AE March 2019 ROSPACE

SPACEFLIGHT IN 2019

AIRLINE FLEET PLANNING NEXT GEN SENSORS

www.aerosociety.com Marc h 2019

V olume 46 Number 3

SALUTE TO THE

Royal A SPEEDBIRD WHY CONCORDE REMAINS AN ICON AT 50 eronautical Society Don’t forget to renew your membership subscription for 2019

Any unpaid memberships will lapse on 31 March 2019

As per the Society’s Regulations, all How to renew: memberships will be suspended where a payment for an individual subscription has Online: Log in to your account on the Society’s not been received after three months of the website to pay at: due date. This excludes members paying their www.aerosociety.com/login annual subscriptions by Direct Debit in monthly instalments. If you do not have an account, you can register Your membership benefits include: online and pay your subscription straight away. ⚫ Your monthly subscription to AEROSPACE Telephone: Call the Subscriptions Department magazine on: ⚫ Use of your RAeS post nominals, as applicable +44 (0)20 7670 4315 / 4304 ⚫ Access to over 400 global events yearly Cheque: Cheques should be made payable to ⚫ Discounted rates for conferences the Royal Aeronautical Society and sent to the ⚫ Online publications including Society News, Subscriptions Department at No.4 Hamilton blogs and podcasts Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK. ⚫ Involvement with your local Branch BACS Transfer: Pay by Bank Transfer (or by BACS) into the Society’s bank account, quoting ⚫ Networking opportunities your name and membership number. Bank ⚫ Support gaining Professional Registration details:

⚫ Recognition of achievement through the Bank: HSBC plc Society’s Medals and Awards Sort Code: 40-05-22 ⚫ Opportunities for professional development Account No: 01564641 ... and much more! Find out more ways to get BIC/Swift: HBUKGB4B involved and utilise your membership benefits: IBAN: GB89HBUK40052201564641 www.aerosociety.com/membership

Thank you for renewing your membership!

With your support, the Royal Aeronautical Society remains the world’s foremost professional institution dedicated to the entire aerospace and aviation industry. Gatwick Airport Gatwick Volume 46 Number 3 NAL/RAeS Beautiful bird, Fleeting thoughts March 2019 lovely plumage An analysis of the Trevor Beattie looks planning involved in at the enduring creating an aircraft 14 appeal of Concorde 28 fleet. 50 years after its first flight. 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 Role reversal Howard Wheeldon considers the legacy of Herb Kelleher, Airbus’ Brexit warning to founder of low-cost carrier the UK. pioneer Southwest Airlines. Some 50 years ago a battle between speed and size took off with the Atlantic Ocean separating rival contenders for the future of air travel. In Europe, Aérospatiale and BAC gambled that passengers and airlines would Features NASA/SpaceX demand Concorde to whisk them to destinations at twice the speed of Leonardo sound. Over in the US, Boeing, originally envisaging the 747 as an interim 24 airliner on the way to higher speeds, found that its Jumbo Jet became a revolution in getting the world to fly. Half a century later, the 747 has carried over 5.9bn people – or the equivalent of 78% of the world’s population. Yet Concorde, with a handful built and doomed by overflight restrictions and the 70’s oil crisis, now lives on only in museums and in the imagination. Today, 18 Scanning for the new ironically, the roles are reversed with Europe’s aerospace champion, Airbus age of radar Leonardo is developing a new range of having failed in its bet that ‘bigger is better’ with the A380 superjumbo. Space 2019 lightweight radar systems Meanwhile across the Atlantic, speed is back with NASA pushing forward The RAeS Space Group look designed for smaller ahead to this year’s plans with low-boom research, Boom developing a 55-seat airliner and Boeing platforms. for manned and unmanned announcing a new partnership with Aerion to bring its AS2 supersonic bizjet space missions. to market. Even John Leahy, Airbus’ recently-retired super-salesman, has 32 Lost in translation been reported as saying that the next big leap in commercial air transport The need for delivering

NATS technical content in native will be the return of supersonic flight. Yet, any new SST enters a world far languages. different than its predecessor. Concerns about noise, sustainability, carbon footprints and the excesses of the rich ‘1%’ have magnified over the past 50 years. The real challenges of civil supersonic flight may not be technical barriers but societal, environmental and economic costs. What price are we prepared to pay to get there faster? 22 Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief 36 NATS clears AI for take-off at Heathrow Flying the connected [email protected] How UK air traffic service skies provider NATS is testing How commercial aircraft artificial intelligence to could be used to gather NEWS IN BRIEF increase traffic capacity and Earth observation data. Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office Printed by Buxton Press Limited, reduce delays. 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 Bharat Davé version of this magazine, please Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4346 contact: [email protected] 49 Library Additions Additional features and content are +44 (0)20 7670 4354 [email protected] [email protected] USA: Periodical postage paid at 50 Obituaries available to view online on www.media. Unless specifically attributed, no Champlain New York and additional aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight Book Review Editor offices. 51 2019 Council Elections Brian Riddle material in AEROSPACE shall be taken Including: to represent the opinion of the RAeS. Postmaster: Send address changes 52 Diary Safety lessons from the Lion Air crash, Airbus Reproduction of material used in this to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, warns of business impact of a no-deal Brexit, Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. 55 Whittle Laboratory publication is not permitted without the Heritage Plaque Counter-UAV systems for airports, Leonardo written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. develops a new generation of aircraft radars, ISSN 2052-451X 56 Elections Effect of no-deal Brexit on UK-Europe flights, Planning an aircraft fleet, NATS to use AI technology at Front cover: British Airways’ Concorde. (Newscast) Heathrow.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 13 Radome

INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT

Advanced autonomy Unlike previous Mars rovers that are dependent on driving instructions sent via mission control and subject to the 4-20minutes time-lag between Mars and Earth, Rosalind Franklin will incorporate Specifications high levels of navigational autonomy, being able to drive itself between locations selected by scientists. This will speed up Weight 300kg exploration and allow it to travel up to 100m per Martian day. Length 2.5m Height 2m Range 4km Mission duration 218 days

Drilling for life The centrepiece of the ExoMars 2020 rover mission is a drill which will be used to probe below the surface of Mars. The drill will be able to penetrate Martian soil down to 2m to extract a core sample for analysis by Rosalind's sophisticated onboard laboratory. Other scientific instruments onboard the rover include infrared spectrometers, ground-penetrating radar and an organic molecule analyser.

W SPACEFLIGHT Rosalind to roam Mars On 7 February, the name of ESA's ExoMars rover was announced to be Rosalind Franklin, the British female scientist who played an integral part in the discovery of DNA. The name was chosen after some 35,844 suggestions were sent in, with Rosalind Franklin selected due to the rover's key mission to hunt for life on Mars. The UK-built ExoMars rover, developed by Airbus at its site in Stevenage is now under final assembly and will launch to the Red Planet in July/August 2020 atop a Russian Proton rocket. Touchdown on Mars is set for 2021.

4 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Eyes on Mars The ExoMars rover will feature stereoscopic cameras on top of a 2m mast to help it navigate on the planet by creating digital maps. Close-in-cameras will assist in automatic obstacle avoidance.

Solar power Solar panels and batteries will provide power for 50 onboard motors for wheels, mast, drill and cameras. ESA

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 5 Radome

AEROSPACE DEFENCE Mitsubishi fires back in After being on almost constant combat operations since August 1990, the final three RAF Tornados returned from deployment in Cyprus on 5 February to their home base at trade secrets dispute RAF Marham, ahead of the type's retirement from UK service at the end of this month. Operation Shader saw the Tornado force fly around 30,000hrs and release 2,000 Japan's Mitsubishi and certification of the weapons in the fight against ISIS. Aircraft, makers of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet.” MRJ narrowbody, has The counterclaim, filed in a issued a legal countersuit US District of Washington accusing Canada's court on 28 January, is in Bombardier of alleged response to it being sued “anticompetitive conduct” by Bombardier in October in attempting to stifle the 2018 with the Canadian development of its regional OEM alleging that several jet. The company says: of its ex-employees stole “Bombardier has engaged secrets on the A220 (then in illegal anticompetitive CSeries) airliner which RAF Tornados return from ops behaviour with the intent to have assisted Mitsubshi in impede the development certification of its MRJ. for last time MoD AIR TRANSPORT GENERAL AVIATION Airbus axes A380 as orders dry up. Missing footballer's On 14 February Airbus announced it would halt production of its A380 aircraft located superjumbo after 2021 after orders failed to materialise. Its biggest A380 The wreckage of a Piper Ibbotson and Argentinean customer, Emirates, also ditched its commitment to 39 superjumbos, switching Malibu light aircraft which footballer Emiliano Sala, the order to 40 A330neos and 30 A350s. The decision comes after Airbus went missing on 21 who had just signed for removed an order for ten A380s for Hong Kong Airlines from its backlog and January has been Cardiff City. The UK Qantas cancelled an outstanding order for eight Airbus A380s it first placed in discovered off Air Accidents A A I 2006. Guernsey by B Investigation a privately- Branch (AAIB) funded search is now at the team, with one site working body inside. to recover The aircraft was the aircraft to flying from Nantes to determine the cause of Cardiff with pilot David the crash. Airbus NEWS IN BRIEF

into commercial service Defiant co-axial helicopter capsule, will now take customer Acropolis Aviation. The Airbus A330-900neo with a flight on 7 February prototype has started the place on 2 March. The first The aircraft is to go first has received EASA from New York La Guardia. first ground test runs at manned test flight to the to Switzerland for cabin approval for ETOPS The flight was delayed by a facility in Florida. The International Space Station outfitting before officially (Extended-range Twin a week due to delays to Defiant is the team’s entry is now scheduled for July, entering service with engine aircraft Operations) FAA type approval caused for the US Army’s Joint the same month as NASA’s Acropolis. from 180min to 285min by the US Government Multi-Role technology last currently contracted diversion time. The aircraft shutdown. The A220s will demonstrator progamme, Soyuz flight. Meanwhile, Monarch Aircraft can now have a potential be used on routes between with the SB-1 competing the first unpiloted flight of Engineering Ltd (MAEL), diversion distance of LaGuardia, Boston Logan against the Bell V-280 Boeing’s Starliner capsule has gone bankrupt with the up to 2,000nm. ETOPS and Dallas-Fort Worth. tiltrotor. is now planned for April loss of 408 jobs. MAEL certification from the US Delta currently has orders with the first crewed flight was the MRO division of FAA is expected soon. for 40 A220-100s and 50 NASA has announced in late August. Monarch Airlines which -300s. that the first test flight collapsed in 2017. Delta Air Lines has of a SpaceX Falcon The first Airbus ACJ320neo introduced its Airbus A220 Sikorsky and Boeing have 9 rocket, carrying an business jet has been ANA Holdings in Japan is (ex Bombardier CSeries) revealed that their SB-1 unmanned Crew Dragon delivered to UK launch to order 20 Boeing 737

6 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 AIR TRANSPORT AEROSPACE Ryanair flies into the red On 22 January, Boeing NeXT conducted an unpiloted first flight of its fully autonomous electric passenger air vehicle at Manassas, Virginia. Developed by Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, the eVTOL completed a take-off, European budget carrier competition from other hover and landing with a dummy onboard. With eight lifting rotors and a thrust Ryanair has posted a net airlines. propeller, the vehicle will have a range of 50miles. loss of €19.6m (£17.2m)  Meanwhile, the  Meanwhile, on 5 February, Boeing announced that it would be partnering with for 2018 Q4, the airline’s low-cost airline is to Aerion to bring its AS2 supersonic bizjet to market. Boeing says it will provide first quarterly loss since restructure its top-level financial, engineering and industrial resources to accelerate development. March 2014. While management, with current passenger levels rose to CEO Michael O'Leary 32.7m compared to 30.4m moving up to a group for 2017 Q4 and revenue leadership role with rose 9% to €1.53bn, Ryanair Holdings, which Ryanair attributed the will then oversee four loss to a combination of airline subsidaries, Ryanair, a 32% increase in fuel Ryanair Sun, Laudamotion Boeing flies eVTOL, teams up for costs, a 31% increase in and the recently UK- staff wages and increased licenced Ryanair UK.

Boeing supersonic bizjet SPACEFLIGHT DEFENCE Orbex reveals Prime rocket in Scotland Germany drops F-35 from future fighter selection

The German MoD has which currently are nuclear confirmed that it has capable with the US B61 removed the stealth free-fall bomb.

E Lockheed Martin u The Luftwaffe is r o fi i F-35 from its g now reported to h

t

e r

shortlist of strike be mulling a split aircraft to replace buy of Boeing On 7 February UK launcher start-up company Orbex unveiled its Prime rocket at its aging fleet F/A-18E/F its new HQ and factory in Forres, Scotland. The Stage 2 of the Prime mini-satellite of Tornado fighter Super Hornets, launcher features the world’s largest 3D printed rocket engine. The first launch of bombers, which will along with upgraded Prime from the UK's new spaceport in Scotland is targeted for 2021. retire in the mid 2020s and Eurofighter Typhoons. Orbex

MAX 8s and 18 Airbus first two KC-46 Pegasus oxygen which could be Charter has added a Turkmenistan Airlines’ A320neos in a deal worth tankers to the US Air used for future human Pilatus PC-24 executive flights to the EU because $4.33bn at list prices. The Force at its facility in missions. ArianeGroup jet to its fleet. It is the first of concerns over air safety. MAX 8s will be used by Everett, Washington. The with Arianespace is PC-24 sold in the US. The suspension includes ANA on domestic routes USAF is set to receive working with German flights from the UK to while the A320neos will be around three tankers company PTScientists, Honeywell and Curtiss- Amritsar and New Delhi via operated by ANA’s budget per month in 2019, as which will provide Wright are to jointly Turkmenistan. carrier Peach Aviation. Boeing steeply ramps up the lunar lander, and develop a new family of Deliveries of both aircraft deliveries. Space Applications 'Black Boxs' cockpit voice General Atomics has are to begin in 2021. ANA Services in Belgium, and data recorders able announced industry is also to take a 9.5% stake ESA has signed a which will provide the to meet new EASA rules partners for the RAF’s in PAL Holdings, parent one-year contract with ground control facilities, for at least 25hrs of data Protector RG1 armed UAV, of flag carrier Philippine ArianeGroup to research communications and recording. including CAE which will Airlines. a robotic mission to mine service operations. supply a synthetic training regolith from the Moon. The European Aviation system and BAE Systems On 25 January Boeing Regolith is an ore which US charter company Safety Authority which will help integrate it officially handed over the can yield water and Western Aircraft’s WestAir (EASA) has suspended into UK airspace.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 7 Radome

DEFENCE AIR TRANSPORT

Images have appeared on social media of Russia’s new Okhotnik (Hunter) unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) undergoing ground testing at the BA rolls out the retrojets Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Organization (NAPO) in Russia. Reported to for its 100th year have been in development for a number of years, the Hunter is now believed to be ready for flight testing. The Hunter is similar in size to Northrop Grumman’s UK flag carrier British as flown on the carrier’s X-47B and appears to be powered by a fighter jet engine. Images have also Airways has announced original 747-100s. BA appeared of a Russian Sukhoi Su-57 with tail markings showing the shape of a Hunter, suggesting that manned-unmanned teaming trials are underway. the first of four ‘retro’ says the aircraft will paint schemes to carry the paint B r ii mark its centenary s scheme until h

A

i

r

this year. The w its retirement

a y

first airliner to s in 2023. As sport a historic AEROSPACE livery will be one goes to press, the of the airline’s Boeing BOAC retrojet is Russian stealth UCAV 747-400s, which is being set to make its first public breaks cover painted with the classic appearance at Heathrow

Russian internet 1964-74 BOAC livery, Airport on 18 February. SPACEFLIGHT AEROSPACE

Canadian manufacturer Bombardier has launched a new 50-seat regional jet. Stratolaunch to scale back Named the CRJ550 the new aircraft will be added to Bombardier’s CRJ Series ambitions range, with a type-certificate based on the CRJ700. An order for 50 of the new CRJ550s has been placed by US carrier United Airlines. Space launch start-up death of Stratolaunch’s Stratolaunch Systems billionaire founder, Paul is to scale back its Allen in late 2018. The operations and company, which only S t r a axe plans for t revealed that it o

l u

a

a family of n was working on c launchers to be h a family of air- air-dropped by its launched rockets giant mothership for its six-engined aircraft. ‘Roc’ aircraft last year, The news, which sees 50 will now focus on using staff also losing their jobs, the Northrop Grumman Bombardier launches 50-seat CRJ550 comes after the recent Pegasus XL rocket. Bombardier NEWS IN BRIEF

into Bombardier’s ($350.4m), compared to a joint Future Combat Air Reality TV space mission Aerostructures and a loss of NOK 713m in System sixth-generation Correction Mars One, which sought Engineering Services Q4 2017. To cut costs, fighter, with a €65m In the February 2019 issue of AEROSPACE, a picture caption applicants for a one-way division. Norwegian is to postpone concept study awarded to on p 39 in the Electric pioneer televised trip to colonise deliveries of 12 Boeing Airbus and Dassault. article incorrectly located the Red Planet, has been Bristow Group has called 737 MAX 8s from 2020 Sumburgh Airport as being in the Orkney Islands. Sumburgh declared bankrupt. off a $560m acquisition of to 2023/2024 and four As AEROSPACE goes to is, of course, on the Shetland heavy-lift rotary specialists Airbus A321LRs from press, NASA is set to make Islands. Bombardier is to acquire Columbia Helicopters in 2019 to 2020. The carrier one last attempt to contact We apologise for any confusion the Global 7500 bizjet a mutual agreement to blamed the loss on engine its Opportunity rover on caused. wing programme from terminate the deal. issues with the 787, Mars, which has been Triumph Group. The wing fuel hedge losses and silent for the past eight for the business jet will Norwegian Air has increased competition. months after a large dust continue to be produced delayed some aircraft storm. The rover has been at Triumph’s Red Oak deliveries following the France and Germany on the planet for 15 years facility in Texas which announcement of a 2018 have signed the first and its mission was only  will be incorporated Q4 loss of NOK 3bn development contracts for expected to last 90 days.

8 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 GENERAL AVIATION AEROSPACE Speaking at a lecture at Royal Aeronautical Society HQ on 5 February, Jeff Zaltman, Ordnance Survey CEO of Air Race E revealed that Airbus has signed up to become the Official Founding Partner in the Air Race E electric aircraft race due to begin in 2020. The race reveals HAPS project will see eight electric-powered racers compete over a 5km circuit.

UK mapping agency, first low-altitude flight Ordnance Survey has taking place in June 2016. revealed that is has The next step, says Brian been developing a Jones, Astigan’s Managing solar-powered HAPS Director, is moving to a (High Altitude Pseudo fully operational high- Satellite) with a team of altitude flight testing aeronatuical engineers. adding: "By the end of The enterprise 2019 we aim to called Astigan be completing A3, will weigh endurance O

r

d

149kg and has n flight testing, a

Airbus joins start n c

a wingspan e building up to

S

u

r

v

of 38m. It e 90 days non- grid for electric air racing y

Air Race 1 will operate at stop, which is 67,000ft, says the operational DEFENCE the OS, for up to 90 capability we’re days to return images of striving for." Entry into UK to field drone swarm squadron the Earth for mapping service is set for 2020. purposes. The project Astigan joins Airbus’ UK Defence Minister Gavin believed to be the RAF's UCAV. However, the MoD has been underway since Zephyr and BAE Systems’ Williamson has announced Rapid Capabilities Office subsequently confirmed 2014 and the UAV has Phasa-35 as the UK’s that the RAF is to field a (RCO) LANCA project that the project is a three- already completed eight third HAPS solar-powered squadron equipped with for a low-cost ‘attritable’ year one. full-scale flights, with the drone project. swarming UAVs able to confuse and overwhelm SPACEFLIGHT enemy air defences, with the goal of having them INFOGRAPHIC: Humans in space − from Vostock to ‘ready to be deployed’ by the end of the year. No Shenzhou specfic type of drone was mentioned, with the effort ON THE MOVE Steve Berroth is to become CEO and Program Manager at Aerion.

Nexcelle has named Patrice Provost as President.

Ma Xulun has been appointed as GM of China Southern Airlines.

Airbus has appointed Jean-Marc Nasr as President Asia-Pacific. Byrce

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 9 Global Outlook and Analysis with antenna: HOWARD WHEELDON Airbus – last throw of the dice before Brexit?

y the time this ‘Antenna’ column is cost’. Interpreted, this means that, if the UK leaves the published in AEROSPACE at the EU without an appropriate deal in place, aerospace beginning of March, the United Kingdom companies face the serious threat of supply chain will be, unless Article 51 has been pushed disruption and thus, higher manufacturing costs. back or revoked, less than 29 days from This would be made even worse if imports from the Bleaving the European Union. At the time of writing, EU were to be subject to tariffs and other forms of Parliament had failed to back the agreed deal which restriction. Breaking this down further means that, Prime Minister Theresa May had put before the if restrictions were to be placed on the movement House of Commons and the risk of the UK leaving of people and goods, this would create logistical without an agreed deal with Brussels remained. problems for companies such as Airbus who use While not alone among industries that are at risk a ‘just in time’ process of manufacturing. It would of being seriously impacted by the prospect of Britain also raise costs, as components would have to be leaving the EU without an agreement, the aerospace stockpiled in advance because of the need to have industry has been one of the most vociferous in additional customs procedures and immigration expressing concern. Whether you consider the fears checks. The bottom line is that it is not only costs that expressed by senior industry leaders together with are increased but also the potential weakening of the threats of moving production abroad to be a sensible UK aerospace sector’s global competitiveness. response is a matter best left to you the reader but, in the case of Airbus, I venture to suggest that in respect A cry of dissent of the UK leaving without a deal Tom Enders' words that “Brexit may lead to a slow motion crash for Britain’s Airbus CEO Tom Enders has been one of the most aerospace industry” should not be taken lightly. vociferous and consistent voices expressing concern over Britain leaving the EU without a deal. You could UK giant argue that Enders, who retires from Airbus at the AGM next month, has nothing to lose but that would With an annual turnover of £6bn and a large UK be to misunderstand the genuine love that he has exporter, Airbus is undoubtedly not only a major for what Airbus has created in the UK and a concern contributor to the UK balance of payments but is of how the next generation of Airbus management also hugely important to the UK economy and the will view a UK outside of the EU without a deal in retention of vital engineering and technical skills. place that can answer the concerns that the current In the UK Airbus employs no fewer than 14,000 generation of management have expressed. highly skilled personnel across 25 different sites In a final throw of the dice, in a video message in the UK, of which around 6,000 are based at the released in late January, Enders called the UK centre of excellence wing manufacturing plant in government’s handling of Brexit a “disgrace”, warning Broughton, North Wales. At Filton, near Bristol, Airbus that the company could [ultimately] pull out of the UK employs another 3,000 highly skilled personnel should the UK crash out of the EU without a deal. designing and engineering wings, fuel systems and If there was a no-deal Brexit, Airbus would have to landing gear. There are also 200 staff employed make 'potentially very harmful decisions for the UK'. at the Oxford-based Airbus Helicopters, as well Ratcheting up of the Airbus message coincides with as 900 at Newport in Wales, primarily engaged in other manufacturers, such as Sony and Dyson, openly secure information services and cyber security. In saying either that they plan to move operations out of Stevenage and Portsmouth the company employs the UK or, as in the case of Rolls-Royce, that not only 2,200 highly skilled personnel designing and is the company being forced to stockpile more parts manufacturing advanced satellite systems and military to maintain production but also that, from a regulatory communications, together with a further 110,000 standpoint, it has been forced to make contingency employed within the supply chain. plans to move design-approval processes for large jet So what is so concerning about the prospect of engines from Britain to Germany should we leave the a no-deal Brexit for high-value manufacturers such EU without an agreed deal. as Airbus? Principally, it is about the prospect of What is particularly interesting is that it isn’t only customs delays and the old adage that ‘time means those opposed to Britain leaving the EU that have

10 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Airbus

been expressing serious doubts as to the future. a lifetime in the aerospace industry and been One of the most fervent Brexit supporters, the small responsible for effecting considerable change not only privately owned aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman in the structure of Airbus operation but also in respect which manufactures the ten-seat Islander, is so of governance, Tom Enders hands over the CEO discontented over how the planned exit from the reins in April to a Frenchman in the form of Guillaume EU has been handled, that it says that it is seriously Faury. An engineer through and through, Faury will, in IF THE UK LEAVES considering moving some functions out of the UK into my view, concentrate efforts on increasing the output either the EU or USA. of Airbus aircraft. THE EU WITHOUT In choosing to say “Please don’t listen to the Also, with the recent retirement after 50 years in AN APPROPRIATE Brexiteers’ madness, which asserts that because we the aerospace industry of the much respected Airbus DEAL IN PLACE, have huge plants here [in the UK] we will not move Commercial Aircraft Chief Operating Officer Tom and we will always be here” Tom Enders has been Williams, Airbus finds itself for the first time without a AEROSPACE accused by Brexiteers of everything from ‘bullying’ to UK member on the Board. COMPANIES FACE ‘Teutonic arrogance’. I disagree in the belief that this Williams' replacement is Michael Schollhorn, THE SERIOUS was a simple and straightforward warning that there a German national who brings into the job a vast THREAT OF are plenty of other countries out there who would love amount of expertise in digitilisation, end-to-end to build the wings for Airbus aircraft. process optimisation and manufacturing, quality and SUPPLY CHAIN supply chain management. Add all that up and you DISRUPTION AND Airbus at the door? conclude that the future is about producing the next THUS, HIGHER levels of production efficiency. MANUFACTURING The unanswered question, of course, is whether With a Frenchman at the helm of Airbus as CEO Enders might be right or wrong in respect of Airbus and a German as Chief Operating Officer, both of COSTS eventually shutting the doors on the UK or whether whom appear to have a self-set mandate of getting he is out to cause unnecessary angst. Almost by more aircraft out of the door through achieving coincidence, I happened to be spending a couple of increased operating efficiencies, it doesn’t need an days with Airbus in Toulouse on the very day that the academic to conclude that Airbus is unlikely to be in Tom Enders' video/letter was released. The mood, any mood to tolerate reduced productivity from its despite Airbus having delivered more aircraft than wing-making operation in the UK. it forecast to do in 2018 was extremely subdued That is not to suggest that Airbus would or even on the question of Brexit. Those involved on the could up sticks and leave the UK but it is to suggest Continent said that Airbus manufacturing has no that thinking about long-term investment in its wing wish for change. However, by the same token, they operation at Broughton is no longer part of the then accept it as inevitable in the longer term if, as strategy. a consequence of a no-deal, cross border deliveries As to the UK interpretation of the Tom Enders of wings and wing components slow and costs rise. letter/video – Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay said So, do I believe that Enders expressed concerns that he took the warning “very seriously.” should be taken seriously by all concerned in the UK? I suspect that whether you voted to remain or Absolutely I do and here’s why: leave the EU, the majority will share Enders' desire for Firstly, in making a proper assessment of the a pragmatic withdrawal agreement that allowed for an situation you have to also take into consideration orderly Brexit. I for one certainly do but I am also old the massive change that Airbus is going through enough to know that you can take a horse to water in respect of senior management. Having spent but you can’t force it to drink.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 11 Transmission

LETTERS AND ONLINE

Lion Air crash and pilot safety training Boeing With reference to the very controllable by pilots. The informative article ‘Lion majority of airline pilots Air Lessons’ by David today have lost their basic Learmount(1), who covers manual flying skills due to the subject with his usual airlines forbidding their pilots thoroughness, I would like to fly manually except during f to add a few points. I trained the initial take-off stage and a number of pilots on the the final landing one (which DC-10 and B747-200, can also be done by the Air Race E rules checked them on line, and ‘auto-land’ system). Pilots The rules regarding number was one of the few test must be given occasional of main wheels needs examiners that could clear a manual flying practice for clarification please. The first pilot for a first command on descent, approach and rule states the main gear these types. When training landing when line flying. must be fixed but does pilots (who were already Simulators are very useful not specify any minimum captains on jet airliners but do not fully reproduce number of wheels. Then the such as the A300 B4) a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 10. the experience and next two rules regarding runaway stabiliser was part atmosphere of actual flying brakes and tyres are both of the syllabus. This was to ‘stick loads’ by grasping the THEN hit the stab switches – so that when manual using plurals which would be followed in training by a control column on his own but they could have been flying has to be done on indicate more than one main ‘jammed stabiliser landing’. side, about midway from the fooled by the period in line, as in the case of a wheel is required. It seems However, the trainees cockpit floor to the wheel which the stab runaway visual approach when an like the rules have been were so quick to detect the so as not to interfere with automatically stopped and ILS is not available, manual adapted from the existing runaway stabiliser that they control wheel inputs, and then restarted, ie the ‘brake’ flying becomes, in itself, an F1 rules but not checked for used the ‘one–two’ reaction responding to the flying was working intermittently emergency. While it may clarity where changed. that I taught them, by pulling pilot’s request for “more” and confusing them. The not be valid in this particular back on the control column or “less” pressure. Almost voice recorder may throw case, the aviation industry Andy McKee (in the case of a forward every airliner had this stab- some light on this but it is should be aware, when they trim malfunction) which brake system installed – possible that this confusion pursue a goal of pilotless Brexit and business engaged the stab brake and right from the B 707/720s could have caused ‘fixation’ aircraft, that a mistake by a [On Airbus threat to quit UK turning off the stab cut-off that I flew in the late 1960s or ‘tunnel vision’ that ground maintenance person post Brexit] I believe Brexit switches on the centre to the 70s. The 737 MAX stopped them from going to could result in erroneous is a ‘political and a security’ pedestal a split second later. departed from this system the stab switches off action. information being sent to issue. Business-wise the This resulted in hardly any by having the MCAS which Airliner manufacturers the flight controls – and UK and the rest of Europe trim change, so to make the did not have a stab brake. should not only tell pilots then a well trained and are still intact! We have one jammed stab landing in a As Mr Learmount points out, about any different system skilled manual flying pilot Airbus ... one industry. worse possible scenario; I pilots were not informed differences on new aircraft will not be there to save gave them the landing with about this difference and but also make sure that, the day! Anthonile Greenman a fully forward jammed stab. would naturally expect the even if a full nose down or The pilot flying was assisted pull on the control column up stab trim situation occurs, Capt J Sadiq by the other pilot in reducing to engage the brake and it should be manually FRAeS

Adapting automotive engines for aircraft

In the December 2018 with its application. This as a simple spring-mass with Rotax 912, is required. edition of AEROSPACE means a gearbox is system with the crankshaft There is an outfit here in there was an article on required; this immediately being the mass. The Australia making liquid- i piston engines(2). As one means that drive system dynamic spring constant cooled heads for formerly who has done several torsional dynamics must be can be set such that the air-cooled heads; this conversions of automotive considered. In the case of first natural frequency can leads to greatly improved Drone security engines for aeronautical the Vimy, the engine was be passed on start-up, of cylinder head and valve purposes, I thought I would a 454 Chev running at course there must be some performance. One can also [[On Securing Gatwick’s point out a few things 4,500rpm and a very large internal damping. I have use oil to cool the heads. Skies(3)] The question is why that I have learned. For prop running at around always used elastomeric Also, under-piston oil squirts is it ‘now’ top of the agenda an engine to be efficient, 1,000rpm. In most cases springs; these also generate are great. In Australia with and not since drones it must run fast and hot the rotational inertia of the some heat so some surface temperatures in became so affordable and but it must be connected prop will be many times cooling air over the spring summer at +45°C, cooling easy to acquire (or build)? to a propeller which, for that of the crankshaft and is required. Concerning is quite an issue. efficiency, must be as large its rotating masses. So, running a hot engine, liquid Eleftherios as possible consistent analytically it can be treated cooling of the head, as Bill Whitney Kalochristianakis

12 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Air transport and Brexit RAeS/NAL @Coffey1_david It’s 50th anniversary of first 747 flight carrying a spare engine. [On No-deal, no flights?(4)] draws memories BOAC VC10s and B707s Once again, the no deal had special pod and carried Brexit lobby demonstrate spare engines under the a complete lack of wing on commercial flights. It understanding of the was a cost efficient method consequences in terms of of getting a replacement our air transport industry, engine to aircraft stranded away from base. let alone our aerospace Airbus joins Air Race E manufacturing base and regulations. You cannot @GuardedDon The engine just take-off and land Spot anything unusual in this photo of a British Airways to be ferried has its LP fan anywhere in Europe with Boeing 747-200 during Rolls-Royce RB211 engine testing removed and a cap is fitted jet liners full of passengers, in 1977? over the duct leading to the as you apparently can with turbine core. private aircraft. This should @RayLRiv Three engines @fairoaks_aero Other be made compulsory Air Race E portside. than everything already @a346b747 Virgin Orbit’s reading for the negotiators In February Airbus joined mentioned, I’d hazard Cosmic Girl is today using on both sides, so that a Air Race E as a Founder a guess that the most this hard point for rocket clear understanding of Member. @PeterLay4 Fifth pod. unusual thing is that it’s launches .... not at BA jets on the potential implications #leavingonschedule? short finals I might add. of Brexit on air transport @Jonititan Thanks, for the UK as a result of Derek Piggot – RIP that’s fantastic. I would be RAF Tornados return from ops for range of options. I know especially interested to last time it is extremely late in hear what lessons on race the day but, if there is a strategy could be taken nine-month delay, as some from @airrace1 experience. amendments indicate, now If transponder data or would be the time to read telemetry could be made this very good research on available this would be Derek Piggot HonCRAeS behalf of the RAeS. key. Balancing turning vs (1922-2019) was a gliding straight line speed etc in instructor and a stunt pilot Geoffrey Wardle design choices. in films – including flying MSc CEng MRAeS a Fokker DR1 under the Carrigabrick viaduct in Ireland Electric aircraft @jcbetancourtpho On 5 February the last RAF Tornados returned to RAF in The Blue Max. Congratulations to Jeff Marham from combat operations. [On Electric Pioneer(5)] Zaltman and the @airracee @GilesHuby I remember Another very interesting team for this achievement! @PaulAllan262 Well done @Grs_st Of course we are studying his book when piece on the drive towards guys. losing the Tornado but it learning to glide in the more electric aircraft. Watchkeeper arrives should be noted we’re losing 1980s but had no idea This programme will late @richcatp Great legacy. a RAF trade – no more FJ about his stunt flying undoubtedly provide an Not many aircraft can claim back seaters. background! A life well lived. interesting case study on [On Watchkeeper UAV statistics like that. the technical challenges achieving full operational and the economics of the capability] @macilree How many @Jamienorth2017 Very modification of an existing, @Mark_Bate_UK Where @cyndey0071 Any idea Tonkas produced for the sad news indeed, a very certificated aircraft. But are we at, 7-8 years late? It what they plan to do with RAF? How many lost talented pilot with some surely in this type of air taxi was supposed to have been the Tornados. Are they in accidents or enemy great tales to tell. RIP and application where short FOC for HERRICK 15. going into storage or being action? What future for the take thy wings to eternal flights and low passenger chopped up? backseaters? flight and fly among the volumes are typical, a heavens. system based around @RThompsonPTH How a smaller vehicle, such many years has that been? Is 1. AEROSPACE, January 2019, p 18, Lion Air lessons as those recently flight 2. AEROSPACE, December 2018, p 22, Clean sky thinking the CONUSE still relevant? 3. AEROSPACE, February 2019, p 3, Editorial – Securing Gatwick’s skies tested by Airbus, Boeing, 4. AEROSPACE, February 2019, p 30, No deal – no flights? Lilium, etc, would provide @Aerostatpilot Just 5. AEROSPACE, February 2019, p 38, Electric pioneer more flexibility and better in time to be replaced..... economics? These things were having ‘uncontrolled landings’ when Online Kieron Parnell I lived near Aberporth... 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 MARCH 2019 13 Beautiful bird, lovely plumage RAeS/NAL

14 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Some 50 years after the first flight of Concorde, why does this aerial icon still hold our imagination? Legendary advertising guru TREVOR BEATTIE pays tribute to the one and only Concorde.

t’s Saturday, 13 July 1985. At Wembley Stadium, Knowing the legend Live Aid is in full swing. Many global superstars will perform on this day. Only one will steal the In all I was lucky enough to experience eight show. Somewhere backstage, a nervous Freddie Concorde flights, with both British Airways and, in the Mercury is ironing his stonewashed slacks. He later years, Air France. Some business, all pleasure. Ineedn’t have bothered. I once flew my Mum on a supersonic return to a Trevor Be Out front, 72,000 people feel a tingle of Broadway show for her birthday. (She at ti excitement running up and down between 144,000 hated the show, the prancing herberts e satin shoulder pads. Hearts flutter. Lips tremble. Up of ‘Chicago’ were no match for the in the posh seats, Princess Diana is doing neighbour-impressing her best Lady Di face for Simon le Bon. experience of sipping Suddenly and as one, the crowd turns champagne at away from the stage and squints skyward, 55,000ft). Over the much to the chagrin of Nik Heyward. A years, I’ve visited the roar goes up. A roar comes down. And for flight decks, collected the one fleeting moment, the most instantly CONCORDE certificates and stolen the safety cards recognisable silhouette in the history of TALKS OF and pepper pots, sorry, and I never took aviation soars overhead. FUTURISTIC one second of it all for granted. DREAMING Yet I can’t deny that, throughout King of the stage its life, Concorde was dogged by AND FAME AND detractors. The glossy white bird ‘THE Concorde!’ they cry. Note, not ‘a’ WHITE HOT has been likened to all manner of but ‘the’ Concorde. This is a very singular TECHNOLOGY disparaging creatures, from dodo supersonic superstar. Concorde, in the through white elephant to albatross. words of the aforementioned Heyward AND A Speaking of which, the year 1969 saw (via Chesney Hawkes) is indeed The One CLAMOUR FOR not only the first flight of Concorde, And only. Iconic celebrity goes by a single GLAMOUR AND but a fledgling appearance of Monty name: Elvis. Mandela. Ali. Madonna. Prince. THE GLAMOUR Python’s ‘Dead Parrot’ sketch. Pele. Concorde. It’s hardly surprising they Perhaps the most unintentionally, yet thought we’d only built one. OF FLIGHT prophetically, apt slight of them all. How do I know all this? Because, as ITSELF. OF A You see, in the world beyond the scene unfolded, I had the best seat in MACHINE WITH aviation circles (I’ve never been there the house. Seat 1A aboard the very BA but apparently it exists), there are really Concorde in question. We’d left the Air A SOUL only TWO aeroplanes: Spitfire and Tattoo at RAF Fairford earlier in the day Concorde, but if this golden duo were and indulged in some formation gallivanting with forced into an airborne celebrity death match, I have the Red Arrows before a Mach 2 tear-up over the no doubt who would come out on top. For while the Bay of Biscay and low pass over Wembley en route casual spotty teenage spotter may glance up at a to Heathrow, where we’d drop off our pointy taxi BBMF flypast and ask: “Which one’s the Spitfire?” ahead of it whanging a certain Phil Collins over to (and hopefully receive a clip round the ear), Concorde Philadelphia. That’s how we rolled in the Eighties. is Concorde is Concorde. Or rather, it WAS. And And all for the princely sum there’s the rub. of £385. I kid you not. And I still Spitfires grow in number and live appearances have the paperwork to prove year after year. Concorde remains most definitely it. A trip like that today would deceased. It is no more. It’s ceased to be. Bereft of life, have broken the sound barrier, it rests in peace. It is an ex-SST. It’s lack of movement the bank and the Internet. certainly not due to it being tired and shagged out after

Via author Via Concorde, as well as stealing a long supersonic squawk but a slow strangulation by the limelight at Live Aid, would have lit men in grey suits. If they hadn’t nailed it to the tarmac, up social media. Talk about an Instagram Influencer. it would’ve been pushing up past Mach 2. A big part of #twosunsetsoneflight Concorde’s iconic status is that we actually mourn its

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 15 AIR TRANSPORT Concorde 50th anniversary

RAeS/NAL RAeS/NAL

RAeS/NAL Concorde memorabilia above, via author

loss. We grieve for an aeroplane. I expect to hear no Towards the end of Monty Python’s legendary passing-bells for the A380, do you...? ‘Dead Parrot’ sketch, Michael Palin’s pet shop owner offers John Cleese a replacement for his expired Hard to kill Norwegian Blue: “I’ve got a slug,” he suggests optimistically. “Does it talk?” asks Cleese. “Not really, It’s a sadness peculiar to this plane. A nostalgia for no.” “Well it’s scarcely a replacement then, is it?” a kind of future past. Concorde was a time machine. If Concorde could talk and it talks to us still. The veritable stuff of sci-fi legend. A living machine Concorde talks of futuristic dreaming and so larger than life that it took three fame and white hot technology and a assassination attempts to kill it. First via clamour for glamour and the glamour of Concorde was built on some dirty DC-10 detritus on a Paris flight itself. Of a machine with a soul. Of production lines at both runway. Next, as a lingering collateral mythical things, like the sound barrier, Filton, UK, and Toulouse, victim of 9/11. And finally, fatally, upon sonic booms, the curvature of the Earth, France. its solemn return home in an unbearable droop-snoots and caviar. Of overtaking

RAeS/NAL three-ship Concorde cortège to the sunset and landing before we took Heathrow. Terminal 3 indeed. At least the off. Of romance at the edge of Space. Of public finally got to see proof that we had, London to New York in the time it now after all built more than one. takes the smart detectors at Heathrow to

Via author Via remove every last trace of human dignity The ultimate one-off and place it in a clear plastic bag in a grey plastic tray next to your trainers, loose change and Will there ever be another? Could the SpeedBird be Preparation H. It will take a mighty beautiful suitable replaced? Recent rumours at least hint positively replacement to silence that voice. in the direction of a small, comically long-nosed, Palin’s pet shop owner had it right: “Beautiful bird. teetering-on-supersonic sibling. We shall see. Lovely plumage.”

16 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 2019 ANNUAL BANQUET Supported by

Thursday 16 May 2019 / London

Established as a key event in the social Guest of Honour calendar of the aviation and aerospace Guillaume Faury community, the Royal Aeronautical Society CEO Designate, Airbus Annual Banquet attracts high level industry Venue attendance and offers the ideal opportunity The InterContinental London Park Lane, for networking and corporate entertainment. One Hamilton Place, London W1J 7QY, UK

Programme Individual tickets and corporate tables are available with discounted rates for RAeS Reception: 7.15pm Dinner: 8.00pm members and Corporate Partners. What’s included? This black tie event includes a pre-dinner networking reception followed by an exquisite four-course dinner with fine wines and coffee.

Enquiries to: Gail Ward, Events Manager – Corporate & Society Royal Aeronautical Society T +44 (0)1491 629 912 / E [email protected] www.aerosociety.com/banquet SPACEFLIGHT The year ahead Space 2019 2019 has started off as an exciting year already for spaceflight. The RAeS SPACE GROUP looks ahead to the most significant crewed/robotic missions and space news this year.

his year is a milestone year in space, as from these nimble, efficient (and sometimes 50 years ago, the Apollo astronauts first ephemeral) organisations while still pressing forward set foot on the Moon. Fifty years later with the inspirationally ambitious science and and we’re still some way from Arthur C technology agenda that only the public sector can Clarke’s vision of 2001 (or 2010, the justify or sustain. Tsequel) but then it is the role of science fiction to In truth, it is now possible to speak of ‘run of the imagine what might be, not what will be. mill’ spaceflight. Launching a new satellite is cheap, In reality, we have, or are on the cusp of, artificial reliable and quite standardised (all such matters being intelligence, long-duration space flight, orbital tourism, relative). A good mid-fielder might cost you (a lot) re-usable rockets and a space station the size of more than a new observation satellite. a football field (albeit not a spinning one). Indeed, Perhaps, in the past 50 years, space technology a return mission to the Moon is now unlikely to has actually overtaken ambition. Missions like consume 2.5% of a year’s GDP for the US, as it did Voyager, Viking, Venera, Rosetta and even GPS, in the 1960s and 70s (ten years at 0.25% GDP per required vision beyond their own time – to do a thing annum). If the US, Europe or Russia have not put not yet done before. Forgotten missions that failed ‘boots on the ground’ in the intervening years, it is along the way only serve to demonstrate the reach more a question of political imperative than capability that was attempted. When was the last time we but watch out – China’s ambitious space programme reached that far? may just be enough to spark a new Space Race (see Imagine the boldest mission that our latest Launchers). technology might achieve today… Shall we? Today, the space sector focuses on different challenges. In many ways, it has matured into a tech Launchers sector akin to any other. The ‘NewSpace’ movement actually represents a movement away from its birth as Last year (2018) will be a hard one to beat for launch a strategic and prestige-led sector – towards systems. The maiden voyages of SpaceX’s the more ‘business as usual’ world of Falcon Heavy (the largest ever commercial return on investment, marketing launcher), Japan’s SS-520-5 (the smallest models and ‘as-a-service’ concepts. rocket to ever deliver a payload into The challenge for space agencies orbit), Rocket Labs’ Electron and and (inter)national programmes Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity are all is to take maximum benefit headline worthy.

Main image: On 11 January, SpaceX successfully launched the eighth and final set of satellites in a series of 75 total satellites for Iridium’s next generation global satellite constellation.

18 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 By now, the automated recovery of Falcon first in the year. Boeing’s Starliner capsule is also set on stage engines has become almost routine. More a similar course – with one unmanned test and two than 20 boosters have now been landed after launch manned both planned within 2019. The Starliner and – some of those having flown twice. The Falcon Crew Dragon 2 represent a long anticipated return Heavy test launch in February 2018 provided the to human spaceflight for the US, following the end of truly spectacular site of two boosters landing back the Space Shuttle era. Meanwhile, India is targeting on their pads, simultaneously, side by side. Attention its entry to the human spaceflight club in 2021, with a is now turning to fairing recovery – which represents modified GSLV-III. a surprising fraction of the overall launch cost During 2019, the International Space Station (estimated at approximately 10%). (ISS) will receive a new module (the Russian Nauka Both Virgin Galactic and Rocket Labs have research module), the much-delayed European big plans for 2019, with both having completed Robotic Arm (ERA) and the Bartolomeo payload- significant flights in 2018. hosting platform. The ERA enables robotic arm However, the country that made the most operation from the Russian elements of the Station launches in 2018 was China. With 38 successful for the first time. The launch schedule was severely launches, it surpassed the US (31), Russia (19) impacted by the demise of the Shuttle programme and ‘the rest of the world’ (24). Indeed, the publicly and Russian funding difficulties. announced budget of China’s National Space Late in 2018, US legislation was approved aimed Agency, while hard to be sure how much of the at extending the operational life of the ISS to 2030, military space programme that covers, now appears although funding beyond 2025 has not yet been to exceed those of Russia’s Roscosmos and the agreed. European Space Agency combined. That still puts it at just half NASA’s budget (with the space budget Space debris of the US Department of Defense similar in size to NASA’s) but the gap is clearly narrowing. Active debris removal came a step closer during 2018. The SSTL-built ‘RemoveDEBRIS’ satellite The start of a new space race? was orbited – via the ISS – and performed a first successful test of a space net system for capturing Meanwhile, the UK is pressing ahead with its goal of target objects. Later tests will involve visual navigation establishing a domestic launch capability. Lockheed around a target, harpooning and a drag sail. Several of Martin and Orbex both plan to operate from the north these additional experiments will take place in 2019, coast of Scotland, taking small satellites into polar with deorbit planned from 2020. low Earth orbit. The first launches are a couple of Other organisations such as Tokyo and years away yet but work is already underway, while Singapore-based Astroscale (with an operations European interest in small launch vehicles is growing. centre in the UK) are also developing technologies for removal (or servicing) of satellites as a paid service. Human spaceflight With the imminent proliferation of smaller satellites, it is to be hoped that cleaning up after Two new US crew capsules will be tested in 2019. yourself will become standard practice – either SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, already proven as a supply through self-removal or via services such as vessel to the ISS, is expected to fly in a new ‘Crew Astroscale’s. Dragon 2’ configuration in March 2019 (after several A reminder of the challenges ahead was provided, postponements). If that flight is successful, two if needed, by ORBCOMM’s 20-year manned launches are scheduled to take place later old OG1 satellite – which broke

MARCH 2019 19 Left, from top to bottom: Left, from top concept shows artist This Crew Space Boeing’s (CST)-100 Transportation Starliner to the docking International Space Station. A picture of the Chinese lunar rover taken Yutu-2 from Chang’e-4 on the far side of the Moon in early January 2019. from SpaceShip2 View at Earth. looking back SpaceX Crew Dragon artist concept.

Against the backdrop of a rough road away from of a rough Against the backdrop Elsewhere, Galileo is now officially operational Radarsat Constellation Canada’s In February, UK, in the Back one SS-520-5 takes rocket off. Main image: Japan’s Main image: Japan’s Earth observation ADM much-delayed mission (ESA) Aeolus The data should mission’s in 2018. The was launched start to make its way into weather forecasting formodels during 2019, providing key parameters in ADM). Aeolus atmospheric dynamics (the ‘AD’ in UV laser systems has pushed forward technology in this area was a for space: overcoming challenges cost offactor central to its final estimated mission mission has an nearly €500m, a ~50% overrun. The of just over three years, limited by its lifetime expected particularly low orbit (320km). Navigation GPS (USA), GLONASS (China), (Russia), BeiDou Galileo (EU)… the Room for one more? Is 2019 year that the UK Global fully commits to build its own (GNSS)?Navigation Satellite System the EU-27 (a case of ‘Ab Astra per ardua’?), and policies, the foreign the USA’s shaken confidence in UK to government is now making serious moves navigation. As with anysecure its access to precision is full of unintended Brexit major political change, may beconsequences – good and bad. One of them a major new investment in the UK space sector. the(albeit with the goalposts moved, to strip out service) – and GPSsafety-of-life continues its upgrade path through Series-3. mission will place The Mission was set for launch. three satellites in orbit, carrying synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payloads capable of 1-3m resolution and more frequent revisits than the earlier as Canada, a nation such Radarsat missions. For at high latitude with icy sea-ways, vast forests and plains and an active maritime economy, SAR is an important national asset. It will be by the first of Italy’s followed, later in the year, Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) SAR satellites. of the further ‘unintended is consequences’ of Brexit of the potential exclusion into more than 30 pieces on 22 December 2018. The December 2018. The 30 pieces on 22 into more than yet clear cause is not

Boeing CNSA/CLEP Virgin Galactic NASA/SpaceX

SPACEFLIGHT year ahead The AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 20 the UK from the Copernicus/Sentinel programme. Thule – surely a base for galactic empires?). Will that trigger a push for high-budget sovereign ESA’s BepiColombo, launched in 2018 (and capability similar to GNSS? That seems less likely. initially proposed in the previous millennium!), will Nevertheless, a national EO programme for the spend all of 2019 cruising towards its first gravity UK may be coming, with the potential to lessen our assist. reliance on key allies over time – and there can be no Meanwhile, the Moon is becoming a busy place. doubt that UK industry has the capability to deliver it. China’s Chang’e 4 rover mission, launched in 2018, performed a first ever (by any nation) landing on the Commercial space far side of the Moon in early January 2019. It will be joined on the Moon by the sample return mission NewSpace continues to make waves in the Space Chang’e 5 (late 2019 launch); by an Israeli lander sector with new missions, new funding models and called Beresheet (‘Genesis’) – which looks oddly like new service offerings appearing (and disappearing) something from the War of the Worlds; and also by an every month. In 2019, OneWeb will launch its first Indian rover (Chandrayaan-2) which will land near the satellites with the aim of providing high-speed south pole. In total, seven probes are scheduled for Internet coverage around the world with smaller, the lunar near-side, this year. cheaper terminals. Impressive enough – however, Time for a European lander? The lunar-assisted the approach taken also involves mass-production disassembly of SMART-1 doesn’t count – though we of satellites to create a constellation of hundreds do have ExoMars to look forward to in 2020. (eventually thousands) of satellites. The resulting The end of 2019 will see ESA’s Solar Orbiter design, production and operations techniques could packed up for a launch in early 2020. change the industry. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo-class vehicle, VSS Connectivity Unity, was successfully flown up to 82km altitude in December 2018. More can be expected in 2019. Mega-Constellations are coming! In November Sub-orbital space tourism is tantalisingly close. 2018, SpaceX received an important approval from IceEye, NorthStar, Astroscale, Spire, Earth-I, the US government for the launch of 7,518 LEO Virgin Galactic, Planet, Bigelow, Planetary Resources, communications satellites as part of its ‘Starlink’ NanoRacks, SpaceX, Rocket Labs – and even Space system. The satellites will orbit at around 340km Burial… The ranks of NewSpace entrepreneurs and are in addition to the 4,425 satellites previously continue to swell with companies large and small. To approved for higher orbits (between 550km and ask which of these will still be operating in five years’ 1150km). The first launches are expected in 2019. time would be to miss the point. Some of them will Considering the numbers involved, US regulators be giants. Some will be (vague) memories. Significant are understood to have mandated a higher-than- investment funding will be spent and, either way, normal deorbit reliability (typically 90%). highly capable, competitive supply chains are here to March 2019 will see the launch of the final four of stay. Where customers can be found, business will be 20 SES O3b satellites into equatorial medium Earth done. orbit (MEO). The O3B constellation is designed to make fibre-like connectivity speeds available, via Ka Beyond GEO… band, to all parts of the world between ±50 degrees latitude. Quietly, the Solar System is being explored. In 2018, SES plans a further upgrade in 2021, introducing Japan’s Hyabusa mission entered orbit around an a second generation of satellites (‘O3b mPower’) that asteroid and dropped three(!) landers. The USA’s will extend both capacity and the geographical area Parker Solar Probe reached 95km/s as it swept served. closer to the Sun than any human-made object Switzerland’s Astrocast will launch several of before. New Horizons (also USA) performed the first its constellation in 2019, based on 3U-Cubesats. ever fly-by of an object in the Kuiper Belt beyond The Astrocast service aims to deliver global low- Pluto’s orbit; an object with a name that belongs in volume machine-to-machine communication, eg for one of the great works of Science Fiction (Ultima equipment operating in remote locations. Surrey Space Centre

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 21 AIR TRANSPORT Air traffc control NATS clears AI for take-off at Heathrow Every second counts when packing aircraft in to the UK’s busiest airport. TIM ROBINSON finds out how NATS is utilising artificial intelligence to help recover lost capacity.

n a pioneering trial at Heathrow Airport, air traffic service provider NATS is to trial advanced AI to help regain up to 20% in lost traffic capacity caused by low cloud and reduced visibility – thereby increasing efficiency and Ireducing delays. The ground-breaking trial, to run until March, will assess over 50,000 aircraft arrivals with the goal of training the AI to accurately assist tower controllers to clear airliners vacating a busy runway.

‘Tower in Cloud’

The first application for AI to assist with is when Heathrow’s control tower (at 87m, the highest in the UK) encounters low visibility – particularly in times of low cloud. Though visibility at surface level is clear, the reduction in visibility for those up in the tower means that controllers revert to ‘Tower in Cloud’ professional experience and knowledge and rapidly procedures. This relies on radar to assess whether incorporate suggestions into this ‘tower of the future’. aircraft are clear of the runway centreline and These cameras and the displays though are incorporates an extra safety margin – temporarily far beyond grainy CCTV. Mounted just underneath slowing arrivals and increasing the spacing between the tower are 20 ultra HD cameras (two of those arrivals. This can result in a 20% loss in capacity. being pan, zoom and tilt) which pipe in 4K video to “It is one of the current key operational challenges,” the lab on a huge video wall. Eight vertical 4K screens says NATS Chief Solutions Officer Andy Taylor. “It’s a dominate the room, along with four curved controller headache for ATC, it’s a headache for airlines and it’s screens and giant tablets that can be interacted with a headache for the airline operator too.” using a pen controller. Though ‘Tower in Cloud’ only happens around However, while the facility is the ‘first 4k digital 15 days a year (mainly in the winter months) these tower’ in the world, according to NATS, the clever low-cloud visibility restrictions normally occur in the bit is the fusing of ADS-B and radar data to provide morning, leading to knock-on effects for the rest of unprecedented situational awareness for controllers. the day. With Heathrow running at maximum capacity, Aircraft (and vehicles) are overlaid with colour-coded any small delays at the start of the day have the customisable ‘tags’ that give vital information such potential to rapidly snowball and delay flights. as callsign and type. These can even be resized or ‘dragged’ away from each other. The ‘augmented Digital Tower Lab reality’ tags means that controllers can still ‘see’ aircraft, even if they are hidden behind parts of Other applications for AI could be optimising traffic The trial of AI is being conducted at NATS’ Digital the terminal or other aircraft. Indeed, the system flow around taxiways. Tower Laboratory – a £2.5m research facility also tracks and tags other aircraft, even if they co-located underneath the actual tower, where are not landing or departing at Heathrow. During controllers can test and evaluate new procedures AEROSPACE’s visit, for example, police and air and systems in an operational environment that uses ambulance helicopters’ ‘tags’ were observed attending live camera feeds of Heathrow itself. The Lab has to an accident on the M25 motorway – even though now been in operation for just over a year, with Andy these were too far away to see with the naked eye. Taylor praising the close partnership between itself The ‘augmented reality’ can also overlay taxiway and and Heathrow Airport. Situated on-site with working runway edges – a useful aid in poor visibility or when

controllers means that the lab can tap into this snow covers the airport. WNATS

22 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 In fact, says NATS, the 4K cameras even provide mind Amelia Earhart or Amy Johnson) is not intended better visibility at night than the naked eye from the to replace ATCOs but to provide assistance and tower itself, allowing controllers to see into dark augment their situational awareness. spaces normally difficult to see due to brightness of Following this trial in the Digital Tower Lab, NATS surrounding airport lighting. says it will present its findings to the CAA, after which The next step, says NATS, is for ‘distributed’ it aims to develop a programme to roll-out the ‘Tower camera coverage. This would see additional 4K in Cloud’ AI procedure in operations. cameras installed at key locations around the As well as Heathrow pioneering this capability, airport (for example, at holding points, or to look into NATS and Searidge are also set to roll out the first ‘canyons’ of gates) to allow controllers to ‘virtually’ prototype ‘smart tower’ at Singapore’s Changi Airport, leap around the airport to boost situational awareness with operational trials starting this year. even further. This ‘distributed camera coverage’ is also Small beginnings, a bigger future All NATS

Some might argue, though that any trial of AI on ‘Tower in Cloud’ – a condition that only happens 12- 15 times a year – is unlikely to bring major benefits and that bigger efficiencies might be achieved through using AI to optimise en-route navigation – rather than at the final landing phase. Indeed, NATS is addressing this through a tie-up with Formula One team McLaren, which will see a ‘Big Data’ spin-off of the racing team, McLaren Deloitte, help model, optimise routings and reduce delays, in a partnership that was announced in 2018. It is important to remember that this trial, though small, is just an early taste of other benefits that AI can bring to optimising airports. For instance, AI could also be used to optimise stand management, informing controllers when aircraft are fully clear of stands and speeding up turnaround times. Another likely to be utilised at Heathrow’s third runway when Above from left to right: use might be to monitor approach paths and keep it is built. AI and the digital tower a close watch on aircraft separation – helping to Though the piping of airport video footage into a is aimed at augmenting prevent aircraft from landing on taxiways. In 2017 an human controllers command centre is, on the surface, similar to ‘Remote capabilities. Air Canada A320, landing at San Francisco at night, Towers’ now being rolled out at London City and The digital tower lab is almost landed on a taxiway with four airliners on it – a Cranfield University, NATS is keen to stress that this aimed at fast-tracking ATC near miss that might have been one of the biggest 4K Smart Digital Tower, incorporating augmented innovation. aviation disasters ever at a major international airport. reality, is one step beyond simply being able to control Heathrow’s tower gives Could AI provide controllers with that extra set of eyes airport movements remotely – particularly when it outstanding visibility – that could help avert incidents like this? comes to incorporating AI to assist controllers. “This is except in low cloud. Finally, in using AI to help track and assess the very different” says NATS’ Taylor. “It’s a different focus precise movements of aircraft around an airport, there than a remote operation. It’s not just about transferring may be additional future uses, such as training, in video to another location.” “We’re talking about a evaluating whether trainees have correctly cleared complete transformation of the operation,” says aircraft safely. Searidge’s Chief Technical Officer, Alex Sauriol. Notes Taylor of the current trial: “The Laboratory itself will be the springboard for further developments Meet AIMEE – so this is just the starting point.”

For this non-operational ‘Tower in Cloud’ Summary demonstration, NATS will use an AI platform – called AIMEE – which has been developed by Canada’s With these augmented reality ‘tagging’ overlays Searidge Technologies, a company that NATS coupled with AI, the next generation of ‘smart digital invested in in 2017. towers’ are set to bring greater efficiency and Using two extra cameras mounted at ground level, situational awareness to ATC controllers. By trialling AIMEE observes and tracks aircraft turning off the this new technology and procedures at the world’s runway and informs controllers precisely when they busiest dual-runway international airport and the are clear. With this rapid visual-based system, says ‘benchmark for the industry’ – with expert input from NATS, AIMEE will help reduce delays and speed up operational controllers working only 80m above, NATS arrivals while still maintaining maximum safety. is making sure that any AI will be robust and provide a It is worth noting that AIMEE (named to bring to real advantage in assisting humans with its digital eyes.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 23 DEFENCE Radar technology Leonardo

Scanning for the new age of radar

A major supplier of electronic and mechanical radar defence systems for leading aircraft programmes, Leonardo is developing a new lightweight compact range of radar systems designed for smaller and unmanned aircraft platforms. BILL READ FRAeS reports from Edinburgh and Milan.

Above: A Leonardo publicity ne of the leading companies in the of five divisions specialising in helicopters, aircraft, illustration of its identification international aerospace, security aerostructures, electronics and cyber security. At the friend-or-foe (IFF) system. and defence sector, Leonardo sells end of 2017, the company reported annual revenues Below: Leonardo supplies products and services to around 150 of €11,527m, a total of 11,595 new orders and a equipment to a number of major military platforms, countries around the world. Leonardo backlog of 33,578 orders. The group had 45,134 including the Eurofighter Osupplies key equipment to a number of major employees and spent €1,539m on R&D. Typhoon. international space, civil and defence aerospace Leonardo also has interests in a number of Eurofighter/Jamie Hunter programmes, including Galileo, Eurofighter, subsidiaries and joint ventures, including DRS F-35, NH90, Cleansky and SESAR. With plants Technologies (100% Leonardo), Telespazio (67% in Italy, the UK, Poland and the USA, the group Leonardo and 33% Thales), Thales Alenia Space reorganised in 2016 from a number of individual (67% Thales and 33% Leonardo), MBDA (37.5% companies (including such well-known names as BAE Systems, 37.5% Airbus Group and 25% AgustaWestland, Alenia and Selex ES), into a single Leonardo) and ATR (50% Leonardo and 50% company called Leonardo. This is now comprised Airbus Group).

24 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Airborne and space systems Scotland and Italy

Leonardo designs, develops and produces a AEROSPACE recently visited two of Leonardo’s wide range of products and solutions for aircraft plants in Edinburgh, Scotland and Nerviano near platforms, including integrated mission systems, Milan in Italy which specialise in the development electronic warfare systems, avionics, aerial target and production of both M-Scan and E-Scan airborne and simulation systems, remotely piloted aircraft radars. Among the products made at these plants systems (RPAS), space systems and, airborne are radar and sensors for surveillance and combat radars and sensors. Among these products are applications, including Seaspray and Osprey radars, the Raven ES AESA radar, Skyward-G IRST as well as the Grifo and Gabbiano radar family. (infrared search & track) passive sensor and IFF (identification friend-or-foe) system for the Gripen E, the PIRATE long wave infrared sensor and Captor-M mechanically scanned radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Vixen 1000E AESA radar designed for fighter/interceptor aircraft. Leonardo also has also developed a compact, lightweight, version of the Vixen radar called Vixen 500E designed for fighters, fighter trainer, air intercept or border patrol aircraft. Leonardo also specialises in ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) systems designed to provide tactical situational AESA radar can detect awareness for both manned and unmanned small targets in high sea platforms. states. Leonardo

The AESA advantage Seaspray Radar technology is currently in a state of flux, as traditional mechanical scan radars are being Comprising two primary air-cooled line replaceable superceded by new electronically scanned systems. units (LRU), Seaspray uses composite mechanical “A traditional radar features a big high-power and electronic scanning to cover air-to-surface, air-to- antennae with a bunch of black boxes and wave air and air-to-ground environments. “The advantage guides,” explained Stan Hargreaves, Operational of Seaspray AESA radar is that it gets rid of lots Capability Manager ISR radar at Leonardo of other equipment and allows us to put it onto Edinburgh. “It needs lots of power to operate and is platforms very quickly and efficiently,” said Brendan generally complex to install onto an aircraft. It has Nolan, Electronics division, Vice President Sales – the drawback that it has a single point of failure – Radar & Advanced Targeting. “The equipment needed when they were fitted into Sea King helicopters, for our Seaspray AESA radar can be summarised there was a risk of people treading on the wave as two black boxes, a piece of electric string, GPS guides. Such radars used to be fitted into large fixed and power. With multiple transmit receive modules wing aircraft to detects traditional military threats (TRMs), there is no longer the risk of one failure which were usually big targets, such as other aircraft, incapacitating the whole system. You can think of it ships or tanks.” like multiple LED lights in your kitchen – if one goes However, recent years have seen the out, then you’ve still got all the others.” development of active electronically scanned array The Seaspray range currently includes the (AESA) radars which use a matrix of hundreds Seaspray 5000E, Seaspray 7000E and Seaspray of tiny radar modules to ‘steer’ a beam of radio 7500E. The Royal Navy was the launch customer waves in different directions, instead of physically for the Seaspray 7000E for use in the AW159 Lynx moving the radar antenna to point at a target. Using Wildcat while the US Coastguard was the first to an AESA radar, the beam can be moved about order the Seaspray 7500E for use on Patroller UAVs. extremely quickly, allowing the radar to perform Leonardo has since sold AESA surveillance radars to multiple tasks simultaneously, such as conducting 30 countries. maritime surveillance at the same time as monitoring weather along an aircraft’s flight path. “Another Osprey advantage of an AESA radar is that it can be used to detect smaller moving targets,” added Hargreaves. A new addition to Leonard’s expanding AESA A number of platforms are now moving from portfolio is the Osprey E-Scan lightweight airborne M-Scan to the new E-Scan technology, including the surveillance phased array radar. Fitted with three Merlin helicopter and the Eurofighter Typhoon. fixed antennae panels, Leonardo claims that the

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 25 DEFENCE Radar technology

Osprey is the only one of its type currently available Nerviano which can offer full ‘spherical coverage’ with no moving parts. Launched in 2016, the Osprey Moving across Europe to Italy, another Leonardo plant low size, weight and power (SWaP) radar system specialising in radars is Leonardo Nerviano located incorporates elements from Leonardo’s maritime outside Milan. Products made in Nerviano include the Seaspray, overland PicoStar and air-to-air Vixen Gabbiano family of surveillance radars, the Captor radars. and GRIFO fire control radars and the Skywards and Over 40 Ospreys have been ordered by PIRATE IRSTs. eight different customers and it is now in use on platforms ranging from the US Navy’s MQ-8C Leonardo Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to Leonardo’s AW101 search and rescue helicopters operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. A larger aperture variant,

Leonardo the Osprey 50, was launched in 2018, for which Leonardo says it has already received two orders. Seapray and Osprey AESA radars can detect small and fast- moving targets at long range and over Gabbiano surveillance radars a wide area. They can be used at sea in both Over 40 good and bad weather conditions, are able to Designed as an affordable, compact, lightweight Osprey E-Scan detect oil slicks, icebergs and air-to-air targets and easy-to-install radar system, Gabbiano can as well as being used for ground mapping. The offer long and short range surveillance capability lightweight radar systems can also utilise long range inverse for civilian and military forces for such missions as airborne synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) to generate a two- border security, fishery protection, environmental surveillance dimensional high-resolution image of a target. surveillance, maritime patrol, search and rescue and phased array “Using ISAR can greatly aid classification and special forces support. Gabbiano is produced in two ID,” said Nolan. “To track targets at sea used to basic configurations (T20 and T200 Power) with radar have been involve flying a surveillance aircraft at 10,000ft for nose-mounted or belly-mounted antenna, providing ordered by up to four hours. With the new radar technology we respectively a ±90° and 360º surveillance. Different eight different can now automatically detect targets and identify size antennas can customers. what they are. For example, we could identify a be produced target at a range of 54nm travelling at 11kt in tailored to specific a Force 7 wind. We can command the radar to applications. ‘stop and stare’ and get an image showing the Based on MRP outline of the ship, its shape and dimensions, (modular radar course and speed. If the ship is using an automatic processor) identification system (AIS), we can identify it. If it’s technology, using a false AIS, then we can check to see what Leonardo Gabbiano can be it is. We don’t need a camera, we can look through easily upgraded cloud and all this can be achieved using a basic with additional radar 20in long.” software updates with Another advantage of AESA radar is their no need for hardware ability to detect small targets – a great advantage retrofit. Leonardo says that Gabbiano has been in air-sea rescue missions. “Detecting a small ordered by 12 customers for a range of helicopters, target in high sea states is tough,” said Nolan. “A fixed-wing aircraft and unmanned aircraft. traditional mechanical scan radar finds it hard to find an individual in water – you either have to fly Radar for UAVs Upper right: Among low or spin the radar faster to eliminate clutter the products made in to try to see into the waves. However, Seaspray/ Advances in technology have enabled Leonardo to Leonardo Nerviano is the Osprey radars can get multiple hits electronically – develop an UltraLight version of the Gabbiano which PIRATE infrared search the equivalent of operating a mechanical radar at and track (IRST) system. fits the receiver, transmitter and processor into a single 5,000rpm.” He also gave an example of how, on a box and weighs less than 24kg, half as much as a Lower right: The Gabbiano T20 Ultra Light radar is military surveillance mission, the radar can detect conventional unit. Launched at the Paris Air Show designed to fit onto small a moving or stationary submarine attack periscope, in 2017 fitted to a Leonardo Hero lightweight UAV, platforms. even if it had only broken the surface for 15-20secs the Gabbiano TS UltraLight is particularly designed

26 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Leonardo An electro-optic passive radar, IRST can perform automatic search detection acquisition and tracking of multiple aerial and ground targets. The Skyward-F is fitted in Northrop Grumman pods to US Air Force F-15s and F-16s. Leonardo Nerviano also produces the Skyward-G embedded long wave IRST for aircraft, the optical elements of which are made in Florence. Now in production, Skyward-G is fitted to the Gripen NG test aircraft and will be installed in the new Gripen E fighter. In the development phase is Skyward-K for a yet to be identified Asian fighter. There is also a Skyward AB version designed for for small platforms which were not previously fitted HERO UAV with Gabbiano unmanned platforms, the first two units of which will with radars. Currently in service onboard the FALCO radar on display at the be delivered in 2019. Over 150 Leonardo IRSTs are EVO fixed wing UAV for maritime patrol missions in 2017 Paris Air Show. currently on order. the Mediterranean area, installation feasibility for the Gabbiano UltraLight has also been validated on a MAIR number of unmanned platforms, including the UMS Skeldar V-200 rotary wing UAV, Schiebel Camcopter Another project Leonardo Nerviano is working on is S-100 rotary wing UAV and the Hermes 90 fixed wing MAIR – a multiple distributed camera system capable UAV. A Gabbiano UltraLight fitted to a LIAZ Skyspotter of automatically detecting and tracking air vehicles small rotary wing UAV was showcased at the Prague and missiles. MAIR consists of up to ten infrared Future Forces Forum in October 2018. sensors which can cover full sphere all around aircraft. Information from these is then displayed on a Grifo fire control radar head-up display (HUD) to provide day/night spherical imaging to enhance situational awareness and used Another product produced in Nerviano is the Grifo Leonardo as a navigation/landing aid. “MAIR is currently in multi-mode-multi-role fire-control radar for combat its testing stage, we do not have a customer yet,” jet (which includes parts made in Edinburgh). First explained Scannapieco. “Following ground tests, we developed in the 1990s, different versions of Grifo are will be testing the system on a Leonardo helicopter currently fitted to 450 aircraft flying with six air forces, this year, followed by trials using a small two-seater including Singapore Air Force F-5s, Brazilian Air Force fixed wing aircraft.” (FAB) F-5s, Pakistan Air Force F-7s, Czech Air Force L159s and South Korean HH-60 helicopters. Versions of Leonardo’s Retrofit market Leonardo is currently working on the development Grifo multi-mode-multi- of new versions of Grifo – the Grifo-E AESA radar role fire-control radar are While Edinburgh specialises in E-scan radar for based on flexible E-Scan architecture designed to currently fitted to 450 high level fighters, Nerviano plans to concentrate be compatible with various platforms and the Grifo aircraft flying with six air on light fighter versions both for new aircraft and EVO ultra-compact version for special applications. forces. retrofits. While we share the same technology Launched at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018, the base, we divide the market depending on size and fourth generation Grifo-E is comprised of three units applications. “There is a huge appetite for sensors,” – a REP (receiver exciter processor), AESA (with said Scannapieco. “We anticipate that around 40% optional liquid cooling unit if aircraft is not fitted with of our sales will be for new platforms and 60% on one) and a PPS (primary power supply). Development retrofits. This is a market where M-Scan still has work on the antenna is mainly being carried out in the a future and has possibilities where E-Scan is not UK (with Edinburgh responsible for manufacturing), affordable.” it will then be integrated in Italy. The aim is to have One particular market that Leonardo is looking at the first Grifo-E antennae ready by mid 2019 and are private companies which use ex military aircraft the receiver and processor unit ready for flight tests for live defence training exercises, such as ATAC or by the end of the year. The unit will then be tested in Draken which provide aircraft to act as opponents 2020, first on a rotary wing platform and then on a in US military training. “There is a demand for new fixed wing aircraft. “We hope by then to have a launch technology from companies using old platforms customer who will provide their own requirements for for tactical training exercises,” said Scannapieco. modes and timing,” said Federico Scannapieco – SVP “However, because these training providers use older Radar and Advanced Targeting (Italy). aircraft, they are more likely to want to equip them with M-Scan rather than E-Scan radars because Skyward they are not worth the larger investment involved. However, there are also some newer platforms, such Another popular Leonardo product is the Skyward as the L-149 and M346, which could have potential family of IRST (infra red search and track) sensors. for E-Scan upgrades.”

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 27 AIR TRANSPORT Airliner fleet planning Airbus/Boeing

Fleeting thoughts

PAUL CLARK FRAeS looks at the planning involved in creating an aircraft fleet and the different human, analytical and operational factors that have to be considered. any years ago, I found myself in a data and, importantly, a process. Let’s look at these meeting room with seven individuals three elements. who intended to set up a long- haul airline based in Asia to serve Who should be involved? destinations in Europe and North MAmerica. It was an informal ‘get to know you’ session The short answer is, just about everybody. Engineers IN AN IDEAL where I would provide advice as to which aircraft may claim a central role in aircraft selection. WORLD, THE type might be suitable for evaluation. As the team Maintenance is an expensive business and clearly SELECTION OF introduced themselves, my heart sank. Each one was linked to aircraft technology and the degree of a pilot. It turned out that they had all recently been commonality built into the fleet. Engineering AN AIRCRAFT fired by their previous airline employer and were departments will argue that aircraft selection may SHOULD BE ON obviously on a trail of revenge. That was already tragic. have safety implications, along with an impact on THE MERITS Even more disastrous was the team’s approach to product support packages and spares requirements. OF ITS ABILITY business. I had no doubt that they were fine pilots Commercial considerations are equally important but none had any idea of the depth and breadth in fleet planning. Aircraft selection must be consistent TO BEAT of analysis that is fundamental to a correct aircraft with the company business plan. Product and cabin COMPETITORS selection. Not one of them appreciated that this would definition, market segmentation, route development ON CASH be one of the most significant decisions they would and partnership strategies are all linked in some OPERATING ever make for their fledgling airline. Neither were they degree to the fleet plan. prepared to consider that fleet planning is a multi- The operations directorate also has compelling COST AND disciplinary activity dependent on the involvement of arguments to be involved. Schedule design is REVENUE specialists from engineering, commercial, finance as linked to fleet composition. The operations team GENERATION well as flight operations. Unsurprisingly, the project determines critical evaluation parameters such as MEASURED went nowhere. performance estimates and guarantees, along with Building an appropriate fleet can only succeed if pilot and cabin crew training needs. The capacity OVER A LONG there is a clear plan involving the right people, good of the aircraft may impact the number of slots PERIOD OF TIME

28 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 needed at key airports along with ground handling If data is absent, or else misused, misunderstood requirements, and these issues are logically handled or, horror upon horror, used to justify a flawed fleet by operations. investment, then the blessing turns into a curse. Then there is the Chief Financial Officer, who will Internally generated data may not be in the argue that expenditure on the fleet fundamentally right format for aircraft selection purposes. The affects the entire business. In an ideal world, the company general ledger is a very good starting point selection of an aircraft should be on the merits of its to understand current costs but requires significant ability to beat competitors on cash operating cost manipulation to be of true value for the fleet planner. and revenue generation measured over a long period Obviously, traffic data is hugely important but how of time. It can be argued that the financing package closely does traffic equate to demand? The magic should not drive a decision between competing aircraft of demand ‘spill’ modelling can help resolve that as cost of ownership is a function of pricing offered conundrum. Building a cost model is relatively by a supplier, and the depth of discounts can diminish straightforward once cost inputs are agreed, although attributes such as economic efficiency, technology cost estimation for aircraft not currently in operation, and passenger appeal. Sounds reasonable? Maybe or operated by competing airlines, complicate life. A but that is a naïve view. Where an airline has the good fleet plan will be supported by sensitivity testing luxury of multiple offers on the table, it makes perfect of key parameters, such as cost inputs, demand sense to focus on the net present value of alternative growth and revenue estimates. investments and pricing. Other financial considerations Procuring accurate and properly calibrated include taxation and depreciation differences, options demand or traffic data for all airlines serving a market to trade-in existing aircraft, and even variations in the is difficult enough. Forecasting demand data is timing of competing investments. even more delicate. Publicly available data, such as The CFO’s cool and dispassionate opinion may be Marketing Information Data Tapes (MIDT) or IATA’s trumped by the Chief Executive Officer, who should PaxIS data are useful but may be expensive for small consider the wider interests of the company. Even the airlines or limited in accuracy. For example, MIDT CEO’s view may be trumped by political considerations captures bookings rather than final loads. If budgets which, if uninformed, are guaranteed to drive even a allow, then the services of major consulting groups, seasoned fleet planner to despair. such as Seabury Consulting, offer sophisticated network and fleet planning optimisation tools that use Figure 1. Nesting of Fleet Planning Data for fleet planning quality data. The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can also conduct sophisticated market Data is essential to support cost estimation, market analyses and develop fleet plans. However, it should analysis and demand forecasts. Data is both a never be forgotten that OEMs’ objectives are to sell blessing and a curse for a fleet planner. Of course, we their own products, so the solutions they propose live in a world where massive amounts of data are at may be biased. Staging a competition between OEMs our fingertips. That is only a blessing if an organisation is vital but the fleet planner may wrestle with very

has the resources and expertise to gather, sift, store, different views from the manufacturers, even when author Via extract, analyse, interpret, prioritise and act upon data. input data appears similar!

Airliners line up at Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport Gatwick

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 29 Airbus

Airbus’ forecast for future Data are meaningless unless properly harvested, are lusting after a deal. However, an airline must passenger travel and compiled, calibrated, applied and interpreted. To do strive to be in the driving seat. One way of doing this airline‘s aircraft purchase this, a process is essential. is to develop an aircraft selection criteria document. demands. Each functional department of an airline may have Organisation is key strong opinions as to what is most important. To resolve this, each department head should provide Fleet plans should be process-driven. Unfortunately, a prioritised set of aircraft-related factors that they this is not always the case, especially when political believe are relevant to an aircraft selection. Then, interference enters the picture. Ideally, a project either the CEO or a ‘disinterested’ party, such as an management style of planning mitigates risk, helps independent consultant, should compile a summary all involved parties to adhere to schedules, avoids that reflects the interests of the airline. This is the omitting crucial elements and ensures that budgets tricky part. You can imagine that engineers might are managed and projects closed in an effective find it difficult to cede ground to financiers! manner. Not all projects involve an aircraft type The example (see Fig. 2) shows a typical set replacement. A ‘project’ may be as specific as of selection criteria that may be expected for a studying the impact of an existing aircraft weight short-haul full service airline. The list of criteria change or cabin reconfiguration. relating to a low-cost carrier, or an operating lessor, It is tempting to hand over as much of the heavy would be quite different. Once the aircraft selection lifting as possible to the OEMs and presuming they criteria have been agreed, they should be shared with internal stakeholders in the airline, the OEMs Figure 2. Aircraft Selection Criteria and other potential suppliers. Manufacturers need feedback from their potential customers so that they direct their marketing activities to issues that count. For the airline, it is valuable to assess the extent to which OEMs can deliver the required criteria. Aircraft selection criteria should not form the sole basis for a final decision. This is because the elements included are related to the specifics of the aircraft Factors such as measuring the value of slots at congested airports, or revenue-related opportunities on new routes, are excluded. This method should be considered as one of several decision-making aids. Another vital document, normally the preserve of performance engineers, is the aircraft evaluation

30 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Figure 3. Ground rules Figure 4. Aircraft evaluation activity map Via author Via Via author Via

ground rules (AEGR). This is a document comprising information (RFI) stage may be repeated numerous the assumptions under which the OEMs customise times. Phase Two is where the request for proposal the seating configuration, payload capability and (RFP) is issued, representing the start of the formal weight of their aircraft according to the airline’s campaign. Phase Three would be where the airline requirements. The AEGR should be considered goes through a period of internal reflection, and as confidential, as it contains details of evaluation Phase Four consists of negotiations with suppliers, routes that give a clue as to where the airline may culminating in (hopefully) a signature of the intend to operate in the future. When the ground purchase agreement. It would be usual for a letter rules are fixed and communicated to the OEM, of intent, or memorandum of understanding to have they can simulate permissible take-off weights, fuel been signed at the end of Phase 3. burns and payloads. The results then form inputs for economic and financial studies. Is there a perfect fleet plan? Fixing the assumptions is one of the most critical areas in the entire fleet planning process. There is no such thing. Well, that’s not quite true. If the assumptions are too optimistic, this can only Just like a broken clock that tells the correct time lead to unpleasant surprises when the subject of twice a day, a fleet plan may indeed turn out to be performance guarantees is raised. If the assumptions truly perfect at some point. Everything is changing, are too pessimistic, an airline might form the opinion all the time. The demand for travel ebbs and flows, that the aircraft is inadequate for its needs. costs rise, and competitive actions are difficult to Occasionally, strict adherence to performance predict. The best fleet solutions have flexibility built assumptions can damage the potential performance in. Is there a good balance between owned and of an aircraft. I recall an evaluation for Aer Lingus leased aircraft? Can capacity be added, moved where the take-off capability from an airport in around the network to better match supply with Ireland was compromised by an obstacle close to demand, or else easily disposed of? Does the the end of the runway. I requested the airline to operator have the freedom to access more cost- establish what the actual obstacle was. It turned effective maintenance providers? There is no such out to be a tree. A pragmatic resolution was quickly thing as a silver bullet in fleet planning, so flexibility agreed. If Aer Lingus were to buy the aircraft, the and adaptation are important. OEM undertook to include a chainsaw with the IF AER LINGUS delivery of the first aircraft! Does fleet planning need to be so WERE TO BUY complicated? A sample process THE AIRCRAFT, Investments in aircraft are huge, so the answer is a THE OEM There is no perfect or unique recipe for fleet resounding ‘yes’. Consider this: The value of aircraft UNDERTOOK planning. Much depends upon the scale of the airline orders sitting in OEM backlogs today is around and the potential deal, availability of resources and $955bn. Every one of those dollars is the result TO INCLUDE data, and time available for analysis and reflection. of someone, somewhere making a fleet planning A CHAINSAW The example shown here is a typical approach, in the decision. If the backlog were a country and measured WITH THE form of an aircraft evaluation activity map. in gross domestic product, it would be the world’s DELIVERY OF Phase One is an informal stage where the airline 16th largest, sitting between Indonesia and Turkey. management determines strategic needs in relation Fleet planning is the single biggest lever you can pull THE FIRST to the company business plan. The request for when managing an airline. Move it with care! AIRCRAFT!

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 31 DEFENCE MRO and language proficiency Lost in translation? Can the latest advances in machine learning satisfy the global demand for accurate localisation of aerospace and defence technical publications? LOU IUPPA, VP Business Strategy, Government, Aerospace & Defense Industry, SDL, considers the need for simplified technical English. USAF/Wolfram M Stumpf USAF/Wolfram

otal world military expenditure rose to piece of equipment being ready for the mission. A Belgian F-16 was $1,739bn in 2017, an increase of 1.1% This one additional piece of equipment could be the destroyed in October in real terms from 2016, according difference between the success or failure of that 2018 by mechanics at an Air Force base in Florenne to new figures from the Stockholm mission. For example: who accidentally triggered International Peace Research Institute “Maintainers accidentally fired the airplane’s Gatling a nearby F-16’s cannon. T(SIPRI). With the increase in defence spending gun and blew out their hearing in the process.” globally, one of the emerging global market trends It’s not just a content quality or content accuracy within aerospace and defence is a renewed interest problem…it’s a language problem! in the delivery of native language technical content to There has always been the need for content support foreign military sale (FMS) customers. quality and content accuracy, they’re major factors To understand this trend, let’s first define a couple that help justify a modern content delivery strategy. of terms that drive leadership decisions within the After all, misunderstanding a procedure can be aerospace and defence Industry. catastrophic... if one button is pressed in the wrong THE ENGLISH Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) – The average time order, bad things can happen. WORD ‘LIFT’ HAS While the actual cause of the Belgian F-16 required to fix a failed component or device and 13 DIFFERENT return it to operational status. incident is still under investigation, it drives home how understanding could impact safety, MTTR, MEANINGS Operational Readiness – The capability of a unit/ and operational readiness for foreign militaries. formation, ship, weapon system, or equipment to WHEN USED This accident could indicate a disregard, ignorance perform the missions or functions for which it is or absence of a procedure or process, or it could AS A VERB organised or designed. indicate a misunderstanding by the maintainers to AND EIGHT These two factors contribute significantly to some aspect of the instructions. DIFFERENT the success or failure of a military system. The take A potted history of controlled language MEANINGS away? As MTTR decreases, there is a corresponding increase in operational readiness. In other words, a Scientific studies from the 1970s to the present WHEN USED AS small decrease in MTTR could translate to one more day – within the aerospace and defence industry A NOUN

32 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 – prove the readability, consistency and usability of information directly affects a maintainer’s GETTING LOCAL WITH TECHNICAL CONTENT comprehension and efficiency. When managed well, NATIVE SPEAKERS these proven relationships positively influence MTTR, It takes 2 years to train operational safety and operational readiness. English maintainers in Simplified 80% of operational, aviation maintenance has long been the language of the aerospace and support personnel are non-native Technical English (STE) speakers, however all aviation industry and defence industries. In the 1970s, the aviation technical documentation is English. industry produced technical information in US NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS English, British English and in native languages 78% have trouble hiring mechanics resulting in a 9% reliance on overtime and other stop-gap efforts. translated into one of these forms of English But there is a with sometimes wide variations on the resulting shortage of trained documentation. 9% gap in supply versus demand for maintainers maintenance technicians by 2027 in the US. Simplified Technical English (STE) “Lift” has 21 meanings Clean or Clean? Two definitions. European aircraft manufacturers, challenged by And language is this inconsistency, approached the Aerospace nuanced and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) about the possibility to create a ‘controlled The result? language’ approach to technical documentation. 13 when used 8 when used To get rid of To use cleaner The ASD reached out to its American counterpart as a verb as a noun paint; to strip. to clean. (Aerospace Industry Association of America or AIA) and together created a guide for simplified technical English that has evolved into today’s standard called ASD-STE100. Simplified technical English

(STE) addresses a global aerospace requirement Communication barriers/ Wires burned from Direct manufacturer interaction Inaccurate 3-day Mean Time To cleaning fluid resulting delayed due to time differences illustrations by aiding readability and comprehension for non- Repair delay in engine damage and language barriers native English speakers. STE is a way to ‘control language’. In simpler terms, it’s a boiled down set of English is the 3rd most English words that is used as a dictionary to aid in common language communicating core information. 20% English is not the 6500 spoken (1.5 billion) This ability to convey complex methods, languages world wide concepts and ideas without needing to translate or only language CHINESE SPANISH ARABIC HINDI ENGLISH BENGALI PORTUESE RUSSIAN JAPANESE localise content has been a primary requirement for LAHNDA global aerospace companies. However, the times 7.7 billion people and market trends are changing and the value of Source: https://www.maintworld.com/HSE/The-Role-of-Simplified-Technical-English-in-Aviation-Maintenance native language content in terms of safety, MTTR Source: Oliver Wyman’s 2017 MRO survey Source: https://www.maintworld.com/HSE/The-Role-of-Simplified-Technical-English-in-Aviation-Maintenance and operational readiness is now becoming more Source: https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/maintenance_hf/library/documents/media/human_factors_maintenance/maint_language_final.pdf SDLW recognised. Use of a standard such as STE to control Eliminate the inefficiencies language is good but not appropriate for all projects. STE by itself will not objectively measure and report The international language of the aviation industry, the quality of your content relative to your quality and all technical documentation is English. For standards. It will not manage project, product, 80% of aviation industry operational, maintenance, organisational or business level terminology and and support personnel, English is not their native it won’t help you achieve high levels of content language. Unfortunately, the use of STE alone to consistency or reuse. STE is a standard dictionary of support militaries in various countries around the words, nothing more and nothing less. world has built-in inefficiencies. Non-native English- Why is there a need to simplify English? The speaking maintainers must go through two years English word ‘lift’ has 13 different meanings when of English training before they start to learn how to used as a verb and eight different meanings when maintain their assigned equipment. used as a noun. In another example, a MRO had an The aviation industry is facing a shortage of incident caused by ‘language’ resulting in engine maintenance technicians. Boeing has predicted a damage in 2001. The English word ‘clean’ has two need for 679,000 technicians over the next 20 years meanings: 1) get rid of paint, eg, strip, and 2) use with the majority of the need coming in the Asia- cleaner to clean. The correct interpretation should Pacific region (39% or 268,000). According to the be ‘get rid of paint; strip’ in this context. However, Aviation Technician Education Council, about 30% of the mechanic did not understand, and performed the current ranks of aircraft mechanics are at or near cleaning by ‘use cleaner to clean,’ which resulted in retirement age and they’re retiring faster than they’re wires burned from the cleaning fluid. being replaced.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 33 DEFENCE MRO and language proficiency

Dr Bill Johnson was recently asked, in his content, then… article Training and Job Aiding Technologies So why aren’t all FMS customers translating for Maintenance (September issue of the FAA their technical data? newsletter), ‘aviation maintenance technicians Because... It’s VERY difficult to do right and (AMTs) and other industry personnel have the it costs A LOT of money to sustain a translation technical knowledge to safely perform their jobs, so strategy. why does failure to follow procedure (FFP) remain Here are just a few of the sustainment a leading cause in administrative actions?’ While Dr challenges that impact translating highly complex, Johnson explores an organisation’s safety culture technical, military equipment data: in the failure to follow procedure incidents, one ● V ery high volumes make traditional human has to wonder to what degree misunderstanding translation strategies too slow and too or incorrect interpretation plays a role in these expensive. incidents? ● T he content covers multiple areas of very complex systems, and some content covers

USAF/Keith James USAF/Keith highly complex and dangerous procedures that need to be translated with the highest accuracy. ● K eeping translated manuals up-to-date is challenging. ● Lac k of security protocols and quality control. What would it mean to FMS custors if there was a new way for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to deliver high-quality native language technical data quickly and efficiently?

The benefits would be significant:

● L ower costs to train and retain maintainer and technical staff. ● Elimination of two years of English training before maintainer training begins. ● Elimination of the shortage of maintainers due to short military service. ● Higher accuracy and efficiency of maintenance procedures. ● Reduced MTTR. Improved operational readiness. An Iraqi F-16 maintainer Without translated content: ● sprays a F-16C Fighting Falcon with water after a ● Non-native English speaking technicians cannot mission in an undisclosed perform their tasks at optimal efficiency. Time to abandon English? location, in support ● MTTR goes UP! of Operation Inherent So, should A&D manufacturers just abandon Resolve, June 2018. The ● Overall unit readiness is slower to reach optimal simplified technical English? No, not at all! The Iraqi Air Force is the aerial levels. benefits of a common ‘controlled language’ have warfare service branch of ● A shortage of qualified technicians to support proven beneficial to the industry and STE is still a the Iraqi Armed Forces. the operational readiness of the system is requirement for many programmes. created while the technicians are ‘in the queue’ What I recommend is that all A&D manufacturers for two years while learning English. require a content quality systems initiative that ● Use of simplified technical English helps reduce objectively measures and reports on the quality of ambiguity but a technician must still have a their data from the moment of content creation degree of fluency to fully understand the details through sustainment, for the life of the programme. and intent of all instructions, directions and Proactively managing quality and consistency of procedures. terminology, writing style, content, reuse and tone increases the consistency of your source language Difficulty in hiring, training and retaining content. This, in turn, facilitates an increase in mechanics leads to higher programme costs, longer language translation automation, which reduces MTTR and decreased operational readiness. If we localisation costs over the lifecycle of the programme. are aware of the negative impact on MTTR and The more consistent your source content, the more operational readiness by not having native language efficient and less costly your localisation process can

34 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 be, and the increase in content quality can save lives The aerospace and defence industry is and improve operational readiness. facing a global shortage of aviation maintenance technicians currently and well into the future. While Speak one language with machine English is the language of aviation and of aviation translation maintenance, 80% of maintainers speak English as a second (or even tertiary) language. English has Today, machine-based translation has matured at a role to play as the ‘control’ language but local or such a rapid rate that both the speed and accuracy native language can aid in training efficiency and in is now able to deliver a more economically viable understanding by maintainers. Local language can approach to delivering technical content in almost facilitate operational readiness by helping to fill the any of the languages required by global aviation need for new highly-skilled technicians more quickly. maintainers. Machine translation (MT) is the New advances in translation technologies have translation of text by a computer with no human increased the speed and accuracy of machine involvement. Pioneered in the 1950s, MT is also often referred to as automated translation, automatic translation or instant translation. It is estimated that as many as 600bn words a day are translated by computers today, across the various MT portals. This dwarfs what the localisation and professional business translation industry does by a factor of more than x99. Machine translation has evolved from simple rules-based machine translation (RBMT) to statistical-based machine translation (SMT) approaches to today’s neural machine translation learning (NMT) network approach. Neural MT systems also utilise machine learning approaches but these systems learn higher-level concepts for producing translations. In this new approach, the system that is created is a multi-layered neural network that produces translation in a similar processing pathway that the human brain would follow. The neural technologies have become increasingly popular among MT researchers and developers because NMT systems have shown to USAF produce translation with a fluency that RBMT and previous SMT systems could not rival, especially A US General discusses translations and dramatically lowered the cost when the sentence contains more complex his orientation flight in an such that it is now more economically feasible information structures. Neural MT uses a deep Indian Air Force Mirage to deliver the most technical of content across 2000 with an Indian learning architecture capable of learning the meaning Officer. languages. of the text which enables the machine to perform the Operational leaders must consider new thoughts translation task at a semantic level leading to fluent and approaches to better enable maintainers through and naturally sounding translation output. the technical documentation and training that is created and delivered. To that end, as leaders in Summary the A&D industry, we must explore strategies that overcome the high cost and long lead times for Maintenance errors can prove costly for both the language translation that has historically prevented aircraft and human life. Simple misunderstandings the consideration of multilingual technical content can have devastating impacts or just prolong the as a viable consideration to help increase maintainer time it takes to restore an asset to operational understanding, improve MTTR and operational readiness. readiness.

References Technician Shortage https://www.mro-network.com/operations/mro-workforce-shortage-looms-providers-seek-solutions Failure to Follow Procedure https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/maintenance_hf/fatigue/publications/media/Aviation-Mx-HF-Newsletter-September-2018.pdf

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 35 AEROSPACE Airliners as Earth observation platforms

BASICALLY, FOR WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE COST OF ONE SATELLITE, YOU WOULD NEED A LARGE CONSTELLATION OF SATELLITES WORTH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS

Flying the connected skies

TEREZA PULTAROVA reports on plans to turn the world’s fleet of commercial airliners into an imagery, pollution, weather and turbulence data-gathering powerhouse of cost-effective connected sensors.

housands of airliners criss-cross the of continents with a much higher frequency and for sky all over the world every day. The fast a fraction of the cost compared to Earth observation development of modern sensors, data satellites, which have traditionally been used for this processing technologies and aircraft purpose. connectivity is now enabling engineers “Basically, for what we can do for the cost of Tto invent new ways of utilising these aircraft as a one satellite, you would need a large constellation of dense airborne infrastructure for the collection of satellites worth hundreds of millions,” says Rammos. information about our planet. Since its conception, the company, previously “If you asked me ten years ago, I would think incubated at ESA’s Business Incubation Centre it’s not possible,” says Emmanuel Rammos, an in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, has attracted electronics and telecommunications engineer considerable attention and even came second in the with three decades of experience developing amount of attracted investment at the 2018 Space telecommunications and Earth observation payloads Investment Summit in Luxembourg. for satellites at the European Space Agency (ESA). SkyfloX’ idea is obviously ingenious. The aircraft In 2016, Rammos founded SkyfloX, a start-up that are already there, ferrying passengers back and wants to put such payloads on a large number of forth. There is no need to launch anything into commercial aircraft. By doing so, the company wants space or to develop and build any satellites or to create a massive Earth observation constellation operate them. The payload is just hitching a ride on that would enable capturing high-resolution imagery a platform that is being operated by someone else

36 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 with another moneymaking purpose. Since tens of Compared to satellites, airliners travel very thousands of flights take place every day around the near to the Earth’s surface, which brings further world, connecting cities, countries and continents, advantages. In a recent flight test, an ORCA payload the frequency of imaging and level of coverage that fitted with a relatively cheap commercially available such a system would provide is rather unparalleled, camera achieved a very high spatial resolution of according to Rammos. one metre. Although the idea seems so obvious that one has to wonder why did it take until 2016 for someone to actually try and implement it. Rammos says that until quite recently the time simply wasn’t right. “It’s a question of technology availability,” says Rammos. “It’s only over the past years that we have developed payloads that are small enough to fit on a commercial aircraft. You can’t put a payload that is hundreds of kilograms on an aircraft.”

Disrupting disruption

In the past, large government-funded missions

dominated Earth observation, with individual SkyfloX satellites worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Then the era of cubesats arrived, driven by the “The payloads that we use are about the size of a Installing imaging sensors availability of ever cheaper, smaller and more suitcase, ten to fifteen kilograms,” explains Rammos. on airliners would make for efficient technology. Since 2012 private companies “We have designed the payload to be completely rapid-revisit times. such as Planet and Spire have launched large independent from the aircraft systems. The only thing constellations of cheap and tiny satellites that we want from them is to carry it and potentially give it today can obtain images of every spot on the Earth some power. And we pay for a ticket.” much more frequently than what was previously The company also tested transferring the data possible. In 2017, Planet announced that it had after landing using a regular mobile communications reached the stage at which it could acquire an LTE networks run by Dutch mobile operators Tele2 image of every single spot on the Earth every day. and T-Mobile. Planet’s constellation cost in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars, the cost of a single traditional government-funded Earth observation mission. There is no doubt that players such as Planet disrupted Earth observation. SkyfloX, however, now hopes to disrupt the disruption. The constellation of payloads on aircraft, named ORCA (for Optical and RF Constellation on Aircraft) would, according to Rammos, go well beyond daily revisits and open avenues for entirely new applications. “Already with 100 aircraft you have such a coverage that it’s unequalled by any other system that is out there,” says Rammos. Around major aviation hubs, where aircraft fitted with the Earth observation payloads would take-off and land dozens of times a day, the researchers could obtain such detailed data sets that would, for SkyfloX example, enable measuring how air pollution over a metropolitan area evolves during a day or how heat “We were glad to see that this is possible, which The system works by islands develop within a city. means that we don’t need to build a dedicated bouncing signals from “It could also be very useful for monitoring of ground segment,” says Rammos. “We can use aircraft to satellites natural disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes or the existing mobile ground segment for the data and back to a centre processing the data. tsunamis,” says Rammos. “You could also measure downloading.” and monitor coastal erosion or infrastructure, for The company envisions that in urgent cases example pipelines, in near real-time. There are when actual real-time data is needed, the imagery many doors that open – applications that otherwise would be transferred via satellite communication wouldn’t be economically feasible.” networks to reach the user immediately.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 37 AEROSPACE Airliners as Earth observation platforms

Another advantage of the ORCA payloads is the 1990s. The programme, which takes advantage fact that the technology can be regularly serviced, of existing aircraft sensors and communication maintained and upgraded. systems to measure and transmit data about “With a satellite, once you launch it, there is temperature, wind speed and direction, currently nothing you can do with it,” says Rammos. “In our produces over 700,000 measurements per day, WITH A case, we can upgrade to the latest technology every which are, together with positional and temporal SATELLITE, year.” information, fed into weather-forecasting models. ONCE YOU Rammos, however, says that SkyfloX’ goal “Meteorological services around the world is not to replace satellites but rather to provide traditionally use weather balloons, which they LAUNCH IT, an additional layer of data that would work in a launch once or twice a day from various locations, THERE IS complementary way, in particular with the Sentinel to collect atmospheric data at various altitude NOTHING satellites of the European Copernicus constellation. levels,” says Katya Vashchankova, Head of the “The Sentinel satellites are very well calibrated Meteorological Program at the International Air YOU CAN DO and we can use them as reference satellites,” says Transport Association (IATA), which has recently WITH IT, IN OUR Rammos. “We can, for example, combine our optical joined forces with WMO to further expand the CASE, WE CAN ORCA data with radar imaging coming from the programme. UPGRADE TO Sentinels.” “The aircraft with its existing sensors can collect SkyfloX has recently completed a study the same atmospheric profiles every time it takes THE LATEST evaluating the technical, legal, regulatory and off and descends, and does it at a much lower cost TECHNOLOGY business aspects of the ORCA constellation and than the weather balloons.” EVERY YEAR hopes to start a pilot project in the next months Vashchankova says the WMO currently co- deploying a series of payloads on commercial operates with 40 airlines from all over the world Emmanuel passenger and cargo aircraft. If all goes well, with most of the coverage being concentrated Rammos Rammos says, the company will commence over North America, Europe and Australia. The two commercial operations in Europe in 2020, aiming to organisations want to attract more airlines into the SkyfloX founder expand to the US shortly thereafter. programme to improve coverage over data-sparse areas but also plan to start equipping aircraft with Better than weather balloons additional sensors to measure humidity. “A few airlines have already started installing SkyfloX is not the only entity that has realised the water vapour sensors, which are extremely useful data gathering potential of commercial airliners. for forecasting things like fog and precipitation,” The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has says Vashchankova. “This data is not only important been developing the global Aircraft Meteorological for general weather forecasting but also critical for DAta Relay (AMDAR) programme since the late the airlines’ operations.” NATS

38 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Forecasting turbulence

Two years ago IATA began working on its turbulence data sharing project, which also takes advantage of existing aircraft sensors and communication technologies to create a global real-time turbulence alerting service. In December 2018, IATA announced the first operational version of the data- sharing platform called Turbulence Aware, which has been developed in close collaboration with multiple airlines. “The system is taking measured parameters from equipment such as the pitot tubes and angle- of-attack sensors that are already connected to

the aircraft,” explains Brent King, Head of Flight SkyfloX Operations Efficiency at IATA. “It takes simple inputs such as true air speed or the angle-of-attack of the miles ahead there is going to be some turbulence, aircraft. We run those parameters through a special that crew can stop the meal service, put the carts algorithm to calculate an absolute value describing away and make sure that everyone is nice and safe Sensors on the the severity of the turbulence around the aircraft.” before they inadvertently fly into turbulence.” underside of each The project focuses on so-called clear air Vashchankova says the incentive for this project turbulence, which happens without the presence initially came from Lufthansa, which has already aircraft transmits of any visual clues, such as clouds, when colliding been exploring the measuring and reporting of data to ground masses of air move at different speeds. Until today, turbulence data on a smaller scale among its own stations for the only warning for flight crews has been reports fleet of aircraft. by their counterparts travelling on the same routes. “An individual airline would only see very sparse processing. These so called PIREPS (for pilot reports) are data points from their own aircraft and it doesn’t relayed via radio to the nearest ground station. They really help them make decisions with regards to provide only approximate information about the how to optimally manage turbulence in flight,” she aircraft’s location and rely on the pilot’s judgement to says. “That’s why airlines asked IATA to be the global assess the intensity of the turbulence. data consolidator, and help them exchange that “When I hear a PIREP from someone, it’s not information among themselves.” always clear to me in flight where exactly that The project has now entered a demonstration aircraft is and what direction it is actually flying,” said phase with so far six global airlines on board. King. “It could be in the opposite direction, behind By 2020 IATA plans to roll out the solution me, it could be at a different level. It’s also very commercially. subjective. For one pilot to say that turbulence level is moderate, it might be light to moderate to another For the greater good pilot, or it can be moderate to severe for someone else. Additionally, it depends on what aircraft type is Vashchankova says both of the projects that actually experiencing the turbulence.” IATA is involved with have benefits for the The algorithm used in the Turbulence Aware airlines’ operations, such as passenger safety. project was developed by the National Centre of However, there is also an immense benefit for the Atmospheric Research. It runs on the aircraft’s environment, since improved weather forecast and avionics domain and calculates a value between understanding of turbulence enables airlines to plan 0 and 1, which describes the atmospheric state their routes more efficiently and as a result burn around the aircraft. This value is transmitted in real less fuel and reduce CO2 emissions. time to IATA’s ground-based digital platform via the SkyfloX’ Rammos says his company also hopes aircraft’s communication systems, either the aircraft to attract airlines by showing them that they could communications addressing and reporting system serve a greater good – something they might be (ACARS) or wifi. IATA then makes the data available quite interested in for PR purposes, considering to all participating airlines, which can then further the fact that aviation is notoriously carbon intensive distribute the information to crews travelling on and, unlike other areas of transportation, more affected routes. environment-friendly alternatives are decades away. “An aircraft, which is ahead of another one will “The airline infrastructure is a marvellous have its data transmitted to the ground and back infrastructure offering an excellent platform that to the aircraft in trail in about 30 seconds,” says can be used for purposes that are beneficial for King. “That provides them with very good situational everybody,” he says. “It’s a social service. The awareness to secure the cabin. If they are carrying airliners offer something that otherwise would be out a meal service and the crew knows that 100 extremely complex and expensive.”

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 39 Meetings & Events in the heart of London

Home to the Royal Aeronautical Society, No. 4 Hamilton Place is a stunning venue, centrally located in Mayfair, with a choice of event spaces. The venue offers:

• Room Hire discounts – 10% for members and 20% for Corporate Partners • State of the art conference facilities for up to 250 • Versatile meeting rooms • A beautiful west facing terrace • Catering by Blue Strawberry, where innovative food and creative design become an exceptional experience

Let our dedicated team take care of your event requirements.

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

210x280_4hp_aerospace_nov2018_ad.indd 1 29/10/2018 09:37 Afterburner www.aerosociety.com

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Diary landing on the amphibious assault ship 2 April USS America (LHA 6). Lockheed Martin. Feeling Supersonic – An Aviation Odyssey Dr Michael Pryce, Lecturer, Cranfield University Historical Group Lecture

Meetings & Events in the heart of London

Home to the Royal Aeronautical Society, No. 4 Hamilton Place is a stunning venue, centrally located in Mayfair, 42 Message from RAeS 44 Book Reviews 52 Diary with a choice of event spaces. The venue offers: - President Economic and Environmental Regulation of Find out when and where around the world the International Aviation, Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-142 latest Society aeronautical and aerospace lectures “As I write this article in early February the Brexit and An Untaken Road. and events are happening. • Room Hire discounts – 10% for members and 20% for Corporate Partners debate rumbles on, with the clock inexorably ticking down towards 29 March and seemingly little 54 Corporate Partner Events • State of the art conference facilities for up to 250 common ground within the House of Commons on 49 Library Additions how the UK will leave the European Union in such Upcoming events for Corporate Partners. • Versatile meeting rooms a way that will also be acceptable to EU negotiators Books submitted to the National Aerospace Library. and the other 27 Member States.” • A beautiful west facing terrace 50 Obituaries 55 RAeS Heritage Plaque • Catering by Blue Strawberry, where innovative food and creative design become an exceptional experience - Chief Executive Ray Whitford MRAeS and Peter Stewart FRAeS. A Royal Aeronautical Society Heritage Plaque has been unveiled at the Whittle Laboratory in “Celebrating success by recognising achievement Cambridge. is a key aspect of promoting the profile of both the 51 2019 Council Elections Let our dedicated team take care of your event requirements. Society and the sectors that we represent. To that end, please remember that the 31 March deadline Voting has now opened for the 2019 Council for submitting nominations for the RAeS Honours, Elections. For more information visit www.4hp.org.uk or contact the Venue Team on 020 7670 4314 Medals & Awards is fast approaching.” or [email protected] | No. 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 41

210x280_4hp_aerospace_nov2018_ad.indd 1 29/10/2018 09:37 Afterburner Message from RAeS OUR PRESIDENT

Rear Admiral Simon Henley As I write this article in early February the Brexit debate rumbles on, with the clock inexorably ticking down towards 29 March and seemingly little common ground within the House of Commons on how the UK will leave the European Union in such a way that will also be acceptable to EU negotiators and the other 27 Member States. While the majority of Members of Parliament have instructed the Prime Minister to reopen negotiations on the text of her deal, an activity that has been flatly rejected by the EU, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, which would create untold havoc for the aerospace sector and most MPs have expressed a wish to avoid, looms larger by the day. I met with members of the Airbus Wing team from Broughton in January, and An artist’s impression of ESA’s ExoMars rover, now named they are genuinely concerned about the future for Rosalind Franklin (the scientist behind the discovery of the wing production in the UK. Maintaining capability structure of DNA), which is due to be launched in July 2020 requires constant investment in a highly competitive to arrive at Mars in March 2021. Establishing whether life ever existed on Mars is at the heart of the ExoMars programme. The environment and the continued uncertainty rover is being built at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. surrounding Brexit means that such investment is ESA/ATG medialab. currently on hold across many critical sectors. The UK aerospace sector is holding its breath awaiting direction, metaphorically going blue in the face, while our Medals & Awards for 2018 with the award of the uncertainty lingers on. As the Society made clear the RAeS Gold Medal to Peter Beck, Founder and to the House of Commons Business Committee at CEO of Rocket Lab, in recognition of his exceptional the end of last year, echoed more recently by the work in creating a novel, affordable launch capability comments of the Chairman of the Aerospace Growth for small satellites, realised in January 2018 with Partnership at the ADS Annual Dinner in January, Rocket Lab’s first orbital launch of the Electron the draft Withdrawal Agreement would create a rocket. The UK Government’s Space Policy, which legislative and regulatory environment which will not our Space Specialist Group contributed to, has borne be as good for aerospace as the status quo, but is fruit in attracting inward investment in UK launch an acceptable compromise. Instead of spending the capabilities and also enabling companies such as final two months chasing unicorn ideas, MPs now Orbex, Skyrora and others to thrive, building on just need to get on with approving a plan that works already-acknowledged world-class UK capability in for our sector and the economy. small satellites through such companies as Surrey Having spent the majority of my career working Satellites, Airbus Defence and Space and others. with and around fixed and rotary wing military aircraft, In space propulsion as well, pioneering work in I have for the past few months been closely engaged Reaction Engines Ltd to develop the revolutionary INSTEAD OF in the space sector. It is an incredibly vibrant and SABRE air-breathing propulsion system for fast growing area across the world, encompassing a hypersonic atmospheric and space operations offers SPENDING massively broad swathe of activity from hypersonic a real glimpse of high cadence space missions akin THE FINAL atmospheric flight through exo-atmospheric to today’s airliner operations. It’s an incredibly exciting TWO MONTHS operations, from ion engines through to rockets sector and it’s really gratifying to see our own developing more than five million pounds of thrust Space Group and the companies involved working CHASING at lift-off, encompassing satellites whose design has to bring that excitement to our next generation of UNICORN IDEAS, to be weight optimised down to single grammes but potential engineers, astronauts, technicians, and all MPS NOW which must operate ‘straight out of the box’ for years the others who can contribute to a vibrant future JUST NEED TO without maintenance or critical failure. The sector has in space through outreach to schools, lectures at seen huge growth in demand for the services space Society Branches, events and conferences. Recent GET ON WITH can provide in terms of communication, surveillance, years have offered a glimpse of how the Society APPROVING navigation and positioning systems and market can keep itself at the forefront of a fast-changing A PLAN THAT forces have enabled many start-up operations to sector in order to offer relevant advice and facilitate WORKS FOR OUR raise funding to bring innovative new products to informed debate at the leading edge of technical market while comprehensively breaking the cost/ and operational advances – a great example of a SECTOR AND capability curve which was considered the norm just Learned Society performing the role for which it was THE ECONOMY a few years ago. We recognised such innovation in established.

42 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Sir Brian Burridge  In this month’s message, the President rightly draws attention to the strategic industrial impact of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Here at Hamilton Place, we are also engaged in more tactical assessments of the ‘day-one’ implications for the operation of the Headquarters. There are of course a wide spectrum of possibilities ranging from a general sense of uncertainty to major challenges to logistic distribution systems. In our case, we have tested the assessments of our key suppliers for IT support, the printing Ian Whittle, left, son of Sir Frank Whittle, during one of the tours and distribution of publications and the provision of the Whittle Laboratory organised for the visitors to the plaque of catering and foodstuffs. All of them have unveiling. made sensible contingency plans, albeit against and nominations are always welcome so please an uncertain backdrop, so we see few initial visit https://www.aerosociety.com/get- barriers to business as usual. Beyond that, the involved/recognition/heritage-awards/ to longer-term economic impact could, of course, download the appropriate form. affect investment decisions for both domestic  March should be a busy month for our Corporate businesses and off-shore companies with Partners with two briefings scheduled in interests in the UK with significant potential quick succession. First, on Tuesday 19 March, implications for the Society’s membership. Professor Helen Atkinson, Pro-Vice Chancellor  This month will see the final Council meeting of for Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing the current Presidential cycle with the handover at Cranfield University, will talk on digital taking place at the Annual General Meeting on aviation, one of the key facets of the Fourth 16 May at Hamilton Place. We are fortunate Industrial Revolution. She will cover a number that we have a strong list of candidates standing of aspects of the aerospace ecosystem from for the Council with varying backgrounds and self-learning conscious aircraft to the seamless experience (see p 51) which will greatly benefit passenger experience, including city integration the Society’s governance and direction. I urge all and flow optimisation. Later in the month, on members to take the time to read the candidate Monday 25 March, Philip Dunne MP returns statements and give careful consideration before to give an update on his report on Growing the casting your vote. Equally, I would encourage all Contribution of Defence to UK Prosperity. The members to attend the Annual General Meeting Brexit Parliamentary timetable caused this event which is an opportunity to hold the Trustees to be postponed from January. Further ahead, to account and make them aware of the all- we look forward to welcoming our members important views of the grassroots. and Corporate Partners to the RAeS Banquet  The Society launched the Aeronautical Heritage on 16 May, when Airbus’ CEO Designate, THIS MONTH Awards Scheme as part of the celebrations of Guillaume Faury, will be our Guest of Honour WILL SEE THE the Centenary of British Aviation in 2008. The and after-dinner speaker. Tickets are selling fast Awards commemorate people, places or things so we recommend that you make your booking FINAL COUNCIL that have made contributions of world-class promptly if you would like to attend. MEETING OF significance to the art, science and engineering  Celebrating success by recognising achievement THE CURRENT of aeronautics. Since then, over 20 plaques is a key aspect of promoting the profile of both PRESIDENTIAL have been unveiled, most recently the plaque the Society and the sectors that we represent. to celebrate Cambridge University’s Whittle To that end, please remember that the 31 March CYCLE WITH Laboratory, orchestrated with a good deal of deadline for submitting nominations for the RAeS THE HANDOVER flair by the Society’s Cambridge Branch and Honours, Medals & Awards is fast approaching. TAKING PLACE in the presence of Sir Frank Whittle’s son, Ian We really do want to see a diverse range of Whittle FRAeS (see photo above and p 55). The individuals and teams gaining recognition. We AT THE ANNUAL laboratory is at the forefront of turbo-machinery encourage nominations from members (individual GENERAL research and design in areas ranging from jet and Corporate Partners) to make sure that MEETING ON propulsion to domestic hair dryers. Much of their experts within your fields of interest are duly 16 MAY AT work is relevant to the Society’s interest in high recognised and rewarded for their achievements. value design through the Brunel Challenge. For more information and to submit your HAMILTON One of the objectives of the scheme is to help nomination visit https://www.aerosociety. PLACE promote aeronautical heritage to the wider public com/get-involved/recognition/

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 43 Afterburner Book Reviews ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL AVIATION

From Inter-national to their field and the contrast between the aviation sector and other globalising or globalised sectors. Dr Global Governance Truxal makes it clear that he is a ‘transformationalist’, By S Truxal ie someone who holds that the nation state is (or should be?) no longer the only or major form of Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park Square, governance and is focused on ‘the emergence of Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, UK. 2017. powerful non non-territorial forms of economic and 221pp. £90. ISBN 978-1-1388-4345-5. political organisation in the global domain, such as multinational corporations, transnational social It is heavily ironic that the aviation industry, by movements, international regulatory agencies, etc’. its nature one of the most global of industries, is To Dr Truxal the Chicago System is stuck in the hamstrung by a protectionist regulatory regime Westphalian era of international relations and the developed over 70 years ago in a completely key is to move ‘to a new evolutionary stage’. It is different world context. For decades now, many posited that the Chicago System challenges the esteemed academics have queried – with greater ability of States to address problems that are of or lesser degrees of vociferousness – if the current a transnational nature as it promulgates national nations-based regulatory regime is at all fit for regulation of these global areas of concern. In light purpose. In his new book Dr Truxal joins this chorus of incoherent or lacking international economic and but with an interesting spin which is a focus on what environmental regulation, impetus is provided for can be achieved pragmatically within the current the introduction of a more transnational approach to regime, and what is being achieved to move aviation global governance of aviation. ‘from inter-national to global governance’. In practice, Dr Truxal stresses the importance Dr Truxal argues that future work on the global of the distinction between sovereignty and governance of aviation must focus on the more competencies, a distinction drawn in particular by technical side of developing processes for effective Professor Pablo Mendes de Leon, Head of the decision making, as well as implementation of and Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University, in adherence to decisions in areas of global concern a series of articles. States remain responsible for civil that demand international co-operation, such as aviation and do not give up their sovereignty. What passenger protection and the environment. Dr Truxal they do is transfer their competencies, especially in deserves praise in his book for his focus on the relation to technological matters which should be possible rather than raging against a system that is uncontroversial – for example, to ICAO in respect of unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. aircraft safety. The remit of ICAO has recently moved Where some commentators may not follow into economic areas, with proposals to develop Dr Truxal is his emphasis on what has in his view fair competition safeguards, common principles on been achieved to create a more global-based consumer protection and a global market-based international aviation governance. Dr Truxal argues mechanism for international aviation emissions. that “the impetus for new forms of economic and The idea appears to be to allow states to retain environmental regulation of international aviation is the illusion of sovereign authority while, in practice, giving way to an emerging global governance regime transferring actual governance to international for civil aviation that in turn makes States and airlines organisations. Dr Truxal endorses this in many stronger as global community partners” – perhaps spheres of aviation while recognising the logical It is heavily but, in many respects, it is difficult to see, not just inconsistency that because ‘no-state and private ironic that in economic and environmental regulation, but in actors remain heavily, if not entirely, dependent on the aviation other aspects such as liberalised traffic rights and sovereign states to negotiate, agree and enforce ownership and control rules. Or perhaps an air of policy’ in a meaningful sense such an arrangement industry, by its pessimism has crept in since the publication of Dr enhances or entrenches state power. Dr Truxal nature one of Truxal’s book as a result of the Brexit negotiations and points out that while there are many examples of the most global President Trump’s increasingly protectionist stance. international organisations governing issues such of industries, is Dr Truxal starts with the 1944 Chicago System, as safety, to date there has been no transfer of which, he argues (as many do), promulgates a national competences to the international level hamstrung by national identity based on perceived connotations where economic matters are concerned, despite the a protectionist of state power – a version of ‘extreme’ sovereignty. expanding remit of ICAO referred to above. regulatory One of the strengths of Dr Truxal’s book is his To take one example from the economic regime background material on various theories of sphere of aviation: the current structure of bilateral globalisation, with which some aviation lawyers may regulation of ‘fair competition’ is the inclusion by developed over not be familiar despite the importance of these to some States of ‘fair competition’ clauses in Air 70 years ago

44 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 European Commission has identified that, within this ‘new commercial context, it is both important and legitimate that the EU is able to act effectively internationally to safeguard the competitiveness of EU airlines against unfair competition and/or practices wherever they may come from’. For this reason, Regulation 868/2004 was adopted, which provides a framework for prohibiting subsidies to, or unfair pricing by, third country air carriers insofar as those activities cause or threaten to cause a material injury to the Community air transport industry by allowing the investigation of actual or potential injury following a complaint issued on behalf of the EU air transport industry or on the Commission’s own initiative. Another example is passenger protection or compensation, in particular Services Agreements, in addition to provisions Dubai International Airport. Regulation 261. Dubai International Airport. for ‘settlement of disputes’ and ‘fair and equal As well as the efforts of the EU, Dr Truxal opportunity’. It is argued by Dr Truxal that these argues that there is ‘far greater awareness of the provisions require a shared understanding of core, transnational implications of national laws and of objective principles on fairness and a willingness to the potential value of transnational co-operation in follow through with enforcement and that the onus law’. He follows David J Gerber (Global Competition: to ensure that every State has ‘a fair opportunity’ Law, Markets, and Globalization [Oxford University should be on ICAO. To enhance the Chicago Press. 2010]) in identifying three patterns as Convention’s core principles, ICAO Assembly regards global competition on the international adopted Resolution A38-14 ‘Consolidated level: (1) greater co-operation between competition statement of ICAO continuing policies in the air regulators, particularly the EU and the US; (2) an transport field’ in 2013. It is, however, a ‘soft law’ increasing role of transnational institutions, such instrument. As such, it does not impose binding as the OECD and UNCTAD, and (3) a permeating, obligations on the ICAO member states and transnational influence of US antitrust law. therefore cannot be legally enforced. However, it While this sounds encouraging, the issue is does put pressure on states to address the fair that the examples of international co-operation competition issue and deliver this via national in practice cited by Dr Truxal fall short of this legislation: the onus circles back to action by states. aspiration and there are many significant areas Perhaps the limits of liberalisation within the where international civil aviation relations have been current system have been reached. As Dr Truxal fractious, sometimes fractious in the extreme (such notes: ‘attempts to liberalise civil aviation further as the ongoing Gulf carriers/US dispute). Dr Truxal seem to have slowed or even ground to a halt; cites, for example, the recently developed ICAO some suggest liberalisation is actually rolling back’. CORSIA as a high watermark of international co- The issue is ‘the reality of territorial enforcement’. operation with the potential to displace state action Professor Brian Havel, Director of the Institute of in respect of aviation’s impact on the environment. Air and Space Law at McGill University, advocates Other commentators might want to argue that, to the discontinuing attempts to work within the contrary, CORSIA is a compromise with very limited constraints of the 1944 Chicago System. Professor objectives imposed on it precisely by the need to Havel advocates that a plurilateral agreement may obtain international support. To an extent CORSIA be the only means truly to globalise the sector: ‘Until was itself developed as a response to a paradigm the restrictive precepts of the Chicago Convention case of national (or, at least, regional economic are rolled back, in the United States and among group) legislation attempting to be of international America’s aviation trading partners, no authentic effect and finding itself strongly opposed both on globalisation of the international aviation system legal grounds and in the political sphere, namely will be possible’. But is this on the cards? Can the the EU’s attempt to impose the EU ETS on traffic industry afford to wait? to and from the EU (as opposed to just intra-EU Within its own market, the European Union has traffic). Dr Truxal holds up the environment as an certainly acted, as Dr Truxal notes (noting its ‘high example of where progress has been made by the standards’), though arguably as a supra-state of its global aviation industry but others could equally use own and within the system. Dr Truxal identifies areas the same example as a demonstration of the severe that are severely restrictive such as the Regulation difficulties of achieving anything at international level 1008/2008 ownership and control rules, but also and the limitations of state power outside the realm analyses areas where – at least within the European of their own sovereignty. context – international governance is developing. The desire to find examples of states dancing to One example is market regulation and state aid. The the suggested mood music of greater international

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 45 Afterburner Book Reviews

co-operation, or at least following some sort of would disagree with him. The problem for ICAO ideal regulatory regime promulgated by the EU in particular is ‘the difficulty in balancing between and the US, leads Dr Truxal to some strange and maintaining the powers of consent that sovereign digressive examples, for example a long discussion States have in the creation of principles and rules of competition legislation enacted by the State of international law – and the need to increase the of Qatar (an ironic choice of example, given efficiency of international decision-making, including developments since the book was published) which standard-setting, monitoring compliance, dispute is to be lauded because it ‘prohibits anti-competitive settlement, and enforcement’. business practices in a similar way to European Dr Truxal’s book is an excellent discussion and US jurisdictions’. Incidentally, Dr Truxal doesn’t of the challenges facing international aviation as follow the point but surely it is questionable whether a result of the constraints imposed on it by the a globalised aviation world will be in a better place Chicago System. His hope – in the absence of if it simply follows US and EU legislation (even if it Dr Truxal’s any possibility of a completely new system as could bring itself to do that in practice – Brexit is but book is an advocated by Professor Havel – that development one example of popular reaction to encroachment excellent of ICAO’s governance may be part of the solution on state sovereignty by external agencies). may be sanguine but it is well put and practical. His Does the Chicago Convention adequately discussion of examples of areas where progress has been made reflect the 21st century, global nature of the airline the challenges may be overstating the case and in these sections business and transnational nature of the challenges facing of the book Dr Truxal appears to be working hard facing it? Probably not. Should it be amended to international to find achievement where others may only see provide a legal framework that is more open and aspiration. However, this is a minor quibble: a inclusive, and strengthens ICAO governance? In an aviation as a regulatory regime that is not fit for purpose is one of ideal world, yes. But the changed conditions of the result of the the biggest issues facing international aviation today 21st century have led to the agreement of strategic constraints and Dr Truxal’s book will be a valued contribution to objectives for ICAO very different from those the debate as how best to fix it. envisaged over 60 years ago and ICAO governance imposed on it itself will need to change as its role develops. by the Chicago Mark Bisset, Partner These are Dr Truxal’s conclusions and surely few System Clyde & Co LLP

TUPOLEV Tu-95 and Tu-142

possibility was some form of turboprop. By Y Gordon and D Komissarov Tupolev Tu-142MR ‘Oryol’ (‘Bear J’). DoD. At the end of WW2 the Soviet Union had Crecy Publishing, 1a Ringway Trading Estate, decamped the development department of the Shawdowmoss Road, Manchester M22 5LH, UK. Junkers company into the Nikolay Kuznetsov Design 2017. 560pp. Illustrated. £44.95. ISBN 978-1- Bureau. This team – said to number 5,000 – had 857803785. made the greatest progress with such an engine. True, when one of four times the power eventually In its provision of photographs by the hundreds, appeared it carried the designation NK-12 but we complemented by dozens of the highest quality are left to imagine how this was ‘magicked’ out of the coloured drawings, of which the ardent aerophile Junkers Jumo 022. can normally only dream, this volume must rate as It is the choice of emphasis in this scholarly exceptional. Revealed are the construction, weapons work which ultimately arrests the reader. While systems, radars, electronics, spheres of operation we are given the thickness of the perspex in the of the Tu-95 over land and of its sibling Tu-142 A stunning work rear-gunner’s cabin, the civilian version which over sea, extensive factual tabulations, Ministry of encyclopaedic Soviet Premier Khruschev used to such East-West Requirement numbers, even down to who headed the propaganda effect is omitted. While the innumerable Ministry. This level of often revealing detail continues reference sub-types are listed in every detail, the historic impact into the later chapters of operational deployments. un-emotively of the world’s most powerful turboprops and their At the outset the Tu-95 had only a single side-stepping designer Dr Ferdinand Brandner receive only a brief parameter, namely the ability to deliver a nuclear any sense of mention. And the noise level – historically reported weapon to New York or Washington and return as 110dB in the passenger cabin of the Tu-114 – – range was the challenge. It was meeting this the Tu-95’s receives little more than a whisper. overriding parameter which predicated the Tu- incomparable A stunning work of encyclopaedic reference 95’s uniqueness and it was this parameter which concept in the un-emotively side-stepping any sense of the Tu-95’s ultimately eliminated the Tu-95’s early competitor, the death dance of incomparable concept in the death dance of the pure jet Myasishchev Ma-4 ‘Bison’. While subsonic Cold War which spawned it. would be a minimum requirement for survival, specific the Cold War fuel consumption would be dominant. The only which spawned it Philip Styles

46 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 AN UNTAKEN ROAD Strategy, Technology and the Hidden History of America’s Mobile ICBMs By S A Pomeroy

Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA. 2016. xiv; 287pp. Illustrated. $44.95. ISBN 978-161251-973-9.

When asked to review what is essentially an historical record of a proposed, but not implemented system, I was expecting a somewhat dry and uninteresting book. How wrong could I have been? The book’s unusual starting point is to concentrate on a particular ‘basing mode’ for strategic missiles that was and breakthroughs within those technologies can Small ICBM Hard Mobile considered and analysed in great depth but never themselves influence strategic military decisions. Launcher at the National implemented. The book contrasts this ‘basing mode’ Four general areas result with various technologies Museum of the United States Air Force. USAF. against other contemporaneous systems and explores interacting and competing within each. These the concurrent technological advances applicable areas are; means of delivery, warhead yield versus to all the systems and the strategic implications weight, delivery navigation and accuracy, and system resulting. Yet this approach perhaps provides more survivability. insight into the early years of the American nuclear Means of delivery – this is the most obvious deterrent than many books that concentrate in detail and visible change to strategic nuclear systems on the various systems fielded during the period. and all the competing types are chronicled in the The book comprises an 11-page introduction book. Initially, long-range bombers were a natural followed by ten chapters covering 196 pages, continuation from the bombers of WW2 but evolved 46 pages of reference notes and a 26-page to be turbo-jet powered. However, they still retained bibliography, completed by an index. The chapters, many of the disadvantages of such systems: slow closely linked to the reference notes, provide a reaction times (unless constantly kept airborne), long structure that lends itself to further investigation flight times for intercontinental use with air bases and research enabling what is an historical narrative impossible to hide and open to attack. Next came to unlock much deeper technical detail. Chapter 1 early cruise missiles; essentially aircraft without outlines the framework for the historical narrative pilots. Still susceptible to the problems of long-range that the book will use. It places this framework in bombers but with greater problems of navigation the context of American nuclear strategy alongside and control, these quickly became obsolete. the technological innovations occurring over the Nevertheless, the technology progressed into air period. All these points are viewed in the light of launched stand-off missiles systems with much the basic thesis of the book in concentrating on potential but within the time frame covered by the an unimplemented technology (mobile ICBMs) book were never fully developed for strategic use. called by the author “an untaken road”. The next Building upon the rocket developments of five chapters, 2 to 6, examine mobile ICBM WW2, the inter continental ballistic missile (ICBM) development from the mid 1950s to the end of the became the desired means of delivery resulting A recurring 1960s. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 extend this narrative in the first long-range missiles with liquid-fuelled theme from the 1970s to the 1980s with emphasis on the rocket engines. These weapons provided the perceived changes to the nuclear threat, as well as shortest possible flight times but rapid response throughout the effect of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in and navigation were still problematic. Although the book is reducing the proposals for a gargantuan array of never fully deployed they provided a legacy for the the need for tunnels which would have housed moving, buried exploration and exploitation of space: manned space a strategic missiles. The book’s conclusion is Chapter 10. flight leading to Apollo and the Moon landings, A recurring theme throughout the book is the satellites for communications/Earth surveillance/ nuclear need for a strategic nuclear deterrent to be able GPS etc. The next development was long-range deterrent to to survive a first strike from an aggressor, so as to ballistic missiles with solid-fuelled rocket engines; be able to ensure a sufficiently destructive retaliatory response, they were able to provide the shortest flight times survive a first to provide a more than credible deterrent. This together with rapid response and little or no 24-hour strategic imperative provides the impetus and goal support. Navigation was initially still problematic strike from an for the supporting technologies. Yet developments but solved as the designs evolved. The move to aggressor

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 47 Afterburner Book Reviews

solid propellant rocket motors was also assisted history of this science, primarily of inertial guidance, by the development of lighter weight warheads has been well described in Inventing Accuracy: a which reduced missile payload. This use of solid Historical Sociology of Nuclear Missile Guidance propellants was also applicable to submarine (The MIT Press. 1990) by Donald MacKenzie, a book launched missiles – initially short-range ballistic heavily referenced in An Untaken Road and one that missiles that could be launched from oceans nearer should be in the library of anyone interested in the to the aggressor. As the technology further evolved, history and technology of the nuclear deterrent. ICBMs could be launched from submarines – is this System survivability – whatever systems are a re-joining of the untaken road? deployed, if they are to provide a credible deterrent, Warhead yield versus weight – another they must have the capacity to survive a ‘first fundamental yet hidden technology whose strike’. While placing ICBMs in underground silos progress can be seen throughout the book, is the was an obvious first step, progression in delivery development of nuclear warheads. The trail starts accuracy and warhead yield obviously reduced their with the massive fission warheads available at survivability. Increased hardening of individual silos the end of WW2. As these were developed into or increased numbers of silos helped to counter this smaller, more practical payloads, so the drive to An unarmed Trident II D5 (especially in a large country like the US – a luxury thermonuclear (fission/fusion) warheads once again missile launches from the never available to the UK) although the eventual resulted in large payloads requiring large bombers Ohio-class fleet ballistic- outcome would have been land-based mobility – a missile submarine USS and missiles. As thermonuclear warheads were Maryland (SSBN 738) off the road not taken. themselves optimised and reduced in size, so the coast of Florida. US Navy. These dependencies and their interplay over delivery means could be reduced in size, ultimately time weave the fabric of this book, on which the leading to the ability to carry multiple warheads on author manages to generate an intriguing and one missile (‘MIRVing’ progressing naturally from enthralling pattern. As an historical narrative the this). Concomitant increases in warhead yield also An essential book also covers the people involved, their names reduced the need for high accuracy on the target. and characters together with their positions Delivery navigation and accuracy – one of read for anyone and interests, this giving an added dimension to the more ‘hidden’ technologies developed during interested in readers with a mainly technological background. the Cold War was the guidance and navigation of both the history An essential read for anyone interested in both the long-range missiles. This culminated in two major and technology history and technology of the nuclear deterrent. systems: the now ubiquitous Global Positioning System (GPS) and, less well-known, inertial of the nuclear John R Pearce guidance systems. The extensive and enthralling deterrent CEng FIMechE MRAeS AEROSPACE GOLF DAY FOR INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE MEMBERS

FRILFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB, OXFORDSHIRE / TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019

Championship heathland Join us at our 2019 Aerospace Golf golf in the South Oxfordshire Day for some healthy competition with fellow golfers in the aerospace and countryside aviation community.

18 hole texas scramble This event is ideal for networking in a competition relaxed and informal setting.

9 hole stableford points Enter a corporate 4-ball team or opt to be teamed up with other individual competition players.

Individual and corporate For further details please apply to: team prizes Gail Ward Events Manager Breakfast, lunch, refreshments Royal Aeronautical Society T +44 (0)1491 629912 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 48 and afternoon tea E [email protected] Library Additions BOOKS

AERODYNAMICS UK. 2018. 197pp. Illustrated. Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 monoplanes from the first Routledge, Taylor & Francis £17.99. ISBN 978-0-7509- 4RN, UK [20% discount production series which were Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Flow Control Techniques 7014-3. available to RAeS members captured by the Polish Air Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, and Applications. J Wang via www.crcpress.com using Force at the end of WW1 and UK [20% discount available and L Feng. Cambridge AKQ07 promotion code]. which were subsequently flown to RAeS members via www. University Press, University 2018. xviii, 419pp. Illustrated. in operation in the 1918- crcpress.com using AKQ07 Printing House, Shaftesbury £39.99. ISBN 978-0-415- 1919 Polish-Ukranian war promotion code]. 2017. vii, Road, Cambridge CB2 8BS, 82776-8. and the 1919-1920 war with 250pp. £34.95. ISBN 978-0- UK. 2019. x; 281pp. Illustrated. Bolshevik Russia. Illustrated 8153-6676-8. £99.99. ISBN 978-1-107- The Challenges of Fly-by- throughout with contemporary 16156-6. Wire: the role of the Royal photographs and striking Thunderbolts Triumphant: Aircraft Establishment. colour markings diagrams, the the 362nd Fighter Group AIR LAW G T Shanks. Published by volume concludes with a study vs Germany’s Wehrmacht. the author, Bedford. 2018. of the aircraft camouflage and C Bucholtz. Casemate, 10 173pp. Illustrated. £20 plus markings used by Grzegorz Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford £5 postage/packing (Available Mazurowski. OX1 2EW, UK. 2018. ix; from the Bedford Aeronautical 238pp. Illustrated. £30. ISBN Heritage Group E bahg_gts@ LIGHTER-THAN-AIR 978-1-61200-584-3. 978-1- btinternet.com). 61200-673-4. A detailed history of the The Defeat of the Illustrated throughout key role which RAE Bedford Zeppelins: Zeppelin with 150 black-and-white The British Overseas and RAE Farnborough played Raids and Anti-Airship contemporary photographs Airways Corporation: a in the development of fly-by- Operations 1916-18. supported by 24 detailed History. G M Simons. Air wire aircraft technology in the M Powis. Pen & Sword colour aircraft markings World Books, Pen & Sword UK, focusing in particular on Aviation, Pen & Sword Books, diagrams, a detailed account of Books, 47 Church Street, the flight test programmes 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S WW2 air-to-ground operations Barnsley, S Yorkshire S70 2AS, of the Rolls-Royce ‘Flying Yorkshire S70 2AS, UK. 2018. of the 362nd Fighter Group UK. 2019. 320pp. Illustrated. Bedstead’, Short SC-1, xii; 300pp. Illustrated. £25. of the USAAF Ninth Air Force £30. ISBN 978-1-47388- Avro 707 family/707C, ISBN 978-1-52670-249-4. operating the Republic P-47D 357-4. Hawker Hunter XE531, Thunderbolt which provided SEPECAT Jaguar XX765, PLASMA DYNAMICS aerial artillery support for US AIRWORTHINESS AND BAe Experimental Aircraft ground forces from D-Day Aviation Law and Drones: MAINTENANCE Programme (EAP) and the onwards, including the battle Unmanned Aircraft and the VAAC (Vectored thrust Aircraft for Brest, the Battle of the Future of Aviation. Engineer’s Airframe Advanced flight Control) Bulge and the breaching of D Hodgkinson and R Johnston. Pocket Manual Dove Harrier XW175. Includes the Lac Etang de Lindre dam Routledge, Taylor & Francis (Devon). The de Havilland Foreword by Michael Dobson. at Dieuze. Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Servicing School, Hatfield. Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, c.1960. 96pp + 35 pull-out HISTORICAL History of the Royal UK [20% discount available diagrams. Air Force at Redhill to RAeS members via www. Includes numerous Aerodrome: From 1937- crcpress.com using AKQ07 detailed pull-out diagrams 1954. P Amos and B Buss. promotion code]. 2018. xv; illustrating the aircraft’s Published by the authors. 159pp. £95. ISBN 978-1- interior layout, wing/fuselage/ 2018. iv; 135pp. Illustrated. 138-57244-7. tail structure, undercarriage £17.50 inclusive of UK landing gear, flying controls postage/packing (E sales@ International Aviation and pneumatic/heating/ air-britain.co.uk). AEROSPACE Law: a Practical Guide – ventilation/de-icing/vacuum/ Illustrated throughout with Second edition. R Bartsch. electrical systems. contemporary photographs, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Plasma Dynamics for a detailed history of the Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Standard Technical Aerospace Engineering. strategically important role Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, Training Notes for J J S Shang and S T Surzhikov. which RAF Redhill, a satellite GOLF DAY UK [20% discount available Airframe Mechanics Cambridge University Press, of RAF Kenley, played in WW2, to RAeS members via www. (‘Restricted’). A.P. 3042A. University Printing House, mainly as a base for No.15 FOR INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE MEMBERS crcpress.com using AKQ07 Air Ministry, London. 1952. Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge Elementary & Reserve Flying promotion code]. 2018. xii; Irregular pagination. Illustrated. CB2 8BS, UK. 2018. xiv; Training School (EFTS) – and 411pp. £69.99. ISBN 978-1- Basic well-illustrated 387pp. Illustrated. £89.99. its post-war evolution into FRILFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB, OXFORDSHIRE / TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 138-55921-9. introduction to the aircraft Sir Alan Cobham: the ISBN 978-1-108-41897-3. No.15 Reserve Flying School mechanics tools, splicing and Flying Legend Who (RFS) – and for RAF No.83 AIR TRANSPORT swaging, Dowty/Lockheed Brought Aviation to the PROPULSION Group Support Unit, including Championship heathland Join us at our 2019 Aerospace Golf hydraulic equipment, Masses. C Cruddas. Frontline details of all squadrons and golf in the South Oxfordshire Day for some healthy competition with Introduction to Air Vickers/Dowty/Lockheed Books, Pen & Sword Books, Aircraft Engine Design – their aircraft which were based fellow golfers in the aerospace and Transport Economics: undercarriage landing gear 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S Third edition. J D Mattingly there until the closure of all countryside From Theory to lock, Dunlop pneumatic/brakes Yorkshire S70 2AS, UK. 2018. et al. American Institute of RAF Reserve Flying Schools. aviation community. Applications – Third edition. system, Vickers/Dowty/ xviii; 238pp. Illustrated. £25. Aeronautics and Astronautics, Includes recollections of No.15 B Vasigh et al. Routledge, Lockheed oleo legs, Goodrich ISBN 978-1-52673-840-0. Reston, VA. 2018. xxvii; 835pp. RFS by Cyril Arthur Nepean 18 hole texas scramble This event is ideal for networking in a Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park aerofoil de-icing equipment, Illustrated. Distributed by Bishop. Square, Milton Park, Abingdon metal/wood structural repairs, Fokker E.V/D.VIII. T J Transatlantic Publishers Group, competition relaxed and informal setting. OX14 4RN, UK [20% discount ejection seats, lubrication, Kopanski. Published by 97 Greenham Road London available to RAeS members aircraft towing, taxying and Stratus, Poland, on behalf of N10 1LN, UK. £107 [20% Enter a corporate 4-ball team or opt via www.crcpress.com using marshalling and Dunlop tyre Mushroom Model Publications, discount available to RAeS 9 hole stableford points AKQ07 promotion code]. repairs among other areas. 3 Gloucester Close, members on request; E mark. to be teamed up with other individual 2018. xxi; 498pp. £44.99. Petersfield, Hants GU32 3AX, [email protected]]. ISBN competition players. ISBN 978-1-138-23775-9. AVIONICS AND SYSTEMS UK (www.mmpbooks.biz). 978-1-62410-517-3. For further information 2018. 80pp. Illustrated. £15. contact the National Flying Boats: Air Travel in Aircraft Electrical and ISBN 978-83-65958-25-9. SERVICE AVIATION For further details please apply to: Aerospace Library. Individual and corporate the Golden Age. C Woodley. Electronic Systems – A very detailed account, T +44 (0)1252 701038 The History Press, The Mill, Air Power in the Maritime team prizes Gail Ward Second edition. D Wyatt and including individual aircraft or 701060 Events Manager Brimscombe Port, Stroud, M Tooley. Routledge, Taylor & histories, of the 17 German Environment: the World Gloucestershire GL5 2QG, Francis Group, 2 Park Square, parasol-winged fighter Wars. D Gates and B Jones. E [email protected] Breakfast, lunch, refreshments Royal Aeronautical Society T +44 (0)1491 629912 Find us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 and afternoon tea E [email protected] i f 49 Obituaries RAY WHITFORD CEng MRAeS the experience of flying supersonically in an F-16B. 1944-2018 He lectured widely to US and European universities and aerospace companies including Ray Whitford, an outstanding author, was fascinated READ (Research and Education for Aircraft Design), by aircraft, from a very young age. He became EWADE, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Saab expert at aircraft recognition, particularly fighters and EADS. He took part in almost all of the READ both UK and US types. As a member of the Air conferences that were held in cities in Central and Cadets he took part in skydiving, an activity that he Eastern Europe – Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn and especially enjoyed. Brno. At these events he gave stimulating keynote He began his engineering career in the early lectures and chaired international juries assessing 1960s as an apprentice at the British Aircraft student presentations. Corporation, Weybridge, UK, during which he Ray had an engaging personality and with his completed an honours sandwich BSc degree enthusiasm for all things aeronautics, this was in Aeronautical Engineering at what was then communicated to his students at Cranfield and Kingston College of Technology. In the early 1970s conferences overseas by his energetic lecturing style. he carried out research in hypersonics at the He wrote numerous papers and four books, University of London and, in 1972, he joined the winning, in 1997, the Rolls-Royce Award for staff at Kingston as a Senior Lecturer that, by this the Best Propulsion Submission in the Royal time, had been designated a Polytechnic. Aeronautical Society’s ‘Aerospace Journalist of In 1982 he went to the US on a one-year’s the Year Awards’ (AJOYA), and in 2007 he won exchange with a lecturer at the University of West the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Award for Best Virginia US, returning to Kingston in September Technology Submission. 1983. In 1986 he was offered the post of Senior After retirement in 2006, he continued to lecture Lecturer at The Royal Military College of Science at at Cranfield as and when needed on postgraduate Shrivenham, a campus of Cranfield University. courses. Apart from his enthusiasm for aeronautics, In 1993 he was invited to spend two years at Ray had a keen interest in gardening and only last the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado year redesigned his own garden. Springs as a visiting Professor, a unique opportunity He was married twice and had four children. He that he grasped with both hands. He also instructed was a kindly man who cared greatly for his family at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, and friends. His family and the many friends he made Edwards Air Force Base, during which time he had both in the UK and abroad will sorely miss him.

PETER ANTONY EABRY STEWART

CEng FIMechE FRAeS FRPS Chief Test Engineer at Bristol he conceived and 1928-2018 lead a unique world-leading project to visualise and measure component movements in the interior of Peter was a self-taught engineer and scientist who a running gas turbine engine using high-energy gained his MSc by experiment and thesis. Later X-rays. The technique is still in use today and Rolls- he obtained his doctorate in science at Cranfield Royce is currently investing in a new test facility and was also subsequently awarded a visiting at Derby to take advantage of the latest advances professorship at Cranfield and Bristol University. in X-ray and imaging technology. Peter became His career started as a rocket propulsion Head of the Advanced Projects Department, Test engineer and he progressed onto the management Operations where he worked until his retirement. The of large rockets, in particular, Black Knight. He was department was responsible for many other ground- trials team leader and successfully launched BK05, breaking techniques including visualisation of oil BK08 and BK09. Next, he joined Hawker Siddeley flows inside a running gas turbine engine using cold Aviation under Dr Hilton and was especially neutron imaging, infra-red imaging and large format responsible for launch vehicles and satellite attitude high energy X-ray imaging leading to cross-border and station keeping. He studied feasibility of container and lorry inspection. Collaborators included electrical propulsion from low Earth to geostationary AERE, Harwell, BAE and Bristol University. Awards orbit. Inspired by polar exploration using Snowcats, included the Queens Award for Technology and the he proposed and gave a paper to the Academy of Council of Engineering McRobert Award. Astronautics on lunar exploration vehicles. Peter was an inspirational ideas man, not afraid Around 1968 he moved to Bristol Siddeley to think outside the box. All his team and colleagues and was initially involved with ramjet development. had great fun working with him. After a conversation in the early 1970s with the Alan Stubbings

50 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 2019 RAeS COUNCIL ELECTIONS RAeS Council Elections are now open! The Society’s Elections are being conducted As well as its ex officio members, there are 18 electronically, hosted by mi-voice. All voting members elected members on the Council, as a voting member, who have an email address registered with the you really do have the opportunity to influence the Society should have received an email which contains way the Society is run through your voting options. your unique voting number and instruction on how to Voting will close at 9:00am BST on 16 May cast your votes. If you have not received an email or 2019, the same day as the Annual General Meeting. you do not have a valid email address registered with If you have any queries or have not received the the Society, please call mi-voice on +44 (0)23 8076 voting email, please call mi-voice on +44 (0)23 8076 3987 or email [email protected]. 3987 or email [email protected]. Please note that any member who has not paid their membership subscription by 31 March 2019 2019 Candidates will be taken off the membership register and will Dr Alice Bunn FRAeS therefore be unable to vote. The Society encourages Mr Geoffrey John N Clarkson BSc(Hons) CEng you to update your membership to enable you to FRAeS participate in the voting process and have your say on Dr Francesca De Florio MA FRAeS who is elected to Council. Ms Sophy Gardner MBE MA MPhil FRAeS The Society’s Council is responsible for managing Mr Luke Hamnett MEng(Hons) CEng MRAeS the professional, technical and learned affairs of Mr Trevor Higgs CEng FRAeS the Society and provides the necessary direction Miss Kerissa Shervanda Khan MRAeS and strategic leadership required to achieve several Mr Daniel OlufisanBSc(Hons) MSc(Eng) IEng Thank you for key objectives, such as increasing and maintaining MRAeS taking the time the influence, respect and reputation of the Society Prof Elizabeth Payne FRAeS to vote in the globally. For the Council to successfully carry out Dr Donald W Richardson PhD HonFRAeS this objective it is vital that it is made up of the most HonFAIAA 2019 Council suitable individuals – which is why your vote is so Dr Alisdair Edward James Wood EngD CEng Elections important. FRAeS

New Distinguished Service Award for members For over a century the Society’s Medals & Awards Medals & Awards page of the RAeS website. The Scheme has recognised the achievements of DSA will replace the existing Branches Award and aerospace pioneers and innovators. The Society’s nominations from Branches should be submitted awards are recognised as being highly prestigious, through the Branches Committee. Nominations honouring achievement, innovation and excellence. from Specialist Groups should be submitted through However, with the single exception of the the Specialist Groups Chairs Committee. All other Hardingham Sword that is awarded by the President nominations should be submitted to the Medals & annually to an individual, up to now the Society has Awards Committee through Neeral Patel – neeral. had no means of recognising distinguished service [email protected] – who can answer any to the Society by its members. queries on the process. The Council has now agreed to introduce the It is anticipated that the DSA will be presented Distinguished Service Award (DSA) for Society by the nominating body (Branch etc) at an occasion members, of all grades. The DSA, consisting of a of its choosing. This will enable the body to arrange certificate signed by the President, will be conferred the event to reflect the local prestige attached to by the Council on members who have given long the award and the recipient will be honoured in and meritorious service to the Society or for the context of their service. The names of DSA particularly meritorious service of a shorter duration. recipients will be published in the Society’s Honours, There will be no limit on the number of DSA Medals & Awards brochure. awarded in any year. Nominations will be accepted I hope that this article will stimulate some only from an organised body within the Society; that nominations for this new award. is Divisions, Branches, Boards, Committees and Specialist Groups. Nominations should be submitted Air Cdre Bill Tyack CBE FRAeS using the simple nomination form available on the Chair, Medals & Awards Committee

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 51 Afterburner Diary

EVENTS www.aerosociety/events LECTURES www.aerosociety/events

12 March The Shackleton: A Navigator’s Point of View Air Cdre Bill Tyack CBE FRAeS Historical Group Lecture MoD/Crown copyright (2019) MoD/Crown

19 March Ups and Downs – 10 Years Flying with the Red Arrows Squadron Leader Mike Ling MBE RAF Lecture

26-27 March STRS 2019: Simulation & Training for Resilience & Safety Symposium Supported Event Two Swedish Air Force Saab J35 Drakens. Dr Billy 2 April Fredriksson will discuss Feeling Supersonic – An Aviation Odyssey Swedish innovation at Saab Dr Michael Pryce, Lecturer, Cranfield University Historical Group Lecture at Brisbane on 4 March and at Sydney on 5 March. Saab AB. 4 April Brexit – What now for Aviation? Air Law and Air Transport Groups half-day Seminar BEDFORD 9 April — Branch AGM ICAT, Cardiff Airport Business 9 April ARA Socal Club, Manton Lane, followed by Boeing rotary in Park, Cardiff Airport, Rhoose, Development of the SPEAR3 Weapon System Bedford. 7pm. the UK. Barry. 7pm. 13 March — Sir John E [email protected] 11 April Charnley Lecture. Clean Sky BRISBANE 13 March — Air Accident Alan Bristow Lecture programme – driving innovation Engineers Australia Brisbane. Investigation Branch. Peter Rotorcraft Group Named Lecture in the European aerospace 4 March — Swedish Coombs, AAIB. ecosystem. Peter Curtis, Chief aeronautics: industry, research, 10 April — Branch AGM 9 May Technical Officer, ARA. technologies and innovation. followed by The People’s Maintenance Error: Are we learning? 10 April — Branch AGM Saab and its aircraft. Dr Billy Mosquito. Alan Pickford, Conference at Cranfield University followed by The NASA Juno Fredriksson, former Senior Director of Finance, The mission to Jupiter. Dr Jonathan Vice President and Chief People’s Mosquito. 15 May Nichols. Technology Officer, Saab. Air Power 1944 – Setting the Conditions for Victory CHESTER Conference BIRMINGHAM, BROUGH Room 017, Beswick Building, WOLVERHAMPTON AND Cottingham Parks Golf Club. University of Chester, Parkgate 16 May COSFORD 7.30pm. Ben Groves, Road. 7.30pm. Keith Housely, RAeS AGM and Annual Banquet National Cold War Museum, T +44 (0)1482 663938. T +44 (0)151 348 4480. RAF Museum Cosford, Shifnal, 13 March — Aeralis – the 13 March — A300/A310 22-23 May Shropshire. 7pm. Chris Hughes, future of military flying training. family – Airbus first family – to Aerospace Mental Health and Wellbeing T +44 (0)1902 844523. Timothy Davies, Strategy infinity and beyond? Jonathan Aerospace Medicine Group Conference 21 March — J D North Director, Aeralis. Hallett, UK Site Chief Lecture. Hold the front page. 10 April — 65th Sir George Engineer, Airbus. 22 May John Sneller, Jane’s. Pre- Cayley Lecture. F-35B 8 April — War and Peace – Aerospace Medicine Lecture registration only. Moog, Valiant Lightning II. Air Cdre Linc 1956-1962. Peter Radcliffe, Wg Cdr Elizabeth Ashton, Consultant Psychologist, Way, Wolverhampton. Taylor, RAF. 7pm. Grosvenor Museum Society Royal Air Force 18 April — History of Royal 15 May — Mirage IV – the and former Army Sergeant and Aerospace Medicine Group Lecture flying. Sqn Ldr Graham Laurie. only true deterrent? Ian Carl Mann, Chester Branch 16 May — Branch AGM Reed, Director, Yorkshire Air and former RAF Corporal. Joint 30 May (6.15pm) followed by Museum. lecture with the Grosvenor Results of the RemoveDEBRIS Mission Rebuilding granddad’s Bristol Museum Society. Grosvenor Professor Guglielmo Aglietti FRAeS, Director of the Surrey Scout. David Bremner. CAMBRIDGE Museum, Chester. Space Centre, University of Surrey Lecture Theatre ‘0’, Cambridge 8 May — Branch AGM Space Group Lecture BOSCOMBE DOWN University Engineering Dept. followed by short aviation talks. Lecture Theatre, MoD 7.30pm. Jin-Hyun Yu, T +44 4 June Boscombe Down. 5.15pm. (0)1223 373129. CHRISTCHURCH Aerospace Golf Day Visitors please register at 7 March — The future of Cobham Lecture Theatre, Frilford Heath Golf Club least four days in advance thrust (the electric-engined Bournemouth University, Talbot (name and car registration BAe146 programme). Riona Campus, Wallisdown. 7.30pm. All lectures start at 18.00hrs unless otherwise stated. required) E secretary@ Armersmith, Rolls-Royce. Roger Starling, Conference proceedings are available at BoscombeDownRAeS.org E rogerstarling593@btinternet. www.aerosociety.com/news/proceedings 5 March — Current and CARDIFF com future air traffic management. Cardiff & Vale Colleges – 28 March — Keys don’t float:

52 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 everything you need to know T +44 (0)1332 269368. float – everything you need to aerospace. Grant Shapps MP. 12 March — New national about float plane flying. Capt 10 April — Branch AGM know about flying boats. Capt Weston A. rescue helicopter organisation. Bryan Pill, Mission Aviation followed by Adventures in Bryan Pill, Mission Aviation 14 May — Branch AGM Fellowship. noise. Joe Walsh. Fellowship. followed by An evening with a PRESTON 25 April — Branch AGM 18 April — 24th Folland CFI. Reg Barber. Personnel and Conference followed by A day in the life FARNBOROUGH Lecture and Dinner. Hatherley Centre, BAE Systems, Warton. of a Cold War Sea Vixen BAE Systems Park Centre, Manor Hotel, Gloucester. 7pm. HEATHROW 6.30pm. Alan Matthews, pilot. Kim Sharman. Barnes Farnborough Aerospace 21 May — Branch AGM British Airways Theatre, T +44 (0)1995 61470. Lecture Theatre, Bournemouth Centre. 7.30pm. Dr Mike (7pm) followed by Flying Waterside, Harmondsworth. 13 March — Sir Freddie University Talbot Campus. Philpot, the SR-71 Blackbird on an 6.15pm. For security passes Page Lecture. Memories 6.45pm. T +44 (0)1252 614618. operational mission from please contact Dr Ana Pedraz, of a flying career. J David 23 May — Flying the SR-71 20 March — Developments RAF Mildenhall. Col Richard E [email protected] Eagles, BAE Systems: Flight Blackbird. Col Richard Graham, in digital manufacturing Graham, USAF (Ret’d). or T +44 (0)7936 392799. Operations, Ret’d. Ticketed USAF (Ret’d). Lees Lecture technologies. Philip Spiers, 14 March — Aviation event at the Canberra Club, Theatre. Adrian Hurst and Alex HAMBURG insurance claims. John Bayley, Samlesbury. Godbehere, University Hochschule für Angewandte Regional Director, Europe and 10 April — Airborne COVENTRY of Sheffield Advanced Wissenschaften Hamburg, Russia, McLarens Aviation. electronic warfare – the Cold Lecture Theatre ECG26, Manufacturing R&D Centre. Hörsaal 01.12 Berliner Tor 5 11 April — British Airways War legacy. Gordon Slater, Engineering & Computing Joint meeting with IMechE and (Neubau), 20099 Hamburg. centenary. Alex Cruz, Chairman BAE Systems Ret’d. Building, Coventry University, IET. Rik Medlik Building (School 6pm. and CEO, British Airways. 8 May — RAF 2118 Coventry. 7.30pm. Janet Owen, of Management), University of 28 March — Concorde: a Engineering – the next 100 T +44 (0)2476 464079. Surrey, Guildford. 20th century icon. Capt John LOUGHBOROUGH years. Dr Julia Sutcliffe, 20 March — History of air 16 April — Cody Lecture. The Hutchinson. Room U020, Brockington Head of Engineering Training accident investigation. Peter 5m wind tunnel – past, present 9 May — Ergonomics in the Building, Loughborough Services, BAE Systems. Coombs, Senior Inspector of and future. Ian Smith, QinetiQ; aviation industry. Dipl-Ing Klaus University. 7.30pm. Colin Moss, Accidents, AAIB. David Mowbray and David Fuchs, Senior Ergonomist, T +44 (0)1509 239962. PRESTWICK 17 April — Branch AGM Woodward Ret’d. Plant Hamburg, Airbus. 19 March — Hybrid electric The Aviator Suite, 1st Floor, followed by vintage aircraft 16 May — Branch AGM 23 May — Cyber security – aircraft. Dr Panos Laskaridis, Terminal Building, Prestwick films. Rob Foxon. (7pm) followed by Reaction the downside of digitalisation. Head of Hybrid Electric Airport. 7.30pm. John Wragg, Engines update. Sophie Prof Dr Dieter Gollmann, Leiter Propulsion Group, Cranfield T +44 (0)1655 750270. CRANWELL Harker, Aerodynamics and des Instituts für Sicherheit in University. 11 March — Orbital access. Daedalus Officers’ Mess, RAF Performance Engineer for verteilten Anwendungen, TU 7 May — Branch AGM (7pm) Stuart McIntyre. Cranwell. 7.30pm. Please BAE Systems’ Concepts & Hamburg. followed by Blue Steel – the allow enough time to visit the Technology Team. V-Force’s stand-off bomb. Air SOLENT Guardroom for your pass. HATFIELD Cdre Norman Bonnor. Turner Sims Concert Hall, 4 March — V-force in the GLOUCESTER AND Lindop Building, Room A166, University of Southampton, Cold War. Andrew Brookes, CHELTENHAM University of Hertfordshire, MANCHESTER Highfield Campus. 7pm. former V-force pilot. Joint Safran Landing Systems, College Lane, Hatfield. 7pm. Hemsley House, 41-42, The 4 March — R J Mitchell lecture with RIN. Restaurant Conference Room, 12 March — Cranfield Crescent, Salford. 8pm. Lecture. The future’s bright, the off Down Hatherley Lane. University’s flying classroom. 14 March — Roy Chadwick future’s autonomous. Dr Alvin DERBY 7.30pm. Gary Murden, T +44 Prof Nicholas Lawson. Lecture. Aerodynamic design Wilby, Vice President, Research Nightingale Hall, Moor Lane, (0)1452 715165. 9 April — Sir Geoffrey de of commercial aircraft – Airbus Innovation and Technical, Derby. 5.30pm. Chris Sheaf, 19 March — Keys don’t Havilland Lecture. APPG for A380 and the future. Dr Thales UK. Behrooz Barzegar. 6 March — Gravity – pioneering aeronautical MEDWAY innovation. Richard Browning, Conference Room 1, BAE Airbus A310 of Cyprus Airways. The A300/A310 family will be CEO and Chief Test Pilot, Systems (Rochester), Marconi Gravity Industries. HMS Sultan, discussed by Jonathan Hallett at Chester on 13 March. RAeS (NAL). Way, Rochester. 7pm. Robin Gosport. Advance registration Heaps, T +44 (0)1634 required. 377973. 20 March — The Skylon SOUTHEND spaceplane and its Sabre Holiday Inn, Southend Airport. engine. Sophie Harker, 8pm. Sean Corr, T +44 (0)20 Aerodynamics and 7929 3400. Performance Engineer for 12 March — Stealth attack BAE Systems’ Concepts & helicopters. Jeremy Graham, Technology Team. Chief Engineer (Ret’d) Leonardo Helicopters, Yeovil. OXFORD 9 April — Branch AGM. The Magdalen Centre, Oxford 14 May — Ernest Dove Science Park, Oxford. 7pm. Lecture. Bush flying. Capt Andrew Dann, Bryan Pill, Mission Aviation E [email protected] Fellowship. 26 March — Aviation and space medicine. Sqn Ldr STEVENAGE Bonnie Posselt, Speciality Airbus SG1 2AS. 6pm. Registrar in Aviation and E [email protected] Space Medicine. 12 March — Young Persons’ 12 April — Sadler Lecture lecture trophy competition. and Dinner. Bird in a biplane. MBDA SG1 2DA. Tracey Curtis-Taylor. Wolfson 16 April — Leslie Bedford College, Linton Road, Oxford. Lecture and Dinner. 14 May — British Apache operations in Afghanistan SWINDON Julian Lee. The Montgomery Theatre, 21 May — Branch AGM. Joint Services Command Staff College, The Defence PALMERSTON NORTH Academy of the United Rescue Helicopter Hangar, Kingdom, Farringdon Road, Palmerston North Hospital. Shrivenham. 7.30pm.

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 53 Afterburner Diary

6 March — Westland Project Launching satellites from UK WG47: the application of Space Centre in Scotland. Chris stealth design to the attack Lamour, CEO, Orbex Space. helicopter. Jeremy Graham, former Chief Engineer: Sea WASHINGTON DC King, Apache and Chinook, 28 March — Branch AGM. AgustaWestland. 9 May — Hypersonics.

SYDNEY WEYBRIDGE 5 March — Swedish Brooklands Museum, Campbell aeronautics: industry, research, Gate entrance. 6.45pm. technologies and innovation. 20 March — Modern aircrew Saab and its aircraft. Dr Billy escape systems. Philip Rowles, Fredriksson, former Senior VPO Engineering, Martin- Vice President and Chief Baker. Technology Officer, Saab. 17 April — Branch AGM and Engineers Australia, Level 3, Social. 8 Thomas Street, Chatswood. 15 May — BAe Harrier ski- 6.30pm. jump take-off feasibility trials. 10 April — Branch AGM Dick Poole, former Chief Flight followed by a presentation Test Engineer, Dunsfold. from Greg Ferguson, CEO, Rumour Control. New Law YEOVIL School Lecture Theatre, 101 Dallas Conference Room 1A, Eastern Avenue, University of Leonardo Helicopters, Yeovil. Sydney. 6pm. 6.30pm. David Mccallum, E david.mccallum@ TOULOUSE leonardocompany.com Symposium room, Building 21 March — 63rd Henson B01, Airbus Campus 1, and Stringfellow Dinner and Blagnac. 6pm. Contact: http:// Lecture (ticketed event). The goo.gl/WbiKtV to register. Fleet Air Arm in the age of the 19 March — The BelugaXL. Queen Elizabeth-class carrier. Veronique Roca, BelugaXL Assistant Chief of Naval Chief Engineer, Airbus. Staff (Aviation, Amphibious 16 April — The future of Capability & Carriers) and Rear HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed into her home port of aerospace: known knowns and Admiral Fleet Air Arm. Portsmouth for the first time. The Fleet Air Arm in the age of known unknowns! Sir Brian 11 April — Reggie Brie Young the new carriers will be discussed in the 63rd Henson and Copy date Burridge, CEO, RAeS. Members’ Lecture Competition. Stringfellow Lecture at Yeovil on 21 March. MoD/Crown copyright. for the next issue 14 May — Branch AGM 17 May — Branch AGM followed by 12th ADS RAeS followed by Undercarriage of AEROSPACE is Toulouse Branch Lecture. design. Kerissa Khan. 1 March.

CORPORATE PARTNER EVENTS

www.aerosociety.com/events Monday 1 April 2019 / London For further information, please contact Gail Ward The evolution of aviation propulsion over the next two decades E [email protected] or T +44 (0)1491 629912 Corporate Partner Briefing by Paul Stein FRAeS, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce plc Please note: Attendance at Corporate Partner events is Sponsor strictly exclusive to staff of RAeS Corporate Partners. Both individual and corporate members are welcome at the Annual Banquet. Tuesday 19 March 2019 / London Digital Aviation Thursday 16 May 2019 / London Corporate Partner Briefing by Professor Helen Atkinson Annual Banquet CBE FREng, Pro-Vice Chancellor – Aerospace, Transport & Guest of Honour: Guillaume Faury, President Commercial Manufacturing, Cranfield University Aircraft and CEO Designate, Airbus Sponsors Corporate tables and individual tickets available Supported by:

Monday 25 March 2019 / London Find out more about Royal Aeronautical Society Corporate The Dunne Review – update on defence prosperity role membership, advertising and sponsorship: Corporate Partner Briefing by Philip Dunne MP, Former Minister E [email protected] for Defence Procurement T +44 (0)20 7670 4346 www.aerosociety.com/corporate

54 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 Society News RAeS HERITAGE PLAQUES

The Cambridge University Whittle Laboratory on the West Cambridge site was launched 50 years From right: Sir Brian Burridge, RAeS CEO; ago and, since then, has become internationally Professor John Wallwork recognised as the centre of excellence in aero- Deputy Lieutenant of engine and turbomachinery research, design Cambridgeshire; and tools and education, contributing massively to the Professor Rob Miller, improvements which have helped deliver low-cost Director of the Whittle Laboratory. air travel, more efficient power generation and fluid pumping systems and even improvements in domestic devices such as vacuum cleaners and hair dryers. In recognition of these achievements, the Cambridge Branch proposed to the Society the award of a Heritage Plaque, and this proposal was accepted by the Awards Committee and Council. Frank Whittle was a student in Cambridge University from 1934 to 1937 and the Whittle Laboratory commemorates his pioneering work through its name. However, the individuals and teams which have further progressed jet engine technology in the University’s Whittle Laboratory have now been recognised through granting of a Heritage Award by the Royal Aeronautical Society. The event to hand over the plaque took place at the Laboratory on the West Cambridge site on 23 January. The Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, former heart surgeon Professor John Wallwork, did a great job introducing all the speakers and had some very interesting stories about flying in a two- seater Jaguar. The Society CEO, Sir Brian Burridge, gave an excellent overview of the Society and some of the challenges of aerospace, past, present and future. The importance and achievements of the Whittle Laboratory were highlighted by Professor Richard Prager, Head of the Cambridge University Engineering Department. Finally, Professor Rob Miller, the Director of the Laboratory, gave a rousing description of the Lab and how its staff and its ethos had helped it to stay at the cutting edge of turbomachinery research and, increasingly, in the implementation of this ground-breaking research into practical applications. It was interesting to hear that the Whittle is drawing in ever increasing numbers of post-graduate students and researchers to study and contribute to the Laboratory’s reputation. The audience included many dignitaries from the aerospace industry, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and Cambridge University and it was particularly wonderful to see that Sir Frank Whittle’s son Ian was also present and enjoying the occasion. The presentations were followed by tours of the Lab, led by members of the Laboratory’s staff and students, which gave a fascinating glimpse into the wide range of work being conducted at the Laboratory.

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MARCH 2019 55 Afterburner Elections

HONORARY FELLOWS Andrew Devine Chris Tudsbury Roshani Dharmasiri SOCIETY OFFICERS Desmond Barker Chris Friel ASSOCIATES Marcus Bryson Ellen Harrison President: Rear Admiral Simon Henley Francis Donaldson Stephen Hegarty Cristina Calero President-Elect: Prof Jonathan Cooper Joseph Kittinger Muhammad Hussain Calatayud Reza Kabir Ross Clark BOARD CHAIRMEN FELLOWS Ewen Kennedy Alexander Conway Adam Lane Jennifer Edwards Learned Society Chairman: Greg Bagwell Dan Larman George Hull Air Cdre Peter Round Alan Baker Anne Loh Oliver Kesterton Membership Services Chairman: Stephen Ball Eva Maleviti Andrew Lumb Philip Spiers Malcolm Benfer Ricky Mansfield Simon O’Hara Professional Standards Chairman: Liam Betts Jonathan McIntosh Duncan Poon Hilary Barton Richard Chaloner Stuart Miller Amile Ratnasiri Richard Gearing Ahamed Naseer Brian Sadanadan DIVISION PRESIDENTS Neil Glenn Robert Parker Christopher Tacon Nicholas Gordon Sravan Pingali Hiren Vadhvana Australia: Andrew Neely Peter Hackett Edwin Alejandro Puebla New Zealand: Des Ashton Trystan Hitchens Neira E-ASSOCIATES Pakistan: AM Salim Arshad Barry Jackson Colm Purcell South African: Marié Botha Kate Manderson Rafal Rutkowski Abdur-Razzaq Ahmed Rich Pillans Stephan Seale-Finch Jagjevan Bhamra Sarah Sandle Paulo Silveira Osasuyi Emumwen John Sarviss Prateek Singh Luke Gaskins WITH REGRET Amanda Simpson Alessio Spampinato Federico Giusto Michael Snelling Mark Sumner Kaelan Grafton The RAeS announces with regret the deaths of the Walter Steward Pawan Tanwani Ardya Inderawan following members: Richard Threlfall Neil Taylor Dushyant Khatri Meishi Teo Kevin Marangi Rodney James Bailey IEng FRAeS 84 MEMBERS Matthew Tootle Patrick Metcalfe Douglas Evans DFC MRAeS 97 John Whittle Aleksandra Michalik James Allison Christopher Wicker Valeriya Mordvinova Ralph Beverley Gissing IEng AMRAeS 81 Matthew Bell Jian Yang Syed Shahid Ron John Kennett FRAeS 83 Sarah Bennett Jack Stanion Stephen Bennett ASSOCIATE Vasileios Tastsidis Antonippillai Santiappillai Lionel-Rajah ARAeS 82 Stuart Beveridge MEMBERS Tdhanachandran Ross Bishop Thanapal Hugo Marom CEng FRAeS 90 Vladislav Bismarck Wole Aina Ka Chun Nicholas Roger Charles Taylor MRAeS 87 Niall Boxwell Stewart Allan Wong Timothy Brodrick William Ellis Marco Yeung Andrew Buckley Adeeba Ghazal Nathalie Zajaczkowski Shivam Chauhan Samuel Gibbons Taihang Zhu Michael Manchester STUDENT AFFILIATES Chris Chilton Michael Glen Simon Ozanne Kurt Clement Akira Ikenaga AFFILIATES Pritesh Patel Hannah Dennison Thomas Collins Thomas King Alexandru Prodan Owen Ramsbottom David Cook Zaid Safadi Simon Armitt Jim Seager Brian Teske Neil Cottrell Stephen Syson Joshua Bishop Bruce Wallace Nawfal Demnati Selvan Thamizhirai David Guerin Clemens Zehnder

The Journal of Aeronautical History

The final Journal of Aeronautical History paper of 2018 has been added to the Society’s website and is free to view or download:

https://www.aerosociety.com/news-expertise/journals-papers/ papers-of-the-journal-of-aeronautical-history/

On the planning of British aircraft production for the Second World War and reference to James Connolly By Brian Brinkworth

Avro Lancaster production in the north west. RAeS (NAL).

56 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 SIMULATION AND TRAINING FOR RESILIENCE AND SAFETY

MAYFAIR, LONDON • 26-27 MARCH 2019 Simulation and Training for Resilience and Safety

RAIL NUCLEAR MEDICAL AVIATION MILITARY MARITIME CONSTRUCTION RENEWABLE OIL & GAS ENERGY

Exchanging ideas & innovation amongst safety-critical industries

Why attend: « Meet key decision makers and influencers within the simulation and training sector « Discover new applications that will enhance your training needs and deliver greater ROI « Explore how other high risk sectors are using technology to deliver safer and more effective outcomes « Create new business opportunities

ORGANISED BY IN ASSOCIATION WITH For more information visit strs-event.com

RAeS Company Briefings

We can visit your company to give a briefing on membership and professional registration

We will cover a range of topics including:

• The RAeS and what we do for the Aerospace Community • Benefits of membership • Professional development with the Society • Becoming Professionally Registered with the Engineering Council at CEng, IEng and EngTech • The application process for membership and professional registration

Book a briefing today: email [email protected] The Last Word COMMENTARY FROM Professor Keith Hayward FRAeS

Low cost is not necessarily low quality

ith the death in the final days Kelleher brand but some distinctly tacky hybrids. of 2018 of Herb Kelleher, Legacy carriers forced to compete with LCCs, founder of Southwest Airlines especially in Europe, have tried with varying success and the doyen of the low-cost to spin off subsidiaries which, in many cases, have carrier (LCC) concept, the not quite made the LCC grade. Worse still are the airlineW industry lost a great innovator and pioneer. ‘frill free’ legacy short-haul operations that charge for Southwest has been profitable every year (bar its cabin service and some aspects of baggage and seat first two) since its launch in 1971. It now employs reservation. This is just annoying when compared to 58,000 unionised people who have never been Lufthansa and KLM that have not yet gone down this laid off or had their pay cut. This translated into route (yes a major Heathrow-based airline with a big commitment to service that had pilots clearing flag on the tail, I mean you). cabins and carrying luggage to help speed turn round – one of the key tenets of LCC operation: Europe’s biggest LCC hits hard times “You have to treat your employees like customers,” he told Fortune magazine in 2001. “When you To build Europe’s biggest airline, Ryanair’s Michael treat them right, then they will treat your outside O’Leary literally sat at the great man’s feet to customers right. That has been a powerful learn how to run a LCC. He left out the chapters competitive weapon for us.” on putting the customer first and good employee relations. To always have sold the lowest price Sell ’em high, sell ’em cheap! tickets has its merits and the mantra ‘they will WHEN YOU always fly cheapest’ works for much of the time. TREAT THEM Even though Southwest’s reliability stats trail some But how things can go wrong when pilots and cabin (STAFF) RIGHT, of the smaller US regional carriers and even two crews begin to revolt and passengers begin to of the ‘Big Four’, it was still ranked second overall object to bewildering changes in conditions. THEN THEY in the US last year and topped the customer With a loss of £17.2m and headline ticket WILL TREAT satisfaction category. It still makes money, honing prices slashed, declaring war on the competition YOUR OUTSIDE the LCC model of paring any and every cost. The constitutes something of a setback. With the exact CUSTOMERS LCC model of web-based booking, uniform fleets, conditions for airline operation into the EU from the using minor and cheaper airports, no frills and UK still not clear, Brexit will affect future earnings. RIGHT. THAT looking to maximise ‘ancillary revenue’ (charging for Possible restrictions on fly-on rights could limit HAS BEEN A baggage, booze and food and looking for lucrative the operational efficiency of some routes. The POWERFUL tie-in links to car hire and hotels) is now the default new Ryanair structure appears to address some COMPETITIVE setting for much of the industry. of the labour relations issues and gives O’Leary a more strategic role. Life will be problematic for WEAPON FOR Or not! all European airlines, especially if the wider EU US economy moves into recession. In some cases, such as with the Gulf carriers, the In the long term, the Kelleher LCC model will still Herb Kelleher LCC model appears to drive diametric opposite keep fares down but there might yet be more scope Founder of solutions, with luxury or even a decent meal for back for the Kelleher ‘quality for staff and customers’ Southwest of the cabin passengers a major selling point. In other motto to take effect, so even ‘self-loading cargo’ has Airlines cases, we have seen not only total emulation of the a better time of it.

58 AEROSPACE / MARCH 2019 2019 Honours, Medals & Awards

The most prestigious and long-standing awards in global aerospace honouring achievements, innovation and excellence.

The Society’s Honours, Medals and Awards are open to everyone in and supporting the global aerospace community – from senior professionals to students and graduates.

Do you know an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to aerospace and merit recognition? Nominate them today. The nomination form can be found on our website www.aerosociety.com/medalsandawards. The closing date for the 2019 round is 31 March 2019.

For further information call Neeral Patel on +44 (0)20 7670 4321 or email [email protected] Your parts have a destination We know the way

GLOBAL NETWORK OF SPECIALISTS IN AEROSPACE TRANSPORTATION

Do you have an urgent transportation challenge?

We’re here for you 24 hours a day 365 days a year

Contact us now on 24/7/365 AOG Hotline: www.aln.aero 00 8000 264 8326