martes, 5 de mayo de 2020
The 747 is playing a hero's role during the virus crisis
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/amp/boeing-747-covid-19/index.html?__twitter_impression=true
The Covid-19 pandemic has made the Queen of the Skies an acutely endangered monarch.
Boeing and Embraer - jilted at the altar?
The history of civil aerospace has seen companies holding off for too long before refurbishing their product cycle: Douglas in the face of jet airliners in the 1950s and arguably Boeing downplaying the impact of the ‘fly-by-wire’ A320 in the 1980s. Airbus and Boeing faced the Chinese with some confidence – even collaborating with them – recognised that the key to survival was to be faster into the next generation than the likes of Comac. Continue reading:
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/boeing-and-embraer-jilted-at-the-altar/
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/boeing-and-embraer-jilted-at-the-altar/
IATA and the Universal Postal Union warn that air capacity for postal services is insufficient
press release
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-05-04-01/
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) warned that air capacity for postal services is insufficient and urged governments to do more to support the movement of mail by air during the COVID-19 crisis.
Owing to the drastic 95% reduction in passenger flights, which are typically used to transport mail, and a 25-30% increase in demand for e-commerce as customers and businesses resort to online purchasing in response to social distancing restrictions, postal administrations are facing a challenge in sending and delivering international mail, in particular, cross-continental mail.
IATA and UPU are calling on governments to facilitate the flexibility that airlines need to meet this critical demand by removing border blockages to ensure trade flows continue, avoiding unnecessary regulations and fast tracking the issuance of permits for chartered operations. Additionally, ensuring adequately trained staff are available to process and clear the mail upon arrival is essential.
IATA and UPU are also working to support posts’ use of cargo flights in addition to commercial passenger flights by providing information on the airlines and cargo carrier status, available new alternative routes and best practices.
“Airlines have been required to cut passenger services in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19. So, it’s vital that everything is done to support the smooth movement of mail which is an important component of society,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
“Posts are trusted partners in the delivery of goods, vital medical supplies and essential information on the pandemic. The cancellation of more than 4.5 million passenger flights – the primary means of transporting post - has meant that capacity is scarce, costs more and takes longer. Action needs to be swiftly taken to address the shortfall in air cargo capacity and to keep the mail moving,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein.
G20 governments, at their recent emergency meetings, committed to “minimize disruptions to trade and global supply chains and identified the need to prioritize keeping air logistics networks open and functioning efficiently. Posts and airlines are cooperating to meet this priority by ensuring that reliable operations continue throughout the pandemic.
Related: Immediate and Severe Air Cargo Capacity Crunch
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-04-28-01/
Passenger Demand Plunges in March as Travel Restrictions Take Hold
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-04-29-01/
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-05-04-01/
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) warned that air capacity for postal services is insufficient and urged governments to do more to support the movement of mail by air during the COVID-19 crisis.
Owing to the drastic 95% reduction in passenger flights, which are typically used to transport mail, and a 25-30% increase in demand for e-commerce as customers and businesses resort to online purchasing in response to social distancing restrictions, postal administrations are facing a challenge in sending and delivering international mail, in particular, cross-continental mail.
IATA and UPU are calling on governments to facilitate the flexibility that airlines need to meet this critical demand by removing border blockages to ensure trade flows continue, avoiding unnecessary regulations and fast tracking the issuance of permits for chartered operations. Additionally, ensuring adequately trained staff are available to process and clear the mail upon arrival is essential.
IATA and UPU are also working to support posts’ use of cargo flights in addition to commercial passenger flights by providing information on the airlines and cargo carrier status, available new alternative routes and best practices.
“Airlines have been required to cut passenger services in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19. So, it’s vital that everything is done to support the smooth movement of mail which is an important component of society,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
“Posts are trusted partners in the delivery of goods, vital medical supplies and essential information on the pandemic. The cancellation of more than 4.5 million passenger flights – the primary means of transporting post - has meant that capacity is scarce, costs more and takes longer. Action needs to be swiftly taken to address the shortfall in air cargo capacity and to keep the mail moving,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein.
G20 governments, at their recent emergency meetings, committed to “minimize disruptions to trade and global supply chains and identified the need to prioritize keeping air logistics networks open and functioning efficiently. Posts and airlines are cooperating to meet this priority by ensuring that reliable operations continue throughout the pandemic.
Related: Immediate and Severe Air Cargo Capacity Crunch
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-04-28-01/
Passenger Demand Plunges in March as Travel Restrictions Take Hold
https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-04-29-01/
The Latest Domino... Spirit AeroSystems Announces Layoffs; GE Aviation To Shrink Workforce by 25 Percent
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=8cbc9d35-e04d-4d56-b5e4-0600185757a1
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-04/boeing-supplier-spirit-plans-company-wide-job-cuts
GE Aviation To Shrink Workforce by 25 Percent
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-04/ge-aviation-shrink-workforce-25-percent
https://www.geaviation.com/press-release/other-news-information/update-covid-19-ge-aviation-business-impact
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-04/boeing-supplier-spirit-plans-company-wide-job-cuts
GE Aviation To Shrink Workforce by 25 Percent
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-04/ge-aviation-shrink-workforce-25-percent
https://www.geaviation.com/press-release/other-news-information/update-covid-19-ge-aviation-business-impact
Rotating detonation rocket engines will allow upper stage rockets for space missions to become lighter, travel farther and burn more cleanly
https://youtu.be/HRXVkJjjARo
press release
A University of Central Florida researcher and his team have developed an advanced new rocket-propulsion system once thought to be impossible.
The system, known as a rotating detonation rocket engine, will allow upper stage rockets for space missions to become lighter, travel farther, and burn more cleanly.
The result were published this month in the journal Combustion and Flame.
"The study presents, for the first time, experimental evidence of a safe and functioning hydrogen and oxygen propellant detonation in a rotating detonation rocket engine," said Kareem Ahmed, an assistant professor in UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering who led the research.
The rotating detonations are continuous, Mach 5 explosions that rotate around the inside of a rocket engine, and the explosions are sustained by feeding hydrogen and oxygen propellant into the system at just the right amounts.
This system improves rocket-engine efficiency so that more power is generated while using less fuel than traditional rocket energies, thus lightening the rocket's load and reducing its costs and emissions.
Mach 5 explosions create bursts of energy that travel 4,500 to 5,600 miles per hour, which is more than five times the speed of sound. They are contained within a durable engine body constructed of copper and brass.
The technology has been studied since the 1960s but had not been successful due to the chemical propellants used or the ways they were mixed.
Ahmed's group made it work by carefully balancing the rate of the propellants, hydrogen and oxygen, released into the engine.
"We have to tune the sizes of the jets releasing the propellants to enhance the mixing for a local hydrogen-oxygen mixture," Ahmed said. "So, when the rotating explosion comes by for this fresh mixture, it's still sustained. Because if you have your composition mixture slightly off, it will tend to deflagrate, or burn slowly instead of detonating."
Ahmed's team also had to capture evidence of their finding. They did this by injecting a tracer in the hydrogen fuel flow and quantifying the detonation waves using a high-speed camera.
"You need the tracer to actually see that explosion that is happening inside and track its motion," he said. "Developing this method to characterize the detonation wave dynamics is another contribution of this article."
William Hargus, lead of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Program, is a co-author of the study and began working with Ahmed on the project last summer.
"As an advanced propulsion spectroscopist, I recognized some of the unique challenges in the observation of hydrogen-detonation structures," Hargus said. "After consulting with Professor Ahmed, we were able to formulate a slightly modified experimental apparatus that significantly increased the relevant signal strength."
"These research results already are having repercussions across the international research community," Hargus said. "Several projects are now re-examining hydrogen detonation combustion within rotating detonation rocket engines because of these results. I am very proud to be associated with this high-quality research."
###
The study was supported with funding from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (awards 16RT0673/FA9550-16-1-0441 and 19RT0258/FA9550-19-0322 by Program Manager: Chiping Li) and an Air Force Research Laboratory Contract (FA9300-19-P-10 03).
Co-authors included Jonathan Sosa, a postdoctoral research scientist with UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory; Robert Burke, a doctoral candidate in UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Daniel J. Micka with Creare, LLC; and John W. Bennewitz, Stephen A. Danczyk and Eric J. Paulson with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
The research was performed at UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory. Ahmed earned his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from University at Buffalo - The State University of New York. He worked at Pratt & Whitney Military Engines and Old Dominion University prior to joining UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, part of UCF's College of Engineering and Computer Science, in 2015. He is the director of UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory, a faculty member of UCF's Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research, associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AFRL Faculty Research Fellow, and a member of UCF's Renewable Energy and Chemical Transformation Cluster
press release
- UCF researchers develop groundbreaking new rocket-propulsion system
- Rotating detonation rocket engines will allow upper stage rockets for space missions to become lighter, travel farther and burn more cleanly.
A University of Central Florida researcher and his team have developed an advanced new rocket-propulsion system once thought to be impossible.
The system, known as a rotating detonation rocket engine, will allow upper stage rockets for space missions to become lighter, travel farther, and burn more cleanly.
The result were published this month in the journal Combustion and Flame.
"The study presents, for the first time, experimental evidence of a safe and functioning hydrogen and oxygen propellant detonation in a rotating detonation rocket engine," said Kareem Ahmed, an assistant professor in UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering who led the research.
The rotating detonations are continuous, Mach 5 explosions that rotate around the inside of a rocket engine, and the explosions are sustained by feeding hydrogen and oxygen propellant into the system at just the right amounts.
This system improves rocket-engine efficiency so that more power is generated while using less fuel than traditional rocket energies, thus lightening the rocket's load and reducing its costs and emissions.
Mach 5 explosions create bursts of energy that travel 4,500 to 5,600 miles per hour, which is more than five times the speed of sound. They are contained within a durable engine body constructed of copper and brass.
The technology has been studied since the 1960s but had not been successful due to the chemical propellants used or the ways they were mixed.
Ahmed's group made it work by carefully balancing the rate of the propellants, hydrogen and oxygen, released into the engine.
"We have to tune the sizes of the jets releasing the propellants to enhance the mixing for a local hydrogen-oxygen mixture," Ahmed said. "So, when the rotating explosion comes by for this fresh mixture, it's still sustained. Because if you have your composition mixture slightly off, it will tend to deflagrate, or burn slowly instead of detonating."
Ahmed's team also had to capture evidence of their finding. They did this by injecting a tracer in the hydrogen fuel flow and quantifying the detonation waves using a high-speed camera.
"You need the tracer to actually see that explosion that is happening inside and track its motion," he said. "Developing this method to characterize the detonation wave dynamics is another contribution of this article."
William Hargus, lead of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Program, is a co-author of the study and began working with Ahmed on the project last summer.
"As an advanced propulsion spectroscopist, I recognized some of the unique challenges in the observation of hydrogen-detonation structures," Hargus said. "After consulting with Professor Ahmed, we were able to formulate a slightly modified experimental apparatus that significantly increased the relevant signal strength."
"These research results already are having repercussions across the international research community," Hargus said. "Several projects are now re-examining hydrogen detonation combustion within rotating detonation rocket engines because of these results. I am very proud to be associated with this high-quality research."
###
The study was supported with funding from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (awards 16RT0673/FA9550-16-1-0441 and 19RT0258/FA9550-19-0322 by Program Manager: Chiping Li) and an Air Force Research Laboratory Contract (FA9300-19-P-10 03).
Co-authors included Jonathan Sosa, a postdoctoral research scientist with UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory; Robert Burke, a doctoral candidate in UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Daniel J. Micka with Creare, LLC; and John W. Bennewitz, Stephen A. Danczyk and Eric J. Paulson with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
The research was performed at UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory. Ahmed earned his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from University at Buffalo - The State University of New York. He worked at Pratt & Whitney Military Engines and Old Dominion University prior to joining UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, part of UCF's College of Engineering and Computer Science, in 2015. He is the director of UCF's Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory, a faculty member of UCF's Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research, associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AFRL Faculty Research Fellow, and a member of UCF's Renewable Energy and Chemical Transformation Cluster
Boeing Reports First-Quarter Results
- Financial results significantly impacted by COVID-19 and the 737 MAX grounding
- Revenue of $16.9 billion, GAAP loss per share of ($1.11) and core (non-GAAP)* loss per share of ($1.70)
- Operating cash flow of ($4.3) billion; cash and marketable securities of $15.5 billion
- Total backlog of $439 billion, including over 5,000 commercial airplanes
Table 1. Summary Financial Results
|
First Quarter
| ||||
(Dollars in Millions, except per share data)
|
2020
|
2019
|
Change
| ||
Revenues
|
$16,908
|
$22,917
|
(26)%
| ||
GAAP
| |||||
(Loss)/Earnings From Operations
|
($1,353)
|
$2,350
|
NM
| ||
Operating Margin
|
(8.0)%
|
10.3%
|
NM
| ||
Net (Loss)/Earnings
|
(641)
|
$2,149
|
NM
| ||
(Loss)/Earnings Per Share
|
($1.11)
|
$3.75
|
NM
| ||
Operating Cash Flow
|
($4,302)
|
$2,788
|
NM
| ||
Non-GAAP*
| |||||
Core Operating (Loss)/Earnings
|
($1,700)
|
$1,986
|
NM
| ||
Core Operating Margin
|
(10.1)%
|
8.7%
|
NM
| ||
Core (Loss)/Earnings Per Share
|
($1.70)
|
$3.16
|
NM
| ||
continue reading:
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2020-04-29-Boeing-Reports-First-Quarter-Results
Boeing CEO Addresses Aerospace Market Realities
press release
Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun issued the following letter to employees today addressing aerospace market realities:
Team:
The global pandemic has changed the way we live and work. It is changing our industry. We are facing utterly unexpected challenges. But across the world you are demonstrating the resilience, commitment and generosity to one another, our customers and our communities that Boeing people are known for. I deeply appreciate all that you do.
And if COVID-19 has affected you directly — your health, your well-being, your loved ones or your colleagues — you have my sympathy and support.
The pandemic is also delivering a body blow to our business — affecting airline customer demand, production continuity and supply chain stability. The demand for commercial airline travel has fallen off a cliff, with U.S. passenger volumes down more than 95% compared to last year. Globally, commercial airline revenue is expected to drop by $314 billion this year.
As a result, airlines are delaying purchases for new jets, putting the brakes on delivery schedules and deferring elective maintenance. We’re also seeing a dramatic impact on our commercial services business, as grounded airline fleets decrease the demand for our offerings.
All of this puts near-term pressure on our cash flow. We’re taking steps to keep liquidity flowing through our business and supply chain. We’re reducing operating costs and discretionary spending, suspending dividend payments, extending our existing pause on stock buybacks, reducing or deferring R&D and capital expenditures, and accelerating some progress payment receipts with help from our defense customers. Our chairman and I are also foregoing our salaries for the year. And as you know, we’re exploring potential government funding options and advocating for access to credit for the entire aerospace manufacturing supply chain.
The aviation industry will take years to return to the levels of traffic we saw just a few months ago. We have to prepare for that. In today’s first-quarter earnings disclosure, we will be announcing a number of steps we’re taking to meet that new reality. Specifically, we will have to reduce commercial airplane production rates:
We have done a tremendous job of increasing our production rates and services offerings in recent years. But the sharp reduction in demand for our products and services over the next several years simply won’t support the higher levels of output.
We have worked hard to maintain the stability of our workforce, avoiding layoffs even through the grounding of the 737 MAX.
But these new reductions in our production rates and the continued impact of COVID-19 on our business will force us to reduce the size of our workforce. I’m sorry that I have to deliver this news, but I wanted you to hear it from me first — and I recorded a video message so you could hear it from me directly.
We have begun taking action to lower our number of employees by roughly 10% through a combination of voluntary layoffs (VLO), natural turnover and involuntary layoffs as necessary.
That is 10% in total for the enterprise. We’ll have to make even deeper reductions in areas that are most exposed to the condition of our commercial customers — more than 15% across our commercial airplanes and services businesses, as well as our corporate functions.
At the same time, the ongoing stability of our defense, space and related services businesses will help us limit the overall depth of the cut. And in the end, because there are so many unpredictable drivers for this crisis, we’ll have to monitor continuously what’s happening in our markets, and we will make adjustments whenever needed to ensure we’re matching the size of our business to the changing demand in the market.
I know this news is a blow during an already challenging time. I regret the impact this will have on many of you. I sincerely wish there were some other way.
Please know that we will do everything we can to minimize that impact, and as we take these steps, we will be as fair and transparent as possible — and absolutely honest and respectful.
The VLO program provides eligible team members with an opportunity to depart the company with a pay and benefits package. We also will provide support for those affected by involuntary layoffs, including severance pay, COBRA health care coverage and career transition services.
We are also making changes to start restructuring from the top so we’re ready for the new market reality — shrinking the size of my team by consolidating roles, simplifying processes and focusing accountabilities.
Please know this: Our industry and our company will get through this. Air travel has always been resilient over the long term, and our portfolio of products, services and technology is well-positioned for the recovery that will come.
And even as we deal with this crisis, we are pushing forward with our 2020 priorities:
I’d also like to address the latest news about Embraer: We announced Saturday that we have terminated the agreement we had to establish a strategic partnership between our two companies. We worked diligently for two years to finalize the transaction — one that would have included commercial and defense joint ventures. But ultimately we could not come to a resolution around critical unsatisfied conditions for the deal under our Master Transaction Agreement (MTA). It is deeply disappointing, but we had reached a point where continued negotiation was no longer helpful, so we exercised the rights set out in the MTA to terminate the agreement.
Looking ahead, we will continue to concentrate on what is most important across Boeing. We will continue to invest in the future. We will continue to focus on our values, and to drive safety, quality, integrity and operational excellence in everything we do.
I am confident that we will get through this difficult period because I am confident in all of you. And I am proud to be one of you.
Please stay safe, stay strong, and continue to take care of yourselves and one another. Thank you for everything.
Dave
Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun issued the following letter to employees today addressing aerospace market realities:
Team:
The global pandemic has changed the way we live and work. It is changing our industry. We are facing utterly unexpected challenges. But across the world you are demonstrating the resilience, commitment and generosity to one another, our customers and our communities that Boeing people are known for. I deeply appreciate all that you do.
And if COVID-19 has affected you directly — your health, your well-being, your loved ones or your colleagues — you have my sympathy and support.
The pandemic is also delivering a body blow to our business — affecting airline customer demand, production continuity and supply chain stability. The demand for commercial airline travel has fallen off a cliff, with U.S. passenger volumes down more than 95% compared to last year. Globally, commercial airline revenue is expected to drop by $314 billion this year.
As a result, airlines are delaying purchases for new jets, putting the brakes on delivery schedules and deferring elective maintenance. We’re also seeing a dramatic impact on our commercial services business, as grounded airline fleets decrease the demand for our offerings.
All of this puts near-term pressure on our cash flow. We’re taking steps to keep liquidity flowing through our business and supply chain. We’re reducing operating costs and discretionary spending, suspending dividend payments, extending our existing pause on stock buybacks, reducing or deferring R&D and capital expenditures, and accelerating some progress payment receipts with help from our defense customers. Our chairman and I are also foregoing our salaries for the year. And as you know, we’re exploring potential government funding options and advocating for access to credit for the entire aerospace manufacturing supply chain.
The aviation industry will take years to return to the levels of traffic we saw just a few months ago. We have to prepare for that. In today’s first-quarter earnings disclosure, we will be announcing a number of steps we’re taking to meet that new reality. Specifically, we will have to reduce commercial airplane production rates:
- We expect to resume 737 MAX production at low rates in 2020, gradually increasing to 31 planes per month during 2021, with gradual increases to correspond to market demand.
- We plan to reduce the 787 production rate to 10 per month in 2020 and to 7 per month by 2022, continuing to evaluate the rate after that.
- We also plan to reduce the combined 777 / 777X production rate to 3 per month in 2021 and take a measured approach to the 777X rate ramp.
- The 767 and 747 production rates will remain unchanged.
We have done a tremendous job of increasing our production rates and services offerings in recent years. But the sharp reduction in demand for our products and services over the next several years simply won’t support the higher levels of output.
We have worked hard to maintain the stability of our workforce, avoiding layoffs even through the grounding of the 737 MAX.
But these new reductions in our production rates and the continued impact of COVID-19 on our business will force us to reduce the size of our workforce. I’m sorry that I have to deliver this news, but I wanted you to hear it from me first — and I recorded a video message so you could hear it from me directly.
We have begun taking action to lower our number of employees by roughly 10% through a combination of voluntary layoffs (VLO), natural turnover and involuntary layoffs as necessary.
That is 10% in total for the enterprise. We’ll have to make even deeper reductions in areas that are most exposed to the condition of our commercial customers — more than 15% across our commercial airplanes and services businesses, as well as our corporate functions.
At the same time, the ongoing stability of our defense, space and related services businesses will help us limit the overall depth of the cut. And in the end, because there are so many unpredictable drivers for this crisis, we’ll have to monitor continuously what’s happening in our markets, and we will make adjustments whenever needed to ensure we’re matching the size of our business to the changing demand in the market.
I know this news is a blow during an already challenging time. I regret the impact this will have on many of you. I sincerely wish there were some other way.
Please know that we will do everything we can to minimize that impact, and as we take these steps, we will be as fair and transparent as possible — and absolutely honest and respectful.
The VLO program provides eligible team members with an opportunity to depart the company with a pay and benefits package. We also will provide support for those affected by involuntary layoffs, including severance pay, COBRA health care coverage and career transition services.
We are also making changes to start restructuring from the top so we’re ready for the new market reality — shrinking the size of my team by consolidating roles, simplifying processes and focusing accountabilities.
Please know this: Our industry and our company will get through this. Air travel has always been resilient over the long term, and our portfolio of products, services and technology is well-positioned for the recovery that will come.
And even as we deal with this crisis, we are pushing forward with our 2020 priorities:
- We are progressing toward the safe return to service of the 737 MAX in close coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and global regulators.
- We’re making progress on our development programs, including the 777X, 737 MAX 10 and CST-100 Starliner.
- We continue to support our defense customers with progress across our future franchise programs, including MQ-25, T-7A Red Hawk, MH-139A Grey Wolf and our extra large unmanned undersea vehicle.
- Our Government Services business is growing as we earn new and follow-on business with our global defense customers, who look to us to support their fleet performance and mission readiness.
- We continue our work on the KC-46A tanker. The outcome of this month’s agreement with the U.S. Air Force on the tanker’s Remote Vision System means KC-46 will become the standard by which all future refueling aircraft are measured.
I’d also like to address the latest news about Embraer: We announced Saturday that we have terminated the agreement we had to establish a strategic partnership between our two companies. We worked diligently for two years to finalize the transaction — one that would have included commercial and defense joint ventures. But ultimately we could not come to a resolution around critical unsatisfied conditions for the deal under our Master Transaction Agreement (MTA). It is deeply disappointing, but we had reached a point where continued negotiation was no longer helpful, so we exercised the rights set out in the MTA to terminate the agreement.
Looking ahead, we will continue to concentrate on what is most important across Boeing. We will continue to invest in the future. We will continue to focus on our values, and to drive safety, quality, integrity and operational excellence in everything we do.
I am confident that we will get through this difficult period because I am confident in all of you. And I am proud to be one of you.
Please stay safe, stay strong, and continue to take care of yourselves and one another. Thank you for everything.
Dave
Second Boeing 777X Completes First Flight
press release
oeing [NYSE: BA] today conducted a productive and successful first flight of the second 777X airplane. Capt. Ted Grady, 777X project pilot, and Capt. Van Chaney, 777/777X chief pilot, flew for 2 hours and 58 minutes over Washington state before landing at Seattle's Boeing Field at 2:02 p.m. Pacific.
Designated WH002, this airplane is the second of four in a dedicated flight test fleet and will test handling characteristics and other aspects of airplane performance. An array of equipment, sensors and monitoring devices throughout the cabin allows the onboard team to document and evaluate the airplane's response to test conditions in real time.
The 777X test plan lays out a comprehensive series of tests and conditions on the ground and in the air to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the design. To date, crews have flown the first airplane nearly 100 hours at a variety of flap settings, speeds, altitudes and system settings as part of the initial evaluation of the flight envelope. With initial airworthiness now demonstrated, the team can safely add personnel to monitor testing onboard instead of relying solely on a ground-based telemetry station, unlocking testing at greater distances.
About the Boeing 777X Family
The 777X includes the 777-8 and the 777-9, the newest members of Boeing's market-leading widebody family.
|
Seat Count
(Typical 2-class)
|
777-8: 384 passengers
777-9: 426 passengers
|
|
Engine
|
GE9X, supplied by GE Aviation
|
|
Range
|
777-8: 8,730 nautical miles (16,170 km)
777-9: 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 km)
|
|
Wingspan
|
Extended: 235 ft, 5 in (71.8 m)
On ground: 212 ft, 8 in (64.8 m)
|
|
Length
|
777-8: 229 ft (69.8 m)
777-9: 251 ft, 9 in (76.7 m)
|
|
Program Launch
|
2013
|
|
Production Start
|
2017
|
|
Ground Testing
|
2019
|
|
First Flight
|
January 25, 2020
|
|
First Delivery
|
2021
|
Boeing Rolls Out First Loyal Wingman Unmanned Aircraft
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33271/everything-we-learned-from-boeing-about-its-potentially-game-changing-loyal-wingman-drone
press release
A Boeing [NYSE:BA]-led Australian industry team has presented the first unmanned Loyal Wingman aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force, a historic milestone for the company and the Commonwealth.
The aircraft, which uses artificial intelligence to extend the capabilities of manned and unmanned platforms, is the first to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. It is Boeing’s largest investment in an unmanned aircraft outside of the United States.
As the first of three prototypes for Australia’s Loyal Wingman Advanced Development Program, the aircraft also serves as the foundation for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS) being developed for the global defense market.
“This is a truly historic moment for our country and for Australian defence innovation,” said the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia. “The Loyal Wingman will be pivotal to exploring the critical capabilities our Air Force needs to protect our nation and its allies into the future.”
Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, said the rollout of the first aircraft was a significant milestone in the Boeing Loyal Wingman project.
“This project is an excellent example of innovation through collaboration and what can be achieved working together with defence industry,” said Air Marshal Hupfeld. “This demonstrates the importance of the relationship Air Force has with Boeing Australia and defence industry more broadly. I look forward to exploring the capabilities this aircraft may bring to our existing fleet in the future.”
More than 35 members of Australian industry are supporting prototype work across four Australian states. With a global market demand for highly capable but extremely affordable unmanned aircraft, Boeing applied company-wide innovation to achieve those goals. The aircraft was engineered using a digital twin to model its structures, systems, capabilities and full life-cycle requirements; manufactured with Boeing’s largest-ever resin-infused single composite piece; and assembled using proven advanced manufacturing processes.
“We are proud to take this significant step forward with the Royal Australian Air Force and show the potential for smart unmanned teaming to serve as a force multiplier,” said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Autonomous Systems for Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We look forward to getting the aircraft into flight testing and proving out the unmanned teaming concept. We see global allies with those same mission needs, which is why this program is so important to advancing the development of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System.”
The Loyal Wingman prototype now moves into ground testing, followed by taxi and first flight later this year.
For more information about the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, visit https://www.boeing.com/defense/airpower-teaming-system/.
For more information on Defense, Space & Security, visit www.boeing.com. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense and @BoeingSpace.
Airbus and Xenesis Sign Payload Contract for New Bartolomeo Platform on the International Space Station
press release
Airbus and Xenesis have signed a contract for a payload slot on the International Space Station (ISS) Bartolomeo platform for the demonstration of their Xen-Hub optical communication space terminal.
The Xen-Hub is a greater than 10 gigabyte per second optical communications terminal. The terminal was enabled with a technology transfer from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is designed to increase satellite communications bandwidth.
The Airbus-built Bartolomeo platform offers external science and payload hosting capabilities on the ISS, providing new opportunities for science and research. The platform, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was installed on the ISS Columbus module on 1st April. Bartolomeo was developed by Airbus using its own funds, is an investment of Airbus and is operated in a partnership with ESA, NASA and CASIS.
“Xenesis” payload will be one of the first from the U.S. to be installed on the Bartolomeo platform and is an opportunity to demonstrate the viability of their optical communication space terminal for multiple customers,” said Debra Facktor, Head of Airbus U.S. Space Systems. “In addition, Airbus and the ISS National Lab are inviting additional users for research and test opportunities on the Bartolomeo platform.”
The low orbit of the ISS offers a stable location for proving ultra-low latency communications, in excess of 10Gbs. Bartolomeo is located in an optimal position on the ISS, offering direct views of Earth from approximately 240 miles altitude, allowing Xen-Hub to maximize its pass time and increase the throughput of data.
“We are pleased to be partnered with Airbus for our optical communications test mission on Bartolomeo,” said Jeff Glattstein, President of Xenesis. “The Airbus platform gives us the utmost confidence for a successful endeavor, allowing Xenesis to focus on our technology development while Airbus provides the guidance, support and infrastructure necessary to host the system on the ISS.”
Bartolomeo is a cost effective and time efficient alternative to small satellites and cubesats for any kind of mission. It can accommodate up to 12 different experiment modules, supplying them with power and providing data transmission to Earth.
Bartolomeo is suitable for many types of experiments, including Earth observation, environmental and climate research, robotics, material sciences and astrophysics. It provides sought-after payload-hosting capabilities for customers and researchers to test space technologies, verify a new space business approach, conduct microgravity experiments or enter into in-space manufacturing endeavors.
Launch opportunities are available on every servicing mission to the ISS, which occur about every three months. The payload accommodation allows slots for a wide range of payload mass, from 11 to 990 pounds. Airbus will provide optical data downlink capacity of one to two terabytes per day.
Payloads can be prepared and ready to operate in approximately 12 months. Payload sizes, interfaces, preparation before launch and integration process are largely standardized. This reduces lead times and saves costs significantly compared to traditional mission costs.
Airbus offers this easy access to space as an all-in-one mission service. This includes technical support in preparing the payload; launch and installation; operations and data transfer; and an optional return to Earth.
Airbus and Koniku Inc. embark on disruptive biotechnology solutions for aviation security operations
press release
Airbus and Koniku Inc. have made a significant step forward in the co-development of a solution for aircraft and airport security operations, by extending research activities to include biological hazard detection capabilities, as well as chemical and explosive threats.
The disruptive biotechnology solution, which was originally focused on the contactless and automated detection, tracking and location of chemicals and explosives on-board aircraft and in airports, is now being adapted, in light of the COVID-19 crisis, to include the identification of biological hazards.
Based on the power of odor detection and quantification found in nature, the technical solution, developed to meet the rigorous operational regulatory requirements of aircraft and airport security operations, uses genetically engineered odorant receptors that produce an alarm signal when they come into contact with the molecular compounds of the hazard or threat that they have been programmed to detect.
Airbus and Koniku Inc. entered into a cooperation agreement in 2017, leveraging Airbus’ expertise in sensor integration and knowledge of ground and on-board security operations within the aviation and defense industries as well as Koniku’s biotechnology know-how for automated and scalable volatile organic compound detection (via their Konikore™ platform).
With in-situ testing planned for Q4 2020, Airbus is demonstrating, its ability to accelerate traditional research cycles in a real-time environment, in order to develop and bring to market a game-changing, end-to-end, security solution at convincing scale and speed, thereby contributing to the continuous improvement of security in the air transport ecosystem, while increasing operational efficiency and improving passenger experience.
Airbus develops solution for airlines to use their widebody aircraft for pure cargo operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
press release
Airbus is developing a modification for A330 and A350 family aircraft which will enable airlines to install freight pallets directly onto the cabin floor seat tracks, after removal of the economy-class seats.
This solution will help with the airlines’ own business continuity, and also alleviate the global shortage of ‘belly-freight’ air cargo capacity due to the widespread grounding of long-haul aircraft in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it helps the industry to address the high demand for humanitarian flights to transport large quantities of medical equipment and other supplies rapidly over large distances to where they are needed.
Compared with loading cargo onto seats, this Airbus solution facilitates easier and quicker loading and unloading operations, as well as reduced ‘wear & tear’ to the seats themselves. Other important benefits include the added security of robust fire protection, and the 9g load restraint capability to prevent anything from shifting in flight.
The modification is packaged for operators as an Airbus Service Bulletin (SB). Under this arrangement Airbus defines the engineering workscope and also manages the process for obtaining the one-time certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Its scope includes the removal of the seats & IFE (Inflight entertainment), installation of cargo pallets and associated safety equipment – and also the re-installation of the original passenger cabin elements for reverting back to passenger operations. The SB approach will also be valid beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
FREE RAeS Webinar, 11 May - 'The Boeing 777 Accident at Dubai Airport (2016) - Lessons to be Learnt'
FREE RAeS Webinar, 11 May - 'The Boeing 777 Accident at Dubai Airport (2016) - Lessons to be Learnt' Air Cdr Dai Whittingham FRAeS, Chief Executive, UK Flight Safety Committee #avgeek Sign up here! https://t.co/99QssgfZH9 pic.twitter.com/0nphUYtfLJ— Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR) May 5, 2020
https://www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/raes-webinar-the-boeing-777-accident-at-dubai-airport-2016-lessons-to-be-learnt/