[Coronavirus] Twelve EU Member States ask Commission to amend Regulation (EC) 261/2004 to allow issuance of vouchers in lieu of refund
Airbus develops solution for airlines to use their widebody aircraft for pure cargo operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
US-based Zipline is using drones to deliver virus tests and supplies in Ghana.
miércoles, 29 de abril de 2020
This week, we talked to people trying to help stem the hurt of the Covid-19 pandemic—with mixed success. One company, Zipline, is using drones to help deliver virus testing supplies and personal protective equipment in Ghana. It has accelerated efforts to bring the approach to the US, though don't …
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Flying Cars Could Take Off Soon, if We Let the Military Help
Since "The Jetsons" premiered in 1962, Americans have been fascinated by the prospect of flying cars. In the show's memorable opening, George Jetson somehow folded his sleek space sedan into a briefcase, a bit of design wizardry science will find challenging to recreate. Cartoon physics aside, we...
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Delivery Robots Aren't Ready—When They Could Be Needed Most
Americans choosing to —or forced to—stay inside during the Covid-19 pandemic are leaning heavily on food delivery. Instacart sales soared 98 percent, and Amazon Fresh sales 68 percent, in March, compared with February, according to the consumer analytics firm Second Measure. Restaurants that can'...
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British Airways set to cut up to 12,000 jobs
British Airways is set to cut up to 12,000 jobs from its 42,000-strong workforce due to a collapse in business because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more...
Airbus and Rolls Royce E-Fan X hybrid plane gets permanently grounded - SlashGear
martes, 28 de abril de 2020
Bjorn's Corner: Why e in ePlane shall stand for environment, Part 19. - Leeham News and Analysis
Boeing sees air traffic recovering in 2-3 years; production will take longer - Leeham News and Analysis
Boeing Terminates Agreement to Establish Joint Ventures with Embraer - Apr 25, 2020
sábado, 25 de abril de 2020
Ground-launched Hypersonic Cruise Missiles Attract Pentagon Interest | Aviation Week Network
Airlines use Farelogix to enable inflight social distancing
US Norway to partner on hypersonic missile propulsion systems
miércoles, 22 de abril de 2020
Intelsat 901 Satellite Returns to Service Using Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle
Pontifications: What shape and how long will recovery take? - Leeham News and Analysis
martes, 21 de abril de 2020
German MoD Confirms The Intention To Buy a Mixed Fleet of 45 F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler Aircraft
Fully-electric aircraft pushback tractor undergoing trials at major international airport
U.S. Treasury releases $2.9 billion in airline support, finalizes payroll agreements - Reuters
Exclusive: Airbus puts six jets made for AirAsia up for sale as crisis deepens - Reuters
“We believe the airline ecosystem will be 50 per cent smaller” or How coronavirus brought aerospace down to earth
lunes, 20 de abril de 2020
ITF and IATA: Support from governments essential to protect jobs and preserve aviation industry
Oil Plunges Below $5 With Traders Fleeing Expiring Contract
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-19/oil-drops-to-18-year-low-on-global-demand-crunch-storage-woes
updated:
BREAKING: Crude oil falls 300% to nearly negative $40 per barrel
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/oil-markets-us-crude-futures-in-focus-as-coronavirus-dents-demand.html
Read more...BREAKING: Crude oil falls 300% to nearly negative $40 per barrel https://t.co/HlsH3slbGO pic.twitter.com/2SEY8DJyk7— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) April 20, 2020
Watch: Rocket Accidentally Fired by Chadian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot Nearly Hits French C-130H at NDjamena Airport
CDB Leasing Axes Orders for 29 Boeing Max Jets; Gecas Cancels Orders for 69 Boeing Max Jets
Bone-inspired material ups its strength as more force is applied
https://newatlas.com/materials/self-reinforcing-material-strength-force-bone-john-hopkins/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adma.201906970?af=R
Press Release
More stress placed on one end of the beam led to more mineralization. As stress gradually decreased across the beam, so did the amount of mineralization.
Credit: Sung Hoon Kang
For the JHU team’s experiment, increased force (arrow pointing down) applied on the material led to more electrical charges, and thus, more mineralization.
Credit: Pam Li/Johns Hopkins University
Press Release
Inspired by how human bone and colorful coral reefs adjust mineral deposits in response to their surrounding environments, Johns Hopkins researchers have created a self-adapting material that can change its stiffness in response to the applied force. This advancement can someday open the doors for materials that can self-reinforce to prepare for increased force or stop further damage.
A report of the findings was published today in Advanced Materials.
“Imagine a bone implant or a bridge that can self-reinforce where a high force is applied without inspection and maintenance. It will allow safer implants and bridges with minimal complication, cost and downtime,” says Sung Hoon Kang, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute, and Institute for NanoBioTechnology at The Johns Hopkins University and the study’s senior author.
While other researchers have attempted to create similar synthetic materials before, doing so has been challenging because such materials are difficult and expensive to create, or require active maintenance when they are created and are limited in how much stress they can bear. Having materials with adaptable properties, like those of wood and bone, can provide safer structures, save money and resources, and reduce harmful environmental impact.
Natural materials can self-regulate by using resources in the surrounding environment; for example, bones use cell signals to control the addition or removal of minerals taken from blood around them. Inspired by these natural materials, Kang and colleagues sought to create a materials system that could add minerals in response to applied stress.
The team started off by using materials that can convert mechanical forces into electrical charges as scaffolds, or support structures, that can create charges proportional to external force placed on it. The team’s hope was that these charges could serve as signals for the materials to start mineralization from mineral ions in the environment.
Kang and colleagues immersed polymer films of these materials in a simulated body fluid mimicking ionic concentrations of human blood plasma. After the materials incubated in the simulated body fluid, minerals started forming on the surfaces. The team also discovered that they could control the types of minerals formed by controlling the fluid’s ion composition.
The team then set up a beam anchored on one end to gradually increase stress from one end of the materials to the other and found that regions with more stress had more mineral buildup; the mineral height was proportional to the square root of stress applied.
Their methods, the researchers say, are simple, low-cost and don’t require extra energy.“Our findings can pave the way for a new class of self-regenerating materials that can self-reinforce damaged areas,” says Kang. Kang hopes that these materials can someday be used as scaffolds to accelerate treatment of bone-related disease or fracture, smart resins for dental treatments or other similar applications.
Additionally, these findings contribute to scientists’ understanding of dynamic materials and how mineralization works, which could shed light on ideal environments needed for bone regeneration.
###
Johns Hopkins University news releases are available online, as is information for reporters. To arrange a video or audio interview with a Johns Hopkins expert, contact a media representative listed above or visit our studio web page. Find more Johns Hopkins stories on the Hub.
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Boeing CEO Message on U.S. Government Support for Airlines and the Aerospace Industry
press release
Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun issued the following letter to employees today regarding U.S. government support for airlines and the aerospace industry:
Team:
Our industry took a step on the long road to recovery from the COVID-19 crisis this week. The U.S. government and 10 airlines agreed on a $25 billion package of support that will help tide our customers over until passengers can begin to travel again.
Let me take a moment to underscore how important that is.
The impact of the global pandemic on the airlines has been like nothing anyone has ever seen. Global airline revenues are set to drop by a total of $314 billion by the end of the year. In the U.S. alone, some 2,500 aircraft have been idled, and passenger volume is down over 95% compared to last year. The relief provided by the government is vital to maintaining the aviation pillar of the U.S. economy, even if full recovery will take years, not months.
Knowing that the U.S. airline industry has critical financial support through this devastating wave of the virus allows us to plan our production system for the medium- and long-term impact on air travel. We are hopeful that governments around the world will follow the lead of the U.S. and support their aviation industry in a similar fashion. In addition, the U.S. government can now turn its attention to the manufacturing base that supports the global air travel industry.
Our industry will need the government’s support, which will be critical to ensuring access to credit markets and likely take the form of loans versus outright grants. The aerospace industry is a vital pillar of the economy, supported by 17,000 suppliers and 2.5 million jobs. For every dollar Boeing spends, approximately 70 cents goes directly to our suppliers. Our team continues to focus on the best ways to keep liquidity flowing through our business and to our supply chain until our customers are buying airplanes again. We continue to believe strongly in the future of aviation and of Boeing as the industry leader and are willing to borrow against that future.
I promise to keep you informed on our work to navigate through this crisis and beyond. But in the meantime, if you’re looking for a spirit boost in these challenging times, I encourage you to look around the company at the fantastic work going on in support of our colleagues, customers, suppliers and communities.
The realization that we’re all in this together is especially important as we begin making the transition back to work at Boeing sites as it’s safe to do so.
Following thorough reviews of local conditions, we’ve started restoring operations at some sites where work has been suspended. This includes teams in the Puget Sound region and in Heath, Ohio. Colleagues returning to work will see a wide range of safety measures in place, including operating practices to enable physical distancing such as staggered shift times, spread-out work areas and visual controls, voluntary body temperature screenings, and of course constant visible reminders to wash hands and monitor our personal well-being.
The people of Boeing also continue to give back to the community. Recently, members of our team connected companies in our supply chain to help facilitate the production of critical N95 face masks. In addition, we’ve 3D printed and delivered an initial 2,300 face shields to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for distribution to health care professionals in need of personal protective equipment, and we’re planning to deliver 4,000 more by the end of this week.
And even while we adapt to a new and unusual work environment, teams continue to deliver for our customers. Just this month, we received a U.S. Navy contract modification for three additional MQ-25 aircraft. We delivered the first CH-47F Chinook to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. We achieved two testing milestones for the Loyal Wingman program. We completed the successful first flight of the F-15QA fighter. We had service representatives continuing to provide support in the field. And we continue to make good progress on returning the 737 MAX safely to service.
As you’ve heard me say before, we’re in uncharted waters. The impact of this global virus will change our business for years to come. But we’re doing what it takes to emerge from it strong and competitive.
I want to thank everyone for what you do to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders. It’s work that keeps our business operating, honors our brand and ensures we will recover and continue to lead the industry once the pandemic subsides.
Dave
Boeing to Resume Commercial Airplanes Production in Puget Sound and Philadelphia
Boeing Delivers 500th AH-64E Apache Helicopter
press release
Production, flight test and deliveries of the AH-64E Apache helicopter continue at the Boeing [NYSE: BA] site in Mesa, Arizona. With 500 AH-64E Apaches in service with the United States Army and defense forces around the world, the ‘Echo’ model provides enhanced performance; joint digital interoperability; situational awareness and survivability with reduced operational and support costs. First delivered in 2011, the AH-64E has been used in combat operations and peacekeeping efforts. Planned modernization of this multi-role combat helicopter ensures it is ready to fulfill operational requirements globally. Read more...
Boeing Activates Airlift Capabilities for First COVID-19 Transport Mission
press release
- Partnered with FIRST
Robotics Founder Dean Kamen to bring personal protective equipment (PPE)
to healthcare professionals in the U.S.
- Deployed 737-700 from corporate fleet to transport 540,000 face masks to New Hampshire
- Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future
Boeing [NYSE: BA] today completed its first COVID-19 transport mission, using a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from China to the United States. Working in partnership with FIRST® Robotics Founder Dean Kamen, the company transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks that will be delivered to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 in New Hampshire.
Kamen, who has a longstanding relationship with Boeing through FIRST Robotics, is also a founder of DEKA Research and Development Corporation. He worked with DEKA to secure the face masks from manufacturers in China and turned to Boeing to facilitate their transport. DEKA is the importer of record for the delivery and provided the masks to New Hampshire for distribution to healthcare professionals in the state.
"Another life-saving delivery of PPE has arrived in New Hampshire," said Governor Chris Sununu. "Thanks to Dean Kamen for facilitating this deal, and to Boeing for donating the cost of this mission transport. The state will deliver these masks to the greatest areas of need across New Hampshire so those on the frontline have the necessary resources to fight COVID-19."
"Boeing has been a long-time partner of FIRST Robotics and I'm proud that I can again partner with the Boeing team to meet the needs of our frontline healthcare professionals fighting COVID-19," said Kamen. "Now more than ever, help from companies like Boeing is critical so we can continue to make sure protective equipment gets to the people who need it most."
Boeing continues to support local communities and the heroic healthcare professionals working tirelessly to stop the spread of COVID-19. Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future. Boeing is coordinating closely with U.S. government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need.
"I want to personally thank Governor Sununu, the entire New Hampshire congressional delegation and Dean Kamen for their leadership in helping secure and distribute this much-needed personal protective equipment for our frontline healthcare workers and first responders here in New Hampshire," said Dave Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO. "We are honored to have conducted today's airlift mission and we look forward to providing continued support in the fight against this pandemic."
Airbus will support France and India to monitor climate change with TRISHNA
press release
The French Space Agency (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, CNES) has recently signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the development and manufacture of the thermal infrared instrument for the TRISHNA satellite.
TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High resolution Natural resource Assessment) will be the latest satellite in the joint Franco-Indian satellite fleet dedicated to climate monitoring and operational applications. CNES and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are partnering on the development of an infrared observation system with high thermal resolution and high revisit capability including a satellite and associated ground segment.
TRISHNA observations will enhance our understanding of the water cycle and improve management of the planet’s precious water resources, to better define the impacts of climate change, especially at local levels.
In the international partnership workshare, ISRO will provide the platform, the visible and short wave infrared instrument and will be the prime contractor for the satellite, while CNES is co-responsible for the mission and will provide the thermal infrared instrument, to be developed by Airbus. The ground segment is shared between both countries.
For this mission, Airbus is leveraging the latest innovations and synergies from other programmes (IASI-NG, CO3D…) to offer an affordable high performance instrument, with the aim of encouraging development of a commercial market.
Measuring surface temperatures provides information on hydric stress - a lack of water - and its impact on the vegetative cycle, and this monitoring of water and energy cycles is one of the main objectives of the mission, to be applied particularly in agriculture and hydrology. This mission will also serve numerous other applications: surveillance of continental and coastal waters, follow up of urban heat traps, risk monitoring (fire detection and volcanic activity), study of the cryosphere (glaciers, frozen lakes) and radiation budget assessment.
TRISHNA represents a significant step forward, both in terms of resolution and refresh rate, compared with existing missions, improving research opportunities and enabling further development of applications.
While existing missions are limited in terms of resolution (above 1km) and with revisit only every few weeks, TRISHNA will image the Earth every three days, at 50m resolution, observing a wide temperature range, from approx. -20°C to +30°C, with high precision (0.3°C).
Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus said: “Thanks to ambitious science missions like TRISHNA, our industry has reached a technological maturity that opens up a new era of commercial observation of the Earth and all related applications. France’s world-leading expertise in the Earth observation export market, combined with the unmatched efficiency and ambition of the Indian Space industry is going to bring thermal infrared imagery to a new level. This will enable breakthrough applications in agriculture, urban and coastal zone management, meteorology, climate science and many commercial applications.” Read more...
Airbus achieves world’s first fully automatic refuelling contacts
press release
Photo caption: The picture shows the first fully automated refuelling contacts between an Airbus tanker test aircraft and a Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jet.
Airbus has achieved the first ever fully automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) operation with a boom system. The flight test campaign, conducted earlier in the year over the Atlantic Ocean, involved an Airbus tanker test aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R solution, with an F-16 fighter aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force acting as a receiver.
This milestone is part of the industrialisation phase of A3R systems ahead of its implementation in the A330 MRTT tanker development.
The campaign achieved a total of 45 flight test hours and 120 dry contacts with the A3R system, covering the whole aerial refuelling envelope, as the F-16 and MRTT consolidate the maturity and capabilities of the development at this stage. The certification phase will start in 2021.
Didier Plantecoste, Airbus Head of Tanker and Derivatives Programmes, said: “The achievement of this key milestone for the A3R programme highlights the A330 MRTT’s excellent capability roadmap development and once more confirms that our tanker is the world’s reference for present and future refuelling operations. Our special thanks go to the Portuguese Air Force for their continued support and help on this crucial development”.
The A3R system requires no additional equipment on the receiver aircraft and is intended to reduce air refuelling operator (ARO) workload, improve safety and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling transfer in operational conditions, helping maximise aerial superiority. The goal for the A3R system is to develop technologies that will reach fully autonomous capabilities.
Once the system is activated by the ARO, the A3R flies the boom automatically and keeps the alignment between the boom tip and the receiver receptacle with an accuracy of a couple of centimeters; the proper alignment and the receiver stability is checked in real-time to keep a safe distance between the boom and the receiver and also to determine the optimum moment to extend the telescopic beam to achieve the connection with the receiver. At this point, the fuel transfer is initiated to fill up the receiver aircraft and once completed and the disconnection is commanded, the boom is cleared away from the receiver by retracting the telescopic beam and flying the boom away to keep a safe separation distance. During this process, the ARO simply monitors the operation.
Read more...
Avio interiors presents Janus seat, to maximize social distance in pax cabins
http://aviointeriors.it/2020/press/janus-seat/
press release
Like two-faced Janus, the god of Ancient Rome, this proposal is distinguished by the reverse position of the center seat of the triple to ensure the maximum isolation between passengers seated next to each other. While passengers seated on the side seats, aisle and fuselage, continue to be positioned in the flight direction as usual, the passenger sitting in the center is facing backwards.
So “Janus” is a two-faced seat, in fact this arrangement allows all three passengers to be separated with a shield made of transparent material that isolates them from each other, creating a protective barrier for everyone. Each passenger has its own space isolated from others, even from people who walk through the aisle.
Each place of the “Janus” seat is surrounded on three sides by a high shield that prevents the breath propagation to occupants of adjacent seats.
“Janus” seat is made of easy cleaning and safe hygienisation materials.
The option is available with the shield in opaque material or with different degrees of transparency. Read more...
Airbus achieves world’s first fully automatic refuelling contacts - Defence - Airbus
viernes, 17 de abril de 2020
https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/04/airbus-achieves-worlds-first-fully-automatic-refuelling-contacts.html
Read more...
Airbus achieves world's first fully automatic refuelling contacts. #A3R
#SmartMRTT #WeMakeItFly https://t.co/a6mtcC7QZx
Unmanned aircraft system beyond visual line operations over populated areas or assemblies of people in the ‘specific’ category | EASA
jueves, 16 de abril de 2020
Video: new HAECO's flexible interiors (cargo-pax)
miércoles, 15 de abril de 2020
HAECO Americas (@HAECO_Americas) twitteó a las 11:15 p. m. on mar., abr. 14, 2020:
Introducing our new Cabin Interior Cargo Solutions! They range from full or partial replacement or reconfiguration, to flight-ready devices. Our customizable solutions allows #airlines infinite variations to manage passenger and #cargo revenue by #flight. https://t.co/EyoXYaVlDD
(https://twitter.com/HAECO_Americas/status/1250170799127961601?s=03)
Read more...
Introducing our new Cabin Interior Cargo Solutions! They range from full or partial replacement or reconfiguration, to flight-ready devices. Our customizable solutions allows #airlines infinite variations to manage passenger and #cargo revenue by #flight. https://t.co/EyoXYaVlDD
(https://twitter.com/HAECO_Americas/status/1250170799127961601?s=03)
Podcast: Pilotando el Tema. Aviones de aerolinea como cargueros. Españoles en Vietnam. Nanosatélites y MiGs 29
Can a passenger airliner run as a freighter with today’s tariffs?
Why e in ePlane shall stand for environment
25 Million Jobs at Risk with Airline Shutdown
25 Million Jobs at Risk with Airline Shutdown
http://aviationnews.eu/news/2020/04/25-million-jobs-at-risk-with-airline-shutdown/
Read more...
http://aviationnews.eu/news/2020/04/25-million-jobs-at-risk-with-airline-shutdown/
NASA funds concept for gigantic radio telescope on far side of Moon
Japan’s first-ever test flights of a "manned drone" completed by SkyDrive
Penn Engineering’s New Scavenger Technology Allows Robots to ‘Eat’ Metal for Energy
IATA is offering 5000 free accesses to select online courses
IATA is offering 5000 free accesses to select online courses to support the #aviation community during this difficult time. #WeAreAviation #StayStrong— IATA (@IATA) April 15, 2020
Learn more here 👉 https://t.co/gTw7xhxUf1 pic.twitter.com/uouwG8l8cy
Press release:
https://www.iata.org/en/training-staystrong
eLearning is an
effective, efficient, and flexible way to prepare for tomorrow, on your
own time, from wherever you please. After all, uncertain times won’t
last forever.
At IATA Training, we stand hand-in-hand with over 100,000 aviation and airline professionals each year, training them for the next step in their careers. Today’s reality is remarkably different than anything we’ve faced before, but presents a unique opportunity.
With conventional classroom training not being accessible in
times like these, eLearning helps close the gap. To help you get
started, we’re providing a selection of our eLearning courses at zero
cost*.At IATA Training, we stand hand-in-hand with over 100,000 aviation and airline professionals each year, training them for the next step in their careers. Today’s reality is remarkably different than anything we’ve faced before, but presents a unique opportunity.
Until 27 April, you can choose from our popular elearning courses and get free access by following these steps:
- Fill in the promo code form
- Receive your personal promo code by email within 24 hours
- Choose one of our free eLearning courses
- Visit the course page and click the “buy now” button
- Create or log in to your user profile
- Enter your promo code at check out
- Enjoy your free eLearning course
Eligable e-learning courses
- Accounting and Financial Management for Travel Agencies - E-Learning
- Aviation Competition Law - E-Learning
- Aviation Law - Fundamentals - E-Learning
- Destination Geography - E-Learning
- Distribution and Airline Retailing with NDC - E-Learning
- Diversity & Inclusion - E-Learning
- Geography in Travel Planning - E-Learning
- Travel Agency Fees: A Professional Approach - E-Learning
Explore our full range of eLearning courses (please note these are not part of the free e-elearning promotion)
Disclaimer
- This offer is for a limited time only and is subject to limited availability. This offer may be revoked by IATA at any time for any reason and without notice.
- Only the eLearning courses listed above can be accessed without charge. This offer does not apply to any IATA eLearning courses not listed above.
- eLearning certificates acquired during this promotion are not eligible for LinkedIn Learning access.
- The offer is only valid until 27 April 2020, 17:00 CET and may be revoked at any time.
- This offer is limited to the first 5,000 eLearning licenses claimed under this promotion. Once 5,000 eLearning licenses have been claimed, this promotion shall end automatically and any offers in connection thereto, including those for free eLearning courses, shall be automatically revoked.
- Additional Terms and Conditions apply to those who enrol in the eLearning courses
Rethinking the aircraft seat for a new market reality
USAF Awards LM Avionics Tech Refresh Contract to Advance U-2's Capabilities for the Future Battlespace
press release
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® (NYSE: LMT) continues to
evolve the U-2 Dragon Lady to support future battlespace needs under a
recent contract award from the U.S. Air Force valued at $50 million.
The contract includes the following upgrades to the Dragon Lady:
-
An updated avionics suite that modernizes the U-2’s onboard systems to readily accept and use new technology.
-
A new mission computer designed to the U.S. Air Force’s open mission
systems (OMS) standard that enables the U-2 to integrate with systems
across air, space, sea, land and cyber domains at disparate security
levels.
-
New, modern cockpit displays to make everyday pilot tasks easier
while enhancing presentation of the data the aircraft collects to enable
faster, better informed decisions.
Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will lead the design, integration and test of the new advanced aircraft components, which will enable the U-2 to be the first fully OMS-compliant fleet. Interim fielding is anticipated to begin in mid-2021, with fleet modification expected in early 2022.
For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/u2 Read more...
TECNAM TO PRODUCE FACE SHIELDS TO FIGHT COVID-19 SPREAD
press release
Capua – Italy – Tecnam announced
today that it has started production of protective face shields to help
prevent the spread of COVID-19. This initiative is the company’s
response to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) currently in
the market, particularly during Italy’s Phase 2 lockdown, where certain
activities are permitted only when using adequate protective devices.
Production will run in parallel with Tecnam’s ongoing aircraft
manufacturing activities.
For these special products, the Tecnam Research and Development
department has channeled all its commitment and aeronautical design
know-how into creating an innovative face shield with a multipurpose
solution to protect the eyes and airways. The Tecnam TFS (Face Shield)
provides eye protection against droplets and sprays of fluids containing
biological agents, while also protecting the nose and mouth from direct
inhalation of biological matter that may contain the coronavirus. The
Tecnam TFS has been designed to fully adapt to the face. A single
elastomer fascia allows the face shield to be worn comfortably, thanks
to the polyolefin foam that is widely used in medical applications.
Ventilation is free but airstream is forced rearward.
The device is currently in advanced testing phase in compliance with
the applicable UNI EN standard to allow for use in a Health Environment,
but it is already compliant for normal daily use in highly crowded
spaces (such as supermarkets, open markets, public transport, etc.) to
replace the standard bulky and movement-restricting face shields.
Also being developed is a version of the shield that can be equipped
with air-intake filters, for those environments where air filtration is
necessary in addition to protection from fluids containing biological
matter.
As an aircraft manufacturer, Tecnam is developing a range of further
specific variants in order to provide protection for the company’s
pilots, passengers, flight instructors and flight-school cadets.
Tecnam TFS (Face Shield) Main Features:
- Full protection for face: eyes, nose and mouth;
- Reusable and recyclable;
- Comfortable and ergonomic;
- Able to be used while wearing spectacles;
- Latex free and solvent free;
- Washable and can be sterilized using ethylene oxide;
- A surgical or FFP mask can be accommodated beneath the device.
Tecnam advises that production of the new PPE will be in addition to their regular aircraft manufacturing activities, which continue as scheduled. The company will disclose further actions related to their fight against the coronavirus in the coming days.
More info on TFS Face Shield (Tech Specs, price, availability)
Giovanni Pascale g.pascale@tecnam.com Read more...
Boeing’s Loyal Wingman Program Achieves ‘Weight on Wheels’ Milestone
press release
Boeing [NYSE: BA] Australia recently achieved two more milestones on the Royal Australian Air Force’s Loyal Wingman – Advanced Development Program: weight on wheels and aircraft power on.
The development milestones for the unmanned aircraft come just weeks after completion of the first fuselage, allowing for rapid progress on systems installation and functional and integration testing from the aircraft’s own landing gear.
“We’re continuing at pace toward our goal of flying later this year, so that we can show our customer and the world what unmanned capability like this can do,” said Dr. Shane Arnott, program director of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System. “The strong contributions from our industry team are powering our progress.” Read more...
Boeing’s F-15 Qatar Advanced Jet Completes Successful First Flight
press release
Boeing [NYSE: BA] successfully completed the first flight of the F-15QA fighter, the most advanced version of the jet ever manufactured. Developed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), the jet demonstrated its next-generation capabilities during its 90-minute mission. The flight took off and landed from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.
“We are very proud of this accomplishment and looking forward with great excitement to the continued successes of this program,” said Col. Ahmed Al Mansoori, commander, QEAF F-15 Wing. “This successful first flight is an important milestone that brings our squadrons one step closer to flying this incredible aircraft over the skies of Qatar.”
Boeing’s flight test team, led by Chief Test Pilot Matt Giese, implemented a precise mission checklist to test the multirole aircraft’s capabilities. The aircraft demonstrated its maneuverability during its vertical “Viking” takeoff and by pulling nine Gs, or nine times the force of earth’s gravity, in its subsequent maneuvering in the test airspace. Checks of systems such as avionics and radar were also successful. A test team monitoring the data in real time confirmed the aircraft performed as planned.
“This successful first flight is an important step in providing the QEAF an aircraft with best-in-class range and payload,” said Prat Kumar, Boeing vice president and F-15 program manager. “The advanced F-15QA not only offers game changing capabilities but is also built using advanced manufacturing processes which make the jet more efficient to manufacture. In the field, the F-15 costs half the cost per flight hour of similar fighter aircraft and delivers far more payload at far greater ranges. That’s success for the warfighter."
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Boeing a $6.2 billion contract in 2017 to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for the QEAF. Boeing will begin delivering aircraft to the customer in 2021. In addition, Boeing was awarded a U.S. Air Force foreign military sale contract in 2019 for F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training for the QEAF.
The F-15QA brings to its operators next-generation technologies such as fly-by-wire flight controls, digital cockpit; modernized sensors, radar, and electronic warfare capabilities; and the world's fastest mission computer. Increases in reliability, sustainability and maintainability allow defense operators to affordably remain ahead of current and evolving threats.
Through investments in the F-15QA platform and partnership with the U.S. Air Force, Boeing is now preparing to build a domestic variant of the advanced fighter, the F-15EX. F-15EX became a program of record for the Air Force when the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 was signed on Dec. 30, 2019. In January, the Air Force issued public notifications of its intent to award sole-source a contract to Boeing for eight jets. Future plans call for as many as 144 aircraft. Read more...
CIMON-2 makes its successful debut on the ISS
press release
Experimental technology for human-machine interaction in the space industry successfully masters the next stage of development in space
Scientific investigation into the effects of stress and isolation during long-term missions
Friedrichshafen, 15 April 2020 – CIMON-2, the updated version of the CIMON astronaut assistant, developed and built by Airbus for the German Aerospace Center Space Administration (DLR), has now demonstrated its capabilities during initial tests on the International Space Station (ISS). The free-flying, spherical technology demonstrator with artificial intelligence (AI) showed off a number of its features during interactions with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. CIMON-2 started its journey to the ISS on 05 December 2019, launching with the CRS-19 supply mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is scheduled to stay on the ISS for up to three years. Just shy of two months after the successful first use of CIMON-2, the project team has now received the analysis.
A number of tests have now been carried out on CIMON-2, for example on its autonomous flight capabilities, voice-controlled navigation, and its ability to understand and complete various tasks. It also managed to fly to a specific point in the ISS Columbus module for the first time. Thanks to absolute navigation capabilities, CIMON-2 was able to follow verbal commands to move to a particular location, regardless of where it was to begin with. For example, while starting up its new hardware and software, ESA´s Astronaut Luca Parmitano asked CIMON-2 to fly to the Biological Experiment Laboratory (Biolab) inside the Columbus module.
It was also given the task of taking photos and videos in the European ISS module on request – and then showing these to the astronaut. Using these capabilities, CIMON-2 will be able to help with future scientific experiments on the ISS.
The microphones of the current version of the technology demonstrator are more sensitive than its predecessor’s (CIMON), and it has a more advanced sense of direction. Its AI capabilities and the stability of its complex software applications have also been significantly improved. The degree of autonomy of the battery-powered assistant has been increased by around 30%. Astronauts can also activate a feature on CIMON-2 that allows it to analyse emotion in language and show empathy when interacting with the astronauts.
In addition, the project aims to research whether intelligent assistants such as CIMON could help reduce stress. As a partner and assistant, CIMON could support astronauts with their high workload of experiments and maintenance and repair work, thereby reducing their exposure to stress. CIMON lays the foundations for social assistance systems that could reduce stress resulting from isolation or group dynamics during long-term missions. Such systems could also possibly help to minimise similar problems back on Earth as well.
With the new improved hardware and complex software working so well, the CIMON team from DLR, Airbus, IBM, Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich (LMU) and the ESA User Support Centre Biotesc in Lucerne (Switzerland) are extremely satisfied with CIMON-2’s performance. This continued success of the CIMON project is yet another pioneering achievement in the use of AI in human space flight.
The CIMON ‘family’
The interactive astronaut assistant CIMON was developed and built by Airbus in Friedrichshafen and Bremen on behalf of the German Aerospace Center Space Administration (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt – DLR) and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Watson AI technology from IBM Cloud provides voice-controlled artificial intelligence. Scientists from the Ludwig-Maximilian University Hospital in Munich (LMU) helped develop and oversee the human aspects of the assistance system. Biotesc at the University of Lucerne ensures that CIMON works perfectly in the Columbus module of the ISS and supports interaction of astronauts with CIMON from ground. Starting in August 2016, an approximately 50-strong project team from DLR, Airbus, IBM and LMU worked on the implementation of CIMON-1 for around two years. The prototype of the technology experiment flew on board the ISS from 02 July 2018 to 27 August 2019, and made its 90-minute debut – a world first – on 15 November 2018 with German ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst. It is no coincidence that CIMON’s name is reminiscent of ‘Professor Simon Wright’, the robotic assistant – or the ‘flying brain’ – from the Japanese science fiction series ‘Captain Future’. Following the successful CIMON-1 mission, the first European autonomous robot in human space flight was declared a German cultural asset and returned to Earth. The work on CIMON-2 was completed in less than a year by 20 employees from the CIMON ‘family’.
CIMON – the idea
Developed and built in Germany, CIMON is a technology experiment to support astronauts and increase the efficiency of their work. CIMON is able to show and explain information and instructions for scientific experiments and repairs. The voice-controlled access to documents and media is an advantage, as the astronauts can keep both hands free. It can also be used as a mobile camera to save astronaut crew time. In particular, CIMON could be used to perform routine tasks, such as documenting experiments, searching for objects and taking inventory. CIMON can also see, hear, understand and speak. CIMON can orientate itself using its ‘eyes’ – a stereo camera and a high-resolution camera that it uses for facial recognition – as well as two other cameras fitted to its sides that it uses for photos and video documentation. Ultrasound sensors measure distances to prevent potential collisions. Its ‘ears’ consist of eight microphones to identify directions, and an additional directional microphone to improve voice recognition. Its ‘mouth’ is a loudspeaker that it can use to speak or play music. At the heart of the AI for language understanding is IBM Watson AI technology from IBM Cloud. CIMON has not been equipped with self-learning capabilities and requires active human instruction. The AI used for autonomous navigation was provided by Airbus and is designed for movement planning and object recognition. Twelve internal rotors allow CIMON to move and rotate freely in all directions. This means it can turn towards the astronaut when addressed, nod and shake its head, and follow the astronaut – either autonomously or on command. Read more...
Airbus-built CryoSat-2 gathering snow and ice data for a decade
press release
Happy birthday to a "cool" satellite: CryoSat-2, the European Space Agency´s ice and snow satellite, was launched from the Baikonour Cosmodrone into orbit on 08 April 2010. Originally designed for a three and a half year mission, CryoSat-2 has been operating since 2010, far exceeding its nominal mission lifetime. Actual health data of the Airbus-built 720 kilogram spacecraft triggered programmatic funds to keep it operational until end 2021. Over the last decade the satellite reached an operational availability close to 99 percent and delivered almost 350 Terabytes of data - the equivalent of a 1,400 km long bookshelf.
Over the past 10 years, CryoSat-2 has delivered a wealth of information about Earth's changing ice cover and thickness, and has demonstrated that it is a valuable data source for oceanography, hydrology and geodesy, exceeding expectations with a range of results that go far beyond its original goals. CryoSat-2 has also made remarkable contributions to our understanding of the cryosphere and its effect on Earth’s climate.
A tenth of Earth's land surface is permanently covered by ice sheets or glaciers. The cryosphere is an important regulator of global climate, its bright albedo reflecting sunlight back to space and its presence influencing regional weather and global ocean currents. Some 77 percent of the globe’s freshwater is held within the ice – but the cryosphere appears disproportionately sensitive to the effects of global warming.
One example of data provided by CryoSat is that ice losses from Antarctica have increased global sea levels by 7.6 mm since 1992, with two fifths of this rise (3.0 mm) coming in the last five years. Antarctica stores enough frozen water to raise global sea level by 58 metres. Knowing how much ice it is losing, is key to understanding - today and in the future - the impact of melting ice masses on global climate change. Greenland has lost 266 billion tons of ice in a 16 year period.
Another example of the benefits of CryoSat measurements are operational services covering sea ice, wind and waves, bathymetry and iceberg monitoring for maritime purposes.
Radar altimeters gather data on changing ice height and mass: ESA's CryoSat is the first altimetry mission specifically designed to accurately measure the thickness of sea ice and land ice margins. CryoSat has two antennas, its dual-antenna radar SIRAL scans the surface very precisely giving an accurate perception of depth in the same way that our eyes enable a three dimensional view. Experts call this radar interferometry. With this system, an average accuracy of one to three centimetres can be reached. It can also collect data on non-homogeneous ice structures with very steep walls in the polar seas, glaciers or ice sheets. CryoSat's radar altimeter works day and night and can also penetrate cloud cover. Therefore, it is particularly suited to monitoring the large polar ice sheets, which are often covered by clouds. Read more...
Airbus provides update on March commercial aircraft orders & deliveries and adapts production rates in COVID-19 environment
- Business impacted by COVID-19 pandemic
- 21 net orders and 36 deliveries in March 2020
- 290 net orders and 122 deliveries in Q1 2020
- Production rates revised downwards adapting to new market environment
Toulouse – After a solid commercial and industrial performance at the beginning of the year, Airbus (stock exchange symbol: AIR) is now revising its production rates downwards to adapt to the new Coronavirus market environment.
In Q1 2020, Airbus booked 290 net commercial aircraft orders and delivered 122 aircraft.
A further 60 aircraft were produced during the quarter, highlighting the solid industrial performance, however they remain undelivered due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
36 aircraft were delivered in March across the different aircraft families, down from 55 in February 2020. This reflects customer requests to defer deliveries, as well as other factors related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The new average production rates going forward have been set as follows:
- A320 to rate 40 per month
- A330 to rate 2 per month
- A350 to rate 6 per month
This represents a reduction of the pre-coronavirus average rates of roughly one third. With these new rates, Airbus preserves its ability to meet customer demand while protecting its ability to further adapt as the global market evolves.
Airbus is working in coordination with its social partners to define the most appropriate social measures to adapt to this new and evolving situation. Airbus is also addressing a short-term cash containment plan as well as its longer-term cost structure.
“The impact of this pandemic is unprecedented. At Airbus, protecting our people and supporting the fight against the virus are our chief priorities at this time. We are in constant dialogue with our customers and supply chain partners as we are all going through these difficult times together”, said Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury. “Our airline customers are heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We are actively adapting our production to their new situation and working on operational and financial mitigation measures to face reality.”
In its effort to support the fight against the COVID-19, Airbus has carried out extensive work in coordination with social partners to ensure the health and safety of its employees. This has been achieved by implementing new stringent work standards and processes. Airbus is contributing to the development, sourcing and ferrying of medical equipment, including facemasks and ventilators, in support of medical health services.
(You can find the full set of orders and deliveries for the month of March 2020 here: https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/orders-deliveries.html)
Luxembourg Armed Forces A400M makes its maiden flight
press release
The Airbus A400M new-generation airlifter ordered by the Luxembourg Armed Forces has made its maiden flight, marking a key milestone towards its delivery. The aircraft, known as MSN104, took off from Seville (Spain), where the final assembly line is located, at 16:08 local time (CET) and landed back on site 5 hours later.
The Luxembourg aircraft will be operated by the armed forces of Belgium and Luxembourg within a binational unit based in Belgium. MSN104 is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2020.
The picture shows the Luxembourg aircraft landing at Seville airport, Spain.
Read more...
Aircraft noise Reduction Technologies and related Environmental iMpact European project – Wind tunnel testing in INCAS, Bucharest
press release
Project description: We are a project partner in the ARTEM project (Aircraft noise Reduction Technologies and related Environmental iMpact) that aims at the maturing of promising novel concepts and methods which are directly coupled to new low noise and disruptive 2035 and 2050 aircraft configurations.
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 769350.
ARTEM Webpage
www.dlr.de/ARTEM
Last week, members of PVS research have just returned from a week long wind tunnel testing in INCAS, Bucharest. The team was performing tests on a composite design model wing with modular attachment points for different Distributed Electrical Propulsion (DEP) configurations, designed and built by PVS within the ARTEM European project.
ARTEM (Aircraft noise Reduction Technologies and related Environmental iMpact) is a four-year European Union‘s Horizon 2020 research project devoted to the development of novel noise reduction technologies for low-noise 2035 and 2050 aircraft configurations.
PVS involvement in ARTEM project is on the investigation of novel DEP aircraft configurations, whose global objective is the investigation and mitigation of noise emissions of DEP systems. Together with three ARTEM partners, VKI, ONERA and INCAS, PVS explored two different configurations of such integration. The mock-up is composed out of the main wing and three propellers positioned in front of the wing, resulting in the “tractor configuration”, or on top of the wing, resulting in the “pusher configuration”.
Firstly, PVS worked on the general definition of the DEP mock-up, defining all necessary functional requirements for the experiment. The conceptual and preliminary design phases followed with the selected concept having a modular design allowing for spanwise, chordwise and vertical positioning of the propellers in both configurations. An aerofoil profile, especially suited for DEP systems, was carefully designed. During the preliminary and detailed design phases a thorough numerical assessment of the DEP wing and subsystems was done using RANS/URANS CFD.
In the detailed design phase, PVS finished the geometry and dimensioned the structure to withstand the loads imposed in the wind tunnel with minimal deflections. The wing shell and main spar were dimensioned to have less than 2 mm deflection on a 2500 mm span in the nominal 30m/s loading condition at maximum AoA. The structure was also tested numerically with FEM, which predicts a factor of safety of 30 in the nominal design case.
Once the design was frozen, PVS finished the complete technical documentation for the moulds, integral wing parts and modules. The model wing was produced to the highest production standards using modern manufacturing technologies. Innovative production solutions were developed when facing very limited space within a 300 mm chord and merely 50 mm maximum thickness of the cross section. As an example, 32 0,5 mm diameter pressure orifices surround the wing upper and lower shell from the leading to the trailing edge. The mock-up seamlessly combines composite, aluminium and 3D printed parts in order to ensure quality and technical excellence while retaining a competitive price.
Finally, PVS operated the mock-up during the wind tunnel tests at INCAS to speeds up to 50 m/s. Both configurations were successfully tested at INCAS wind tunnel in order to identify the noise sources and their relative weights between the wing and propeller regions, and between the tonal and broadband contributions. Experimental data will be at great help to the task partners to analyze parametric sensibilities of the noise in order to identify parameters of interest for acoustic reuction.
DEP type of propulsion became feasible with the introduction of state-of-the-art electric motors and offers numerous potential noise reduction configurations. It offers more degrees of freedom during the integration of a propulsion system on an aircraft. This is why PVS is heavily invested in facilitating research of such topics through implementing our broad spectre of knowledge and experience to bring ideas to life in a very fast cycle.
Most favourable configuration with respect to the acoustic and aerodynamic performance will be selected by PVS at the end of the project, and full recommendations for designing the state-of-the-art DEP system will be provided. Read more...
[COVID19] Pipistrel has decided to provide an open access to all online training materials
press release
Are you grounded because of Covid-19 flight restrictions? We have a solution!
Pipistrel has decided to provide an open access to all online training materials during the current period of world-wide enforced isolation as a testament and dedication to safety through continuous training and learning. Pipistrel Academy Computer-Based Training Courses are now available free-of-charge to anybody, for three months.
We hope this will motivate non-flying pilots as well as student pilots and flight instructors to stay connected to their passion and learn more every day.
Anybody, whether student pilot, pilot, flight instructor or aviation enthusiast, flying clubs, flight schools can apply and join the online course free-of-charge for a period of 3 months, from April 2020 until end of June 2020. This unique offer is available worldwide to all, including to non-pilots who are interested in aviation.
During the current almost worldwide “lock down” period, the free-of-charge online course will help to refresh and revise the theoretical knowledge required to fly and learn the specifics about modern Pipistrel aircraft series, including the Alpha Electro, the only electric trainer in serial production in the world. The online course gives detailed information and knowledge of different Pipistrel aircraft.
Pipistrel is offering completely free of charge the specially designed and developed Online Training course for the Alpha Trainer UL/LSA/BCAR, the Virus SW UL/LSA, Virus SW121 and the Alpha Electro. Normally the online course fee is 147.30€ for 14-days or €247.30 for Permanent subscription. Courses can be accessed from anywhere in the world, with your laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
Online courses available from today onward, completely free of charge, include:
- Pipistrel ALPHA Electro, the only certified electric training aircraft in serial production anywhere in the world
- Pipistrel ALPHA Trainer aircraft in UL/LSA/BCAR configurations
- Pipistrel Virus SW and SWiS in UL/LSA configurations
- Pipistrel Virus SW 121 model, EASA certified
To register and begin learning about Pipistrel aircraft and flying in general, please register for your online course at https://www.pipistrel-online.com/
Click “Create new account”, follow the registration instructions and select the online course you are interested in by using the Enrollment key: FlyPipistrel
And as the best information is always at the end….
Here it is:
Anyone who successfully finishes an on-line training course will receive a voucher for a free demo flight in one of our aircraft at your closest Pipistrel distributor’s location all over the World, valid until the end of September 2020.
We hope that this Pipistrel’s contribution to the global pilot community will help the pilots to keep safe, remain knowledgeable and during Covid-19 crisis lockdown, invest your time in in training, so that you can enjoy flying even more when the current restrictions are eased.
Here it is:
Anyone who successfully finishes an on-line training course will receive a voucher for a free demo flight in one of our aircraft at your closest Pipistrel distributor’s location all over the World, valid until the end of September 2020.
We hope that this Pipistrel’s contribution to the global pilot community will help the pilots to keep safe, remain knowledgeable and during Covid-19 crisis lockdown, invest your time in in training, so that you can enjoy flying even more when the current restrictions are eased.
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