martes, 12 de mayo de 2020
Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Aero Vodochody
press release
Like any other company on international market, AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE is confronted with unforeseeable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The management of Aero decided to keep the company running and operational in all activities: MRO, aerostructures, and the L-39NG project.
Aero fully continues its L-39NG activities with target to achieve certification in September 2020. The aerostructures programs are naturally more impacted by the pandemic of the coronavirus due to production shortage of some customers or due to lack of parts and material deliveries from suppliers, which has stronger impact to commercial programs due to their higher production cadences. The running MRO business as defence business, proven by previous crises, is subject to different cycles and patterns than civil aviation and is much more resilient. Furthermore AERO has a very high backlog on MRO business. However, like for almost all aviation companies it will be impossible for Aero to meet the targets originally set for 2020 prior the crisis.
Since beginning of COVID-19 governmental measures, Aero has implemented a comprehensive package of hygienic, safety, technical and personnel measures to minimize the risks of a pandemic situation and to ensure conditions for business continuity.
DARPA's Blackjac aims to demonstrate advanced technology for satellite constellation autonomy and space mesh networks
press release
In partnership with the U.S. Space Force and Space Development Agency, DARPA’s Blackjack program is targeting flights to low-Earth orbit (LEO) later this year and 2021. Using a series of small risk reduction satellites, the program aims to demonstrate advanced technology for satellite constellation autonomy and space mesh networks. Blackjack seeks to develop and validate critical elements of global high-speed autonomous networks in LEO, proving a capability that could provide the Department of Defense with highly connected, resilient, and persistent overhead coverage.
The upcoming demonstration flights are all planned as rideshares, catching a ride to LEO on a launch with other missions. The first demonstration, Mandrake 1, is a cubesat that will carry supercomputer processing chips. Mandrake 2 is a pair of small satellites that will carry optical inter-satellite links for broadband data. These could form the basis of future optically meshed computer networks in LEO.
The program also is targeting a risk reduction payload called Wildcard, a software-defined radio that will experiment with links from LEO to tactical radios. A data fusion experiment with the ability to host advanced third party algorithms, known as massless payloads, is intended for an upcoming Loft Orbital mission.
“It's important that we get the design right,” says Paul “Rusty” Thomas, the program manager for Blackjack. “We focused first on buses and payloads, then the autonomous mission management system, which we call Pit Boss. We anticipate we'll begin integrating the first two military payloads next summer with launch via rideshare in late 2021, followed by the remainder of the Blackjack demonstration sub-constellation in 2022.”
Blackjack aims to demonstrate sensors that are low in size, weight, and power, and that can be mass produced to fit on many different buses from many different providers, for less than $2 million per payload.
The agency is evaluating buses from Airbus, Blue Canyon Technologies, and Telesat, all of which have progressed through preliminary design review. The final selection of buses will happen in 2020. The program recently completed preliminary design review for Pit Boss, selecting SEAKR as the primary performer for the on-orbit autonomy system. The agency also awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin as the satellite integrator.
Several sensor payloads are under consideration for the Blackjack demonstration sub-constellation, including overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) from Collins Aerospace and Raytheon; radio frequency systems from Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Trident, and Systems & Technology Research; position, navigation, and timing from Northrop Grumman; optical inter-satellite links from SA Photonics; and electro-optical/infrared from L3Harris. The program also recently completed a Small Business Innovation Research contract with Augustus Aerospace to work on an Army Space and Missile Defense Command-related payload.
Over the next few months, the program will run simulations to test payloads in virtual constellations of all types of missions. The goal is to show interoperability between the commoditized buses and the various payloads being considered.
“We need to show the constellations can move the right amount of data and support the data fusion and command and control we want from Pit Boss,” Thomas said. “From there, we will start building the actual hardware. By late next spring, we will have hardware and then spend next summer focused on satellite-level qualification for launch readiness in late 2021.”
Preparing for a new digital normal: Rolls-Royce opens its Digital Academy for free training
press release
Supporting partners for this open learning programme, and the tools they are offering, are:
Rolls-Royce
is publishing, for free, its world-class digital skills training
programme to help people and businesses around the world prepare for a
potentially digital-centric recovery from COVID-19.
Bringing together its trusted training partners and platforms, the first suite of courses includes introductions to data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, coding and digital culture. Courses range from ‘bitesize’ 20-minute sessions, to extended fully certified training programmes.
This release by Rolls-Royce follows its founding role in establishing the global Emergent Alliance, a voluntary group of technology companies and data science specialists working together to find new ways to accelerate and smooth the path to economic recovery as the pandemic passes.
The Rolls-Royce Digital Academy has trained 20,000 of our employees in the last two years as it assists our transformation into one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies – and these are the training courses that are helping make that change happen.
Head of the Digital Academy at Rolls-Royce, Manisha Mistry, said: “Many people and businesses are experiencing incredibly tough circumstances and these free training packages are a tangible way for us to offer some help. Many have been tried and tested by Rolls-Royce employees. They can help people prepare for work and businesses transform ready for a digital future, just like we’ve been doing at Rolls-Royce for the last couple of years.
“Whether you’re 8, 18 or 80 years-old, these training packages will help you during this disruptive period of isolation: whether you need to keep your kids occupied, need new skills for a future job or just want to learn more digital skills in anticipation of the future.”
Bringing together its trusted training partners and platforms, the first suite of courses includes introductions to data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, coding and digital culture. Courses range from ‘bitesize’ 20-minute sessions, to extended fully certified training programmes.
This release by Rolls-Royce follows its founding role in establishing the global Emergent Alliance, a voluntary group of technology companies and data science specialists working together to find new ways to accelerate and smooth the path to economic recovery as the pandemic passes.
The Rolls-Royce Digital Academy has trained 20,000 of our employees in the last two years as it assists our transformation into one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies – and these are the training courses that are helping make that change happen.
Head of the Digital Academy at Rolls-Royce, Manisha Mistry, said: “Many people and businesses are experiencing incredibly tough circumstances and these free training packages are a tangible way for us to offer some help. Many have been tried and tested by Rolls-Royce employees. They can help people prepare for work and businesses transform ready for a digital future, just like we’ve been doing at Rolls-Royce for the last couple of years.
“Whether you’re 8, 18 or 80 years-old, these training packages will help you during this disruptive period of isolation: whether you need to keep your kids occupied, need new skills for a future job or just want to learn more digital skills in anticipation of the future.”
- DataCamp – an opportunity to experience the top data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning courses used by Rolls-Royce employees
- edX – Rolls-Royce’s own CPD-accredited digital skills fundamentals programme containing six key courses including data awareness, the power of data and agile mindset.
- Google for Education – Google Applied Digital Skills helps teachers and students learn practical digital skills using the free project-based video curriculum. The ready-to-use video lessons teach digital skills that have immediate, real-life applications that provide students with the skills needed to succeed in the classroom and on the job, from researching to analysing data.
- IBM – Machine Learning for Kids: it will soon be normal for machine learning systems to drive our cars and help our doctors to diagnose and treat illnesses. This course provides hands-on experience in an easy-to-use guided learning environment to the people who will be programming the machines of the future.
- Learning Tree – Delivered by an award-winning industry leader, immerse in a suite of e-learning modules, white papers, skills assessments, live and recorded webinars on topics from agile to data analytics.
- TeenTech – For students 11-19 years, there are weekly insights into world-class organisations and the opportunities that lie within them. Each session will be themed and hosted by sponsors and industry experts with Rolls-Royce leading an Innovation at Home day on 18th May. Students can ask questions, develop their own solutions to global challenges and learn more about different careers.
- TechWeCan –free, easy to use and fun lesson plans for home schooling children (aged 10-13); children can learn about the opportunities a career in technology can offer; or join weekly Tech We Can Tuesday live lessons from 28th April at 10.30am; taking part in the City of Tomorrow challenge, where students apply their knowledge of science, technology, and engineering to create their City of Tomorrow where no ideas are too big, and everything is smarter, kinder, and safer than before.
Embraer Delivers Five Commercial and Nine Executive Jets in 1Q20
press release
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; B3: BOVESPA: EMBR3) delivered a total of 14 jets in the first quarter of 2020, of which five were commercial aircraft and nine were executive jets (five light and four large). As of March 31st, the firm order backlog totaled USD 15.9 billion. Historically, Embraer seasonally has fewer deliveries during the first quarter of the year, and in 2020 in particular, the commercial aircraft deliveries in the first quarter were also negatively impacted by the conclusion of the separation of Embraer's Commercial Aviation unit in January. During the first quarter, Embraer Executive Jets announced that the new Phenom 300E was granted its Type Certificate by ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil), EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The new Phenom 300E is the recently enhanced version of the Phenom 300 series, which was the most delivered business jet series in the 2010s. Also in this period, Emgepron, a Brazilian state-owned company linked to the Ministry of Defense through the Brazilian Navy Command, and Águas Azuis, a company created by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, signed the contract to build four state-of-the-art Tamandaré Class Ships, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2028.
US Defense Firms Hiring Thousands Amid Record Unemployment
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2020/05/us-defense-firms-hiring-thousands-amid-record-unemployment/165270/
Pentagon spending on missiles, satellites, and nuclear weapons fuels a production boom, as firms fight off commercial aerospace downturn.
An Update on COVID-19 GE Aviation Business Impact
press release
GE (NYSE:GE) Vice Chair and President and CEO, GE Aviation David Joyce today issued the following message to GE Aviation employees:
Colleagues,
Let me start by saying thank you for the way you all have responded during the COVID-19 crisis – staying focused on protecting the health of one another and supporting our customers, worldwide. This has enabled us to serve our great customers in their time of need, including the military and cargo operators shipping critical supplies around the world.
As this pandemic continues to advance, our understanding of its impact on our industry and our business has also evolved. The deep contraction of commercial aviation is unprecedented, affecting every customer worldwide. Global traffic is expected to be down approximately 80% in the second quarter when compared to the start of the pandemic’s effect in China in early February. Our aircraft manufacturers have announced reduced production schedules that will extend into 2021 and beyond reacting to the projected prolonged recovery.
To protect our business, we have responded with difficult cost-cutting actions over the last two months. Unfortunately, more is required as we scale the business to the realities of our commercial market.
We are developing our plan for permanent reductions to our global employee base that we anticipate will bring our total reductions this year to as much as 25% (including both voluntary and involuntary actions already announced).* In GE’s earnings call last week, we shared that Aviation is developing $1 billion of cost actions and $2 billion of cash actions in 2020, which includes these anticipated reductions.
These plans, which we expect will be ready over the coming months, are part of a comprehensive strategy we are developing for resizing the business consistent with the forecast of our commercial market. While extremely difficult, I am confident this is the required response to the continued contraction of the industry, and its protracted recovery. I am equally confident that the industry will recover over time and that we will be positioned to win.
Thank you for your resolve and determination during these trying times. And most importantly, thank you for supporting one another. Please know we are using the best possible resources to understand this pandemic and its impact on our business while plotting our path forward protecting our people, our customers and our business. We are one team and together we will come out of this with a strong affirmation of our purpose and a spirit to succeed.
Thank you for all that you do.
David Joyce*Once our plans are ready, we will consult with employees and/or their representatives as required in accordance with applicable laws before those plans are finalized or implemented.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements – that is, statements related to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For details on the uncertainties that may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements, see https://www.ge.com/investor-relations/important-forward-looking-statement-information, as well as our annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
About GE Aviation
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation. Follow GE Aviation on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GEAviation and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/GEAviation.
GE’s Investor Relations website at www.ge.com/investor and our corporate blog at www.ge.com/reports and @GE_Reports on Twitter, as well as GE’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts, contain a significant amount of information about GE, including financial and other information for investors. GE encourages investors to visit these websites from time to time, as information is updated and new information is posted.
Airbus supplies EU with satellite communications
press release
Airbus has won the new satellite communications framework contract for military and civil missions of the European Union and its member states. This four-year framework contract was awarded by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and is estimated to be worth tens of millions of euros.
“With this satellite communications programme, Airbus contributes to the construction of joint capabilities for European defence and to its missions to preserve civil and military peacekeeping”, said Dirk Hoke, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Defence and Space.
The contract named ‘EU SatCom Market’ will allow EU member states to centralise their satellite communications requirements and obtain coordinated, more economical and effective access to these services. Some 32 contributing members, including 20 European defence ministries, can now swiftly and efficiently get access to satellite solutions and services through EDA, which has been supplying the members of the ‘EU SatCom Market’ project with satellite communications capabilities since 2012.
These satellite communications solutions can be deployed worldwide. They play an essential role in European civil and military peacekeeping and security missions, as well as in technical and economic development and cooperation missions. This is already the case in several EU civilian and military missions and operations where EU SatCom Market services have been successfully implemented for several years. The armed forces of EU member states also use these solutions.
The ‘EU SatCom Market’ contract covers the provision of satellite communications (in C, Ku, Ka and L frequency bands), the sale and rental of terminals, as well as the provision of ‘turnkey solutions’, particularly in theatres of operations outside the EU. For this contract, Airbus has teamed up with Marlink, which will supply some of these terminals and specific L- and Ku-band services.
A forerunner in telecommunications solutions for military and governmental users, Airbus has unique experience in supplying satellite communications on a global scale and in all commercial and military frequency bands (L, C, Ku, Ka, X and UHF). These services can also benefit European operators of essential services.
Sentinel-6A gets an earful
press release
Earth observation satellite Sentinel-6A is currently getting an earful. Airbus space engineers are ‘bombarding’ the latest satellite for the European environment and security programme ‘Copernicus’ with sound in a dedicated chamber at the Space Test Centre of Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (IABG) in Ottobrunn, near Munich. The acoustic noise test simulates the sound impact to which the satellite will be exposed during rocket launch.
The chamber, which covers an area of some 100 m² and is fitted with huge loudspeakers, is hermetically sealed during tests. These tests consist of four 60-second blasts of sound that are fired at the satellite with increasing intensity. At its peak, Sentinel-6A will be hit by 140 decibels (dB). By comparison, noise levels at around 50 dB are pleasant for us to hear, at some 100 dB they start to become uncomfortable, while around 120 dB is where they become painful. Pneumatic drills or chainsaws produce around 110 dB. An increase of 10 dB represents a doubling of perceived loudness.
‘Copernicus Sentinel-6’ is an ocean altimetry mission to provide ocean topography measurements over the next decade. Sentinel-6 carries a radar altimeter to provide high precision and timely observations of sea surface height on a global scale. This information is essential for the continued monitoring of changes in sea levels, a key indicator of climate change. It is also essential for oceanography. Mapping up to 95% of Earth’s ice-free ocean every 10 days, Sentinel-6 offers vital information on ocean currents, wind speed and wave height for maritime safety.
The two Sentinel-6 satellites for the European Copernicus Programme for environment and security have been developed under Airbus’ industrial leadership. While it is one of the European Union’s family of Copernicus satellite missions, Sentinel-6 is also being brought about thanks to international cooperation between ESA, NASA, NOAA and EUMETSAT.
From November 2020, Sentinel-6A will be the first of two Sentinel-6 satellites to continue collecting satellite-based measurements of the oceans’ surfaces, a task that began in 1992. Sentinel-6B is then expected to follow in 2025. Sentinel-6 builds on heritage from the Jason series of ocean topography satellites and from ESA’s missions CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-2, as well as GRACE, which were manufactured under the industrial leadership of Airbus.
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.
lunes, 11 de mayo de 2020
domingo, 10 de mayo de 2020
New cabins, less pax, cargo…
Industry stakeholders weigh likelihood of major cabin reconfigurations https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/08/industry-stakeholders-weigh-likelihood-of-major-cabin-reconfigurations/
French engineer tables PlanBay seat separation kit in face of COVID-19 https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/06/french-engineer-tables-planbay-seat-separation-kit-in-face-of-covid-19/
Press Release: Factorydesign reveals "isolate" screens for aircraft seats https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/06/press-release-factorydesign-reveals-isolate-screens-for-aircraft-seats/
Notes from first class for future #PaxEx design https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/02/notes-from-first-class-for-future-paxex-design/
Supply chain focus: Safran' s first 2020 quarter
Supply chain focus: Safran' s first 2020 quarter https://leehamnews.com/2020/05/05/supply-chain-focus-safran-s-first-2020-quarter/
Ryanair April traffic falls 99.6% to 0.04 million passengers
Related:
http://aviationnews.eu/news/2020/05/airbus-deliveries-plunge-80-in-april/
http://aviationnews.eu/news/2020/05/worst-quarter-ever-for-air-france-klm-record-1-8-billion-loss/
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Bombardier will complete its acquisition of the CRJ programme on 1 June
Collapse of Boeing-Embraer JV gives Mitsubishi Aircraft new opportunities https://leehamnews.com/2020/05/04/33309/
VoltAero unveils production-version Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft
Press release
Médis, France – VoltAero today revealed the production configuration for its Cassio aircraft, which will revolutionize general aviation with a highly efficient, safe and optimized family of airplanes powered by the company's hybrid-electric power module.
Cassio utilizes VoltAero's hybrid-electric power module in an aft fuselage "pusher" configuration, integrating a cluster of electric motors with a high-performance internal combustion engine that serves as the range extender. The powertrain currently is being validated on VoltAero's Cassio 1 flight test aircraft, ensuring a high level of maturity for certification and production.
"The Cassio production design's unveiling represents the latest step in our realistic and highly pragmatic creation of an all-new aircraft family," said Jean Botti, VoltAero's CEO and Chief Technical Officer. "It benefits from our team's unmatched experience in hybrid-electric aviation, as well as the ongoing full-scale flight testing that removes the risk as we move toward the production phase."
VoltAero's proprietary Cassio design is based on a sleek, aerodynamically-optimized fuselage, a forward fixed canard, and an aft-set wing with twin booms that support a high-set horizontal tail.
Cassio will be offered in three versions, each sharing a high degree of modularity and commonality:
- Cassio 330, a four-seat configuration with propulsion from a combined hybrid-electric power of 330 kilowatts;
- Cassio 480, configured with six seats and a hybrid-electric propulsion power of 480 kilowatts;
- Cassio 600, with a 10-seat capacity and hybrid-electric propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.
Cassio aircraft will be produced at a purpose-built final assembly line in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of southwest France, with VoltAero leading a world-class team of partners and suppliers. Licensed production opportunities will be pursued in North America and Asia.
Initial deliveries are targeted for the end of 2022, beginning with the four-seat Cassio 330 version.
The Cassio family of airplanes is tailored for operation by private owners, air taxi/charter companies, in commercial flights for point-to-point regional travel, and in various utility-category applications. Cassio will be certified to Europe's EASA CS23 certification specification as a single-engine, general aviation category aircraft.
Performance
- Autonomy: 3.5 hours (extension possible to 5 hours)
- Range: 800 miles
- Cruise speed: 200 knots
- Take-off/landing distance: less than 1,800 feet
- Maximum takeoff weight: Under 2.5 metric tons (EASA CS23 certification)
- Availability: 10 hours/day (equivalent to approximately eight rotations daily)
About VoltAero
VoltAero is taking electric aircraft to an entirely new level. Benefitting from 50-plus years of combined pioneering expertise, VoltAero is developing a truly unique general aviation airplane family, Cassio, for safe, quiet, efficient and eco-friendly flight in hybrid-electric and electric modes. A flight demonstrator, along with a ground-based "iron bird" system test rig and a powertrain test bench, are validating the Cassio configurations, de-risking them for airworthiness certification and the subsequent application on new-production airplanes.
Shape-shifting carbon fibre could replace mechanical systems for planes and more
https://www.kth.se/en/aktuellt/nyheter/kolfiber-byter-skepnad-med-elektricitet-1.982298
Press release
A new carbon fibre composite material which can be bent with electronic impulses was demonstrated in a recent proof-of-concept study.
Published May 07, 2020
Imagine wind turbine blades that change shape to achieve the most efficiency in varying wind speeds, or airplane wings that bend and alter their own form without hydraulic rudders and ailerons. These are two potential uses for a carbon fibre material unveiled by researchers in Sweden.
Capable of changing form with the help of electronic impulses, the new solid state carbon fibre composite was demonstrated by researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, in a proof-of-concept study published recently by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
Co-author Daniel Zenkert says the material exhibits all of the advantageous properties of shape-morphing material – without the drawbacks that have prevented other development work from taking flight, such as weight and insufficient mechanical stiffness.
State-of-the-art morphing technologies, which can be used in robotics and satellite booms, rely on systems of heavy mechanical motors, hydraulic and pneumatic pumps, or solenoids to create shape changes, Zenkert says. These mechanically complicated systems add what is known as "parasitic weight" and are costly to maintain.
One way to reduce the mechanical complexity is to use solid-state morphing materials, he says.
"We have developed an entirely new concept," Zenkert says. "It's lightweight, stiffer than aluminum and the material changes shape using electric current." The material is capable of producing large deformations and holding them with no additional power, albeit at low rates, he says.
The composite consists of three layers – two of which are commercial carbon fibre doped with lithium-ions on each side of a thin separator. When the carbon fibre layers each have an equal distribution of ions, the material is straight. As electric current is added, the lithium ions migrate from one side to the other causing the material to bend. Reversing the current enables the material to return to a state of equilibrium and regain its previous, unbent form.
"We have for some time worked with structural batteries, such as carbon fiber composites that also store energy like a lithium-ion battery," Zenkert says. "Now we have further developed the work. We expect it lead to completely new concepts for materials that change shape only by electrical control, materials that are also light and rigid."
The researchers are now moving forward with other lightweight and structural materials that use less energy during use, with the ultimate aim of resource efficiency and sustainability.
Peter Ardell/David Callahan
Shape-morphing carbon fiber composite using electrochemical actuation
Wilhelm Johannisson, Ross Harnden, Dan Zenkert, Göran Lindbergh
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Apr 2020, 117 (14) 7658-7664; DOI:
viernes, 8 de mayo de 2020
jueves, 7 de mayo de 2020
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.
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