Wings Over the Bay NEW ZEALAND DIVISION Journal of the Bay of Plenty Branch of the NZ Division, RAeS: 02-17 ______
Welcome to the newsletter for the Bay of was reflected in a graphic which noted composites Plenty Branch, NZ Division, RAeS for February at 50% and metal content down to 20% on leading 2017 edges, engine pylon mounts and elsewhere. Engine cowls too are made from composites. Meeting Recap The February meeting of the Bay of Plenty Branch was held at the clubrooms of the Tauranga Gliding Club on the north west of Tauranga airfield. This was the same venue we had used for the Branch meeting and BBQ last year which was a great place for the AGM and accompanying lecture this year, titled: B787 Operations.
The lecture was delivered by Owen Bieleski who holds an ATPL with military transport experience with the RNZAF before embarking on a commercial The extensive use of electric-based systems has career with major airlines overseas. Recently, he almost entirely replaced bleed-air and a good returned home with his family to Tauranga from number of hydraulic-based services. Flight Dubai, where he had flown all six variants B777 controls, too, use fly-by-wire (FBW) with no with Emirates. manual back-up. Owen suggested with the extent of the changes to electrically-based systems, the B787 is sometimes called the ‘electric jet’.
Owen explained the B787 is a very different design to its predecessors, with a heavy emphasis on electrical powered systems and multiple layers of automatically managed redundancy. Pilots are alerted to most failures via the EICAS (Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System) as a Warning, Owen Bieleski showing an RNZAF F27 – Friendship at the start of his Caution or Advisory. In some failure cases, such as lecture – Photo Des Underwood the Flight Management Computer, switching to Owen has joined China Southern as a line captain the backup is automatic and only ‘flagged’ when flying the B787-800 Dreamliner service from one FMC remains. System alert logic is on a ‘need Auckland to Guangzhou in China. With extensive to know’ basis. airline experience on the B777, he is well qualified For passengers, too, Owen explained new features to discuss the features of the new Boeing 787 included lower cabin-altitude (to 6,000 feet) and wide-body ‘electric jet’. higher humidity levels to help reduce passenger While comparable in size to the B767-300, the fatigue on the long flights which the B787 is B787 is 35% lighter. This is due to substantial use capable of flying. of carbon-fibre composite materials and new He noted B777 pilots would be very at home in a electrically-based system and componentry to B787 with conversions to the new type taking just replace heavier heritage aircraft systems and five days. In the cockpit, the main change is head- services. The extent of use of composite materials
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Facebook - aerospace bay of plenty Wings Over the Bay NEW ZEALAND DIVISION Journal of the Bay of Plenty Branch of the NZ Division, RAeS: 02-17 ______up displays (for take-off and landing) which he had starter generators have replaced the separate found easy to adapt to. pneumatic starters and generators. Two interchangeable VFSG’s are fitted on each engine and the APU, which together are capable of generating 1.4MW of electrical power. The aircraft has batteries and when all else fails a ram air turbine (RAT) provides essential power. Engine and electrically powered high pressure (5,000psi) hydraulics is used to power the primary flight control surfaces although some spoilers and the stabiliser are electrically actuated to provide system redundancy.
The B787 cockpit with five multi-function displays (MFD’s) feature on the To conclude, Owen noted he had found the most with electronic flight bag (EFB) units to the side panel; new head-up displays (HUDs) are new which can be folded away. useful change on the B787 was the ergonomic inclusion of a rocker switch on the back of the While retaining the traditional control columns, all cockpit seats. These switches allowed the seats to flight controls are fly-by-wire (FBW) with no be moved back at the touch of the button. manual reversion. He confirmed throttles and other control handles physically moved whether Those attending the lecture came away better they were moved by the pilot or auto commanded. informed on the features of the B787 Dreamliners He identified some new flight control features of and why 64 airlines had ordered more than 1,200 the 787 which included: cruise flaps, asymmetry of the three variants to date. compensation, gust suppression, auto-drag and Thank you to Owen for his most enlightening landing attitude modifier. lecture covering an important aspect of the Nose-wheel steering tillers were available for both progress in new airliner design and operation. pilots that use ‘control by wire’ technology as opposed to mechanical sequencing. Owen explained while the Airbus ‘rate-control’ side-stick controller of the types, the ‘direct-sense’ conventional controls used by Boeing had their advocates but he preferred the Boeing approach. In answer to a later question about the retention of the traditional control column by Boeing in the 787, he thought it could be replaced by a side-stick control device at some stage.
Engines used on the 787 include the GE GEnx-1B and Rolls Royce Trent 1000. These had been China Southern Airlines B2732 Boeing 787-81B on the Boeing pre- configured to have virtually eliminated engine delivery ramp at Paine Field, Washington – Photo Bill Shemley bleed-air to cater only for engine intake anti-icing, The meeting concluded with an enjoyable Branch allowing greater engine efficiency levels for BBQ. propulsion and the direct-driven twin variable frequency starter generators (VFSGs). These ***** Explore the marvels of aviation with the Bay of Plenty Branch
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Aviation News As it is now, sadly, NZ5911 has suffered the effects of outside storage. Aviation News – February 2017
Continuing with the B787 lecture theme, Boeing has delivered its 500th 787 to Avianca at Everett, Seattle.
NZ5911 at Ardmore, less ailerons and tail surfaces – Photo Geoff Jones
It is due to be dismantled in preparation for shipping to the UK. This will apparently require the removal of the centre-wing to comply with road transport rules in the UK. It is sad that another part of both the RNZAF and NZ aviation history is about to leave NZ but good it will be restored and preserved elsewhere. Despite some delivery set-backs, the B787 is the Its return to the UK will close the loop on an aircraft quickest airliner to have reached the 500th delivery which was built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company at milestone having entered airline service five years Filton, Bristol as c/n 13135 (as a Mk 31M ) and rolled ago. out on 4 September 1952 before being handed over Unlike some other types, Boeing has planned dual to the RNZAF later the same month. Its departure for assembly plants, the second plant in B787 in North NZ was delayed until the following year to allow it to Charleston, South Carolina. The first of the type off be modified with as a dual-control trainer at RAF the SC line was the 250th 787 which was delivered Abingdon. For NZ5911, it is about to be embark on a Mar 17, 2015 and was a larger -9 variant. new beginning with restoration at a new home at Filton. It isn’t clear in what livery it will be painted. Of the 214 made at Filton, the return of c/n 13135 will be the only one of its type in the UK.
As it once was, NZ5911 in jungle camouflage. Photo AMB Collection
Article by Adrian M. Balch – this story covers the sale of Bristol 170 Freighter (formerly NZ5911) to the Bristol Aero Collection in UK. Having been assigned to 41 Squadron RNZAF in Singapore, it served in South East Asia including supply runs to in Viet Nam before being brought back to NZ for service eventually serving with 1 Squadron RNZAF at Whenuapai. Article by Nicholas McIndoe – covers the delivery of Having been replaced by the RAF HS Andover C Mk 1, reproduction RAF BE2c to Warbirds NZ from the the B170 fleet was sold to RS Dwen Airmotive Ltd at Vintage Aviator Ltd. The pic shows its maiden flight at Ardmore. Ardmore with Frank Parker at the helm. Explore the marvels of aviation with the Bay of Plenty Branch
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City In The Sky – BBC TV Documentary – This recently to airliners and their passengers. released three-part series has screened in NZ and reviews the progress of aviation. The ‘city in the sky’ claimed to keep around a million people and their baggage aloft at any moment of a normal day.
It noted while all-metal aircraft inherently possess the means to conduct the lightning strike to exit elsewhere, new methods to achieve the same level of safety is necessary for the next generation of mainly non-metal aircraft (made from carbon–fibre composite materials) such as the B787. A startling sequence showed what happens to an unprotected The well-presented documentary noted around carbon-fibre panel in a test lab when struck by a bolt 100,000 flights was required to achieve this notional of high voltage electricity. A repeat test of a similar ‘city in the sky’. Using this graphic to represent panel equipped with a copper mesh embedded in it thousands of aircraft aloft at once, the three-60 showed how it was able to conduct the electricity minute series is well worth a watching. The series is away leaving the panel completely undamaged. set out to explain what was required to support the so-called ‘city in the sky’ including the latest Another involved the use of modern satellite developments in aviation. communications to provide expert advice for aircraft captains and cabin-crews to deal with in flight One vital aspect covered includes an explanation of medical emergencies. The 24/7 service is used by how modern air navigation is achieved via the some airlines and provides team of doctors at the invisible global networks of airports and waypoints end of a phone. As well as indicating what might be used by pilots and air traffic controllers (in undertaken on-board to deal with the urgent medical conjunction with GPS and on-board systems) to condition being experienced, the specialists will maintain the necessary separation between aircraft recommend the most suitable diversion which is best to ensure all flights reach their destination safely. capable of providing specialist care.
In citing the millions of items of bags which must be To close the loop on old aircraft, the series included a tracked from source to every destination, it also segment on the storage of redundant aircraft and covered the unusual disposal for those bags which their ignominious end at the wrong-end of a massive lose their labels and become ‘lost’. Like a variation of aircraft wrecking machine which reduces these once the ‘Storage Wars’, in some places ‘lost luggage’ is majestic airliners to mangled heap of metal. auctioned-off to whoever wants a surprise bag. For those not directly involved in the world of As well as a very good overview of the complexity of modern air transport, it is the story of the diverse freight and baggage handling at large airports the nature of latest developments in commercial aviation unusual means used by some airports to dispose of which is makes the series a compelling watch. unclaimed luggage is revealed. Another aspect covered is the ever-present danger of lightning strike ***** on aircraft and the work done to mitigate the effects
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Branch Activities - 2017 Aviation Events - 2017
Friday 3 March – Branch Meeting – Classic 24-26 February – 2017 Air Tattoo – Flyers, 9 Jean Batten Dr, Mt Maunganui at Celebrating 80 Years of the RNZAF - at RNZAF 5.30pm Base Ohakea
- Prior to this month’s meeting we have a visit planned to see Wayne Cutforth’s replica Spitfire at his hangar immediately behind Classic Flyers in Dakota Way - All meet at the Avgas Café - The speaker this month is Melanie Salisbury and her topic is “Aviation Tours” - Melanie and her husband Kevin are Branch members and run the local 3–5 March Australian International Airshow company Aviation Tours which provides 2017 - at Avalon, Victoria guided aviation tours of UK - We heard from Melanie before the 2016 tour and look forward to an update of how that went, as well an insight into the 2017 tour titled: "Wings & Wheels" which is due to depart in September - Light supper to follow – a gold coin donation would be appreciated Friday 7 April – Branch Meeting - Classic Flyers, 9 Jean Batten Dr, Mt Maunganui at 5.30 – What’s in an Airshow? – an insight into what is required to be done to stage an airshow and some of the strategies used by Easter Weekend 14-16 April 2017 - Classic some – details to follow. Fighters Airshow 2017 - at Omaka - Includes Knights of the Sky Great War Exhibition. ***** www.omaka.org.nz At a future date, we will look to have a lecture on the changes planned for the next generation Bay of Plenty Branch Committee B777X which currently includes folding wing tips. Des Underwood, MRAeS, Chairman – 0274524767- [email protected]
Wally Gee – Secretary - [email protected]
Mike Feisst – Treasurer/Membership [email protected]
Jack Best - [email protected]
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