said Raphael Bello, CERN’s Director of Finance and Human Resources. “Our technologies have the potential to be adapted to the needs of future clean transportation and mobility solutions, as demonstrated by this agreement with Airbus. This partnership is only a first step in our journey with the European leader in aviation, and shows how much we value the excellence of our Member States’ industry.” “Our role at Airbus UpNext is to explore the full potential of technologies applied for future aircraft and to partner with the world leaders to prepare for this future. Partnering with a leading research institute such as CERN, which brought the world some of the most important findings in fundamental physics, will help push the boundaries of research in clean aerospace as we work to make sustainable aviation a reality”, said Sandra Bour-Schaeffer, CEO Airbus UpNext. “We are already developing a superconductivity demonstrator called ASCEND (Advanced superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator) to study the feasibility of this technology for electric and hybrid aircraft. Combining knowledge obtained from our demonstrator and CERN’s unique capabilities in the field of superconductors makes for a natural partnership.” The SCALE demonstrator combines CERN’s experience in superconducting technologies with Airbus UpNext’s capabilities in innovative aircraft design and manufacturing. First results are expected at the end of 2023. It is a first step of a long term collaboration that will pave the way to superconducting power distribution for aircraft. The initiative seeks to develop and test in laboratory conditions, an optimised generic superconductor cryogenic (~500kW) powertrain by end 2025. SCALE will be designed, constructed and tested by CERN using Airbus UpNext specifications and CERN technology. The demonstrator consists of a DC link (cable and cryostat) with two current leads. The cooling system is based on gaseous helium. Airbus and CERN to partner on superconducting technologies for future clean aviation Hypersonic Engine with 3D Printed Parts Achieves Key Milestone in Hypersonic Flight November 25, 2022 by Vanesa Listek Hypersonic aircraft startup Hermeus has set a new milestone as Chimera, its flagship turbine-based cycle engine, demonstrated it can successfully transition from turbojet to ramjet. Such a transition allows reusable hypersonic planes to take off from regular runways before accelerating up to high-Mach speeds, one of the essential technological feats to making operational hypersonic flight a reality. Render of Hermeus’ future commercial hypersonic aircraft, the Halcyon. Image courtesy of Hermeus. This milestone reflects the brand’s promise of building the world’s fastest aircraft to connect people faster and bring much-needed innovation to commercial flight. According to Hermeus, once its planes reach Mach 5 – more than twice the speed of the supersonic Concorde – passengers will be able to cross the Atlantic in 90 minutes or go from Los Angeles to Honolulu in one hour. To power the startup’s first plane, a remotely piloted hypersonic aircraft called Quarterhorse, Hermeus will use the Chimera engine, which uses 15% of additively manufactured parts. For the task, engineers acquired Velo3D’s original Sapphire and large-format Sapphire XC machines. The printers, both of which are calibrated for Inconel 718, are not just being used to build parts for Hermeus’ Chimera engine but also for the Quarterhorse aircraft. Hermeus engineer depowders the first of many builds off the Velo3D Sapphire system. Image courtesy of Hermeus via LinkedIn. Last September, Hermeus Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Glenn Case said metal 3D printing is a core component of the brand’s plan to vertically integrate production. Manufacturing in-house allows the startup to keep up a tight feedback loop between engineers and technicians which is key to the company’s ability to iterate quickly. Additionally, vertical integration eases reliance on outside vendors and allows for better control of the supply chain, which has become one of the key after-effects of the pandemic in the aviation industry, negatively impacting aircraft operations worldwide. Given this whirlwind scenario, 3D printing has become a more feasible option to counter intermittent supply chain disruptions. Hermeus’ use of Velo3D’s AM technology is a great example of this, especially since Sapphire will help increase performance, consolidate components, reduce aircraft weight and minimize external dependencies. Expressing his enthusiasm for the latest application of Velo3D’s machines, Founder and CEO Benny Buller said, “Hypersonics is an extremely challenging subset of the aviation industry and at the speeds that Hermeus will achieve, temperature, vibration, and aerodynamics play major factors in the flight of the aircraft.” Building Chimera In just 21 months and using $18 million, the Hermeus team designed, built, and tested Chimera. More than a technical milestone for Hermeus, this achievement is a “proof of point” that demonstrates how a small group of people can rapidly take hardware from prototype to testing with significantly smaller budgets than other industry peers, explains Hermeus Founder and CEO AJ Piplica. While most hypersonic platforms use rockets, Hermeus’ approach will allow the company to use existing infrastructure at traditional airports. In addition, by making a full-range air-breathing hypersonic engine that does not require a rocket to accelerate, Hermeus sets the stage for operational hypersonic flight – meaning aircraft that can be rapidly re-used. This makes the flagship turbine-based combined cycle engine (TBCC) Chimera engine unique in the field of hypersonics. Hermeus’ Chimera, a full-scale Mach 5 engine with 3D printed parts. Image courtesy of Hermeus. An additional benefit of this engine design is that it accommodates existing transportation infrastructure. This is important not just for hypersonic testing but critical given Hermeus’ goal of radically accelerating passenger travel through hypersonic flight. Furthermore, the engine is built on legacy technology. On the path to hypersonic passenger aircraft, Hermeus teamed up with NASA to commercialize high-speed flight technology that the agency has been exploring for decades. Under the Space Act Agreement (SAA), the technical solutions developed by NASA and Hermeus via this partnership are the core of the TBCC for the first series of aircraft. Powering hypersonic flight Once operational, the company says Chimera will use low speeds in turbojet mode, just like any jet aircraft. But as the temperature and the speed of the incoming air increase, turbojets will hit their performance limit at around Mach 2. Then Chimera’s pre-cooler is expected to reduce the temperature of the air coming into the turbojet, allowing Hermeus to “squeeze out” a bit more performance from the turbojet before transitioning to ramjet. Finally, at around Mach 3, Chimera will begin to bypass the incoming air around the turbojet, and the ramjet will take over completely. Chimera is a turbine-based combined cycle engine (TBCC), a hybrid between a turbojet and a ramjet. Image courtesy of Hermeus. Following Chimera’s successful full-throttle ground testing in June 2022, the team moved to the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory’s hypersonic research facility for its latest testing campaign. Hermeus used the lab’s recently inaugurated high-Mach combustion testing cell, which releases heated air to simulate high-Mach temperatures and pressures. “The Notre Dame facility allowed us to create conditions similar to what we’ll see in flight,” said Case. “Completing this testing on the ground significantly de-risks our Quarterhorse flight test campaign which will begin next year.” With the transition from turbojet to ramjet demonstrated repeatedly, the Hermeus team is now racing to manufacture the first Quarterhorse aircraft that will begin flight testing in late 2023. Hermeus estimates that the first passenger aircraft could start flying in 2029. Hypersonic Engine with 3D Printed Parts Achieves Key Milestone in Hypersonic Flight Embraer Updates Energia Concepts By Kate O'Connor - Published: December 5, 2022 Updated: December 6, 2022 Image: Embraer: (See Image in linked article) Embraer has announced plans to further explore two concepts for its Energia project, the Energia Hybrid Electric and Energia H2 Fuel Cell aircraft. 19- and 30-seat variants being considered for both models, which debuted last year as nine- and 19-seaters respectively. The Energia Hybrid Electric E19-HE and E30-HE aircraft will have a target range of 500 NM and feature a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system while Embraer is aiming for a range of over 200 NM for the hydrogen-powered Energia H2 Fuel Cell E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC models. “As new propulsion technologies will be first applied on smaller aircraft, Embraer is in a unique position,” said Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer senior vice president of engineering, technology and corporate strategy. “The 19 and 30 seaters are sensible starting points for focused studies since they are likely to present earlier technical and economical readiness.” Embraer stated that it is expecting the technology to be ready for the E19-HE and E30-HE in the early 2030s with the E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC tech following in 2035. The company emphasized that the concepts are still at the evaluation phase while it assesses their technical and commercial viability. As previously reported by AVweb, Embraer launched Energia in November 2021 to look into “a range of sustainable concepts to carry up to 50 passengers.” Embraer Updates Energia Concepts Proposed legislation would require the FAA to diversify airplane evacuation tests Zach Wichter USA TODAY Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., introduced a bill Thursday that would compel the Federal Aviation Administration to update its standards for airplane evacuation testing. The Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act would require the FAA to incorporate carry-on bags and simulate a wider variety of passenger ages and ability levels in future tests. "The recent FAA evacuation tests have not included real-life conditions," Duckworth told USA TODAY. "I'm trying to impose real-world parameters with these tests." The FAA last conducted live evacuation testing in 2019 and 2020 in response to a mandate from Congress to consider instituting minimum seat dimensions for air carriers. Those tests were criticized for using only able-bodied test subjects ages 18 to 60. Duckworth's proposed legislation is meant to address that. Airplane mode:Why experts say it's safer to turn your phone reception off while flying What is the EVAC Act? Federal regulations require airplanes to be capable of being fully evacuated in 90 seconds or less using only half of the available exits. Duckworth and others have said that that regulation is easier to meet under laboratory conditions that don't take into account real-world scenarios like disabled passengers or travelers who don't speak English. Learn from my mistakes:My flight was canceled but I got most of my costs covered (after 3 months) "Evacuation standards need to do a better job of taking real-life conditions into account to ensure all types of passengers can safely evacuate in an emergency," a statement from Duckworth's office said. The legislation would require future FAA evacuation tests to consider the following variables: • Passengers of different ages, including children and senior citizens. • Passengers of different heights and weights. • Passengers with disabilities. • Passengers who do not speak English. • Passengers who cannot speak, are nonvocal or nonverbal. • Presence of carry-on luggage and personal items like purses, backpacks and briefcases. • Seat size and pitch. • Seat configuration, location and other obstacles in pathway to exits. Duckworth told USA TODAY she expects the bill to be folded into the FAA reauthorization legislation expected to come before Congress in 2023. Why doesn't the FAA already include more diverse test subjects? The FAA previously told USA TODAY that it is aware that its evacuation tests do not include a representative cross-section of the traveling public, but it said that research ethics standards prohibit older, younger or disabled people from participating in a simulation during which they could be injured. Duckworth, however, said there are ethical ways to represent those who can't participate. "Why don't you look to all of the other emergency management agencies that do simulate this?" she said. "Firefighting forces do this all the time with able-bodied firefighters simulating someone who is injured or has a disability. ... You could have a crash test dummy simulating a paraplegic." Proposed legislation would require the FAA to diversify airplane evacuation tests East/West Industries Earns Part 145 FAA Repair Station Certification BY METROPOLITAN AIRPORT NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2022 East/West Industries has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an FAA Part 145 Repair Station. East/West Industries designs, manufactures, and maintains aircraft seats and other products critical to crew safety and survival from a 50,000-square-foot facility on Long Island, where the company was founded in 1968. The Repair Station approval means East/West has been authorized by the FAA to perform maintenance, inspection, and repair on aircraft components. Before being named a Part 145 Repair Station, the company had its programs, practices, training, quality control, personnel, management, and more, reviewed and approved by the FAA. According to the National Air Transportation Association, there are 5,000 Part 145 Repair Stations worldwide. “This is a great achievement and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire team,” said East/West President Teresa Ferraro. “Earning this FAA certification as a Part 145 FAA Repair Station adds an important new dimension to the work we do every day in support of aircrew safety.” Original equipment manufacturers like Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Sikorsky, to name a few, install East/West Industries seats and other products on the aircraft they manufacture, including some of the newest commercial and military platforms under development. The company has an extensive list of honors and recognition in the industry and the community, including the prestigious Performance Excellence Award (Gold) from the Boeing Company (both 2015 and 2016). East/West Industries Earns Part 145 FAA Repair Station Certification Curt Lewis