http://alert5.com/2018/07/23/boeing-saab-are-keen-to-join-tempest-program/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-20/saab-ceo-says-warplane-maker-could-join-u-k-led-fighter-program
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-airshow-fighter-boeing/boeing-would-be-thrilled-with-role-on-new-uk-fighter-defence-ceo-idUSKBN1KA13C
lunes, 23 de julio de 2018
First BelugaXL successfully completes maiden flight
Press Release
The first of five BelugaXL aircraft to fly landed at Toulouse-Blagnac, France Jul 19th at 14:41 hrs local time after successfully completing its first flight lasting four hours and 11 minutes.
The crew in the cockpit on board this flight comprised: Captain Christophe Cail, Co-Pilot Bernardo Saez-Benito Hernandez and Test-Flight Engineer Jean Michel Pin. Meanwhile, monitoring the aircraft systems and performance in real-time at the flight-test-engineer’s (FTE) station were Laurent Lapierre and Philippe Foucault.
Following the first flight, the BelugaXL will undergo some 600 hours of flight test over 10 months to achieve Type Certification and entry into service later in 2019.
The BelugaXL programme was launched in November 2014 to address Airbus’ transport capacity requirements in view of the A350 XWB ramp-up and Single-Aisle production rate increases. Five aircraft will be built between 2019 and 2023 to gradually replace the five BelugaST.
The aircraft will operate from 11 destinations as Airbus’ method of transporting large aircraft components.
Based on an A330-200 Freighter, the BelugaXL is powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines. The lowered cockpit, the cargo bay structure and the rear-end and tail were newly developed jointly with suppliers, giving the aircraft its distinctive look.
Boeing, SparkCognition to shape the future of travel and transport
Press Release
- Collaboration to focus on next-generation airspace management for the safe integration of autonomous air vehicles
- Newly-established Boeing NeXt organization to lead future commercial mobility solutions and bring flight closer to home
/PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced it is collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) technology leader, SparkCognition, to deliver unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) solutions.
Boeing and SparkCognition will use artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies to track unmanned air vehicles in flight and allocate traffic corridors and routes to ensure safe, secure transportation. Through the collaboration, they will also provide a standardized programming interface to support package delivery, industrial inspection and other commercial applications. Boeing HorizonX Ventures previously invested in SparkCognition to support its development of a cognitive, data-driven analytics platform for the safety, security and reliability of data technology.
"Estimated by some analysts at $3 trillion, the urban aerial mobility opportunity will lead to the creation of the largest new market in our lifetimes," said Amir Husain, founder and CEO of SparkCognition. "The world's number one aviation leader partnering with the world's most innovative industrial AI company means that unparalleled experience in safety, innovation, scale, and reliability will be brought to bear to address this monumental opportunity."
To help advance UTM and next-generation travel, and evolve the transportation ecosystem, Boeing is standing up a new organization, Boeing NeXt. It will leverage Boeing's research and development activities and investments in areas such as autonomous flight and advanced propulsion, as well as focus on modeling smart cities and exploring new market opportunities to solve for the transportation challenges of the future.
"We're at a point in history where technological advances and societal trends are converging to demand bold solutions and a different way to travel," said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief technology officer. "Boeing has the experience and expertise to safely and efficiently shape this emerging world of travel and transport. Through Boeing NeXt, we intend to build on our legacy of opening up new frontiers to move people and goods with proven technologies."
To reimagine how products and people move around the world, Boeing is pursuing technology development in emerging fields, including AI and hybrid and fully electric propulsion, that will help ensure safe, efficient flight. In a new video, the company outlines how these enablers will come together with digital systems to make the introduction and integration of autonomous and piloted air vehicles a reality.
"By taking a holistic approach that combines Boeing's strength in technological innovation with new business models and nontraditional partnerships, we are laying the foundation for the future commercial mobility ecosystem," said Steve Nordlund, who will lead Boeing NeXt in addition to his role as vice president of Boeing HorizonX. "We are shaping the physical and connectivity infrastructure to ensure new air vehicles safely operate in the global air space."
The Boeing NeXt portfolio will include the recently unveiled passenger-carrying hypersonic concept, as well as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles that will provide on-demand cargo transport and urban air travel in the future mobility ecosystem.
With award-winning machine learning technology, a multinational footprint, and expert teams focused on defense, industrial internet of things, and finance, SparkCognition builds AI systems to advance the most important interests of society. Its customers turn to SparkCognition to help them analyze complex data, empower decision making, and transform human and industrial productivity. Learn more about SparkCognition's AI applications and why the company was featured in CNBC's 2017 Disruptor 50 and recognized two years in a row on CB Insights AI 100 by visiting www.sparkcognition.com.
Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training.
NASA, French Aerospace Lab to Collaborate on Sonic Boom Prediction Research [feedly]
NASA, French Aerospace Lab to Collaborate on Sonic Boom Prediction Research
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_French_Aerospace_Lab_to_Collaborate_on_Sonic_Boom_Prediction_Research_999.html
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http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_French_Aerospace_Lab_to_Collaborate_on_Sonic_Boom_Prediction_Research_999.html
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Sustained hypersonic flight-enabling technology patent granted to Advanced Rockets Corporation [feedly]
Sustained hypersonic flight-enabling technology patent granted to Advanced Rockets Corporation
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Sustained_hypersonic_flight_enabling_technology_patent_granted_to_Advanced_Rockets_Corporation_999.html
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http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Sustained_hypersonic_flight_enabling_technology_patent_granted_to_Advanced_Rockets_Corporation_999.html
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Airlander hybrid air vehichle Luxury Interior Revealed
PR
Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited and Design Q have unveiled the Airlander 10 passenger cabin, showcasing what’s possible in luxury expeditionary tourism when you Rethink the Skies.
Airlander 10’s remarkable passenger cabin opens up new possibilities by approaching air travel from a different perspective.
Passengers on Airlander will have luxurious private en-suite bedrooms and will be able to enjoy horizon-to-horizon views in the aircraft’s extensive Infinity Lounge. The Altitude Bar will offer drinks with the ultimate view, while 18 guests can enjoy fine dining in the skies.
Stephen McGlennan, CEO of HAV, comments that Airlander 10 is changing the way we think about air travel. "Airlander challenges people to rethink the skies – that’s the driving force behind everything we do," he says. "Air travel has become very much about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. What we’re offering is a way of making the journey a joy." Airlander 10 can take off and land from virtually any flat surface, eliminating the need for traditional infrastructure like ports or airports. This opens up opportunities for luxury expeditions to places existing transport can’t get to and offers the ultimate in transformative, experiential travel.
The new cabin design takes full advantage of Airlander’s unique characteristics to create an environment unlike anything available in aviation today. Design Q’s CEO Howard Guy adds: "We love doing different things. Our fantastic team of young designers relish the opportunity to do something no one’s done before, to imagine a new concept and then to get into the detailed design of what this space will be."
Airlander 10’s interior is unusually spacious – the cabin is larger than most single-aisle aircraft, such as the A320. This space allowed the team at Design Q to use their extensive experience of luxury spaces to create something full of unique features that will set new standards for excellence in air travel. Howard explains: "My team exploited the opportunity that Airlander 10 presents; we had a huge space to create an experience that makes no compromises. This is luxury like you’ve never known it – with the ability to go anywhere in the world."
The two companies have worked in partnership over the last year to develop the cabin design. Throughout the process, the team has been guided by engineering and regulatory demands. The cabin design has incorporated many considerations to ensure it is practical, feasible, and ready for the transition into production. It also presents numerous design details that are industry firsts. HAV and Design Q will continue to work together, with further announcements expected later this year.
Facts and Figures
- Three-day expedition with up to 19 passengers plus crew
- Can accommodate a variety of layouts including reception areas, on-board catering, and flexible seating options
- Current configuration includes en-suite cabins
- Full-height windows with horizon to horizon visibility
- 46m long cabin – larger than most single-aisle aircraft
- Ability to take off and land on virtually any flat surface without the need for infrastructure like runways or ports.
Note
Images and video are available at https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/news-and-media/press/rethink-the-skies-gallery/image-downloads/passenger-cabin
Faster, Lighter, Smarter: DARPA Gives Small Autonomous Systems a Tech Boost
https://youtu.be/vDYy3L9nvLk
press release
Researchers demo latest quadcopter software to navigate simulated urban environments, performing real-world tasks without human assistance
DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program recently completed Phase 2 flight tests, demonstrating advanced algorithms designed to turn small air and ground systems into team members that could autonomously perform tasks dangerous for humans – such as pre-mission reconnaissance in a hostile urban setting or searching damaged structures for survivors following an earthquake.
Building on Phase 1 flight tests in 2017, researchers refined their software and adapted commercial sensors to achieve greater performance with smaller, lighter quadcopters. Conducted in a mock town at the Guardian Centers training facility in Perry, Georgia, aerial tests showed significant progress in urban outdoor as well as indoor autonomous flight scenarios, including:
Begun in 2015, the FLA applied research program has focused on developing advanced autonomy algorithms—the smart software needed to yield high performance from a lightweight quadcopter weighing about five pounds with limited battery power and computer processing capability onboard. FLA’s algorithms have been demonstrated so far on air vehicles only, but they could be used on small, lightweight ground vehicles as well.
“The outstanding university and industry research teams working on FLA honed algorithms that in the not too distant future could transform lightweight, commercial-off-the-shelf air or ground unmanned vehicles into capable operational systems requiring no human input once you’ve provided a general heading, distance to travel, and specific items to search,” said J.C. Ledé, DARPA program manager. “Unmanned systems equipped with FLA algorithms need no remote pilot, no GPS guidance, no communications link, and no pre-programmed map of the area – the onboard software, lightweight processor, and low-cost sensors do all the work autonomously in real-time.”
FLA’s algorithms could lead to effective human-machine teams on the battlefield, where a small air or ground vehicle might serve as a scout autonomously searching unknown environments and bringing back useful reconnaissance information to a human team member. Without needing communications links to the launch vehicle, the chances of an adversary detecting troop presence based on radio transmissions is reduced, which adds further security and safety, Ledé said. This could be particularly important in a search-and-rescue scenario, where an FLA-equipped platform could search in radio silence behind enemy lines for a downed pilot or crew member.
During Phase 2, a team of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Draper Laboratory reduced the number of onboard sensors to lighten their air vehicle for higher speed.
“This is the lightweight autonomy program, so we’re trying to make the sensor payload as light as possible,” said Nick Roy, co-leader of the MIT/Draper team. “In Phase 1 we had a variety of different sensors on the platform to tell us about the environment. In Phase 2 we really doubled down trying to do as much as possible with a single camera.”
A key part of the team’s task was for the air vehicle to build not only a geographically accurate map as it traversed the cityscape but also a semantic one.
“As the vehicle uses its sensors to quickly explore and navigate obstacles in unknown environments, it is continually creating a map as it explores and remembers any place it has already been so it can return to the starting point by itself,” said Jon How, the other MIT/Draper team co-leader.
Using neural nets, the onboard computer recognizes roads, buildings, cars, and other objects and identifies them as such on the map, providing clickable images as well. The human team member could download the map and images from the onboard processor after the mission is completed.
Additionally, the MIT/Draper team incorporated the ability to sync data collected by the air vehicle with a handheld app called the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), which is already deployed to military forces. Using an optional Wi-Fi link from the aircraft (that the human team member could turn on or off as desired), the air vehicle can send real-time imagery of objects of interest. During the flight tests, researchers successfully demonstrated autonomous identification of cars positioned in various locations around the mock town. With “exploration mode” mode on, the air vehicle identified the cars and provided their location with clickable high-resolution images in real-time via Wi-Fi, appearing as an overlay on the ATAK geospatial digital map on the handheld device.
A separate team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania reduced their air vehicle’s size and weight to be able to fly autonomously in small, cluttered indoor spaces. UPenn’s air vehicle took off outside, identified and flew through a second-story window opening with just inches of width clearance, flew down a hallway looking for open rooms to search, found a stairwell, and descended to the ground floor before exiting back outside through an open doorway.
The platform’s reduced weight and size brought new challenges, since the sensors and computers used in Phase 1 were too heavy for the smaller vehicle.
“We ended up developing a new integrated single-board computer that houses all of our sensors as well as our computational platform,” said Camillo J. Taylor, the UPenn team lead. “In Phase 2 we flew a vehicle that’s about half the size of the previous one, and we reduced the weight by more than half. We were able to use a commercially available processor that requires very little power for the entirety of our computational load.”
A key feature of the UPenn vehicle is its ability to create a detailed 3-D map of unknown indoor spaces, avoid obstacles and ability to fly down stairwells.
“That’s very important in indoor environments,” Taylor said. “Because you need to actually not just reason about a slice of the world, you need to reason about what’s above you, what’s below you. You might need to fly around a table or a chair, so we’re forced to build a complete three-dimensional representation.”
The next step, according to Taylor, is packing even more computation onto smaller platforms, potentially making a smart UAV for troops or first responders that is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
Algorithms developed in the FLA program have been scheduled to transition to the Army Research Laboratory for further development for potential military applications.
press release
Researchers demo latest quadcopter software to navigate simulated urban environments, performing real-world tasks without human assistance
DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program recently completed Phase 2 flight tests, demonstrating advanced algorithms designed to turn small air and ground systems into team members that could autonomously perform tasks dangerous for humans – such as pre-mission reconnaissance in a hostile urban setting or searching damaged structures for survivors following an earthquake.
Building on Phase 1 flight tests in 2017, researchers refined their software and adapted commercial sensors to achieve greater performance with smaller, lighter quadcopters. Conducted in a mock town at the Guardian Centers training facility in Perry, Georgia, aerial tests showed significant progress in urban outdoor as well as indoor autonomous flight scenarios, including:
- Flying at increased speeds between multi-story buildings and through tight alleyways while identifying objects of interest;
- Flying through a narrow window into a building and down a hallway searching rooms and creating a 3-D map of the interior; and
- Identifying and flying down a flight of stairs and exiting the building through an open doorway.
Begun in 2015, the FLA applied research program has focused on developing advanced autonomy algorithms—the smart software needed to yield high performance from a lightweight quadcopter weighing about five pounds with limited battery power and computer processing capability onboard. FLA’s algorithms have been demonstrated so far on air vehicles only, but they could be used on small, lightweight ground vehicles as well.
“The outstanding university and industry research teams working on FLA honed algorithms that in the not too distant future could transform lightweight, commercial-off-the-shelf air or ground unmanned vehicles into capable operational systems requiring no human input once you’ve provided a general heading, distance to travel, and specific items to search,” said J.C. Ledé, DARPA program manager. “Unmanned systems equipped with FLA algorithms need no remote pilot, no GPS guidance, no communications link, and no pre-programmed map of the area – the onboard software, lightweight processor, and low-cost sensors do all the work autonomously in real-time.”
FLA’s algorithms could lead to effective human-machine teams on the battlefield, where a small air or ground vehicle might serve as a scout autonomously searching unknown environments and bringing back useful reconnaissance information to a human team member. Without needing communications links to the launch vehicle, the chances of an adversary detecting troop presence based on radio transmissions is reduced, which adds further security and safety, Ledé said. This could be particularly important in a search-and-rescue scenario, where an FLA-equipped platform could search in radio silence behind enemy lines for a downed pilot or crew member.
During Phase 2, a team of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Draper Laboratory reduced the number of onboard sensors to lighten their air vehicle for higher speed.
“This is the lightweight autonomy program, so we’re trying to make the sensor payload as light as possible,” said Nick Roy, co-leader of the MIT/Draper team. “In Phase 1 we had a variety of different sensors on the platform to tell us about the environment. In Phase 2 we really doubled down trying to do as much as possible with a single camera.”
A key part of the team’s task was for the air vehicle to build not only a geographically accurate map as it traversed the cityscape but also a semantic one.
“As the vehicle uses its sensors to quickly explore and navigate obstacles in unknown environments, it is continually creating a map as it explores and remembers any place it has already been so it can return to the starting point by itself,” said Jon How, the other MIT/Draper team co-leader.
Using neural nets, the onboard computer recognizes roads, buildings, cars, and other objects and identifies them as such on the map, providing clickable images as well. The human team member could download the map and images from the onboard processor after the mission is completed.
Additionally, the MIT/Draper team incorporated the ability to sync data collected by the air vehicle with a handheld app called the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), which is already deployed to military forces. Using an optional Wi-Fi link from the aircraft (that the human team member could turn on or off as desired), the air vehicle can send real-time imagery of objects of interest. During the flight tests, researchers successfully demonstrated autonomous identification of cars positioned in various locations around the mock town. With “exploration mode” mode on, the air vehicle identified the cars and provided their location with clickable high-resolution images in real-time via Wi-Fi, appearing as an overlay on the ATAK geospatial digital map on the handheld device.
A separate team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania reduced their air vehicle’s size and weight to be able to fly autonomously in small, cluttered indoor spaces. UPenn’s air vehicle took off outside, identified and flew through a second-story window opening with just inches of width clearance, flew down a hallway looking for open rooms to search, found a stairwell, and descended to the ground floor before exiting back outside through an open doorway.
The platform’s reduced weight and size brought new challenges, since the sensors and computers used in Phase 1 were too heavy for the smaller vehicle.
“We ended up developing a new integrated single-board computer that houses all of our sensors as well as our computational platform,” said Camillo J. Taylor, the UPenn team lead. “In Phase 2 we flew a vehicle that’s about half the size of the previous one, and we reduced the weight by more than half. We were able to use a commercially available processor that requires very little power for the entirety of our computational load.”
A key feature of the UPenn vehicle is its ability to create a detailed 3-D map of unknown indoor spaces, avoid obstacles and ability to fly down stairwells.
“That’s very important in indoor environments,” Taylor said. “Because you need to actually not just reason about a slice of the world, you need to reason about what’s above you, what’s below you. You might need to fly around a table or a chair, so we’re forced to build a complete three-dimensional representation.”
The next step, according to Taylor, is packing even more computation onto smaller platforms, potentially making a smart UAV for troops or first responders that is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
Algorithms developed in the FLA program have been scheduled to transition to the Army Research Laboratory for further development for potential military applications.
[video & photos] 500drones: Intel Breaks Guinness World Records Title for Drone Light Shows in Celebration of 50th Anniversary
press release
PR
What’s New: In celebration of Intel’s 50th anniversary, the company flew 2,018 Intel® Shooting Star™ drones over its Folsom, California, facility, setting a new Guinness World Records™ title for the most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously.
What They Are: The Intel Shooting Star drones are a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specifically designed for entertainment purposes. They are equipped with LED lights that can create countless color combinations and can easily be programmed for any animation. The fleet of drones is controlled by one pilot.
PR
What’s New: In celebration of Intel’s 50th anniversary, the company flew 2,018 Intel® Shooting Star™ drones over its Folsom, California, facility, setting a new Guinness World Records™ title for the most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously.
“Several years ago, we had an idea of flying drones forming the Intel logo over our corporate headquarters, and here we are doing just that. It really speaks to the innovative spirit that Intel was founded on 50 years ago.”What’s Next: Also in celebration of Intel’s 50th anniversary, the company is honoring employees and their families by flying 500 Intel® Shooting Star drones over its corporate headquarters, the Robert Noyce Building, in Santa Clara, California, July 18-22 (weather-permitting).
–Anil Nanduri, vice president and general manager, Intel Drone Group
What They Are: The Intel Shooting Star drones are a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specifically designed for entertainment purposes. They are equipped with LED lights that can create countless color combinations and can easily be programmed for any animation. The fleet of drones is controlled by one pilot.
[video] BelugaXL - Fun Facts
https://youtu.be/mbkI_vbrwzQ
To support the A350 XWB ramp-up and other production rate increases, Airbus is expanding its existing A300-600ST fleet with the development and production of five new BelugaXL aircraft, derived from the company’s versatile A330 widebody product line. The BelugaXL incorporates newly-developed elements including its lowered cockpit, cargo bay structure, and rear and tail section.
Let’s Have A Look At The “Tempest” UK’s 6th Generation Combat Aircraft Mock-Up Unveiled At The Farnborough Air Show [feedly]
Let's Have A Look At The "Tempest" UK's 6th Generation Combat Aircraft Mock-Up Unveiled At The Farnborough Air Show
https://theaviationist.com/2018/07/17/lets-have-a-look-at-the-tempest-uks-6th-generation-combat-aircraft-mock-up-unveiled-at-the-farnborough-air-show/
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https://theaviationist.com/2018/07/17/lets-have-a-look-at-the-tempest-uks-6th-generation-combat-aircraft-mock-up-unveiled-at-the-farnborough-air-show/
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TsAGI explores MC-21 motion on a slick runway
press release
The Zhukovsky Central AeroHydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) continues MC-21 prospective aircraft testing. Now TsAGI scientists are studying the aircraft’s characteristics on a slick runway during a simulated rainfall.
Sediment on the runway leads to a reduced friction coefficient, additional slush force and even the wheel aquaplaning. The combination of these factors significantly affects the aircraft’s directional control and braking performance on the runway and, as a consequence, increases takeoff distance.
TsAGI Aerodynamics & Flight Dynamics Complex work objective is to define the impact of runway water depth, slush layer, ice on takeoff and increase in landing distances, as well as the change in characteristics of the aircraft’s stability and controllability.
TsAGI scientists created a mathematical model of the aircraft runway rollout with different states of runway surface. Scientists have developed new simulation models of the slush force, improved deceleration device and cornering force. The testing results identified the normal take-off distance, accelerate-shop distance and extended take-off at engine failure with various runway surface conditions. The Institute specialists identified the aircraft control characteristics at crosswind and thrust reversing.
"Our simulation program will be practiced at TsAGI flight simulators and will help pilots,” commented Viktor Bragazin, leading researcher of the TsAGI Aerodynamics & Flight Dynamics Complex . “The program will be improved after the MC-21 flight in different test conditions. In the future, the results may become the background for certificate tests on slick runways, and also provide the basis for aircrew recommendations.”
The MC-21-300 is a new generation aircraft with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers and targets the largest segment of the aviation market. The aircraft provides passengers with a significant new level of comfort, due to the largest fuselage diameter in narrow-body aircraft. The aircraft is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency. The major contributor to the enhancement of flight-technical characteristics of the aircraft is the wing made of polymer composite materials, the first-in-the-world, developed for narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of over 130 passengers. The use of composites in the MC-21 design exceeds 30% and is unique for this category of aircraft.
TSAGI completes hypersonic flight mode research of the Federation return vehicle
press release
Specialists of the Zhukovsky Central AeroHydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) completed the research of hypersonic flight modes of the Federation return spacecraft.
Institute scientists tested the spacecraft model at Mach numbers 7, 5 and 10, 5 to define its heat-transfer performance. “We simulated the space vehicle’s entry into the atmosphere,” explained Sergey Drozdov, TsAGI’s High-Speed Aircraft Aerothermodynamics Department, and D.Sc. in Physics & Mathematics. “High-temperature loads (over 2000° c) become operative during the hypersonic flight segment. The spacecraft’s thermal protection shield should withstand the load.”
The obtained data will allow verifying the calculation methods and data on heat transport which were the basic parameters for the thermal protection adoption. The testing results will also help to clarify the impact of the real features of the spacecraft geometry on the heat transfer characteristics. This will help scientists and engineers to design the prospective return spacecraft rationally and reliably.
The study took place in TsAGI’s T-117 wind tunnel at Mach numbers 7, 5-18, 6 with temperature conditions from 630 to 3200°C. No wind tunnel in Europe has similar capabilities.
Federation is a new-generation reusable piloted spacecraft. A firm development contract was awarded to RKK Energia by S.P.Korolev. The spacecraft is intended to carry a crew and suppliers to destinations at and/or beyond low Earth orbit. The spacecraft will send cosmonauts into moon orbit with a plan to place a space station there. Unique technologies are used to create the spacecraft: it will be constructed with advanced composite materials and will have a multiple docking unit. Modern avionics will better deal with the challenges of rendezvous and docking; improve the safety of the crew at orbit insertion and descent to the Earth. Federation will be capable of carrying crews of four into Earth orbit and beyond on missions of up to 30 days. If docked with a space station, it could stay in space up to a year. The total spacecraft weight in flight to the space station will be 14, 4 tones (19 tones when flying to the Moon), the vehicle mass upon return is 9 tones. Federation length is 6, 1 meter
DOD opposes removing Turkey from F-35 programme, citing supply chain disruption [feedly]
DOD opposes removing Turkey from F-35 programme, citing supply chain disruption
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/dod-opposes-removing-turkey-from-f-35-programme-cit-450558/
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http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/dod-opposes-removing-turkey-from-f-35-programme-cit-450558/
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US Army needs technical support for its rides | Introducing the ‘Cyber’ tank | KF-X gets more British parts [feedly]
US Army needs technical support for its rides | Introducing the 'Cyber' tank | KF-X gets more British parts
https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/us-army-needs-technical-support-for-its-rides-introducing-the-cyber-tank-kf-x-gets-more-british-parts-040321/
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https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/us-army-needs-technical-support-for-its-rides-introducing-the-cyber-tank-kf-x-gets-more-british-parts-040321/
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Empresas Andaluzas Aeronáuticas Buscan Oportunidades De Negocio Con Firmas Americanas En La Feria Farnborough De Londres
Nota de prensa
Extenda organiza varias sesiones de networking con compañías de Estados Unidos, mercado al que Andalucía ha multiplicado por cuatro sus exportaciones desde 2015
Un total de ocho entidades andaluzas del sector aeronáutico, presentes en la feria Farnborough International Airshow 2018 (FIA) de Londres, se han reunido con firmas norteamericanas para buscar nuevos lazos comerciales, en una acción organizada por la Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidad, a través de Extenda-Agencia Andaluza de Promoción Exterior.
En el marco de FIA, la principal feria del sector aeronáutico y del espacio que se celebra en Europa en 2018, Extenda ha organizado la participación de las empresas andaluzas en varias sesiones de networking con las ocho firmas de la delegación del Estado de Connecticut, las 14 procedentes de Washington y las de Carolina del Sur, en las que han podido presentar su oferta comercial con el fin de buscar nuevas oportunidades de negocio en el mercado estadounidense, en el que Andalucía ha cuadruplicado sus ventas aeronáuticas desde 2015, con un alza del 312%.
Además, la consejera delegada de Extenda, Vanessa Bernad, ha mantenido varias reuniones con representantes de los citados estados norteamericanos para conocer de primera mano la industria estadounidense y plantear acciones conjuntas para ampliar las relaciones comerciales. “Nuestro objetivo es acercar a las empresas andaluzas a los mercados exteriores y a los inversores extranjeros para impulsar proyectos relacionados con la industria aeronáutica y con ello reafirmar el compromiso del Gobierno andaluz por este sector estratégico para la economía de la región”, aseguró Bernad.
En concreto, la consejera delegada de Extenda ha mantenido una reunión de trabajo con los representantes de Carolina del Sur, uno de los estados norteamericanos con una mayor presencia de contratistas del sector aeronáutico implantados, como Boeing o Lockead Martin. En este encuentro, se han establecido los primeros lazos de colaboración para promover la participación de estas empresas en la próxima misión inversa que Extenda organizará para el sector en el inicio de 2019, así como para la organización de una misión directa a este estado en la que se desarrolle una agenda de reuniones con compañías andaluzas interesadas en expandir su negocio al mercado americano.
Vanessa Bernad mantuvo igualmente un encuentro con los representantes de Connecticut, estado anfitrión en la última misión directa a Estados Unidos que organizó Extenda para este sector, y con los que se ha acordado que empresas locales acudan también como invitadas a la misión inversa que Extenda organizará para las empresas aeronáuticas andaluzas en 2019.
Más reuniones
Además, Extenda ha intercambiado información sobre las empresas andaluzas presentes en FIA con la delegación de Canadá formada por 91 firmas y con la cinco procedentes de la región francesa de Bretaña para promover una agenda de reuniones bilaterales entre ellas.
El objetivo de estas reuniones es seguir trabajando en la estrategia de diversificación de mercados dentro del proceso de internacionalización de las empresas andaluzas, apuntando hacia destinos de referencia en el sector aeronáutico como Canadá o Francia, así como otros con gran protagonismo mundial y en los que Andalucía aún tiene mucho potencial de crecimiento, como el mercado estadounidense, en el que la región ha experimentado una importante progresión en los tres últimos años, al cuadruplicar sus ventas aeronáuticas desde 2015.
En cualquier caso, se trata de un sector en el que Andalucía lideró las exportaciones españolas del sector aeronáutico en 2017, con 3.293 millones de euros, el 57% de las ventas nacionales, una cifra que supone que las empresas andaluzas han duplicado su facturación internacional en sólo tres años, con un alza del 112% respecto a las ventas de 2015 (1.553 millones de euros).
Apoyo al sector
Asimismo, en el marco de la feria, la consejera delegada de Extenda ha asistido a la recepción de la International Aviation Women Association (IAWA) en el stand de Airbus Hospitality Lounge, un encuentro en el que han participado empresas andaluzas como Sofitec, Grabysur y Ebas Group.
Además, Vanessa Bernad ha mantenido un encuentro de trabajo en Londres con la consejera económica y comercial de la Embajada de España, Inmaculada López Martínez, para avanzar en la mejor estrategia para estrechar los lazos comerciales entre Andalucía y Reino Unido, abordando cómo puede afectar el Brexit al comercio exterior de las empresas andaluzas y planteando qué acciones se pueden acometer de forma conjunta para apoyar a las firmas de la región en Reino Unido.
Participación andaluza
La delegación andaluza presente en FIA está formada por ocho entidades, cuatro de las cuales exponen de forma agrupada en el stand de Extenda. En concreto, se trata de la Fundación Hélice-Cluster Aeroespacial Andaluz, así como las firmas sevillanas Gazc, UMI Aeronáutica y Aerotecnic Metallic SLU. Además, otras cuatro empresas sevillanas exponen de manera individual en Farnborougn. Son Grabysur, Sofitec, Ebas Group e Idecam-DTE.
La organización de esta acción por parte de Extenda será cofinanciada con fondos procedentes de la Unión Europea a través del P.O. FEDER de Andalucía 2014-2020, dotado con una contribución comunitaria del 80%.
Estados Unidos, un mercado en expansión
Según datos de Extenda, las exportaciones andaluzas aeronáuticas a Estados Unidos se han multiplicado por cuatro en los tres últimos años, con un incremento del 312% desde 2015, hasta los 58 millones de euros de 2017.
La tendencia positiva se mantiene en el primer cuatrimestre de 2018, con un incremento de las ventas de 81% hasta los 24,8 millones de euros, con los que Andalucía pasa a liderar las exportaciones nacionales aeronáuticas a Estados Unidos, por delante de Madrid (12,8 millones, el 29,1%), y es la comunidad que más crece de las seis más exportadoras.
Con estos datos, Estados Unidos se convierte en el cuarto mercado de las exportaciones aeronáuticas andaluzas, ganando una posición sobre el mismo periodo de 2017. Sevilla concentra la práctica totalidad de las ventas, con 24,3 millones, con un alza del 84%; mientras que con cifras menores se encuentran por detrás Málaga, con 227.000 euros, que duplica su dato con un aumento del 153%; y Córdoba con 204.000 euros.
Andalucía exportó principalmente partes de los aparatos, con 24,5 millones y una subida del 86%. Además, el número de empresas exportadoras regulares (más de cuatro años exportando) se mantiene en el primer cuatrimestre con respecto a las registradas en todo 2017, con once firmas en total.
Acciones para abordar el mercado norteamericano
Extenda trabaja en una programación específica para potenciar la diversificación de mercados y mejorar la posición de las empresas andaluzas aeronáuticas en el mercado estadounidense. Desde 2015, ha organizado 28 acciones específicas para este sector enfocadas a mejorar su negocio en Estados Unidos, que han contado con 48 empresas, que han generado 93 participaciones.
Entre las más recientes, destaca en 2017 la organización del foro ‘Industrial Day’, que contó con la participación de un total de 21 firmas andaluzas en un encuentro empresarial con la compañía norteamericana General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), que buscaba proveedores para un nuevo proyecto de fabricación de drones para la Armada Española.
Además, promovió una misión comercial inversa con directivos de cinco grandes fabricantes internacionales (OMEs) procedentes de Estados Unidos, Canadá y Suiza, que Extenda organizó en Sevilla y que contó concretamente con representantes de Boeing, Bombardier, Lockheed Martin, Textron Aviation y Pilatus Aircraft. En ella, participaron 29 empresas andaluzas del cluster aeroespacial.
A esta acción se sumó también una misión comercial directa del sector aeroespacial a Canadá y Estados Unidos, en la que participaron 19 empresas del cluster andaluz, que pudieron mantener reuniones de negocio con las principales tractoras de ambos países, Bombardier y Boeing, respectivamente.
Ya en 2018, Extenda organizó una misión comercial directa a la costa este de Estados Unidos, en la que las 15 firmas participantes tuvieran la posibilidad de conocer de primera mano las claves de la industria aeroespacial estadounidense. La agenda de trabajo, que se desarrolló el pasado mes de junio, incluyó las visitas a compañías locales como Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, Pratt and Whitney (P&W), UTC Aerospace Systems, Embraer Executive Aircraft y Piper Aircraft, así como a la lanzadera de la NASA en Cabo Cañaveral.
CT featured virtual reality applications for the aerospace industry at Farnborough 2018
press release
CT attended the Farnborough International Airshow 2018 with the purpose of presenting virtual reality applications for the aerospace sector. This engineering solution allows a preview of ergonomic issues during the assembly process, understand the whole process as well as teach the operator how to proceed and react against issues. This virtual reality application contains design and manufacturing specifications with all the specific requirements.
CT is a preferred engineering services supplier (E2S) and a preferred provider of manufacturing engineering services strategic supplier (ME3S) to the Airbus Group. CT works with all Airbus divisions and their extended network of suppliers, Tier-1 and RSPs. Since 1994 CT has participated in the most important European aeronautical projects (A350XWB, A380, A320, A330MRTT, A400M,…) providing an engineering service that covers the entire product lifecycle, ie. structural design, stress analysis, manufacturing engineering, systems engineering, and after sales support engineering. CT is also working on an R&D project focused on the digital factory, drones, new materials and new manufacturing processes.
ELIMCO AEROSPACE Explora Nuevas Vías De Negocio En El Mercado Norteamericano
Nota de Prensa
Su participación en la misión comercial organizada por Extenda le ha permitido posicionarse en los sectores aeronáutico y naval
Elimco Aerospace, compañía andaluza especializada en soluciones tecnológicas de alto valor añadido para los sectores aeroespacial, defensa, ferroviario y naval, entre otros, ha participado en una misión comercial en la costa este de Estados Unidos, organizada por la Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidad, a través de Extenda-Agencia Andaluza de Promoción Exterior. Esta acción le ha permitido establecer contactos para posicionarse como proveedor de calidad para acceder a los programas de ingeniería de sistemas en los sectores aeronáutico y naval en el mercado norteamericano.
La misión comercial ha servido para conocer en profundidad las necesidades de los principales fabricantes de helicópteros y presentarles la experiencia de Elimco Aerospace en la cadena de suministro de este tipo de aeronaves. Entre los contactos establecidos, destaca la compañía Sikorsky, una de las principales empresas de diseño y fabricación de helicópteros a nivel mundial, que además ha permitido acceder a su empresa matriz, Lockheed Martin, que colabora con Indra y Navantia en la construcción de la fragata F-110.
“Estamos muy satisfechos con esta misión comercial organizada por Extenda, ya que nos ha facilitado contactos de muy alto nivel que nos van a permitir mostrar nuestras capacidades no solo ante los principales agentes del sector aeronáutico estadounidense, sino también en el campo naval, de gran importancia en nuestros planes de negocio”, ha destacado el consejero de Elimco Aerospace, Juan Salas, que participó en la delegación de empresas desplazada a diversos puntos de la costa este estadounidense, como Nueva York, Hartford (Connecticut), Savannah (Georgia), Orlando (Filadelfia) y Miami (Florida).
Asimismo, el representante de Elimco Aerospace tuvo la oportunidad de encontrarse con el gobernador de Connecticut, Dan Malloy, en la ‘Presentación del Clúster de Connecticut y Foro de Empresas’, en la que participaron universidades, centros tecnológicos y empresas locales.
Sobre Elimco Aerospace
Elimco Aerospace es una compañía impulsada por la firma Ingemont que ofrece soluciones tecnológicas de alto valor añadido para los sectores aeroespacial, defensa, ferroviario y naval, entre otros. En el sector aeronáutico es un referente en la creación de soluciones customizadas en ingeniería, fabricación y servicios de sistemas eléctricos, electrónicos y aviónica, siendo experta en la gestión integral de productos o sistemas automáticos, simuladores, unidades de control de cabina, consolas y equipos embarcados de alta complejidad, apostando por el desarrollo de la I+D+i y la prestación de servicios en FAL. La compañía participa en los principales programas de Airbus, entre los que destacan los aviones A380, A400M, A330MRTT, Eurofighter y los helicópteros Tiger y NH90.
Farnborough Air Show 2018 – Day Four and Summary
TIM ROBINSON, BILL READ and KHALEM CHAPMAN provide a look at some of the most important news and highlights of the fourth trade day of the Farnborough Air Show 2018 – as well as a summary and analysis.
Press release
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/farnborough-air-show-2018-day-four-and-summary/