July 30, 2025 - No. 31 In This Issue : Decades of Troubles for Air Force Maintainers Set to Get Worse with Job Consolidation : MC-130J Tests Aerodynamic ‘Finlets’ to Reduce Drag, Fuel Costs : GPS Jamming Extends to Low-Earth Orbit as Pentagon Races to Bolster Constellation : FAA Issues Certification Blueprint To AAM Manufacturers : Simulations show how water droplets interact with hypersonic vehicles at Mach 5 speed : Airbus delivers 100th A220 from Mobile facility, marking milestone for Alabama’s aerospace industry : Sweden just did it — The perfect flight fuel that beats hydrogen and electricity : Rotating Detonation Engine Startup Wins NASA TechLeap Prize : New FAA Certification Program Fills Critical Industry Need : Hartzell Gets FAA Nod For First Electric Aircraft Propeller : GE Urges Pentagon to Keep Up with Adaptive Engine Tech Decades of Troubles for Air Force Maintainers Set to Get Worse with Job Consolidation Systemic failure sparks concern about specialty code consolidation. Maintainers from the 142nd Wing based in Portland, Oregon, prepare to launch an F-15EX as it prepares for takeoff at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 10, 2025. (Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer/U.S. Air National Guard photo) By Austin Campbell Military.com Published July 25, 2025 at 11:15 am The U.S. Air Force's plan to consolidate more than 50 job specialties into just seven has triggered concern among current and former aircraft maintainers who warn the overhaul could magnify deep-rooted issues in a career field already plagued by overwork, unsafe conditions and leadership misconduct. Air Force officials say that the move to combine job types will reduce training time constraints and make more troops ready to deploy by allowing leaders the flexibility to assign airmen to a variety of aircraft types. "Fifty-four of them are types of aircraft, 54 different specific career paths. … That's just not going to work in this environment," Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi said in an October 2024 Military.com interview. "We need airmen who can operate in a variety of environments without being constrained by overly rigid specialty boundaries." However, 11 maintainers and former maintainers who spoke to Military.com, including a mix of recent veterans and personnel with experience spanning more than two decades, described an environment in which airmen are already facing steep challenges that are likely to be exacerbated by the change. The group represents a range of specialties and roles within aircraft and weapons maintenance, as well as some former service members now working in veteran advocacy. "Maintenance has been in a bad way for 20 years; this reorganization is going to add to the stress," said Chris McGhee, a retired master sergeant who served in maintenance for 20 years. He is now a lawyer focused on representing veterans. Critics of the planned consolidation of Air Force Specialty Codes, or AFSCs, say that the change runs the risk of increasing workloads by forcing maintenance personnel to learn a broader set of skills with less specific training. That's on top of existing problems impacting the community including excessive hours and unsafe scheduling that have spanned presidential administrations and changes in military and civilian leadership. For maintainers like Micah Templin, a former member of the 57th Maintenance Wing at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the taxing shifts became unbearable. "You're only supposed to be on an off-shift for three months, rotating through, so everyone gets a turn throughout the year," said Templin. He says that he was assigned night shifts for upward of a year at a time, or at other times had his shifts constantly changed, making it difficult to sleep. "I'd be on days one week, then have just the weekend to adjust my entire sleep schedule, which is actually impossible to shift your circadian rhythm," he said. Nellis is one of the most mission-critical bases in the Air Force, often serving as the final training stop for pilots before deployment to combat missions. Nellis also facilitates Red Flag, an intensive training exercise for the U.S. military and invited foreign allies. However, the Air Force's heap of responsibilities comes at a steep personal cost for the maintainers who keep the planes operational. According to a 2020 article published by the 57th Wing's Public Affairs Office, Nellis supports up to 40,000 sorties, or military flights, annually. These missions include foreign allies such as Germany, Australia and other training partners. Behind the high-stakes training cycles at Nellis and Red Flag, maintainers endure grueling round-the-clock shifts, erratic sleep cycles and workloads that extend far beyond typical military duty. These issues are not new but systemic, having afflicted maintainers at Nellis for decades, according to the maintainers who spoke to Military.com. They have created a culture in which burnout, mental health concerns and significantly decreased quality of life aren't just common, they're expected by base leadership. The Air Force as a whole has implemented regulations to prevent these practices, but those regulations have largely been ignored. Nine airmen who served in the 57th Maintenance Wing between 2013 and 2024, across multiple leadership structures, voiced the same concerns: chronic undermanning, work hours that violated Air Force policy, and disregard for service instructions meant to ensure personnel safety. Some say they were even pressured to lie or misreport to leadership. Air Force policy limits maintenance shifts to 12 hours. Shifts may be extended to 16 hours with squadron commander approval and can exceed 16 hours only with commander approval under exceptional circumstances. "I would probably say we worked between 12- to 14-hour days consecutively for months and sometimes had to come in on the weekends for the whole unit," said Michael Hudson, a former F-16 Fighting Falcon maintainer attached to the Viper Air Maintenance Unit, known as the 64th Aggressor Squadron, and before that the A-10 Thunderbolt II AMU. "It was tough physically and mentally and was a big part of why I decided to get out, because I was burnt out so badly." Hudson was an aircraft armament systems specialist from 2010 until 2016, serving at Nellis in the 57th Wing from 2013 to 2016. "I was unaware up until now that those were the regulations for hours. Those regulations were never brought up to me," he said. "There came a point where leadership would ask you to move AIM-120s, and you'd be like, 'I can't do it, I'm past my 12-hour mark,' and they look at you like you're a freaking idiot, and then tell you to go work on a pylon." A wrench is kept in a toolbox during Red Flag 25-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, March 12, 2025. (Senior Airman Kyle Wilson/U.S. Air Force photo) Military.com contacted Nellis Air Force Base's public affairs office to address allegations involving unsafe working conditions and scheduling practices within the maintenance community. Military.com also asked for current approximate staffing levels and maintenance personnel numbers. Several months after initially sending questions, a Nellis media email account sent a note that said the installation has "full confidence in the current leadership overseeing our maintenance units" and that "support for mental health and fostering positive work environments are a top priority for the 57th Wing." Requests from Military.com to identify the spokesperson who sent the email received no response nor did the message answer any of the publication’s specific questions about manning levels and safety violations raised by multiple former airmen. Military.com also contacted Air Force Headquarters to ask about the issues the maintainers described at other bases, but did not receive a response before publication. Former Staff Sgt. Dallas Sharrah, who served in the 57th Wing from 2017 to 2024, including a period in the Viper AMU, said the practice of working beyond mandated hours without proper approval continued as recently as 2024. Sharrah said the unpredictability of the work environment contributed significantly to his daily anxiety. "You never know what the hell is going to happen day to day," he said. "I could show up, and I'm working 12-hour shifts and getting screamed at by pro-super [production superintendent] for eight of it because I'm not moving fast enough. Or I could show up and get sent home immediately." Decades of Strain The consolidation of job designations focuses on 2A AFSCs, a family of specialty codes covering a wide range of aircraft maintenance roles. These airmen are responsible for inspecting, repairing and maintaining the mechanical and electrical systems on both fighter jets and larger cargo or transport aircraft. Despite the varying job titles and functions, experts like McGhee stress that aircraft maintenance functions are deeply interconnected. They argue that the cultural and structural problems within maintenance extend far beyond a single specialty code, affecting nearly all airmen tasked with keeping the fleet operational. "Each Air Force Specialty Code has cultural idiosyncrasies, but maintenance culture and abuse transcends the granular career divides," McGhee said. Those issues center around the hours. Aircraft maintenance in the Air Force is divided into day, swing and mid shifts, which take place overnight. Air Force instructions specify how long personnel can be assigned to off shifts that disrupt their natural sleep cycles, as the adverse effects on mental health have been well documented. U.S. Air Force maintainers from the 124th Fighter Wing's Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assemble an Ammunition Loading Adapter at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 25, 2024. (Senior Airman Jadyn Eisenbrandt/US Air National Guard photo) A 2024 Government Accountability Office report, GAO-24-105917, found that many Air Force personnel were averaging just six hours of sleep per night. The resulting fatigue was linked to increased risks of substance abuse, safety incidents and declining mental health. Maintainers must be provided a rest period allowing at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep within a 24-hour period to support safety and mental health, according to the regulations. That requirement is routinely ignored, something that is largely tied to sudden changes to shifts, the maintainers who spoke to Military.com said. There's a documented history of problems providing adequate management of maintainer shifts. In a 1991 decision, the Federal Labor Relations Authority ruled that Nellis base leadership violated the rights of civilian maintainers by changing their shifts without proper notice. The case, brought by the American Federation of Government Employees, found that management, military leadership included, failed to honor negotiated agreements on shift assignments. The FLRA held that union members have the right to negotiate schedules based on health and personal well-being, and said the abrupt changes were too disruptive and violated established work conditions. Active-duty maintainers, however, do not have the same protections. The toll of such erratic schedules, Templin said, leads to mistakes and confusion. "I started showing up to the wrong shifts or missing them entirely," he said. "There were a couple of weeks when you were doing multiple shifts throughout the same week, and that didn't happen to the people who were in good with the flight chiefs. If you were social, talking with people, you could get away with it. But for the rest of us, leadership got what shifts they wanted." Hudson's three years at Nellis overlapped with sequestration, a period of budget cuts by the Air Force and Department of Defense that reduced maintenance crews to skeleton levels and led to the dismantling of units like the 65th Aggressor Squadron, the historic F-15 counterpart to the 64th Aggressors. "We were undermanned, understaffed, underequipped -- you name it," Hudson said. "Life was hard." Burnout and Alleged Safety Violations The long shifts that stretch far beyond what regulations allow create compounding risks to mental and physical health for airmen, the maintainers who spoke to Military.com said. "Most of the high stress came from the long hours," said former Senior Airman Foy, who requested that his first name not be used due to concerns of retaliation. "We were only approved for nine-hour shifts, but we stayed for 13 to 15 hours. That's illegal, you know what I mean? The demands took a toll on my marriage and definitely on my mental health, to say the least." Foy, as well as the other maintainers interviewed for this story, also said black-flag temperature safety protocols, rules designed to limit strenuous work in excessively hot conditions to avoid injury, were often ignored by senior leadership and treated more as suggestions than guidelines. Maintainers, assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., load an F-22A Raptor prior to takeoff during Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 25, 2016. (Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum/U.S. Air Force photo) According to Air Force regulations, a black-flag heat condition is called whenever Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The WBGT is a composite heat measurement that accounts for temperature, humidity, wind and sunlight to gauge the risk of heat-related illness. Under Black Flag conditions, nonessential outdoor activity is supposed to be suspended, and mission-essential tasks should be limited to prevent heat-related injuries. During the summer of 2018, when former Senior Airman Foy was working day shifts that often exceeded 10 hours, the highest recorded temperature in Las Vegas reached 115 degrees. Foy said several units at Nellis during that time didn't have adequate coverage for maintainers, who sometimes had to work outside directly in the searing Mojave Desert sun for hours on end. "Black-flag conditions felt like they were optional, which shouldn't be a thing," Foy said. "We had somebody fall out because they were dehydrated, and there were times when black-flag conditions were called and nobody told us until later on in our shifts." The combination of physically taxing work through difficult conditions and hours has added up to lingering health effects for some airmen. "It's something I go to mental health at the VA for and still struggle with," Hudson said. "I don't like the term PTSD for what I dealt with because I never had anything I'd consider traumatic happen. I often call it post prolonged stress syndrome. You go through so many prolonged, high-stress environments that I dream about it. I'll have dreams where I wake up feeling like I'm not prepared for the turn. It's like those dreams where you're naked in a classroom." The mental strain from prolonged exposure to extreme stress lingers for Hudson long after his separation. "It was a decade ago, but that stress, that anxiety -- it stays with you," he said. Excessive drinking is common among maintainers, who often turn to alcohol as a legal coping mechanism for the daily stressors experienced on duty. Sharrah, who served in the 57th Wing, also spent time with the 80th Fighter Generation Squadron at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. "Korea is a whole different beast. The culture of drinking there is unbelievable," Sharrah said. "It's a unit-run bar on base, and everybody, from command to first sergeants down to the brand-new airman first class, is taking shots at an open bar. Now, I didn't see any real pressure to drink, but when your command is taking shots, are you really going to say no?" The level of drinking reached a dangerous threshold, Sharrah said. "I had dudes in Korea who were so drunk we were literally carrying them home because they couldn't walk and were vomiting on themselves. They could have died. And this was an every-weekend occurrence," Sharrah said. Alcoholism in the maintenance community is often a symptom of a culture in which airmen are overworked, and where mental health struggles are stigmatized. Feelings of hopelessness or of being trapped are commonly expressed by maintainers. These conditions can prevent individuals from seeking help before it's too late. These cultural problems within maintenance could get worse for maintainers with the consolidation of jobs, given the added stressors, the current and former maintainers who spoke to Military.com said. "It's going to come down to how it's implemented, but also, it's a solution seeking a problem," McGhee said. McGhee said that the planned reorganization would be difficult even if the career field wasn't facing other problems. "I blame maintenance leadership more than I blame the commanders and the operations squadrons, because they have a different job. They trust the maintenance leadership that they're taking care of their people, and they weren't," Templin said. -- Austin Campbell is a former Air Force maintainer and investigative journalist covering military culture, policy and enlisted life. He holds a master's degree in strategic communication from the University of North Carolina's Hussman School of Journalism and focuses on systemic issues affecting airmen. MC-130J Tests Aerodynamic ‘Finlets’ to Reduce Drag, Fuel Costs July 29, 2025 | By Greg Hadley Note: See photos in the original article. An MC-130J special operations aircraft took off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this month with tiny aluminum fins mounted to its rear door and on either side of its tail fin—the latest step by the Air Force to squeeze fuel efficiency out of its mobility fleet. While small, the aerodynamic “finlets” could reduce drag on the Air Force’s C-130 aircraft by 6 to 8 percent, according to a July 24 release from the 96th Test Wing. That, in turn, could give the C-130 greater range and more fuel efficiency. The idea to add small aerodynamic elements to aircraft dates back decades, as the Air Force has experimented with winglets on KC-135s, microvanes on C-17s, and now finlets on C-130s. In each case, the amount of drag reduced—and therefore, fuel saved—is small. But with hundreds of planes making thousands of flights each year, the savings theoretically add up to millions of dollars. Transport and tanker aircraft are particularly well suited for such improvements because their cargo doors and refueling booms can create extra drag. It has taken years for the 96th Test Wing to add finlets to C-130s, supported by the Air Force Operational Energy Office, Air Force Special Operations Command, the Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recovery Program Office, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Defense Innovation Unit. Contractor Vortex Control Technologies built the finlets and helped install them. The flight testing that began July 16 aims to ensure the finlets are airworthy. After that, the MC-130J will go to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for more testing that includes airdrops. The MC-130J is used by special operators for infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply, as well as for refueling rotary-wing and tiltrotor aircraft. The plan is to eventually install finlets on the entire C-130J fleet, which includes Super Hercules cargo aircraft, AC-130J gunships, HC-130J helicopter refuelers, and WC-130J “weatherbirds.” “It is an exciting day for the Department of the Air Force for finlets to reach this milestone in research, testing, and development as we seek to rapidly deploy innovative technology,” Roberto Guerrero, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for operational energy, safety, and occupational health, said in a statement. “Drag reduction initiatives like finlets are a tangible way we can modernize our fleet, reduce costs, and increase combat capability for the warfighter. Every gallon of fuel saved extends our operational reach and enhances readiness in contested logistics environments, directly supporting the Department’s mission to deliver airpower anytime, anywhere.” The milestone comes on the heels of the Air Force’s January announcement that it was “entering the final phase” of evaluating microvanes on the C-17, inching closer to deploying them fleetwide after more than two years of testing. On the other hand, the Air Force eliminated planned funding for KC-135 winglets in its 2026 budget request, a year after outlining plans to spend $104 million on them between fiscal 2026 and 2028. “Program was terminated to support Administration priorities during Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget Request,” budget documents state. GPS Jamming Extends to Low-Earth Orbit as Pentagon Races to Bolster Constellation July 28, 2025 | By Shaun Waterman LAS VEGAS—The jamming of GPS signals around Ukraine has become so severe it is even affecting satellites up to 1,200 miles above the Earth’s surface—a striking example of why the Space Force and the Pentagon are moving to bolster the ubiquitous service, experts say. “We have images showing [GPS reception details] for all the cubesats that the Aerospace Corp. flies in low-Earth orbit, and there’s a giant hole above the Ukraine region,” John Janeski of the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center, told Air & Space Forces Magazine on the sidelines of ASCEND, an annual industry space conference. Both Russia and Ukraine are broadcasting powerful signals to interfere with guidance systems for precision weapons and drones. But that jamming “is bleeding up into the space environment and impacting satellites,” Janeski said. The center’s tiny 10-cubic centimeter satellites are fitted with GPS receivers, so they can tell what time it is, where they are and how fast they’re moving, Janeski said. Given the speed at which LEO satellites orbit over the Earth—about 17,500 miles per hour—the interference only affects them for “a few minutes” at a time as they pass over Ukraine. “But if that becomes more and more prevalent, it could create regions in space where satellites in LEO cannot get [position, navigation and timing] signals from medium-Earth orbit” where GPS and other PNT constellations are, 11,000-15,000 miles above the surface, Janeski said. GPS jamming, interference, and spoofing have become common, well-known features in areas of conflict like Ukraine and the Middle East, affecting aviation and maritime traffic. The effects on other satellites have been less reported—but could be no less critical. Satellites in large LEO constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink need to know exactly what time it is and where they are so they can synchronize operations with other satellites in the constellation and know when and how to send signals to the ground. And the Defense Department is aggressively expanding how much it uses such constellations—the Commercial Space Office expanded its Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services program from a maximum of $900 million to $13 billion late last year, citing demand across DOD. Indeed, most satellites in low-Earth orbit use GPS—another reminder of how ubiquitous and essential in the global economy, said Christopher Erickson, PNT chief for the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. Most people think of GPS as a way find their way around, Erickson said, stressing he was speaking in a personal capacity and not representing the views of the Air Force or the Defense Department. But in fact, for businesses and the global economy, the timing service it offers is even more important. The financial system, the power grid, the internet, and indeed any computer network all need exact timing to operate properly, he said, a fact that is poorly understood. “Many [enterprises] don’t even know what their timing requirement is,” he said. “If you are making an autonomous taxi, or whatever, and you put GPS in it, it has fantastic time. If suddenly you don’t have GPS, what kind of timing requirement does that car need for its systems to operate properly? How do you know? You never had to solve that problem.” Jamming and Anti-Jamming Both the Pentagon and private businesses can no longer afford to take GPS for granted, Janeski warned, in no small part because its signals are relatively easy to jam. While satellite communication signals “blast out,” GPS signals are inherently quieter, he said. “It’s like a noisy room,” he explained, “A SATCOM signal would be like somebody yelling in that room. You can hear them clearly. A GPS signal would be somebody whispering.” Normally, because you know the signal’s code structure, “the receiver can basically pull it out of the noise floor and process it.” But the weakness of the signal relative to the noise floor makes it “relatively straightforward to interfere with, as we’ve seen,” he said. Spoofing is somewhat harder, but the state of technology is such that Janeski said it is “certainly feasible” both nation states and extremist organizations could buy the hardware needed to do it. “The good news,” Janeski added, is that there’s been progress developing anti-jamming technology to make “elements of GPS that might seem fragile, more resilient.” Controlled reception pattern arrays, for example, are antenna systems that use multiple antenna elements. The receivers sense where the strong interference signal is coming from and shut off the antenna’s reception from that direction. Combined with sophisticated signal processing, Janeski said, these antennas “basically remove the jamming signal from the receiver’s processing chain, so that that jamming power doesn’t make it into the receiver, and the receiver can still operate.” CRPAs are available commercially, although the more sophisticated models with a larger number of elements are restricted under arms export control regulations. “If you put one of those on an airliner, it can only fly domestic,” Janeski said, meaning they can’t currently be used to counter GPS jamming in Europe or the Middle East. For the military, there are also more powerful, encrypted signals broadcast by the latest generation of GPS satellites, and even more anti-jamming improvements coming with future upgrades, according to Malik Musawwir, vice president for navigation systems at Lockheed Martin Space Of the 31 satellites currently in service in the GPS constellation, eight of them are the latest generation, called GPS III, Musawwir explained. These satellites broadcast a new kind of GPS signal, known as M-Code. It’s more powerful and therefore more resistant to jamming, and also encrypted, which makes it very hard to spoof. Notional render of a next-generation GPS III Follow-On (GPS IIIF) satellite, provided by Lockheed Martin. Two more GPS III satellites will be launched before the program transitions to the GPS III Follow-On satellite for vehicle 11 and beyond, Musawwir said. In addition to M-Code, the IIIFs will also have a new capability called regional military protection (RMP). RMP allows the satellite to focus an M-Code broadcast over a much smaller area, just 1,200 kilometers in diameter, meaning the signal is 60 times stronger. “Think of it as putting your thumb over the end of a gardening hose and increasing the velocity of all the water that comes out of it,” he said. Ultimately, the characteristics of the radio frequency spectrum and the distance that GPS transmissions have to travel means that physics favors the jammer, experts say. Which is why the Space Force is seeking GPS alternatives like quantum inertial positioning. But even a replacement positioning and navigation system, which would allow users to “limp through” GPS-denied environments, wouldn’t provide the crucial timing element, Janeski said. “So there’s not one silver bullet out there,” he said. Like the internet, since GPS provides many different services, no single alternative would likely be able to replace all of them. “It’s like the internet goes down. What’s your favorite alternative to the internet?” Editor’s Note: This story was updated July 29 to correct technical details. FAA Issues Certification Blueprint To AAM Manufacturers Advanced air mobility innovators now know what is expected of them during the certification process. Russ Niles · Monday, July 28, 2025 Key Takeaways: The advanced air mobility industry now has a blueprint to follow for certification best practices for their vehicles. Just as most of the aviation industry was getting ready for AirVenture, the FAA published, with no fanfare, an advisory circular (scroll down to AC 21.17-4) that details various things the agency will be looking for in certification of the aircraft. Its existence was brought to light by our colleagues at FLYING Magazine last week. The agency stresses the 64-page outline is not a legally binding document but manufacturers will be wise to devour every word. “This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for the type, production, and airworthiness certification of powered-lift,” the agency said in its preamble. “This AC also designates the airworthiness criteria in appendix A as an acceptable means, but not the only means, of showing compliance with title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17(b) for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification of certain powered-lift.” Joby aircraft, which may be the first to achieve certification, said the publication of the document is a positive move and the content aligns with its plans. “We’re pleased to see the FAA’s release of their Advisory Circular regarding powered-lift aircraft. Along with their commitment to continued global leadership in aviation certification through the NAA Network, this guidance reinforces the FAA’s focus on bringing advanced air mobility to market,” Joby said in a statement to AVweb. “The new guidance aligns with our approach to certification and will help streamline the certification process of powered-lift aircraft generally. Our specific FAA certification continues to make industry-leading progress, and we are excited to be pushing through the final stages towards type certification.” Simulations show how water droplets interact with hypersonic vehicles at Mach 5 speed Tiny rain droplets could have a surprising impact on hypersonic aircraft traveling over five times the speed of sound. Updated: Jul 25, 2025 12:03 PM EST Chris Young Note: See photos and videos in the original article. The team's latest research could prove to be important in the development of new hypersonic aircraft. (Representational image) Olena During hypersonic flight, an aircraft or missile flies at speeds exceeding Mach 5. Mach 5 is five times the speed of sound, or 6,173 km/h (3,836 mph). At those speeds, an aircraft could fly anywhere in less than four hours. As it cuts through the air, this hypersonic vehicle will likely interact with rain, hail, snow, and other water-based particles. At such high speeds, it’s important to know how these particles could impact the vehicle’s surface. In a new study, a team of scientists has investigated how water droplet clouds interact with the hypersonic air flow fields. Water particles versus hypersonic aircraft On impacting a hypersonic vehicle, water droplets can break up into a cloud of smaller ones. The team behind the new study tested how these clouds interact with two types of canonical geometries. Their work is detailed in a paper published in the journal Physics of Fluid. In their study, the scientists showed that post-impact, droplets are likely to become entrapped and then accelerate near the vehicle’s surface. According to a press statement, this “could disrupt the air flow around the vehicle and increase the possibility of droplet impact on the structure, especially if the droplets are large.” Modeling these types of behaviors is exceedingly challenging due to the complexity of hypersonic flows. For their simulations, they employed a hybrid approach. Firstly, they simulated the flow field using an Eulerian framework. This resolved the air flow around the vehicle and also allowed the researchers to track individual droplets using a Lagrangian approach. “Integrating sub-models in the Eulerian framework allowed them to capture key multiphase interactions,” the press statement read. The development of next-gen hypersonic vehicles The team’s work could prove to be important in the development of new hypersonic aircraft. “This observation underscores the necessity of considering droplet breakup when estimating the impact force of particles on the vehicle’s surface,” explained author Prithvi Ramesh. “Predicting air-droplet dynamics and their potential impacts on hypersonic vehicles is relevant not only to the development of the next generation of hypersonic vehicles, but also to deepening our understanding of the fundamental physics involved in multiphase flows under extreme conditions.” Following the publication of their latest research, the scientists aim to perform more advanced simulations. These will allow them to investigate the behavior of individual droplets. The world’s leading military powers are increasingly testing hypersonic technologies to give them the edge on the battlefield. According to the US Army, hypersonic weapons cans trike anywhere on Earth in minutes. Private company Venus Aerospace, meanwhile, is looking to revolutionize commercial air transportation with a new hypersonic airliner. Airbus delivers 100th A220 from Mobile facility, marking milestone for Alabama’s aerospace industry Jerry Underwood MOBILE, Alabama — Alabama’s aerospace industry reached new heights as Airbus announced the delivery of the 100th A220 aircraft produced at its U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, marking a major milestone for the site and for the state’s thriving aviation sector. The landmark aircraft, delivered to Breeze Airways, symbolizes the rapid growth and success of the A220 production line in Mobile. Airbus launched A220 manufacturing at the Alabama facility in 2019 and opened a dedicated final assembly line for the aircraft at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley the next year, following a significant investment project. In a little over five years, the Mobile operation has gone from breaking ground on the new line to delivering its 100th A220 aircraft — a testament to the strength of Alabama’s skilled workforce and the momentum of its aerospace ecosystem. “Reaching this milestone underscores the dedication and team spirit that have defined our journey,” Daryl Taylor, Senior Vice President, Commercial Aircraft Operations for Airbus in the U.S., said in a statement shared on social media. “Way to go, team.” In a Facebook post, Airbus cheered the development: “Congratulations to our Mobile team — 100 A220s produced in just five years is a pretty fantastic accomplishment!” The A220, originally developed by Bombardier and adopted by Airbus in 2018, is known for its fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and versatility — making it a favorite among airlines like Delta, JetBlue and Breeze. On social media, Breeze celebrated the delivery. “We love that new plane smell,” the airline said. “The 100th Airbus A220 just rolled off the line in Mobile, AL, and lucky for us, it’s joining the Breeze fleet! We’re proud to fly one of the newest birds in the sky.” The aircraft is assembled in both Mobile and Mirabel, Canada, but Airbus’ Alabama site has played an increasingly prominent role in meeting demand, particularly for U.S.-based carriers. Ellen McNair, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, applauded the achievement and the team behind it. “This milestone reflects not only the incredible capabilities of Airbus but also the strength of Alabama’s workforce,” Secretary McNair said. “The success of the A220 line in Mobile proves that when global industry and local talent come together, we can achieve great things. ‘We’re proud that Alabama plays such a vital role in shaping the future of commercial aviation,” she said. Airbus’ operations in Mobile support over 2,000 jobs and reinforce Alabama’s status as a key player in the global aerospace sector. In addition to the A220, Airbus also produces A320 Family aircraft in Mobile, and the facility continues to grow with an ongoing expansion and additional hiring under way. With the delivery of its 100th A220, Airbus is signaling that Mobile is not just a manufacturing site — it’s a cornerstone of the company’s long-term U.S. strategy and a driver of innovation and economic impact for the state of Alabama, Secretary McNair added. Sweden just did it — The perfect flight fuel that beats hydrogen and electricity by Laila A. July 25, 2025 in Mobility With the aviation industry opting to go green, Sweden can proudly say they just did it! Sweden has taken such an advanced step all thanks to Heart Aerospace, a Swedish startup in the aerospace industry. The startup’s hybrid-electric aircraft, the ES-30 utilizes the perfect fuel to enable it to takeoff and this is a fuel that beats hydrogen and electricity. Being used in the ES-30 is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a type of clean-burning fuel that allows aircrafts to fly without being plagued by the guilt of having caused harm to the climate. Swedish engineering is behind this incredible SAF. Understanding SAF and what it means for flights? All thanks to Swedish development, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has offered an alternative fuel option, and this fuel is created using cooking oil, algae, as well as agricultural waste. CO₂ emissions are fully reduced by 80% making the fuel one of the best alternatives for carbon. SAF is seen as the most desirable fuel as it is compatible with aircraft infrastructure in that are already in existence. This fuel source can be effortlessly blended with traditional jet fuel and can be adapted to modern jet engines without requiring any adjustments. This new SAF fuel by Swedish engineers works well with extended-range propulsion systems and it becomes evident in the ES-30 aircraft which can fly to about 800 kilometers when utilizing SAF in reserve generators. In battery-only mode, the aircraft can merely fly to about 200 kilometers. Only the best technologies have been combined. The hybrid-electric combination Sweden made its mark in terms of ensuring cleaner cities, but Sweden is now establishing itself as a leader in the aerospace industry that is also moving towards a cleaner climate agenda. The Gothenburg-based company, Heart Aerospace surely is making its mark by engineering the ES-30 which is a 30-seat hybrid-electric aircraft more geared towards short haul flights. The Heart X1 was revealed in 2024, and it was the model meant specifically for ground testing. The full electric test flight will take place in 2025, and the idea is for hybrid-electric flights to follow shortly thereafter in 2026. Thus, the ES-30 will result in takeoffs leaving behind no emissions. The ES-30 will be greater for shorter routes. This overall design makes it possible for aircrafts like the ES-30 to takeoff from smaller airports and this has increased the need for new regional airports. Since innovative agency, Vinnova, supports the ES-30, this ES-30 boasts some locally developed technologies that will improve lifting and lead to noise reductions. 600 kW to soar the skies offering a cleaner than hydrogen alternative that is more powerful than conventional fuels, ZeroAvia, too, is taking the cleaner fuel agenda to the skies and Sweden surely is following suit. Sweden’s newer aviation motive: global and local benefits Sweden is occupied with not only creating a future pathway for the global aviation industry but seems to be testing and utilizing such cleaner agenda at home. SAS, Swedavia, and Braathens Regional Airlines are contributing to such operational trials. Hybrid-electric flights is perhaps a dream come true and not just a dream far out of reach. On the global front, AirAsia, Southeast Asia’s low-cost airline, has joined forces with Heart Aerospace’s Industry Advisory Board securing 250 firm orders for the ES-30, and it looks as if the 250-order amount is soon to increase to 500. Sustainable flying- not only an option for Sweden SAF spells better reliability and range while electric propulsion seems best for the short haul. Sweden is offering passengers the chance to fly without the worry of harming the climate in any way when they fly. The ES-30 is not at all merely a plane, it is setting the way forward for sustainable air travel options and Sweden is establishing its mark at the finish line. While Sweden is stepping up its climate friendly flying game, American airlines is looking to reinvent flight with a historic project. Rotating Detonation Engine Startup Wins NASA TechLeap Prize By Douglas Gorman July 23, 2025 Juno Propulsion, a WA-based startup attempting to bring a new type of propulsion system to the market, won one of NASA’s ten TechLeap prizes as Juno strives to demonstrate its rotating detonation engine (RDE) in space next summer. Juno’s prize—valued at up to $500k—will support the company in two goals: expanding its team, and completing development and testing of an RDE to potentially launch as early as June 2026. Meet Juno: Founded in 2023 by two Purdue PhD graduates—CEO Alexis Harroun and VP of engineering Ariana Martinez—Juno is seeking to build a commercially viable RDE to lower propulsion costs for launch companies and sat operators without sacrificing thrust. Juno’s RDE is built a little like a race track. The engine uses nitrous oxide and ethane as fuel to create a rotating detonation wave. The wave burns continuously around its chamber, creating a high-pressure combustion that’s advertised as more powerful and efficient than conventional chemical-propulsion engines. The result will be a more efficient propulsion system that will achieve specific impulses 5% to 10% greater than traditional rocket engines of the same size, according to Harroun. Should the RDE prove viable, Juno leaders say the engine may allow companies to wean themselves off toxic hydrazine fuels, which require extensive—and expensive—safety protocols to handle. “There are other non toxic [and] green solutions on the market, but because they’re not using a performance-enhancing tech like ours, they’re not going to be able to compete performance-wise,” Harroun told Payload. “We’re trying to bridge that gap.” Show me what you got: Juno and the other 10 TechLeap winners have the chance to fly their tech on a NASA-assigned vehicle. If it hits its development milestones and wins a spot on that demo, Juno aims to test short bursts of thrust—and long-duration burns—to test the ability of its RDE for precise RPO maneuvers, as well as high thrust orbital raises. Juno’s long-term vision is to build a suite of engines for different use cases, beginning with in-space prop systems, and graduating to rocket engines down the line. The company expects to have the capacity to produce as many as 10 engines in 2027, and dozens more the year after. Dizzying speed: Getting the system ready in time for the in-space demonstration will require a bit of hustle, but Harroun said Juno always planned to fly its tech as quickly as possible. Juno has just three employees—its two founders and an intern—but plans to double its workforce with three or four more full-time workers by the end of the year. The company is also moving into a 3,000 sq ft Seattle-area facility, next month to ramp up its development timeline. New FAA Certification Program Fills Critical Industry Need By NAM News Room July 22, 2025 12:00am Share on Twitter Like many manufacturing sectors, the aerospace industry is facing an alarming workforce shortage: its ranks of certified mechanics are aging rapidly, and the sector needs many more young people to fill available jobs (CNBC). By the numbers: “The average age of a certified aircraft mechanic in the U.S. is 54, and 40% of them are over the age of 60, according to a joint 2024 report from the Aviation Technician Education Council and consulting firm Oliver Wyman, which cites Federal Aviation Administration data.” • “The U.S. will be short 25,000 aircraft technicians by 2028, according to the report.” • High-paying jobs: The industry offers excellent salaries, an inducement for prospective employees, CNBC points out. • “Median pay for aircraft technicians or mechanics was $79,140 a year in the U.S. in 2024, compared with a nationwide median income of $49,500, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.” • Manufacturing as a whole: The aerospace industry’s worker shortage is part of a larger labor crisis in manufacturing, which could need as many as 3.8 million new employees by 2033, according to a Deloitte and Manufacturing Institute study from last year. • The study found that 1.9 million jobs could be left unfilled, underscoring the urgency of attracting more young people to the industry. MI at work: Through initiatives like Heroes MAKE America, the MI, the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM, is helping veterans and other Americans with applicable skills transition into jobs in the industry. • HMA prepares transitioning service members and members of the military community for manufacturing careers. • Heroes in aerospace: The MI’s partners include major aerospace firms Textron Aviation and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. Earlier this year, HMA launched a new FAA Airframe & Powerplant certification training program to help fill the critical industry need for A&P mechanics. • The program is offered at two locations. The first is in Wichita, Kansas, near McConnell Air Force Base, supported by Textron Aviation and delivered in partnership with Wichita State University’s Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology. • The second location is in Georgia near Fort Stewart, in partnership with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and Savannah Technical College. • The program offers an accelerated six-week course to fast-track participants toward FAA A&P certification, helping qualified service members become more capable and mission-ready during their military service and providing a steady pipeline of skilled talent for the aviation industry. • The last word: “Heroes MAKE America and our new Airframe & Powerplant certification program are critical to closing the aerospace skills gap,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. • “By equipping transitioning service members with the specialized training they need, we’re creating an effective pathway to high-demand, certified aircraft mechanic jobs. These initiatives not only support our veterans but also build a skilled, ready workforce that the aerospace industry urgently needs to thrive.” Hartzell Gets FAA Nod For First Electric Aircraft Propeller Five-blade, carbon fiber prop is designed for electric and AAM aircraft. Parris Clarke · Monday, July 21, 2025 Credit: Hartzell Propeller Key Takeaways: Hartzell Propellers revealed on Monday it has received Part 35 type certification from the FAA for a new prop designed specifically for electric and advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. The approval makes Hartzell the first company to achieve such a milestone. Developed in cooperation with BETA Technologies, the five-blade, carbon fiber propeller underwent thousands of hours of ground and flight testing on BETA’s in-house electric propulsion systems, according to Hartzell. Over the past four years, BETA has used Hartzell’s propellers in both the Alia CX300 and Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft. The testing includes a cross-country trip and a tour across Europe for the CX300. BETA will use the new propeller in certification testing for both aircraft, but Hartzell said the propeller is designed to serve all AAM aircraft that operate similar electric propulsion systems. Hartzell, the Ohio-based propeller manufacturer, first entered the AAM business in 2018, entering a partnership with Eviation to develop its electric commuter airplane, Alice. The newly certified prop is expected to be a high-performing, low-noise propeller tailored for electric engines. Hartzell considers this certification a turning point for the AAM industry at large as the FAA put its endorsement behind both Hartzell’s propeller and BETA’s electric engines. GE Urges Pentagon to Keep Up with Adaptive Engine Tech July 23, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp is urging the Pentagon to press on with the Navy F/A-XX fighter program, arguing that it will further the development of adaptive engine technology—which faces delays in the Air Force’s latest budget. “We stand ready to deliver encourage the Pentagon to move forward with this important program [F/A-XX] that Congress has already funded,” Culp said in a July 17 earnings call with financial reporters. Adaptive technology provides more acceleration for fighter maneuvers, but also offers reduced fuel consumption in cruise or loiter modes. GE first developed its XA100 adaptive cycle engine for the Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program, meant for the F-35 fighter, alongside rival Pratt & Whitney’s XA101. Both engines completed testing, but the Pentagon opted not to pursue either as an upgrade for the F-35, and the Air Force said it couldn’t afford to pursue it alone. Instead, the Air Force has focused on its Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion program, meant to power its Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter, now called the F-47, and the Navy’s F/A-XX. GE and Pratt have matching $3.5 billion contracts to develop NGAP, but both the engine program and the F/A-XX effort face headwinds. Last week, the White House issued a statement saying there may not be enough engineering talent available in the industry to develop both F/A-XX and F-47 at the same time. What’s more, it claimed that pursuing the F/A-XX “is likely to delay the higher-priority F-47 program, with low likelihood” of getting the F/A-XX in a timely fashion. It didn’t say when the F/A-XX might be reconsidered. The Navy included the F/A-XX in its annual Unfunded Priorities List sent to Congress, to the tune of $1.4 billion, describing the project as a “critical component” of the “air wing of the future.” And in the reconciliation package passed earlier this month, Congress included $750 million for the F/A-XX. The Navy, Culp said, has “recognized its need for a sixth-generation fighter as the only platform capable of delivering the combination of range, stealth, advanced sensors, and standoff capabilities necessary to operate across mission sets in highly contested environments,” adding that GE stands “ready to deliver” on NGAP. Yet NGAP also faces issues. In fiscal 2026 budget documents, the Air Force revealed that the competitive NGAP development effort, which was to have completed in late 2027, now won’t be ready to equip the F-47 until mid-2030. The service has cited “supply chain” issues for the delay, but both GE and Pratt have said they can deliver NGAP engines on the originally planned timeline. Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, in that company’s earnings call July 22, asserted that the F-47 may not be ready for five to 10 years, urging that a souped-up F-35 be used to “bridge” to the new fighter in the meantime. The Air Force chose Boeing over Lockheed to build the F-47. Culp said GE is also participating in the Global Combat Air Program, a partnership between Italy, the U.K. and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter. Through GE’s AvioAero unit, Culp said “we represent Italy as an equal propulsion partner with the U.K. and Japan,” which he described as “a next-gen indigenous European fighter.” That project is targeting 2035 as its service date, Culp said. He also noted that GE is partnered with Kratos on “advancing propulsion technologies for affordable unmanned aerial systems by the end of the decade.” In the hypersonic arena, Culp said GE “has made “significant investments in our test infrastructure at select manufacturing sites, enabling us to conduct higher mission-relevant testing.” Curt Lewis