Digital technologies play a decisive role in the competitiveness of Russian aircraft - Yuri Slyusar at the SPIEF-2018

https://youtu.be/msIhEVeCBLY

Irkut's press release




"UAC’ enterprises are actively implementing digital technologies, this is the key to solve the main task for us - increasing the current and future competitiveness of Russian aircraft on the global market," - the President of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and PJSC Irkut Corporation, Yuri Slyusar said on May 24 during the session "New mechanisms of investment policy" at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The UAC president believes that all aircraft programs in the UAC should be based on new digital solutions. "For us, it is crucially important to reduce the time of entering the market. We need to design quickly, launch production faster, provide better service, and the life cycle of the product should be longer," - he said. "This is possible only on the basis of the solutions offered by the new digital economy. Its development is an absolute priority for us," - Yuri Slyusar stressed.

A striking example of the digital technologies use is the program of MC-21 new-generation aircraft, which Irkut Corporation executes in close cooperation with other UAC enterprises.

All participants of the program work within the unified informational environment.

The key component of this medium is the airliner's electronic mock-up which contains comprehensive information on the aircraft as the whole, its units, systems, and equipment at all stages of its life cycle. The electronic mock-up is constantly detalized and developed.

Participants of the program have real-time access to the electronic mock-up. Information exchange is performed via high-speed communication channels.

Digital technologies ensure more precise and effective implementation of a wide variety of design, manufacturing, and operational components of the MC-21 program. In manufacturing, they provide high product quality and precise conjunction of airframe assemblies.

During operation, data on every aircraft is entered into the specialized information system. Interaction of the electronic mock-up and the information system will allow monitoring condition of every aircraft and predicting its maintenance.

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LEICA CITY MAPPER AIRBORNE SENSOR NOW AVAILABLE CERTIFIED ON TECNAM P2006T SMP

press release

Tecnam announced June, 4th the EASA and FAA certification approval of the Leica City Mapper installation on the P2006T SMP.

The Leica CityMapper is specifically designed for 3D city modelling and urban mapping. It is the world’s first hybrid airborne sensor combining both oblique and nadir imaging as well as a LiDAR system.

The Tecnam P2006T SMP has been produced to support a wide range of special missions and applications, such as search and rescue, reconnaissance, immigration surveillance/border patrol, drug trafficking and law enforcement roles. It is fully able to replace, support and drastically reduce the use of far more expensive and complicated assets such as the deployment of CS/FAR 25 airplanes, helicopters and coast guard vessels. the Tecnam P2006T SMP achieves a step change in the delivering of aerial mapping missions by establishing a cost effective and unique solution for special mission operators.

Unbeatable value, low ownership, operating and maintenance costs coupled with innovative design and combined with the Rotax ‘912S’ engines efficiency ensures the Tecnam P2006T SMP affords high mission reliability as well as lower noise emissions.

With a payload capacity optimized for CityMapper (plus a PAV100 gyro stabilized mount), the Tecnam P2006T SMP can easily perform mapping missions of up to 4 hours with both a pilot and camera operator on board.

The P2006T SMP’s high wing and retractable landing gear allows for a ‘no view obstruction’ for external cameras and operator FoV (Field of View). This potentially may make the difference between mission success and failure or as a worst case, poor collected data package.

“In just four years since we introduced the TECNAM P2006T SMP, it has firmly established itself as the aerial platform of choice with so many operators around the globe. Today with the option of the Leica City Mapper sensor embodiment, the SMP offers our customers the highest quality/price ratio currently available on the market.” said Fabio Russo, Chief Project R&D and Product Development.

More info on the P2006T SMP: https://www.tecnam.com/aircraft/p2006t-smp/

More info on the Leica City Mapper: https://leica-geosystems.com/products/airborne-systems

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RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft launched from ISS with Airbus space debris capture removal technology

https://youtu.be/4ZFAkBMtcPo

press release







Airbus net, vision based navigation, and harpoon experiments will deploy in orbit



Toulouse/Stevenage/Bremen, 20/06/2018 - The space debris removal technology mission RemoveDEBRIS, led by the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) at the University of Surrey, has been launched into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS). RemoveDEBRIS will demonstrate a range of innovative technologies to clean up space debris, with the first Airbus designed and built experiment due for deployment in October 2018.




The spacecraft features three Airbus technologies to perform Active Debris Removal (ADR): a net and a harpoon to capture debris, and also a Vision Based Navigation (VBN) system to develop rendezvous techniques in orbit with space debris. The spacecraft itself was designed and built by Airbus subsidiary Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and also includes a drag sail to speed up deorbiting of the whole mission.



The mission timelines will see the net deployed in October this year, followed by the VBN test in late December and then the harpoon in February 2019. The experiments will all be carried out below the orbit of the ISS.



The net experiment, developed by Airbus in Bremen, will see a cubesat deployed from the main mission craft. When the cubesat is 5 metres away, it will then be targeted by the net and captured at approximately 7 metres before it floats away to deorbit.



The VBN system from Airbus in Toulouse will test 2D cameras and a 3D LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology supplied by CSEM to track a second cubesat deployed from the main spacecraft. The VBN system will track its rotation and movement away from the main spacecraft. At the same time the cubesat will transmit its true position to the main spacecraft, enabling the performance of the VBN to be measured. This cubesat will then float and deorbit naturally.



The Airbus Stevenage designed harpoon will see a 1.5 metre boom deployed from the main spacecraft with a piece of composite panel on the end. The harpoon will be fired at 20 metres/sec to penetrate the target and demonstrate the ability of a harpoon to capture debris.



Nicolas Chamussy, Head of Airbus Space Systems said: “We have spent many years developing innovative active debris removal systems to be at the forefront of tackling this growing problem of space debris and to contribute to the UNs’ Sustainable Development Goals for our future generations. We will continue to work closely with teams across the world to make our expertise available to help solve this issue.”



After completion of the Airbus designed ADR, the main spacecraft will deploy the drag sail developed by SSC which will deorbit the craft in approximately 8 weeks. Without the drag sail, deorbiting would take more than 2.5 years.



Co-funded by the European Commission under FP7, RemoveDEBRIS is an international collaboration between the University of Surrey, Airbus, Ariane Group, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Innovative Solutions In Space, CSEM (Switzerland); Inria (France) and Stellenbosch University.



This Space Station satellite deployment opportunity was made possible thanks to NanoRacks and its Space Act Agreement with NASA’s U.S. National Labs.

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Bell and Safran Announce Shared Vision for On-Demand Mobility

press release



New collaboration between Bell and Safran on the development of innovative hybrid electric propulsion systems for future air taxi and VTOL systems.

Cologne, Germany (June 19, 2018) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the Future of Transportation World Conference a newly formed collaboration with Safran (Euronext Paris: SAF) on the development of innovative hybrid electric power system solutions to support Bell’s vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft concept.





“Bell is at the forefront of on-demand mobility – ushering a new era of flight where the benefits of aviation are accessible to more people in more places,” said Scott Drennan, Bell’s director of Innovation, while speaking at the Transportation Conference. “This announcement is another proof point of our commitment to providing transportation of people and logistics in new, innovative and more efficient ways; our work with Safran is a historical milestone for future transport solutions.”





For several years, Safran innovation teams have been actively exploring the potential of hybrid solutions for future propulsion systems. Bell and Safran’s shared vision for electric and hybrid electric aircraft is to strive for the successful deployment of Bell Air Taxis and new on-demand mobility systems in the future



Thanks to the long and sustained technology-development strategy conducted within the Safran group, we can now offer Bell our hybrid electric power solutions for their next generation products that result in improved performance giving more value to our customers,” said Stéphane Cueille, Safran senior executive vice president, R&T and Innovation.







In this collaboration, Bell will lead the design, development and production of VTOL systems, and Safran will bring its technical expertise to bear in the development of a disruptive propulsion system.

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