AEROSPACE November 2018
BREXIT – DEAL OR NO-DEAL? REPLACING SOYUZ INDUSTRY WAKES UP TO PILOT SHORTAGES
www.aerosociety.com November 2018 Volume 45 Number 11
SPEED VS GREEN
Royal Aeronautical Society CAN A NEW GENERATION OF SUPERSONIC TRANSPORTS OVERCOME THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES? Meetings & Events in the heart of London
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For more information visit www.4hp.org.uk or contact the Venue Team on 020 7670 4314 or [email protected] | No. 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ Boom Supersonic Boom Perlan Project Volume 45 Number 11 How green is my Surfing the November 2018 SST? mountain wave Will new supersonic The record- commercial aircraft breaking Airbus designs conform Perlan 2 glider flies to environmental higher than the U-2. noise and emission 14 standards? 18 Contents Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: The Editor, AEROSPACE, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK [email protected] Comment Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and feedback. analysis and comment. 58 The Last Word 10 Antenna Keith Hayward looks back at Mind the (LEO) gap Howard Wheeldon analyses 60 years of NASA. current UK investment into the development of aviation skills. Almost 50 years on from the Apollo programme, reality decided to remind the world that blasting humans into orbit with controlled explosions is still full of risk and cannot be taken for granted. Fortunately, in this case, the Soyuz Features emergency systems, worked as designed, giving the two crew a short but
undoubtedly hair-raising ride. This is only the third time a Soyuz has aborted, British Airways the last being in 1983, a testament to the extraordinary reliability of this 22 workhorse spacecraft. However, there are now renewed worries over the state of Russia’s creaking space infrastructure and its quality control and inspections. Russia is now working on a replacement vehicle to Soyuz – the Federation (see p 26) – but for the crew of the ISS, the need for a Soyuz to 30 return to flight is more urgent, despite food supplies, as the operational life of the current capsule docked to the ISS runs out in early January. With Soyuz Brexit – deal or no-deal? Pilot light UK Government position currently grounded, the two new US ‘space taxis’ (Boeing’s CST-100 and David Learmount reports papers consider the SpaceX’s Crewed Dragon) may just enter service in the nick of time. Both from the RAeS International likely effects of Brexit on NASA and Roscosmos have expressed confidence in Soyuz-FG, and Soyuz Flight Crew Training aerospace, aviation and Conference (IFCTC) on ways space. MS-11 is still due to lift-off on 20 December. Should the investigation uncover to tackle the current pilot 34 Reporting the war to deeper safety issues, then potentially NASA, Roscosmos and the ISS partners shortage. end all wars face difficult choices, including the ultimate option of ‘de-crewing’ the ISS How the press in 1918 viewed the signing of the until a US or Russian spacecraft is ready. The option of evacuating humanity’s Armistice and the likely outpost in LEO which has been permanently occupied for nearly 18 years, 26 future of air power.
is probably the safest, yet it is also the one with the worst public and political Pattonair ‘optics’ with overtones of surrender – and, like the retirement of Concorde and the Space Shuttle, of progress failing to go forwards. 38
Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected] Parting company How Pattonair is using NEWS IN BRIEF New Soyuz lift off technology and innovation Russia advances plans to to streamline the aerospace Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office Printed by Buxton Press Limited, develop a successor to Soyuz. parts supply chain. Tim Robinson Royal Aeronautical Society Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place SK17 6AE, UK [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Distributed by Royal Mail Deputy Editor +44 (0)20 7670 4300 [email protected] 2019 AEROSPACE subscription 41 Afterburner Bill Read rates: Non-members, £170 +44 (0)20 7670 4351 www.aerosociety.com [email protected] AEROSPACE is published by the Royal Please send your order to: Chris Male, RAeS, No.4 Hamilton Place, 42 Message from our President Publications Manager Aeronautical Society (RAeS). London W1J 7BQ, UK. 43 Message from our Chris Male Chief Executive +44 (0)20 7670 4352 +44 (0)20 7670 4352 Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS [email protected] Chief Executive [email protected] Advertising Any member not requiring a print 44 Book Reviews Online Production Editor John Minassian version of this magazine, please Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4346 contact: [email protected] 47 Library Additions Additional features and content are +44 (0)20 7670 4354 +44 (0)773 331 4725 [email protected] [email protected] USA: Periodical postage paid at 48 Australian Aviation available to view online on www.media. Champlain New York and additional Safety Forum aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight Book Review Editor Unless specifically attributed, no offices. Brian Riddle material in AEROSPACE shall be taken 49 Obituary Including: to represent the opinion of the RAeS. Postmaster: Send address changes Celebrating the centenary of the RAE, Indian to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, 50 GA design competition airports growing pains, A profile of Pattonair, Reproduction of material used in this Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. Aerospace implications of a no-deal Brexit, In the publication is not permitted without the 52 Diary written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. October issue of AEROSPACE, Perlan 2 glider ISSN 2052-451X 55 Corporate Partner Events breaks altitude record, Top 10 fictional 56 RAeS Sydney Branch aircraft in literature, Aviation and space implications of Brexit. Front cover: Boom SST design. Boom Supersonic 57 Return of the Comet
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INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT
Tail ‘fin’ A top ‘tail fin’ serves no ‘aerodynamic purpose’ according to SpaceX’s Elon Musk, merely being just an aesthetic choice to hide the third landing gear leg at the tip.
Raptor power The BFR is powered by seven SpaceX Raptor engines, each with two to three times the thrust of the Merlin engines that power the Falcon 9 with 380,000lb thrust at sea level. Seven engines will give maximum safety and redundancy, with Musk stating that the BFR only needs three engines for a landing.
Rear fins Two lower rear fins or‘ flippers’ are also hinged at the root to provide attitude control of the BFR on re-entry, keeping the vehicle vertically aligned as it hits the upper atmosphere. Once closer to the ground, landing gear pads in the tips of the fins extend to provide a stable platform for the rocket.
First stage On launch, the first stage booster – powered by between 31 and, later, 42 Raptor engines will return to land vertically
SpaceX and be reused.
4 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Next stop Moon The redesign is also slightly larger than the previous version, at 180ft long and features 1,000m3 of forward volume for payload. It will be capable of carrying 100t of payload to LEO with full reusability of first and upper stages.
‘Canard’ foreplanes The BFR features hinged foreplanes that are used to control the spacecraft’s orientation on re-entry, like skydivers use their arms. Unlike aircraft canard control surfaces that pivot from a single point, these flipper-like foreplanes are hinged at the root.
WSPACE SpaceX unveils BFR redesign SpaceX has revealed a new revised design for its BFR (Big Falcon Rocket) launcher which will make the first passenger-carrying flight around the Moon in 2023. The passenger for the first lunar tourism flight was announced as Japanese fashion entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. Maezawa, who is also an art collector, said he will be offering free seats for between six to eight artists on the flight to create work based on the trip. The flight would use SpaceX’s BFR, the first prototype of which is in development, with first test flights planned for 2019. Designed to be reusable, the 118m high BFR would have a 100t payload and be able to carry up to 12 passengers. SpaceX says that it can develop the BFR for around $5bn.
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AIR TRANSPORT DEFENCE Primeria Air goes F-35B makes first bankrupt landing on HMS Queen Scandinavian low-cost registered airline, founded carrier, Primeria Air, which in 2009, had a fleet of Elizabeth had been promoting seven aircraft, with orders starting low-cost for the Airbus A321LR
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i the US, ceased r unable to secure operations long-term on 2 October financing and had when it filed for faced short-term bankruptcy, leaving cash struggles, as well thousands of travellers as blaming late deliveries stranded. The Danish- of aircraft. SPACEFLIGHT Soyuz flight to ISS in Lockheed Martin Lockheed emergency abort A Royal Navy pilot, Cdr Nathan Gray, has made history by landing a F-35B for the first On 11 October, two an in-flight abort – their time on the RN's new supercarrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth on 25 September off the east members of Expedition Soyuz MS10 capsule coast of the US. Cdr Gray was the last British Harrier pilot and is part of the Integrated 57 to the ISS, cosmonaut landing by parachute in Test Force (ITF) flying two F-35Bs that are currently undertaking first of class, fixed-wing Alexey Ovchinin and NASA Kazakhstan after failing to trials with QEC carrier. The weekend of 13/14 October saw BAE Systems’ test pilot, Peter astronaut Nick Hague, were achieve orbit. Roscosmos Wilson perform the first ever shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) mode of recovery, a forced to return to Earth has said it is to form a UK-specific recovery mode that allows for heavier loads to be brought back on board. in an emergency ballistic State Commission to Meanwhile, on 27 September, a US Marine Corps F-35B from VMFA-211 flying from descent after a Soyuz investigate the failure the assault ship USS Essex, carried out the first US F-35 combat mission, with an air booster malfunction during of the rocket. Until this strike against insurgent targets in Afghanistan. launch. The two crew, accident, there were two Some 24hrs later, the F-35 programme experienced its first ever in-flight loss when a who were launched from Soyuz launches to the ISS USMC F-35B from MCAS Beaufort crashed in South Carolina. The pilot ejected safely. Baikonur Cosmodrome, remaining for 2018 – one The crash saw the F-35 Joint Program Office institute a fleet world-wide temporary were recovered safely after crewed and one resupply. grounding on 11 October, until operators performed an inspection for faulty fuel tubes.
NEWS IN BRIEF
a previous order for 12 training base for the USAF reaching 170,800ft and hailed as a hero after dying Airbus has announced that Embraer E190-E2 airliners. Raptor fleet. Mach 2.4. at his post to ensure the it has been awarded Type The airline, which currently last aircraft took off to Certification for its newest flies five Fokker 100s Virgin founder Sir Richard Polish Medical Air Rescue escape the earthquake and airliner – the A330- and seven E190s, placed Branson has said that he (PMAR) has ordered three tsunami that devastated 900neo – from EASA. the order as a LoI at expects Virgin Galactic’s single-engine Tecnam Palu in Indonesia on The A330neo, powered Farnborough earlier in July. SpaceShipTwo to reach its P2008JC Mk IIs to use 29 September. Agung by Rolls-Royce Trent long-awaited goal of space for pilot training. Since its ensured that the Batik 7000 engines, first flew Up to four USAF F-22 in “weeks, not months”. creation in 2000, PMAR Airlines aircraft, with 147 on 19 October 2017, with Raptors along with an Speaking to CNBC, he has transferred over passengers and crew on three aircraft taking part unspecified number of predicted that he himself 116,000 patients using board, made it into the air in a certification flight other types, such as would be flying a sub- a fleet of two fixed-wing safely one minute before test campaign which saw QF-16 target drones, orbital flight in “months, aircraft and 27 helicopters. the 7.5 magnitude quake 1,400 hours flown. may have been damaged not years”. This year struck, destroying the when Hurricane Michael SpaceShipTwo has made An Indonesian air traffic control tower he was in. Swiss-based Helvetic destroyed Tyndall AFB in three powered test flights, controller, Anthonius He then attempted to jump Airways has firmed up Florida. Tyndall is the main with the latest, in July, Gunawan Agung, has been down from the collapsing
6 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 GENERAL AVIATION AEROSPACE CAA approves Huey Zunum passenger flights picks Safran For the first time, the UK Spitfire passenger flights for hybrid CAA has approved being given the go- paid passenger ahead in 2014, power pleasure flights B sees Preston- r i a
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helicopter – r become the s the Bell UH-1 first UK classic Huey. The CAA helicopter Safety Standards operator to be Zunum Aero Acknowledgement authorised for paying US start-up Zunum Aero has selected Safran to provide the turbine engine for its and Consent (SSAC), passengers, with its in-development hybrid-electric commuter aircraft. Safran Helicopter engines is to which follows on from 1972-built Huey 509 provide a modified version of its Ardiden 3 engine, which will generate electrical commercial two-seat which served in Vietnam. power for Zunum’s 12-seat regional ZA10. AIR TRANSPORT DEFENCE On 11 October Singapore Airlines restarted its Singapore-New York service, Syria shoots down after taking delivery of its first Airbus A350-900ULR. The flight, which took 17hrs and 25mins and touched down on 12 October at Newark Airport (EWR), Russian Il-20 spyplane is the longest in commercial passenger service in the world, covering 16,564km. It was the first revenue flight for the first of seven ultra long range Russia has accused Syrian facilities in Latakia. Airbus A350-900ULRs Singapore Airlines has on order. Israel of causing Syrian Following the accidental air defence forces to shootdown, Moscow said shoot down a Russian that it would upgrade Ilyushin Il-20 ELINT Syria's air defences
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board. The Syrian D S-300 SAM air defences were system, with a reported to have 250+km range, been responding to which it confirmed it a missile strike by four had delivered to Syria on 2 SIA goes the distance Israeli Air Force F-16s on October. Airbus
tower but later died of his about the procurement of CST-100 Starliner will anticipated rise in for GA jobs and $5.7trillion injuries. the firm’s E-7 Wedgetail fly its first flight with aircraft. of economic activity in AEW&C aircraft to replace astronauts onboard in 2036. However, a more Bombardier has delivered the RAF’s aging E-3D August 2019. Both will According to new research protectionist international the first example of a AWACs fleet. be preceded by uncrewed from Air Transport Action environment could higher-capacity 90- flights in January Group, (ATAG), the global knock 12million jobs and seat variant of its Q400 NASA has announced a (SpaceX) and March aviation industry supports $1.2trillion in economic turboprop to Indian carrier new launch schedule for (Boeing). some 65.5million jobs and activity off these totals. SpiceJet. SpiceJet has 25 the two Commercial Crew $2.7trillion in economic of these 90-seat Q400s teams aiming to provide Diamond Aircraft is activity worldwide. The Cathay Pacific has donated on order, which adds an passenger flights to the to ramp up its aircraft new report, Aviation: the first-ever Boeing 777- extra 12 seats over the ISS for US astronauts. production at London, Benefits Beyond Borders, 200 to a US museum. First usual 78-seat layout. The agency says that Ontario, Canada, in 2019 goes on to look at two flown in 1994, the 777 SpaceX’s Crew Dragon from 75 to 150 aircraft future scenarios for future was used as a Boeing test The UK MoD has is set to launch its first a year. The manufacturer growth in air transport. aircraft until 2000, after confirmed that it is in human mission in June is also to open a factory One, with open and free which it flew with Cathay exclusive talks with Boeing 2019, while Boeing’s in China to cater for an trade forecasts 97.8million until retirement in May.
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DEFENCE AEROSPACE Germany puts new New research from the University of Dayton, Ohio, has found that even small drones have the potential to cause significant structural damage to light aircraft at high speeds. heavy-lift helo on hold In tests designed to replicate a 238mph mid-air collision between a 2lb Phantom DJI consumer quadcopter and a Mooney M20, University of Dayton Research Institute Germany’s Ministry of However, the Federal found that the drone was able to penetrate the wing leading edge and damage the Defence has decided to procurement agency now main spar. The researchers also fired a gel ‘bird’ of similar weight at the wing to compare results, which did not penetrate as far, nor damage the main spar. delay a planned heavy- says it is ‘postponed until lift helicopter further notice’. The procurement until procurement, for further notice. around 45-60 G
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acquisition, y in 2023, was which is aimed at seen as a contest replacing the German between Boeing Army’s aging CH-53G offering the CH-47F helicopters, were supposed Chinook and Lockheed to go out to industry at Martin, with the Sikorsky the end of September. CH-53K King Stallion. Drone collision tests highlight risk University of Dayton SPACEFLIGHT AIR TRANSPORT Japanese space agency JAXA has successfully Whitehall publishes Rovers land on landed two miniature rovers on the asteroid asteroid Ryugu on 28 September, sending back images ‘no-deal’ Brexit notes of the asteroid from nearly 200m miles away The UK Government and licenses covering from Earth. The MINERVA-II (MIcro Nano has published a series of training and airworthiness Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid) rovers technical notes laying out could be invalid in the EU were deployed from the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft the potential effects on after March 2019. The which flew over the asteroid at a height of aviation safety, security Government says that EU 200ft. The rovers floated down in the weak and flights to and from aviation safety regulations gravity field and landed at a speed of around the UK, in the event of a will be incorporated into 30cm per second. A larger MASCOT (Mobile ‘no-deal’ Brexit in March UK domestic law, and Asteroid Surface Scout) lander landed on the 2019 (see p 30). The notes also plans to implement asteroid on 3 October. A third miniature lander say that negotiations are a two-year transitional will be released for another descent later in the ‘progressing well’ but warns period where it will still mission next year. that CAA-issued certificates recognise EASA certificates. JAXA NEWS IN BRIEF
national satellite operator facilities and assets from in 55 years will power Two Sudanese Air Force Arianespace has and Intelsat. Ariane 5, drones, and allow for the Mach 1.4 Aerion AS2 Antonov cargo aircraft launched the 100th which first flew 22 years ‘detection, monitoring supersonic bizjet, which is collided while landing at Ariane 5 rocket from the ago, has carried over 170 and interception’ of UAVs set to fly in in 2023. The Khartoum Airport on 3 Guiana Space Center in satellites and five ATV without the prior consent engine will also be Stage September. According French Guiana. Lifting vehicles into orbit over of their owners. The new 5 noise compliant for take- to reports, an An-26 off on 25 September, the past 100 missions. regulations also authorise off and landings. travelling down the runway the rocket carried two the use of ‘reasonable was caught up by an communications satellites The US has passed a new force’ to ‘disable, damage Over 30 passengers had An-32 from behind. The – the Boeing-built bill which will give the or destroy’ a rogue drone. to have hospital treatment nose section of the An-32 Horizons 3e owned by Government new powers after a Jet Airways 737 broke off while the tail of a joint venture between to shoot down or disable GE Aviation has revealed crew forgot to select a the An-26 suffered serious Intelsat and Japan-based commercial UAVs if they a new medium-bypass switch to maintain cabin damage. There were no SKY Perfect JSAT, and are deemed a threat. The turbofan, the Affinity pressure as the aircraft fatalities but Khartoum the Azerspace 2/Intelsat new rules, included in the optimised for supersonic climbed out on a flight from Airport was closed 38 ‘condosat’ shared FAA Reauthorisation Bill, flight. The engine, the first Mumbai to Jaipur, India, on following the collision. between Azerbaijan's are aimed at protecting civil supersonic powerplant 20 September.
8 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 DEFENCE AEROSPACE Latest X-Plane to probe hypersonics The newest research with wings, that will be vehicle to receive an air-dropped by a bizjet
official US ‘X’ G to explore Mach e n e r designation has a 5-8+ hypersonic t i o
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b i the X-60A, being t wind tunnel’ and developed by to complement Boeing wins T-X Generation Orbit ground testing. It Launch Services for is the first X-plane The US Air Force has awarded the contract for its new T-X advanced pilot training system to Boeing, with a clean-sheet design developed with Saab. The Boeing the USAF Research Lab. to be developed under T-X bid won over rival submissions from Lockheed Martin/KAI with the T-50A and The uncrewed X-60A is a USAF small business Leonardo DRS with the T100, a variant of its M346 trainer. The contract could be a liquid-fuelled rocket innovation initiative. worth up to $9.2bn for 351 single-engine training jets, ground equipment and 46 simulators. Under the $813m initial contract, Boeing will build five T-X prototypes AIR TRANSPORT for delivery in 2023. Boeing Nigeria postpones flag Helicopter parachute demo carrier launch The first ballistic parachute system for helicopters has been Nigeria has postponed Farnborough Air Show in successfully tested by Italian manufacturer Zefhir. Fitted in a the launch of a new July, “had been delayed for container above the main rotor, the whole aircraft parachute system national airline scheduled “strategic reasons.” The was demonstrated at Oristano-Fenous Airport, Sardinia in which for December. Nigerian Government was to hold aviation minister Hadi a 5% share of Nigerian a remotely-controlled Zefhir helicopter had its engine turned off Sirika said that the Air with the remainder at a height of 950ft and then deployed the parachute to lower the launch of Nigeria Air, being owned by the private helicopter to the ground at a descent speed of 15kt. first announced at the sector. ON THE SPACEFLIGHT MOVE INFOGRAPHIC: ESA commissions Airbus to study Airbus has named current European participation in Lunar Gateway. commercial aircraft chief Guillaume Faury as its next Chief Executive to succeed Tom Enders, who is set to step down from the role in April 2019.
NASA has appointed Holly Ridings as its new Chief Flight Director and Jody Singer to become the Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center – the first women to hold these posts.
Former Rossiya CE Dmitry Saprykin has become the new CE of Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport. Airbus
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 9 Global Outlook and Analysis with antenna: HOWARD WHEELDON Exciting momentum for aviation skills development
he prospect of Brexit has further based support, the Royal Aeronautical Society will confirmed that if the UK wishes to continue to lead the way in increasing awareness and maintain the key role that it has within prioritising skills-based requirements. the global aerospace industry it will need That more needs to be done to encourage young to not only invest more in technology, people to look at aerospace and aviation careers is Tinnovation and knowledge but also to work self-evident. The Society will continue to place huge significantly harder than it previously has to inspire emphasis providing encouragement to those that and encourage young people to look at aviation and have perhaps expressed early interest in aviation aerospace based careers. and aerospace careers, spreading the With its robust range of outreach word about what being involved in these programmes aimed at encouraging industries can offer and also in providing young people to look at aviation and support to ensure that we retain sufficient aerospace sector careers such as ‘Cool talent within the industry. Aeronautics’, ‘Schools Build-a-plane Challenge’, ‘Falcon Initiative’, ‘Careers in THE ROYAL International Aviation Aerospace’ and ‘Centennial Scholarship AERONAUTICAL Academies Fund’ the Royal Aeronautical Society remains at the forefront, SOCIETY Meanwhile, a more recent and more providing inspiration, assistance and REMAINS AT regional venture is the Aviation Skills encouragement to young people at a THE FOREFRONT Partnership (ASP), which was created national and global level. However, with PROVIDING in 2013 in order to create a policy skills shortage ever more apparent it INSPIRATION, environment for skills development, became increasingly clear in recent ASSISTANCE AND to link partners and partnerships, years that more resource and effort create and implement pathways and would be required. ENCOURAGEMENT programme development, maximise Government and industry can TO YOUNG sharing of information, inspire and to hardly be accused of standing still. PEOPLE BUT recognise and reward achievement For instance, the Aerospace Growth WITH SKILLS in skills development and its first Partnership (AGP) was formed by SHORTAGE EVER International Aviation Academy offshoot Government in conjunction with industry has now started its second year of back in 2010 to create a strategic MORE APPARENT operation. alliance specifically designed to address IT BECAME Achieving all the visions that the ASP some of the many challenges faced INCREASINGLY set out to achieve was a big ask but, by what is a multibillion-pound sector CLEAR IN RECENT in respect of delivery of industry skills, industry faced with increased global YEARS THAT improved skills development through competition. MORE RESOURCE partnerships and networking, developing Accounting for an estimated of employer-led career pathways in 17% of the global aerospace market, AND EFFORT aviation for youngsters aged 8 to 18 employing over 100,000 direct jobs WOULD BE and also in providing world class training and with annual income of £32bn of REQUIRED through specialist hubs and academies, which around 75% is exported, the ASP can be regarded as having already importance of UK aerospace industry achieved considerable success. needs no further emphasis here. Located at Norwich Airport, the first of a planned As a professional body that has long embraced network of International Aviation Academies (IAA) careers awareness, the importance of STEM to be opened, IAA offers degree based courses that (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) offer youngsters the opportunity to train for a wide based subjects, supporting the need for increased variety of aviation related trades and professions. diversity and providing guidance and evidence Operating from a fully refurbished hangar
10 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 that bears little resemblance to the original Enterprise Partnership and Norfolk County Council, wartime building, this is a truly unique aviation the latter having provided £11 i loan to refurbish the learning environment with facilities that include a disused Norfolk Airport hangar. Norse Group, Norwich The Royal sophisticated range of synthetic based teaching Airport, Broadland District Council, WT Partnership and Aeronautical facilities supported by a still flyable Boeing 737- the Royal Air Force, together with local politicians and 300 loaned by KLM along with ten trainer units. others have also provided great support. Society's Students, the first of whom are likely to graduate in Student fees, which are collected by the outreach events, 2019, are able to engage in hands-on maintenance University of East Anglia, are distributed to KLM from left to right; and operational tasking learning. Flight Despatch and City College Norwich who provide the bulk of the Ballantyne and Cabin Crew courses have begun in the current trainers. With an initial annual intake of 20 students academic term and the intention is that pilot degree the longer term intention is that the Norwich Airport Seminar, Careers courses will start in the autumn of next year. site will take in around 80 students a year. Multiply in Aerospace Even though the IAA has a long way to go that number across an intended nine or ten additional LIVE and Cool before it is running at full capacity, the ability that it academies over the next few years and it is easy to Aeronautics. already has to provide world class aviation training see the potential benefits available. Diversity is also across all spheres of the aviation industry means high on the priority list and, while there are far fewer that it is already playing an important role training women than men working across the aviation sectors next generation of aviation-based professionals be particularly in STEM-based activities, the IAA is they wishing to become professional airline pilots, determined to play a role encouraging more women air traffic controllers, engineering, technicians and to look at aviation as a potential career. maintenance staff or for airport operations. Within the next five years there could be as many Summary as ten additional International Aviation Academies with plans already confirmed for the next two, the In sum, with Boeing forecasting that by 2034 first at RAF Syerston (Aaron Aviation Academy) and there will be a need for 95,000 new commercial the second at RAF Cosford (The Whittle Engineering airline pilots in the EU alone and with demand in Academy). Plans are being drawn up for further all spheres of aviation jobs outstripping supply academies to be opened at RAF Marham in Norfolk, combined with forecast that global commercial RAF St Mawgan (Newquay Airport) Cornwall and aviation industry growth will require 620,000 new also in Dundee. pilots over the next 20 years alone, emphasises the While the Aviation Skills Partnership is publicly problem. Shortages of engineers and technical staff funded, the International Aviation Academy in Norwich are equally bad and, with aviation playing such an receives its funds from a mix of support including the important role in GDP, finding new ways to attract University of East Anglia which validates degree-based and encourage young people to consider aviation as courses, City College Norwich, the New Anglia Local a future career is now a priority.
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LETTERS AND ONLINE
Management of Brexit Risk – the challenge for aerospace professionals Experimental Harriers Immanuel Giel Following the RAeS assessments remain submission to the BEIS the same as they did Committee on Brexit before the Referendum where the Society made a result. Using the best very powerful submission young minds in our of the significant threats aerospace community and some opportunities could well identify risks of the EU Referendum and opportunities that the result, AEROSPACE has usual risk management published further articles attendees may have on Brexit impacts(1-5). missed. Finally, my It is important that as personal view is that since aerospace professionals, in our democratic society, we should all be taking Brexit – an opportunity for Britain to stand alone – or a cliff edge? the general public can ongoing positive action change their minds every to identify and effectively when the Referendum identify the key risks they few years at a General manage the significant was announced and faced. They identified that Election, they should be Model of a W-wing Harrier risks created or changed updated them as soon a key risk area was now given the opportunity GR5 tested at DERA Farnborough in the early for us by Brexit. It is clearly as the Referendum to review all assumptions to change their minds result was revealed but, in their supply chain risk 1990s to assess the suitability vital that the whole range again on the EU as the of an M or W wing for use on a of potential sources of with the current level of plans to take account true nature of the Brexit STOVL aircraft. risk and opportunity be changing uncertainty, of the potential impact impact becomes clear. As @McParlinStephen examined (The A-Z of scenario assumptions of Brexit. Clearly a wise an aerospace professional threats and opportunities!) now need to be more approach that proved well who has been privileged [On 100 years of the (7) rather than just the obvious frequently reviewed, with founded. In the systematic to work on international RAE blog ]One of the ones. The longer-term cost effective mitigation approach to effective programmes and taught nicest moments of my perspective of effective and contingency action risk management, aerospace students from career, testing the W-wing risk management is taken. Another vital the probability and many nations, I regretfully Harrier at ARA. The oil to understand various aspect of effective consequence of both have no doubt that the flow visualisation showed scenarios 10-15 years risk management is to threats and opportunities UK aerospace industry what was happening. Dick ahead, which is normally challenge assumptions. is assessed, and there and the opportunities Jordan patted my back updated every few years. It is of note that at an can be few, if any, areas for young people in the when he saw the results. Aerospace professionals in aerospace risk MSc of finance, regulation, UK will be significantly @GeoffRichards6 was organisations operating an module at University of research and development, damaged by Brexit. responsible for the best effective risk management West of England shortly human resource planning, of it but I was 26 and it process will have reviewed before the Referendum, manufacturing and Lee Balthazor FRAeS was my first proper design. their scenario assumptions students were asked to operations where those RAeS Past President I’ve done lots of testing over the years, but the flowviz runs on that test Gregory Sherman involved standing room Probably the outcome will only in the control room at make sense but I will not bet ARA. Watching the shock on this. I will try to protect my patterns emerge at M assets with an EASA licence =0.9ish was nailbiting and deeply satisfying when we saw that it worked. f i Scott Kaley Indeed... the Crown, once again, @c_mperman I wrote a subverting the will of Miles M52 democracy and those who TM on M and W wings back No-deal Brexit No-deal Brexit they are to represent. @al_brock [On Miles M52 in the day but had moved lecture at Yeovil Branch] I off to other things before Rob Monfea So is it safe Geoffrey Wardle A (6) remember Eric coming to these tests. Fabulous – to say that a no deal Brexit well presented article on AEW&C LSAB to talk about this. would have loved to have would be highly disruptive the consequences of No Miles family were in the been involved. and potentially damaging deal Brexit(1,2). This is NOT Jill Meyers audience. If only! I am too to the industry? Therefore Project Fear, this is what the Still one of my favorite young to know but were shouldn’t we be lobbying results will be, from people platforms. I worked on the we being held to ransom by @KenZeroHarm against such a scenario with who actually know. AWACS programme for six USA. Was this ahead of the Fascinating, Thanks. all available vigour? years on the US, NATO and UK fleets. Rocket-powered Bell?
12 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 VR Lancaster YW Engineer of the Year F-35B carrier landing Round the World Silver Spitfire BBC Silver Spitfire IET @nickh169 [On UK pilot performs first F-35B Short Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) on HMS Queen Elizabeth] Will the approach @astro_perform [On the @RichardGearing [On speed of the rolling landing BBC release virtual reality RAeS Member finalist in be increased at all? This RAF Lancaster experience Young Woman Engineer seems very slow and I with contemporary audio] of Year Awards] Really wonder how much lift the This made me think ... I did pleased to see fellow wings are providing ... my RT licence exam last @AeroSociety Diversity and week and my examiner Inclusion Working Group used a recording of his dad member @sophielharker is @Unclearengineer You Two British pilots, Matt Jones and Steve Brooks, have for the other pilot on the a finalist in this year’s IET give over with the talk of announced plans to fly a restored Mark IX Spitfire around frequency. His dad was a Young Woman Engineer of being ahead of a schedule. the world. Starting and finishing from the UK, the 27,000mile pilot and ATC. He passed the Year awards. Good luck The party line is there is circumnavigation will begin in the Spring of 2019 and is away recently, so I thought it for the final! an aircraft carrier with no expected to take four months to complete. The silver Spitfire was a very touching tribute planes! will fly west, making 150 stops in over 30 countries in the knowing he is continuing to Arctic, Canada, the US, Alaska, Russia, Asia, the Middle East Wearable technology help future pilots. and Europe. @MichaelJPryce When I @JoeLloydDixon [On told John Farley that SRVL UAV glider tugs Dressed to Kill(8)] Can was a thing he refused to @William_Leech I’m not wearable technology F-16 vs F-16 @JTaylor1122 Has believe it. sure if it should be one liberate upgrades from the anyone ever considered an @ChrisUK27 [Belgian or two Vipers – does the autonomous glider tug? airframe? We think so. Soyuz abort F-16 destroys another second damaged one count in rearming accident on if it gets written off?
Aeralis @knowlessm [On Soyuz ground] He’ll be dining out Aeralis next generation jet training system performs emergency abort] on that story for years – ‘So Wright brothers’ watch Glad all aboard Soyuz are ... how many F-16s have you reported safe. Now tell me shot down?’ that ‘Ballistic Re-entry’ isn’t a great rock band name? @adamspink Does the written-off F-16’s pilot get @Martinstrumpfer Soyuz to fly around in a hire ‘plane has proven its reliability over for a few weeks until the @GuyG_Boffin [RAeS the decades it has served. insurance pays out? It’s never Wright brothers’ watch] I @NASA vehicles will have as nice though, so maybe an once had this in my hand – The UK-based Aeralis (formerly @Mark_Bate_Uk [Aeralis to start moving towards Alpha Jet or a G91? it was taken off me when I seeks second round Dart Jet) project is trying to stimulate interest in funding its manned flight (I think it is tried to calibrate it against a funding for modular training designs for a future jet training planned from ‘19 on?). They modern stopwatch. jet] There is a great team aircraft system, comprising will investigate the cause @steveaprocter For the behind this #innovative the Aeralis B Basic Trainer and correct issues identified. insurance claim form ‘Tell approach, looking forward (left), Aeralis A Advanced Trainer (centre) and Aeralis X Soyuz is and will be safe. us in your own words what @jigsawUK That is to #DSEI19 and seeing Bespoke/Aerobatic team jet Glad the crew are fine! happened ...:’ awesome. the start of this in the flesh. (right). Looks good in red too, what do we think @rafredarrows @pietro_nurra Good luck @ChiefofAirStaff. Looking in a very competitive market 1. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/a-no-deal-uk-brexit-the-aviation-and-space-implications-part-1/ forward to seeing this. I 2. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/a-no-deal-brexit-the-aviation-implications-part-2/ 3. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/brace-for-impact-brexit-and-the-uk-aerospace-supply-chain/ also hope they don’t make 4. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/brexit-airlines-count-down-to-march-2019/ 5. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/brexit-and-easa-a-way-forward/ the mistake of using the @jumbo747pilot Isn’t underpowered FJ44-4M 6. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/airborne-early-warning-and-control-detecting-the-battlespace/ this the Textron Scorpion 7. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/celebrating-the-centenary-of-the-rae/ like the L39NG and M-345 though? The Swiss Army 8. AEROSPACE, October 2018, p 30, Dressed to kill which makes those two knife of aircraft, that is yet platforms no better, in to sell one unit. training output terms, than Online a PC-21. Additional features and content are available to view online at http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight
@aerosociety i Findlinkedin.com/raes us on LinkedIn f facebook.com/raesFind us on Facebook. www.aerosociety.comwww.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 13 AEROSPACE Supersonic transport aircraft Xxxxxxxxx How green is my SST? As work continues to develop new commercial supersonic aircraft designs, a new study questions how environmentally- friendly the new aircraft will be. BILL READ FRAeS reports.
new report, Environmental over land which limited its routes mainly to crossing performance of emerging supersonic the Atlantic between Europe and the US. transport aircraft, published by Japan Airlines environmental research group The The new supersonic age has invested International Council on Clean $10m in Boom TransportationA (ICCT) looks at whether new designs In recent years there has been renewed interest in for supersonic transport aircraft (SST) planned the commercial possibilities of SSTs and three US and to enter service in the 2020s may contravene companies are currently developing new designs: pre-ordered 20 environmental noise and emission standards. Spike Aerospace, Aerion Corporation and Boom aircraft, joining Supersonic. Spike and Aerion are both focusing on Virgin Group as The first age of supersonic travel business jet models, whereas Boom is developing a 55-seat supersonic airliner. a future Boom The first generation of commercial SSTs lasted Research into future supersonic transport is operator. fewer than 30 years from the mid 1970s to the early also being conducted by government agencies. 2000s. There were two supersonic aircraft designs: NASA has conducted a series of supersonic the UK/France Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde which technology projects, including building a number of flew from 1976-2003 and the Russian Tupolev supersonic X-planes. NASA recently commissioned Tu-144 which ceased flying in 1978. Both aircraft Lockheed Martin to build the Low Boom Flight were powered by turbojet engines with afterburners Demonstrator supersonic X-plane to be delivered which had high fuel burn and take-off noise. The in 2021. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) is most successful design was Concorde which was funding the RUMBLE (Regulation and Norm for heralded as the pioneer of a new generation of larger Low Sonic Boom Levels) project to assess sonic supersonic aircraft. However, this prophecy remained boom prediction tools, study the human response to unfufilled, as the commercial growth of the Concorde sonic booms and to validate the findings using wind- was limited by bans on commercial supersonic flights tunnel and flight tests. Boom Technology
14 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Greener aviation 3 limits. Stage 5 noise standards set different limits for smaller and larger aircraft to reflect levels However, since the time that Concorde last flew, of engine technology available. the aviation world has moved on and there is In addition to its work on emission certification now a greater focus on the effect that aircraft standards for supersonic aircraft, CAEP is also green have on the environment. However, the ICCT considering the standards relating to noise. The How is my SST? report explains that there are currently no FAA is also developing US-specific standards international environmental standards to support for civil supersonic aircraft noise, including a the certification of supersonic aircraft. ICAO proposed rule for landing and take-off (LTO) noise has certification standards for emissions for certification of supersonic aircraft anticipated in Concorde and Tupolev engines capable of supersonic flight based on the 2019. What is not yet clear is whether the US Tu-144 supersonic airliners, Concorde but, in 2007, the ICAO Committee on rulemaking will be in line with ICAO’s standard on the roof of The Auto Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) agreed setting. If the US sets its own standards for SSTs, & Technik Museum in that these stringency limits are outdated and other countries may adopt operational restrictions Sinsheim, Germany. should not be applied to new supersonic designs. on those aircraft. Documents from US regulators Policymakers are currently debating whether presented to CAEP are reported to have different to develop new standards specific to SSTs or to ideas from Europe on aircraft noise limits. While apply existing standards for subsonic aircraft to the Europe proposes that current subsonic noise limits new designs. However, there is a problem with this, should be used as guidelines, the US is calling for as the development of a new emission standard standards that reflect the differences between within ICAO typically requires flight and engine supersonic and subsonic aircraft. test data from a variety of aircraft types – and there are currently no flying SSTs to obtain this Exceeding limits data from. At the same time, the development of Aerion announced new SST designs is being hampered by the lack of The ICCT report says that, if the regulators at NBAA 2018 that international standards, as manufacturers cannot decide to apply existing subsonic environmental say for certain that their aircraft can be certified, standards, then the new supersonic designs are its AS2 SST may sold and operated worldwide. not expected to meet the requirements. The report be a springboard estimates that a representative SST is likely to to larger business exceed the limits for nitrogen oxides (NO ) by 40% aviation and And then there’s noise X and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 70%. As far as noise commercial One characteristic of supersonic aircraft that levels are concerned, new SSTs are also expected supersonic designs. everyone knows about is the sonic boom to fail landing and take-off noise standards as they generated when the aircraft exceeds the speed are in 2018 (and even as they were in 2006). of sound. Currently, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has regulations which prohibit civilian aircraft from flying faster than Mach 1 over US territory (the same rules that effectively banned Concorde from flying over the continental US and limited it to transoceanic routes). However, these rules may be about to change, as an amendment to the FAA reauthorisation legislation is being considered would require the Agency to set a ‘reasonable’ boom limit for overland flight within three years— ahead of the 2025 date set by ICAO for an international standard. The report says that this has led to concerns that a US-only standard could exceed NASA’s 75 PNLdB target, which compares to Concorde’s 110 PNLdB and could jeopardise public acceptance of supersonic travel. Another issue is the noise generated by aircraft during take-off and landing. The regulations on noise have also become stricter since the days of Concorde. Stage 4 (or Chapter 4) noise standards adopted in 2006 required a cumulative reduction of 10 EPNdb from previous Stage 3 limits. New Stage 5 limits which apply to new aircraft manufactured after the end of 2017 require a
cumulative reduction of 17 EPNdb from the Stage Aerion
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The engine problem commercial SST on a study which compared the likely performance of a generic STT design with The main reason why SSTs are expected to exceed two existing subsonic aircraft – a single-aisle Airbus permitted noise limits is because of engines. While A321LR and a twin aisle Boeing 787. the new SST designs will take advantage of modern While the engines to power two of the three technology to reduce the noise generated from the new SST designs have not yet been selected, the
airframe, they still face challenges sourcing suitable report estimates the likely NOX and CO2 emissions, engines to power the aircraft. Because developing a noise, and fuel burn of a representative SST based completely new engine is prohibitively expensive, the on current design specifications. The report cautions NASA and new SST designers have opted to power their aircraft that some of the SST data is based on manufacturer using derivates of existing engines. While this saves claims of airframe and engine design parameters Lockheed Martin’s time and money, the derivative engines will be noisier which could be more optimistic than actual jointly developed, and less efficient than their subsonic counterparts. performance of future supersonic aircraft. X-59 QueSST, Aerion is working with General Electric on Three alternative engine models were developed the ‘Affinity’ twin-shaft, twin-fan medium-bypass to span the range of possible performance outcomes which will turbofan. Aerion claims that the engine will meet – a derivative turbofan, a clean-sheet turbofan and investigate low- Stage 5 noise limits but the bigger fan and higher a derivative turbojet based on the EJ200 military boom technology. bypass ratio will reduce supersonic speed to Mach engine. Three different routes were chosen for the 1.4 and consequently the aircraft’s range. The engine analysis: San Francisco–Tokyo, Los Angeles–Sydney will produce 18,000lb of thrust, with GE adding and New York–London. The study lists a spread of values of predicted NASA NOX and CO2 emissions for an SST for the most likely, best-case, and worst-case configurations and how they compare with present and forthcoming emission regulations. The regulatory limits for
NOX are set as a function of overall pressure ratio,
while standards for CO2 are set as a function of
aircraft maximum take-off mass. NOX emissions were estimated for the most likely and best-case scenarios using emissions data for in-production engines in the ICAO engine emissions databank.
NOX emission estimates were not available for the worst-case configuration, as data on emissions from military engines was not available. The conclusion from this comparison was that the reference SST is unlikely to meet existing commercial aircraft standards. It exceeded
allowable LTO NOX limits by 38% in the most likely
configuration, and CO2MV limits by 52% to 115%, a smaller fan and new booster and low-pressure with a most likely exceedance of 67%. turbine to the baseline eight-stage high-pressure compressor and single-stage turbine of the CFM56 Fuel consumption core. Meanwhile, Boom has yet to select an engine The study also summarised the expected fuel but is reported to be looking at derivatives of existing consumption per passenger of an SST compared high-bypass-ratio turbofans. While no specific to the two subsonic aircraft on the three routes. engine has been identified, the likely candidates The conclusion was that a new SST is predicted have been identified as turbofans in the 3-4:1 low- to burn five to seven times as much fuel per bypass range which are not too noisy for take-off passenger as a subsonic aircraft. Depending on and have a low enough bypass to reduce wave drag. how many passengers are carried, an SST could Spike Aerospace has also to identify an engine, burn three times as much fuel per business-class although, according to the company’s preliminary passenger compared to recently certificated aircraft specifications, the engine for the S-512 subsonic aircraft and up to nine times as much fuel SSBJ will have 20,000lbf thrust and a sonic boom at compared to an economy-class passenger on a ground level of less than 75 PLdB. subsonic flight. The report did not attempt to make a detailed Supersonic vs subsonic study assessment of noise certification levels. However, it did conclude that jet exit velocity from the implied The ICCT report based its conclusions on that the new SSTs would not meet existing (Stage 5) the predicted environmental impact of a new noise standards.
16 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Not up to standard Aerion
Based on the results of the study, the report predicts that new commercial SSTs are unlikely to comply with existing environmental standards for commercial aircraft. The increased fuel consumption of an SST would also lead to proportional increases in
CO2 emissions. The most likely configuration of a representative SST was estimated to exceed limits for NOX and CO2 by 40% and 70%, respectively. A qualitative assessment of noise was consistent with the understanding that engine derating and modified LTO procedures would be needed to comply with older (2006) Chapter 4 noise standards. have greater tolerances for increased air pollution, Unveiling the Affinity supersonic engine for the The report also admits that it only covers certain noise, and CO2. To comply with existing environmental standards, SST manufacturers also have two AS2 at NBAA in October environmental factors. While it did include fuel are Dave Richardson options, either to develop new aircraft based upon burn, CO2 and nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions and (Lockheed Martin), Carl landing and take-off noise, other environmental advanced, clean sheet engines. The report suggests Esposito (Honeywell), Brad factors, including sonic boom, particulate matter that advanced technologies, including variable-cycle Mottier (GE) and Tom Vice and stratospheric water vapour from SSTs are not engines and staged combustion, on a clean-sheet (Aerion). addressed. engine would likely be needed to meet current LTO
noise and NOX standards. With an adaptive-cycle, Fuel and economics staged-lean-burn turbofan designed for supersonic
operation, an SST could comply with NOX limits but
The report notes in passing that the cost of fuel could would still exceed ICAO limits for CO2 while still be a deciding factor in the economic feasibility of burning three times as much fuel relative to subsonic new SSTs. Fuel is typically an airline’s single largest business-class jets operating expense, accounting for between 20-35% However, developing a completely new power of overall operating costs. Using the current (at the plant specifically for SSTs would involve a considerable time the report was written) jet fuel prices of about commitment of time and money on behalf of an aircraft $700 per metric tonne, the fuel costs of flying one manufacturer, as an engine manufacturer willing to passenger on a round-trip from San Francisco to commit to such an engine for a relatively niche market. Tokyo via SST would be around $1,400, compared to around $180 to $360 for subsonic economy class Time to talk and business class, respectively. Profitable operation of SSTs would require revenue and yields high enough to The new SST manufacturers are not unaware of recover these extra fuel costs. the challenge of SSTs and the environment. Aerion CEO Tom Vice announced at the 2018 NBAA show Social acceptability in October that the company had developed its own paper in response to the ICCT report. Another problem to be overcome is the social In August Vik Kachoria, President and CEO of acceptability of renewed commercial supersonic Spike Aerospace published a blog on the company operations. While the public were, on the whole, website commenting on the current US supersonic very acceptant of the environmental externalities of flight debate in which he said: “I believe it is completely Concorde, the reaction to the noise and pollution made unacceptable to advance technology or transportation by business or rich people-only SSTs might not be so at the detriment of the environment or the community. tolerant. That is simply irresponsible. Spike Aerospace is designing an advanced supersonic jet (Spike S-512) New engines for old? and promises to minimise emissions, maximise fuel efficiency and economy, as well as reduce noise The report concludes by saying that regulators need around airport zones. We welcome discussions with to choose between two alternatives: either to require environmental groups to understand concerns and that new designs comply with existing LTO NOX, considerations important to them. We will be working noise, and CO2 standards for new subsonic aircraft with those groups, engine manufacturers, airports and or to develop specific standards for SSTs powered the regulatory bodies to assess potential impact – both by ‘poorer performing derivative engines’ which would positive and negative.”
The original report can be found at: https://www.theicct.org/publications/environmental-performance-emerging-commercial-supersonic-aircraft More details on the EU Rumble project can be found on: https://rumble-project.eu/ RAeS Conference: Greener by Design 2018: Impact of Electric and Hybrid propulsion in Aviation, London, 20 November.
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 17 GENERAL AVIATION Stratospheric glider
Surfing the mountain wave In September the Airbus Perlan 2 glider achieved a new altitude record of 76,000ft, higher than a U-2 spyplane. BILL READ FRAeS reports on the on-going project which not only intends to fly higher than any other manned winged aircraft but also to learn new insights in the Earth’s atmosphere, the ozone layer and global warming.
18 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 well-known weather phenomenon History used by glider pilots to keep aloft is to surf on ‘mountain waves’. In the The origins of the project began in 1992 when same way as a river forms waves Enevoldson saw new LIDAR images of standing when it flows over a rock, strong mountain waves west of Kiruna, Sweden on an office windsA crossing a mountain range will make standing wall during a visit to the DLR research establishment waves in the air. Such waves need particular in Germany. Over the next six years Enevoldson conditions to be created – if the winds are blowing collected evidence on the location, prevalence, and more than 15kt sideways over the mountain and the strength of stratospheric mountain waves. From 1998 atmosphere is stable, then waves will form on the the data analysis was expanded by Dr Austin and lee side of the mountains. the significance was realised of the stratospheric Using the upward moving part of this wave polar night jet in propagating high altitude standing system to climb, gliders can ascend as high as 10km mountain waves. Meanwhile, researchers at the up to the top of the troposphere where the cold NASA Dryden Flight Research Center were looking air of the mountain wave encounters warmer air at at the flight dynamics and aerodynamics of sailplane the boundary with the stratosphere and cannot rise flight up to 100,000ft. further. However, during the 1990s, NASA test pilot, In 1999 air adventurer Steve Fossett heard that Einar Enevoldson and Dr Elizabeth Austin discovered Enevoldson was seeking funding to build a glider that in sub-polar regions in winter, mountain waves to test the concept of riding stratospheric mountain could extend beyond the troposphere and well into waves and asked to join the project. The Perlan 1 the stratosphere. This is because of high altitude glider was created using a modified Glaser-Dirks winds which exist at the outer boundary of the polar DG-500 motorised glider with the engine equipment vortex in winter known as the stratospheric polar replaced by liquid oxygen tanks and Li-SO2 batteries. night jet which can exceed 260kt. In conditions The glider was also fitted with faceplate heat where the stratospheric polar night jet aligns with controllers, high-altitude stabilised parachutes and the lower-level jet stream over mountains, it can full pressure suits loaned from the US Air Force. The create winds which increase with altitude through name Perlan, which means ‘pearl’ in Icelandic, was the tropopause and upward to 100,000ft creating chosen for the project after the pearlescent nacreous ‘stratospheric mountain waves’ which ascend way clouds that appear in the uncharted winter polar beyond normal mountain waves. Given that such stratosphere. waves exist, would it be possible to use them to take a In 2002 Enevoldson and Fossett began the glider up to heights previously thought impossible? To first test flights of Perlan 1 over the Sierra Nevada discover the answer, the Perlan project was created. mountains of California where they reached heights
PERLAN 2 IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE GLIDER BUT IS ESSENTIALLY A SPACECRAFT WITH AN 84-FOOT WINGSPAN Perlan 2 prepares for flight tests in 2016.
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Perlan Project of over 42,000ft. Flights were also carried out in New Engineering challenges Zealand but failed to reach the stratosphere. In 2005, further flights were made over Argentina where, after Perlan 2 is not your average glider but is essentially some technical hitches with the pressure suits, on 29 a spacecraft with an 84-foot wingspan. Unlike some August Enevoldson and Fossett climbed for four hours gliders, Perlan 2 is not built for speed but for climbing. to reach a new world altitude record of 50,671ft – the The glider is optimised for high altitudes which means first ever glider flight into the Earth’s stratosphere. To that the aircraft will not perform as well as a typical commemorate this achievement, the Perlan I is now sailplane with a similar wingspan at low altitudes. One on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight. of the 2018 flights was to test the performance of the glider at the higher speeds that would be needed Perlan 2 to keep it aloft at heights above 90,000ft Despite having no engine, the glider’s true Following the proof that high level mountain waves speed in the strong winds encountered in the can be used to lift a glider into the stratosphere, stratosphere could exceed 400mph. Windward Steve Fossett agreed to fund a follow-on mission: to Performance designed the aircraft to be flutter- build a sailplane with a pressurised cabin to fly up to safe at very high airspeeds and also to be strong 90,000ft. Work was carried out on the structural and enough to cope with potentially heavy turbulence aerodynamic design of the aircraft but, sadly, Steve that could be encountered at 90,000ft. To fly in the Fossett died in 2007 and funding to continue the stratosphere, Perlan 2 must be able to fly in air less project was provided by individuals and partners in than 3% of normal density and at temperatures of the US and Australia. After much preliminary design –70°C, conditions similar to those on Mars. Instead work was carried out by Greg Cole of Windward of using pressurised suits as in Perlan 1, the two Performance, responsibility for the manufacture of pilots are inside a pressurised cabin with much the Perlan 2 was given to Oregon-based aviation smaller windows than on a conventional glider. The research, design and development company RDD carbon-fibre-sandwich construction of the aircraft Enterprises. In 2010 Dennis Tito joined the mission provides good insulation against the cold but there as a pilot and major funder, as did world soaring was enough capacity in the battery for the pilots to record holder Jim Payne, who joined as chief pilot. In plug in electric heated clothing. The cabin is fitted 2014 the Airbus Group agreed to become the title with air re-cycling systems and other life-support World record goal height sponsor and to provide funding for completion of systems similar to those used on a spacecraft. The chart. The Perlan 2 has reached a height of the aircraft, flight testing and the altitude flights. The crew breathes pure oxygen provided by a rebreather 76,124ft. mission was renamed the Airbus Perlan Mission II. In system similar to those used in scuba gear. Two addition to the Airbus Group, the project is supported parachutes are also carried in case an emergency by a number of other sponsors, including Weather descent is needed. Extreme, United Technologies and BRS Aerospace. The aircraft was completed in the summer of Scientific objectives 2015 and was first flown on 23 September that year. This was followed by six months of flight testing in The Perlan Project has the number of goals, Minden, Nevada. In 2016 the team relocated to El summarised as: Exploration, Innovation and Calafate in southern region of Patagonia, Argentina, Inspiration. In addition to pushing back the frontiers a region where the weather in the Andes mountains of flight by soaring into near space, the Project is also in the two months between mid-August and mid- taking advantage of its unique position in the sky October can trigger the conditions needed to create to advance the boundaries of scientific knowledge. stratospheric mountain waves. The aircraft was towed Currently, very little is known about the stratosphere, up to a height of 5,000ft for an hour over the Andes since no aircraft can remain at that altitude long and positioned to ride stratospheric waves from enough to gather data. However, the Perlan 2 behind the range. sailplane will be able to either traverse or remain In 2016, Perlan 2 achieved an altitude of relatively stationary in a particular portion of the 52,221ft but the atmospheric conditions were never stratosphere for several hours. quite right to achieve the higher altitudes desired. The The Perlan 2 is fitted with a modular bay for team returned to Argentina in 2017 and achieved a scientific instrumentation which enables precise height of 52,172ft on 3 September. However, this recording of air mass motion, together with year the conditions were more favourable and in collection of air samples for analysis – which will August and September 2018 the team began to set not be contaminated by engine emissions. One new records as the glider soared to higher and higher area of research will focus on the dynamical and altitudes. On 26 August, Perlan 2 reached a record- microphysical processes at work in the upper breaking 62,473ft, followed by 65,000ft on 28 stratosphere, including the conditions needed for August and 76,124ft on 2 September – higher than the formation of high-level aerosol– nucleated ice the 73,000ft altitude achieved by the US Air Force’s clouds. Atmospheric scientists are keen to learn U-2 spyplane. more about the structure and intensity of vertical
20 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 waves and their characteristics. Using this data, it is Education for Science Center UCAR hoped to gain an understanding of the interaction between stratospheric mountain waves and the polar vortex and their effects on the energy balance of the atmosphere, as well as the effect of mountainous terrain on larger scale jet/front systems. This data is important, as current models used to predict climate change are based on the assumption that there is little interaction between the lower troposphere layer of the atmosphere and the stratosphere. However, it is now established that the two layers exchange heat, air masses and chemicals and it is hoped that data from Perlan 2 can be used to help create new, more accurate climate models. Another area of scientific interest is ozone levels which are most concentrated between 80,000-100,000ft. Current research believes that the banning of the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in aerosols by the Montreal Protocol of 1987 has succeeded in stopping and possibly searching for rare elements, such as the noble gas reversing ozone depletion. Whether this assumption xenon, which could be harvested for use in space is true can be proved by taking direct air samples travel or other industries and the detachment of metal from the stratosphere. Air samples can also show ‘tin whisker’ filaments that form on metal solders due the concentration of chorine-based chemicals at to flight-induced stresses. high altitudes. The movement of ozone and other The project is also seeking volunteers to develop constituents in the stratosphere can also affect classroom modules for pre-school up to graduate aircraft flying though them, as the constituents can levels and to create videos and scientific data online damage or adversely affect engine performance. which could be accessed by the public. It is hoped In addition, aerodynamic experts are hoping that a number of masters and PhD students will write Perlan Project Top: Troposphere, to learn more about the performance of aircraft in meteorological, aviation and aeronautical engineering stratosphere and the thin air of the upper atmosphere – knowledge theses on the project. mesosphere. that could also be applied to extra-planetary space Pilots Jim Payne and missions. Touching the void Morgan Sandercock after landing the Perlan Outreach The latest series of Perlan flights in Argentina 2 following a flight which ended on 12 September. However, the project is reached a height of above Airbus is also keen to promote the Perlan mission not over. If successful, a further stage is planned 60,000ft. to inspire future generations to pursue careers in to build a glider capable of flying at heights of up aerospace by studying mathematics, science and to 100,000ft. When Perlan 2 was being designed, technology. The project is working with Universidad Einar Enevoldson wanted a glider capable of flying Maimonides in Buenos Aires and US-based Teachers up to 100,000ft. However, Greg Cole of Windward in Space initiative. Some of the experiments being Performance said that, while designing a sailplane for carried out on the aircraft originated from school and 90,000ft was relatively straightforward, building one university classrooms which were invited to submit for 100,000ft was more complicated and expensive. entries to Perlan CubeSat contest in 2016 in which Phase 3 of the Perlan project would involve building experiments were fitted inside a SpaceTec CubeSat a glider fitted with transonic wings to cope with kit. Winning entries include experiments to measure increased flight speeds. Flights of the new glider are the presence of particles and fungal spores in the provisionally planned for May 2019 and may also be air, the effect of air from the stratosphere on plants extended to exploring the Polar Vortex in the northern (which could be applicable to terraforming on Mars), hemisphere.
For more information on the Perlan mission, see: www.perlanproject.org RAeS Conference: Light Aircraft Design Conference 2018, London, 19 November.
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fter a succession of false alarms over included many experienced, middle-aged pilots about 20 years, the much-heralded still reluctant to see changes in the training system shortage of airline pilots has finally that had served them well. Yet, out in the operating arrived. environment, loss of control in flight (LOC-I) had As a result, airlines are being become established as the biggest killer accident forcedA reluctantly into strategic recruitment planning category and debates raged about the proposed need – instead of tactical hiring – and approved training for upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT), organisations (ATO) are simultaneously licking their the effects of automation on piloting skills and the lips and worrying about how to attract and retain increasing use of simulation in ab-initio training. enough high quality instructors. At the same time, in Europe, a major change in pilot training and flight crew licencing (FCL) philosophy is taking place. If proof of the shortage were needed, here it is: Ryanair has begun a process of pilot and cabin crew union recognition after decades of hostility toward organised labour. It has also just announced the first of half-a-dozen contracts for pilot cadetship with ATOs across Europe, ensuring it has a supply of airline-ready copilots. The first is with Cork, Ireland- based Atlantic Flight Training Academy, which will produce 450 Ryanair-ready co-pilots over the next five years.
Training modernised
Meanwhile the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is preparing to oversee a modernisation of flight crew training philosophies that have been resistant to change ever since WW2. So it was not entirely a matter of coincidence that – at this year’s RAeS International Flight Crew Training Conference (IFCTC) in September – the theme was ‘A new era in pilot training and assessment’. It turns out that the industry has finally – after 12 years of argument, study and a great deal of thought – agreed what it needs to do to modernise pilot training. All it has to do now is to make it happen. Sunto dit volenientio coris When the first RAeS IFCTC happened in 2006, Pilot eum sint. Aximolupti untium es at. its theme – ‘Meeting tomorrow’s challenges’ – Iquis am iusa voloritatur suggested a need for change had been recognised, and that the discussion on how it should be achieved should begin. Simultaneously at the International Civil light Aviation Organization (ICAO) ideas for a new training system and licence specifically intended to produce pilots with a complete skill-set for the right hand seat of an airliner were being examined. This was done As fears of airline pilot shortages become on the basis that the old commercial pilot licence/ instrument rating (CPL/IR), completed solo on light real, DAVID LEARMOUNT reports from the piston twins, was not producing crew suitable for the modern digital flight deck in high-performance jets, 2018 RAeS International Flight Crew Training even if an additional training module providing a multi- Conference, held on 25-26 September. crew co-operation and jet orientation course (MCC/ JOC) was bolted on the end. Thus the talking-shop began. Today, with principles like competency-based training and A change in philosophy assessment (CBTA) and evidence-based training (EBT) almost universally accepted, traditional training The now-established Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) philosophies have been upended. was the result of those ICAO deliberations. Meanwhile, It is as a result of work co-ordinated through the back at the 2006 IFCTC conference, delegates RAeS, EASA and ICAO that necessary change is now
22 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 sweeping into the training industry and the airlines. It the reference to ‘Attitude’ indicating the need to is pure coincidence that this is occurring at the same select students for their approach to the learning time as the arrival of a genuine pilot shortage but the process, which may speak volumes about their need to simultaneously to increase training output personal suitability for the job. considerably while make major changes to pilot EASA observed a couple of years ago: ‘Current training philosophy and instructional delivery is not teaching and learning tools are not sufficiently going to make life easier. developed to encourage future pilots to use In January this year EASA triggered its plan for analytic and synthetic thinking or to challenge phasing in a total change in pilot training philosophy student pilots to enhance their decision-making skills, their problem-solving ability, and their level of British Airways understanding of assimilated knowledge.’ In the US, which does not have a system for training pilots ab-initio straight into an airline co- pilot’s job, retains a more traditional hours-based approach for preparing pilots for airline flying. Principles like CBTA, however, are gradually being embedded in their system. Meanwhile, reacting to evidential shortcomings in pilot performance, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also demands piecemeal changes like a revised training for stall recovery. An interesting observation about subjects addressed at this year’s IFCTC is that nobody raised the issue of replacing pilots with automation, a matter that had been discussed in previous years. At a time of increasing demand for air travel, a need for improved – and possibly more expensive – pilot training, plus the prospect of higher flight crew pay as a response to the shortage of pilots, automation would seem to be a particularly attractive idea right now. Yet the subject was not raised.
Speeding up training
The conference clearly accepted that quality pilots cannot be trained properly in a shorter time than they already are, thus it focused on proposals for making pilot training more efficient and effective. At present it is clearly not efficient, because the existing CPL/IR course churns out legally licensed airline pilots only about half of whom are good enough to be employed by a conscientious airline. That was a verdict delivered at the IFCTC last year by Ryanair’s head of flight training Capt Andy O’Shea, also the chairman of Europe’s Aircrew Training Policy Group over four years. By 31 January 2022 ‘at the latest’ (ATPG). AFTER A all airline training departments and air transport It seems that, although the new pilot training SUCCESSION OF operators in EASA countries must have implemented process will still begin with groundschool and basic the changes, insists the Agency. By that date, theory, followed by familiar airborne routines like FALSE ALARMS successful pilot trainees will be graduating with their learning the effects of controls and discovering OVER ABOUT theoretical knowledge tested against a completely how to maintain straight and level flight in a simple 20 YEARS, updated question bank. aircraft, the task of today’s instructors is to engender The overall training philosophy changes entail within their students the ‘nine core behaviours’ pilots THE MUCH- moving away from traditional ‘silo learning and need to demonstrate to be judged competent – HERALDED testing’ toward competency-based training and from eventually – to receive a pilot licence. These are: SHORTAGE OF rote learning toward scenario-based teaching that ● Application of knowledge AIRLINE PILOTS confers understanding, not just factual knowledge. A new EASA concentration on ‘Knowledge, Skills and ● Application of regulations and procedures HAS FINALLY Attitudes’ (KSA) embodies this philosophy change, ● Communication ARRIVED
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● Aeroplane flight path management – Automation based assessment of whether student pilots can
● Aeroplane flight path management – Manual demonstrate that their newly-acquired knowledge and skills enable them to deliver the required performance. ● Leadership & teamwork The knowledge and skills delivery now will be more ● Problem solving and decision-making flexible, with theory learning moving along in harmony ● Situational awareness and information with airborne experience plus exercises in FNPTs management (flight and navigation procedure trainers). It is the
● Workload management. opposite philosophy to swotting all the theory furiously in one go, then taking a multiple-choice question This demonstrates a total shift from syllabus-based examination and ticking the boxes. exercises and knowledge checks to an outcome- This involves a massive change in instruction style,
British Airways an issue that emerged loud and clear at the IFCTC this year. Instructors have to move from being the teacher and examiner to being a trainer, facilitator and assessor – more of a tutorial relationship. Above all there was agreement that training needs to be delivered individually to each student because they all have different backgrounds, educations and learning styles. If this sounds like imposing an impossible instructor workload increase at a time of rapidly rising demand, CAE’s global leader training standards Capt David Owens – formerly of Airbus – argued that individual mentoring is actually efficient because, without close attention, students may scrape through several learning stages with insufficient understanding and, while this can go unnoticed at the time, the resulting poor performance will emerge later and demand costly and time-consuming additional training. However, with the necessary attention, Owens argued, a student should progress seamlessly through the course.
Selection
Another enormous improver of training efficiency, the conference heard, is high-quality student selection. Self-selected students who bypass the proffered selection process while waving dollars at an ATO can turn out to be totally unsuitable for the professional airline piloting role. The failures can result from the
24 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Iberia accessible if the required numbers are to be found. That means attracting far more women and also quality candidates of either sex from low-income family backgrounds who would be intimidated by the cost of training. There is, said Schmidt, a need for pilot career paths to be visible, and include the option for flexible working, especially if the distinctly under-exploited female pilot resource is to be effectively tapped, which he insisted it must be.
Search for the new generation
In the next 20 years, Schmidt warned, Europe’s commercial air transport industry has to attract and retain 146,000 new pilots and, according to present statistics, that means the airlines will have to attract one million applications from which to select enough individuals who are the ‘Right Stuff’. To get that many candidate’s unsuitable personality type, or physical young people to apply, according to Schmidt, the and mental aptitude, or learning ability, or all three. An crucial factors are ‘career attractiveness and realistic unsuitable student devours instructor time and ATO financing for training’. resources for no good purpose. Meanwhile Ryanair’s O’Shea returned to the Lufthansa revealed that the training industry has IFCTC this year with a solution to the inadequate observed a dramatic difference between success rates quality of too many CPL/IR+MCC/JOC graduates. for those who do not undergo proper selection and In his job as chair of the ATPG he worked with the those who pass extensive psychological testing for training industry, EASA and the airlines to identify selection. Among the un-tested candidates, only 40% what was missing in those who had a licence but make seamless progress through training, 30% need were not good enough, either at selection, or who got additional training and 30% fail terminally. Among selected but then failed the airline type rating course. those who pass the selection process, 96% make The answer is the Airline Pilot Standard MCC normal progress through to graduation; 1% need (APS MCC). O’Shea describes it as an enhanced additional training and 3% face training termination. MCC/JOC which takes in EASA’s KSA philosophy, So, selection equals massively improved efficiency. and consolidates knowledge, skills and understanding Capt Philip Adrian, formerly of Boeing and now through scenario-based instruction. It adds about CEO of Multi-Pilot Simulations (MPS), told the 20hr to the training pilots get but, says O’Shea, a conference that modern simulation resources are not successful APS graduate is more or less guaranteed being exploited to maximum advantage in the pilot to pass Ryanair’s 737 type rating and become a training process. This, he says, is primarily because quality line pilot. of unimaginative regulatory limitations on the training Capt Anna Kjaer Thorsøe, operations manager credits that could justifiably be gained by using them. at Denmark’s Center Air Pilot Academy – famous for He believes agencies like EASA and national aviation having produced the world’s first MPL graduates ten authorities need to carry out a root-and-branch review years ago – defined the choices airlines face when of the extensive capabilities of the latest fixed-base they opt for MPL or for CPL/IR plus APS MCC: FNPT IIs and what they can do for pilots, because ‘Both produce professional pilots. MPL produces they have the potential to make the total training airline pilots and requires high involvement from
Qantas process more efficient and effective. The insistence airlines, but there is no de-learning on joining the on much of the training being carried out in full- airline. APS MCC is less cumbersome for airlines motion full flight simulators that can cost five to ten to step on board. It also involves a reduced pilot times the price of a good FNPT II is unreasonable assessment workload for the airlines, and more real and unrealistic, he says. Ryanair’s O’Shea agrees time flight hours in a live IFR environment.’ Because with him, and his airline operates several MPS- of the lesser airline involvement, there may be some supplied advanced FNPT IIs for additional training de-learning/re-learning of SOPs. consolidation and testing, which he says has proved O’Shea says that there is still a long way to go. highly beneficial in raising standards. Since the IFCTC the ATPG has met the European Lufthansa’s Capt Stefan-Stilo Schmidt addressed Commission, presenting it with a long list of proposals the issue of ‘Finding the Right Stuff’ at a time when that need to be met if the EU is serious about having the need to attract far more young people into an efficient future airline industry that can continue to the profession will be necessary. First, he said, a meet demand. Just one of the proposals is the need pilot career needs to be more attractive and more to update, simplify and streamline FCL regulation.
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Beyond Soyuz
EUGENE GERDEN looks at how Russia is working on a design for a new spacecraft to replace the iconic Soyuz which has successfully operated for the past 50 years. NASA CREW TRANSPORT VEHICLE EVOLUTION: FROM SOYUZ TMA TO CLIPPER
SOYUZ TMA CREW TRANSPORT VEHICLE
CLIPPER CREW SPACE VEHICLE During the early years of the 21st century RKK Energia had been working on a brand-new vehicle called Kliper, essentially a wingless orbiter, which could carry up to six people and send up to 700kg from orbit. RKK Enegria
ntil October this year, the use of rates of these works. According to initial state Russian Soyuz spacecraft launched plans, all of them should have been completed as from Baikonur in Khazakhstan to far back as 2016. However, for certain reasons, the ferry astronauts to and from the plans were delayed until the present time. International Space Station (ISS) Uhad become reliable and routine. However, on LONG BEFORE A new spacecraft 11 October, the safety of the veteran design THE RECENT was called into question when two astronauts SOYUZ The development of this new spacecraft has been were forced to abort a launch and conduct an underway in Russia for the past nine years. In 2009 emergency ballistic return and parachute landing ACCIDENT, Roscosmos announced a tender for the development back to Earth after the failure of a Soyuz booster RUSSIA HAS of a new generation of spacecraft which was later rocket. Fortunately, both astronauts survived the BEEN WORKING won by Energia, one of Russia’s leading rocket and accident. NASA in the US and Russian space ON PLANS TO space corporations. However, due to a series of agency Roscosmos have pledged a thorough economic crises in Russia, the actual implementation investigation into the incident. DEVELOP A of the project only resumed after 2015. Since the retirement of the US Space Shuttle REPLACEMENT Dmitry Rogozin says: “The design of the new in 2011, Russia’s Soyuz spaceships have been SPACECRAFT spacecraft is very important for Russia because it is considered as the only affordable mean of the WHICH CAN not just a three-seater but a four-seater spaceship, delivery of astronauts and cargo to the ISS (China’s which can provide serious competitive advantages in Shenzhou spaceship does not participate in the PICK UP THE the global spacecraft market.” ISS programme). TORCH FROM The first tests of the Federation are scheduled at Long before the recent Soyuz accident, SOYUZ Baikonur Cosmodrome during the next 5-6 months, Russia has been working on plans to develop a after which they will continue at the Vostochny replacement spacecraft which can pick up the Cosmodrome. The first flight of the Federation is torch from Soyuz. According to experts from scheduled for 2020-2021. the Russian State Corporation Roscosmos, the As for the launch vehicle for the new spaceship, new spaceship, known as Federation, is being the Russian Government is considering several considered as a potential replacement. options. There is a possibility that Federation will use the Angara-A5P rocket. Another option involves the Federation Comparison use of a super-heavy rocket, the design of which is currently ongoing by Roscosmos and Russia’s leading According to Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos between aerospace design bureaus. (and a former Deputy Prime-Minister, responsible Federation (far Three years ago Roscosmos was involved in the for the development of space and aviation in the right) and other design of a completely new booster for Federation. At Russian government), Federation is being designed human-rated that time, the planned booster was known as Rus-M. by the Russian space corporation RSC Energia However, due to financial issues and the similarity to and will be used to deliver people and cargo to spacecraft. the Angara rocket, the project was cancelled. near-earth orbit, as well as to the Moon. Roscosmos and Energia say that Federation will This is actually the second attempt of RSC be a unique spacecraft, as some of the technologies Energia to design a new spacecraft. Ten years ago the corporation was involved in the design of Kliper, an innovative spaceship, in terms of its design, which was supposed to land with the help of wings and a parachute system. However, the project was suspended. In the case of Federation, the new 6.1m long spacecraft is designed for the crew of four people and 500kg of cargo. Total mass of the ship during flight to the orbital station is 14.4t (as well as 19t when flying to the Moon). The mass of the returning device is 9t. The new spacecraft will be able to stay in the mode of an autonomous flight for the period up to 30 days and up to a year docked with the ISS, an advance over the 200 days limit on the Soyuz capsule. It will be mainly used for long-distance missions. Rogozin notes that, although the design of the new spacecraft is almost completed, the Russian Government is unhappy with the implementation Ciudad Futura
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used in its design, have no parallels in the world of developers) have already been successfully cosmonautics. completed. According to a spokesman of the Russian Mikhailov says: “There are no such satellite Zhukovsky Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, one systems in the world for spacecraft which are capable of Russia’s leading research institutions in the field of solving navigation problems with such high of aero hydrodynamics (which also participates in the accuracy as GLONASS.” He also added the system is project), the ship’s return vehicle will be partially built capable of automatically determining the parametres using composite materials, which are produced on of the orbit of the ship (up to 5m, regardless of its the basis of special technologies designed in Russia. orientation) its orientation and convergence with the The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute says that ISS. Mikhailov adds: “Four antennae ensure a good this means that Federation will be the world’s first orientation of the ship, allowing receiving signals from spacecraft built from composite materials, instead 20 to 24 navigational satellites.” of metal. Rhe use of these materials will significantly reduce the final mass of the ship. Smoother landings This advantage was emphasised by Mark Serov, an astronaut-test engineer of RSC Energia, who said Experts from Roscosmos and Energia also described the use of these composite technologies helps to other distinctive features of Federation. According to construct space cabin housings of high quality. them, these include a three-compartment parachute According to Serov, the pressurised portion of system with shock-absorbing seats with a universal Federation’s returning ship will be 9m3, which provides liner. In addition, the new spacecraft will be equipped enough space for the crew of four people during with a solid-fuelled descent propulsion system, with flights to the Moon. a thrust control capable of arresting both vertical and
RSC Energia RSC forward speed. Roscosmos point out that when Soyuz is landing, soft-landing engines are turned on only a couple of seconds before touching down, just softening the impact. However, on Federation, they will operate at an altitude of more than 50 metres above the ground, and, together with parachutes, will provide a smooth braking of the ship. Overall, the Federation’s landing system is capable of providing landing of the returning device in a given area with an error of no more than 7km. On the ground, the ship will stand on three legs, which will hold it upright even under strong winds, whereas Soyuz ships in such circumstances often slip aside. Federation will also have better manoeuverability to avoid space debris.
Reuse, recycle, reuse
Nikolay Bryukhanov, chief designer of the department of manned space complexes of RSC Energia, said one of the most important advantages of the new ship An artist’s impression of Serov explained: “In this portion of the ship, the is the combination of a reusable returnable module the Federation capsule. crew can work and rest for a long time, since the (VA) with a one-time engine compartment (DO). flight time to the Moon takes about seven days.” Bryukhanov comments: “When performing near- He also pointed out that the pressurised portion of a Earth flights with the duration up to a year, as well as Soyuz ship is only about 2.5m3. flights to the Moon, designed for 30 days and more, At the same time, in addition to composite the VA can be used up to ten times. For long flights materials, the new ship will be incorporate a metal on circular orbits, it can be used just three times. frame, while different modifications will depend on its This is due to the long unfavourable effects of the use in either low-orbit or deep space. factors of the outer space, particularly radiation on As for in-orbital rendezvous, according to the spaceship.” Roscosmos, Federation will ultilise new docking unit, In the meantime, despite the advantages offered compared to Soyuz, built of titanium alloys. by Federation, some leading Russian and foreign Docking of Federation with the ISS and transport experts in the field of aerospace believe that the new ships will be based on the signals from the Russian spacecraft may face serious difficulties in finding its GLONASS system. The tests of the latter, according niche in the global market of commercial spacecraft, to Mikhail Mikhailov, (one of the GLONASS due to ever increasing competition.
28 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Federation of Cosmonautics of Russia Federation of Cosmonautics
future. It will ensure the delivery of crews both to LEO orbital stations and to piloted objects in lunar space, including, for example, a take-off and landing complex on the Moon and a future platform near the L2 Lagrangian point, at 61,500km from the Moon. According to Briukhanov, the maximum length of the autonomous flight of the Federation with a crew of four people will be 14 days and, with a crew of two people, possibly up to 30. Given that operation of Federation can be also carried out by one pilot, the new Russian spacecraft could be used for the flights of space tourists, although this will not be its main area of application. The same view is shared by other leading experts in the field of aerospace. Senior engineer of Energia, Stanislav Yurchenko, comments: “In the case of Orion, A mock-up of the interior of This is due to the planned launch of several much of its development was taken from the Apollo the Federation capsule. new US manned spacecraft designs that may take programme. In general, Orion is the same spacecraft place during 2018-2019. Among these are Orion as Apollo, only enlarged in size, being equipped (Lockheed Martin), Crew Dragon (SpaceX), CST-100 with more modern technologies. In terms of piloting (Boeing) and the mini shuttle Dream Chaser (Sierra Federation, it is better than Orion, due to the its ability Nevada). of being handled by only one pilot.” Each of these spacecraft have advantages that Yurchenko has also added the main objective can ensure a high demand for their use. Despite this, of Soyuz is the delivery of cosmonauts to the ISS. experts fom Roscosmos hope that Federation will However, for the flights to the Moon and, for landing be competitive in the international arena. According cosmonauts there (which is scheduled for 2029- to them, the main advantage of Federation is its 2030), Soyuz in its current modification will be universality and the ability to solve a much wider insufficient. It is for these purposes, that Federation is range of practical tasks, which is not the case with being built. the new US spacecraft. The volume of investments in the project is Nikolay Bryukhanov says the American estimated at RUB 67bn (US$1bn), the majority developers have chosen to design several specialised of which will be provided from the Russian federal ships, commenting: “CST-100 and Dragon are budget. intended only for maintenance of orbital stations in a low Earth-orbit and Orion for flights to the Moon and, Countdown to first flight possibly, near-Earth asteroids. In contrast, Federation will be capable of completing any of these missions. Currently, experts from RSC Energia are conducting Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft docked to the It will carry out flights to near-Earth orbit, and beyond experiments, to evaluate the man-machine interface Rassvet or Mini-Research its borders. The ship should become one of the key of Federation. In addition, they plan to investigate Module 1 (MRM-1). elements of the Russian space infrastructure in the the hypersonic flight modes of the Federation. The
NASA latter tests will be conducted in the hypersonic aerodynamic tube of the Russian Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics. The data obtained will allow developers to design the means of thermal protection of the returning device. According to Dmitry Rogozin, the development of Federation is personally controlled by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, making it one of the highest priority aerospace projects for Moscow, along with the building of a new super-heavy booster. In the case of a super-heavy booster, according to earlier statements of the former head of Roskosmos, Igor Komarov, total volume of investments in its development are estimated at $10bn, with the cost of one launch at $1bn. Part of this sum will be allocated for the preparation of relevant infrastructure for the new booster at Vostochny Cosmodrome. The first launch is scheduled for 2023-2024.
RAeS Lecture: Arianespace: Responding to the challenges of the changing launch vehicle market, London,15 November.
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A no-deal Brexit – the aviation and space implications
As the clock ticks down to March 2019, Professor KEITH HAYWARD FRAeS analyses the impact of a no-deal Brexit as the UK Government releases position papers on the likely effect on aerospace, aviation and space. he British Government has published Research several additional position papers The British Government intends that UK outlining the likely effects of the UK researchers and businesses would be able to apply leaving the EU in March 2019 without to and participate in all those Horizon 2020 calls an agreement. While the likelihood of a open to third country participants from the date T‘no deal’ scenario has increased in recent months, of exit, with funding provided via the extended some form of agreement still seems to be a likely guarantee. Looking beyond 2020, the UK remains outcome. There is also a possibility that there will committed to future collaboration in research and be an extended ‘transition’ period after 30 March innovation and wants to work with the EU on a when more detailed arrangements may be settled. mutually beneficial outcome. At the same time, However, the EU is reported to have begun the Government is signalling a commitment to the planning an emergency sequence of legislative future through a goal to increase UK research and action for April, which might include aviation development spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. safety and security issues. Large UK-located The Government is also working in partnership manufacturing companies are also beginning with UK Research and Innovation to develop a new to anticipate breaks or delays in supply chain International Research and Innovation Strategy. operations. The Strategy will further set out Whitehall’s desire The papers cover a range of industry areas, to build on the UK’s long tradition of international including research, space and aviation. collaborations in research.
30 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Space EU has negotiated individual ASAs, replacement arrangements will be in place before exit day. Galileo While the expectation is that UK participation in Licensing and ownership European Space Agency (ESA) programmes will be An operating licence is required before an airline can largely unaffected by Brexit, British companies will undertake commercial services. It provides the means no longer be able to participate in the development through which the CAA can ensure that airlines of the European Galileo global positioning satellite principally based in the UK are properly managed, and service and are now being blocked out of bidding for comply with key requirements regarding ownership contracts unless they are prepared to transfer work and control, safety, finance and insurance. States have to EU locations. Under EU rules, non-member states traditionally used both their licensing regime and the cannot be involved in the development of Galileo’s provisions of their ASAs to restrict foreign ownership secure public regulated service (PRS), an encrypted of airlines to ensure that the prime beneficiaries navigation system for government users. Proposals of an ASA are nationals of the parties to that ASA. have been made for the UK to develop its own EU airlines must be majority owned and effectively independent system but this could cost more than controlled by EU nationals to qualify for an operating £3bn. A feasibility study does not appear to include licence. the costs of maintaining an operational infrastructure, UK operating licences issued before exit would which could cost over £500m a year. remain in place and valid as a result of the EU Withdrawal Act. Following EU exit, the UK would not Copernicus impose nationality restrictions on the conditions for While the UK would still get free data from the an operating licence. However, UK airlines would also European Earth-monitoring Copernicus programme, need to consider whether the nationality and level of it would also no longer be able to participate in the investment of their shareholders is permitted under programme. Access via continued membership of the conditions of the ASAs under which they operate organisation such as EUMETSAT would not be their services. affected. Other UK users could lose the right to high-bandwidth access to the standard data from Air traffic management Copernicus Sentinels. There would be no disruption to the UK’s provision of air navigation services as a result of leaving the Space Surveillance and Tracking programme EU without a deal. EUROCONTROL is independent The UK would not be eligible to participate in the EU of EU membership and the UK would also remain Space Surveillance and Tracking programme, although a full member of EUROCONTROL. The UK’s air it would continue to receive space, surveillance and navigation service provider (NATS) will continue to tracking data from the US. UK organisations would provide services to aircraft operating in the airspace not therefore be able to contribute to providing in which NATS is licensed to operate. The UK will services to the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking, not remain part of the Single European Sky (SES) to participate in the scientific and technical groups to initiative but would seek with EU members increased develop the programme further or be able to receive Several efficiency and effectiveness of European air traffic grant funding to pay for UK involvement. organisations management. may have to Commercial aerospace Aviation safety reconsider their The UK is planning to recognise EASA licences and Flights to and from the UK relationship with certificates, in assumption of reciprocal recognition. If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no the UK after The functions currently performed by EASA in relation agreement in place, UK and EU-licensed airlines Brexit. would ‘lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission. This would mean that airlines operating between the UK and the EU would need to seek individual permissions to operate’. EU-registered airlines will require licensing authority from the UK CAA, and likewise UK registered airlines authority from EASA. In the case of air service agreements (ASAs) with non-EU states, for airlines from one of the 111 countries with whom the UK has a bilateral ASA, including China, India and Brazil, there will The UK is banking on be no change. For airlines from one of the 17 reciprocal recognition in non-EU countries including the US, where the many areas.
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 31 AEROSPACE Brexit implications Crown Copyright/www.gov.uk AIRCREW REGULATIONS UK on the recognition of engineer licences. Engineers with licences issued by the CAA should be aware Certificate Type Validity of Validity of Validity of certificates issued under that the European Commission has stated that those certificates certificates the EASA system for use on UK issued by issued by registered aircraft licences would no longer be valid in the EASA system the CAA for the CAA after exit day”. Cabin crew may be similarly affected. use on UK for use registered on EU Aircraft design and production aircraft registered aircraft After 29 March 2019, the CAA would take on the Special approvals in lieu of Ye s No No functions and tasks of the state of design for products ratings for new aircraft types where the certificate holder is UK based, including (FCL.700) type-certificates, environmental certificates and Flight crew licences Ye s No Existing licences will remain for 2 years (+associated ratings) (ARA. after EU exit provided that they remain certificates for existing and new products, parts and FCL.200(a)) valid in the EASA system. Licences equipment. While in the UK, certificates and approvals will need a validation from the CAA for operations outside of the UK associated with aircraft production issued by an EASA competent authority and in force before exit Instructor and examiner ratings Ye s No Existing rating will remain for 2 years (ARA.FCL.200(b)) after EU exit provided that they remain day would continue to be valid, the EU has stated that valid in the EASAsystem certificates issued by the CAA, or by organisations Cabin crew attestations (ARA. Ye s No Existing attestations will remain for 2 approved by the CAA, before exit day would no longer CC.100(b)) years after EU exit provided that they remain valid in the EASA system be automatically accepted in the EASA system. This would mean that parts manufactured and certified Approval of organisations Ye s No Existing approvals will remain for 2 years providing Cabin Crew training after EU exit provided that they remain by organisations approved by the CAA could not be or issuing attestations (ARA. valid in the EASA system installed on EU-registered aircraft. CC.200) FSTD (Flight Simulation Ye s No Existing certificates will remain for 2 Maintenance Training Device) qualification years after EU exit provided that they certificate (ARA.FSTD.110) remain valid in the EASA system For a period of up to two years, UK-registered AME (Aeromedical Examiner) Ye s No Existing certificates will remain for 2 aircraft could still be maintained by organisations certificates (ARA.MED.200) years after EU exit provided that they and engineers with certificates issued by an EASA remain valid in the EASA system competent authority. However, the EU has stated that AeMC (Aeromedical Centre) Ye s No Existing certificates will remain for 2 certificates (ORA.AeMC.135) years after EU exit provided that they maintenance organisations approved by the CAA (also cover ATCO AeMCs remain valid in the EASA system could not perform maintenance on EU-registered mutatis mutandis) aircraft. The affected organisations could be approved ATO (Approved Training Ye s No Existing certificates will remain for 2 Organisations) certificates years after EU exit provided that they as third country maintenance organisations by EASA. (ORA.ATO.105) remain valid in the EASA system https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aviation-safety-if-theres-no-brexit-deal Passengers There will be no difference in the passenger screening experience within the UK but, if there is no to approvals for UK designed aeronautical products deal, UK originating passengers transiting through an and approvals for third country organisations would EU airport may have face baggage rescreening and be conferred on the CAA. However, if there is no deal, consequential delays. the automatic mutual recognition of aviation safety certificates would cease to apply to the UK with Cargo the European Commission saying that certificates There could also be significant implications for the previously issued by the CAA before exit day would no EU air cargo industry, their supply chains, and the longer be automatically accepted. THIS ASSUMES consumers of the products to be shipped. The UK is GOOD hoping that its recognition of EU security standards Individual licensing WILL AND A will be reciprocated in turn by the EU to recognise the Brexit could also affect any individual requiring a UK’s existing higher security standards. In the case of personal licence, pilot, engineer, cabin crew, air traffic PRAGMATIC cargo shipped from the rest of the world into the EU, controllers etc. The effects of leaving the EU without APPROACH TO the EU has set out that all security designations of a deal are outlined in the Paper, and those with a FUNCTIONAL carriers from third countries previously granted by the specific interest these issues are strongly advised AREAS OF THE UK will be treated as expiring on the UK’s exit from to go directly to the UK Government web site on the EU. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ RELATIONSHIP aviation-safety-if-theres-no-brexit-deal BETWEEN No change The effects could vary according to specific THE EU AND Certain areas of commercial aviation will be licences. The CAA will assume the responsibility for THE UK. SUCH unaffected by Brexit, including the current rules for issuing licences progressively after March 2019. But the allocation of slots at UK airports and passenger in some cases, the EU as indicated that it will not ASSUMPTIONS rights for air passengers on a flight departing the recognise some licences; in particular “the EU has CANNOT BE UK. Existing regulations and procedures on aviation indicated that it would take a different approach to the GUARANTEED security will still be retained in British domestic law.
32 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 ESA
. Military issues The Rt Hon Theresa address this issue – this is the British Government’s There is also uncertainty over the exact nature of post- May, Prime Minister of oft-stated view – and that details could be sorted the United Kingdom, Brexit relations on military and security programmes visits the joint UK Space out in the transition period by 2021. However, this that would have a direct impact on the UK aerospace Agency, UK industry, assumes good will and a pragmatic approach to sector. Again the political mood music in London and ESA exhibition area at the functional areas of the relationship between the to some extent in Brussels is that there should be a 2018 Farnborough Air EU and the UK. Such assumptions cannot be ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the EU in Show accompanied by guaranteed, especially given the complexity of the the security domain. Nothing however, is certain. ESA Director General Jan issues involved. Wörner, ESA astronaut Tim The inherent complexity of the issues raised by Peake and Chief Executive What happens next? of the UK Space Agency 40 years of engagement on aviation and aerospace Dr Graham Turnock, 16 questions explains why this article has referred The underlying sentiment in these papers is that it July 2018. readers where necessary directly to the relevant is in the EU’s interest as much as the UK’s either to website and has quoted extensively the exact adopt a seamless and uncontested transfer from the wording. It also underlines the uncertainty facing status quo to the post-Brexit environment. There is a regulatory-dependent industry presented the also an assumption that there will be a timely and prospect of a sudden and comprehensive change in adequate domestic organisational response to the its fundamental operational environment. post-Brexit situation. Neither of these assumptions My personal judgement is that the Government’s can be guaranteed. optimism that there will be a non-disruptive Equally, it is evident that the areas covered by Brexit agreement that satisfies all of the complex these papers, especially aviation safety, relate to requirements of aviation operations is misplaced. detailed regulatory functions determined by precise It is possible that some of these issues will be legal provisions, where the effects of a ‘no deal’ resolved, especially over time and if the two-year scenario are difficult to predict. As matters stand, transition period is implemented. This, of course, the involvement of UK-based manufacturers in an depends on mutually agreed terms for the 30 March EU supply chain would be seriously affected by deadline. This, in turn, hinges on whether in the final the absence of mutually recognised licencing and analysis that the EU27 really do fear the negative registration. It would seem inconceivable that the EU consequences of a ‘no deal’ Brexit sufficiently to would refuse to negotiate arrangements that would compromise on key aviation-related issues.
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 33 DEFENCE Armistice centenary RAeS/NAL
Reporting the war to end all wars
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 on 11 November 1918. BILL READ FRAeS looks at how the contemporary aviation press reported the event and how they viewed the role of air power in the future.
t 11am on 11 November 1918, the squadrons in 1914 had risen by the end of October It would not be long before Armistice was declared heralding 1918 to 198 – only 85 of which were on the the twin-engine Vickers the end of the Great War. As far as Western Front. Vimy bomber was to find a new role as a long-distance popular opinion was concerned, the transport when in June newly formed Royal Air Force had Praise for the RAF 1919 a modified version acquittedA itself well. The final months of the war, became the first aircraft when the allies were again on the offensive against As a celebration of the end of hostilities, the to fly non-stop across the Germany, the RAF had retained control of the air Editor of The Piloteer compiled a special Air Force Atlantic from Canada to and its aircraft were being used in a variety of air/ Annual which was published in early 1919 with the Ireland piloted by Capt John Alcock and Lt Arthur Air Pie land support missions from aerial observation of appetising title of ‘ ’. While mostly light hearted in Whitten Brown. German forces to ground attack and strategic content, the publication included messages from the bombing raids. great and the good commentating on the present and By the end of the war, the RAF was huge. future of the RAF. In April 1919 the British Air Ministry published Former Secretary of State for the RAF, Lord a Synopsis of British Air Effort During the War Rothermere praised the work of the RAF in the which stated that at the end of October 1918, the recent war: ‘The part played by the Royal Air Force in RAF had 291,748 personnel, comprising 27,906 the war has been of superlative value. Not only has it officers and 263,842 other ranks. The total number been a most valuable arm of the fighting forces but of aircraft had risen from 272 in August 1914 has in itself constituted the eyes and investigation to 22,171 in October 1918 while the initial five department of the Army and Navy.”
34 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Air Ministry figures from July 1916 to Form-filling 11 November 1918 (across all fronts) While the level of detail given in official figures for totals of: into such figures as how many rounds were Enemy aircraft brought down 7,908, fired by the RAF is impressive, the admin and paperwork required to compile such Our machines missing 2,810 figures was not popular at the time. The role of Bombs Dropped (tons) 7,945 government in regulating the aviation industry Hours flown 1,016,346 was a subject of debate in the 1918 aviation Rounds fired at ground targets 11,858,137 press with few in favour of it. Administration Photographs taken 5,011,116 and form-filling came in for particular Enemy balloons brought down 258 criticism. An issue of The Aeroplane published in 1918 was particularly critical: ‘Every day Air Ministry figures for the total number of squadrons in service in Britain brings some silly peddling order from some and overseas in October 1918 included ‘one third’ of a squadron in Russia. official quarter, they (manufacturers) are no The RAF had dispatched some aircraft to Murmansk in the summer of 1918 longer masters in their own establishments to prevent the base from being taken over by Germany to use as a U-boat and if the superior young gentlemen of the base. These aircraft were later reinforced and use to support White Russian Ministry know more about it than practised forces in an abortive attempt to defeat the Communist Red Army. tradesmen let them go ahead.’
RAeS/NAL work at the Front and to whom we owe everything.” A V Roe: “The fine traditions established by Raleigh, Nelson and Wellington have been more than maintained by the bravery, chivalry and sacrifice of the Empire’s Flying Services in the Great War.” T O M Sopwith: “Words are inadequate to express my intense admiration for the work that has been done
RAeS/NAL by this truly wonderful force.” Claude Grahame-White: “The arduous work of the RAF during the past four and a half years and the enormous progress which has been made, are beyond all praise.”
The Eagle is grounded
However, amid the celebrations, thoughts were also turning as to what was going to happen next, now that the world was no longer at war. The December Editorial in The Wing summarised the mood of the nation in avian terms: ‘The Eagle, that proud bird has MP W Joynson Hicks, Chairman of the Above left: Air Pie, and folded his wings. He has ceased to whet his beak. Parliamentary Air Committee, agreed: “The Royal Air from it, An Airman and his He no longer sharpens his talons. The Dove of Peace Force has been the greatest thing in the war … the sweetheart on the Moon cartoon. has taken to the air. Owing to her long spell of ground war had it lasted much longer, would have been won duty, her flight is erratic. She appears to be not fully entirely in the air and I am just as certain that the next under control. But with each beat of her wings she is war will be almost entirely fought in the air.” growing stronger. The Eagle’s entire being has been Brig Gen Lord Montagu of Beaulieu commented given to war, to destruction, to death. What place has that: “There is hardly any function … which cannot he in the scheme of things when Peace rules the be in a sense be performed by the RAF, whether Below: The Wing. world? The Eagle gives himself furiously to think.’ it be bombing, the use of the machine gun, RAeS/NAL The answer was, of course, that the RAF would reconnaissance, actual fighting and the guarding of have to be slimmed down to peacetime numbers. warships and troopships from submarines. In future Although the process of demobilisation had not yet the RAF is the one existing force which cannot be begun, the December issue of The Wing featured an seriously reduced without serious risk.” article on the kind of civilian jobs that would shortly There were also testimonials from some of the be available to RAF servicemen. ‘When general famous names in aircraft manufacturing: demobilisation begins, priority of release will be given F Handley Page: “Anything I could say for publication to officers and men who have definite employment in your Magazine would be of little value compared awaiting them.’ It then goes on to explain how a with the remarks of those who have really done the limited number of ‘Pivotal Men’ may be released in
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Right: Swords into advance of general mobilisation ‘whose early release RAeS/NAL ploughshares. New roles will be of immediate national value – for purposes now had to be found for of reconstruction.’ The list of approved jobs for such aircraft in peacetime – such as propellers for hall men included agriculture, buildings, coal mines, food, stands. docks and wharves, railways, shipbuilding, food, bricks, boot and shoe manufacture, paper making and paints. Recommended non-manufacturing jobs for ex-RAF personnel included engineers, surveyors, architects, accountants and solicitors.
What need for a Third Force?
Questions were being asked about the whole future of the RAF and the role of air power in the future. Over the five years of the war, military aircraft had developed from frail machines used for observation to formidable weapons capable of engaging targets in the air, ground and sea, bombing cities, attacking ships and engaging armies. The question was – how much of this power should be retained now that the Great War was over? Below: Air Pie illustration – Was all the expertise built up during the war to be The Dog Fight. abandoned?
RAeS/NAL The Editor of The Aeroplane was not optimistic about the future, In an Editorial entitled ‘Heavy Gloom’, he stated: “Lots of those who are Service people seem to think that, whatever happens in the way of disarmament, we in this country will maintain an enormous Air Force on the theory that the Command of the Air is of more importance to the future welfare of the British nation than is the command of the sea. Of course, that is exactly as it should be from the point of view of any flying enthusiast but it is probably not a bit like what will probably happen. He then goes on to make his own suggestions for civilian careers for RAF personnel. “We can make up our minds that only about 10% of the personnel of the Royal Air Force will be able to find employment in the Royal Air Force after demobilisation is completed. When it comes to selecting who will remain in the Force, probably all the clever, keen people will go into civilian employment of some kind. Officer pilots will become drivers of racing motor cars, or motor salesmen, NCO pilots will probably take to driving motor ‘buses or steam rollers; first-class air mechanics will probably take to making sewing machines or sharpening razors in a barber’s shop, skilled technical officers will be looking for jobs in tin- can factories; aircraft riggers will be lucky if they get jobs twisting hay ropes for farmers.” His fears were justified. After the conclusion of the war, most RAF squadrons were rapidly run down and demobilised. Thousands of aircraft were disposed of and many aircraft manufacturers faced closure due to lack of orders (Sopwith Aviation went into liquidation in 1920). There was even talk of disbanding the RAF and returning its forces to the
36 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Fears for the future Women in the Great War One aspect of life which was changed by the war was the greater Not everyone was convinced that post war participation of women in what, up to 1914, had been considered disarmament was a good idea. In 1919 The ‘male-only occupation’. In November 1918, there were around 25,000 Aeroplane published a booklet entitled The Aerial Arm women serving in the Women’s Royal Air Force which was formed at – its Function and Development. The book included the same time as the RAF on 1 April 1918 from volunteers who had an introduction by Major General Sir Sefton Brancker served with the Women’s Royal Naval Air Service and the Women’s (who became President of the RAeS in 1926-27 and Auxiliary Army Corps. later perished in the R101 airship disaster in 1930). In his Introduction, Brancker was not optimistic about The Christmas 1918 edition of The Wing included a poem on the subject. the permanence of peace with Germany: “The terms From using strong language the PO’s all shrink, of peace are before us, and they certainly appear to And none of the Chiefs pop out for a drink, offer infinite possibilities of trouble in the future. The The effort it costs them, you really can’t think, restrictions on the development of Germany’s aerial Because we have WRENS in the Office. strength appear drastic on paper but count for little in The same edition of The Wing also included a column on the work of the practice; indeed, they are likely to act as a stimulant WRENS in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) at Felixstowe, the to ingenuity and national organisation once the content of which now sounds uncomfortably patronising. country has returned to normal conditions.” No tribute has yet been paid in these columns to the work performed on the A commercial future? Station by our demure little friend, the Wrens. Looking beyond the military applications of This is then followed by some advice on what not to do on parade aviation, Brancker also comments on the potential which shows a similar lack of inclusiveness: of international business for maintaining the Don’t powder your nose or show your curls. This will only lead to unpleasant development of aviation. “The new aerial arm will remarks when you are inspected. be a leading factor of this power and a flourishing Don’t blow you nose or tidy your hair while you are standing to attention. aerial commerce will assuredly be the best and most economical means of maintaining during peace the Don’t cry, this is not done amongst the best people in the Navy. strength requisite for national emergency.” And most alarmingly of all: Other commentators were also looking at the Don’t be distracted by any noise you may hear behind you. It is only the commercial potential of aviation, now that the War had hard-worked officers enjoying a little relaxation. accelerated its development. An article in The Aeroplane
RAeS/NAL observed that: ‘In all previous revolutions in transport there has been a period of preparation, of gradual evolution during which surrounding circumstances have accommodated themselves little by little to the new factor without sudden change. It is a unique feature of the position in regard to air transport as a result of the war and the forced pace at which development of aircraft has proceed under the spur of stern necessity and with limited capital backing that with the return of peace the lineal successor to the railway, the bicycle and the car will come upon as full grown.’ ‘There are already abundant indications that with any return in a normal economic regime both the prime and running costs of aircraft will very rapidly be brought within limits calculated to give transport by air in the ordinary way of commerce a sufficient measure of advantage to warrant its adoption.’ The author then goes on to suggest some measures which would need to be taken to create regular lines of commercial aircraft operating between fixed points – some of which have come more true control of the Army and the Royal Navy. However, than others. These included the establishment of a in January 1919, Winston Churchill was appointed Customs sub-centre at every regular point of arrival as Secretary of State for War and Air who invited and departure, airliners to disclose a special signal Sir Hugh Trenchard to return to his former job as of entry disclosing their identity on passing over Chief of the Air Staff. He also began deploying RAF frontiers, and the use of small airships to force aircraft squadrons to British colonies overseas to act as ‘aerial to land at airports to have cargoes checked. policemen’ We’re still waiting for the airships …
RAeS Conference: The Future of UK Air Power – The Maritime Dimension, London, 19 November.
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 37 AEROSPACE Industrial supply chain
Parting company
Pattonair is one of the leading suppliers of aerospace parts to both manufacturers and MRO companies around the world. BILL READ FRAeS reports from Derby on how the company is using technology and innovation to streamline the parts supply chain. hile the supply of parts may This is where Pattonair comes in. Pattonair’s not sound like the most speciality is in the procurement of ‘C’ class glamorous aspect of the consumable and expendable aerospace products, aerospace industry, it is a vital which include such items as fasteners, seals, clamps, one. Aircraft and engine original fabrications, bearings, sealing fasteners, ducting, equipmentW manufacturers (OEMs) rely on having the filters, brackets, hinges, springs and electrical correct parts at the right time in order to function. components needed to assemble or repair a larger Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies aerospace product. These items are then supplied to also need to have components ready to hand to get both commercial aerospace and defence companies, aircraft back into service as quickly as possible. including aero-engine and aircraft manufacturers. The supply of parts is a complex business, requiring the participation of many players from From Weybridge to the world components manufacturers through to the customers who use them. The parts need to be Headquartered at Longbridge Lane in Derby, ordered, manufactured, shipped, stored, documented Pattonair can trace its origins back to 1970 when it and used – all with the minimum of delay and costs. was founded by Duncan Patton in Weybridge selling While components procurement can be handled ‘O’ rings to the aerospace industry. The company is in-house by an OEM, it is often more commercially now one of the world’s largest procurers of aerospace worthwhile to outsource this part of the business and defence products with dedicated facilities around to a third-party company which is specialised in the the world to provide global coverage. The company business. now has around 1,000 employees operating in
38 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 37 locations around the world supplying 2,000 “The DFL service can be tailored down to what customers with around 100,000,000 piece-parts. products you want, how you want them presented, Pattonair’s business is to act as a go-between where you want it placed and how often you need between global components suppliers chains and it replenished,” explains Hollinshead. “We will individual local customers. “Our aim is to remove come on site to complete RF scanning for product complexity from another company’s supply chain, YOU GET maintenance and audit your container of parts every allowing them to focus on their business strategy, core FASTER, MORE week. By doing this, we can see how much is being activities and reducing costs,” explains Pattonair CEO EFFICIENT AND used ensure parts are topped up and replenished at Wayne Hollinshead. “You get faster, more efficient and all times.” more cost-effective aerospace product distribution MORE COST- from an industry leader in aerospace and defence EFFECTIVE Agile Vend supply chain management. We hold stock globally to AEROSPACE meet your needs and we have the capability to support PRODUCT One example of an agile solution is the Agile Vend your business locally wherever you are.” cabinet – a large metal container fitted with drawers Many of Pattonair’s locations are close to leading DISTRIBUTION each of which can hold a multitude of individual parts. aerospace companies and specialise in supplying FROM AN The drawers come in a variety of configurations components to that company. For example, the INDUSTRY and can also be used to store multiple use parts or Pattonair warehouse in Derby caters mostly to the LEADER IN tools. Access to the cabinet can be via a card, code, engine component needs of Rolls-Royce, while the fingerprint or retinal scanner. Multiple use items can company’s site in Rio de Janeiro is co-located with AEROSPACE be returned to the cabinet after use. Safran Helicopter Engines. AND DEFENCE Using the cabinet means that manufacturers or One of Pattonair’s biggest markets is supplying SUPPLY CHAIN MRO companies can speed up tasks by having easy components to MRO and other aftermarket access to all the parts they need for a particular job, companies. Pattonair holds European Aviation MANAGEMENT instead of having to go to different bins or bags to Safety Authority (EASA) and US Federal Aviation collect them. Items required can be accessed through Administration (FAA) release form delegation a computerised inventory which allows access to the on behalf of approved manufacturers to issue trays. A visual inspection of the trays will instantly documentation which enables full traceability for show where different parts are, whether any are MRO demand requirements. missing and which ones have been used. Because of its size, Pattonair has a Furthermore, the background systems competitive advantage with getting the set up by Pattonair ensures that all the best deals with component suppliers. All necessary documentation needed to the products which Pattonair distributes verify the origin, history and use of the are inspected, are certified and have full parts has already been taken care of. Using traceability. After years of experience, the Industry 4.0 software makes it possible to company is an expert on both procurement provide system allocated inventory at the and distribution and is actively developing new point of use/consumption in under 60 seconds. The ways to improve the supply chain process. Agile Vend is also digitally enabled to record each component used, not only keeping track of them Kitted cabinets but also enabling the autonomous replenishment of components used in multiple tasks. One of Pattonair specialities is in the provision of what it describes as bespoke ‘agile solutions’ direct The Agile line feed (DLF) services to ensure that customers have the products they require located close to the Warehouse, point of use. Agile solutions are available in a variety described of different options, including bins, carousels or by Pattonair storage cabinets. These can be located wherever most convenient on a customer’s site. as a Pattonair also offers ‘kitting services’ in which ‘warehouse the various components (and tools) needed to carry in a box’. out a particular task are not only supplied but also presented in a user-friendly way. The parts can be presented in different configurations, such as Agile Warehouse alphanumeric or operation sequence order. Until they are used, the products are owned by Pattonair, A larger example of a DFL solution is the ‘Agile so that the customer on has to pay for what they Warehouse’ – a large ‘ruggedised’ metal container actually use. Pattonair also ensures that the stock fitted with drawers which can hold over 20,000 is regularly replenished, so that there is no risk of individual parts. Described by Pattonair as a components being unavailable. ‘warehouse in a box’, the Agile Warehouse is
@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 39 AEROSPACE Industrial supply chain
designed to be fully transportable and can be moved part is used. This information can be linked in with by forklift truck and is fitted with an inbuilt restraint customers’ and suppliers’ own IT networks accessed system for cargo handling and air transport, including at different levels to share data about parts as they being loaded or unloaded by the rear crane in an move through the supply chain. Trusted parties can Antonov An124 cargo aircraft. access the database to trace parts while suppliers The interior of the Agile Warehouse can be can upload ASNs to give advance notice of inbound configured in different ways to fit the requirements receipts. of different users. While designed particularly for the By using this system, customers can benefit from needs of MRO companies, the container can also faster part delivery as they do not need to locate, be used for repairs to aircraft on the ground, remote complete and dispatch physical documents. It also location repairs and test cells. enables parts to be tracked and decreases the risk Additional features which can be added include of the counterfeiting of parts once their images are built-in GPS tracking so that the container can be stored on the platform. located anywhere in the world, an onboard inventory management system, batch traceability with a Predicting the future Bluetooth tracking option. The development of its supply chain technology Paperless supply chain has not only enabled Pattonair to speed up the parts delivery process but also to use the big data Another objective being pursued generated to create predictive forecasts of by Pattonair is the creation of the future demand. Pattonair uses an paperless supply chain. When inventory management system parts are delivered, an named Akrivis which advance shipping notice integrates a forecasting (ASN) is dispatched to system, enterprise the customer giving details resource planning (ERP) of the parts that are on their system, machine learning way. The development of digital capability, planning technology has not only enabled ASNs to be send cycle, governance meeting structure, reporting, electronically but for parts to be tracked as they move key performance indicators (KPIs), demand type down the supply chain, creating a historical record of segmentation and customer intelligence. Akrivis now the part from when and where it was made to when produces 177 different forecasts every month, based it was used. Pattonair is using this technology to on 26 statistical algorithms, including 145 quarterly create a cloud-based platform which digitally stores safety stock and stock replenishment projections. parts information and paperwork records. This secure Since the system has been introduced, forecast The interior of Pattonair’s big data repository can monitor the progress of accuracy has risen from 18% to 73%. warehouse in Derby. parts, updating records and quality issues before the “The benefits go beyond just having real time allocation information,” comments Hollinshead. “The data generated can be used to ‘build intelligence’ so
Pattonair that it is possible to use the information for predictive forecasting.
Where next?
Pattonair is continuing to develop and expand its business. At the Farnborough Air Show in July, the company renewed contracts with Safran Helicopter Engines and with UK parts manufacturer McBraida as well as securing a new contract with Parker Aerospace in the US to supply parts for its Fluid Systems Division. In addition to establishing a new office in India to be opened early next year, the company is also expanding its presence in Brazil and reorganising the layout of its Derby facility to increase capacity. “We have expanded our presence in Poland, Japan, India and in a number of new locations in the United States,” says Hollinshead. “We are looking to add more geographic territories in the coming 12 months, as well as planning new developments with our customers.”
40 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Afterburner www.aerosociety.com
Diary 19 November The Future of UK Air Power – The Maritime Dimension Conference
The first trials of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. Lockheed Martin.
42 Message from RAeS 44 Book Reviews 51 General Aviation Group - President Touchdown Safely, Blue Skies, Orange Wings and A report on the annual General Aviation Design The Big Book of X-Fighters and X-Bombers. Competition. “As I write this, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has just published its most 52 Diary extensive warning yet on the risks of rising global 47 Library Additions temperatures and the need to act urgently to Books submitted to the National Aerospace Library. Find out when and where around the world the reduce global emissions of CO2, increase the use latest Society aeronautical and aerospace lectures of renewable sources of energy and increase the and events are happening. percentage of land planted with carbon-absorbing 48 Australian Aviation Safety crops.” Corporate Events Forum 55 - Chief Executive The inaugural Australian Aviation Safety Forum 57 Return of the Comet “As I gradually get my feet under the table, I put the spotlight on three major issues confronting recognise that autumn brings with it a with a busy aviation safety. On 18 September Roger ‘Dodge’ Bailey gave “One calendar of events. For example, for the first time test pilot’s approach to ‘first flight’ in a one-off” to in a decade, the RAeS is hosting the International the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Powered Lift Conference (IPLC 2018) here in the 49 Obituary Weybridge Branch. UK.” Dr Rob Lee.
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 41 Afterburner Message from RAeS OUR PRESIDENT
Rear Admiral Simon Henley As I write this, the Intergovernmental Panel on RAF’s fleet of ageing E-3D Sentry aircraft with the Climate Change has just published its most E-7 Wedgetail is very good news for the Royal Air extensive warning yet on the risks of rising global Force, for Boeing and for the other suppliers who temperatures and the need to act urgently to will be involved in introducing and sustaining the
reduce global emissions of CO2, increase the use new aircraft in the UK. It is right that any nation’s of renewable sources of energy and increase military forces receive the best technology available the percentage of land planted with carbon- and that may mean buying from offshore sources, absorbing crops. It is therefore very appropriate particularly if that drives inward investment into that this year’s Greener by Design Conference in the UK, as we are seeing from companies such November will focus on ‘The Impact of Electric as Boeing and Lockheed Martin. However, there and Hybrid Propulsion in Aviation’. All aspects of is a risk that, over time, the capability of the UK aviation will come under increasing scrutiny in the defence industrial base to provide anything more years ahead to ensure that we as a sector play than touch labour and in-service repair schemes our part in husbanding the globe’s resources. We could be eroded to the point of no longer being have already seen the impact on residual values of sustainable. While UK companies are highly aircraft caused by the rapid introduction of more competitive at sub-system level, reflected in their fuel-efficient aircraft and propulsion systems, and status as suppliers to many global platforms, UK there will be many more disruptive effects which programmes which have national content and have the potential to markedly change business high-value Intellectual Property at Tier 1 design/ models, skills requirements, and the size and shape integration partner level, are notable by their of our sector. As a Learned Society, it is vital that absence in recent awards. If the UK is to retain we contribute to and refresh the body of knowledge freedom of action, then strategic investment AS A LEARNED around new topics such as new materials and through initiatives such as Project Tempest needs SOCIETY, IT IS manufacturing processes, applications of novel to build technology capability which makes UK VITAL THAT WE technologies for thermal management and use of industry a top-tier partner of choice in future big data and artificial intelligence. I therefore want programmes – a level of ambition much higher than CONTRIBUTE TO to challenge our Specialist Groups to examine the a ‘me too’ programme to match ongoing projects AND REFRESH balance of their work and events to ensure that in other nations/regions. Recent participation THE BODY OF adequate attention is being paid to creating and of the Society in studies supporting the Future KNOWLEDGE nurturing new knowledge in areas relevant to the Combat Air Strategy is hugely welcomed and we rapid advancements in our sector. will continue to work with government to make high AROUND NEW The recent announcement that the Ministry quality contributions to policy formulation in support TOPICS... of Defence is in talks with Boeing to replace the of such ambition.
COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2019 Would you like to help guide the Society?
The Society would like to hear from highest quality. To lead output of the highest quality members who are interested in standing for we need members of Council from every part of the the Council in the 2019 elections to be held aeronautical community and this is where you come in. next spring. Only by having a good number As such, please give serious thought to whether of candidates from all sectors of the aviation you could serve the Society in this most important and aerospace community can the Council role. If you are interested, or require further benefit from a variety of backgrounds and information, please visit our website at experience. www.aerosociety.com/councilelection or NOMINATIONS As members will be aware, the Council now contact Saadiya Ogeer, the Society’s Governance FOR THE 2019 concentrates on the outward facing aspects of the and Compliance Manager, on +44 (0)20 7670 RAeS COUNCIL Society’s global activities. Indeed, as the Society 4311 or [email protected]. ELECTIONS becomes ever more global, it is critically important that our offerings to members, to Corporate Partners Please note that all nominations must be ARE NOW and especially to the public — indeed the whole of submitted no later than OPEN the aerospace sector that we serve — are of the 31 January 2019 at 23.59 GMT.
42 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Sir Brian Burridge As I gradually get my feet under the table, I The Society has been honouring outstanding recognise that autumn brings with it a busy calendar achievers in the global aerospace industry since of events. For example, for the first time in a decade, 1909, when Wilbur and Orville Wright came to the RAeS is hosting the International Powered Lift London to receive the Society’s first Gold Medal. Conference (IPLC 2018) here in the UK. I am also I am very much looking forward to attending the pleased to see that all our events are configured to RAeS Medals & Awards presentation evening taking offer targeted Continuing Professional Development place on 26 November. (CPD) opportunities for members, as well as I am also very much looking forward to attending offering a vibrant programme of free public lectures my first Branch event as Chief Executive. The Derby across our global network. Remember to visit Branch’s Sir Henry Royce Lecture, kindly hosted www.aerosociety.com/events to find one that is by Rolls-Royce at their Learning and Development close to you and on your specialist interest area. Centre, will take place on 30 October. The eminent RAeS Corporate Partner employees are speaker is Carsten Spohr, Chairman and Chief invited to join us at the final two Corporate Partner Executive Officer of Lufthansa. Briefings for 2018. On 7 November we have a The Membership Team has returned from two briefing on air traffic management delays and days at Advanced Engineering 2018 exhibition capacity issues in Europe starting at the usual time where our focus was to promote membership and of 4.30pm. On 12 December the UK Minister of Engineering Council UK Registration with the State for Security and Economic Crime will join us Society. We will also be exhibiting this month at for a breakfast briefing on aviation security. The Commercial UAV Show 2018 on the 14-15 The Society has recently provided responses November at Excel London. On Stand 117 the to some key Government consultations. The Membership Team will be supported by the Society’s Department for Transport’s Taking Flight: The Future UAS Specialist Group, who will also be providing a of Drones in the UK, is the precursor to the Draft guest speaker for the Show. Drones Bill later this year or early next. Secondly, We are very grateful to Raytheon UK who again the Civil Aviation Authority’s Draft Airspace supported the Society’s annual Ballantyne event, Modernisation Strategy, will replace the 2011 a careers awareness event aimed at 14 to 18 Future Airspace Strategy (FAS). year-olds. It aims to provide inspirational talks, case The Society’s Flight Operations Group specialist studies and career pathway information to highlight paper, Emergency Evacuation of Commercial the depth and breadth of potential aerospace and Passenger Aeroplanes, published in April this year, aviation careers and the associated training options. continues to generate national, international and This year’s event included a new ‘speed networking’ trade press coverage. Media interest has been propagated most recently by the results of a survey, format which also enabled the attendees to talk commissioned by the Society, looking at public one-on-one with specialist advisors and was attitudes to emergency evacuations, including particularly well received by guests and industry understanding safety briefings, collecting belongings representatives alike. in an emergency and passenger flying habits. Our annual recruitment fair, Careers in Your Council plays a significant role in ensuring Aerospace & Aviation LIVE on Friday 9 November, that your Society maintains its learned output, is the next big careers event in our calendar. There provides relevant advice in the sector, and represents is still time to book both an exhibitor space or a the interests of the wider membership. To contribute visitor slot. The event brings together our partners to sustaining this output, members interested in in industry and training delivery with students, standing for Council in the 2019 election to be graduates and individual members. It represents a held next spring can now find the details at www. unique opportunity to support those making their AS I GRADUALLY aerosociety.com/councilelection. This is an next career move. Visitors come from across the GET MY opportunity for you to contribute to your Society by UK and beyond, and from diverse backgrounds FEET UNDER ensuring there is a diverse set of skills, knowledge but all with a shared passion for the sector. Please and experience representing all sectors of the contact Rosalind Azouzi on rosalind.azouzi@ THE TABLE, I aviation and aerospace community. This is vital if we aerosociety.com RECOGNISE are to raise the Society’s profile and underpin our There’s still time to plan your Christmas parties THAT AUTUMN relevance by leading the debate on key strategic or seasonal lunches with discounts for members BRINGS WITH IT A issues. I urge you to give careful consideration on and some delicious catering packages. We can whether you could serve your Society in this very host any event that our members wish to organise BUSY CALENDAR significant role. Nominations must be submitted no here at No.4 Hamilton Place. Get in touch with our OF EVENTS later than 31 January 2019. specialist team on [email protected]
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 43 Afterburner Book Reviews TOUCHDOWN SAFELY! A Boffin’s Tale of All-Weather Approach and Landing Research and Flight Trials at RAE Bedford 1966-1986 By R B Lumsden
Published by the author, 18 Mahogany Drive, Virginia Park, Stafford ST16 2TS, UK (https:// touchdownsafely.payever.shop/). 2018. xii; 467pp. Illustrated. £25 plus £5 (UK postage/packing). ISBN 978-19999174-0-1.
This book is the self-published memoirs of the author covering his time at the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) at RAE Bedford. However, it is not a cheap print but a classy and heavy publication containing some 465 pages of A4 with each page generously provided with black and white pictures, graphs, diagrams and many formulae. It has to be said that the book is self-indulgent and lacks the touch of an editor to keep the text he kept the most diligent set of day books in the A Hawker Siddeley Trident focused. Although the title refers to the work of UK. Certainly the details could not have been kept in lands automatically in low visibility conditions during the BLEU, it covers anything and everything that his head after all these years. I worked in a parallel happened at RAE Bedford over the period. It not development trials of the universe on blind landing at BAC Weybridge and have automatic landing system. only covers his technical work but also the social not remembered the detail that is here. However, I can RAeS (NAL). side of the Establishment and lovingly covers details say that from what I have read of his work between of all the aircraft that operated at Bedford whether 1967 and 1972 that it looks right. they were assigned to BLEU trials or anything else. The work in his earlier years is treated more I have read books on the RAE Farnborough with lightly than in his later years where it could be the aim of finding out what they did there. Apart argued that too much detail is provided and this has from names of the trials or experiments I was left made it somewhat soporific. I was a little upset that frustrated at still not knowing what they actually in his treatment of the earlier years he skimped on did. I can’t say the same about this book on RAE providing the details on the mathematical eloquence Bedford. All the minutiae of the work is provided and of the work being done generating white noise perhaps in some places in too much detail. from pseudo random binary sequences and why His book covers the social life, hobbies and you would want to do it for parameter identification; sports at Bedford and many not very relevant or his implementation of a Kalman filter without anecdotes and digressions. If you were at Bedford mentioning state vectors and getting around doing a It is a serious over this period, you should read his book, as you matrix inversion without a digital computer. are probably mentioned. He is kind to all except his This book surprised me, as in this parallel work and is boss who would not authorise his expenses. We universe and at the same time, he was conducting recommended have all been there! the same experiments and trials at Bedford as I was to aviation So, who else should read it? It is a serious work doing at Weybridge. However, the author’s memory and is recommended to aviation historians and has played tricks on him. He mentions the co- historians and current avionics practitioners who work in a world operation with a senior lecturer at Sussex University current avionics where the modern flight computer disconnects on industry-based MSc projects at Bedford. The practitioners them from the fundamentals. This book is about the same lecturer was running parallel projects at who work in a fundamentals of automatic landings. Weybridge with postgraduate students. Except But is the book authoritative? That is difficult to the University was Surrey and not Sussex. I should world where say, as there is not a single reference in the whole know, as in 1970 I was that student! the modern document. There is no index either. Because of the Aficionados can look forward to the author’s part flight computer amount of very detailed material that is provided many 2 on his later work on helicopters. disconnects RAE technical reports and memos must have been referenced and given the author’s self-confessed Eur Ing Mike Stanberry them from the hoarding of documents this may have helped. Perhaps FRAeS fundamentals
44 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 BLUE SKIES, ORANGE WINGS The Global Reach of Dutch Aviation in War and Peace, 1914-1945 By R K Noppen
Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, USA. 2016. Distributed by Alban Books, 14 Belford Road, West End, Edinburgh EH4 3BL, UK (E sales@ albanbooks.com). 338pp. Illustrated. £29.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-4870-3.
The legend of the Flying Dutchman describes a ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed A SABCA-manufactured to sail the oceans forever. Its origins lie in the Fokker FVIIb-3ms, OO-AIN, 17th century during the Golden Age of the Dutch of Sabena. RAeS (NAL). Empire when its science, art and industry became one of the most advanced in the world. The Dutch embraced the advent of aviation at the turn of the 20th century with a similarly ambitious and pragmatic zeal and Ryan K Noppen’s book Blue Skies, Orange Wings tells that fascinating story. Flying Dutchmen have played a significant role in the development of both civil and military aviation. This book focuses on the ‘Golden Age’ between 1914 and 1945, a period when Dutch aircraft were world beating – dominating US skies and founding many transcontinental air routes. The national carrier KLM [Koninklijke Luchtvaart Mattschappij], in operation since 1919, pioneered long-distance travel to Asia in the 1920s while Anthony Fokker designed cutting-edge fighter and transport aircraft. These included the highly successful Eindecker and Triplane – favoured mounts of Great War aces – and the Trimotor, the first aircraft to reach the North Pole and make the flight from Australia to the US. In those days flying was new and thrilling pursuit and the book captures the zeitgeist of the age through a knowledgeable writing style coupled with original photographs. The heroic actions of Dutch defence forces during WW2 are related in both the European and The heroic Pacific Theatres using detailed maps, diagrams actions of and photographs. Fascinating facts emerge – for example that Dutch anti-aircraft gunners downed Dutch defence 328 German Ju52s, diminishing Hitler’s ability to forces during contemplate invasion of Britain in 1940. WW2 are While this is highly recommended reading for related in both and well-written portrait of Dutch aviation. The those interested in the development of air transport crucial role played by the Dutch during the golden and the role of Dutch military aviation in both World the European age of flight deserves an important place in the Wars, it remains highly engaging to those without a and Pacific annals of the history of manned flight and this direct interest in the field. It would be interesting to Theatres using book provides that in a beautifully illustrated and understand more about the dawn of aviation in The detailed maps, engaging text. Netherlands but this is sadly outside the scope of this book. diagrams and Alex Goman Blue Skies, Orange Wings is a well-researched photographs MRAeS
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 45 Afterburner Book Reviews THE BIG BOOK OF X-BOMBERS AND X-FIGHTERS
Above: The sole Convair USAF Jet-Powered XB-46, 45-59582. Right: The first McDonnell Experimental Aircraft and XF-88 Voodoo, 46-525. their Propulsive Systems Neither aircraft progressed beyond the prototype stage. By S Pace Both RAeS (NAL).
Zenith Press, Quarto Publishing Group USA, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA. 2016. 360pp. Illustrated. £25. ISBN 978-0-7603-4950-2.
This is a most ambitious book which just about been designed in a more orderly fashion and (to this achieves what it sets out to do. It covers not the reviewer) the cover design is not very eye-catching. X-series of research aircraft but rather all US A few errors have also crept in – for example the Air Force XP/XF and XB fighter and bomber Gloster E.28/39 was never called the G.40. prototypes from the start of the jet age to today and That said, there are many plus points. Some of not just the types that failed to enter production. the photos were new to this reviewer and included They are all here – the XP-84 series, XP/XF/YF-86 very early colour. Although there is probably very series, the XB/YB-47s and so on in all versions. A little in here which will be new to the serious separate and extremely useful chapter describes the researcher, I still learnt that the Northrop XP-79 was various engines used by USAF combat aircraft, an the first jet fighter to have twin vertical tails, that element that so often gets forgotten in books like the Bell YP-59As used for Navy trials were called this, and there is a useful list of significant dates. The book has YF2L-1s and that the beautiful Convair XB-46 was The Big Book of X-Bombers and X-Fighters is all you need nicknamed The Needle. The book has all you need very well produced and beautifully printed on high to know for a to know for a basic history of each USAF prototype quality paper but on many pages throughout (one basic history and, for a very large format book, is exceptionally assumes is to try and signify the ‘Secret’ nature of good value. Hopefully younger readers will buy the aircraft) there is some faint and out of focus of each USAF it in quantity but anyone wishing to learn about drawings and data tables filling the white space prototype and, American military aircraft will find this a good place alongside the text. Whatever sales gimmick this for a very large to start. The author was a specialist in the field and might be has resulted in a very messy appearance. format book, is sadly died soon after he had completed this work. Also, from a reference point of view, keeping the XFs and the XBs separate might have made the exceptionally Tony Buttler book easier to use. In fact the text itself could have good value AMRAeS
46 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Library Additions BOOKS
AEROMODELLING 1941-1953. E Rodel. Schiffer numerous photographs from illustrate this history of the Brave Aviator and a Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley the KLM archive, a detailed evolution of the Consolidated Gentleman’: the World Junkers Ju 88A. Road, Atglen, PA 19310, history of the evolution of flying boat family (XPY-1 War I Operational Service M J Noszczak. Published by USA. 2018. Distributed by aerial photography in The Admiral, P2Y, XP3Y-1, XP3Y, of 2nd Lieutenant A C Stratus, Poland, on behalf of Gazelle Book Services Ltd, Netherlands. PBY-1, PBY-2, PBY-3, PBY-4, G (Garrie) Fowler, RAF Mushroom Model Publications, White Cross Mills, Hightown, PBY-5, PBY-5A amphibian, No 215 Squadron Killed 3 Gloucester Close, Lancaster LA1 4XS, UK. The Saga of Iron Annie. M PBN Nomad and PBY-6A in Action 20 September Petersfield, Hants GU32 3AX, 128pp. Illustrated. £17.99. Caidin. Doubleday & Company, amphibian) of which 3,272 1918. C G Hunt and P V Hunt. UK (www.mmpbooks.biz). ISBN 978-0-7643-5539-4. Inc, Garden City, NY. 1979. were constructed. Published by the authors, Falls 2018. 43pp. Illustrated. £17. A detailed well-illustrated 243pp. Illustrated. ISBN Church, VA. 2018. xiii; 180pp. ISBN 978-83-65958-03-7. history of the development 0-385-13350-2. B-25 Mitchell in action. E Illustrated. ISBN 978-1- Produced for in Russia – based upon the The detailed account of R McDowell. Squadron/Signal 7321883-0-3. aeromodellers, a compilation of Soviet examination and flight the author’s passion to restore Publications Inc, Carrollton, TX. A detailed account 40 detailed colour camouflage testing with the assistance of to flying condition a decrepit 1978. 49pp. Illustrated. ISBN of the flying career of the and markings diagrams of the German rocket scientists of Junkers Ju-52/3M N52JU 0-89747-033-8. author’s great uncle Alfred Junkers bomber aircraft which captured German A-4/V-2 ‘Iron Annie’. Numerous photographs Charles Garrett ‘Garrie’ Fowler was produced in many versions. rockets – of the R-1/G-1/R- and other diagrams (including (1899-1918) who died piloting 2/G-2/G-3/G-4/G-5/R-3 The History of Aviation in colour markings diagrams) Handley Page O/400 C9732 Messerschmitt Bf 109G: family of long-range missiles Thailand. N Lumholdt and W illustrate this concise history during his 22nd night bombing with DB 695 A engine. under the leadership of Sergei Warren. Travel Publishing Asia of the North American mission, three months after his R Peczkowski. Published by Korolev. Limited, Hong Kong. 1984. twin-engined medium attack 19th birthday and barely six Stratus, Poland, on behalf of 100pp. Illustrated. ISBN 962- bomber and its variants. weeks before the Armistice Mushroom Model Publications, HISTORICAL 7088-05-6. which brought WW1 to a close. 3 Gloucester Close, A concise illustrated of Training Aircraft of the Concluding appendices record Petersfield, Hants GU32 3AX, the development of aviation US Air Force 1925-1965. the history of Independent UK (www.mmpbooks.biz). in Siam/Thailand from the R W O’Hara and J W Boyce. Force (within which 215 2018. 144pp. Illustrated. £17. pioneering demonstration Challenge Publications, Inc, Squadron operated), squadron ISBN 978-83-65281-63-0. flights of Van den Born at the North Hollywood, CA. 1965. personnel and mission records. Produced for Royal Bangkok Sports Club 63pp. Illustrated. aeromodellers, numerous in February 1911 through A compilation of concise monochrome and colour to the development of Thai histories of the numerous photographs/markings International Airport, a subject training aircraft types that diagrams and 1/48 line discussed in more detail in E have been operated by arrangement diagrams M Young Aerial Nationalism: A the American air force illustrate this pictorial study History of Aviation in Thailand over the decades from the of the Messerschmitt fighter (Smithsonian Institution Press. Consolidated TW-3 [Trainer, aircraft that was to play a 1995). Water Cooled] through to the key role in the Luftwaffe’s air Cessna T-41A. operations during WW2. B-17 in action. L Davis. Squadron/Signal Publications North American T-6 [French AIR TRANSPORT Inc, Carrollton, TX. 1984. 57pp. text]. F Bergese. Ouest France, Taking to the Air: an Illustrated. ISBN 0-89747- Rennes. 1979. 32pp. Illustrated. Air Transport Security: Illustrated History of 152-0. ISBN 2-85882-183-6. Issues, Challanges and Flight. L Ford. The British Numerous photographs A concise history of the National Policies. Edited by Library, 96 Euston Road, and other diagrams (including widely used training aircraft J S Szyliowicz and London NW1 2DB, UK. 2018. colour markings diagrams) which was originally built L Zamparani. Edward Elgar 224pp. Illustrated £25. ISBN illustrate this concise history in 1938 for Great Britain Publishing, The Lypiatts, 15 978-0-7123-5261-1. of the famous Boeing Flying as the AT-6 Harvard and The Royal Air Force: the Lansdown Road, Cheltenham Fortress with the Sperry Ball subsequently evolved into the first one hundred years. J GL50 2JA, UK. 2018. ix; PZL.23 Karas & Export Turret and its numerous variants. AT-6 Texan. Buckley and P Beaver. Oxford 285pp. £95. ISBN 978-1- Version. T J Kopanski. University Press, Oxford. 2018. 78643-519-4. Published by Stratus, Poland, TBM/TBF Avenger Wings Over Eastern xvi; 259pp. Illustrated. ISBN on behalf of Mushroom Model in action. C L Scrivner. England. G M Dixon and 978-0-19-879803-3. Airport Operations – Third Publications, 3 Gloucester Squadron/Signal Publications J Rippon. Minimax Books, edition. N J Ashford et al. Close, Petersfield, Hants Inc, Carrollton, TX. 1984. 49pp. Langtoft. 1982. Illustrated. Catkiller 3-2: an Army Pilot McGraw-Hill, New York. 2013. GU32 3AX, UK (www. Illustrated. ISBN 0-89747- ISBN 0-906791-74-X. Flying for the Marines in xxii; 613pp. Illustrated. ISBN mmpbooks.biz). 2018. 144pp. 197-0. A concise history of the the Vietnam War. R G Caryl. 978-0-07-177584-7. Illustrated. £17. ISBN 978-83- Numerous photographs major role which airfields in Naval Institute Press, 291 The latest edition of this 65281-63-0. and other diagrams (including Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Wood Road, Annapolis, MD informative reference work Illustrated throughout colour markings diagrams) Lincolnshire have played in 21402, USA. 2018. xiii; 255pp. reviewing the various areas with numerous contemporary illustrate this history of the military air operations from Illustrated. $29.95. ISBN 978- (including scheduling, aircraft photographs, line arrangement evolution of the Grumman WW1 through to the 1990- 168247-352-8. ground handling, baggage and colour markings diagrams naval torpedo bomber and its 1991 Gulf War. Air operations in the handling, security, passenger (included simulated interior numerous variants (XTBF-1, Vietnam War are vividly terminal/cargo operations, views), a detailed history of the TBF-1, TBM-1, TBF/TBM-1C, PROPULSION recalled in these memoirs of noise control, air traffic control development and air operations TBM-3, Tarpan Avenger Mks a former TACA (Tactical Air (ATC), airport access and of the Polish light bomber and I-III, TBM-3E, TBM-3R, and Gas Turbines: Internal Controller, Airborne) pilot who emergency procedures among reconnaissance aircraft and its TBM-3S, through to the TBM- Flow Systems Modeling. flew in support of US Marine other areas) that need to be variants (including the PZL.42 3W which was equipped with B K Sultanian. Cambridge units on the ground. managed to make an airport dive-bomber) which first flew in an APS-20 radar mounted in University Press, University operate effectively, concluding August 1934. the bomb bay). Printing House, Shaftesbury with a discussion of the ongoing Road, Cambridge CB2 8BS, challenge of sustainable Luchfotografie in PBY Catalina in action. W E UK. 2018. xviii; 356pp. environmental development of Nederland: en de Scarborough. Squadron/Signal Illustrated. £74.99. ISBN 978- For further information airports in the future. fotograferende luchtvloot Publications Inc, Carrollton, TX. 1-107-17009-4. contact the National van de KLM. J L Arense. De 1983. 50pp. Illustrated. ISBN Aerospace Library. GUIDED FLIGHT Bataafsche Leeuw, Amsterdam. 0-89747-149-0. SERVICE AVIATION T +44 (0)1252 701038 1992. 80pp. Illustrated. ISBN Numerous photographs or 701060 The Soviet Space 90-6707-282-6. and other diagrams (including Handley Page 0/400 Program: First Steps Illustrated throughout with colour markings diagrams) Night Bomber Pilot ‘A E [email protected]
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 47 Afterburner Society News AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
summation was forwarded to the Minister responsible for Aviation, the Deputy Prime Minister Inaugural Aviation and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Safety Forum Honourable Michael McCormack MP. Dear Minister On 27 June 2018, the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division (RAeS) held its inaugural safety forum. The forum was designed to not be just another talkfest conference but to provoke and facilitate genuine debate on the issues in focus and to generate outcomes which could contribute constructively to issue resolution and policy decision making by Government. For this reason, the forum was primarily by invitation only and observed Chatham House Rules, with no media presence. The forum was considered highly successful by The inaugural Australian Aviation Safety Forum was A Jetstar Australia Boeing attendees, including many of the most senior people held at the Four Seasons Sydney, Australia, on 27 787-8 Dreamliner on the in Australian civil aviation (over a dozen CEOs of ‘Kilo’ Ramp at Sydney Airport. businesses and/or government agencies). June and put the spotlight on three major issues Vismay Bhadra. confronting aviation safety: There were three topics on the day: Flight Deck: Training Standards & The Man-Machine Flight Deck Training Standards & the Man Interface Machine Interface Drones: Assimilation into Current Airspace Drones: Assimilation into Current Airspace Airport and Cyber Security: Weaknesses & Airport & Cyber Security: Weaknesses & Challenges Challenges Ninety five attended the forum with some 70 Some key points from the topic discussions are attending the dinner afterwards. as follows: The success for the day was in no small part due to the exemplary organising committee of David FLIGHT DECK TRAINING STANDARDS & Forsyth FRAeS, Andrew Drysdale FRAeS, John THE MAN MACHINE INTERFACE Vincent FRAeS and the Chairman Geoff Sartori FRAeS, the calibre of the industry representatives The seminar saw the pilot training issues as in the room and to the professional leadership of being divided into two areas: ‘Today’s Problems’ each of the three session’s leaders, namely Richard and ‘Tomorrow’s Problems’. Woodward (Flight Deck), Ben Martin (Drones) and Today’s problems relate to pilot shortages, Geoff Askew (Airport & Cyber Security). the difficulty of attracting young people into The event is an excellent example of how the this role and regulations that reflect training Australian Division is moving to become a more requirements for past aviation technology. dynamic and outward looking organisation that Tomorrow’s problems relate to the selection serves our members and the aerospace community and training of pilots who can cope with and by engaging directly with industry and regulators integrate with highly sophisticated automation or to act as an independent facilitator for critical indeed autonomous aircraft. discussion. Feedback included such comments as The current GA industry does not adequately ‘a truly world class event’ and ‘very professional’. A THE FORUM prepare pilots for a future in the highly consistent theme was the very positive feedback WAS DESIGNED automated world. Often newly trained and the need to do it again. instructors, with minimal real-world aviation During the evening dinner afterwards the TO NOT BE experience, are training ab initio students and do keynote address was given by the Honourable John JUST ANOTHER not have either the experience or opportunity to Sharp AM (former member of the Australian House TALKFEST pass on needed aviation experience. Regional of Representatives 1984 to 1998 and Minister CONFERENCE, and major airlines are taking instructors too for Transport and Regional Development 1996 to early from the flight school environment given 1998) and presentations of Fellowship Certificates BUT TO PROVOKE the recent demand. to five newly-elected Fellows – Rob Walker, Rob AND FACILITATE This gap between the training needs of Sharp, Murray Butt, Shane Carmody and Geoff GENUINE professional aviation and the general aviation Sartori – were made by the Australian Division industry will only continue to widen. Professional President, Professor Andrew Neely FRAeS. DEBATE ON THE aviation colleges may also be part of the solution At the conclusion of the event the following ISSUES IN FOCUS to this problem.
48 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 To ensure that the pilots of the future meet the AIRPORT & CYBER SECURITY: needs of the future flight deck, the professional WEAKNESSES & CHALLENGES civil aviation industry needs to update recruitment assessment practices to assess The industry forum agreed that the greater use applicants’ abilities in cognitive task analysis, of data to identify low risk passengers would thus allowing them to interface with the highly enhance security. Passengers would need to automated aircraft of the future. ‘opt in’ to the use of this data. This would require industry and passenger associations to work DRONES: ASSIMILATION INTO CURRENT with government to implement such a policy. AIRSPACE It was also considered that security would be enhanced by the use of live background The seminar concluded that the perceived safety checking. threat from drones was not as critical as it has The participants also agreed with the model of been presented. network pricing model would provide a fairer Sydney Airport’s control The majority view was that industry as well as distribution of the cost burden. tower. Sutto. the Regulator has a significant role to play in the Please note that these summaries and key management of drone activity. points do not necessarily represent the opinions of Education of drone users was seen as vital and airline operators, agencies or other organisations, again industry can play an important role in that nor even of the RAeS. They are the RAeS arena. The group’s view was that the medical perception of key points of interest from the forum assessments used by air traffic controllers discussion. would be appropriate for drone operators, as recommended by ICAO. Andrew Neely Finally, the use of technology was seen as a key FRAeS in providing solutions to the use of drones in busy President air traffic environments, eg geo-fencing and UTM. RAeS Australian Division
Obituary DR ROBERT BRUCE LEE
AO FRAeS FCILT focused on human performance in complex systems, 1943-2018 with particular reference to aircraft. His work as an international consultant has Long-time aviation administrator and human factors involved analysing accidents around the world. Further, expert Grp Capt Dr Rob Lee AO FRAeS FCILT died Dr Lee’s career also included working extensively on 27 April, 2018, aged 74 following a nine-month with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), where, battle with oesophageal cancer. He was a great leader in 1976, he was appointed senior psychologist, and aviation safety visionary. operational command. He was the first RAAF While he will long be remembered for such a psychologist to serve as a human factors specialist on significant contribution to aviation safety, he will RAAF aircraft accident investigation teams. also be remembered for his warmth, his love for his Later, Dr Lee served as Grp Capt in the RAAF partner Sue and his family, his infectious smile, his Specialist Reserve. The consultancy role involved international diplomacy, and for his musicianship, as conducting regular training courses on aviation lead guitarist in the Canberra band ‘Mid-Life Crisis’. psychology, human factors, systems safety and air Dr Lee was the first human factors specialist safety investigation within the Australian Defence to be appointed at the then Bureau of Air Safety Force. Investigation (BASI) – later to form part of the Dr Lee was a Fellow of the Society and had a Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) – when he long-standing involvement with the Canberra Branch joined the organisation in 1983 and helped establish of which he was a prominent Committee member. and develop the Bureau’s capability in human factors, In 2000 Dr Lee was awarded the Aviation Human systems safety and research. He rose to the position Factors Achievement Award by the Australian Aviation of BASI Director in 1989 and, in 1999, Dr Lee was Psychology Association. In 2012, he received an appointed Director of human factors, systems safety Order of Australia (AO) award in that year’s Queen’s and communications at the newly-established ATSB. Birthday Honours list. Dr Lee received the European Dr Lee graduated with first class honours in Association for Aviation Psychology Award 2014 for psychology at Australian National University in 1970. his Outstanding Achievements in Aviation Psychology. He also completed his PhD in psychology at the In 2015, Dr Lee was awarded the RAeS Specialist University of St Andrews, Scotland, with his research Gold Award accompanied by the Roger Green Medal.
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 49 Afterburner NOW BOARDING Society News The Autumn UK recruitment fair dedicated to aerospace and aviation GENERAL AVIATION GROUP RAeS General Aviation Design Competition
Innovation in aircraft design is achieved more rapidly in small aircraft, and this design competition & A V I A T I O N stimulates designers to come with new ideas. In LIVE l 2018 particular, the coming revolution in electric hybrid power frees the imagination and is opening the door RAeS, No4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ to many exciting new projects such as eVTOL air taxis. Friday 9 November 2018 This annual competition is organised by the General Aviation Group of the RAeS. The rules this year allowed both complete aircraft designs and five seaters with an appropriate mix of batteries, fuel Above: The Neoptera eOptera components that could be added to existing aircraft. cells and IC engines. eVTOL aircraft. Neoptera. COMPETITIVE Below left: Team ESTOL Entries had to be under 2,000kg maximum Team ESTOL SMK from Pakistan presented EXHIBITOR SMK from Pakistan presented RATES mass, a limit defined by the CAA’s E Conditions a modification of the PAC Mushak and Super a modification of the PAC regulatory framework. This enables the rapid design, Mushak trainer. There is a requirement for better Mushak and Super Mushak. build and experimental flight testing of GA aircraft field performance (‘Extreme STOL’), and they have Below right: The Micro- within the UK. conducted an impressive and comprehensive design Raptor. Entries were assessed using the following criteria: exercise around the use of the Coanda effect, Radical innovation applied to the trailing edge of the wing to provide
Potential application or market high CL. The resulting design reduces take-off Industrial design (including functionality, distance by about 50% and should be applicable to aesthetics and ergonomics) a wide range of aircraft. Reasonable estimates of mass, aerodynamics, The Micro-Raptor is a novel Single-Seat stability, control, performance, life-cycle costs De-Regulated (SSDR) aircraft. It is designed for INNOVATION and environmental impact. very short field performance and low costs. The IN AIRCRAFT There were 13 entries this year, covering a team analysed a wide range of configurations FREE ENTRY TO huge range of ideas. The predominant themes were and selected a tandem wing aircraft with a DESIGN IS ASPIRING AEROSPACE V/STOL and electric/hybrid power. The designs ducted rotor on each wing tip. They designed the ACHIEVED AND AVIATION came from individuals as well as small and large aircraft with no conventional control surfaces – a MORE RAPIDLY PROFESSIONALS! organisations. The judges were hard pressed to difficult proposition for STOL but their analysis IN SMALL choose between the leading entries but in the end demonstrates a promising approach. they decided to make awards to three proposals of The 2018-2019 competition will be announced AIRCRAFT, AND Business Class exhibitors include: equal merit: at this year’s Light Aircraft Design Conference on THIS DESIGN Neoptera Ltd – an Anglo-French company, has 19 November, along with the theme for next year’s COMPETITION joined the eVTOL fray with an ingenious design conference and a call for papers. The world of light (eOptera) that rotates everything apart from the aircraft design is seeing an exciting renaissance, STIMULATES passenger module to achieve VTOL and efficient and these activities are aimed at stimulating further DESIGNERS TO cruise. They have built and tested a series of progress in this area. We invite you to enter! COME WITH sub-scale prototypes to develop their design, and NEW IDEAS are now designing a single-seat, battery-powered Premium Economy exhibitors include: prototype. The intention is to move onto three and
Date for your diary 19 November 2018 — Light Aircraft Design Conference. www.aerosociety.com/ciaalive2018 #CIAALIVE18 [email protected] 50 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 NOW BOARDING The Autumn UK recruitment fair dedicated to aerospace and aviation
& A V I A T I O N LIVE l 2018
RAeS, No4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ Friday 9 November 2018
COMPETITIVE EXHIBITOR RATES
FREE ENTRY TO ASPIRING AEROSPACE AND AVIATION PROFESSIONALS!
Business Class exhibitors include:
Premium Economy exhibitors include:
www.aerosociety.com/ciaalive2018 #CIAALIVE18 [email protected] Afterburner Diary
EVENTS www.aerosociety/events LECTURES www.aerosociety/events
9 November Careers in Aerospace & Aviation LIVE 2018
12 November Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom: Evolution and Implications Dr Robert S Hopkins lll Historical Group Lecture
13-14 November Effective Development of Flight Simulators Flight Simulation Group Conference
13 November Capt Ray Jones Lecture Dr Sunjoo Advani FRAeS, President, IDT Engineering Flight Simulation Group Named Lecture
13-15 November International Powered Lift Conference 2018 Bristol ESA
The Rolls-Royce composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blade for the Advance and UltraFan engine designs has flown incorporated into a Trent 1000 ‘donor’ engine, on a Rolls-Royce 747 flying test bed at Tucson, Arizona, US. The UltraFan will be discussed at Boscombe Down on 20 November and at the R K Pierson Lecture at Weybridge on 28 November. Rolls-Royce.
BAY OF PLENTY Boscombe Down. 5.15pm. CANBERRA Classic Flyers, 8 Jean Batten Visitors please register at Military Lecture Theatre, Drive, Mount Maunganui, least four days in advance ADFA. 6pm. Tauranga 3116. 6pm. (name and car registration 13 November — Branch 15 November 2 November — Restoration of required) E secretary@ AGM. Arianespace: Responding to the challenges of the the Grumman TBF Avengers at BoscombeDownRAeS.org changing launch vehicle market Classic Flyers. Wally Gee. 6 November — Taranis and CHESTER Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace and Executive Vice 7 December — A visit to the beyond. Room 017, Beswick Building, President of ArianeGroup HARS Aviation Museum – near 20 November — UltraFan. University of Chester, Parkgate Space Group Lecture Woollongong in NSW in June 11 December — TSR2. Joint Road. 7.30pm. Keith Housely, 2018. Mike Feisst. lecture with IMechE and IET. T +44 (0)151 348 4480. 8 January — Wiltshire Police 14 November — E-Fan X – 19 November BEDFORD – UAV operations. Large Hybrid Electric Flight Light Aircraft Design Conference ARA Socal Club, Manton Lane, Demonstrator. Thomas Fulcher, General Aviation Group Conference Bedford. 7pm. BROUGH Electrical Design Engineer at 14 November — F-35B Cottingham Parks Golf Club. Airbus. 19 November initial ski-jump testing. Gordon 7.30pm. Ben Groves, 12 December — The Future of UK Air Power – The Maritime Dimension Stewart, Flight Test Engineer, T +44 (0)1482 663938. Thunderbolts and lightning Conference QinetiQ. 14 November — Branch – are they really frightening? 9 January — HS2 rail link AGM followed by ‘Gone: Rhys Phillips, Research 20 November London-Birmingham. Joint Fishing’ – Making of the Lost Engineer, Lightning & Impact of Electric and Hybrid propulsion in Aviation lecture with ICE. Trawlermen Memorial, Hull. Electrostatics, Airbus Group Greener by Design Conference Peter W Naylor, sculptor. Innovations. BIRMINGHAM, 5 December — A lesson in 26 November WOLVERHAMPTON AND chemistry. Prof Lee Cronin, CHRISTCHURCH 2018 Medals and Awards Ceremony COSFORD Regus Chair of Chemistry, Cobham Lecture Theatre, National Cold War Museum, University of Glasgow. Joint Bournemouth University, Talbot 28 November RAF Museum Cosford, Shifnal, lecture with IChemE, IET and Campus, Wallisdown. 7.30pm. The Aero Engine Technology and Cost Management Conference Shropshire. 7pm. Chris Hughes, IMechE. Robert Blackburn Roger Starling, Conference T +44 (0)1902 844523. Building, Hull University. 7pm. E rogerstarling593@btinternet. 15 November — Strawford com 29 November Lecture. Rolls-Royce, 500 CAMBRIDGE 22 November — The UK Air Defence Challenge – Weapon Systems for Solihull Parkway. Pre- Lecture Theatre ‘O’, Cambridge Development of the Stratos Developing Threats registration with the RAeS University Engineering Dept. 714 single-engine turbofan. Weapon Systems and Technology Group Conference Branch by 18 October. Photo ID 7.30pm. Jin-Hyun Yu, T +44 Dr Gordon Robinson, Chief will be required at Rolls-Royce. (0)1223 373129. Aerodynamicist, Stratos 4 December 13 December — Beagle 2 1 November — P-8A Aircraft. Wilbur and Orville Wright Lecture: Connect, Protect, Explore, Mars Lander – some of the Poseidon – guardian of the 13 December — The Inspire: Innovation and leadership for the future of aerospace untold inside stories. John skies. Gp Capt Lyndon Jones Avro Shackleton from the Leanne Caret, Vice President, The Boeing Company and Thatcher. RAF. Lecture Theatre ‘1’. navigator’s perspective. Air President & CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Security 17 January — Icarus project. 22 November — Airbus Cdre Bill Tyack. Named Lecture Dr Angelo GrubiŠic, Lecturer electric-engined BAe146 24 January — Dangers to in Astronautics, University of programme. Riona aviation of wind turbines. Philip All lectures start at 18.00hrs unless otherwise stated. Southampton. Armersmith, Rolls-Royce. Benstead. Conference proceedings are available at 13 December — The www.aerosociety.com/news/proceedings BOSCOMBE DOWN V-bomber force. Air Cdre COVENTRY Lecture Theatre, MoD Norman Bonnor RAF (Ret’d). Lecture Theatre ECG26,
52 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Engineering & Computing 18 December — Air traffic Building, Coventry University, management services in Coventry. 7.30pm. Janet Owen, Europe’s congested airspace. T +44 (0)2476 464079. Ian Middleton, Acting Director, 8 November — Annual EUROCONTROL Maastricht dinner and talk. Royal Air Upper Area Control Centre. Force, 100 years. WO 15 January — Partners Andy Rodulson and RAF Evening and Buffet. The story Presentation Team. Brandon of Lady Lucy Houston, her life Hall Hotel, Coventry. and contribution to Mitchell’s 5 December — Electric development of the Spitfire. vertical take-off and landing Miles Macnair. vehicles (eVSTOL) – will they ever take off? Dr Mike HAMBURG Bromfield, Senior Lecturer, Hochschule für Angewandte Coventry University. Wissenschaften Hamburg, 23 January — The Midland Hörsaal 01.12 Berliner Tor 5 Aircraft Museum Sir Frank (Neubau), 20099 Hamburg. Whittle, the jet engine 6pm. collection. Barry James, 8 November — Visit to Chairman of Board of Trustees. Fliegerhorst Wunstorf. 27 November — Annual CRANWELL Christmas Dinner and Lecture. Daedalus Officers’ Mess, RAF Jorge Ribera, Head of Cranwell. 7.30pm. Please Manufacturing Engineering allow enough time to visit the Hamburg, Airbus. Anglo- Guardroom for your pass. German Club, Harvestehuder 5 November — Striker II Weg 44, 20149 Hamburg. helmet. Alex Cameron. 24 January — The real A fisheye view of the cockpit of a Nimrod aircraft during a pilot training sortie. Tony Blackman will 10 December — Chair’s story of the Comet disasters. discuss the Nimrod Boys at Medway on 21 November. Crown copyright. Lecture and Christmas Buffet. Paul Withey, Professor of Wg Cdr Lisa Mullineux. Casting Technology, School of Metallurgy and Materials, DERBY University of Birmingham. 5 November — Taranis UAV MUNICH Stephen Skinner, aviation Nightingale Hall, Moor Lane, flight testing. Jon Wiggall, Ehrensaal Deutsches Museum. author and historian. Derby. 5.30pm. Chris Sheaf, HATFIELD BAE Systems, Military Air 7pm. 27 November — A nostalgic T +44 (0)1332 269368. Lindop Building, Room A166, and Information. Joint lecture 21 November — Willy look at Southend Airport over 14 November — Bloodhound. University of Hertfordshire, with Loughborough University Messerschmitt Lecture. ‘Safety the years. An informal evening Jessica Herbert. College Lane, Hatfield. 7pm. Students’ Union Velocity first’ in aeronautics! Welchen with films. 13 November — Student Society. Beitrag liefern ‘Structural 8 January — The Tupolev FAA lecture competition. 20 November — Chasing Tests’ im Flugzeugbau? Prof Dr Tu154. Charles Kennedy, The Nuffield Sports Centre, 11 December — Flying the Bears in the Phantom. Capt Mendler. aviation author. RNAS Yeovilton. 6.30pm. Toucan man-powered aircraft. Nick Anderson, Virgin Atlantic Lt Marc Stone RN, T +44 Bryan Bowen. and ex-RAF fighter pilot. OXFORD STEVENAGE (0)1935 456241. 15 January — An evening 11 December — From The Magdalen Centre, Oxford Leonardo, LU1 3PG. 6.30pm. 29 January — Aviation- with a Chief Flying Instructor. ocean to stratosphere with Science Park, Oxford. 7pm. E [email protected] themed quiz. Reg Barber. solar energy. Raphael Domjan, Andrew Dann, 6 November — The role SolarXplorers SA. Joint lecture E [email protected] of electronic warfare in FARNBOROUGH HEATHROW with IMechE. 20 November — Civilian protecting high-value aircraft. BAE Systems Park Centre, British Airways Theatre, 22 January — Computational flight training. Fiona Clark. Farnborough Aerospace Waterside, Harmondsworth. fluid dynamics (CFD) and 27 November — Future of Centre. 7.30pm. Dr Mike 6.15pm. For security passes its importance to aircraft PRESTON composite materials. Joint Philpot, please contact Dr Ana Pedraz, design. Prof Gary Page, Dept Personnel and Conference lecture with IMechE. Venue T +44 (0)1252 614618. E secretary.raeslhr@gmail. of Aeronautical Engineering Centre, BAE Systems, Warton. TBC. 20 November — Green com or T +44 (0)7936 and Transport Studies, 7.30pm. Alan Matthews, 4 December — Merry Lecture. The operation 392799. Loughborough University. T +44 (0)1995 61470. Quizmas. Airbus Foundation of small/medium drones 8 November — Surrey 14 November — Young Discovery Space SG1 2AD. – lessons learned. Dr Satellite Technology – the MEDWAY Persons’ Network mini lecture 6pm. Stephen Prior, University of first 60 years. Anita Bernie, Conference Room 1, BAE competition. Southampton. Director of Spacecraft Systems (Rochester), Marconi 12 December — Tornado SWANSEA 11 December — The AW101 Platforms & Demonstration Way, Rochester. 7pm. Robin MLU. Dennis Morley, BAE Swansea University Bay advanced SAR system for Missions, SSTL. Heaps, T +44 (0)1634 Systems Flight Test (Ret’d). Campus (Room B001), Norway. Mark Goddard and 13 December — Lufthansa 377973. Fabian Way, Crymlyn Burrows, Stephen Vellacott, Leonardo Technik overhauling landing 21 November — The Nimrod PRESTWICK Swansea. Helicopters. gears as independent MRO – Boys. Tony Blackman. The Aviator Suite, 1st Floor, 17 November — Bio Electric 15 January — Aerodynamics challenging markets and new 12 December — Test flying Terminal Building, Prestwick Hybrid Aircraft (BEHA) of racing yacht sails. Jean- technologies. Christian Wicker, the Advanced Hawk. Peter Airport. 7.30pm. John Wragg, project.. Neil Cloughley, Baptiste Souppez, Solent Director of Sales & Marketing, Kosogorin, Experimental Test T +44 (0)1655 750270. Faradair Aerospace. University. Lufthansa Technik Landing Pilot, BAE Systems. 12 November — Rolls-Royce. Gear Services UK. Andy Geer. SYDNEY GLOUCESTER AND 10 January — Leasing or MELBOURNE 10 December — RAF Powerhouse Museum, 500 CHELTENHAM buying an aircraft asset? Engineers Australia, Level 31, Cosford museum. Darren Harris Street, Ultimo. 6pm. Safran Landing Systems, Genadi Stoyanov, VP of 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Priday. 7 November — 60th Sir Restaurant Conference Room, Marketing, GE Capital Aviation 6.30pm. 14 January — A330 accident. Charles Kingsford Smith off Down Hatherley Lane. Services (GECAS). 21 November — Science, Giorgio Bindoni. Lecture and Annual Branch 7.30pm. Gary Murden, T +44 Technology and Innovation Dinner. Fulfilling the Altair (0)1452 715165. LOUGHBOROUGH in the Aerospace Domain. SOUTHEND vision: the perennial tyranny 20 November — The Large Room U020, Brockington Dr Dong Yang Wu, Chief Holiday Inn, Southend Airport. of distance and time. Vince Di Model Association. Tony Building, Loughborough Aerospace Division, Defence 8pm. Sean Corr, T +44 (0)20 Pietro, VP and CE, Lockheed Hooper, Chief Examiner for the University. 7.30pm. Colin Moss, Science and Technology 7929 3400. Martin Australia and New Large Model Association. T +44 (0)1509 239962. Group, Melbourne. 13 November — The VC10. Zealand.
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 53 Afterburner Diary
TOULOUSE 28 November — 66th R K Symposium room, Building Pierson Lecture. The UltraFan B01, Airbus Campus 1, demonstrator. Andy Geer, Blagnac. 6pm. Contact: http:// Chief Engineer and Head of goo.gl/WbiKtV to register. Programme, Rolls-Royce. 13 November — More 16 January — Innovation automated, more connected vs regulation – what should aviation by 2050? Alain Garcia, unmanned aviation learn from former Airbus Executive Vice manned? Geoff Pugh, General President Engineering. Manager (UK), Consortiq, 11 December — Rally to and Gareth Beverley, Chief Senegal, the Latécoère route. Technology Officer, Consortiq. Alan Cox. 15 January — 28th Gordon YEOVIL Corps Lecture. Boeing versus Dallas Conference Room 1A, Lockheed – the battle for the Leonardo Helicopters, Yeovil. F-35. Rear Admiral Simon 6.30pm. David Mccallum, Henley, RAeS President. E david.mccallum@ leonardocompany.com WELLINGTON 15 November — Transforming 13 December — Branch the Empire Test Pilots’ School. dinner in the City. Paul Shakespeare and Nick Lay, ETPS. WEYBRIDGE 28 November — Seminar Brooklands Museum, Campbell celebrating 50 years of the Gate entrance. 6.45pm. Westland Sea King. 7 November — Space launch 13 December — Christmas systems – past, present and Lecture. The Met Office. future. Dr Adam Baker, Catena 17 January — Reaction Space. Engines. Jerry Mullin.
A Titan IIIC rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral to test a modified unmanned Gemini-B capsule as part of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory programme. The 3 November 1966 launch included a simulated laboratory module. The programme was cancelled in 1969. Space launch systems – past, present and future will be discussed by Dr Adam Baker at Weybridge on 7 November. NASA.
Editor wanted
The Journal of Aeronautical History is the Society’s free-to-access online publication covering all aspects of aerospace history and the development of aircraft and aeronautical engineering. About five to ten peer-reviewed papers are published annually.
The Editor receives papers submitted for consideration and passes them for review to appropriate members of an established Editorial Board or Specialist reviewer, liaising with the author throughout the peer-review process. Once approved for publication, the Editor lays out the paper (in Word) in the correct house style for publication on the Society’s website, sourcing appropriate images where necessary (the National Aerospace Library’s photographic archive is very helpful).
If you are enthusiastic, have a good knowledge of aerospace history, an excellent standard of written English and are looking for the satisfaction of giving back and contributing to learned debate, this could be for you. To ease yourself in, the current Editor proposes a one to two year overlap.
For more details contact: Dr C G B (Kit) Mitchell, +44 (0)1252 617621; [email protected]
www.aerosociety.com/news-expertise/journals-papers/journal-of-aeronautical-history/
54 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Corporate Partners
RAeS Corporate EVENTS Please note: Attendance at Corporate Partner events is strictly Partner Scheme exclusive to staff of RAeS Corporate Partners. AIM The aim of the Corporate Partner Scheme is to Wednesday 7 November 2018 / London bring together organisations to promote best Growing Air Traffic Management delays and capacity issues in Europe – practice within the international aerospace A perspective from EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre sector. With over 200 members worldwide, the Corporate Partner Briefing by Ian Middleton MBA FRAeS, Head of scheme provides a respected and recognised Operations, EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre independent forum of discussion and information Wednesday 12 December 2018 / London exchange on issues facing the aerospace Corporate Partner Breakfast Briefing (08.15 – 10.00 hrs) sector, as well as providing unique networking Aviation Security: Getting Ahead of the Threat opportunities with influential figures in the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime industry, government and public sector. Sponsor:
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Weapon Systems & Technology Conference Join us as a THE UK AIR DEFENCE Corporate Partner CHALLENGE RAeS Corporate Partners are organisations, both large and small, across civil and defence, from the breadth of the aerospace, aviation and space sectors. WEAPON SYSTEMS FOR DEVELOPING THREATS We provide a high-level commitment to professional recognition, continuous professional development, networking and knowledge sharing. LONDON / 29 NOVEMBER 2018 Arguably one of the greatest threats to national security is posed from the air. The conference will seek to identify areas of weapon system development to promote and maintain effective UK air defence capabilities. Speakers will be representing the following 4 Exclusive Corporate Partner briefings organisations: dstl, Lockheed 4 Access to our global network of Branches Martin UK, MBDA, QinetiQ, 4 Free access to AEROSPACE and The Aeronautical Journal Raytheon, Thales UK and 4 Discounted conference rates the UK Defence Solutions 4 Free accreditation costs Centre. 4 Discounted individual member joining fees www.aerosociety.com/events 4 Free meeting room and discounted room hire at RAeS HQ 4 Use of the RAeS Corporate Partner logo Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities are available for this conference. Please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7670 4345 for more information.
Find out more about corporate membership: [email protected] www.aerosociety.com/corporate +44 (0)20 7670 4300 @aerosociety Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 55 Afterburner Society News SYDNEY BRANCH SOCIETY OFFICERS
President: Rear Admiral Simon Henley Why Space? Why Now? President-Elect: Prof Jonathan Cooper The Transformation of BOARD CHAIRMEN Learned Society Chairman: Air Cdre Peter Round Space in the 21st Century Membership Services Chairman: Philip Spiers The 19 September’s lecture presented by William E Barratt, Senior Vice Professional Standards Chairman: President APAC (Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants) was an outstanding and Hilary Barton very comprehensive analysis of the space industry and the advances that have been made. It has also coincided with Australia’s entry into the burgeoning space DIVISION PRESIDENTS industry with the Government’s new space initiative. William provided an interesting aspect on how the international space Australia: Andrew Neely industry has been performing and its reliance on the deep space capabilities New Zealand: John MaciIree of Australia over a number of decades. The in-depth details that he presented Pakistan: AM Salim Arshad on how Australia will benefit from participation and also the contribution that South African: Marié Botha involvement in the space industry will provide the Australian economy was a key consideration in the government’s initiative. The research into power plants, including hypersonic propulsion, to the discussion on space debris and junk including proposals to manage this serious issue. The students and audience WITH REGRET interest and participation was obvious from the attention to the presentation The RAeS announces with regret the deaths of the over the full one hour and 20-minute period. following members: This lecture was the first to be organised and run by the students with very Eric William Coates IEng AMRAeS 81 able organisational capability of Henry and members of the student committee, including the venue at International House, Sydney University, which proved to Jeffrey Alan Dickinson CEng MRAeS 73 be excellent. I would like to extend my congratulations to Henry and the student Michael Fay CEng FRAeS 78 committee members for organising and hosting a very interesting evening. John Clifford Bradley Hill AMRAeS 85 Peter Marosszeky Laurence Nigel Price FRAeS 67 Courtesy of the RAeS Sydney Branch Newsletter
NATIONAL AEROSPACE LIBRARY The Hub, Fowler Avenue, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7JP, UK Aviation Book Fair Thursday, 29 November 2018 10.30am – 4.30pm 100s of donated aviation historical books, biographies, memoirs, aircraft histories, aeronautical textbooks and 1,000s of magazines for sale
Free Admission All proceeds to conserve historic aviation material in the Library’s archives
T +44 (0)1252 701038/701060 E [email protected]
56 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 WEYBRIDGE BRANCH Return of the Comet
On 18 September Roger ‘Dodge’ Bailey gave “One test pilot’s approach to ‘first flight’ in a one-off” to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Weybridge Branch at the Brooklands Museum. The speaker is the Chief Test Pilot of the Shuttleworth Collection of historic aircraft and the one-off was the Arthur Hagg-designed DH88 Comet built in 1934 for the MacRobertson air race from Mildenhall to Melbourne, in which it was both the overall and 34 wing section the zero-lift angle of attack was de Havilland DH88 Comet, handicap winner. Registered G-ACSS and painted found to be –1 degree. With the aircraft set up at Grosvenor House was bright red the Comet, named Grosvenor House, was –1 deg AoA on the ground the pilot became familiar restored to airworthy condition at British Aerospace flown by C W A Scott and Tom Campbell Black. with the view from the cockpit, so during take-off Hatfield in the 1980s. G-ACSS, the only survivor of five Comets he could hold the AoA at zero lift until speed had Alan Wilson. built, competed in a number of races and record built up well beyond the stall before flying off. After attempts before being laid up for13 years in 1938. touchdown on the main wheels he could hold the After some restoration it was exhibited at the tail up at zero lift AoA until the speed was well 1951 Festival of Britain. Given to the Shuttleworth below the stall thus ‘pinning’ the aircraft down. Collection in 1965 it did not fly again until the late Field length was another problem. Previous 1980s from Hatfield. When Hatfield closed in 1994 flying had been from Hatfield’s long, smooth runway. it was taken to Old Warden where it flew once It was known that 1,000 yards was adequate. The in 2002 but suffered an undercarriage collapse, Old Warden grass runway had this but there was of which there had been a long history. With a no room to spare. The ‘first flight’ therefore would strengthened undercarriage it flew again in 2014 be made from the grass Gransden Lodge and then and now performs regularly at Shuttleworth air from Henlow before attempting Old Warden. displays flown by the speaker who was responsible Pilot preparation included flying a twin-engined for the 2014 flight test programme. He explained tail wheel undercarriage Gemini and a Mew Gull that he adopted the Donald Rumsfeld approach which had similar handling qualities to the Comet to risk assessment who famously said: “There are and similar poor field of view. known knowns. These are things we know that we What could go wrong? The air speed indicator know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, was essential, as there was no stick force cue for there are things that we know we don’t know. But speed because of the weak longitudinal stability. there are also unknown unknowns. There are things GPS ground speed was obtained using an iPhone we don’t know we don’t know.” app, and a chase plane was employed. The canopy Some known knowns came from the original opened sideways, so if not properly locked could flight test report and other accounts by pilots. The tear off, and the castoring tail skid had to be locked Comet was longitudinally unstable to just stable. for take-off to ensure a straight ground roll. Ground The stall with no buffet warning was very unpleasant crew displayed flash cards to the pilot. There is no with wing drop. The undercarriage was weak. A view forward over the nose, so a curved landing G-ACSS, THE Cranfield MSc thesis analysed the light weight approach is essential with ground crew assistance ONLY SURVIVOR gear and designed a strengthening modification. while taxying. During take-off, the runway edges Another thesis examined the wing aerodynamics are monitored. Regarding weight and balance, low OF FIVE and showed that the highly tapered planform with weight was required for low stall speeds and a COMETS BUILT, no wash-out gave a good lift:drag ratio in the cruise forward centre of gravity close to the forward limit COMPETED (as required) and confirmed the very poor stalling would give the best handling. The Comet has front, behaviour. The RAF 34 wing section, which was centre and rear tanks and the fuel load is distributed IN A NUMBER designed for tail-less aircraft, gives little change in to give the desired forward c of g. OF RACES pitching moment over the usable angle-of-attack The speaker showed videos of the Comet taking (AoA) range thus minimising trim drag. off, landing and taxying to illustrate the problems AND RECORD Pre-war experience had shown that a three- involved. This enthralling talk ended with a lengthy ATTEMPTS point landing would give wing drop, so this was not question time. BEFORE BEING to be attempted. To avoid tip stall and wing drop the AoA was never to be allowed to approach the stall Chris Farara LAID UP FOR 13 angle. Using the NPL wind tunnel data for the RAF RAeS Weybridge Branch YEARS IN 1938
Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2018 57 The Last Word COMMENTARY FROM Professor Keith Hayward FRAeS
Happy Birthday NASA
his summer saw the 50th anniversary Not everybody’s favourite of the US National Aeronautics and organisation Space Agency – NASA. Formed out of the old National Advisory Committee on Over the years, despite its many triumphs, NASA Aeronautics (created in 1915, I suspect has become synonymous with bureaucratic Tits centenary might have been overlooked) but born overload and unnecessary expense. These failings of a huge shock to American technological pride, have been the opening for Elon Musk and Jeff the Soviet Sputnik of 1957. NASA thus became a Bezos and others to adopt a more ‘entrepreneurial’ frontline Cold War warrior establishment with the approach to space, with their innovative and implicit if not explicit remit to win the space race. (relatively) cheap rocket programmes. They have And win it NASA duly did through a succession of also helped to revive the prospects for a manned manned space missions culminating in the Apollo deep space programme, perhaps to Mars, in 11 Moon landing in 1969. After that, Americans lost partnership with NASA. interest and political support waned. The dramatic As many regular readers may recall, I am not Apollo 13 incident notwithstanding, the programme a great fan of human spaceflight; the huge costs was arbitrarily terminated in 1972 with Apollo 17, would have been better spent on other more directly three short of the planned 20. Remaining hardware useful space applications and the generation of was then used as the basis for the Skylab missions a more comprehensive set of scientific findings and a joint mission with the Soviet Union. (to my mind, most of the scientific returns from manned space have related to keeping people The Shuttle years alive and well in space). A caveat to this scepticism would be related to the arrival of SpaceX – a The 1970s were something of a struggle until more incremental and less politically driven the Space Shuttle was authorised. Although far programme from the late 1960s might have been from the fully reusable ‘spacecraft’ as originally less expensive and a more rational way of evolving conceived in the late 1960s, the Shuttle and a sensible package of manned and unmanned then the International Space Station came to dominate US space budgets through the late 20th activities. century. From 1981 to 2011 operating the Shuttle absorbed a large chunk of NASA spending. Until The enduring value of NASA the Challenger disaster of 1986, the Shuttle was the US heavy lift launch vehicle. With the end of the However I would rather end on the positive note of Shuttle programme, hastened by a second vehicle remembering NASA’s multiple near Earth and deep NASA BECAME loss, the US has had to rely on Russian launchers space probes. The Voyager series of the late 1970s A FRONTLINE to transport astronauts to the Space Station – an have sent vehicles outside the Solar System; other COLD WAR increasingly embarrassing dependence. satellites have produced breath-taking images of The Challenger and Columbia fatalities were the near and outer planets; and various planetary WARRIOR not the first to have hit NASA. A fire on the pad at landers continue to generate important findings. ESTABLISHMENT the Kennedy Space Center killed the three Apollo The Hubble telescope – shortly to be replaced by WITH THE 1 crew and triggered a crisis in confidence. The the Webb telescope – has transformed astronomy. IMPLICIT IF NOT resulting inquiry revealed a scandalous lack of Closer to home, pioneering weather and Earth care and political corruption in NASA procurement resources satellites have saved lives and improved EXPLICIT REMIT practices. The loss of Challenger may not have been life on Earth. TO WIN THE so egregious but poor design and questionable Happy birthday then NASA and keep boldly SPACE RACE launch procedures were contributory causes. going!
58 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2018 Wilbur and Orville Wright General Aviation Named Lecture and Conference 2018 RAeS Honours CONNECT, PROTECT, EXPLORE, INSPIRE: LIGHT AIRCRAFT DESIGN Innovation and Leadership for the Future CONFERENCE 2018 of Aerospace LEANNE CARET, VICE PRESIDENT, THE BOEING COMPANY AND ‘ON THE LIGHTER SIDE’ PRESIDENT & CEO, BOEING DEFENSE SPACE & SECURITY
LONDON DECEMBER LONDON / 19 NOVEMBER 2018
The Wilbur & Orville Wright Over the past few decades Lecture is the principal event in there has been a remarkable the Society’s year. resurgence of grassroots aviation driven by science In a broad look at the forces and technology. It won’t that are shaping the aerospace stop here – and our aim is industry, the 2018 Lecture to give a taste of current will preview future challenges developments and where and trends with examples of we are all going. Wingsuits, how teams today are already flying bicycles, footlaunch, working to build the future for design and UAV proof of commercial and government concept, ultralight aircraft customers around the globe. – and beyond: come and be Prior to the Lecture, the RAeS inspired! 2018 Honours will be presented. www.aerosociety.com/wow www.aerosociety.com/events
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