July19, 2023 - No. 030 In This Issue : FAA Seeks Input On Repair Station Safety Management System Mandate : Pulsar Fusion has begun development of the largest fusion engine in history, which will allow rockets to reach speeds of more than 800,000 kilometres per hour : AD Affects 41,000 Turbocharged Aircraft : Airbus steps up trials of new wings design amid competition with Boeing : DELTAHAWK’S JET-FUELED PISTON ENGINE RECEIVES FAA CERTIFICATION : MRO Insider Network Reaches Milestone, Surpassing 700 Service Providers : Honda Aircraft expands operations in North Carolina, creating 280 jobs in light aircraft development : Engine Limitations Are Not Mere Suggestions, Part 1 : McCauley C780 Approved For King Air B300 Series FAA Seeks Input On Repair Station Safety Management System Mandate Sean Broderick April 03, 2023 U.S. repair stations are not covered by the pending safety management system mandate. A pending FAA proposal to expand organization-wide safety management programs beyond airlines does not include mandating them for repair stations. But the discussion is far from over as to whether to require U.S.-certified MRO shops to have a safety management system as do airlines, major manufacturers, some Part 135 charter operators and most air carrier airports. The January proposed rule affecting manufacturers and tour operators includes an FAA request for industry input on whether repair stations certified under Part 145 should have a safety management system (SMS). The NTSB has weighed in, reiterating its stance that SMS requirements should cover repair stations as well. In comments filed on the FAA’s proposal, the NTSB points to its probe of an October 2019 fatal accident involving a PenAir Saab 2000 as evidence that certified MRO shops should have SMS. The investigation found four instances in which commercial aircraft anti-skid systems were cross-wired during maintenance, leading to in-service occurrences. Recommendations prompted by investigators’ findings focused on the cross-wiring issue as well as the broader benefit that SMS would have for Part 145s. “We believe that SMS requirements should be applied to Part 145 repair stations to address [issues highlighted in the PenAir report],” the NTSB wrote in its comments. The FAA has been rolling out SMS mandates for a decade—and considering whether repair stations need them for just as long. The SMS rules generally follow recommendations made by an industry advisory committee formed in 2009. The group recommended SMS for certain commercial airlines, charter operators and repair stations. It also urged the FAA to prioritize the segments where SMS would generate the most valuable results. That led to a 2015 rule for Part 121 operators and the recent proposal covering Part 21 and certain Part 135 certificate holders. The FAA considered adding mandates to cover some of the 5,000 certified Part 145s as well, but opted to ask industry for input first. The FAA’s SMS rollout has come with voluntary programs that many companies adopted in advance of mandates. According to the agency, 72 repair stations have SMS, and 19 are recognized by the FAA as being “fully functioning,” Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said at the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) annual conference in March. “We are currently considering whether or not SMS will be required for this segment of the industry going forward,” Nolen said. “We’ve asked the public to weigh in on this question . . . and we are looking forward to receiving that feedback before taking next steps.” The International Civil Aviation Organization integrated SMS into its recommended practices for certificate holders, including repair stations, in 2013. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its requirements to repair stations with a mandate effective in late 2022. Despite the absence of a mandate, many repair stations are affected by SMS, including those working for Part 121 operators that have them. Repair station industry representatives, including ARSA, have expressed concern that a broad mandate would lead to challenges in finding systems appropriate for the variety of Part 145s. Many shops are smaller operations, and finding a system that works for them as well as for larger operations could prove taxing for both the FAA and the shops. Scalability of the SMS mandate is one of the major concerns that affected Part 135 operators, notably those with few or even one aircraft and a single pilot. The agency acknowledged the issue in its request for input. “Repair stations perform a wide range of repair and maintenance work on an equally wide range of aircraft and components,” the agency said in the draft rule. “Some repair stations do not perform work on aircraft used for passenger-carrying operations. Should the FAA consider applying [SMS requirements] to all certificated Part 145 repair stations? Should applicability be limited to a subset of Part 145 repair stations?” The FAA is looking to industry for guidance. Pulsar Fusion has begun development of the largest fusion engine in history, which will allow rockets to reach speeds of more than 800,000 kilometres per hour By: Maksim Panasovskyi | 16.07.2023, 16:02 Pulsar Fusion has begun construction of the world's largest rocket engine, which will be fuelled by fusion. Within four years, the British company intends to create an 8-metre-long combustion chamber. Here's What We Know The fusion engine will be based on a very hot plasma trapped inside an electromagnetic field. Now scientists are working on how to keep the plasma in the electromagnetic field. The announcement was made by James Lambert, CFO of the UK-based company. Pulsar Fusion will use a supercomputer to accurately predict the behaviour of the plasma and find ways to control it. The company has begun working with US firm Princeton Satellite Systems to do this. If it succeeds, the temperature in the combustion chamber will reach hundreds of millions of degrees. It is believed that the energy will be enough for the rocket to reach speeds of more than 800,000 kilometres per hour. For comparison, the speed of light is approximately 1.08 billion kilometres per hour. The company's Pulsar Fusion project is based on the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) concept. It involves obtaining thrust specifically from fusion. The key component of the DFD engine is a fusion reactor, which has the form of a cylindrical chamber with electromagnetic coils. The chamber is filled with the gas that is needed for fusion. For example, deuterium and helium-3. Once the reaction is started, a plasma is created inside the chamber, and a continuous supply of fuel must be provided to maintain it. The substance in gaseous form is transferred into the chamber through one of the ends. Then it must be heated up and sent to the nozzle through the other end, without reaching the plasma state. Nuclear fusion will significantly reduce the time it takes to travel between planets. This will be especially useful once manned missions to Mars begin. Pulsar Fusion has begun development of the largest fusion engine in history, which will allow rockets to reach speeds of more than 800,000 kilometres per hour AD Affects 41,000 Turbocharged Aircraft By Russ Niles Published: July 9, 2023 Updated: July 10, 2023 An AD that takes effect July 17 affects more than 41,000 turbocharged piston aircraft in service in the U.S. They’ll all have to be checked to see what kind of clamp is used to connect the turbocharger to the tailpipe. If it turns out to be a spot-welded, multi-segment exhaust pipe v-band coupling that has been in service more than 500 hours it will have to be replaced within a maximum of two years and inspected every 100 hours in the meantime. Clamp failures have occurred in dozens of aircraft types and resulted in type-specific ADs but a General Aviation Joint Steering Committee working group figured out it was only the spot welded ones that were coming apart. Some clamps are riveted and those ones are not affected by this AD. When the clamps let go, they allow the venting of blazing hot exhaust gases into the engine compartment that can easily cause a fire. The FAA pegs the cost of the work at $570 per engine but AOPA says that’s light. FAA uses $85 an hour as the base labor rate but AOPA says its members are paying up to $180 for shop rates. Airbus steps up trials of new wings design amid competition with Boeing By Web Desk | July 04, 2023 The facility was opened by Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade. — AirBus Airbus is accelerating testing of new wing technology for next generation aircraft by using the latest technology and world-leading demonstrators to further improve the performance of its wings. The development comes as Boeing researches an elongated, ultra-light concept called Transonic Truss-Braced Wings. Airbus is investing further in its UK innovation capabilities, with the opening of a new Wing Technology Development Centre (WTDC) at its Filton site on Wednesday, the planemaker announced on its official website. “The facility, which will be used to build and test demonstrators for a range of programmes and research projects, was opened by Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade,” it added. The new facility will help Airbus accelerate the design, build and testing of wings for next generation aircraft, by using the latest technology and world-leading demonstrators to further improve the performance of its wings. Alongside engine optimisation, making wings longer, leaner and lighter is one of the biggest opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 and ultimately work towards the aviation industry’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the aerospace company said. “The new Wing Technology Development Centre will help us to ground our research in practicality. A key element of how we deliver technology for next generation aircraft wings is through Wing of Tomorrow (WoT), our largest research and technology programme led by the team in the UK, Airbus head of filton site Sue Partridge said. “Last week, we achieved a critical milestone in the programme when our second wing demonstrator was completed by the team in Broughton, Wales and delivered to the WTDC. Here it will be prepared for structural testing in our Aerospace Integrated Research and Technology Centre (AIRTeC),” the official added. The WoT programme allows Airbus to explore new manufacturing and assembly technologies so future generations can continue to benefit from flying. “It’s about preparing our people, technology, industrial system, supply chain and digital and physical capabilities for next generation aircraft. We’re leveraging industry partners and the very best digital tools and automation to identify potential technology bottlenecks that may slow us down in the future. The foundations we lay now will help us build better and faster when the time comes,” the official statement added. DELTAHAWK’S JET-FUELED PISTON ENGINE RECEIVES FAA CERTIFICATION 05.18.2023 (Racine, Wisconsin) The stroke of an official pen and the presentation of appropriate documents marked a milestone years in the making – as DeltaHawk Engines has received FAA Type Certification for its highly innovative, jet-fueled aircraft piston engine. The 180 horsepower DHK180 is the first of a family of engines to come from DeltaHawk. Featuring an inverted-V engine block, turbocharging and supercharging, mechanical fuel injection, liquid cooling, direct drive, and 40% fewer moving parts than other engines in its category, the new DeltaHawk engine is a clean-sheet design secured by multiple patents. It is highly responsive and produces more usable torque than traditional aircraft engines in its class, all while burning significantly less fuel and with a resulting lower net carbon footprint. Its performance characteristics are extremely well-suited to a wide variety of conventional aircraft, as well as those powered by hybrid propulsion systems. In addition, the engine’s slimmer shape and smaller size allows for more aerodynamic cowling designs and requires less space – all while providing extraordinary performance, ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. The engine is environmentally friendly, as well, thanks to its ability to burn both Jet-A and sustainable aviation jet fuels. “We began by completely reimagining what a general aviation engine should be,” said Christopher Ruud, Chief Executive Officer at DeltaHawk. “And the result is that we now have a certified engine that is a game-changer. It’s been a long time coming but, in engineering, simple is hard. However, this engine’s performance, simplicity, and reliability have made it worth the time and the investment, as it is truly ‘Power Reimagined ®.’” DeltaHawk has received extraordinary interest around the world from airframe manufacturers, kit builders and the military. In addition, the new engine was recently selected by NASA to power the hybrid propulsion system planned for its Subsonic Single Aft Engine Aircraft (SUSAN) scale flight test vehicle – a proof-of-concept electro-fan design for future regional transport aircraft. The new DeltaHawk engine has also been selected by Ampaire for an upcoming aircraft testbed application in support of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research initiative. With FAA certification now in hand, performance and technical upgrades are now underway, along with additional endurance testing and flight evaluations in multiple aircraft. Production ramp-up has begun, and production slot reservations are now being taken online at the company’s website (www.deltahawk.com). First engine deliveries are expected to commence in 2024. MRO Insider Network Reaches Milestone, Surpassing 700 Service Providers By Mark Phelps - Published: July 12, 2023 Founded in 2016, business aviation maintenance-provider consortium MRO Insider announced today (July 11) it has achieved a milestone with 746 service providers signed on to its platform. MRO Insider President Andy Nixon said, “We are so excited to push through the 700 service provider mark as we strive to fulfill any AOG, parts, or scheduled maintenance service request from our registered flight departments. Thanks to all our vetted service providers, we are now seeing AOG [aircraft on ground] events quoted in less than 15 minutes, which helps aircraft operators quickly establish a plan without losing charter revenue or needing to locate supplemental lift.” Nixon added, “With AOG coverage in 30 countries, we are poised to continue our growth through 2023.” MRO Insider describes itself as a business aviation platform “that allows users to solicit multiple quotes for service with a single request. The network of service providers includes AOG, scheduled airframe and engine maintenance, avionics, paint, interior, detailing, and parts along with fuel, hangar rental, and ground handling.” Honda Aircraft expands operations in North Carolina, creating 280 jobs in light aircraft development Project will involve production lines for HondaJet 2600, focus on research and development efforts Honda Aircraft Co. will develop and build a longer-range version of its light aircraft in central North Carolina, generating 280 additional jobs, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Tuesday. The company said last month that it would produce for commercial use the proposed HondaJet 2600 model, which it had unveiled two years ago. The new model is billed by the company as the first light jet able to fly nonstop across the continental U.S., with up to 11 occupants. The production decision means Honda Aircraft, which is headquartered at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, will invest another $56 million in Guilford County. The minimum average salaries for the new jobs will be over $88,700, or $31,000 above the Guilford County average, according to state officials. NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC SEN. MIKE WOODARD TO RUN FOR MAYOR OF DURHAM Honda is set to build a new light-jet model in central North Carolina, which will create nearly 280 jobs. "We are thrilled that North Carolina will be home to the new Honda light jet that represents the next chapter of our skyward mobility," company CEO Hideto Yamasaki is quoted as saying in a Cooper news release. The project will create production lines for the HondaJet 2600, while significant research and development also will be required, the release said. Honda Aircraft already has spent more than $245 million on its hub at the airport and has more than 800 full-time or contract workers in Guilford County. The company builds a smaller model under the HondaJet Elite name. The company could receive from the state up to $3.4 million in cash payments over 12 years if it meets investment and job-creation requirements through the state’s Job Development Investment Grant program. A state committee approved the award agreement Tuesday. Engine Limitations Are Not Mere Suggestions, Part 1 Patrick Veillette, Ph.D. July 12, 2023 As turbine blades experience high temperatures they can begin to elongate and rub up against the engine’s case wall. Modern turbine engines are reliable when properly maintained and operated within limits. Engine limits are boundaries which, if exceeded, will cause irreversible internal damage to an engine that can be manifested during a critical phase of flight. This occurred to a 67-year-old pilot with 25,000 hr. total flying time operating a Hiller UH-12E light helicopter for Part 137 aerial application work near Susanville, California, on Oct. 13, 2019. The topography was steeply logged forest when the helicopter experienced two loud compressor stalls. The pilot decreased engine power and turned the helicopter downslope to allow the engine to recover. Compressor stalls grew continuous and the engine rpm decayed. The pilot attempted to recover engine speed by turning downhill, but this was unsuccessful. With no options left over the foreboding terrain, the pilot turned uphill moments before impact and applied collective pitch to cushion the landing. The main rotor blades struck terrain and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The 250-C20B turboshaft engine was removed and shipped to a Rolls Royce facility for further examination. Disassembly of the engine revealed extensive thermal damage. This damage was consistent with an over temperature event during startup operation. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be a partial loss of engine power due to multiple overtemperature events and a hot start event, which resulted in thermally damaged internal components of the engine. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain on which to perform the forced landing. Excessive Temperatures Damage in this engine resulted from the effects of the HPT (high pressure turbine) stage-2 nozzle distress, likely caused by exposure to hotter than expected operating temperatures. Credit: Australian Transport Safety Board Exceeding an engine’s temperature limitations can cause significant damage, and as this accident aptly illustrated, multiple overtemperature instances caused widespread damage to critical components of the engine. Hot temperatures during start can be caused by a weak battery with insufficient power to rotate the turbine at a sufficient speed to provide enough cooling air in the combustion section. It can also be caused by an early starter cut-out, fuel mis-scheduling or strong tailwinds. An aircraft’s flight manual will stipulate the limitations for the engine during the start process as well as the procedures to follow if an engine’s temperature appears to rise rapidly during start. This is usually a combination of shutting off the fuel flow while continuing to motor the engine for a specific period of time to provide cooling air. Prudent flight crews will ask for a “start cart” to provide sufficient electrical power to spin their engine for start, and in some cases it may be necessary to have the aircraft repositioned into the wind to eliminate the adverse effects of a tailwind. There is a long-term effect on an engine’s blades when exposed to higher-than-optimal temperatures. In order to achieve the best possible performance in terms of power production at the least fuel flow, the design and manufacture of high-performance turbine engines requires blade tip clearances between the rotors in the compressor and turbine sections against their respective boundary walls. However, as turbine blades experience high temperatures they can begin to elongate. This is termed “creep” by engineers. If the blades elongate too much, they will begin to rub against the boundary walls. Blade rub will slow a turbine’s rotation rate, leading to a higher fuel flow and thus higher hot-section temperatures to create rated thrust. When blade rub grows worse it can cause high amplitude shaft vibrations and severe blade/seal wear, leading to catastrophic failure of the whole engine if left undetected. The performance of a turbine engine also degrades over time due to wear. This occurs due to eroded compressor foils, worn seals, and the increased clearance between blade tips in the compressor and turbine sections due to erosion. Engine trend monitoring is an important modern tool to help proactively detect the effects of blade rub. This will allow for maintenance or removal of an engine before the performance degrades too much. There are several operational considerations to help lessen the chances of excessive temperatures on turbine engines. “Hot and high” takeoffs place a premium on engine thrust. For each 1 deg C there is an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) increase of approximately 3 deg C to produce the same takeoff thrust. Operators that have multiple aircraft in their fleet should try to avoid dispatching aircraft with performance-limited engines to airports with hot weather or high altitude runways. It has often been a fuel-saving technique to taxi with a single engine, waiting until takeoff is imminent to start the remaining engine. Inevitably, a circumstance arises in which an aircraft is cleared for takeoff when the engine hasn’t been given sufficient time to warm up, and this is likely to result in an excessive engine temperature. It is important to give an engine sufficient time to warm up. Airbus recommends in their guidelines titled “Prevention of EGT Overlimit Events” to allow a warm-up time between 2-5 min. The utilization of reduced takeoff thrust is commonly used by large fleet operators to reduce the long-term effects of high engine temperatures. A reduced thrust takeoff allows an engine to have an increased margin to the EGT redline. This proven method helps to extend engine life and save on maintenance costs. In Part 2 of this article, we describe bleed air effects on engines. In Part 3, we describe how engine manufacturers have worked to improve the efficiency and reliability of their powerplants. McCauley C780 Approved For King Air B300 Series By Kate O'Connor Published: July 13, 2023 McCauley Propeller Systems announced on Thursday that its high-performance C780 propeller has been certified by the FAA for Beechcraft King Air B300 series aircraft. According to the company, the C780 provides B300 operators with a weight savings of more than 50 pounds, improved takeoff and climb performance and noise reduction in the cabin and cockpit. It also offers a time between overhaul (TBO) of 5,000 hours or 72 months. “The McCauley C780 is a new, lightweight, scimitar blade design propeller that enhances the already legendary King Air flying experience,” said Heidi McNary, McCauley Propeller Systems vice president and general manager. “We’re proud to continue to offer customers the quality and craftsmanship that aviators have come to expect from McCauley over the past 85 years.” Measuring 105 inches in diameter, the four-blade C780 is made of aluminum and weighs in at 173 pounds. McCauley noted that installing the propeller does not require any additional modifications to the aircraft or changes to existing operating procedures. Installation can be completed at Textron Aviation service centers and authorized McCauley service facilities. Curt Lewis