THE ART of FLIGHT INSPIRING AEROSPACE THROUGH the PAINTBRUSH TRANSITIONING Leased Engines Or Aircraft? Keep Your Asset Prepared, Protected, and Ready to Fly
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June 2020 RUSSIA’S GREEN GOALS GREEN RUSSIA’S PRESERVING AVIATION HISTORY TRACKING PILOT INTERVENTIONS THE ART OF FLIGHT INSPIRING AEROSPACE THROUGH THE PAINTBRUSH www.aerosociety.com AEROSPACE June 2020 Volume 47 Number 6 Royal Aeronautical Society TRANSITIONING leased engines or aircraft? Keep your asset prepared, protected, and ready to fly. Willis Asset Management provides global engine and aircraft transition management solutions to meet your unique needs. Our award-winning, independent consultancy is focused on providing remote solutions to help mitigate against the risks of planned – and unplanned – asset transitions. OUR REMOTE CAPABILITIES INCLUDE: • Technical records management • Aircraft & engine lease return support • Periodic records inspections • Back-to-birth trace reviews on LLPs • Records systems maintenance • CAMO & shadow CAMO services • Part 145 maintenance services Willis Engine Repair Center (UK & US locations) Ask about our aircraft disassembly and aircraft maintenance & storage solutions at Teesside International Airport in the UK! [email protected] | +44 (0) 1656.754.777 | www.willisasset.com Volume 47 Number 6 June 2020 EDITORIAL Contents Aviation heritage hanging Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission by a thread The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and social media feedback. analysis and comment. At around this time of year, the summer air show season would be swinging 58 The Last Word into gear – with weekends of aerobatics, flypasts and the like. But today, 11 Pushing the Envelope Keith Hayward considers yet another part of aviation is currently grounded due to the worldwide Rob Coppinger analyses the the effects of the Covid-19 challenges of designing a air transport shutdown on Coronavirus pandemic, with air shows cancelled and museums shuttered. new reusable Moon lander. airports. Some may argue that, compared to the damage being inflicted on the wider air travel and aerospace industries, this loss might seem to be small beer. However, it has to be remembered that many air shows, historic collections Features and aviation museums are run on a shoestring, depend on volunteers and ©Davidbentstudio 26 Boarding flight 2050 do not have the deep pockets or lobbying power of major airlines and OEMs How might the world of air to survive this crisis. Expensive to run, some of these events were already transport look in 30 years under pressure without the additional challenge of losing the entire summer time? display season. They too are under threat and, if lost, there is every chance Britten-Norman that irreplaceable knowledge and history dies with them. These air shows and museums are not just important in preserving heritage (see To Infinity 14 and Beyond, p 34) but are vital in helping to inspire and educate future generations of aerospace professionals. Lose these air shows and aviation Capturing the art of flight museums, however seemingly small and unimportant, and you also lose the The career and work of 30 chance to inspire a child into finding out more and, perhaps one day, joining visionary aviation artist David Bent. Sparking an electric this community. Finally, it is noticeable in a world where commercial flying revolution has been almost eliminated how much joy and excitement the sighting of Cranfield University Solutions’ ambitious plans to develop a an aeroplane, particularly a historic one or a display team, gives the general 20 Pilot error! What about new British electric airliner. public as aerial messengers that better times will return. pilot saves? The role of pilots in preventing aircraft accidents 34 To infinity and beyond before they occur. Adventures in preserving and Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief promoting the UK’s aviation [email protected] and aerospace heritage. Eugene Gerden 38 Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office 2020 AEROSPACE subscription Tim Robinson Royal Aeronautical Society rates: Non-members, £180 Navy Royal +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place Please send your order to: [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Wayne J Davis, RAeS, No.4 Hamilton +44 (0)20 7670 4300 22 Deputy Editor Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK. [email protected] Bill Read +44 (0)20 7670 4354 +44 (0)20 7670 4351 www.aerosociety.com [email protected] From red to green Onboard the UK’s [email protected] AEROSPACE is published by the Royal Any member not requiring a print Russia’s first generation Supercarrier Aeronautical Society (RAeS). version of this magazine should Production Manager of environmentally-friendly Aboard Britain’s newest contact: [email protected] Wayne J Davis Chief Executive aircraft. aircraft carrier HMS Prince +44 (0)20 7670 4354 Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS USA: Periodical postage paid at of Wales. [email protected] Advertising Champlain New York and additional +44 (0)20 7670 4346 offices. Publications Executive [email protected] Chris Male Postmaster: Send address changes to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, +44 (0)20 7670 4352 Unless specifically attributed, no Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. Afterburner [email protected] material in AEROSPACE shall be taken Publications Executive to represent the opinion of the RAeS. ISSN 2052-451X 42 Message from our President Annabel Hallam Reproduction of material used in this 43 Message from our Chief Executive +44 (0)20 7670 4361 publication is not permitted without the [email protected] written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. 44 Book Reviews Book Review Editor Printed by Buxton Press Limited, 48 Library Additions Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire Brian Riddle 49 NAL book reviews on-line [email protected] SK17 6AE, UK Distributed by Royal Mail 50 NAL film archive launched 52 Call for EPA assessors Additional content is available to view online at: www.aerosociety.com/aerospaceinsight 53 RAeS Council 2020-2021 Including: Turning aviation green, Aerospace digital and IT transformation, The new AEROSPACE app, Boeing and Embraer – jilted at the altar, A V-shaped or U-shaped recovery? In the May issue of 54 Obituary Online AEROSPACE, New member spotlight, Hope given wings, How businesses can ride out Covid-19. 56 Elections and new member spotlight Front cover: A Beautiful Jigsaw by David Bent. ©Davidbentstudio @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com JUNE 2020 13 Blueprint INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Availability VoltAero says that the Cassio would be available for 10hrs a day or approximately eight rotations. The company is targeting private owners, air taxi/charter operators and point-to-point regional travel. Electric experience The Cassio builds on not only the hybrid-electric testing of the earlier Cassio 1 but also the knowledge of VoltAero’s founders, former Airbus CTO Jean Botti and Didier Esteyne, who in 2015 flew the all-electric Airbus E-FAN across the English Channel. VoltAero 4 AEROSPACE JUNE 2020 News.indd 2 22/05/2020 13:22:12 Cassio specifi cations Endurance 3.5hrs (extension possible to 5hrs) Range 800nm Cruise speed 200kt Take-off/landing distance <1,800ft MTOW <2.5t Hybrid power The production version of the Cassio will feature an internal combustion engine linked to three 60kW electric motors and driving a rear pusher propeller. Electric power will be used for quiet take-offs and landings, with the internal combustion engine used as a range extender. W AEROSPACE A volt from the blue On 6 May, French start-up VoltAero revealed the production version of its Cassio hybrid- electric general aviation aircraft. The concept is for a family of hybrid-electric aircraft, ranging from the four-seat Cassio 330 to the six-seat Cassio 480 and the ten-seat Cassio 600. The all-composite design features twin booms, a single pusher propeller and canards. The Cassio is expected to have a range of 800nm with a speed of 200kt. VoltAero has already fl own a technology demonstrator, the Cassio 1, based on the Cessna Skymaster with its hybrid-electric powerplant earlier this year from its HQ in Royan- Medis, France. VoltAero aims to build the Cassio family at a factory in southwest France. JUNE 2020 5 JUNE 2020 News.indd 3 22/05/2020 13:22:23 Radome COVID-19 AIR TRANSPORT AEROSPACE UK to implement 14-day Job losses mount across quarantine for arrivals aerospace and aviation Heathrow AirportHeathrow As the Covid-19 Boeing has said pandemic continues, it will eliminate up to airlines, OEMs and 16,000 jobs. The US companies around the manufacturer says that world have announced it plans to reduce its deep job cuts as they 160,000 workforce by The UK Government is to impose a 14-day quarantine period on passengers arriving grapple with the steep about 10% through to the UK from international destinations as a measure to limit the spread of the drop in air travel and voluntary measures and Coronavirus. The 14-day quarantine, to be brought in this month, will see arrivals asked production rates. These ‘involuntary layoffs as to self-isolate for a fortnight, or face £10,000 fi nes. Airlines and airport groups have include: necessary’. reacted negatively to the proposal, arguing that it will ‘kill air travel’ to the UK and make Flag carrier Brtitish UK long-haul carrier short holiday breaks impossible, just at the point when other countries are relaxing their Airways is to press ahead Virgin Atlantic has travel restrictions. with up to 12,000 job announced 3,100 losses. job losses. Additional AIR TRANSPORT After furloughing 6,000 measures include the staff, Airbus is reported early retirement of some ICAO establishes aviation recovery to be considering further of its Boeing 747-400 job cuts of up to 10% or and Airbus A340 fl eets. task force ICAO 10,000 of its workforce Gulfstream under restructuring plans. Aerospace has However, the company announced a new round stressed no decision had of redundancies which been made yet.