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704AWAIFC.indd 1 3/27/2017 11:30:40 AM April 3-16, 2017 Contents Volume 179 Number 7

Winner 2016 AVIATIONWEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY

A robot servicer that will autonomously rendezvous with, grasp, Digital Extras Access exclusive inspect, repair and attach a payload to a geosynchronous satellite will online features from articles be demonstrated in NASA and DARPA programs scheduled for launch accompanied by this icon. 58 in 2019 and 2021, respectively. 7 Feedback 8 Who’s Where 10-11 First Take 12 Up Front 13 Going Concerns 14 Inside Business Aviation 16 Airline Intel 18 In Orbit 19 Washington Outlook 63 Contact Us 63 Aerospace Calendar 64 Classifed

SAFETY 42 Lufthansa’s pilot deal highlights 44 Beijing’s sway in the Russo-Chinese 20 Go-around policy noncompliance labor problems still faced by widebody program grows with is greatest threat to safe fight, Alitalia and Air France/KLM Shanghai choice for headquarters says air safety advocacy group 53 TECHNOLOGY 62 Shoreham Airshow crash probe 28 First small turbine engine for shines spotlight on regulatory tactical UAVs heads to fight after and organizational failings difcult development phase 31 DARPA Gremlin COMMERCIAL AVIATION UAV program paves way for next step in 22 EC’s tough stance in Brexit distributed air warfare negotiations does not bode well for UK aviation community DEFENSE 33 Indonesian air force goal of 24 American Airlines strengthens acquiring A400Ms, AW101s is ties with China Southern, and challenged by local-content law Lufthansa links up with Cathay 34 Rebuild of F-15C center fuselage 25 Chinese authorities add 136 43 Boeing 737, 787 orders likely to may be deemed too costly as U.S. airports to national plan, mostly in beneft from Chinese completion Air Force considers fghter buys southern and western provinces center near Loong Air’s base 36 U.S. Air Force reassesses training ON THE COVER and programs to stop mass exit of experienced combat pilots Lufthansa’s frst Airbus A320neo fies over Hamburg, Germany. The German airline has so far taken fve A320neos and will add another fve this year. Our A320neo in-service report begins on 37 Tiltrotor technology is altering how page 46. Lufthansa photo by Oliver Roesler. Also in this issue: the U.S. Marine Corps approaches A UK-Japan fghter? (page 40) • U.S. Air Force’s space role combat operations from the sea (page 61) • Quebec aerospace (page 56) 38 Two turboprops lead the feld of Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. possible new low-cost light-attack AviationWeek.com/awst Read it at and on our app. aircraft for the U.S. Air Force

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40 Japan and UK move closer in AEROSPACE IN CANADA defense technology, exploring 56 Montreal Aerospace Cluster helps partnership on ﬁ ghter for 2030s smaller companies embrace digitization and automation A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT 46 Airlines praise the new narrow- 25 body’s performance, but engine troubles continue to disrupt Mobile. Online.

UNMANNED AVIATION Updated Daily. 52 UK startup designing a one-way drone to provide faster, safer, Free to subscribers. Get new content more ef cient humanitarian relief daily and read the weekly digital edition of Aviation Week online or in our app.

20 DESKTOP/LAPTOP Go to AviationWeek.com/awst BEIJING CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL BEIJING CAPITAL APPLE APP RESILIENT SPACE Go to the Apple App Store, search 58 Robotic satellite on-orbit servicing for “Aviation Week” and download the likely to enable more modular and Aviation Week & Space Technology mutable space architecture app to your iPad or iPhone. ANDROID APP 58 Startup aims to mass-produce Go to Google Play, search for “Aviation satellite buses to reduce prices Week” and download the Aviation Week and increase data collection & Space Technology app for your Android phone or tablet. AIRCRAFT INTERIORS 60 Air Force defends its turf as Pentagon space lead to address LOGIN 53 Virtual reality could transform changing U.S. mission in space passenger experience but must Tap on any locked article to get to the overcome tech, safety hurdles login screen OR on the menu icon in the LETTER FROM THE EDITOR upper right corner of the app screen 54 Content streaming to personal 66 Women have made inroads in (image with three parallel lines) and tap devices drives demand for new aerospace management, but there “Login.” Log in using the email address inﬂ ight entertainment options are still too few on technology side associated with your subscription. Forgot Password? Tap the “forgot 37 password” link on the login screen and follow the reset instructions emailed to you (this password may not be the same as your digital edition password). Customer Service If you don’t have a registered email or password, or are having problems with the download or login, contact our customer care team for assistance: Toll-free (North America) 800-525-5003 Outside North America (+1) 847-763-9147

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20 DESKTOP/LAPTOP Go to AviationWeek.com/awst BEIJING CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL BEIJING CAPITAL APPLE APP RESILIENT SPACE Go to the Apple App Store, search 58 Robotic satellite on-orbit servicing for “Aviation Week” and download the likely to enable more modular and Aviation Week & Space Technology mutable space architecture app to your iPad or iPhone. ANDROID APP 58 Startup aims to mass-produce Go to Google Play, search for “Aviation satellite buses to reduce prices Week” and download the Aviation Week and increase data collection & Space Technology app for your Android phone or tablet. AIRCRAFT INTERIORS 60 Air Force defends its turf as Pentagon space lead to address 53 Virtual reality could transform LOGIN changing U.S. mission in space Tap on any locked article to get to the More than an aircraft. passenger experience but must overcome tech, safety hurdles login screen OR on the menu icon in the LETTER FROM THE EDITOR upper right corner of the app screen 54 Content streaming to personal 66 Women have made inroads in (image with three parallel lines) and tap It’s putting America devices drives demand for new aerospace management, but there “Login.” Log in using the email address inﬂ ight entertainment options are still too few on technology side associated with your subscription. Forgot Password? Tap the “forgot 37 password” link on the login screen to work. and follow the reset instructions emailed to you (this password may not be the same As the only T-X team building a new U.S. manufacturing facility, as your digital edition password). Team T-100 by Leonardo DRS is furthering its commitment to Customer Service If you don’t have America. With Leonardo’s aircraft manufacturing facility in Alabama, a registered email or password, or are Honeywell’s engine factory in Arizona, and CAE’s training system having problems with the download facility in Florida, the T-100 will create high-tech jobs here at home or login, contact our customer care for years to come. team for assistance: Toll-free (North America) 800-525-5003 Outside North America (+1) 847-763-9147

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AW_04_03_2017_p03-04.indd 4 3/30/17 6:24 PM 704AWA5B.indd 1 3/29/2017 2:10:20 PM Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] Executive Editor James R. Asker [email protected] Managing Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo WHEN YOUR FOCUS Editors Michael Bruno, John Croft, James Drew, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, Frank Morring, Jr., Jeferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, Bradley Perrett, IS ON THE FUTURE James Pozzi, Adrian Schofeld, Lara Seligman, Lee Ann Shay Artists Scott Marshall, Colin Throm Copy Editors Dan Hockensmith, Richard Leyshon, Our Extended Life Solutions Arturo Mora, Patricia Parmalee, Andy Savoie Production Editor Bridget Horan Will Keep Your Legacy Flying Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries AviationWeek.com Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt Through licensing and acquisition, Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Digital Content Marketing Manager Regina Kenney Ontic helps the OEM rescue resources Digital Content Producer Jen Deglmann and stranded capital from aging or Editorial Offces 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036 non-core product lines. Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 1911 Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, Va. 22209 Phone: +1 (703) 997-0333 Visit Ontic.com Bureaus Auckland for more information! Bureau Chief Adrian Schofeld [email protected] Beijing Bureau Chief Bradley Perrett [email protected] Boston Bureau Chief Kristin Majcher [email protected] Chicago Bureau Chief Lee Ann Shay [email protected] Reliable Source, Frankfurt Bureau Chief Jens Flottau [email protected] Concise Format Houston Bureau Chief Mark Carreau [email protected] Kuala Lumpur Bureau Chief Marhalim Abas [email protected] London Bureau Chief Tony Osborne [email protected] Los Angeles Bureau Chief Guy Norris [email protected] Lyon Bureau Chief Thierry Dubois [email protected] Moscow Bureau Chief Maxim Pyadushkin The source for the latest news and developments [email protected] New Delhi covering commercial and business aviation. Bureau Chief Jay Menon [email protected] Delivered right to your inbox to: Paris Bureau Chief Helen Massy-Beresford ➤ Monitor the Competition [email protected] San Francisco Bureau Chief Madhu Unnikrishnan ➤ Uncover New Business Opportunities [email protected] Washington ➤ Engage with Your Customers Bureau Chief James R. Asker [email protected] Wichita Bureau Chief Molly McMillin Visit aviationweek.com/SNComp [email protected] Gregory Hamilton President, Aviation Week Network for your complimentary edition.

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AW_04_03_2017_p06.indd 6 3/29/17 12:03 PM Feedback Address letters to the Executive Editor, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1911 Fort Myer Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, Va. Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo NEEDLESS DELAYS? on decoys or previously destroyed 22209 or send via email to: [email protected] [email protected] Executive Editor James R. Asker A key bit of information in vehicles. Also, such targeting creates Letters may be edited for length and clarity; [email protected] “Grounded” (Feb. 20-March 5, p. 32) fear among opposing soldiers that a verifiable address and daytime telephone Managing Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) noted the aircraft readiness crisis in any attempt to move will make them number are required. [email protected] the U.S. Defense Department, namely prime targets. Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] the number of grounded aircraft Price T. Bingham Graham Warwick (Technology) waiting for maintenance or for spare MELBOURNE, FLORIDA navy, an underwater navy, an air force, [email protected] (sometimes “specialized”) parts. an army that also has an air force. Get Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell V irtually all such parts are special- SALES TACTICS rid of the Air Force and the Army. Art Director Lisa Caputo ized and become increasingly hard After reading “Should, Maybe Defense would not be hurt, only jobs. WHEN YOUR FOCUS Editors Michael Bruno, John Croft, James Drew, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, Frank Morring, Jr., to obtain for every year that passes Could” (March 20-April 2, p. 39) regard- John J. Wolf , Jr. Jeferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, Bradley Perrett, IS ON THE FUTURE James Pozzi, Adrian Schofeld, Lara Seligman, Lee Ann Shay after production of an aircraft model/ ing reducing block buys of F-35, two ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND Artists Scott Marshall, Colin Throm series ends. The commercial aviation thoughts come to mind. Copy Editors Dan Hockensmith, Richard Leyshon, INFORMATION GAP? Our Extended Life Solutions Arturo Mora, Patricia Parmalee, Andy Savoie industry recognizes the signifi cant First, if President Donald Trump Production Editor Bridget Horan cost and schedule savings of repairing truly wishes to encourage non-U.S. buy- In the Viewpoint “Airlines Can Fix Will Keep Your Legacy Flying Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George these types of parts , but the military ers, he should adopt a more diplomatic ATC Problems” (March 20-April 2, Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries services often categorize such parts as tone. Recently I, a motivated buyer, p. 74) Robert W. Mann, Jr., opines that AviationWeek.com consumables—SMR (source, main- walked out of a Volkswagen showroom airlines can fi x the current U.S. Air Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt tenance and recoverability)-coded due to an aggressive salesman. Traf c Control system without priva- Through licensing and acquisition, Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Digital Content Marketing Manager Regina Kenney “Unrepairable-Replace with New”— Second, I wonder whether Trump’s tizing it. He makes reference to “delays Ontic helps the OEM rescue resources Digital Content Producer Jen Deglmann and foot the bill with taxpayer dollars. earnest enjoining of NATO members attributed to factors that airlines and stranded capital from aging or Editorial Offces It can take hundreds of days to is not somehow connected to a desire control” and concludes by noting “what 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036 non-core product lines. Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 obtain critical new parts (versus 15-40 to encourage F-35 sales. airlines can do to lower operating 1911 Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, Va. 22209 days for repaired ones). The military’s Richard Chandless costs, improve operating performance Phone: +1 (703) 997-0333 administrative and technical angst over CRECHES-SUR-SAONE, FRANCE. and reduce delays.” Visit Ontic.com Bureaus Auckland repairing “unrepairable” parts seems However, nowhere does he specify for more information! Bureau Chief Adrian Schofeld insurmountable, despite thousands of what constitutes these delays or how [email protected] examples of completely safe, tested, the airlines can achieve these goals. Beijing Bureau Chief Bradley Perrett certifi ed and warranted repaired parts T he implied promise in the essay’s [email protected] returned to service in commercial air- title was not met. Boston Bureau Chief Kristin Majcher craft carrying passengers worldwide. Roger Curtiss [email protected] O ver-categorization is rife within DEER HARBOR, WASHINGTON Chicago Bureau Chief Lee Ann Shay the Defense Department. [email protected] Jim Sandberg Online, a lively airing of views regard- Reliable Source, Frankfurt BUSHWOOD, MARYLAND ing privatizing ATC continues: Bureau Chief Jens Flottau [email protected] Concise Format Houston HITTING THE TARGET DTRT contends: Bureau Chief Mark Carreau [email protected] The fact that the F-35 cannot strike ATC privatization would kill general Kuala Lumpur moving ground targets using the tar- aviation, or at least all GA outside of Bureau Chief Marhalim Abas get system and weapons delivered in well-funded corporate fl ight depart- [email protected] London its fi nal warfi ghting confi guration, as ments. Bureau Chief Tony Osborne noted in “Moving Target” (March 6-19, [email protected] p. 33) , reveals that the Air Force still EFJets says: Los Angeles Bureau Chief Guy Norris does not appreciate how important Handing over public skies to private [email protected] targeting moving vehicles is to the interests does not serve freedom, the Lyon Bureau Chief Thierry Dubois ef ectiveness of air interdiction and OVERLAPPING DUTIES economy or safety. [email protected] the ability of airpower to become our Reader Dan Patterson may have Moscow principle means of defeating an oppos- missed the point in his letter “Consider VADM notes: Bureau Chief Maxim Pyadushkin The source for the latest news and developments [email protected] ing mechanized army. Frugality” (March 20-April 2, p. 7) . The Privatization of ATC in the U.S. is a New Delhi Without the ability to precisely Defense Department needs not only his colossal mistake. Look no further than covering commercial and business aviation. Bureau Chief Jay Menon [email protected] target moving vehicles, the only way cof ee money but the funds from Meals the union thugs running private ATC Delivered right to your inbox to: Paris the Air Force can infl uence an army’s on Wheels and many other programs in France (and Europe). Bureau Chief Helen Massy-Beresford movement is by attacking fi xed as well. ➤ Monitor the Competition [email protected] San Francisco transportation infrastructure such as T he big waste is in our overall de- 9402sierra opines: Bureau Chief Madhu Unnikrishnan bridges and tunnels. This approach fense structure. We have four military There is no rational business case for ➤ Uncover New Business Opportunities [email protected] has, overall, proved to be inef ective Washington units with almost identical responsi- ATC privatization, except perhaps in ➤ Engage with Your Customers Bureau Chief James R. Asker and costly. Given the key role vehicles bilities. All the services have special the eyes of the airline industry. [email protected] play in mechanized land warfare , the operations forces . Why? Wichita Bureau Chief Molly McMillin targeting of vehicles when they are We need the Air Force to use its ma- RMBalada asks: Visit aviationweek.com/SNComp [email protected] moving can provide signifi cant advan- jor air aircraft to transport the Army First and foremost, the underlying Gregory Hamilton President, Aviation Week Network tages. Besides destroying the vehicles, that we may not need because the question should be, “Privatize to do for your complimentary edition. targeting them when they are moving Navy’s army could do the job. what, exactly?” What are we trying to ensures that attacks are not wasted The Navy has everything. A surface accomplish? Penton is an Informa business

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AW_04_03_2017_p06.indd 6 3/29/17 12:03 PM AW_04_03_2017_p07.indd 7 3/30/17 2:59 PM Who’s Where To submit information for the Who’s Where column, send Word or attached text files (no PDFs) and photos to: [email protected] For additional information on companies and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the tephane Ormand (see photo) Smiley to expand its global air Stephane Ormand Aviation Week Intelligence Network Shas been promoted to Air trafc management initiatives. at AviationWeek.com/awin For France-KLM USA vice president Smiley had been FAA vice information on ordering, telephone and general manager. He had been president of system operations U.S.: +1 (866) 857-0148 or vice president of pricing and revenue services. +1 (515) 237-3682 outside the U.S. management for short- and medium- Jared Simcox has been ap- haul operations. pointed general manager for Air Berlin has named Goetz Ah- Australia by Singaporean low- Air Traffic Controllers As- melmann chief commercial officer— cost, long-haul carrier Scoot. Walid Hamzeh sociation. a position from which he was ousted He had been wholesale travel two years ago—to support the com- manager at Groupon ANZ. HONORS & ELECTIONS pany’s pivot toward a hub-and-spoke Mecaer Aviation Group Inc. Heather Penney (see photo) model. The company also has hired has hired Gary Brown as has received the 2017 Out- Carsten Schaefer as senior vice director of maintenance, over- standing Aviator Award from president of commercial strategy and seeing the FAA Part 145 tech- The Wings Club Foundation and distribution. nicians at Northeast Philadel- International Aviation Womens Safran Landing Systems has pro- phia Airport, which maintains Association. Penney, the frst moted Walid Hamzeh (see photo) to many helicopter types and is Violet Kwek woman to join the 121st Fighter vice president of strategic develop- a Leonardo service facility. Sqdn., is widely recognized for ment, from Safran Electrical and Global Jet Capital has ap- her extraordinary service and Power vice president of programs. He pointed Violet Kwek (see bravery on Sept. 11, 2001. She had been braking and steering sys- photo) sales director for was one of two pilots who swift- tems program manager for the Air- Greater China and North Asia. ly moved to protect Washing- bus A380. He succeeds Olivier Savin. Kwek had been deputy head ton’s airspace. She is Lockheed Passur Aerospace Inc. has hired Dan of corporate banking at China Martin’s director of Air Force Minsheng Banking Corp. Aviation Training Systems. Sarah McCann Kellstrom Defense Aerospace Johann-Dietrich Worner, Inc. has appointed William (see photo) director general of Greer director of sales and the European Space Agency, contracts for engineering and has won the National Space manufacturing. Society’s 2017 Wernher von Braun Contrail Aviation Sup- Memorial Award for his leader- port has named Sebastian ship and contributions to the Lourier director of leasing world space community. and asset management and Heather Penney Yuri Gerasimov of Valcor Steve Williamson director Engineering Corp. has received of acquisitions and trading. the NASA Silver Snoopy Award Lourier had been with For- for his contributions to human tress Inc. aircraft and engine spacefight safety and mission sales and leasing. Williamson success. held equipment leasing and Thomas Global Systems, an fnance support positions with electronics provider for aero- Brickhouse Capital and Rolls- space and defense applications, Royce aircraft engines. J.D. Worner has received the 2017 Civil Indus- Travelport has hired Philip try National Innovation Award Saunders as vice president of air for its TFD-8601 Electronic Flight In- commerce for Europe, Middle East strument System display upgrade. and Africa. Saunders had been chief Arconic Inc. has elected as a director commercial ofcer of Kuwait Airways, David P. Hess, former United Tech- and before that he held senior com- nologies Corp. aerospace executive vice mercial and customer-facing positions president and chief customer ofcer. at Air Malta, Caribbean Airlines, Brit- Kimberly Howard, vice president/ ish Airways and other carriers. general manager of Glass Reinforce- The General Aviation Manufactur- ments for the Americas at Owens ers Association has named Sarah Corning and board vice chairman of McCann (see photo) director of the American Composites Manufactur- communications. McCann had been ers Association, has been honored with senior communications and public the Manufacturing Institute’s Women in affairs associate with the National Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award. c

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p08.indd 8 3/29/17 3:03 PM Who’s Where To submit information for the Who’s Where column, send Word or attached text files (no PDFs) and photos to: [email protected] For additional information on companies and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the tephane Ormand (see photo) Smiley to expand its global air Stephane Ormand Aviation Week Intelligence Network Shas been promoted to Air trafc management initiatives. at AviationWeek.com/awin For France-KLM USA vice president Smiley had been FAA vice information on ordering, telephone and general manager. He had been president of system operations U.S.: +1 (866) 857-0148 or vice president of pricing and revenue services. +1 (515) 237-3682 outside the U.S. management for short- and medium- Jared Simcox has been ap- haul operations. pointed general manager for Air Berlin has named Goetz Ah- Australia by Singaporean low- Air Traffic Controllers As- melmann chief commercial officer— cost, long-haul carrier Scoot. Walid Hamzeh sociation. a position from which he was ousted He had been wholesale travel THE two years ago—to support the com- manager at Groupon ANZ. HONORS & ELECTIONS pany’s pivot toward a hub-and-spoke Mecaer Aviation Group Inc. Heather Penney (see photo) model. The company also has hired has hired Gary Brown as has received the 2017 Out- Carsten Schaefer as senior vice director of maintenance, over- standing Aviator Award from president of commercial strategy and seeing the FAA Part 145 tech- The Wings Club Foundation and distribution. nicians at Northeast Philadel- International Aviation Womens Safran Landing Systems has pro- phia Airport, which maintains Association. Penney, the frst SKY moted Walid Hamzeh (see photo) to many helicopter types and is Violet Kwek woman to join the 121st Fighter vice president of strategic develop- a Leonardo service facility. Sqdn., is widely recognized for ment, from Safran Electrical and Global Jet Capital has ap- her extraordinary service and Power vice president of programs. He pointed Violet Kwek (see bravery on Sept. 11, 2001. She had been braking and steering sys- photo) sales director for was one of two pilots who swift- tems program manager for the Air- Greater China and North Asia. ly moved to protect Washing- IS bus A380. He succeeds Olivier Savin. Kwek had been deputy head ton’s airspace. She is Lockheed Passur Aerospace Inc. has hired Dan of corporate banking at China Martin’s director of Air Force Minsheng Banking Corp. Aviation Training Systems. Sarah McCann Kellstrom Defense Aerospace Johann-Dietrich Worner, Inc. has appointed William (see photo) director general of Greer director of sales and the European Space Agency, contracts for engineering and has won the National Space YOUR manufacturing. Society’s 2017 Wernher von Braun Contrail Aviation Sup- Memorial Award for his leader- port has named Sebastian ship and contributions to the Lourier director of leasing world space community. and asset management and Heather Penney Yuri Gerasimov of Valcor Steve Williamson director Engineering Corp. has received of acquisitions and trading. the NASA Silver Snoopy Award DOMAIN Lourier had been with For- for his contributions to human tress Inc. aircraft and engine spacefight safety and mission sales and leasing. Williamson success. Scale new heights at the show that attracts aviation’s top ﬂight. held equipment leasing and Thomas Global Systems, an fnance support positions with electronics provider for aero- The Singapore Airshow 2016: Brickhouse Capital and Rolls- space and defense applications, Attracted over 48,000 visitors from 143 countries & regions Royce aircraft engines. J.D. Worner has received the 2017 Civil Indus- Drew 1,040 participating companies from 48 countries, including 65 of Travelport has hired Philip try National Innovation Award Saunders as vice president of air for its TFD-8601 Electronic Flight In- the top 100 aerospace companies and 20 country pavilions commerce for Europe, Middle East strument System display upgrade. Attracted 916 accredited media and Africa. Saunders had been chief Arconic Inc. has elected as a director Hosted 1,353 meetings between Exhibitors and commercial ofcer of Kuwait Airways, David P. Hess, former United Tech- 286 VIP Delegations from 90 countries and before that he held senior com- nologies Corp. aerospace executive vice mercial and customer-facing positions president and chief customer ofcer. Fly higher in 2018. Only the sky is the limit. at Air Malta, Caribbean Airlines, Brit- Kimberly Howard, vice president/ ish Airways and other carriers. general manager of Glass Reinforce- ASIA'S LARGEST AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE EVENT The General Aviation Manufactur- ments for the Americas at Owens ers Association has named Sarah Corning and board vice chairman of McCann (see photo) director of the American Composites Manufactur- communications. McCann had been ers Association, has been honored with senior communications and public the Manufacturing Institute’s Women in affairs associate with the National Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award. c Organised by: Offical Media Partner: Supporting Media Partners: Endorsed by: He ld in:

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p08.indd 8 3/29/17 3:03 PM 704AWA9.indd 1 3/29/2017 2:10:52 PM First Take BOMBARDIER

Alaska Air Group is to phase out the Virgin America brand in 2019 following completion of its $2.6 billion acquisition of the carrier in December. The decision sparked a verbal dispute with Richard Branson, Virgin Group chairman, over the agreement on licensing fees for the Virgin name.

The confi guration of the fi rst Comac COMMERCIAL AVIATION C919 has been frozen in preparation for a fi rst fl ight in April, say industry Embraer’s E195-E2, its largest com- The International Air Transport sources. The timing virtually rules out mercial aircraft yet, made its 2-hr. Association, representing airlines, the possibility of meeting the Chinese fi rst fl ight ahead of schedule on March has called on governments to urgently manufacturer’s internal target to de- 29 from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. fi nd alternatives to the ban on carry-on liver the fi rst 158-seat airliner in 2019. Seating up to 146 passengers, the electronics on fl ights from countries Pratt & Whitney PW1919G-powered in the Middle East and North Africa, China’s Avic plans to fl y the AG600 airliner is planned to enter service in imposed on March 25, and questioned large fl ying boat in April, according to the fi rst quarter of 2019 with Brazilian why the U.S. and UK lists of af ected local media reports. Designed by Avic’s carrier Azul. airports are dif erent. general-aviation subsidiary CAIGA for fi refi ghting and search and rescue, the Pilot error, controller oversight A prototype system to automate the four-turboprop aircraft was delivered shortcomings and a potentially con- authorizations required to fl y drones to fl ight test at Zuhai in December. fusing or dangerous autopilot mode are near airports is planned to be opera- cited in the preliminary report on the tional by year-end, says the FAA . Based DEFENSE fatal crash of an ACT Airlines Boeing on maps with pre-approved fl ight zones 747-400 freighter on Jan. 16, after an and maximum altitudes, the Low- error-prone instrument approach to Altitude Authorization and Notifi cation Manas International Airport in Bish- Capability will be operated by third- kek, Kyrgyzstan (page 20). party providers.

Bombardier’s CS100 fl ew nonstop The UK triggered the process to from London City Airport to New leave the European Union on March York JFK International Airport on 29, and the certainty of a hard Brexit March 25, after completing two days that will leave few existing agreements of validation fl ights required to obtain in place means the countries’ airlines MBDA steep-approach approval that will face major dif culties, as the UK will The UK and France have signed enable launch operator Swiss Interna- have to negotiate new bilateral air ser- a deal for the concept phase of tional Air Lines to fl y into the airport. vice agreements not only with the EU development of the Future Cruise/ but with the U.S. and other countries Anti-Ship Weapon to replace the (page 22). MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missile, as well as Harpoon and Exocet Nascent air-ground communications anti-ship missiles, in the 2030s. Each service provider SmartSky Networks nation will contribute €50 million ($54 has raised $170 million in Series B million) to the three-year study. fi nancing, completing the funding required to deploy more than 240 ground The U.S. Air Force is looking at stations across the continental U.S. retiring the Boeing F-15C/D air-supe- by fall. After completion, it will launch riority fi ghter, now operated by the Air BOMBARDIER broadband service for business aviation National Guard, citing the cost of the Airbus has dropped plans to build and later for airlines. center-fuselage rebuild required to fl y the E-Fan family of electric-powered beyond 2030. The Lockheed F-16 and light aircraft and is working on the American Airlines has invested F-15E Strike Eagle will be modernized larger, more powerful aircraft, dubbed $200 million in China Southern to serve at least to 2040 (page 34). the E-Fan X, that could fl y within Airlines, and the carriers plan to begin three years. A step toward a hybrid- code-sharing and interlining this year. France has approved development of electric commercial aircraft, the Lufthansa and Cathay Pacifi c Airways, the F4 standard for the Dassault Ra- E-Fan X will have 2-megawatt motors meanwhile, have signed a code-sharing fale fi ghter. Upgrades are expected in compared with the 30-kW ducted fans agreement that could lead to a joint network-centric capability, sensors and in the E-Fan 1.0 demonstrator. venture between the carriers. their integration, missiles and engines.

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p10-11.indd 10 3/30/17 5:35 PM First Take For the latest, go to AviationWeek.com BOMBARDIER QUOTED Alaska Air Group is to phase out The full F4 version is scheduled to SPACE the Virgin America brand in 2019 enter service in 2025, preceded in 2023 following completion of its $2.6 billion by an initial F4 variant. Lockheed Martin managers be- acquisition of the carrier in December. lieve the Orion crew capsule being The decision sparked a verbal dispute Belgium has decided to purchase 34 developed for NASA could be ready with Richard Branson, Virgin Group new fi ghters to replace its aging fl eet for an eight-day lunar fl yaround with chairman, over the agreement on of F-16s. The government has for- two astronauts on board before the licensing fees for the Virgin name. mally issued a request for proposals to end of 2019. President Donald Trump France for the Dassault Rafale, Sweden has directed NASA to study whether a The confi guration of the fi rst Comac for the Saab Gripen E/F, the UK for the crew can fl y in the fi rst Space Launch COMMERCIAL AVIATION C919 has been frozen in preparation Eurofi ghter Typhoon and the U.S. for System mission. for a fi rst fl ight in April, say industry both the Lockheed Martin F-35A and

Embraer’s E195-E2, its largest com- The International Air Transport sources. The timing virtually rules out Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Blue Origin’s New Shepard subor- AIAA mercial aircraft yet, made its 2-hr. Association, representing airlines, the possibility of meeting the Chinese bital launch vehicle, already win- fi rst fl ight ahead of schedule on March has called on governments to urgently manufacturer’s internal target to de- The Trump administration has ner of Aviation Week’s 2017 Space 29 from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. fi nd alternatives to the ban on carry-on liver the fi rst 158-seat airliner in 2019. informed Congress it plans to ap- Laureate, is to receive the National ‘It is a problem.’ Seating up to 146 passengers, the electronics on fl ights from countries prove the $5 billion sale of 19 Lockheed Aeronautic Association’s 2016 Robert Pratt & Whitney PW1919G-powered in the Middle East and North Africa, China’s Avic plans to fl y the AG600 Martin F-16s to Bahrain, separating the J. Collier Trophy for demonstrating —Jef Babione, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 airliner is planned to enter service in imposed on March 25, and questioned large fl ying boat in April, according to deal from human rights concerns that rocket reusability with fi ve consecu- general manager, acknowledging that the fi rst quarter of 2019 with Brazilian why the U.S. and UK lists of af ected local media reports. Designed by Avic’s held it up under the Obama adminis- tive fl ights of the same booster. some non-U.S. buyers have said a carrier Azul. airports are dif erent. general-aviation subsidiary CAIGA for tration, Reuters reported on March 29. stronger dollar could impact their plans fi refi ghting and search and rescue, the Bahrain has requested the latest F-16V, WINNER to buy the fi ghter jet, though it has not yet. Pilot error, controller oversight A prototype system to automate the four-turboprop aircraft was delivered or Block 70 variant. shortcomings and a potentially con- authorizations required to fl y drones to fl ight test at Zuhai in December. Jim Downey, co-founder of the fusing or dangerous autopilot mode are near airports is planned to be opera- Boeing is ramping up production of EnCore Group, has received the Gil- ness in 2005. In 2011, he launched the cited in the preliminary report on the tional by year-end, says the FAA . Based DEFENSE the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter bert W. Speed Award for leadership EnCore Group. fatal crash of an ACT Airlines Boeing on maps with pre-approved fl ight zones to eight a month from fi ve, following and collaboration across the global 747-400 freighter on Jan. 16, after an and maximum altitudes, the Low- signing of a multi-year production con- aerospace and defense supply chain, error-prone instrument approach to Altitude Authorization and Notifi cation tract with the U.S. Army that is valued presented by the Aviation Week Net- Manas International Airport in Bish- Capability will be operated by third- at $3-7 billion for 244-450 aircraft, work at its 31stAnnual SpeedNews kek, Kyrgyzstan (page 20). party providers. depending on the options exercised by Commercial Aviation Industry Sup- domestic and international customers. pliers Conference. Downey (at left in Bombardier’s CS100 fl ew nonstop The UK triggered the process to photo with Aviation Week Network from London City Airport to New leave the European Union on March U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mathias President Greg Hamilton) founded York JFK International Airport on 29, and the certainty of a hard Brexit Winter is to take the reins of the C&D Aerospace in 1972, growing it March 25, after completing two days that will leave few existing agreements F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program to a 4,000-employee, $400 million of validation fl ights required to obtain in place means the countries’ airlines MBDA this summer when U.S. Air Force Lt. enterprise before selling the busi- steep-approach approval that will face major dif culties, as the UK will The UK and France have signed Gen. Christopher Bogdan retires after enable launch operator Swiss Interna- have to negotiate new bilateral air ser- a deal for the concept phase of fi ve years as program executive of- 50 YEARS AGO IN AVIATION WEEK tional Air Lines to fl y into the airport. vice agreements not only with the EU development of the Future Cruise/ fi cer. Bodgan is credited with turning but with the U.S. and other countries Anti-Ship Weapon to replace the around the F-35 program and reduc- Our April 10, 1967, cover showed two U.S. (page 22). MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise ing the fi ghter’s cost. Navy/McDonnell F-4 Phantom jets escort- missile, as well as Harpoon and Exocet ing a Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 reconnaissance Nascent air-ground communications Italy’s Leonardo will build the T-100 anti-ship missiles, in the 2030s. Each aircraft that was shadowing the USS Coral service provider SmartSky Networks nation will contribute €50 million ($54 trainer, based on its M-346, in a new has raised $170 million in Series B million) to the three-year study. facility to be constructed at Moton Sea in the Tonkin Gulf off North Vietnam. fi nancing, completing the funding re- Field in Tusgekee, Alabama, if it wins In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary quired to deploy more than 240 ground The U.S. Air Force is looking at the U.S. Air Force’s T-X advanced jet Robert S. McNamara defended restric- stations across the continental U.S. retiring the Boeing F-15C/D air-supe- trainer competition. After its teaming tions that prohibited the U.S. from bombing by fall. After completion, it will launch riority fi ghter, now operated by the Air with Raytheon fell apart, Leonardo has enemy air bases in Vietnam, citing a “desire BOMBARDIER broadband service for business aviation National Guard, citing the cost of the bid for the T-X through its U.S. subsid- to avoid widening the war.” And in the Let- Airbus has dropped plans to build and later for airlines. center-fuselage rebuild required to fl y iary DRS Technologies. ters section, readers vented their ire for the E-Fan family of electric-powered beyond 2030. The Lockheed F-16 and weeks about smokers on airline flights. Dan light aircraft and is working on the American Airlines has invested F-15E Strike Eagle will be modernized Norway has signed a 10 billion Nor- larger, more powerful aircraft, dubbed $200 million in China Southern to serve at least to 2040 (page 34). wegian kronors ($1.17 billion) foreign Ferguson of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, suggested segregating smokers the E-Fan X, that could fl y within Airlines, and the carriers plan to begin military sales contract for fi ve Boeing and nonsmokers in different rows of the cabin but lamented that “smoking three years. A step toward a hybrid- code-sharing and interlining this year. France has approved development of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will probably never be banned on aircraft.” electric commercial aircraft, the Lufthansa and Cathay Pacifi c Airways, the F4 standard for the Dassault Ra- to replace its existing fl eet of six Lock- E-Fan X will have 2-megawatt motors meanwhile, have signed a code-sharing fale fi ghter. Upgrades are expected in heed P-3 Orions and a trio of Dassault Access every issue of Aviation Week back to 1916 and search our archive compared with the 30-kW ducted fans agreement that could lead to a joint network-centric capability, sensors and Falcon 20s used for the electronic for items of interest at: archive.aviationweek.com in the E-Fan 1.0 demonstrator. venture between the carriers. their integration, missiles and engines. warfare mission.

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 11

AW_04_03_2017_p10-11.indd 10 3/30/17 5:35 PM AW_04_03_2017_p10-11.indd 11 3/30/17 5:35 PM Up Front By Richard Aboulafa Contributing columnist Richard Aboulafa is vice president of analysis at Teal Group. He is based in Washington.

commentary goal. One big reason that orders for the 787 and Airbus A330neo series have migrated to the larger members of The 797 Challenge these families is that these aircraft are built with the structures and systems needed for longer routes and larger Boeing needs twin-aisle capabilities with models. An aircraft that’s optimized for the shorter and lighter routes, like the single-aisle economics 797, should convince airlines to fy new thinner routes between new city pairs. he drumbeat for a new Boeing midsize jetliner is growing But there are no guarantees that T Boeing will be able to bridge the cost louder. The recent ISTAT and Speednews conferences saw gap between single- and twin-aisle jets constant references to the new jet, which will seat 220-260 pas- with the 797. And new technologies de- sengers with 5,000-5,500-nm range. Air Lease Corp. Executive veloped for the 797—particularly new engine technologies—could be used to Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy even gave it a proper Boeing help lower single-aisle operating costs, designation: the 797. too, keeping the gap in place. We might then see an echo of the Given Boeing’s worsening disad- economics (block hour cost per seat late 1970s. At the time, Boeing con- vantage versus Airbus in the jetliner and realized price per seat, respec- cluded that the middle jetliner market middle market, and given the com- tively) clearly shows that there’s a really needed two products. The sin- pany’s tendency to rest on its laurels signifcant gap between single- and gle-aisle 757 was introduced at about and take long product-development twin-aisle jets. A single-aisle product the same time as the twin-aisle 767, holidays, the prospect of and the manufacturer Realized Price Per Seat Block-Hour Cost Per Seat a new jet is very welcome $500 $30 sought commonality news. But beyond the 450 between the two types idea of a new Boeing 25 wherever possible. This 400 aircraft, things get time, Boeing is clearly 350 complicated. The 797’s 20 looking at the 797 to twin-aisle confguration 300 play the 767’s role, while is the big issue. 250 15 developing the 737-10 to First, there’s the 200 do the 757 job. 10 market. Any projection 150 The problem, though,

of trends over the past dollars Thousands of U.S. 100 5 is that the market views 30 years—airliner feets, 50 Airbus’s A321neo as orders and deliveries— 0 0 better able to replace clearly shows that single- the 757. And while A320 787-8 A320 A321 787-8 aisle middle-market jets 737-800 A321neo737MAX9 737-800 757-200 Boeing could change A330-200A330-800A350-900767-300ER A330-200767-300ER have enjoyed stronger Source: Airline Monitor, Teal Group Research course and make the growth than twin-aisle 797 a new single-aisle middle market jets. The mid-market is inherently cheaper to buy, build jet, that would imply the 737 MAX demand ratio is now at least 3:1 in favor and fy. Low-cost carriers seeking fast would merely be an interim product. of single-aisles. turnaround times may like the idea of Orders would take a serious hit. Also, This explains the A321neo order two aisles, in theory. But if twin-aisle Boeing might fnd it difcult to difer- book: about 1,400 aircraft. It also may operating economics remain distinctly entiate a new large single-aisle from explain why orders for 250-seat twin- higher than single-aisles’, it is unlikely the A321neo, turning this segment aisles—particularly the 787-8 and A330- that faster turnaround times will ac- into a low-proft commodity product 800—have been eclipsed by orders for tually trump lower operating costs. battlefeld. larger variants. Norwegian’s recently Boeing is aware of this problem. Therefore, Boeing will likely press announced plans to start transatlantic Company representatives have made ahead with the twin-aisle 797. The service with 737 MAXs, along with the it clear that the 797 needs to ofer company can only hope that it reduces increased number of other transatlantic twin-aisle capabilities—range, com- costs enough to stimulate demand in single-aisle routes, suggest that, if any- fort, capacity, and faster turnaround this segment. Otherwise, it’s quite pos- thing, some twin-aisle midsize demand time—with single-aisle economics. sible that the 797 will get the bulk of will migrate downward. If Boeing is successful with this, it the smaller twin-aisle middle market, Second, there are the higher will have a product that likely stimu- while the A321neo continues to get the costs associated with twin-aisles. A lates demand in the mid-market twin- overwhelming majority of the much glance at operating and production aisle segment. This is a reasonable larger single-aisle middle market. c

12 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p12.indd 12 3/30/17 10:44 AM Up Front By Richard Aboulafa Going Concerns By Michael Bruno Contributing columnist Michael Bruno is Richard Aboulafa is Senior Business Editor vice president of analysis Join the conversation at: at Teal Group. He is AviationWeek.com/GoingConcerns based in Washington. [email protected] commentary goal. One big reason that orders for the commentary F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Penta- 787 and Airbus A330neo series have gon’s largest acquisition ever, Assad migrated to the larger members of talks about “delayering” the supply The 797 Challenge these families is that these aircraft are Hard Partners chain and pushing price reductions built with the structures and systems down to lower-tier suppliers. “We need needed for longer routes and larger Defense industry should prepare for the more competition at the subcontractor Boeing needs twin-aisle capabilities with models. An aircraft that’s optimized for level,” he asserts. the shorter and lighter routes, like the Pentagon’s own Partnership for Success Assad deemed the Blueprint for Af- single-aisle economics 797, should convince airlines to fy new fordability—the Obama-era plan that thinner routes between new city pairs. ith Donald Trump in the forced more industry investment—as he drumbeat for a new Boeing midsize jetliner is growing But there are no guarantees that WOval Ofce, Shay Assad “moderately efective,” but he says T Boeing will be able to bridge the cost more could be done. He praised louder. The recent ISTAT and Speednews conferences saw gap between single- and twin-aisle jets feels like he is in heaven. The Trump’s personal involvement in constant references to the new jet, which will seat 220-260 pas- with the 797. And new technologies de- defense industry, however, F-35 Lot 10 low-rate initial production sengers with 5,000-5,500-nm range. Air Lease Corp. Executive veloped for the 797—particularly new may increasingly feel like it is contract negotiations. engine technologies—could be used to Of course, Trump’s role in driving Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy even gave it a proper Boeing help lower single-aisle operating costs, facing the polar opposite. price reductions remains question- designation: the 797. too, keeping the gap in place. “This is kind of like dying and going able, as the fnal Lot 10 did not seem We might then see an echo of the to heaven,” Assad, the Pentagon pric- to deviate from the planned price cuts Given Boeing’s worsening disad- economics (block hour cost per seat late 1970s. At the time, Boeing con- ing czar, told an industry conference the Pentagon had outlined both before vantage versus Airbus in the jetliner and realized price per seat, respec- cluded that the middle jetliner market in March. “When you get somebody and after Trump won the Novem- middle market, and given the com- tively) clearly shows that there’s a really needed two products. The sin- who is the president of the United ber election. But days before Assad pany’s tendency to rest on its laurels signifcant gap between single- and gle-aisle 757 was introduced at about States who understands precisely spoke, Lockheed Chairman, CEO and and take long product-development twin-aisle jets. A single-aisle product the same time as the twin-aisle 767, what you do for a living and how it’s President Marillyn Hewson acknowl- holidays, the prospect of and the manufacturer actually done, it becomes a pretty re- edged to reporters that while price Realized Price Per Seat Block-Hour Cost Per Seat a new jet is very welcome $500 $30 sought commonality warding thing to do, especially when concessions may not have changed in news. But beyond the 450 between the two types [that] someone at the top is world- the end, Trump’s intervention helped idea of a new Boeing 25 wherever possible. This class himself in terms of negotiating.” Monica King/U.S. arMy seal the deal. Indeed, Lockheed was 400 aircraft, things get time, Boeing is clearly Key executives at every major West- Assad told the McAleese-Credit Suisse known to be pushing back on Lot 10 350 complicated. The 797’s 20 looking at the 797 to ern defense prime and Tier 1 supplier Defense Programs Conference in negotiations and even talked about twin-aisle confguration 300 play the 767’s role, while know Assad—or his handiwork. He Washington. “[Trump] understands suing the Pentagon over earlier unilat- is the big issue. 250 15 developing the 737-10 to was frequently the target of industry’s the benefts of competition,” he adds. eral contract actions over the F-35. First, there’s the 200 do the 757 job. ire under President Barack Obama’s “He talks about leverage.” “He put a sharper focus on price 10 market. Any projection 150 The problem, though, administration as it implemented Bet- Assad seems committed to convinc- and how we could drive the price of trends over the past dollars Thousands of U.S. 100 5 is that the market views ter Buying Power and other unilateral ing defense contractors to get more f- down,” she said of Trump. “He abso- 30 years—airliner feets, 50 Airbus’s A321neo as defense acquisition reforms such as nancial skin in the game when it comes lutely did contribute to us getting to orders and deliveries— 0 0 better able to replace increased competition. to cost-cutting and supporting defense closure on that. I will admit that as we clearly shows that single- the 757. And while In particular, Assad’s writ included programs. “We’re looking at ways to continue to ramp up the program we A320 787-8 A320 A321 787-8 aisle middle-market jets 737-800 A321neo737MAX9 737-800 757-200 Boeing could change better understanding and leverag- get companies to make meaningful will see cost reductions just through A330-200A330-800A350-900767-300ER A330-200767-300ER have enjoyed stronger Source: Airline Monitor, Teal Group Research course and make the ing so-called should-cost prices in investments in our programs,” he says. volume, but his emphasis and engage- growth than twin-aisle 797 a new single-aisle contract negotiations, particularly in This happens as a matter of course ment did make a diference.” middle market jets. The mid-market is inherently cheaper to buy, build jet, that would imply the 737 MAX sole-source programs. The goal was to in the commercial sector. But in the This speaks to a dawning aware- demand ratio is now at least 3:1 in favor and fy. Low-cost carriers seeking fast would merely be an interim product. become better informed on what some- defense sector post-World War II, the ness in Washington—especially after of single-aisles. turnaround times may like the idea of Orders would take a serious hit. Also, thing ought to cost—not just what government took more of the risk. the failed House Republican efort This explains the A321neo order two aisles, in theory. But if twin-aisle Boeing might fnd it difcult to difer- industry charged—as well as to use the Still, Assad indicates the Defense to replace Obamacare—that Trump book: about 1,400 aircraft. It also may operating economics remain distinctly entiate a new large single-aisle from Pentagon’s buying power more strate- Department will focus on using incen- may care less about details and explain why orders for 250-seat twin- higher than single-aisles’, it is unlikely the A321neo, turning this segment gically. Not surprisingly, Assad’s push tives and rewards rather than regula- more about sealing deals. In defense, aisles—particularly the 787-8 and A330- that faster turnaround times will ac- into a low-proft commodity product helped draw an industry complaint of a tory punishments when it comes to details will be left to people like Assad 800—have been eclipsed by orders for tually trump lower operating costs. battlefeld. Pentagon “war on proft.” boosting industry’s stake in making and other department leaders, with larger variants. Norwegian’s recently Boeing is aware of this problem. Therefore, Boeing will likely press Obama-era Pentagon leaders refuted sure programs are successful. In- Trump acting like the ultimate closer. announced plans to start transatlantic Company representatives have made ahead with the twin-aisle 797. The the notion of a war on proft, and prime creased margins will be the ultimate As for Assad, he is looking for “a service with 737 MAXs, along with the it clear that the 797 needs to ofer company can only hope that it reduces contractors’ increasing proft margins reward, he says. little bit more sense of urgency” from increased number of other transatlantic twin-aisle capabilities—range, com- costs enough to stimulate demand in during that administration belie the For Trump observers, this most im- industry leaders. The commercial single-aisle routes, suggest that, if any- fort, capacity, and faster turnaround this segment. Otherwise, it’s quite pos- claim. Still, with Trump at the helm, mediately resonates in the new presi- aerospace sector has encountered this thing, some twin-aisle midsize demand time—with single-aisle economics. sible that the 797 will get the bulk of Assad appears to feel a tailwind to dent’s public spats with F-35-maker type of situation already, most notably will migrate downward. If Boeing is successful with this, it the smaller twin-aisle middle market, push harder on some of those reform Lockheed Martin and Air Force One- under Boeing’s Partnership for Suc- Second, there are the higher will have a product that likely stimu- while the A321neo continues to get the principles. provider Boeing over price and costs cess to drive costs out of the supply costs associated with twin-aisles. A lates demand in the mid-market twin- overwhelming majority of the much “I’m looking forward to what the of those respective programs. chain. Apparently the defense side glance at operating and production aisle segment. This is a reasonable larger single-aisle middle market. c next four years are going to bring,” Specifcally in the Lockheed Martin should be prepared to follow suit. c

12 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst aviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 13

AW_04_03_2017_p12.indd 12 3/30/17 10:44 AM AW_04_03_2017_p13.indd 13 3/29/17 10:59 AM Inside Business Aviation By William Garvey William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/IBA [email protected]

commentary changed the rule to allow only the TC holder to certify aircraft from parts and surplus. Furry However, the government volun- teered that by incorporating all of Cub- Crafters’ STCs, the aircraft would be Phoenix sufciently diferent from the original to merit its own TC. And thus in 1985 was born the “Top Cub” (see photo below), A classic continues for which CubCrafters was awarded ameriCan Legend airCraft Co. an FAR23 TC, along with a production here was a time when the if you have ever fown one, low and certifcate. Richmond’s little outft had Tgeneral public referred to slow with the windows fung open become an airplane manufacturer. on a warm summer afternoon, you CubCrafters’ product line has since every light plane as a Cub. know frsthand, and smiling, the little expanded to include kit planes, a light For good reason. airplane’s appeal. sport aircraft (LSA) version, a factory- Which is why CubCrafters, Ameri- assist model and the new XCub, which The simplicity, afordability and util- can Legend Aircraft Co. and Backcoun- was awarded its FAR23 TC last year. ity of the tandem-seat, high-wing, tube- try Super Cubs are in business. The company now employs 160 people. and-fabric aircraft made it a favorite Jim Richmond spent much of his John Whitish, CubCrafters’ director of with pilots almost from its frst appear- young life in Alaska, whose state bird Global Marketing, proudly notes that ance in the 1930s. By that decade’s end, might as well be a Super Cub since the his is the only U.S. manufacturer to Piper Aircraft’s Lock Haven, Pennsyl- type is so ubiquitous there. His father ofer Experimental, LSA, and FAR23 vania, plant was turning out 1,800 of owned several, and Richmond learned aircraft. These range in price from the bright yellow J-3 Cubs annually. to fy them as a teenager. Fast forward about $120,000 for a completed kit to With entry into World War II im- and he had a home insulation business $297,000 for a factory-made XCub. minent, the little aircraft was adopted Down in Sulphur Springs, Texas, by the Civil Pilot Training Program American Legend is building Cubs to help rapidly grow the pilot popula- with specifcations identical to the tion. And once the U.S. entered the original (see photo at top). Founder confict, the military employed it as a Darin Hart says his business was liaison and utility aircraft, eventually made possible by Piper abandoning putting nearly 6,000 of the aircraft into the design and putting it in the public uniform. Ultimately, Piper produced domain. The 13-year-old company nearly 15,000 J-3s. ofers three versions, either as a kit A major postwar evolution of the or factory-built LSA, ranging in price model came with development of the from $139,000 to $164,000. more powerful PA-18 Super Cub. Thou- CubCrafters And the Backcountry boys in Doug- sands were built at Lock Haven before in Yakima, Washington. But Cubs kept las, Wyoming, ofer kits for a basic the company closed that operation in calling to him. An engineer, aircraft Super Cub and four-seat derivative 1984; by then, Piper was focused on mechanic and inveterate tinkerer, he for $66,050 and $72,050, respectively. producing all-metal singles and twins was sure he could make the iconic bush Engine, prop and radios, among other at its plants in Florida. A few dozen Su- plane even better. items, are extra. per Cubs were eventually built at the So he sold his company, and in The Cub’s second coming has been Vero Beach facility, but after delivering 1980 opened CubCrafters to rebuild fruitful. American Legend is nearing some 10,000 PA-18s, production fnally and modify existing Super Cubs. A order 300; Backcountry and its prede- terminated in 1994. careful student of the Federal Aviation cessors reportedly produced more than Well, mostly. Regulations, Richmond introduced a 250 kits since launching in 1998, and Despite its geriatric status—the steady number of improvements to CubCrafters has delivered 560 factory- J-3 received its type certifcate (TC) the design, and the FAA awarded him built aircraft to date, not including kits. in 1937—the Super Cub’s attributes supplemental type certifcates (STC) Might Piper get back in the Super are still prized by an army of enthu- for each. Cub business? “At present, no,” says siasts the world over. The aircraft’s In time, he came to believe the so- company spokesperson Jackie Carlon. ability to operate in the most rugged called “parts and surplus” rule would “But it’s certainly discussed from time environments; its remarkable short- permit his company to purchase or to time.” feld performance; its ability to ride build parts and use them to construct Meanwhile, Whitish says CubCraft- on skis, foats or “tundra tires”; its and certify new aircraft. The FAA ers will stay the course, “making easy maintainability and bulletproof agreed, so that’s what he did—un- people happy with fun toys. That’s dependability are all legendary. And til Piper objected, and the agency what we do here.” c

14 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p14.indd 14 3/22/17 3:16 PM Inside Business Aviation By William Garvey William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/IBA [email protected] commentary changed the rule to allow only the TC holder to certify aircraft from parts and surplus. Furry However, the government volun- teered that by incorporating all of Cub- Crafters’ STCs, the aircraft would be Phoenix sufciently diferent from the original to merit its own TC. And thus in 1985 was born the “Top Cub” (see photo below), A classic continues for which CubCrafters was awarded ameriCan Legend airCraft Co. an FAR23 TC, along with a production here was a time when the if you have ever fown one, low and certifcate. Richmond’s little outft had Tgeneral public referred to slow with the windows fung open become an airplane manufacturer. on a warm summer afternoon, you CubCrafters’ product line has since every light plane as a Cub. know frsthand, and smiling, the little expanded to include kit planes, a light April 25–27, 2017 | Orlando, FL | Orange County Convention Center For good reason. airplane’s appeal. sport aircraft (LSA) version, a factory- Which is why CubCrafters, Ameri- assist model and the new XCub, which The simplicity, afordability and util- can Legend Aircraft Co. and Backcoun- was awarded its FAR23 TC last year. ity of the tandem-seat, high-wing, tube- try Super Cubs are in business. The company now employs 160 people. and-fabric aircraft made it a favorite Jim Richmond spent much of his John Whitish, CubCrafters’ director of What you need to with pilots almost from its frst appear- young life in Alaska, whose state bird Global Marketing, proudly notes that ance in the 1930s. By that decade’s end, might as well be a Super Cub since the his is the only U.S. manufacturer to Piper Aircraft’s Lock Haven, Pennsyl- type is so ubiquitous there. His father ofer Experimental, LSA, and FAR23 vania, plant was turning out 1,800 of owned several, and Richmond learned aircraft. These range in price from know about MRO the bright yellow J-3 Cubs annually. to fy them as a teenager. Fast forward about $120,000 for a completed kit to With entry into World War II im- and he had a home insulation business $297,000 for a factory-made XCub. minent, the little aircraft was adopted Down in Sulphur Springs, Texas, by the Civil Pilot Training Program American Legend is building Cubs Americas! to help rapidly grow the pilot popula- with specifcations identical to the tion. And once the U.S. entered the original (see photo at top). Founder confict, the military employed it as a Darin Hart says his business was • EXHIBITION – Explore new technology, tools and services. liaison and utility aircraft, eventually made possible by Piper abandoning • NETWORK – Access thousands of airlines, MROs, OEMs, putting nearly 6,000 of the aircraft into the design and putting it in the public uniform. Ultimately, Piper produced domain. The 13-year-old company suppliers and service providers. nearly 15,000 J-3s. ofers three versions, either as a kit • NEW OPPORTUNITIES – Featuring dedicated IT, A major postwar evolution of the or factory-built LSA, ranging in price model came with development of the from $139,000 to $164,000. GSE and Military programming! Plus the MRO University and more powerful PA-18 Super Cub. Thou- CubCrafters And the Backcountry boys in Doug- Aerospace Maintenance Competition! sands were built at Lock Haven before in Yakima, Washington. But Cubs kept las, Wyoming, ofer kits for a basic • CONFERENCE – Analyze status and trends in the MRO market. the company closed that operation in calling to him. An engineer, aircraft Super Cub and four-seat derivative 1984; by then, Piper was focused on mechanic and inveterate tinkerer, he for $66,050 and $72,050, respectively. Drill down into business development, engineering, propulsion, producing all-metal singles and twins was sure he could make the iconic bush Engine, prop and radios, among other IT, innovation, supply-chain/logistics, leasing and more! at its plants in Florida. A few dozen Su- plane even better. items, are extra. per Cubs were eventually built at the So he sold his company, and in The Cub’s second coming has been • HOTEL AND THEME PARK DISCOUNTS – Get the best rates Vero Beach facility, but after delivering 1980 opened CubCrafters to rebuild fruitful. American Legend is nearing at some of the hottest properties in Orlando. Save big at local some 10,000 PA-18s, production fnally and modify existing Super Cubs. A order 300; Backcountry and its prede- attractions including Disney and Universal Studios! terminated in 1994. careful student of the Federal Aviation cessors reportedly produced more than Well, mostly. Regulations, Richmond introduced a 250 kits since launching in 1998, and • GOLF TOURNAMENT – Join your fellow attendees Despite its geriatric status—the steady number of improvements to CubCrafters has delivered 560 factory- on the course. MRO Americas tees off at J-3 received its type certifcate (TC) the design, and the FAA awarded him built aircraft to date, not including kits. Shingle Creek Golf Course. in 1937—the Super Cub’s attributes supplemental type certifcates (STC) Might Piper get back in the Super are still prized by an army of enthu- for each. Cub business? “At present, no,” says siasts the world over. The aircraft’s In time, he came to believe the so- company spokesperson Jackie Carlon. ability to operate in the most rugged called “parts and surplus” rule would “But it’s certainly discussed from time REGISTER TODAY FOR THE CONFERENCE environments; its remarkable short- permit his company to purchase or to time.” feld performance; its ability to ride build parts and use them to construct Meanwhile, Whitish says CubCraft- AND FREE EXHIBITION ACCESS. on skis, foats or “tundra tires”; its and certify new aircraft. The FAA ers will stay the course, “making easy maintainability and bulletproof agreed, so that’s what he did—un- people happy with fun toys. That’s dependability are all legendary. And til Piper objected, and the agency what we do here.” c mroamericas.aviationweek.com 14 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p14.indd 14 3/22/17 3:16 PM 704AWA15.indd 1 3/29/2017 2:11:11 PM Airline Intel By Jens Flottau Jens Flottau is Managing Editor for Civil Aviation Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/AirlineIntel Jens.ﬂ [email protected]

COMMENTARY lithium-ion batteries in the cargo hold, tightly packed in suitcases or bags. The airline industry is scared of these Flawed Decision batteries and rightly so: There have been numerous incidents involving lithium-ion battery thermal runaways U.S. electronics ban could jeopardize safety and fi res. The cargo hold, which no and will distort competition one can access during fl ight, provides ideal conditions for those fi res to get he Trump administration has made its fi rst major aviation out of control. By contrast, passengers T and fl ight attendants can swiftly react policy decision, banning large electronic devices from to an ignition in the cabin. So even if cabins on aircraft departing 10 airports in the Middle East and the restrictions on electronics were issued in good faith, they could have the North Africa. The UK quickly followed with a similar but more unintended consequence of making limited ban that covered fewer airports. While the professed passengers and crew less safe. intent of the electronics ban is to improve passenger security, The e-ban, if it continues, will also have huge commercial implica- it was poorly thought through and clumsily rolled out. It could tions. As many have noted, business have a major negative impact commercially on the af ected travelers cannot af ord not to work airlines and, most importantly, could actually jeopardize on a fl ight of 12 hr. or more. Many of them will therefore no longer fl y Qatar passenger safety. Airways, Emirates Airline and Etihad Let’s start with the questionable concerned about an imminent threat Airways to the U.S. Flights via other logic that banning laptops from some from the airports in question, they points may be more inconvenient and aircraft cabins makes fl ying more should tighten checks at those air- more expensive, but at least travelers secure. Even if the U.S. Homeland ports for all fl ights. Which gets us to will not miss an entire day’s work in Security Department’s so-called secu- the next point, airport security. In is- transit. rity enhancements prevent a terrorist suing the electronics ban, U.S. authori- Even though the “big three” Gulf from bringing explosives hidden in a ties imply that security is insuf cient carriers have been quiet about the laptop onboard a nonstop fl ight to the at the 10 named airports. The list electronic device ban, they are being U.S. from one of the 10 listed air- includes Dubai, Kuwait, Doha and Abu hit very hard by it. The U.S. is not ports, this does absolutely nothing to Dhabi, where U.S. customs operates their biggest traf c area—Europe and prevent an attack. That terrorist could a preclearance facility. And anyone Asia are more important—but it will simply take a connecting service from, who has ever traveled through Dubai’s be painful for them. say, Dubai or Cairo via Frankfurt or airport has witnessed how much European network carriers are Milan to the U.S. and, assuming the investment went into state-of-the-art likely be the main benefi ciaries of the explosives somehow evade security, security equipment and staf ng to en- directive; U.S. airlines stand to gain far then blow up the second fl ight over the sure that international standards are less. The entire commercial aviation Atlantic. In this case, it could even be maintained. What was the rationale industry will suf er in the long-term, an aircraft operated by a U.S. airline, for selecting these airports? The U.S. however. Because what is next? If the as many American airlines serve all of government isn’t saying. two-month-old Trump administra- the European gateways, which are not Then there is the distinction tion is making such obviously fl awed covered by the ban. The alleged risk is between security and safety. Every moves in the vital areas of safety and simply moved from a nonstop to a con- single one of these nonstop fl ights to security, why should anyone believe its necting fl ight. It is not contained. the U.S. will now fl y with hundreds other aviation policies will be carefully If U.S. security of cials are truly of electronic devices powered by considered? c

Check 6 Aviation Week editors discuss the ban’s impact on security and the Gulf carriers’ business: AviationWeek.com/podcast DUBAI AIRPORTS DUBAI

16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p16.indd 16 3/30/17 2:35 PM Airline Intel By Jens Flottau Jens Flottau is Managing Editor for Civil Aviation UP HERE, THERE ARE NO GLASS CEILINGS Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/AirlineIntel Jens.ﬂ [email protected] WOMEN IN AEROSPACE

COMMENTARY lithium-ion batteries in the cargo hold, tightly packed in suitcases or bags. For 30 years, Women in Aerospace (WIA) has been dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and The airline industry is scared of these increasing their visibility in the aerospace community, both in the US and internationally. Flawed Decision batteries and rightly so: There have Get involved with your Women in Aerospace community today, to ensure we are the leaders of tomorrow. been numerous incidents involving lithium-ion battery thermal runaways f U.S. electronics ban could jeopardize safety and fi res. The cargo hold, which no fffffffffffffff and will distort competition one can access during fl ight, provides Bfffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffff ideal conditions for those fi res to get fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff out of control. By contrast, passengers fffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffff he Trump administration has made its fi rst major aviation and fl ight attendants can swiftly react T ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffff policy decision, banning large electronic devices from to an ignition in the cabin. So even if ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff cabins on aircraft departing 10 airports in the Middle East and the restrictions on electronics were is- ffffffffffffffffffffffffff Efffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffff North Africa. The UK quickly followed with a similar but more sued in good faith, they could have the fffffffffffffffffffffffff Jffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffff unintended consequence of making fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffff limited ban that covered fewer airports. While the professed passengers and crew less safe. Kffffffffffffffffffffffffffff The e-ban, if it continues, will fffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffff intent of the electronics ban is to improve passenger security, ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff also have huge commercial implica- ffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffff it was poorly thought through and clumsily rolled out. It could tions. As many have noted, business fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffffffff have a major negative impact commercially on the af ected travelers cannot af ord not to work fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff @ffffffffffffffff airlines and, most importantly, could actually jeopardize on a fl ight of 12 hr. or more. Many of fffffffffffffffffffffffffff Jffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff them will therefore no longer fl y Qatar fffffffffffffffffffffffff Fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff @fffffffffff passenger safety. Airways, Emirates Airline and Etihad Let’s start with the questionable concerned about an imminent threat Airways to the U.S. Flights via other logic that banning laptops from some from the airports in question, they points may be more inconvenient and aircraft cabins makes fl ying more should tighten checks at those air- more expensive, but at least travelers secure. Even if the U.S. Homeland ports for all fl ights. Which gets us to will not miss an entire day’s work in Security Department’s so-called secu- the next point, airport security. In is- transit. rity enhancements prevent a terrorist suing the electronics ban, U.S. authori- Even though the “big three” Gulf from bringing explosives hidden in a ties imply that security is insuf cient carriers have been quiet about the laptop onboard a nonstop fl ight to the at the 10 named airports. The list electronic device ban, they are being The Commercial Aftermarket New Business Locator U.S. from one of the 10 listed air- includes Dubai, Kuwait, Doha and Abu hit very hard by it. The U.S. is not ports, this does absolutely nothing to Dhabi, where U.S. customs operates their biggest traf c area—Europe and prevent an attack. That terrorist could a preclearance facility. And anyone Asia are more important—but it will simply take a connecting service from, who has ever traveled through Dubai’s be painful for them. say, Dubai or Cairo via Frankfurt or airport has witnessed how much European network carriers are Milan to the U.S. and, assuming the investment went into state-of-the-art likely be the main benefi ciaries of the explosives somehow evade security, security equipment and staf ng to en- directive; U.S. airlines stand to gain far then blow up the second fl ight over the sure that international standards are less. The entire commercial aviation Atlantic. In this case, it could even be maintained. What was the rationale industry will suf er in the long-term, an aircraft operated by a U.S. airline, for selecting these airports? The U.S. however. Because what is next? If the as many American airlines serve all of government isn’t saying. two-month-old Trump administra- the European gateways, which are not Then there is the distinction tion is making such obviously fl awed covered by the ban. The alleged risk is between security and safety. Every moves in the vital areas of safety and With in-depth details and ■ Obtaining insight into airframe, Learn how MRO Prospector simply moved from a nonstop to a con- single one of these nonstop fl ights to security, why should anyone believe its reliable data that enable engine and landing gear can help you grow your necting fl ight. 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16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 17

AW_04_03_2017_p16.indd 16 3/30/17 2:35 PM 704AWA17.indd 53 3/29/2017 11:09:10 AM In Orbit By Frank Morring, Jr. Frank Morring, Jr. is Senior Space Editor Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/InOrbit [email protected]

commentary hydrocarbon seas believed possible on its surface. As it descended, Huygens imaged drainage channels but found Flagship dry dunes instead of liquid lakes. The imaging experts used haze-penetrating flters to fnd the surface liquids at Mission the poles instead of at the equator as expected. “I am certain that one day we are go- Saturn probe is still rewriting ing to return to Titan, perhaps maybe to drop a boat in one of its seas,” Porco textbooks as it reaches the end says. “That would be a very exciting NASA/JPL-CALteCh/SPACe SCieNCe iNStitute mission, and it tells us that the Solar System still has much in store for those n Sept. 15 a nuclear-powered spacecraft the size of a school adventurous souls yet to be born.” Obus is scheduled to plunge into the clouds of Saturn, bring- For her, the most interesting moon is ing the 27-year Cassini orbital mission to a close. The mission Enceladus. Tidal forces, generated by it moving in an elliptical orbit through has changed the way we view the famous ringed planet itself as Saturn’s powerful gravity, generate well as the evolution of the Solar System and the possibility that enough heat to force a plume of water Earth is not the only place in it where life may have arisen. ice into space above the moon’s south pole. Cassini has fown through the “I have this very strong feeling that Hyperion tumbles like a sea sponge plume, sampled the particles within it it will go down in history as one of the rolling down a beach, and up close and found evidence that they originate most, if not the most, scientifcally it looks like one. Pan is a tiny fying- in a salty subsurface ocean with trace productive interplanetary missions saucer-shaped moon that mimics the amounts of ethane, propane and other that we have ever fown, not only for planet with its rings. Mimas features a organic compounds, along with small the sheer breadth of its fndings but huge crater called Herschel that Porco levels of ammonia and carbon dioxide. the depth of the scientifc insights that says was created in a collision with a “All of these compounds are consid- it has delivered to us,” says Carolyn body almost big enough to shatter it ered important for the origin of life,” Porco, head of the team that assembles into fragments. says Porco, who is working with col- Cassini data into the spectacular im- Scientists believe the planet’s rings leagues on a proposed return to Ence- ages provided since the spacecraft few themselves are a result of such colli- ladus to look for evidence of habitabil- past Venus in April 1998, for its frst sions. The rings are only about 30 ft. ity, and even life—microbes encased in gravity assist toward Saturn. thick, composed of particles Porco says ice falling back to the surface as snow. Porco should know. She worked on range in size from a small apartment Just as she did with Voyager 1, the Voyager missions that studied Sat- building to a speck of talcum powder. Porco arranged for Cassini to turn its urn in 1980-81 and helped Carl Sagan Moving around the planet at 20,000- cameras back to Earth, producing an capture the “pale blue dot” image of 40,000 mph like a giant buzz saw image of our pale blue dot foating be- Earth from beyond Neptune’s orbit in 1 light-second across, they will pose a yond the rings, with enough resolution 1990. She knows her way around the new danger for Cassini when it begins to pick out Earth’s Moon as well. In her Solar System. Since Cassini entered its “grand fnale” on April 22. lecture, Porco said she found an ele- orbit on July 1, 2004, she and her team Starting with a swing around the ment of hope in the image of our home have been using the probe’s imaging unique moon Titan, the probe will dip planet in its cosmic context. instruments to gather unprecedented into a series of 22 orbits between the “We are without a doubt the cruel detail on the object she frst saw as a rings and the tops of Saturn’s clouds. and troubled and warlike inhabitants schoolgirl, gazing through a friend’s If a hypervelocity ring particle doesn’t of one tiny little dot of a planet, and telescope on a rooftop in the Bronx. smash it, Cassini will generate detailed we are reminded of this day in and When it takes its suicide swan gravity and magnetic maps of the day out wherever we look, all over dive, Cassini will be following in the planet, and a new perspective on the the globe,” she says. “But in those footsteps of its predecessor mission to rings. It may also be able to determine moments that I can only describe as Jupiter, Galileo, to prevent any ultra- how fast Saturn rotates, something existential despair . . . it would serve hardy Earth microbes from seeding that has eluded researchers so far. us well to remember that we are also one of the planet’s moons. There are Titan itself has been the object of the thinkers and dreamers and explor- more than 60—“I’ve lost count,” Porco intense focus since Cassini arrived ers who took this picture.” c claimed during a March 23 lecture at at Saturn. After a piggyback ride, the National Air and Space Museum in the European Huygens probe para- Gallery See Cassini’s images of Washington—and Cassini has provided chuted into the moon’s orange haze on Hyperion, Pan, Mimas, Enceladus and unprecedented detail on most of them. Jan. 14, 2005, in search of the liquid more: aviationWeek.com/cassiniGoodbye

18 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p18.indd 18 3/28/17 5:20 PM In Orbit By Frank Morring, Jr. Washington Outlook Edited by Jen DiMascio Frank Morring, Jr. is Jen DiMascio is Managing Senior Space Editor Editor for Defense and Space Join the conversation at: Join the conversation at: AviationWeek.com/InOrbit AviationWeek.com/WashingtonOutlook [email protected] [email protected] commentary hydrocarbon seas believed possible on commentary role in national security,” Canoll its surface. As it descended, Huygens said. “We look forward to working imaged drainage channels but found with the Trump administration, Flagship dry dunes instead of liquid lakes. The Retirement Plans and specifcally the Department of imaging experts used haze-penetrat- Homeland Security and the Trans- ing flters to fnd the surface liquids at portation Security Administration, Mission the poles instead of at the equator as Will the Air Force’s proposal to retire F-15s to advance what we believe to be our expected. fare better than the A-10 or U-2 attempts? shared goals of fostering a secure, “I am certain that one day we are go- safe and efcient air transportation Saturn probe is still rewriting ing to return to Titan, perhaps maybe system.” c textbooks as it reaches the end to drop a boat in one of its seas,” Porco etiring an aircraft is one of the most difcult Washington says. “That would be a very exciting Rfghts a service can take on. Members of Congress and con- Line in the Sand NASA/JPL-CALteCh/SPACe SCieNCe iNStitute mission, and it tells us that the Solar tractors come to the defense of parochial interests, and if the One day after Trump signed sweep- System still has much in store for those ing executive orders aimed at rolling n Sept. 15 a nuclear-powered spacecraft the size of a school adventurous souls yet to be born.” National Guard and state governors get involved, the politics can back his predecessor’s actions to Obus is scheduled to plunge into the clouds of Saturn, bring- For her, the most interesting moon is become messy. Still, the Air Force is trying again, foating the slow climate change, Rep. Lamar ing the 27-year Cassini orbital mission to a close. The mission Enceladus. Tidal forces, generated by idea of retiring its F-15s to avoid replacing its center fuselage and Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the it moving in an elliptical orbit through House Science, Space and Technol- has changed the way we view the famous ringed planet itself as Saturn’s powerful gravity, generate wings that will begin to wear out in the late 2020s (see page 34). ogy Committee, rolled out a trio of well as the evolution of the Solar System and the possibility that enough heat to force a plume of water The service would replace those aircraft with new F-16s. scientists who disputed the broadly Earth is not the only place in it where life may have arisen. ice into space above the moon’s south held view that human activity—chief- pole. Cassini has fown through the It is hard to see why the ly burning fossil fuels—contributes “I have this very strong feeling that Hyperion tumbles like a sea sponge plume, sampled the particles within it service would go down this signifcantly to the change. it will go down in history as one of the rolling down a beach, and up close and found evidence that they originate road once more. In 2000, “I believe the climate is chang- most, if not the most, scientifcally it looks like one. Pan is a tiny fying- in a salty subsurface ocean with trace then-Air Force Secretary ing and that humans play a role,” productive interplanetary missions saucer-shaped moon that mimics the amounts of ethane, propane and other Whit Peters broached the says Smith. “However, I also believe that we have ever fown, not only for planet with its rings. Mimas features a organic compounds, along with small idea of replacing U-2 intel- signifcant questions remain as to the sheer breadth of its fndings but huge crater called Herschel that Porco levels of ammonia and carbon dioxide. ligence, surveillance and the extent.” Judith Curry, formerly the depth of the scientifc insights that says was created in a collision with a “All of these compounds are consid- reconnaissance aircraft with of the Georgia Institute of Technol- it has delivered to us,” says Carolyn body almost big enough to shatter it ered important for the origin of life,” Global Hawk UAVs. Since ogy; John Christy of the University

Porco, head of the team that assembles into fragments. says Porco, who is working with col- then, the Air Force has tried tio N A l G UA rd of Alabama-Huntsville; and Roger Cassini data into the spectacular im- Scientists believe the planet’s rings leagues on a proposed return to Ence- numerous times to shift from Pielke, Jr., of the University of Colo- ages provided since the spacecraft few themselves are a result of such colli- ladus to look for evidence of habitabil- U-2 to Global Hawk. But rado, all testifed that their fndings U.S. Air N A past Venus in April 1998, for its frst sions. The rings are only about 30 ft. ity, and even life—microbes encased in the Air Force is still fying Members of the Massachusetts Air National have been ruthlessly dismissed by gravity assist toward Saturn. thick, composed of particles Porco says ice falling back to the surface as snow. manned U-2s. More recently, what Christy called “the well-funded Porco should know. She worked on range in size from a small apartment Just as she did with Voyager 1, the service has deferred its Guard arm an F-15 Eagle with an AIM 9X climate science industry.” the Voyager missions that studied Sat- building to a speck of talcum powder. Porco arranged for Cassini to turn its years-long bid to retire the weapon during a weapons system evaluation Pennsylvania State University’s urn in 1980-81 and helped Carl Sagan Moving around the planet at 20,000- cameras back to Earth, producing an A-10. That battle, Peters says, program in Florida. Michael Mann, the sole witness capture the “pale blue dot” image of 40,000 mph like a giant buzz saw image of our pale blue dot foating be- was complicated by what he called by Democrats to the March Earth from beyond Neptune’s orbit in 1 light-second across, they will pose a yond the rings, with enough resolution describes as a “historic feeling that aviation safety and security rules 28 hearing, cited “attacks against cli- 1990. She knows her way around the new danger for Cassini when it begins to pick out Earth’s Moon as well. In her the Air Force never really supported from the executive order to federal mate scientists orchestrated in many Solar System. Since Cassini entered its “grand fnale” on April 22. lecture, Porco said she found an ele- close air support.” agencies that for every new regula- cases by organizations and individu- orbit on July 1, 2004, she and her team Starting with a swing around the ment of hope in the image of our home Unlike those fghts, the Air Force tion implemented, two existing ones als tied to fossil fuel interests.” Mann have been using the probe’s imaging unique moon Titan, the probe will dip planet in its cosmic context. has been able to reduce numbers of should be removed. “When it comes noted that Curry has endorsed a view instruments to gather unprecedented into a series of 22 orbits between the “We are without a doubt the cruel aircraft such as the C-5, Peters says. to aviation safety and security, we advanced by Scott Pruitt, Trump’s detail on the object she frst saw as a rings and the tops of Saturn’s clouds. and troubled and warlike inhabitants “Unless you are closing a base or should never apply a cookie-cutter new EPA director, that human activ- schoolgirl, gazing through a friend’s If a hypervelocity ring particle doesn’t of one tiny little dot of a planet, and taking away all the aircraft from a Na- policy,” says ALPA President Tim ity is not “a primary contributor” to telescope on a rooftop in the Bronx. smash it, Cassini will generate detailed we are reminded of this day in and tional Guard base, generally, you can Canoll. “It is too risky, and it invites global warming, “which is completely When it takes its suicide swan gravity and magnetic maps of the day out wherever we look, all over reduce the inventory,” Peters says. In trouble.” at odds with what the world’s scien- dive, Cassini will be following in the planet, and a new perspective on the the globe,” she says. “But in those this case, the Guard already uses F-16s The union is not the only corner tists have determined.” The parti- footsteps of its predecessor mission to rings. It may also be able to determine moments that I can only describe as so the change is not as dramatic, he of aviation that doesn’t mind a little san jousting is sure to continue as Jupiter, Galileo, to prevent any ultra- how fast Saturn rotates, something existential despair . . . it would serve surmises. Perhaps this time, the Air rulemaking. The unmanned aircraft Congress debates NASA’s upcoming hardy Earth microbes from seeding that has eluded researchers so far. us well to remember that we are also Force will have better luck. c systems industry is also looking for a budget requests for Earth science, one of the planet’s moons. There are Titan itself has been the object of the thinkers and dreamers and explor- way around Trump’s hold on regula- which includes satellite-generated more than 60—“I’ve lost count,” Porco intense focus since Cassini arrived ers who took this picture.” c Safety exemption tions to help it grow. Still, the union data on the causes of climate change claimed during a March 23 lecture at at Saturn. After a piggyback ride, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) remains optimistic that it can con- and its efects. c the National Air and Space Museum in the European Huygens probe para- Gallery See Cassini’s images of International, the union represent- tinue to work with the new adminis- Washington—and Cassini has provided chuted into the moon’s orange haze on Hyperion, Pan, Mimas, Enceladus and ing U.S. and Canadian pilots, wants tration. “We know from history that —With Michael Bruno, James Drew unprecedented detail on most of them. Jan. 14, 2005, in search of the liquid more: aviationWeek.com/cassiniGoodbye President Donald Trump to exempt air transportation plays an integral and Frank Morring, Jr.

18 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 aviationWeek.com/awst aviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 19

AW_04_03_2017_p18.indd 18 3/28/17 5:20 PM AW_04_03_2017_p19.indd 19 3/30/17 6:09 PM SAFETY

forming go-arounds when approaches Go-Around Gap become “unstable,” despite the fact that it is industry and airline standard operating procedures (SOP) to do so. Kyrgyzstan crash highlights persistent safety The new study included web-based surveys of 2,340 pilots and 128 airline problem with approach and landings safety managers to better understand the psychology of go-arounds and go- John Croft Washington around enforcement. It also analyzed 64 go-around events in 2000-12 to he Flight Safety Foundation makes no bones about the big- parse potential problems that can occur with the go-around itself. Tgest threat to the airline industry today—pilots failing to ini- While considered normal fight ma- tiate go-arounds when needed. “The problem of go-around neuvers for airline pilots, go-arounds policy noncompliance is real and is arguably the greatest threat are rarely performed in line flying (the FSF estimates 1-2 go-arounds per to fight safety today,” the safety advocate states in a March 27 year for short-haul pilots and 2-3 go- fnal report on go-around decision-making and execution. arounds every 2-3 years for long-haul pilots) leading to a “potentially hazard- Preliminary details on the crash of an According to the Flight Safety Foun- ous outcome, such as an aircraft per- ACT Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter dation (FSF), approach and landing formance exceedance, for one in every (TK6491) following an error-prone in- accidents account for 65% of all acci- 10 go-arounds,” says the FSF. strument approach to the Manas In- dents, 83% of which could have been Key fndings from the study include: ternational Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyz- avoided with a timely decision to go The de facto industry norm is to ac- stan, on the morning of Jan. 16, appear around. The seemingly simple process cept the noncompliance of go-around to support the foundation’s assertion. of performing a go-around could po- policies, despite the accident record; All four crewmembers were killed tentially eliminate 54% of all accidents. pilots have low overall awareness of as were 35 residents of a settlement “Interestingly, and sadly, the collec- approach-and-landing accident risks; located beyond the end of Runway 26 tive industry performance of comply- and management is generally disen- after the Turkish-registered aircraft ing with go-around policies is extreme- gaged from go-around noncompliance. overshot the runway in low-visibility ly poor—approximately 3% of unstable The Russian Interstate Aviation conditions. A go-around initiated below approaches result in go-around policy Committee’s (IAC) preliminary report the minimum Category 2 instrument compliance,” says the FSF. on the Bishkek accident does not men- approach altitude failed to keep the The fnal report encompasses input tion ACT Airlines’ go-around policy, aircraft from slamming into a housing from two FSF committees and the Ca- although it is clear from the fight data development 3,200 ft. beyond the run- nadian safety company Presage Group, recorder (FDR) that warning flags way end. to understand why pilots are not per- were present several miles out from the airport, including lack of positional awareness with respect to the instrument landing system (ILS) glideslope intercept. Information from the FDR showed that TK6491, inbound to Manas from Hong Kong for fuel and a crew change before departing for Istanbul, was at too high an altitude for its autoflight system to capture the glideslope (vertical reference signal) from the ILS. The normal intercept occurs at a level altitude of 3,400 ft. above sea level at approximately 4 nm from the runway end, beyond which the glideslope signal provides for a 3-deg. descent angle to the touchdown point. TK6491, however, was approximately 600 ft. too high and descending at the intercept point. The aircraft leveled at the intercept altitude when approximately 2.5 nm from the TK6491 plowed through a development beyond a Kyrgyzstan Manas International Airport runway, killing 39 and injuring 37.

Russian inteRstate aviation Committee 20 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p20-21.indd 20 3/30/17 10:45 AM SAFETY ACT Airlines Boeing 747-400 Approach to Bishkek forming go-arounds when approaches Go-Around Gap become “unstable,” despite the fact that it is industry and airline standard operating procedures (SOP) to do so. Kyrgyzstan crash highlights persistent safety The new study included web-based surveys of 2,340 pilots and 128 airline problem with approach and landings safety managers to better understand the psychology of go-arounds and go- John Croft Washington around enforcement. It also analyzed 64 go-around events in 2000-12 to he Flight Safety Foundation makes no bones about the big- parse potential problems that can occur with the go-around itself. Tgest threat to the airline industry today—pilots failing to ini- While considered normal fight ma- tiate go-arounds when needed. “The problem of go-around neuvers for airline pilots, go-arounds policy noncompliance is real and is arguably the greatest threat are rarely performed in line flying (the FSF estimates 1-2 go-arounds per to fight safety today,” the safety advocate states in a March 27 year for short-haul pilots and 2-3 go- *Height referenced to Runway 28 threshold Source: Russian Interstate Aviation Committee fnal report on go-around decision-making and execution. arounds every 2-3 years for long-haul pilots) leading to a “potentially hazard- runway end. The glideslope display in tion signals. Using the inertial mode, inertial mode guidance “in cases when Preliminary details on the crash of an According to the Flight Safety Foun- ous outcome, such as an aircraft per- the cockpit was in the “full down posi- the autopilot will continue an approach the approach path does not allow land- ACT Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter dation (FSF), approach and landing formance exceedance, for one in every tion,” a sign that the aircraft was too at a 3-deg.-glideslope angle using inter- ing in the appropriate [runway] area.” (TK6491) following an error-prone in- accidents account for 65% of all acci- 10 go-arounds,” says the FSF. high, according to the IAC. nal guidance until a valid glideslope A primary goal of the FSF study strument approach to the Manas In- dents, 83% of which could have been Key fndings from the study include: The pilots continued in level fight at signal is regained or until the crew was to analyze why pilots do not fol- ternational Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyz- avoided with a timely decision to go The de facto industry norm is to ac- 3,400 ft. until capturing a 9-deg. angle shuts of the autopilot. low otherwise clear SOPs or warnings stan, on the morning of Jan. 16, appear around. The seemingly simple process cept the noncompliance of go-around “false glideslope” (see diagram) at ap- At Bishkek, the IAC said an “FMA and initiate a go-around, for instance, to support the foundation’s assertion. of performing a go-around could po- policies, despite the accident record; proximately 1.1 nm from the runway [Flight Mode Annunciator] Fault 2” when reaching the minimum altitude All four crewmembers were killed tentially eliminate 54% of all accidents. pilots have low overall awareness of end. The guidance system transitioned, event that occurred 15 sec. after cap- for an instrument approach when the as were 35 residents of a settlement “Interestingly, and sadly, the collec- approach-and-landing accident risks; then captured the false glideslope and turing the false glideslope sent the au- runway is not in sight. It found that located beyond the end of Runway 26 tive industry performance of comply- and management is generally disen- began a steep descent. The aircraft topilot into inertial mode in addition to many pilots regard go-around policy after the Turkish-registered aircraft ing with go-around policies is extreme- gaged from go-around noncompliance. during the approach had passed two notifying the pilots with generic mas- criteria as unrealistic for the opera- overshot the runway in low-visibility ly poor—approximately 3% of unstable The Russian Interstate Aviation ground-based position markers—the ter caution textual and aural alerts. tional environment. conditions. A go-around initiated below approaches result in go-around policy Committee’s (IAC) preliminary report outer and middle markers—that are Fault 2 indicated that the aircraft Part of the solution could be a refor- the minimum Category 2 instrument compliance,” says the FSF. on the Bishkek accident does not men- keyed to critical altitudes on the ap- autopilot could no longer track the mulation of the stable approach criteria approach altitude failed to keep the The fnal report encompasses input tion ACT Airlines’ go-around policy, proach chart. Despite receiving those glideslope; however, the autopilot re- and instructions for when to abort— aircraft from slamming into a housing from two FSF committees and the Ca- although it is clear from the fight data indications on the cockpit displays, mained engaged, as designed. Several guidelines many pilots see as unrealis- development 3,200 ft. beyond the run- nadian safety company Presage Group, recorder (FDR) that warning flags which would have made clear the air- other alerts occurred in the cockpit, tic. The FSF guidance, issued in 2000 way end. to understand why pilots are not per- were present several miles out from craft was signifcantly higher than al- including an Enhanced Ground Prox- and updated in 2010, calls for pilots on the airport, including lack of positional lowed at both locations, the pilots did imity Warning System Mode 5 alert an instrument approach to either have awareness with respect to the instru- not abort the approach. indicating excessive deviation from the aircraft in landing confguration and ment landing system (ILS) glideslope False glideslopes are a known short- the glideslope. on path and speed at 1,000 ft. above intercept. coming of the ILS, caused by “sidelobes” With autopilot engaged and tracking ground or perform a go-around. For a Information from the FDR showed of the main signal along the ideal an internally computed 3-deg. glideslope, visual approach, the same is supposed that TK6491, inbound to Manas from 3-deg. slope. Sidelobes will typically the descending 747-400 crossed the de- to be true at 500 ft. Beyond those gates, Hong Kong for fuel and a crew change have a slope of 6 deg. and 9 deg. To parture end of Runway 26 at 110 ft. above if the vertical descent rate rises to more before departing for Istanbul, was at avoid capturing a false glideslope, pi- the ground. Seconds later, at the deci- than 1,000 ft. per min., the pilots are to too high an altitude for its autoflight lots are taught to intercept the 3-deg. sion height of 99 ft., the frst ofcer called perform a go-around. system to capture the glideslope (ver- glideslope from below at the proper “minimums” and reported no visual The FSF is proposing a new two- tical reference signal) from the ILS. entry altitude and position. For Run- contact with the ground. The aircraft phase criteria: A stable approach zone The normal intercept occurs at a way 26 at Bishkek, the intercept occurs continued to descend to 58 ft. before the from 1,000 ft. to 300 ft., where pilots level altitude of 3,400 ft. above sea level at 3,400-ft. altitude and approximately crew initiated a go-around. The descent will take action to fully stabilize the at approximately 4 nm from the runway 4 nm from the runway. stopped 3.5 sec. later, but too late—the path, speed and vertical speed of the end, beyond which the glideslope signal One of six recommendations from aircraft struck upsloping terrain and aircraft; and a primary go-around zone provides for a 3-deg. descent angle to the preliminary report calls for pilots obstacles at 165 kt. airspeed. from 300 ft. down to thrust-reverser the touchdown point. TK6491, however, to “pay attention” to approach chart For the Boeing inertial mode autopi- deployment on the ground, where the was approximately 600 ft. too high and information, including the monitoring lot feature, the IAC recommends that focus shifts from stabilizing the air- descending at the intercept point. The of distance and altitude at reference airlines provide theoretical and practi- craft to performing a go-around. aircraft leveled at the intercept altitude points along the path to the airport. cal training of the “awareness, proce- A value of 300 ft. is not meant to be when approximately 2.5 nm from the Two other recommendations involve dures and aspects of fight operations” an absolute, but in the case of an instru- the “inertial mode” operation of Boe- when the autopilot switches to inertial ment approach, a bufer altitude could TK6491 plowed through a developing autoflight systems, a feature on mode during a glideslope descent. The be set above the minimums as a trigger ment beyond a Kyrgyzstan Manas virtually all Boeing aircraft to protect IAC also wants the FAA and Boeing to to the crew to assess whether the air- International Airport runway, killing against a loss of external glideslope or consider changing the autopilot logic to craft is in an unstable versus go-around 39 and injuring 37. localizer (lateral position) ground sta- prevent the system from following the position. c

Russian inteRstate aviation Committee 20 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 21

AW_04_03_2017_p20-21.indd 20 3/30/17 10:45 AM AW_04_03_2017_p20-21.indd 21 3/30/17 10:45 AM COMMERCIAL AVIATION

No Special Deal British airlines face huge uncertainty now that the Brexit clock has started ticking

Jens Flottau Frankfurt, Helen Massy-Beresford Paris and Tony Osborne London

he UK ofcially began the process of leaving the Eu- ing its routes inside the future EU. But it has to hope for a Tropean Union (EU) on March 29 with the triggering liberal deal covering routes from the EU to the UK and an of Article 50. The move ushered in a period of major agreement that ensures it can continue fying inside the UK. uncertainty for aviation that could force several of Europe’s Given the vastly difering approaches of the two negotiat- largest airlines to make fundamental changes to their busi- ing teams, none of this appears certain. And Ryanair has ness models and corporate structures. already indicated it is shifting growth from its UK bases Air transport in particular could be facing huge difcul- to continental Europe and may accelerate the transition ties. Over the past several months, it has become clear that if needed. the UK will be heading for a hard Brexit in which few of British Airways (BA) is in a particularly awkward posi- the legacy agreements on trade can remain intact, and the tion: As a subsidiary of Spain-based International Airlines country looks highly unlikely to be able to remain a member Group (IAG), its EU status is protected. But that could soon of the common market without assuming the responsibili- turn out to be the opposite of what it needs. BA does not fy ties associated with it. inside the current EU except to and from the UK, services For aviation, the cutof will entail major disruption be- that will ultimately be regulated in a new EU-UK bilateral cause the UK must negotiate new bilateral air service agree- air service agreement. But if the airline is considered to ments, not only with the EU but also with other countries be majority-owned by EU investors and its parent’s head- like the U.S., where EU-based mechanisms have replaced quarters are located in Spain, then its trafc rights to other the old bilaterals. At the same time, industry ofcials are countries, including the U.S., could be in limbo. And given concerned that aviation has no priority as civil servants try BA’s business model that focuses on the London long-haul to manage the herculean task of recreating independent market, securing regulatory clarity for these approvals is trade deals between the UK and the rest of the world, for much more important than the relatively small narrowbody many diferent sectors, within only two years. operation to member countries of the reconfgured EU. The challenges for UK airlines and those with large in- UK-based airlines have been meeting frequently with EU tra-UK networks are many. First, the airlines will have to ofcials to discuss the steps they may need to take. The have majority EU ownership. But beyond that ownership EU’s Brexit task force held several meetings in March, talk- rule—which has been in place since the European common ing to EasyJet, IAG, Ryanair, TUI Group, Air France-KLM, aviation market was created—airlines must also be head- Finnair, Lufthansa and SAS as well as airport representa- quartered inside the “new” EU. tives. The big takeaway for the industry was that there will These are obvious challenges for EasyJet, a UK-based and be no special aviation deal, a CEO involved in the talks tells London stock exchange-listed airline with a huge intracon- Aviation Week. All industries will have to deal with the same tinental European network that it needs to protect at all harsh fallout from Brexit. costs to avoid being marginalized. There are less obvious EasyJet Chief Executive Carolyn McCall has been a though serious issues for Ryanair and British Airways. Ry- particularly frequent visitor to the EC’s Brussels ofces anair, as an Irish company, has no concerns about protect- of late, industry sources say. She has been supportive of

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p22-23.indd 22 3/30/17 1:01 PM challenge for our business for the remainder of 2017 and 2018.” The carrier concedes that “while there may be opportunities to expand at certain UK airports, such as the recent extension of our growth deal at Stansted, we expect to grow at a slower pace than previously planned in the UK, and will continue to switch capacity into other key markets British Airways’ London Heathrow hub around Europe.” relies on trafc rights that have to be Interests difer among the airlines. According to Euro- renegotiated after Brexit. pean airline sources, the British members of the Airlines for Europe lobbying group wanted the association to release a joint declaration that aviation is important for trade and therefore the status quo should be secured, even after Brex- it. That initiative was thwarted by Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr even though it was supported by many continental European members. Legacy carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France have no interest in lobbying for the protection of EasyJet’s continental European network, with which they compete. Beyond the future of intra-EU and intra-UK fying, there needs to be a new air service agreement between the UK and the EU to regulate air trafc. “The worst-case scenario is that it turns out to be impossible to complete aviation negotiations within two years,” says Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, former managing director of the Association of European Airlines and now an aviation consultant in Brussels. “The British government appears to be not well-prepared for this BRITISH AIRWAYS kind of negotiation.” So far, it is not clear what the scope of a new bilateral deal would be. The industry assumes the current UK-EU trafc the commission on various policy issues—unlike Ryanair volume will be protected, though that is not a given and Chief Executive Michael O’Leary—and now hopes to reap the status of open-skies has yet to be resolved. What about the benefts of her good relationship. EasyJet confrms it has ffth-freedom rights that allow airlines to carry passengers regular meetings with European ofcials, with the issue of and freight between countries that are not their home base? Brexit close to the top of the agenda. Schulte-Strathaus points out that the EC has recently been According to industry sources, the airline is looking at insisting on inclusion of fair competition clauses in any new setting up two EU-based air operator certifcates (AOC), aviation agreements it has been given the mandate to ne- one of which is an EasyJet-branded airline in Portugal. The gotiate. While at frst glance that seems an easy problem to location for the second AOC has yet to be decided. EasyJet resolve with the UK, the devil is in the details. says it is still selecting the country in which it will base its Brexit will not only afect airlines but also Europe’s com- European operation and notes that the airline already em- plex system of air trafc control organizations, and the UK’s ploys about 4,000 cabin crew and pilots based in Europe. National Air Trafc Services (NATS) in particular. Unlike The airline stresses that it is making good progress, but no others, NATS CEO Martin Rolfe is optimistic as to the ef- frm time line for an announcement has been defned. fects of Brexit: It presents an opportunity to potentially “We, like all airlines, want to see a liberal, deregulated loosen the levels of red tape imposed on his organization market in Europe,” says an EasyJet official. “If the new by economic oversight from both the UK Civil Aviation Au- EU-UK agreement doesn’t allow for the current aviation thority (CAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency arrangements, then EasyJet has plans in place that would (EASA), he argues. mitigate any scenario and allow us to fy people across Eu- “The EASA approach is very ‘one-size fts all,’ and the rope as we do today.” needs of air trafc in Latvia or Greece [are] not the same as The airline is 49% European-owned through its EasyJet for the UK. . . . It needs to be far more attuned to the local plc parent company, so increasing that to a majority-own- circumstances,” he says. Rolfe’s preference is to see a return ership level would not be difcult, although that would not to economic regulation by the UK CAA alone. “We see this solve the headquarters issue and would raise the question as an opportunity to be more fexible, but stay in contact of how its intra-UK operation will be treated. with and [be] well-aligned with the rest of Europe, without However, sources close to the EC say EasyJet can hope being forced to do some of the more onerous bureaucratic for a solution. “All parties involved are looking for a setup things that do not beneft the traveling public,” he notes. that works,” one says. Rolfe says the British government recognizes these con- Ryanair, already headquartered within the reconfgured cerns: “Aviation seems high on the list [of priorities].” EU (in Dublin)—albeit with its largest operating base lo- However, he notes that if oversight does not revert to the cated in the UK, at London Stansted Airport—says that CAA, and remaining part of a European system “forces us to “while it appears that we are heading for a ‘hard’ Brexit, do things but does not give us a vote,” NATS as one of the few there is still signifcant uncertainty as to exactly what that privatized air navigation service providers in Europe could will entail. This incertitude will continue to represent a fnd its fnancing in jeopardy, without recourse. c

AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 23

AW_04_03_2017_p22-23.indd 23 3/30/17 1:01 PM CommerCiAl AviAtion

ern probably does not have such negative implications for Cathay Pacifc as it may first appear. The Hong Kong

Joepriesaviation.net airline has never been in a position to China Southern will ofer improved connections for its U.S. fights as part of its deal with American.

share large volumes of Chinese mainland trafc with its big U.S. partner. American’s $200 million investment is small compared with the balance sheet of either carrier. Moreover, no Looking for Access foreign company could expect to gain much infuence over the running of an airline that ultimately reports to the American Airlines ties up with China Southern Chinese central government, which appoints all of the top managers and is to gain access to extensive Chinese network mandated to be the largest shareholder. American has lagged United and Bradley Perrett Beijing, Jens Flottau Frankfurt, Delta in developing a business in Adrian Schofeld Auckland and Madhu Unnikrishnan San Francisco China. Similarly, China Southern has lagged its two rivals in building trans- nsuring proper access to the which it also has a small investment. pacifc connections—largely because Ehuge and fast-growing Chinese American and China Southern have of the location of Guangzhou. Also, air transport market has been a been in negotiation for a year, says an Guangzhou is itself a much smaller key objective for foreign airlines. Now, industry source close to the Chinese market than Beijing and Shanghai. after years of little strategic movement, airline. American wanted a greater The Civil Aviation Administration of major realignment is about to unfold. scale of exclusive cooperation than has China will limit China Southern’s inter- American Airlines confrmed its in- been agreed, says that source. A likely continental services from Beijing and tention to start code-sharing with Chi- early benefit for American from the Shanghai. At any airport, the agency na Southern Airlines and, even more deal will be access to China Southern gives preference to the home-based important, buy a small stake in the larg- slots at Beijing Capital International airline. est Asian airline. The Guangzhou-based Airport for a planned service to Los As China Southern and American carrier has so far been a Delta Air Lines Angeles that has been stalled for want join forces, Cathay seeks closer ties partner in the SkyTeam alliance along of satisfactory access times. with Lufthansa Group. It will code- with Shanghai-based China Eastern American could not choose a Chi- share and link up frequent-fier pro- Airlines. American’s fellow Oneworld nese mainland member of Oneworld grams with Lufthansa, Swiss and member Cathay Pacific Airways is because there is none. The alliance’s Austrian Airlines. “We believe we can moving nearer to Lufthansa via code- Chinese member is Cathay Pacific, move further,” Cathay Pacifc CEO Ivan sharing and a possible joint venture at based not in the mainland but in Hong Chu, says referring to the prospects of a later stage. And Delta is deepening its Kong, just 135 km (84 mi.) from China deepening the Lufthansa relationship. relationship with Korean Air. Southern’s base at Guangzhou Baiyun “But it will take time.” The carriers American’s focus in concluding the International Airport. cannot move fast in setting up a joint deal appears to be on China Southern’s Connections from Baiyun are not venture because they expect antitrust domestic connections at Beijing and mentioned in American’s statement on clearance to be complicated. Shanghai, cities that are far better lo- the arrangement, which instead says: Separately, Korean Air and Delta cated for transpacifc services than the “American customers will be able to signed a memorandum of under- Chinese carrier’s home base at Guang- access nearly 40 destinations beyond standing on March 29 to form a joint zhou—but that also have far fewer Beijing and more than 30 destinations venture on transpacifc routes, their services. China Southern will gain ac- beyond Shanghai.” latest attempt to strengthen relation- cess to destinations in the Americas No U.S. carrier can fnd Guangzhou, ships. Although both are SkyTeam through Los Angeles, San Francisco or indeed Hong Kong, suitable for trans- members, the pair had something of and New York Kennedy International fers to most of China. The cities are an arm’s-length relationship until they Airport, says American. too far south. Nevertheless, American expanded their code-sharing arrange- China Southern was the last of the President Robert Isom says the deal ment in September. three big Chinese central-government will extend his airline’s reach into the In the latest proposal, the carriers airlines not to have a close association interior of China. “China Southern’s ex- will create a “fully integrated” trans- with a U.S. carrier. Star Alliance mem- tensive network within China touches pacifc operation, sharing revenue and bers Air China and United Airlines co- developing and thriving markets that costs. They also intend to coordinate operate, while Delta works with fellow only a Chinese carrier can reach.” schedules, link frequent-fier programs SkyTeam member China Eastern, in American’s link with China South- and collocate services at key hubs. c

24 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p24.indd 24 3/30/17 3:57 PM CommerCiAl AviAtion ern probably does not have such nega- the old problem of many facilities hav- tive implications for Cathay Pacifc as Clustered Airports ing capacity that exceeds local demand. it may first appear. The Hong Kong But Beijing, at least, will not be short of

Joepriesaviation.net airline has never been in a position to Authorities in Beijing add capacity for many years after the scheduled opening in 2019 of an airport now China Southern will ofer improved 136 airports to national plan under construction in the southern sub- connections for its U.S. fights as urban Daxing district. Rail lines between part of its deal with American. Bradley Perrett Beijing airports and major cities more than 100 km (60 mi.) apart, with trains running share large volumes of Chinese main- hinese authorities often point to new airport, with a vast expansion of at 300 kph or faster, are obviously key land trafc with its big U.S. partner. Cwhat they see as the country’s Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the idea of an airport cluster. American’s $200 million investment unsatisfactorily low ratio of air- planned over several decades. Capacity The agencies list 10 airports as in- is small compared with the balance ports to population, just one for every 6 will rise to 120 million passengers a year ternational hubs: Beijing, Shanghai, sheet of either carrier. Moreover, no million people. Yet many of the airports by 2035, compared with last year’s 66 Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Shen- Looking for Access foreign company could expect to gain the country has built this century are million, with the completion of a termi- zhen, Chongqing, Xian, Urumqi and much infuence over the running of an underused, even when local govern- nal satellite now under construction and Harbin. The sequence is significant: airline that ultimately reports to the ments pay airlines to fy to them. the building of a 900,000-m2 (9.7-million While the frst three are always listed American Airlines ties up with China Southern Chinese central government, which Undeterred, the central government ft.2) third terminal, the city government first by Chinese officials, and in that appoints all of the top managers and is has added 136 airports to its national said last year. By 2040, there will be an- order, the others are probably ranked to gain access to extensive Chinese network mandated to be the largest shareholder. plan, to increase the total to 370. Of other terminal zone, away from the cur- here by intended importance or traf- American has lagged United and Bradley Perrett Beijing, Jens Flottau Frankfurt, those, 320 should be in operation by rent one, plus eight runways, up from fc. The frst four on the list are already Delta in developing a business in 2025, up from the current 216, says the the current four, and a capacity of 160 designated intercontinental gateways. Adrian Schofeld Auckland and Madhu Unnikrishnan San Francisco China. Similarly, China Southern has national economic planning commis- million passengers a year. The roles of the others will be to receive lagged its two rivals in building trans- trafc from nearby countries. nsuring proper access to the which it also has a small investment. pacifc connections—largely because China’s Airport Plan The intended clusters centered on Ehuge and fast-growing Chinese American and China Southern have of the location of Guangzhou. Also, Cluster International Beijing and Shanghai have one inter- air transport market has been a been in negotiation for a year, says an Guangzhou is itself a much smaller Locations Hubs Major Hubs national hub city each; Beijing Capi- key objective for foreign airlines. Now, industry source close to the Chinese market than Beijing and Shanghai. tal International Airport and the new after years of little strategic movement, airline. American wanted a greater The Civil Aviation Administration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Beijing Tianjin Qingdao Sanya Daxing facility will presumably share major realignment is about to unfold. scale of exclusive cooperation than has China will limit China Southern’s inter- Yangzi River Shanghai Shijiazhuang Fuzhou Zhengzhou the hub role for the national capital. American Airlines confrmed its in- been agreed, says that source. A likely continental services from Beijing and But the Pearl River Delta cluster has Pearl River Delta Guangzhou Taiyuan Jinan Wuhan tention to start code-sharing with Chi- early benefit for American from the Shanghai. At any airport, the agency two international hubs: Guangzhou and na Southern Airlines and, even more deal will be access to China Southern gives preference to the home-based Chengdu Hohhot Nanchang Changsha prosperous Shenzhen. important, buy a small stake in the larg- slots at Beijing Capital International airline. Kunming Dalian Wenzhou Guiyang A further 29 cities are assigned roles est Asian airline. The Guangzhou-based Airport for a planned service to Los As China Southern and American as major hubs, listed from Tianjin and carrier has so far been a Delta Air Lines Angeles that has been stalled for want join forces, Cathay seeks closer ties Shenzhen Shenyang Ningbo Lhasa Shijiazhuang frst to Xining and Yinch- partner in the SkyTeam alliance along of satisfactory access times. with Lufthansa Group. It will code- Chongqing Changchun Hefei Lanzhou uan last. Again, the sequence likely is with Shanghai-based China Eastern American could not choose a Chi- share and link up frequent-fier pro- Xian Hangzhou Nanning Xining signifcant. The low ranking of Wuhan, Airlines. American’s fellow Oneworld nese mainland member of Oneworld grams with Lufthansa, Swiss and a big central city with the best location member Cathay Pacific Airways is because there is none. The alliance’s Austrian Airlines. “We believe we can Urumqi Xiamen Guilin Yinchuan in China as a domestic hub, is particu- moving nearer to Lufthansa via code- Chinese member is Cathay Pacific, move further,” Cathay Pacifc CEO Ivan Harbin Nanjing Haikou larly notable. sharing and a possible joint venture at based not in the mainland but in Hong Chu, says referring to the prospects of Despite the authorities’ best-laid a later stage. And Delta is deepening its Kong, just 135 km (84 mi.) from China deepening the Lufthansa relationship. Sources: CAAC, National Economic Development and Reform Commission plans, the outcomes will still be greatly relationship with Korean Air. Southern’s base at Guangzhou Baiyun “But it will take time.” The carriers sion and the Civil Aviation Administra- In the NDRC and CAAC plan for the infuenced by the shape of market de- American’s focus in concluding the International Airport. cannot move fast in setting up a joint tion of China (CAAC). entire country, there will be three giant mand. There will be only so much they deal appears to be on China Southern’s Connections from Baiyun are not venture because they expect antitrust Additions to the plan are weighted airport clusters. One will encompass can do to insist on the priority of an domestic connections at Beijing and mentioned in American’s statement on clearance to be complicated. toward the south and especially the the facilities of Beijing, Tianjin and He- airport that travelers shun. Shanghai, cities that are far better lo- the arrangement, which instead says: Separately, Korean Air and Delta west of China. The total of 370 im- bei, probably meaning only airports in In Beijing, ofcials are still consider- cated for transpacifc services than the “American customers will be able to signed a memorandum of under- plies that locations and a construction that province that are reasonably close ing adding a fourth runway to Capital Chinese carrier’s home base at Guang- access nearly 40 destinations beyond standing on March 29 to form a joint schedule have been identified for an to Beijing. A second will group the air- International. The proposed runway zhou—but that also have far fewer Beijing and more than 30 destinations venture on transpacifc routes, their additional 50 that will not be ready by ports around the Yangzi River, mean- would go into service in 2018, says the services. China Southern will gain ac- beyond Shanghai.” latest attempt to strengthen relation- 2025. Looking further into the future, ing those of such cities as Shanghai, government of the district where the cess to destinations in the Americas No U.S. carrier can fnd Guangzhou, ships. Although both are SkyTeam the agencies see China equipped with Nanjing and Hangzhou. The third will airport is located, Shunyi. That was through Los Angeles, San Francisco or indeed Hong Kong, suitable for trans- members, the pair had something of about 408 airports. be in the Pearl River Delta, the location the target year stated in 2015, but the and New York Kennedy International fers to most of China. The cities are an arm’s-length relationship until they The CAAC and the planning author- of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. It project remains unapproved. Airport, says American. too far south. Nevertheless, American expanded their code-sharing arrange- ity, the National Development and Re- is unclear whether Hong Kong and Ma- With construction at Daxing pro- China Southern was the last of the President Robert Isom says the deal ment in September. form Commission (NDRC), announced cau, also in that region, are considered gressing, the need for the extra runway three big Chinese central-government will extend his airline’s reach into the In the latest proposal, the carriers the upward revision to their airport as part of the cluster. has seemed increasingly doubtful. But airlines not to have a close association interior of China. “China Southern’s ex- will create a “fully integrated” trans- plan in February. Notable among the The concrete meaning behind an Capital’s international trafc will keep with a U.S. carrier. Star Alliance mem- tensive network within China touches pacifc operation, sharing revenue and new facilities are those already under airport cluster is not entirely clear. The growing after the new airport opens, bers Air China and United Airlines co- developing and thriving markets that costs. They also intend to coordinate construction as additional airports for notion appears to include assigning less says the Shunyi government. c operate, while Delta works with fellow only a Chinese carrier can reach.” schedules, link frequent-fier programs Beijing and Chengdu. important domestic routes to its least SkyTeam member China Eastern, in American’s link with China South- and collocate services at key hubs. c China’s largest city will not need a busy airports—one way of addressing —Research by Ryan Wang

24 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 25

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carry more-sophisticated payloads—in- Turning Point cluding sensor types once reserved for larger UAVs powered by certifed air- After a difcult development, the frst small craft engines. Time between overhauls is being set by preventive maintenance, turbine engine for tactical UAVs heads to fight pulling engines before they can fail with the loss of an expensive payload. Graham Warwick Miami After more than 15 years of intensive combat operations, UAV manufactur- UTP50R is a ers have moved to develop more reliable complete propulsion engines. Most of these are purpose-de- system, including signed internal combustion engines ca- single-spool gas pable of multifuel operation. Times between overhauls (TBO) have increased turbine, recuperator, but are still measured in hundreds of gearbox and hydraulic hours versus thousands for turbines. variable-pitch UAVT is targeting a TBO of more propeller. than 2,000 hr. for the UTP50R, compared with up to 250 hr. for the AR741 rotary engine now powering the Shad- ow and produced by UAV Engines Ltd. (UEL), a UK subsidiary of Israel’s El- bit Systems. Running on heavy fuel, the UPT50R produces more electrical power and generates less noise in fight, says UAVT. The UTP50R is a complete turboprop propulsion system with single- spool gas turbine, recuperator, gearbox, variable-pitch propeller, starter/generator and electronic controls, designed to produce 40 shp initially, with 15% growth capacity. Length is 21 in. and UAV TUrbines illUsTrATions dry weight 74 lb. s the unmanned aircraft indus- turbine for tactical UAVs is set to fly The core has a single-stage cen- Atry matures, an enduring chal- by year-end. trifugal compressor and radial-infow lenge is propulsion. Persistence Miami-based UAV Turbines (UAVT) turbine, spinning at 107,000 rpm. The is key to UAVs but places demands on is aiming its 40-hp-class UTP50R tur- spool is a one-piece MAR-M steel cast- efficiency and reliability that engine- boprop at a U.S. Army requirement to ing, a material that works well for tip makers have struggled to meet—at power the Textron RQ-7BV2 Shadow speeds greater than 7,000 ft./sec. and costs and weights dramatically lower Class 3 tactical UAV. A request for in- keeps costs down, says Dan Mikkelson, than for manned aircraft. formation (RFI) was released in March design director. Finish machining is Powerplants in many tactical un- after an earlier efort to develop an im- performed in only a few areas, such as manned aircraft flying today have proved “Block III” engine was aban- the leading edges of the impeller vanes. their origins in engines that powered doned. The RFI calls for more reliability The turbomachinery is overhung, motorcycles, snowmobiles and model and lower life-cycle cost while allowing so the bearings are located in a cool aircraft. They are lightweight and fuel for aircraft weight growth. area isolated from the hot section of efcient but lack reliability compared Longer-term, UAVT is aiming for the engine. The high speed of the com- with manned-aircraft engines. They the Army’s planned replacement for pressor and turbine reduce the core’s were designed to run on gasoline, but the Shadow, the runway-independent length by 30-40%, so there is less mass some have been modifed to burn heavy Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft overhanging the hybrid bearings, which fuel—the kerosene-based fuels military System (FTUAS). In February, a call use standard ceramic ball and metallic operators prefer for ease of logistics. was released for the 200-shp Reli- race technology. Commercial aviation saw a dra- able Advanced Small Power Systems The gearbox is a two-stage split matic increase in propulsion reli- (RASPS) technology demonstrator to torque load-path design, similar to that ability with the move to turbine support FTUAS. The RASPS solicita- developed by Sikorsky for the RAH-66 engines. That transition has yet to tion makes clear the Army’s priorities: Comanche attack helicopter. A high-of- come for tactical UAVs because gas heavy-fuel operation, increased reli- set output shaft provides an additional turbines are expensive to develop ability and power-to-weight ratio, and 1.7-in. propeller tip clearance. Mounted and produce. Small gas turbines are reduced fuel consumption, noise, and on the gearbox is a removable perma- not very fuel efficient, but they have production and maintenance costs. nent-magnet starter/generator that can good power-to-weight ratios and high Propulsion reliability has become produce 3 kW of electricity. This turns reliability, and now the first small critical as smaller unmanned aircraft at 58,000 rpm, so it is extremely small.

28 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p28-30.indd 28 3/30/17 10:58 AM TECHNOLOGY carry more-sophisticated payloads—in- As gas turbines reduce in size they during climb than a fxed-pitch unit, a but the big thing is we do not lose out,” Turning Point cluding sensor types once reserved for become less fuel efcient. The turboma- higher dash speed and more than 10% says Warshaw. The variable-pitch prop larger UAVs powered by certifed air- chinery gets smaller, and the tight tip higher propeller efciency in cruise at increases climb rate by 11% and dash After a difcult development, the frst small craft engines. Time between overhauls clearances that enable high pressure 9,000 ft., says Mikkelson. The prop can speed by 38%. is being set by preventive maintenance, ratios in larger turbine engines are no be feathered, making it easier to start The turboprop is optimized for loi- turbine engine for tactical UAVs heads to fight pulling engines before they can fail with longer possible. The UTP50R has a the single-spool turbine, and the engine ter at 9,000 ft. At that altitude and the loss of an expensive payload. pressure ratio of just 5, compared with can be restarted in the air. 65-kt. airspeed, the UTP50R-powered Graham Warwick Miami After more than 15 years of intensive 17 for General Electric’s T700 helicop- Aerospace engineering company Shadow has a mission endurance of 11 combat operations, UAV manufactur- ter turboshaft or 27 for its GE90 airliner AVID LLC in 2016 performed an air- hr. 20 min. versus 6 hr. 50 min. with the UTP50R is a ers have moved to develop more reliable turbofan. craft system-level analysis for UAVT standard engine, a 66% increase, AVID complete propulsion engines. Most of these are purpose-de- The loss of efciency is ofset by recu- to compare the UTP50R and base- calculates. “That means we can do the system, including signed internal combustion engines ca- peration—recovering energy from heat line UEL AR741 in the latest RQ-7BV2 same mission with fewer vehicles,” says single-spool gas pable of multifuel operation. Times be- in the turbine exhaust. “A recuperator Shadow. The AR741 is a Wankel rotary Frigerio. At 18,000 ft. and 61 kt., loiter turbine, recuperator, tween overhauls (TBO) have increased brings performance back, and likes low- spark-ignition engine burning gasoline time is 10 hr. 15 min., almost twice that but are still measured in hundreds of pressure-ratio cycles,” says CEO Kirk and driving a wooden fxed-pitch proof the UEL-powered Shadow. gearbox and hydraulic hours versus thousands for turbines. Warshaw. The UTP50R has a compact peller. These fgures are for the UAV’s stan- variable-pitch UAVT is targeting a TBO of more microchannel laminar-fow recuperator, The UAV’s gross weight increases dard 48-liter (12.6-gal.) fuel capacity. propeller. than 2,000 hr. for the UTP50R, com- wrapped around the turbine engine to with the turbine, to 511 lb. versus 467 But the two-stroke rotary engine burns pared with up to 250 hr. for the AR741 minimize ducting. This adds 30-40% to lb.—a combination of the 20-lb.-heavier a mix of gasoline and oil for lubrication. rotary engine now powering the Shad- engine weight but cuts fuel consump- engine and 10% higher-density jet fuel. The oil reservoir is not required for the ow and produced by UAV Engines Ltd. tion by 40%. But the UTP50R is more compact and turbine, and using that volume for addi- (UEL), a UK subsidiary of Israel’s El- In the radial counterflow concept does not need as much cooling air, says tional jet fuel increases time on station bit Systems. Running on heavy fuel, used, hot exhaust gas flows radially Fred Frigerio, senior vice president. by about 45 min. Using less-fammable the UPT50R produces more electrical outward through the recuperator from This reduces engine mounting drag by heavy fuel, the turbine-powered UAV power and generates less noise in fight, the turbine in the center. Air leaving 57% and increases aircraft maximum can be safely hot-refueled between mis- says UAVT. the compressor fows inward through lift-to-drag ratio, a measure of aero- sions, says Frigerio. The UTP50R is a complete turbo- the recuperator to the combustor. The dynamic efciency when loitering, by In addition to enabling the UAV to prop propulsion system with single- flows do not mix, but heat transfers 2.3%, AVID calculates. climb faster, clearing trees and power spool gas turbine, recuperator, gearbox, through the thin channel walls, cooling The recuperated turbine converts lines more quickly after launch, the variable-pitch propeller, starter/genera- the exhaust by 600F and raising the fuel to shaft power with 27% efciency, variable-pitch propeller has a lower tip tor and electronic controls, designed temperature of compressor air enter- compared with the rotary engine’s 23%. speed. The turbine engine itself gen- to produce 40 shp initially, with 15% ing the combustor by 600F. “That is Specifc fuel consumption at maximum erates higher-frequency noise, which growth capacity. Length is 21 in. and temperature rise we do not need to do power is 0.50 lb./lb.-hr. for the UTP50R attenuates more quickly before reach- UAV TUrbines illUsTrATions dry weight 74 lb. by combustion,” says Mikkelson. versus 0.59 for the AR741, according to ing the ground. Together, these reduce s the unmanned aircraft indus- turbine for tactical UAVs is set to fly The core has a single-stage cen- Examples of recuperated turbines AVID. “We beat the AR741 on efciency, propulsion system noise while loitering Atry matures, an enduring chal- by year-end. trifugal compressor and radial-infow include M1A1 Abrams tank engines lenge is propulsion. Persistence Miami-based UAV Turbines (UAVT) turbine, spinning at 107,000 rpm. The and Capstone power generators on the is key to UAVs but places demands on is aiming its 40-hp-class UTP50R tur- spool is a one-piece MAR-M steel cast- ground, but no recuperated fight en- A particle flter in the air inlet prevents efficiency and reliability that engine- boprop at a U.S. Army requirement to ing, a material that works well for tip gine has been successful, says Warshaw. contamination from blocking the makers have struggled to meet—at power the Textron RQ-7BV2 Shadow speeds greater than 7,000 ft./sec. and The UTP50R’s recuperator design pro- microchannel recuperator, which is costs and weights dramatically lower Class 3 tactical UAV. A request for in- keeps costs down, says Dan Mikkelson, vides high heat-transfer and low pres- wrapped around the gas turbine. than for manned aircraft. formation (RFI) was released in March design director. Finish machining is sure loss, with low massfow through Powerplants in many tactical un- after an earlier efort to develop an im- performed in only a few areas, such as each of the 130 microchannels enabling manned aircraft flying today have proved “Block III” engine was aban- the leading edges of the impeller vanes. smooth laminar airfow. But the recu- their origins in engines that powered doned. The RFI calls for more reliability The turbomachinery is overhung, perator must be small and light and motorcycles, snowmobiles and model and lower life-cycle cost while allowing so the bearings are located in a cool has been a manufacturing challenge, he aircraft. They are lightweight and fuel for aircraft weight growth. area isolated from the hot section of says. The frst production unit is now efcient but lack reliability compared Longer-term, UAVT is aiming for the engine. The high speed of the com- with UAV Turbines. with manned-aircraft engines. They the Army’s planned replacement for pressor and turbine reduce the core’s Another design feature that boosts were designed to run on gasoline, but the Shadow, the runway-independent length by 30-40%, so there is less mass the performance of the small turbine is some have been modifed to burn heavy Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft overhanging the hybrid bearings, which the hydraulic variable-pitch propeller. fuel—the kerosene-based fuels military System (FTUAS). In February, a call use standard ceramic ball and metallic This is 28.5 in. in diameter with three operators prefer for ease of logistics. was released for the 200-shp Reli- race technology. carbon-fber blades. Variable pitch, con- Commercial aviation saw a dra- able Advanced Small Power Systems The gearbox is a two-stage split trolled by the engine electronics, allows matic increase in propulsion reli- (RASPS) technology demonstrator to torque load-path design, similar to that performance to be optimized for climb ability with the move to turbine support FTUAS. The RASPS solicita- developed by Sikorsky for the RAH-66 and loiter. Where a reciprocating en- engines. That transition has yet to tion makes clear the Army’s priorities: Comanche attack helicopter. A high-of- gine with fxed-pitch propeller has to come for tactical UAVs because gas heavy-fuel operation, increased reli- set output shaft provides an additional change rpm to vary thrust, the turbine turbines are expensive to develop ability and power-to-weight ratio, and 1.7-in. propeller tip clearance. Mounted runs at constant speed and prop pitch and produce. Small gas turbines are reduced fuel consumption, noise, and on the gearbox is a removable perma- is used to control thrust. not very fuel efficient, but they have production and maintenance costs. nent-magnet starter/generator that can Generating 136 lb. of static thrust good power-to-weight ratios and high Propulsion reliability has become produce 3 kW of electricity. This turns for a faster takeof, the variable-pitch reliability, and now the first small critical as smaller unmanned aircraft at 58,000 rpm, so it is extremely small. prop produces up to 57% more thrust

28 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 29

AW_04_03_2017_p28-30.indd 28 3/30/17 10:58 AM AW_04_03_2017_p28-30.indd 29 3/30/17 10:58 AM TECHNOLOGY

at 9,000 ft. by 20 dBA, AVID calculates. tor mode and begins generating elec- readiness level] 6. To get to 7, we have to It has taken 16 years and $50 million tricity at 180,000 rpm—195,000 rpm is fy,” says Warshaw. “We are comfortable to get a turbine engine for tactical UAVs the normal constant speed, the ECU with the technology, and now we will within sight of fying. The company was adding and subtracting fuel as the want to get to a conclusion.” Flights are founded in 2000 as Locust USA, split 370-watt electrical load (a bank of light planned after dynamometer testing this of from a medical-device-maker with bulbs) is switched in and out. Noise, ex- summer in the new test cell. UAVT has the idea that the same precision manu- haust temperature and jet blast are low a joint venture agreement with Navmar facturing technology could be applied enough that you can stand close to the Applied Sciences Corp. to integrate the to small turbomachinery. The design running engine. UTP50R into its Tigershark tactical un- team based in Juno Beach, Florida, in- An older 40-shp turbine is mounted manned aircraft for demo fights by the cludes former Pratt & Whitney, Sikor- in a test cell and used as a development end of 2017 at the Grifss UAS test site sky and NASA engineers. mule. This engine frst ran in 2009 and in Rome, New York. “This fight test will But Locust was undercapitalized was rebuilt using fxes developed for the mark the frst time that a Group 3 UAV and promised more than it could de- 10-shp engine, running again in 2014. will be powered by a turbine engine,” liver, encountering bearing and rotor Just a core, without a gearbox and with he says. failures that it lacked the resources to a separate oil pump, this is used to test “The Tigershark is similar to the overcome. “Locust was largely funded shaft imbalance, lubrication fow, bear- Shadow. They are privately owned, like by Defense Department us. There is no government money in- contracts for 10 years, volved,” Warshaw says. The Tigershark and you cannot build a fies for U.S. Special Operations Com- company on government mand and Navmar has had similar pro- science and technology pulsion problems to the Shadow, while contracts. They did not carrying payloads that require more have the money for tooling and inspection equipment Taking over UAV Turbines in 2011, and so were working with private investors brought on board imperfect hardware,” says resources for improved design, Warshaw. “We became inspection and testing tools. aware of them in 2011. They had demonstrated enough power. “They will do a bench test with for us to get involved, so we us, then put the engine in their airframe. brought in private invest- There is not much inherent risk and we ment and gave them the think the impact on the market will be task of getting three 10-shp UAV TUrbines fairly substantial,” he says. “When we engines running.” ing temperature and diferent fuels, and fy, it will change people’s mentality. We Locust had built 5- and 10-shp en- runs at similar speeds to the production are unaware of anyone who has made gines for DARPA’s Organic Air Vehicle UTP50R. the progress we have.” ducted-fan UAV project, a 40-shp en- Testing shows the resources private UAVT is already planning for produc- gine for the Army’s Small UAV Engine investment has brought to the compa- tion. Hardware for the frst UTP50R is technology demonstration, a 60-shp ny, including the sophisticated OROS coming in for component testing, with version and even a 150-hp demo engine. vibration measurement and analy- the core due to arrive in June. This frst Building and testing three engines of sis system used in the 40-shp tests. demonstrator engine is 90% production- the same size allowed the team to show A new test cell is being built for the representative, says Frigerio. UAVT exit had overcome the problems and could UTP50R. There is a clean room for aspects to have engines in the feld in 2018, produce a reliable small turbine. To sembly of the small engines. Previously he says, after “appropriate” qualifcation date, the three 10-shp engines have ag- the “clean room” was an area behind testing based on FAA Part 33 certifca- gregated more than 300 hr. of running, a shower curtain, says Warshaw, and tion regulations. and more than 250 starts and stops, contamination led to bearing failures. “We have a manufacturing relation- with no degradation, says Warshaw. Lack of tooling also led to assembly ship with a multinational, $1 billion- Aviation Week witnessed the run difculties. plus aerospace company that will use of a 10-shp “engine in a box.” About Because it was undercapitalized, “Lo- its U.S.-based operation to manufac- the size of a room air-conditioner, this cust had to choose: buy a part or a tool,” ture the engine. They will also help proof-of-concept was built to show that he explains. The barrier to entry to the us develop the full-authority digital the turbine can run anywhere. Almost turbine market is high, Warshaw says. engine controls,” says Warshaw. “We everything—apart from the core—is of “It needs an industrial background that understand the material costs; we the shelf, including the oil system and is not available to a small company, and understand the processes. Our manu- heat exchanger, and therefore bulky. large companies are not interested in facturing partner is comfortable with The engine is started with a key fob. small turbines. What they achieved was building engines. The bill of material The electronic control unit (ECU) man- extraordinary.” With the success of the- is just 40-50 parts, only fve of them ages the electric start, bringing up the 10-shp engines, UAV Turbines believes it critical,” he adds. “I think we can get to oil pressure. is positioned to develop a family of 5-150- a reasonable cost, with the low cost of On reaching the 160,000-rpm idle shp engines starting with the UTP50R. ownership typical of a gas turbine. I am speed, the starter switches to genera- “We think we are at TRL [technology comfortable we can be competitive.” c

30 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p28-30.indd 30 3/30/17 10:58 AM TECHNOLOGY at 9,000 ft. by 20 dBA, AVID calculates. tor mode and begins generating elec- readiness level] 6. To get to 7, we have to conceptual design effort. Early in It has taken 16 years and $50 million tricity at 180,000 rpm—195,000 rpm is fy,” says Warshaw. “We are comfortable Swarm Enabler 2018, DARPA plans to select one team to get a turbine engine for tactical UAVs the normal constant speed, the ECU with the technology, and now we will to move forward into the 18-month within sight of fying. The company was adding and subtracting fuel as the want to get to a conclusion.” Flights are Air-recoverable, reusable, low-cost swarming Phase 3, to build the demonstration founded in 2000 as Locust USA, split 370-watt electrical load (a bank of light planned after dynamometer testing this system and fy it in 2019. of from a medical-device-maker with bulbs) is switched in and out. Noise, ex- summer in the new test cell. UAVT has unmanned aircraft could distribute capabilities In its solicitation for the program, the idea that the same precision manu- haust temperature and jet blast are low a joint venture agreement with Navmar DARPA outlined a concept of opera- facturing technology could be applied enough that you can stand close to the Applied Sciences Corp. to integrate the across many airborne platforms tions (conops) for the system and de- to small turbomachinery. The design running engine. UTP50R into its Tigershark tactical un- sired attributes of the UAV, but the fo- team based in Juno Beach, Florida, in- An older 40-shp turbine is mounted manned aircraft for demo fights by the Graham Warwick Washington cus of the demonstration is on cludes former Pratt & Whitney, Sikor- in a test cell and used as a development end of 2017 at the Grifss UAS test site air launch and recovery. The sky and NASA engineers. mule. This engine frst ran in 2009 and in Rome, New York. “This fight test will conops is for carrier aircraft— But Locust was undercapitalized was rebuilt using fxes developed for the mark the frst time that a Group 3 UAV transports, bombers, fight- and promised more than it could de- 10-shp engine, running again in 2014. will be powered by a turbine engine,” ers, even other unmanned liver, encountering bearing and rotor Just a core, without a gearbox and with he says. aircraft—to launch volleys failures that it lacked the resources to a separate oil pump, this is used to test “The Tigershark is similar to the of small UAVs from a stand- overcome. “Locust was largely funded shaft imbalance, lubrication fow, bear- Shadow. They are privately owned, like of distance out of range of en- by Defense Department us. There is no government money in- emy defenses. contracts for 10 years, volved,” Warshaw says. The Tigershark These “gremlins” would then co- and you cannot build a fies for U.S. Special Operations Com- operate to perform a reconnaissance, company on government mand and Navmar has had similar pro- signals-intelligence, electronic- science and technology pulsion problems to the Shadow, while warfare or other non-kinetic contracts. They did not carrying payloads that require more mission with minimal human have the money for tooling involvement. Their mission and inspection equipment Taking over UAV Turbines in 2011, complete, the surviving UAVs would fy and so were working with private investors brought on board a safe distance from the battlefront and imperfect hardware,” says resources for improved design, be recaptured in mid-air—to the cargo Warshaw. “We became inspection and testing tools. bay or wings of a C-130 for the demon- aware of them in 2011. They Recovery systems are mounted stration, but potentially other aircraft had demonstrated enough power. “They will do a bench test with at the open cargo ramp and types for an operational system. for us to get involved, so we us, then put the engine in their airframe. under the wings of the C-130 in The attributes DARPA sought for brought in private invest- There is not much inherent risk and we this General Atomics concept. the gremlins themselves included a ment and gave them the think the impact on the market will be radius of 300-500 nm, loiter time at UAV TUrbines task of getting three 10-shp fairly substantial,” he says. “When we General atomics aeronautical systems concept that range of 1-3 hr., payload of 60-120 engines running.” ing temperature and diferent fuels, and fy, it will change people’s mentality. We lb., and a speed of Mach 0.7-0.8-plus. Locust had built 5- and 10-shp en- runs at similar speeds to the production are unaware of anyone who has made ill the ability for groups of usable, but limited-life and low-cost Dynetics and GA-ASI have each devel- gines for DARPA’s Organic Air Vehicle UTP50R. the progress we have.” Wcooperating autonomous UAV concept is seen as an enabler for oped custom designs for jet-powered ducted-fan UAV project, a 40-shp en- Testing shows the resources private UAVT is already planning for produc- aircraft to be launched and many other technologies DARPA is UAVs. Other goals for an operational gine for the Army’s Small UAV Engine investment has brought to the compa- tion. Hardware for the frst UTP50R is recovered by other aircraft, manned developing to support distributed col- system included a design life of 20 technology demonstration, a 60-shp ny, including the sophisticated OROS coming in for component testing, with and unmanned, be the key to the next laborative air warfare. missions, the ability to ft 20 or more version and even a 150-hp demo engine. vibration measurement and analy- the core due to arrive in June. This frst evolution in aerial warfare? The teams Dynetics and General Atomics Aero- UAVs in a large carrier aircraft and to Building and testing three engines of sis system used in the 40-shp tests. demonstrator engine is 90% production- working on DARPA’s Gremlins pro- nautical Systems (GA-ASI) have been recover eight or more within 30 min., the same size allowed the team to show A new test cell is being built for the representative, says Frigerio. UAVT ex- gram believe it will. awarded contracts for the 12-month and under 24 hr. between recovery and it had overcome the problems and could UTP50R. There is a clean room for aspects to have engines in the feld in 2018, Gremlins aims to demonstrate that Phase 2 of the Gremlins program, to refight with minimal manpower. produce a reliable small turbine. To sembly of the small engines. Previously he says, after “appropriate” qualifcation multiple small UAVs can be launched complete preliminary design of full- A mid-tier aerospace company, date, the three 10-shp engines have ag- the “clean room” was an area behind testing based on FAA Part 33 certifca- from a carrier aircraft and recovered scale technology demonstration sys- Dynetics has assembled a team for gregated more than 300 hr. of running, a shower curtain, says Warshaw, and tion regulations. in fight by a C-130 transport, returned tems. They were selected over Kra- Gremlins. “We have purposely gone out and more than 250 starts and stops, contamination led to bearing failures. “We have a manufacturing relation- to base, serviced and launched on a tos and Lockheed Martin, the other and constructed a strong team made up with no degradation, says Warshaw. Lack of tooling also led to assembly ship with a multinational, $1 billion- new mission. The air-recoverable, re- participants in the 10-month Phase 1 of solid companies that have expertise Aviation Week witnessed the run difculties. plus aerospace company that will use of a 10-shp “engine in a box.” About Because it was undercapitalized, “Lo- its U.S.-based operation to manufac- the size of a room air-conditioner, this cust had to choose: buy a part or a tool,” ture the engine. They will also help proof-of-concept was built to show that he explains. The barrier to entry to the us develop the full-authority digital the turbine can run anywhere. Almost turbine market is high, Warshaw says. engine controls,” says Warshaw. “We everything—apart from the core—is of “It needs an industrial background that understand the material costs; we the shelf, including the oil system and is not available to a small company, and understand the processes. Our manu- heat exchanger, and therefore bulky. large companies are not interested in facturing partner is comfortable with The engine is started with a key fob. small turbines. What they achieved was building engines. The bill of material The electronic control unit (ECU) man- extraordinary.” With the success of the- is just 40-50 parts, only fve of them ages the electric start, bringing up the 10-shp engines, UAV Turbines believes it critical,” he adds. “I think we can get to oil pressure. is positioned to develop a family of 5-150- a reasonable cost, with the low cost of On reaching the 160,000-rpm idle shp engines starting with the UTP50R. ownership typical of a gas turbine. I am speed, the starter switches to genera- “We think we are at TRL [technology comfortable we can be competitive.” c

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in each of the areas we selected them nents among a wide range of smaller and allow recovery and limited reuse.” for,” says Mark Miller, the company’s unmanned aircraft to enable “excep- “Our idea has always been that of Gremlins program manager. tional” afordability while customizing a pickup truck, and not to try to plan Kratos, which participated in Phase 1 the UAS to individual users, he says. for a known mission, but for the larg- as both a prime and as a subcontractor Where GA-ASI difers from Dynet- est capability in a future mission,” says to Dynetics, continues into Phase 2. Its ics when it comes to Gremlins, Atwood Atwood. Chris Pehrson, GA-ASI vice Composites Engineering Inc. subsidiary says, is “we are very focused on verti- president of strategic development for will support Dynetics by developing and cal integration. We don’t need to use a Defense Department customers, adds: building a prototype jet-powered UAV. bunch of subcontractors.” GA-ASI has “The recoverable piece allows you to The team also includes engine supplier strategic partners in its small-UAS pro- put more exquisite payloads on your Williams International, Sierra Nevada gram but is not identifying them. “We small UAS. You won’t be launching Corp., Applied Systems Engineering do not want the industry understanding disposable platforms, so you can have Inc., Systima Technologies, aerial- who the core team is and guessing what more expensive electro-optical/infra- delivery specialist Airborne Systems, that is making possible,” he says. red, signals-intelligence or electron- Moog and C-130 operator International Within its small-UAS program, ic-warfare payloads and bring them Air Response. GA-ASI can scale the vehicle up or home to launch again and again.” “Part of our legacy goes back to down in size or range, “and maybe there Because it is a recoverable truck, integrating unique things on C-130s,” is a form factor that has a reduced sig- Atwood believes Gremlins could tran- Miller says. Dynetics integrated the nature,” Atwood says. “We may have a sition rapidly from DARPA to the ser- 23,000-lb. GBU-43/B Massive Ord- nance Air Blast munition onto U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130s, and it is now developing the 60-lb. GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition to arm its AC-130 gunships. Dynetics has also worked on air- launched space systems. “We are merging our UAS, air launch and platform integration experience, coupled with a strong team, to fulfll DARPA’s objectives,” says Tim Keeter, deputy program manager and chief engineer for Gremlins. “We are sort of fghting above our weight class, but we believe we can more than adequately serve as prime and plan to lead this team going The B-1 bomber (left) is identifed forward if the capability is felded.” by DARPA as a potential carrier aircraft and For Predator and Reaper manu- launch platform for Gremlins UAV volleys. facturer GA-ASI, Gremlins is one of a family of small unmanned aircraft, ex- Dynetics concept pendable and recoverable, that it is de- C-130 launch the long-range version, and vices—perhaps initially to give them an veloping. “We have been trying to fgure then there may be a smaller one that can afordable way to fnd out how swarm- out what the next transformation is go- air launch and recover from an MQ-9 ing unmanned aircraft can be used to ing to be in the unmanned community, [Reaper].” disaggregate capabilities by distribut- and around 2014 we made the decision Neither company is revealing de- ing payloads across multiple platforms. that small air vehicles was the next ma- tails of its airborne recovery systems, “When you look at anti-access/area- jor warfghting capability we were go- although Atwood says GA-ASI’s design denial or other complex environments, ing to see realized,” says Mike Atwood, is modular “and applicable essentially you need to disaggregate capabilities. director for advanced programs. to any parent aircraft you can think of. You need to come in from multiple “These products are focused on af- We wanted to make a system that could axes. You have to enable a single opera- fordability and utility, and on being the go on a Reaper, Avenger, C-130, B-1 or an tor to cover a wider geographic area,” pickup truck, which is something we MQ-25. It could go on tactical aircraft if says Pehrson. With Gremlins, “you can have learned from the Predator, Reaper they wanted to go that direction.” start to understand the bounds of how and Avenger,” he says. Both companies see Gremlins de- much you can disaggregate that capa- Atwood points out that GA-ASI veloping a vehicle that could be used bility and have the same pilot fy it.” started with much smaller unmanned in diferent ways. “The real efort is to “The idea of collaboration, of disag- aircraft, the Gnat-750, but over the provide the architecture of the truck to gregation, is about constant chaos in- last 20 years has made increasingly enable the other technologies DARPA stead of a high-high fght. It’s not bald larger aircraft, all the way up to the is investing in, such as advanced sen- eagle versus bald eagle; it’s a swarm design it is ofering for the U.S. Navy’s sor payloads, autonomy and other of bumblebees,” says Atwood. “A sys- MQ-25 Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling types of distributed capabilities,” says tem like Gremlins would enable you to System. The new approach is about Keeter. “We are making sure our sys- get out there and start testing those reusing the same family of compo- tem has the provisions to enable that theories.” c

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AW_04_03_2017_p31-32.indd 32 3/30/17 4:14 PM Technology DEFENSE in each of the areas we selected them nents among a wide range of smaller and allow recovery and limited reuse.” squadrons equipped with 17 Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercu- for,” says Mark Miller, the company’s unmanned aircraft to enable “excep- “Our idea has always been that of Upsizing les and three with 25 Airbus light transporters—CN-212s, Gremlins program manager. tional” afordability while customizing a pickup truck, and not to try to plan CN-235s and C295s. A third C-130 squadron should be stood Kratos, which participated in Phase 1 the UAS to individual users, he says. for a known mission, but for the larg- Indonesian air force quest for up once nine ex-Australian Hercules agreed to in 2012-13 are as both a prime and as a subcontractor Where GA-ASI difers from Dynet- est capability in a future mission,” says delivered. Australia donated four and sold fve, with spares to Dynetics, continues into Phase 2. Its ics when it comes to Gremlins, Atwood Atwood. Chris Pehrson, GA-ASI vice AW101s runs into local-content law and fight simulator, at a discount. One crashed on Dec. 18. Composites Engineering Inc. subsidiary says, is “we are very focused on verti- president of strategic development for If the A400M order is fnalized, it will enable the air force will support Dynetics by developing and cal integration. We don’t need to use a Defense Department customers, adds: Marhalim Abas Kuala Lumpur to slowly phase out C-130A and C-130B Hercules, some of building a prototype jet-powered UAV. bunch of subcontractors.” GA-ASI has “The recoverable piece allows you to which have been in service since the early 1960s. In replac- The team also includes engine supplier strategic partners in its small-UAS pro- put more exquisite payloads on your ore than most militaries, Indonesia’s needs domestic ing those aircraft, Indonesia could return to Airbus for more Williams International, Sierra Nevada gram but is not identifying them. “We small UAS. You won’t be launching Mairlift. The country, extending 5,120 km (3,180 mi.) Atlases, but an alternative would be to buy C-130Js, the air Corp., Applied Systems Engineering do not want the industry understanding disposable platforms, so you can have from east to west and 1,760 km from north to south, force’s preferred solution, according to industry sources. Inc., Systima Technologies, aerial- who the core team is and guessing what more expensive electro-optical/infra- is divided among 17,000 islands. If the air force’s plans come The AW101 would equip the fourth helicopter squadron. delivery specialist Airborne Systems, that is making possible,” he says. red, signals-intelligence or electron- about, its fxed- and rotary-wing transportation units will The air force says the AW101 is more suitable than the Air- Moog and C-130 operator International Within its small-UAS program, ic-warfare payloads and bring them step up to signifcantly larger sizes through the introduction bus types it has in service, including the H225M. Air Response. GA-ASI can scale the vehicle up or home to launch again and again.” of Leonardo AW101 helicopters and Airbus A400M airlifters. In early February, a single AW101 was delivered to Halim “Part of our legacy goes back to down in size or range, “and maybe there Because it is a recoverable truck, Funding for the A400M and especially the AW101 remains Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta. The delivery sparked a integrating unique things on C-130s,” is a form factor that has a reduced sig- Atwood believes Gremlins could tran- problematic, however. The government is bound by law to controversy as to whether the air force had broken the law Miller says. Dynetics integrated the nature,” Atwood says. “We may have a sition rapidly from DARPA to the ser- choose the Airbus H225M helicopter, which is partly manu- in contracting for the helicopter. An earlier order for three 23,000-lb. GBU-43/B Massive Ord- factured by state-owned Indonesian Aerospace. The 2012 VIP AW101s was canceled on the grounds of excessive cost. nance Air Blast munition onto U.S. Air Defense Law requires the armed services to use indigenous Tjahjanto defends the latest order and says five more Force Special Operations Command defense and security tools whenever available. AW101s are needed. “The air force has seven air bases that MC-130s, and it is now developing the The air force operates two H225Ms, with another four require a heavy-lift helicopter with search-and-rescue ca- 60-lb. GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition on order from a 2014 contract. Airbus assembles Indone- pabilities,” he says. “Currently, two of the air bases are only to arm its AC-130 gunships. sia’s H225Ms in France, after which Indonesian Aerospace equipped with EC120B Colibri helicopters for search and res- Dynetics has also worked on air- fts them out at Bandung, West Java. The helicopters are cue.” The Airbus EC120B is a single-engine light helicopter. launched space systems. “We are equipped for troop transportation, combat search and rescue The AW101 has a maximum weight of 14.5 metric tons, merging our UAS, air launch and plat- and utility use. An intended follow-up order of 10 H225Ms to compared with 11.2 metric tons for the H225M and 1.72 met- form integration experience, coupled complete a squadron has not been placed. In the meantime, ric tons for the EC120B, also an Airbus product. with a strong team, to fulfll DARPA’s the air force operates 19 older Pumas and Super Pumas. It is still far from certain that the delivered AW101 will objectives,” says Tim Keeter, deputy As for the A400M, allocation of some production work to be inducted into the air force, even though the service has program manager and chief engineer Indonesian Aerospace could satisfy the 2012 law. But an im- cleared itself of any wrongdoing in the purchase. The biggest for Gremlins. “We are sort of fghting minent order for at least fve aircraft, the probable quantity, obstacle is the 2012 law and the availability of the H225M as above our weight class, but we believe is unlikely, even though funding was reportedly approved by an alternative with local content. we can more than adequately serve as a parliamentary committee. President Joko Widodo has said One other possibility for the air force, not so far discussed, prime and plan to lead this team going The B-1 bomber (left) is identifed A400Ms may not be ordered until the result of investigation would be to follow the army in choosing the Boeing CH-47F forward if the capability is felded.” by DARPA as a potential carrier aircraft and into the crash of one in 2015 becomes available. It is not Chinook as its heaviest helicopter. The army is waiting for For Predator and Reaper manu- launch platform for Gremlins UAV volleys. known when the fnal report will be ready. government approval to order between four and 10 Chinooks. facturer GA-ASI, Gremlins is one of a The defense ministry’s secretary general, Vice Adm. With a gross weight of 22.7 metric tons, the Chinook family of small unmanned aircraft, ex- Dynetics concept Widodo, and air force chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto toured dwarfs the AW101 and H225M. It could carry up to 55 sol- pendable and recoverable, that it is de- C-130 launch the long-range version, and vices—perhaps initially to give them an a British A400M Atlas that stopped in Jakarta on March 5. diers or 10.9 metric tons of cargo. It would be more expensive veloping. “We have been trying to fgure then there may be a smaller one that can afordable way to fnd out how swarm- The armed forces’ 2010-24 strategic plan calls for creation but, crucially, Indonesian Aerospace could not claim to have out what the next transformation is go- air launch and recover from an MQ-9 ing unmanned aircraft can be used to of a sixth squadron of transport airplanes and a fourth of a comparable product. c ing to be in the unmanned community, [Reaper].” disaggregate capabilities by distribut- transport helicopters. The number of and around 2014 we made the decision Neither company is revealing de- ing payloads across multiple platforms. aircraft per squadron is supposed to that small air vehicles was the next ma- tails of its airborne recovery systems, “When you look at anti-access/area- be 16 but in practice is usually lower. jor warfghting capability we were go- although Atwood says GA-ASI’s design denial or other complex environments, The military uses such aircraft to ing to see realized,” says Mike Atwood, is modular “and applicable essentially you need to disaggregate capabilities. ferry passengers and supplies around director for advanced programs. to any parent aircraft you can think of. You need to come in from multiple the sprawling archipelago. Former “These products are focused on af- We wanted to make a system that could axes. You have to enable a single opera- Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, fordability and utility, and on being the go on a Reaper, Avenger, C-130, B-1 or an tor to cover a wider geographic area,” who produced the strategic plan, says pickup truck, which is something we MQ-25. It could go on tactical aircraft if says Pehrson. With Gremlins, “you can spending should focus on support have learned from the Predator, Reaper they wanted to go that direction.” start to understand the bounds of how systems, including transportation and Avenger,” he says. Both companies see Gremlins de- much you can disaggregate that capa- equipment. Only after the country Atwood points out that GA-ASI veloping a vehicle that could be used bility and have the same pilot fy it.” has solved its internal transportation started with much smaller unmanned in diferent ways. “The real efort is to “The idea of collaboration, of disag- problems should it focus on strike ca- aircraft, the Gnat-750, but over the provide the architecture of the truck to gregation, is about constant chaos in- pability, he said in September 2014. last 20 years has made increasingly enable the other technologies DARPA stead of a high-high fght. It’s not bald The air force has two transport larger aircraft, all the way up to the is investing in, such as advanced sen- eagle versus bald eagle; it’s a swarm design it is ofering for the U.S. Navy’s sor payloads, autonomy and other of bumblebees,” says Atwood. “A sys- This Royal Air Force A400M MQ-25 Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling types of distributed capabilities,” says tem like Gremlins would enable you to Atlas visited Jakarta in March. It System. The new approach is about Keeter. “We are making sure our sys- get out there and start testing those is pictured on an earlier stop in reusing the same family of compo- tem has the provisions to enable that theories.” c New Zealand. AdriAn Schofield/AW&ST

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ment proposal is just one of many being considered as part of its “planning choices” process for fiscal 2019 that began last fall. Holmes says the F-15 remains capable, but the cost of rebuilding the center fuselage section will likely be too great. The F-15 program ofce at Wright- Patterson AFB, Ohio, which supports

The proposal to retire the F-15C Eagle puts Boeing’s proposed “2040C” upgrade plans in doubt. Eagle Out? the F-15C/D and F-15E Strike Eagle fleets, has been working to keep the type fying through 2045 via capabil- U.S. Air Force considers major F-15C ity and structural upgrades, including a wing replacement efort in 2022-28. life-extension too costly Last August, Boeing received a fve- year contract valued at up to $254.2 Boeing James Drew Washington million for fatigue testing of the F-15C and F-15E models. Two test articles— he F-15C may still have an unde- active, electronically scanned array FTA7 (F-15C) and FTA7 (F-15C)—are Tfeated aerial combat record, but (AESA) radars. undergoing accelerated structural life the 38-year-old aircraft could be In December, the Air Force put testing at Boeing’s fighter facility in slated for retirement if the U.S. Air Raytheon on contract to replace the St. Louis to fgure out how long the F-15s Force decides not to fund a major mission computers in its F-16 fleet, can fy and which components fail frst. structural life-extension program. providing “near-fifth-generation air- Then the Air Force will know the true Air Combat Command (ACC) chief craft computing power” with twice the life-extension cost. Gen. Mike Holmes says it could cost processing output and 40 times more Raytheon began upgrading the Ea- $30-40 million per aircraft to keep the memory. This upgrade is the bedrock gle’s radar to the APG-63(V)3 AESA Eagle soaring beyond the late 2020s, in- on which future Fighting Falcon im- confguration in 2010. Last November, cluding rebuilding the center fuselage provements will be based, including the BAE Systems began full-scale develop- section, among other refurbishments. radar upgrade. The Northrop Grum- ment of a next-generation electronic- “We’re probably not going to do that,” man APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Ra- warfare suite for the Eagle and Strike he tells Aviation Week. dar and Raytheon Advanced Combat Eagle under contract to Boeing. That The better answer, he says, is to rap- Radar could compete for that work. F-15 Eagle Passive/Active Warning idly begin buying more fghter aircraft, at The ANG has an urgent operational and Survivability System replaces the least 100 per year. That includes ramping need to install AESA radars on 72 of its obsolete Tactical Electronic Warfare up Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II F-16s, delivered in batches of 24 and 48 System, which has been the aircraft’s output once the low-observable ffth-gen- units depending on acquisition author- primary self-defense suite since de- eration aircraft matures, but also succes- ity and funding beginning in fscal 2018. livery in the 1970s. The prospect of sive purchases of air superiority jets under That plan has been talked about for retiring the Eagle puts all these up- the service’s new Penetrating Counter-Air some time, but Rice’s comments before grades, collectively worth billions of (PCA) program. Congress suggest these upgraded F-16s dollars, at risk. It also dashes Boeing’s The F-15C is operated primarily by could, without serious capability gaps, hopes for the “F-15 2040C.” Some of the Air National Guard (ANG) in sup- fulfll the role now performed by the Ea- the capabilities being considered are port of the homeland defense mission, gle. But the F-15C carries eight Raythe- fourth-to-ffth-generation communica- capable of intercepting and shooting on AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range tions, conformal fuel tanks, an infrared down adversary fghters, bombers and Air-to-Air Missiles compared to the search-and-track sensor and quad- cruise missiles. ANG Director Lt. Gen. F-16’s six, along with two heat-seeking pack air-to-air missile racks. Scott Rice sent shockwaves through AIM-9Xs as backup. The Eagle’s wider Boeing points out that no formal the F-15 community on March 22 when radar aperture ofers longer-range tar- decision has been taken, and it con- he admitted to Congress that plans are get detection, tracking and engagement tinues to promote “cost-effective” ca- being hatched to retire the 235-air- of threats. It fies at twice the speed of pability upgrades to the service, but craft single-seat F-15C fleet and the sound and is more maneuverable than there are capacity concerns, since twin-seat D-model trainers in favor of the F-16. too few F-22s were purchased before Lockheed Martin F-16s upgraded with The service says the F-15 retire- the line was shut down in 2012.

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AW_04_03_2017_p34-35.indd 34 3/30/17 4:51 PM Defense ment proposal is just one of many be- “The F-15C was specifi cally designed 18-month analysis of alternatives will cost and dated technology. He doubts ing considered as part of its “planning for the air superiority mission,” Boeing deliver its recommendations to ACC the Air Force can develop and fi eld an- choices” process for fiscal 2019 that says . “It has an undefeated, combat- in 2018. Holmes says the Air Force is other aircraft in the time line needed began last fall. proven record and has enough service discussing various acquisition strate- before critical F-15C life-extension Holmes says the F-15 remains capa- life to continue fl ying for years to come.” gies and authorities with Congress to and force structure decisions must be ble, but the cost of rebuilding the center ACC says it is developing a 30-year shorten or avoid the typically lengthy made. fuselage section will likely be too great. aviation plan that extends into the mid- engineering and manufacturing devel- “The F-15C is still a great airplane,” The F-15 program ofce at Wright- 2030s, and these types of force struc- opment phase if the proposed aircraft Venable says. “It doesn’t have the Patterson AFB, Ohio, which supports ture proposals are being considered is mature enough. maneuverability of the latest Russian as part of that road map. Holmes says After the PCA study, the service aircraft or French Dassault Rafale, since Operation Desert Storm 25 years hopes to move quickly into the pro- but the biggest thing it has going for ago, the Air Force has been buying totyping and flyoff phase. The OA-X it is tactics. What happens with those too few aircraft, approximately 20 per light-attack aircraft program is seen squadrons?” year, mainly the Lockheed Martin F-22 as a trailblazer for the next fi ghter buy. The proposed retirement is a seri- The proposal to retire the F-15C and F-35, which took painfully long to Holmes wants to take advantage of ous issue for the ANG, which is run Eagle puts Boeing’s proposed deliver and cost too much. The aver- the three-stream adaptive cycle engines by the states. Sen. Elizabeth Warren “2040C” upgrade plans in doubt. age age of the fi ghter force is now 27-28 being developed by General Electric (D-Mass.), whose state is home to the years. The F-22 buy was truncated at and Pratt & Whitney under the Air 104th Fighter Wing, an F-15C unit, Eagle Out? the F-15C/D and F-15E Strike Eagle 187, compared to the original Cold War Force Research Laboratory. However, raised the issue with Air Force leaders fleets, has been working to keep the request of 750, and the F-35 still is not the service could decide to fi eld an ini- during a congressional hearing. They type fying through 2045 via capabil- mature. tial batch of fi ghters sooner, powered by stressed it was predecisional, and the U.S. Air Force considers major F-15C ity and structural upgrades, including Holmes says a minimum of 100 new an existing engine, perhaps the F-22’s ANG’s adjutant generals are being con- a wing replacement efort in 2022-28. fi ghters are needed per year to reverse Pratt & Whitney F119 supercruise pro- sulted as studies continue. life-extension too costly Last August, Boeing received a fve- this situation and begin rejuvenat- pulsion system , he says. John Goheen, a spokesman for the year contract valued at up to $254.2 ing the force. He wants to expand the Boeing James Drew Washington million for fatigue testing of the F-15C F-35A build rate to 60 per year, but only and F-15E models. Two test articles— after it completes development, to avoid he F-15C may still have an unde- active, electronically scanned array FTA7 (F-15C) and FTA7 (F-15C)—are upgrade costs. feated aerial combat record, but (AESA) radars. undergoing accelerated structural life Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of T The majority of the F-15Cs are fl own by the the 38-year-old aircraft could be In December, the Air Force put testing at Boeing’s fighter facility in Staf Gen. Stayce D. Harris tells Con- slated for retirement if the U.S. Air Raytheon on contract to replace the St. Louis to fgure out how long the F-15s gress that the service cannot af ord to Air National Guard for homeland defense. Force decides not to fund a major mission computers in its F-16 fleet, can fy and which components fail frst. drop below the minimum operational structural life-extension program. providing “near-fifth-generation air- Then the Air Force will know the true requirement of 55 fi ghter squadrons, Air Combat Command (ACC) chief craft computing power” with twice the life-extension cost. and would rather grow to 60, about Gen. Mike Holmes says it could cost processing output and 40 times more Raytheon began upgrading the Ea- 2,100 aircraft. But it would prefer a $30-40 million per aircraft to keep the memory. This upgrade is the bedrock gle’s radar to the APG-63(V)3 AESA healthy force of 55 fi ghter squadrons Eagle soaring beyond the late 2020s, in- on which future Fighting Falcon im- confguration in 2010. Last November, with enough pilots and maintainers to cluding rebuilding the center fuselage provements will be based, including the BAE Systems began full-scale develop- support operations than a stressed and section, among other refurbishments. radar upgrade. The Northrop Grum- ment of a next-generation electronic- undermanned force of 60 units. “We’re probably not going to do that,” man APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Ra- warfare suite for the Eagle and Strike ACC says it must retire some fl eets he tells Aviation Week. dar and Raytheon Advanced Combat Eagle under contract to Boeing. That to unlock money and personnel to The better answer, he says, is to rap- Radar could compete for that work. F-15 Eagle Passive/Active Warning transition to the F-35 and future Pen- idly begin buying more fghter aircraft, at The ANG has an urgent operational and Survivability System replaces the etrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform, least 100 per year. That includes ramping need to install AESA radars on 72 of its obsolete Tactical Electronic Warfare while still modernizing the F-16 and U.S. AIR FORCE up Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II F-16s, delivered in batches of 24 and 48 System, which has been the aircraft’s F-22 fl eets. The F-16 and F-15E Strike He compared this type of acquisi- National Guard Association of the U.S., output once the low-observable ffth-gen- units depending on acquisition author- primary self-defense suite since de- Eagle are relatively young, with plenty tion plan to the Century Series dur- says the ANG would prefer to see these eration aircraft matures, but also succes- ity and funding beginning in fscal 2018. livery in the 1970s. The prospect of of service life left. The Air Force tried ing the Cold War, in which six distinct aircraft modernized, not retired. He sive purchases of air superiority jets under That plan has been talked about for retiring the Eagle puts all these up- and failed to retire the Fairchild Re- aircraft models were fi elded in rapid acknowledges that the F-15C fl eet pres- the service’s new Penetrating Counter-Air some time, but Rice’s comments before grades, collectively worth billions of public A-10 Warthog, so the F-15C is succession—a mix of fi ghter-bombers ents a large bill at a time of constrained (PCA) program. Congress suggest these upgraded F-16s dollars, at risk. It also dashes Boeing’s the next obvious cut. and interceptors—each bringing im- budgets and competing priorities, but The F-15C is operated primarily by could, without serious capability gaps, hopes for the “F-15 2040C.” Some of “We’re trying to work out that mix,” proved capabilities. the units in question are highly skilled the Air National Guard (ANG) in sup- fulfll the role now performed by the Ea- the capabilities being considered are Holmes says. “One of those options is, John Venable, a former airman and in the air superiority mission, an Air port of the homeland defense mission, gle. But the F-15C carries eight Raythe- fourth-to-ffth-generation communica- what year does the F-15C go away?” defense policy analyst at The Heritage Force core competency. “They provide capable of intercepting and shooting on AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range tions, conformal fuel tanks, an infrared He says money being spent on F-22 Foundation, does not believe the F-16 the bulk of the defense of the nation’s down adversary fghters, bombers and Air-to-Air Missiles compared to the search-and-track sensor and quad- upgrades will maintain its advantage is a viable alternative to the F-15C, and air sovereignty and also deploy over- cruise missiles. ANG Director Lt. Gen. F-16’s six, along with two heat-seeking pack air-to-air missile racks. over its Russia and China adversaries. it will take many years to complete the seas,” he says. “These are busy aircraft Scott Rice sent shockwaves through AIM-9Xs as backup. The Eagle’s wider Boeing points out that no formal “If the F-15s go away, eventually those F-16 AESA radar upgrade anyway. He and our preference would be for them the F-15 community on March 22 when radar aperture ofers longer-range tar- decision has been taken, and it con- F-22s will move into that role, so we says radar size matters due to phys- to be modernized.” he admitted to Congress that plans are get detection, tracking and engagement tinues to promote “cost-effective” ca- need to get to Penetrating Counter-Air ics, and the F-15’s dish is signifi cantly The service says it is still studying being hatched to retire the 235-air- of threats. It fies at twice the speed of pability upgrades to the service, but [for the high end],” he says. larger. There are not enough F-22As to the proposal, and cannot say how much craft single-seat F-15C fleet and the sound and is more maneuverable than there are capacity concerns, since PCA was born of the Air Force’s one- fully assume the F-15’s role right away, it would save by retiring the fl eet. The twin-seat D-model trainers in favor of the F-16. too few F-22s were purchased before year Air Superiority 2030 study, which and there is little hope of Lockheed total operating cost of the F-15C/D fl eet Lockheed Martin F-16s upgraded with The service says the F-15 retire- the line was shut down in 2012. wrapped up last year. A follow-on restarting the production line, due to was $1.3 billion in fi scal 2016. c

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we give them,” said Vander Hamm. Aviator Anxieties Studies will take a holistic view, looking at quality of general life and With experienced aviators leaving in droves, service life. Among the questions being asked is why so many pilots have the U.S. Air Force is struggling to fll cockpits been given positions outside the cockpit, particularly when that experience Tony Osborne London is urgently needed on the front line. Money is also being made available to n unprecedented shortage of Force is short of its requirements by allow some part-time National Guard A experienced pilots is forcing 723 fghter pilots in the current fscal personnel to become full-time. the U.S. Air Force to reexam- year and by 1,555 regular Air Force One approach to retaining pilots is ine training and operational regimes. aviators overall. By 2020, the pilot to increase Air Force squadron head- Huge numbers of aviators, many numbers for air mobility squadrons counts so pilots can go fy while others with hundreds of hours of combat will drop below the required level. do more administrative functions. time in their logbooks, are leaving to And it is not just an Air Force issue. The Air Force hopes to expand pilot establish a more stable family life and Maj. Gen. William Gaylor, the com- training in the coming years anyway, gain better pay. They are unhappy mander of the Army’s Aviation Cen- with the aim of producing 1,400 pilots per year in 2020 and perhaps 1,600 a year later, although Commanders see the use of T-38s Vander Hamm said such an in- (pictured) and later T-Xs as companion crease would require another trainers as one way of keeping pilots training base. This would also fying and better retaining them. help increase the potential output of pilots from nations that send students to the U.S. for training. Another area of study is the wider use of surrogate or companion training aircraft to allow pilots to keep up their hours on a lower-cost type compared to the front-line aircraft they normally fy. This approach was adopted in the B-2, U-2 and F-22 communities and could be widened to other units not only to support pilot training but also adversary air requirements. TECH. SGT. MATTHEW HANNEN/U.S. AIR FORCE Similar challenges have with the high tempo of training and ter of Excellence says Army aviation dogged other air arms. Britain’s Royal deployments that has typifed service is also just over 700 pilots short of its Air Force has found that it requires life, particularly with conficts in the required levels. a minimum of three squadrons just Middle East. “The airlines are hiring between to support one operating in theater Now a joint service task force has 3,500 and 4,000 a year,” said Vander because of the cycle of operations, been established in the Pentagon to ex- Hamm. “We are producing 1,200. . . . training and recovery time after de- amine and begin to resolve the issue. We have to address this quickly.” He ployments. The House Armed Services Subcom- added that if the issue is left to fester, Vander Hamm says the Air Force mittee on Military Personnel recently it will afect the bomber and special- sees opportunities in the upcoming held hearings on the matter as well. operations forces and limit future op- OA-X light-attack aircraft demonstra- “We think it’s a national crisis,” Maj. erations and combat readiness. tion (see page 38). The purchase of Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, assistant Vander Hamm, who is leading the such a feet would increase the capac- deputy chief of staf of operations told service’s work on the pilot shortage, ity of the combat air forces and take an audience at a fight training confer- said the Air Force is considering 25 ini- pressure off the existing squadrons ence in London on March 29. “More tiatives in four areas: production (the that are cycled in and out of opera- and more [pilots] right now are mak- training throughput of pilots), absorp- tional theaters quickly ing the decision to exit service at the tion (how they are used), retention and “Pilots that are not flying are not peak of their readiness and capabil- readdressing training requirements. happy,” Vander Hamm told fight train- ity,” he added. “The Air Force’s largest “We start retaining people from ing conference delegates. “There is no problem in the aircrew community is the day we assess them, how we look silver bullet. This is not just about retaining that experience.” after them and their families through money; we are looking at a number of According to Vander Hamm, the Air their careers and with the training options.” c

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AW_04_03_2017_p36.indd 36 3/30/17 3:58 PM DEFENSE SGT.MASTER CHIEF EMERY/USAF/WIKIMEDIAGARY we give them,” said Vander Hamm. must first determine what FVL Aviator Anxieties Studies will take a holistic view, Tiltrotor Revolution will look like. To this end, the Ma- looking at quality of general life and rine Corps, Army and U.S. Special With experienced aviators leaving in droves, service life. Among the questions be- Operations Command are kicking ing asked is why so many pilots have of an analysis of alternatives for the U.S. Air Force is struggling to fll cockpits been given positions outside the cock- FVL this month. pit, particularly when that experience The Pentagon plans to develop Tony Osborne London is urgently needed on the front line. fve sizes of rotorcraft under the Money is also being made available to program, but the Marines are n unprecedented shortage of Force is short of its requirements by allow some part-time National Guard most interested in the medium- A experienced pilots is forcing 723 fghter pilots in the current fscal personnel to become full-time. lift variant, dubbed Capability the U.S. Air Force to reexam- year and by 1,555 regular Air Force One approach to retaining pilots is ine training and operational regimes. aviators overall. By 2020, the pilot to increase Air Force squadron head- The V-22 Osprey has expand- Huge numbers of aviators, many numbers for air mobility squadrons counts so pilots can go fy while others ed the Marines’ reach, but its with hundreds of hours of combat will drop below the required level. do more administrative functions. speed presents a conundrum time in their logbooks, are leaving to And it is not just an Air Force issue. The Air Force hopes to expand pilot for protection of troops in establish a more stable family life and Maj. Gen. William Gaylor, the com- training in the coming years anyway, transit from ship to shore. gain better pay. They are unhappy mander of the Army’s Aviation Cen- with the aim of producing 1,400 pilots per year in 2020 and perhaps Set 3. This aircraft will eventually 1,600 a year later, although replace the service’s UH-1 Yankee Commanders see the use of T-38s Vander Hamm said such an in- The Marine Corps’ future rotorcraft utility and AH-1 Zulu attack helicopters as well as the Army’s (pictured) and later T-Xs as companion crease would require another UH-60 Black Hawks and AH-64 Apaches. trainers as one way of keeping pilots training base. This would also feet will build on V-22 capabilities Speed and range are crucial for the Marines, says Bar- fying and better retaining them. help increase the potential ranco. Given the service’s need for an FVL that can match output of pilots from nations Lara Seligman Washington the V-22, a next-generation tiltrotor might be the best ft. that send students to the U.S. One option is Bell Helicopter’s and Lockheed Martin’s for training. he introduction of the V-22 fundamentally changed the V-280 Valor, which builds on the tiltrotor technology of the Another area of study is Tway the U.S. Marine Corps thinks about operating from Bell-Boeing V-22 to fy twice the range (up to 2,100 nm) at the wider use of surrogate or the sea. Now, as the service begins to consider its next- double the speed of existing helicopters (280 kt. cruising, companion training aircraft to generation rotorcraft feet, the game-changing capabilities 300 kt. maximum). Another advantage is the V-280’s aerial allow pilots to keep up their of the Osprey combined with the ffth-generation F-35 are refueling capability, which allows it to self-deploy. Karem Air- hours on a lower-cost type driving new requirements. craft is also working on a design based on its optimum-speed compared to the front-line The V-22 tiltrotor troop transport can take of and land like tiltrotor concept, the TR36TD, with an eye toward FVL. aircraft they normally fy. This a helicopter, enabling it to operate from almost anywhere in Right now, the Valor is a technology demonstrator for the approach was adopted in the the world. But it can also fy like a turboprop, cruising over Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD), the B-2, U-2 and F-22 communities both land and sea at 250 kt. These capabilities greatly expand FVL precursor that will gauge possible future vertical-lift and could be widened to other the reach and speed of Marine Corps assault operations, but capabilities. But the Valor fight demonstrator is designed to units not only to support pilot they also create a critical gap: The H-1s that provide armed Army performance specifcations, and its wings do not fold, training but also adversary air escort for the Black Hawks and CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters which they must for ship and air transportability. requirements. cannot fy nearly fast enough to keep up with the V-22. If it is chosen for FVL, the Valor will add manual wing fold- TECH. SGT. MATTHEW HANNEN/U.S. AIR FORCE Similar challenges have So how can the Marine Corps protect its troops during ing and stowing to meet Marine Corps and SOCOM require- with the high tempo of training and ter of Excellence says Army aviation dogged other air arms. Britain’s Royal transit from ship to shore? Right now, the service is using ments, says Bell spokesman Andy Woodward. This could deployments that has typifed service is also just over 700 pilots short of its Air Force has found that it requires several workarounds, including deploying the H-1s ahead of add cost and complexity, though, particularly if the services life, particularly with conficts in the required levels. a minimum of three squadrons just the V-22s so the armed helicopters are in place to provide decide on diferent fold and stow requirements. Middle East. “The airlines are hiring between to support one operating in theater support once the troops arrive. To some extent, the F-35 Still, Bell insists that the same production line would be Now a joint service task force has 3,500 and 4,000 a year,” said Vander because of the cycle of operations, can also provide detached escort from above during transit. planned to accommodate all variants. “I do not anticipate been established in the Pentagon to ex- Hamm. “We are producing 1,200. . . . training and recovery time after de- However, neither solution is optimal. multiple production lines,” Barranco says. “I do not antici- amine and begin to resolve the issue. We have to address this quickly.” He ployments. For a more efective armed escort, the Marine Corps is pate a Capability Set 3 A, B and C.” The House Armed Services Subcom- added that if the issue is left to fester, Vander Hamm says the Air Force eyeing the U.S. Army-led Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, Boeing and Sikorsky are also participating in JMR-TD mittee on Military Personnel recently it will afect the bomber and special- sees opportunities in the upcoming says Col. John Barranco, head of rotorcraft requirements, with their SB-1 Defant, a coaxial helicopter planned to cruise held hearings on the matter as well. operations forces and limit future op- OA-X light-attack aircraft demonstra- referring to the Pentagon’s efort to develop a new family of at 230 kt. powered by two Honeywell T55 turboshaft engines. “We think it’s a national crisis,” Maj. erations and combat readiness. tion (see page 38). The purchase of helicopters. The Valor and Defant are slated for frst fight in September. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, assistant Vander Hamm, who is leading the such a feet would increase the capac- In a high-end fght, the F-35 would take out enemy air de- One potential problem for FVL is the program’s joint na- deputy chief of staf of operations told service’s work on the pilot shortage, ity of the combat air forces and take fenses—sophisticated radars and surface-to-air missiles that ture. The Pentagon likely wants to avoid repeating the F-35 an audience at a fight training confer- said the Air Force is considering 25 ini- pressure off the existing squadrons threaten U.S. forces—the Marine Corps envisions, clearing scenario, in which an airframe envisioned to ft the needs ence in London on March 29. “More tiatives in four areas: production (the that are cycled in and out of opera- the way for the V-22s, escorted by FVL, to move in ground of all three services is now just 20% common. Determine and more [pilots] right now are mak- training throughput of pilots), absorp- tional theaters quickly forces from the ship. Meanwhile, the Marines’ future “MUX,” ahead of time which components are going to stay common ing the decision to exit service at the tion (how they are used), retention and “Pilots that are not flying are not planned as a large, shipboard UAV, will fy overhead, provid- and which are going to divert, counsels Lt. Gen. Christopher peak of their readiness and capabil- readdressing training requirements. happy,” Vander Hamm told fight training persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Bogdan, head of the F-35 Joint Program Ofce. ity,” he added. “The Air Force’s largest “We start retaining people from ing conference delegates. “There is no and targeting data. Once air superiority is established, the “The notion that you could build three variants, . . . and problem in the aircrew community is the day we assess them, how we look silver bullet. This is not just about F-35 transitions to a bomb-truck role, providing deep-air sup- that you could do that with an airframe that is going to stay retaining that experience.” after them and their families through money; we are looking at a number of port with its external stores. common for 40-plus years, is probably not the best assump- According to Vander Hamm, the Air their careers and with the training options.” c But to realize this concept of operations, the Pentagon tion,” he says. c

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AW_04_03_2017_p36.indd 36 3/30/17 3:58 PM AW_04_03_2017_p37.indd 37 3/30/17 3:06 PM DEFENSE A-29 Super Tucano (Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp.) Light-Attack Aircraft Possibilities for the U.S. Air Force

Lara Seligman Washington

The U.S. Air Force will take its fi rst step toward potentially STAFF SGT. LARRY REID JR./U.S. AIR FORCE fi elding a low-cost, light-attack aircraft this summer with a fl ight demonstration at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The ser- AT-6 Wolverine (Textron/Beechcraft) vice is looking to choose up to four industry partners to bring one or two of -the-shelf aircraft to Holloman for a capability assessment in which Air Force aircrew will evaluate each aircraft’s ability to perform light-attack and armed reconnaissance missions and operate from austere locations. For industry, the stakes are high—the selected designs will likely have an advantage if the Air Force moves forward with a 300-aircraft buy. Since af ordability is a main driver, Em- braer and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s A-29 Super Tucano is an obvious front-runner. Already in service with the Afghan air force BEECHCRAFT through the U.S. Light Air Support (LAS) program, the turboprop is a proven asset, with historically low operating costs. Scorpion (Textron Airland) Textron also has a shot, with either its turboprop AT-6 Wol- verine or light jet Scorpion. However, the AT-6 lost out to the A-29 in the 2011 LAS competition. Meanwhile, the Scorpion has never quite found its niche. Its performance is not up to par with most true fi ghters, and its reported $3,000-per-hour operating costs might be too expensive for an OA-X capability. Other less obvious options will likely start appearing as the OA-X ef ort gains traction. Here are some of the possibilities.

TEXTRON

Archangel OA-8 Longsword (IOMAX) (L3 Technologies) T-50 variant This armed surveillance (Lockheed Martin/Korea Adapted from Air Tractor’s Aerospace Industries) aircraft is designed for precision AT-802, the Longsword can strike against fi xed and moving Based on the T-50 and pow- be confi gured in fi refi ghting targets over ered by a single GE F404 or armed versions. land and at sea. engine, the aircraft is in service with the South L 3 T Korean air force. EC HN OL OG IES LO MAX CKHEED MARTIN IO

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AW_04_03_2017_p38-39.indd 38 3/30/17 1:10 PM DEFENSE A-29 Super Tucano This turboprop light-attack aircraft is designed for counterinsurgency, M346FT (Leonardo) (Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp.) close air support and aerial reconnaissance missions in low-threat environ- Leonardo says it is focused now on of ering a Light-Attack ments. Designed to operate in high temperatures and extremely rugged variant of its M346 twin-engine transonic trainer terrain, the A-29 is highly maneuverable and has a low heat signature. It is for the Air Force’s T-X competition, but it will likely Aircraft in service with the Brazilian, Colombian, Chilean, Dominican and Ecuador- pitch the multirole M346FT for this demo. It was ian air forces as well as the Afghan air force. The fi rst of 30 Afghan A-29 originally codeveloped with Russia’s Yakovlev as Possibilities for pilots have graduated from training at Moody AFB, Georgia, and returned the Yak/AEM-130; the partnership was dissolved to Afghanistan. The full fl eet of 20 A-29s will be in place by 2018. in 2000. The M346 trainer is operated by the Israeli, the U.S. Air Force Max. speed: 367 mph Italian, Polish and Singaporean air forces. Combat radius: 300 nm fully loaded Max. speed: 658 mph Endurance: 8 hr. 24 min. Ferry range: 1,470 nm Lara Seligman Washington Fuel capacity: 3,300 lb. (with 3 external tanks) Hard points: 5 external, 2 under each wing, Endurance: 2.75 hr. The U.S. Air Force will take its fi rst step toward potentially 1 under centerline fuselage STAFF SGT. LARRY REID JR./U.S. AIR FORCE Hard points: 9 (6,600-lb. capacity) fi elding a low-cost, light-attack aircraft this summer with a LEONARDO fl ight demonstration at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The ser- AT-6 Wolverine (Textron/Beechcraft) The AT-6 also is a low-cost turboprop, based on Beechcraft’s T-6 Texan Hawk (BAE Systems) vice is looking to choose up to four industry partners to bring trainer, used by the Air Force for basic pilot training and combat systems This single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer one or two of -the-shelf aircraft to Holloman for a capability of cer training, and by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for primary and is used by the Royal Air Force and several military assessment in which Air Force aircrew will evaluate each air- intermediate naval fl ight of cer training. It is used widely as a basic operators of other countries. Northrop Grumman craft’s ability to perform light-attack and armed reconnaissance trainer by the Canadian, Greek, Iraqi and Israeli air forces as well. had planned to of er the Hawk T2 for the Air Force’s missions and operate from austere locations. T-X program, but in February 2015 it decided the Max. airspeed: 514 mph British aircraft was not suited for the program re- For industry, the stakes are high—the selected designs will Max. ferry range: 1,725 nm (with four external fuel tanks) quirements. Aside from the age of the design, the likely have an advantage if the Air Force moves forward with Max. load: 4,110 lb. Hawk might also be too expensive for OA-X, at £18 a 300-aircraft buy. Since af ordability is a main driver, Em- Internal fuel capacity: 1,200 lb. million per unit in 2003 or $33 million today. Hard points: 7 braer and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s A-29 Super Tucano is an obvi- Max. speed: 638 mph ous front-runner. Already in service with the Afghan air force BEECHCRAFT Fuel capacity: 1,500 lb. ADRIAN PINGSTONE/ WIKIPEDIA through the U.S. Light Air Support (LAS) program, the turbo- Hard points: 5 (6,800-lb. capacity) prop is a proven asset, with historically low operating costs. Scorpion (Textron Airland) This is a bit of a dark horse candidate. The Scorpion made its fi rst fl ight in 2013 but has not yet signed any customers. Textron recently Textron also has a shot, with either its turboprop AT-6 Wol- OV-10X (Boeing) withdrew the Scorpion from the Air Force’s T-X Advanced Pilot Trainer verine or light jet Scorpion. However, the AT-6 lost out to the competition because it cannot meet the stringent requirements. The original founders of the OA-X concept, A-29 in the 2011 LAS competition. Meanwhile, the Scorpion has The Scorpion is a light jet rather than a turboprop, with the operating which dates back to 2007 as the surge in Iraq reached its peak, were inspired by the Vietnam never quite found its niche. Its performance is not up to par with costs to prove it. War-era North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, Max. speed: 518 mph most true fi ghters, and its reported $3,000-per-hour operating an observation aircraft that was repurposed as Ferry range: 2,200 nm (with auxiliary fuel) costs might be too expensive for an OA-X capability. a light-attack bird. The Air Force even went so Fuel capacity: 6,000 lb. far as to evaluate two OV-10G+ aircraft—on loan Other less obvious options will likely start appearing as the Hard points: 6 (6,200-lb. capacity) from NASA—for the OA-X as part of the Combat OA-X ef ort gains traction. Here are some of the possibilities. Internal weapon capacity: 3,000 lb. Dragon II program. In 2009, Boeing put together TEXTRON plans internally to build a modernized version of the Bronco, dubbed the OV-10X, for a possible light-attack aircraft. Archangel OA-8 Longsword ARES (IOMAX) (L3 Technologies) (Northrop Grumman/ Boeing has decided to opt out of the Air Force’s T-50 variant Scaled Composites) This armed surveillance initial OA-X demonstration but has not ruled out (Lockheed Martin/Korea Adapted from Air Tractor’s aircraft is designed for precision The ARES Scaled Model 151 was Hurkus C Aerospace Industries) AT-802, the Longsword can (Turkish Aerospace Industries) participating at a later date. strike against fi xed and moving designed in response to a Based on the T-50 and pow- be confi gured in fi refi ghting U.S. Army request for a low-cost This tandem two-seat, low-wing, targets over or armed versions. ered by a single GE F404 single-engine turboprop will be land and at sea. battlefi eld attack aircraft. Max. speed: 288 mph U.S. AIR FORCE engine, the aircraft is in delivered to Turkey’s Range: 700 nm (with internal fuel) service with the South L armed forces 3 T 1,200 nm (with drop tank) Korean air force. EC HN in 2018. OL Hard points: 7 OG IES IES TUR TR LO OMAX S TES KIS DUS CKHEED MARTIN I CALED COMPOSI H AEROSPACE IN

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An F-2 landed with a Typhoon in the background during Anglo-Japanese an RAF deployment to Japan in November 2016.

replacement for the MHI F-2. The Eu- Fighter rofi ghter Typhoon is due to leave Royal Air Force (RAF) service before 2040; a replacement will have to be ready a Tokyo and London explore building few years before that. After Japan and Britain understand a combat aircraft together each other’s fi ghter requirements and technologies, they will decide by late Bradley Perrett Beijing and Tony Osborne London this year whether to proceed with a joint study for a fi ghter, says The Nik- ritain and Japan will look at London is not Tokyo’s only potential kei newspaper. B jointly developing a fighter, partner. Japan will continue to discuss A crucial difference between the probably for entry into service the possibility of joint development two sides could be regarding whether in the 2030s. The surprising move is with other countries, including the their next combat aircraft needs a pi- the latest bringing the two countries U.S., the ministry said in announcing lot. Years of Future Fighter studies, the closer in defense technology. the March 16 agreement. It issued an most recent of which is a concept de- Even if an Anglo-Japanese fi ghter international request for corporate ex- sign called 26DMU, have all envisaged does not emerge in the end, BAE Sys- pressions of interest in June. a manned aircraft, because Japanese tems is likely to be interested in assist- The UK is shaping up as Japan’s defense technologists think air-to-air ing Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) closest defense-technology partner af- combat is just too complex for a com- in an indigenous combat aircraft pro- ter the U.S. The two countries agreed puter program. But FCAS work has gram. But in seeking cooperation To- in 2012 to strengthen bilateral coop- focused on an unmanned jet. kyo probably hopes for a cost-sharing eration, even before Tokyo formally Underlining this point, Japan is national partner, not just a heavy-lift- said in 2014, after years of discussion, fl ying a sub scale demonstrator for a ing technical adviso r. that it would allow arms exports unmanned fi ghter, the MHI X-2, whereas This may be a problem for France, der limited circumstances. The export Britain has been evaluating its technol- the nation probably most inclined to decision made joint development and ogies with the unmanned BAE Taranis. work with the UK on a new fighter. manufacturing possible because Japa- Furthermore, the UK and France have The two have already agreed to do nese companies could now make parts agreed to build two full-scale technol- technology-acquisition work together. for a partner. ogy demonstrators for an unmanned Tokyo and London will begin by In 2016, the two governments said combat aircraft by 2025. exchanging information on the ambi- they would look at integrating an ad- Still, the British Defense Ministry tions for their current, preliminary vanced Japanese seeker on the MBDA has said the FCAS ef ort could result projects: the Japanese Future Fighter Meteor air-to-air missile, development in a manned aircraft. and Britain’s Future Combat Air Sys- of which has been led by the UK. Japan’s fi ghter technologists want tem (FCAS). In assessing the feasibil- The defense ministry in Tokyo gives a big jet. Their designs emphasize ity of a joint program, they will also no time frame for entry into service of range, endurance and weapon bay vol- advise each other of their capabilities, the contemplated joint fi ghter, but the ume over maneuverability, relying on says the Japanese Defense Ministry, national schedules do not look too far a big load of large, high-performance presumably meaning they will lay their out of step. Japan needs the Future missiles for standof engagement. The technology cards on the table. Fighter to be ready in the 2030s as a concept is somewhat similar to that of

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

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the RAF’s now-retired Tornado F3. nology-demonstrator project to work The Future Fighter, to be called the on, with no guarantee that it will turn F-3 when in service, would be built into a full development and production by MHI, the national fi ghter special- program. ist. Japan wants to decide in its fi scal But under a £123 million ($150 mil- year ending March 2019 whether to go lion) heads-of-agreement deal signed ahead with an indigenous project. It is between the Turkish and British gov- not at all clear that the UK would want ernments in January, BAE will assist to commit by then, even if full-scale de- Turkey in developing the TF-X fi ghter. velopment did not need to begin until That nation will use BAE’s expertise a few years later for entry into service and facilities, including for simulation in the mid-2030s. and testing of radar cross-section— Stealth technology would be a fo- while incidentally helping to keep BAE cus of the Anglo-Japanese study, says in the game. Nippon News Network television. Cooperation with the Japanese Gaining know-how in that as- could turn into something simi- pect of fi ghter design is likely lar and would probably run to be high among several a few years behind Tur- An F-2 landed with a Typhoon in the background during priorities for Japanese key’s program, conve- an RAF deployment to Japan in November 2016. fi ghter engineers, who niently spreading out Anglo-Japanese have been working on the load on BAE’s key the technological un- engineers. The UK replacement for the MHI F-2. The Eu- derpinning for the Fu- would have the option Fighter rofi ghter Typhoon is due to leave Royal ture Fighter but have most recently to eventually join either the Turkish Air Force (RAF) service before 2040; developed a fi ghter, the F-2, only with or Japanese programs as a develop- a replacement will have to be ready a considerable help from Lockheed ment and production partner. Tokyo and London explore building few years before that. Martin. But Japan may want Britain’s mon- After Japan and Britain understand Some British stealth technology a combat aircraft together each other’s fi ghter requirements and has been developed in cooperation Japan’s Future Fighter concept designs technologies, they will decide by late with the U.S. and cannot be shared envisage an unusually large aircraft. Bradley Perrett Beijing and Tony Osborne London this year whether to proceed with a Pictured is DMU25, which is similar to joint study for a fi ghter, says The Nik- the the latest design, DMU26. ritain and Japan will look at London is not Tokyo’s only potential kei newspaper. B jointly developing a fighter, partner. Japan will continue to discuss A crucial difference between the probably for entry into service the possibility of joint development two sides could be regarding whether in the 2030s. The surprising move is with other countries, including the their next combat aircraft needs a pi- the latest bringing the two countries U.S., the ministry said in announcing lot. Years of Future Fighter studies, the closer in defense technology. the March 16 agreement. It issued an most recent of which is a concept de- Even if an Anglo-Japanese fi ghter international request for corporate ex- sign called 26DMU, have all envisaged does not emerge in the end, BAE Sys- pressions of interest in June. a manned aircraft, because Japanese tems is likely to be interested in assist- The UK is shaping up as Japan’s defense technologists think air-to-air ing Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) closest defense-technology partner af- combat is just too complex for a com- COLIN THROM/AW&ST in an indigenous combat aircraft pro- ter the U.S. The two countries agreed puter program. But FCAS work has gram. But in seeking cooperation To- in 2012 to strengthen bilateral coop- focused on an unmanned jet. with other countries. But the rest might be more than satisfi ed with the ey as well. Those two countries and kyo probably hopes for a cost-sharing eration, even before Tokyo formally Underlining this point, Japan is has been acquired independently idea of Rolls-Royce’s involvement. France have similar-size defense bud- national partner, not just a heavy-lift- said in 2014, after years of discussion, fl ying a sub scale demonstrator for a and can be supplied to Japan, to the From the British point of view, the gets. Japan should need a partner as ing technical adviso r. that it would allow arms exports unmanned fi ghter, the MHI X-2, whereas extent that London is willing to share. exploratory discussions may open a much as the other two, for developing This may be a problem for France, der limited circumstances. The export Britain has been evaluating its technol- Indeed, Tokyo may fi nd that London path for BAE Systems to sustain and a fi rst-rank fi ghter. Indeed, the explor- the nation probably most inclined to decision made joint development and ogies with the unmanned BAE Taranis. is a little more generous in this area extend its skills in combat-aircraft atory talks threaten to unseat France work with the UK on a new fighter. manufacturing possible because Japa- Furthermore, the UK and France have than Washington. engineering—even if no joint fi ghter as the UK’s prospective partner. The two have already agreed to do nese companies could now make parts agreed to build two full-scale technol- IHI Corp. is building a demonstra- results—by acting as a technol- In another sign of London and To- technology-acquisition work together. for a partner. ogy demonstrators for an unmanned tor for an advanced, 33,000-lb.-thrust ogy partner. That is just the sort of kyo moving closer in military af airs, Tokyo and London will begin by In 2016, the two governments said combat aircraft by 2025. engine for the Future Fighter. Home work the company has been looking the British Defense Ministry said exchanging information on the ambi- they would look at integrating an ad- Still, the British Defense Ministry to global propulsion giant Rolls-Royce, for, because it has no immediate UK on March 15 that it and its Japanese tions for their current, preliminary vanced Japanese seeker on the MBDA has said the FCAS ef ort could result the UK would not use a Japanese en- program for a fi ghter beyond the Ty- counterpart had agreed to supply each projects: the Japanese Future Fighter Meteor air-to-air missile, development in a manned aircraft. gine, so a jointly developed powerplant phoon. other with material and services when and Britain’s Future Combat Air Sys- of which has been led by the UK. Japan’s fi ghter technologists want would be needed. It may not be too BAE is still building Typhoons in co- deploying their forces. tem (FCAS). In assessing the feasibil- The defense ministry in Tokyo gives a big jet. Their designs emphasize hard for the Japanese to walk away operation with Airbus and Leonardo A fl ight of RAF Typhoons visited Ja- ity of a joint program, they will also no time frame for entry into service of range, endurance and weapon bay vol- from their design, however; they could and, following development work, has pan in November, giving the Japanese advise each other of their capabilities, the contemplated joint fi ghter, but the ume over maneuverability, relying on of er their newly developed technology moved to a largely manufacturing role air force its fi rst opportunity to exer- says the Japanese Defense Ministry, national schedules do not look too far a big load of large, high-performance for a joint engine. Moreover, Japan’s air in the Lockheed Martin F-35 program. cise at home with a country other than presumably meaning they will lay their out of step. Japan needs the Future missiles for standof engagement. The force, probably wondering whether IHI Having built and tested the Taranis, its the U.S. It was the fi rst British fi ghter technology cards on the table. Fighter to be ready in the 2030s as a concept is somewhat similar to that of has enough experience for the project, engineers have the Anglo-French tech- deployment to Japan in decades. c

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 41

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out Italy and Europe against low-cost Breaking Through carriers, then we lose air travelers that connect to intercontinental fights.” Lufthansa pilot deal shows structural cost Even if Alitalia’s unions—which have previously gone on strike over cost- changes doable among Europe’s legacy carriers cutting measures—approve the plan, the airline still needs to fnd a viable Helen Massy-Beresford Paris and Jens Flottau Frankfurt strategy, since Etihad is reviewing its expensive partnership. The Middle ufthansa’s landmark deal with €1 billion by 2019, and 20 narrowbody Eastern airline has pumped billions in Lits pilots shows a major Euro- aircraft will leave its feet by 2018. It equity stakes and rescue moves into pean airline fnally moving in the wants to overhaul its short- and me- Alitalia that have generated little, if right direction by addressing its labor dium-haul operations, adding more any, return. As Alitalia became a close costs. But the tentative agreement upgrade options such as online seat Etihad partner, its intra-European highlights the even greater challenges reservations and checked baggage on joint venture with Air France-KLM facing peers Air France-KLM and Ali- those networks, as well as launching was canceled. talia, both battling to be proftable in a more potentially lucrative routes to The Italian airline is still a member European market described as “fero- the Americas. It is renegotiating con- of a transatlantic joint venture with ciously competitive” by Alitalia CEO tracts with suppliers to bring down the Franco-Dutch group and Delta Cramer Ball. costs as well. Air Lines, but Delta in particular is Lufthansa and its pilot union, Ver- However, the plans may be judged known to be unhappy about the car- einigung Cockpit (VC), announced too cost-focused and conversely short rier’s close afliation with Etihad, raising further questions about that deal’s future. American Airlines has already canceled a codesharing contract with Air Berlin, another Etihad affiliate, leaving that airline without a transatlantic partner. However, Ball says that as Alitalia’s European feet contracts, Alitalia’s survival is again in question as shareholder Etihad Airways reevaluates its partnership strategy.

expansion on long-haul routes across the Atlantic is still very much in the cards. Ball describes the U.S.-Italy routes as “one of the most underserved markets.” Meanwhile, Air France-KLM is seeking to close the gap with its com- petitors with a plan dubbed Trust To- gether. It includes deepening alliances modeled on its partnership with Delta and setting up a new low-cost long- haul airline to operate alongside Air JOEPRIESAVIATION.NET France. agreement March 15 on a basic plan on long-term strategy. But even before While Air France won approval taking in numerous operational, struc- strategy comes into play, Alitalia needs for the principles behind its low-cost tural and pay- and pension-related its unions to come to a new collective- long-haul plan, known as the Boost commitments after years of conflict bargaining agreement including staf project, to make the plan a reality, and strikes. Once fully implemented, reductions if it expects to secure fund- it faces drawn-out talks with unions the deal will lead to a 15% reduction ing from shareholders to put the plan with which it has historically had a in cockpit costs, the equivalent of into practice. “The aviation industry tense relationship. The discussions are €150 million ($160 million) annually, is ferociously competitive and never proceeding well, but an agreement is Lufthansa says. stands still,” Ball said as the plan was a long way of, with concrete answers The surprise breakthrough came unveiled. needed on how the new entity will be just before Alitalia unveiled its long- Turning around the airline’s con- funded and set up. awaited turnaround plan to stave of tinental business “is a critical aspect In contrast, Lufthansa has taken a fnancial collapse. The Italian carrier, because most of our customers fy on big step toward sorting out its own in which Etihad Airways bought a our short- and medium-haul planes to strained labor relations. The airline 49% stake in 2014, will focus heavily connect to our long-haul services,” Ball and VC settled on a basic plan, the on bringing down costs—it aims to cut added. “If we can’t compete through- details of which have to be hammered

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p42-45.indd 42 3/29/17 1:34 PM COMMERCIAL AVIATION out Italy and Europe against low-cost out during the course of this year. The Provincial Gratitude Breaking Through carriers, then we lose air travelers that agreement is still subject to approval connect to intercontinental fights.” by union members and supersedes an Lufthansa pilot deal shows structural cost Even if Alitalia’s unions—which have earlier deal focused on pay only. China’s most aggressive small airline previously gone on strike over cost- The settlement is complex, with changes doable among Europe’s legacy carriers cutting measures—approve the plan, many components. Fundamentally, leans Boeing’s way the airline still needs to fnd a viable Lufthansa agreed to guarantee a mini- Helen Massy-Beresford Paris and Jens Flottau Frankfurt strategy, since Etihad is reviewing its mum feet of 325 aircraft until 2022, to Bradley Perrett Beijing expensive partnership. The Middle be operated at Lufthansa, Lufthansa ufthansa’s landmark deal with €1 billion by 2019, and 20 narrowbody Eastern airline has pumped billions in Cargo or Germanwings under the leg- oeing’s biggest rewards for agree- painting them and handing them over Lits pilots shows a major Euro- aircraft will leave its feet by 2018. It equity stakes and rescue moves into acy collective-bargaining agreement. Bing to set up a 737 completion to Chinese customers. pean airline fnally moving in the wants to overhaul its short- and me- Alitalia that have generated little, if Six-hundred captain and 700 frst of- center in China will come in the Loong is based in Hangzhou, Zheji- right direction by addressing its labor dium-haul operations, adding more any, return. As Alitalia became a close fcer positions are to be flled. years ahead. But a taste is probably im- ang’s capital, and is backed by the pro- costs. But the tentative agreement upgrade options such as online seat Etihad partner, its intra-European Furthermore, pilots will receive an minent as an airline based in the same vincial government as a local champion. highlights the even greater challenges reservations and checked baggage on joint venture with Air France-KLM 11.4% pay increase over a span of 10 province prepares to order Boeing 737 Since it relies on that support, authori- facing peers Air France-KLM and Ali- those networks, as well as launching was canceled. years; the contract will be retroactive MAX aircraft and sizes up 787s. ties can influence its aircraft orders talia, both battling to be proftable in a more potentially lucrative routes to The Italian airline is still a member to 2012 and expire in 2022. The pilots By a happy coincidence for Boeing, in support of local economic policies, European market described as “fero- the Americas. It is renegotiating con- of a transatlantic joint venture with will also get a one-time payment equiv- Loong Air has the most aggressive which extend to building up an aeronau- ciously competitive” by Alitalia CEO tracts with suppliers to bring down the Franco-Dutch group and Delta alent to 1.8 months of salary. Lufthansa expansion plan of any small airline in tics industrial zone around the Boeing Cramer Ball. costs as well. Air Lines, but Delta in particular is will terminate the “Jump” project, in China and has the backing of a strong facility. The government wants major Lufthansa and its pilot union, Ver- However, the plans may be judged known to be unhappy about the car- which up to 10 Airbus A340-300s were provincial government, auguring well industry suppliers to set up there. einigung Cockpit (VC), announced too cost-focused and conversely short rier’s close afliation with Etihad, rais- to be operated by Lufthansa CityLine for repeat orders. Loong, meanwhile, hopes to establish a ing further questions about that deal’s pilots, and will no longer pursue plans The carrier is close to placing the 737 large aircraft maintenance facility. future. American Airlines has already to fnd alternative platforms for 40 air- canceled a codesharing contract with craft, understood to have included both Air Berlin, another Etihad affiliate, narrowbody and long-haul aircraft. leaving that airline without a transat- In return, VC agreed to change com- lantic partner. However, Ball says that pany pensions from a defned-beneft as Alitalia’s European feet contracts, model to defined contributions. The average retirement age will increase Alitalia’s survival is again in ques- to 60 years from about 58.5 years in tion as shareholder Etihad Airways phased steps. VC also said it is willing reevaluates its partnership strategy. to accept productivity improvements, among other things. A high six-digit expansion on long-haul routes across provision for pensions can be dissolved the Atlantic is still very much in the in fscal 2017, should the deal be con- cards. Ball describes the U.S.-Italy frmed by union members, which will routes as “one of the most underserved also positively afect the airline’s earn- markets.” ings before interest and tax this year. Meanwhile, Air France-KLM is With the confict pending, Lufthansa seeking to close the gap with its com- had been shrinking its mainline feet petitors with a plan dubbed Trust To- for the past four years and is still in the gether. It includes deepening alliances process of dismantling Germanwings. Shen Quan modeled on its partnership with Delta Shrinking the legacy part of the group and setting up a new low-cost long- further is no longer an option. Instead, order, say multiple industry sources. Loong Air has just 19 Airbus A320s haul airline to operate alongside Air the carrier will have to keep the core One says at least 30 aircraft will be or- in service. JOEPRIESAVIATION.NET France. operation proftable at the new lower dered; another says no fewer than 35. agreement March 15 on a basic plan on long-term strategy. But even before While Air France won approval pilot costs. Boeing is also ofering the 787-9 in com- Boeing no doubt expects the comple- taking in numerous operational, struc- strategy comes into play, Alitalia needs for the principles behind its low-cost However, Lufthansa pilots remain petition with the Airbus A330-900 for tion center to infuence aircraft orders tural and pay- and pension-related its unions to come to a new collective- long-haul plan, known as the Boost among the highest paid in the indus- Loong’s widebody requirement, sources at the far more important level of the commitments after years of conflict bargaining agreement including staf project, to make the plan a reality, try. On the other hand, VC unsuccess- say. The number of widebody aircraft Beijing central government, which in- and strikes. Once fully implemented, reductions if it expects to secure fund- it faces drawn-out talks with unions fully tried to open the legacy pay deal under negotiation is unknown. fuences all airline purchasing. Boeing the deal will lead to a 15% reduction ing from shareholders to put the plan with which it has historically had a to pilots of fast-growing low-cost af- Loong, a small Airbus A320 operator, forecasts China will buy 5,110 narrow- in cockpit costs, the equivalent of into practice. “The aviation industry tense relationship. The discussions are fliate Eurowings. The two corps will is anxious to get moving with its growth body aircraft between 2016 and 2035. If €150 million ($160 million) annually, is ferociously competitive and never proceeding well, but an agreement is now remain fully separated, protecting plan, so it is also looking for secondhand central government favor arising from Lufthansa says. stands still,” Ball said as the plan was a long way of, with concrete answers Eurowings from the much higher staf A330s with which to begin widebody the completion center shifts just 5% of The surprise breakthrough came unveiled. needed on how the new entity will be cost at the parent carrier. No feet or services before new 787s or A330s ar- that demand in Boeing’s direction, then just before Alitalia unveiled its long- Turning around the airline’s con- funded and set up. growth limitations have been agreed rive. Boeing is seen as having an advan- the company will gain more than 250 awaited turnaround plan to stave of tinental business “is a critical aspect In contrast, Lufthansa has taken a to for Eurowings. The creation and tage over Airbus in securing a sale of orders worth $270 billion at list prices. fnancial collapse. The Italian carrier, because most of our customers fy on big step toward sorting out its own growth of the in-house low-cost carrier widebody aircraft to Loong because it This does not necessarily mean Boe- in which Etihad Airways bought a our short- and medium-haul planes to strained labor relations. The airline has been the main cause for confict of agreed last year to set up a facility in ing will receive a greater share of Chi- 49% stake in 2014, will focus heavily connect to our long-haul services,” Ball and VC settled on a basic plan, the late, as it was seen as a threat to legacy the eastern province Zhejiang to com- nese orders than Airbus. Quite likely, on bringing down costs—it aims to cut added. “If we can’t compete through- details of which have to be hammered pay and conditions. c plete and deliver 737s—ftting cabins, the completion center project will only

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 43

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nullify some of the political advantage it means surpassing Shenzhen Airlines, is most unlikely to let any airline’s fl eet Airbus has gained with its own indus- which has 173 aircraft and can be expect- grow tenfold in three years. But Loong’s trial presen ce in China. ed to have rather more by 2020. ambitions should not dismissed. With A spokesperson for Boeing declined Loong, with 19 aircraft, began fl ying provincial government backing, it could to comment on whether orders from in 2012 as a freight carrier. It gained easily become quite a substantial airline Loong were under negotiation. permission in 2013 to move into pas- in the 2020s. The carrier, barely known outside of senger operations. The carrier agreed in January to China and not too famous within it, has Pronouncing extravagant ambitions lease 20 narrowbody aircraft from an internally declared target to become comes easily to Chinese government AerCap. The contract covers Airbus the country’s fi fth-largest airline within of cials and airlines, and especially to A320-family and 737 aircraft, say two three years, says one of the industry of cially backed airlines. Moreover, the sources, one of whom adds that Loong sources. That looks like a tall order, since Civil Aviation Administration of China can choose either type. Loong also has Captain’s Seat A proposed Russo-Chinese airliner looks more and more Sino-Russian

Bradley Perrett Beijing BRADLEY PERRETT/AW&ST and Maxim Pyadushkin Moscow

hina increasingly seems to be taking a leading role in Ca politically driven widebody-aircraft program defi ned 70,000 lb. thrust, which the Lrwbca will need. Russia has last year as an equal partnership between Moscow not so far developed an engine to Western certification and Beijing. standards, but its industry has vastly more experience than Launch of full-scale development of the aircraft, compa- China’s in creating aeronautical gas turbines. rable to the Airbus A330-900, has slipped by a few months. One incentive for China to push the CJ2000, apart from Four months ago, it was due in the last quarter of 2016 or the the usual keenness of engineers anywhere to have a develop- fi rst quarter of 2017 . Registration of a joint program comment program, is that if they are the project leaders, then pany owned by Comac and United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) will United Engine would be cast in a supporting role and re- mark the launch. quired to pass know-how to Aero Engine Corp. of China, General Electric and Rolls-Royce will compete to supply rather than the other way around. The technology would be a Western engine, with which the widebody will enter ser- militarily valuable to China, which is trying hard to overcome vice around 2027. The Chinese side is reportedly pushing to this critical shortcoming. develop the intended second type of engine for the aircraft, Another indication of an imbalance is that Comac is to the Long-Range Wide Body Commercial Aircraft ( Lrwbca). build the Lrwbca’s metal-and-composite fuselage, while UAC The balance of top appointments is one indication of the makes the composite wing. In both cases, that work will pre- program’s tilt toward China. Guo Bozhi, head of Comac’s sumably include detail design and development. Comac will widebody department, will be the overall project leader— also perform fi nal assembly, the stage of aircraft manufactur- specifi cally, president of the joint company that will design, ing that brings the most glory. The wing of an airliner should sell and support the Lrwbca. UAC’s head of widebody pro- account for rather less than half the cost, even if the center grams, Sergey Fominykh, will be only a member of the board wing box is included. of directors. The identity of the vice president is unknown, Discussing how to balance that, perhaps by allocating a but he or she will presumably be Russian. preponderant share of onboard equipment to Russia, may Shanghai, Comac’s home town, was chosen last year as be a reason for the delay in getting the program moving. The the project company’s headquarters. That was to be partly Chinese negotiators likely have an advantage in these talks balanced by setting up the joint engineering center in Mos- because they probably have easier access to government cow. But it has now been decided that the of ce, responsible funds than UAC and because China, with its greater popu- for top-level development, will also be in Shanghai, says an lation and larger economy, will of er a much bigger home industry source. The engineers will spend some months each market for the Lrwbca than will Russia. year in Moscow. UAC’s announcement of the leadership appointments at At fi rst, a Western engine will be needed. Last year, the least clears one obstacle to registering the joint company—in Russian side expected to of er an engine, the forthcoming Shanghai. This will happen soon, a UAC spokesperson says. PD-35 of United Engine Corp., as an alternative around 2030. The intended name is China-Russia Commercial Aircraft The Chinese are pushing to substitute their proposed engine, International Corp. Ltd., a good sign of its governmental the CJ2000, reports Russia’s Life news service. Their ambi- origins. tion to do so is not surprising—and also implausible, since Russian industry of cials say the prolonged negotiations China has very little experience in developing any kind of with the Chinese are no surprise to them. They have seen aircraft engine, let alone a turbofan of probably more than this before, when the Chinese side in earlier programs has

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p42-45.indd 44 3/29/17 11:20 AM COMMERCIAL AVIATION nullify some of the political advantage it means surpassing Shenzhen Airlines, is most unlikely to let any airline’s fl eet nine A320neos on order and, according stacle is that Hangzhou Xiaoshan Inter- that an advantage of completing 737s Airbus has gained with its own indus- which has 173 aircraft and can be expect- grow tenfold in three years. But Loong’s to one source, is likely to keep ordering national Airport is only 160 km (100 mi.) at Zhoushan will be to free up space at trial presen ce in China. ed to have rather more by 2020. ambitions should not dismissed. With aircraft of that type even after placing from Shanghai Pudong International, its busy but constrained site at Renton, A spokesperson for Boeing declined Loong, with 19 aircraft, began fl ying provincial government backing, it could its probably imminent 737 order. one of China’s three main hubs. Washington. Timing for the project is to comment on whether orders from in 2012 as a freight carrier. It gained easily become quite a substantial airline The airline has a potentially strong Boeing will operate the completion not disclosed. Loong were under negotiation. permission in 2013 to move into pas- in the 2020s. home market. Hangzhou is well-de- center in partnership with Comac. Airbus has begun building a comple- The carrier, barely known outside of senger operations. The carrier agreed in January to veloped, with a population of 9.2 mil- The two companies and the Zhejiang tion center for A330s at Tianjin and has China and not too famous within it, has Pronouncing extravagant ambitions lease 20 narrowbody aircraft from lion and a prosperous hinterland. It is government signed a framework agree- been delivering A320-family aircraft an internally declared target to become comes easily to Chinese government AerCap. The contract covers Airbus among the most developed in China, so ment for the project on Oct. 28. Boeing from a fi nal assembly line at that city the country’s fi fth-largest airline within of cials and airlines, and especially to A320-family and 737 aircraft, say two if the government wants a big airline, it does not mention the obvious value of since 2009. c three years, says one of the industry of cially backed airlines. Moreover, the sources, one of whom adds that Loong can easily throw in the fi nancial support the move in promoting commercial- sources. That looks like a tall order, since Civil Aviation Administration of China can choose either type. Loong also has needed to make it happen. The key ob- aircraft sales in China, but it has said —Research by Ryan Wang

The Lrwbca is due to enter that the two countries should work together. Joint studies Captain’s Seat service in 2027, after 10 years began in 2012 and preliminary development by Comac and of development. UAC in 2014; a preliminary design was ready the following year and has been refi ned since then. A proposed Russo-Chinese airliner The aircraft will be able to carry about 280 passengers looks more and more Sino-Russian over 12,000 km (7,500 mi.) in its basic confi guration. A generous 10 years has been allowed for development. In the Bradley Perrett Beijing BRADLEY PERRETT/AW&ST Chinese industry, the Lrwbca is still casually referred to as and Maxim Pyadushkin Moscow the C929, the name of Comac’s previously planned widebody aircraft. hina increasingly seems to be taking a leading role in UAC has a fallback option in case the Lrwbca runs into Ca politically driven widebody-aircraft program defi ned 70,000 lb. thrust, which the Lrwbca will need. Russia has haggled at length to secure as much Russian technology as major problems. The Russian company has begun work last year as an equal partnership between Moscow not so far developed an engine to Western certification possible. on a modernized Ilyushin Il-96 based on the Il-96-400T, a and Beijing. standards, but its industry has vastly more experience than If the launch delay does not af ect the schedule, a request stretched freight version. Seating will rise to 390 from the Launch of full-scale development of the aircraft, compa- China’s in creating aeronautical gas turbines. for proposals for engines should be issued in September, says 300 of the previous passenger version. The fi rst prototype rable to the Airbus A330-900, has slipped by a few months. One incentive for China to push the CJ2000, apart from the industry source. Six months later will come the request is due to fl y in 2019. Preliminary work is also underway on Four months ago, it was due in the last quarter of 2016 or the the usual keenness of engineers anywhere to have a develop- for proposals for onboard equipment. At this preliminary a two-engine airliner based on the Il-96. It would use the fi rst quarter of 2017 . Registration of a joint program comment program, is that if they are the project leaders, then stage, Comac is leaning toward General Electric, its partner PD-35, development of which began in 2016. pany owned by Comac and United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) will United Engine would be cast in a supporting role and re- on the ARJ21 and C919, says the source, while UAC prefers UAC’s other appointments to the Russo-Chinese company mark the launch. quired to pass know-how to Aero Engine Corp. of China, Rolls-Royce. include Vladislav Masalov, a new head of UAC subsidiary General Electric and Rolls-Royce will compete to supply rather than the other way around. The technology would be While maximizing its infl uence in the Lrwbca program, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, who will be a board member. Under a Western engine, with which the widebody will enter ser- militarily valuable to China, which is trying hard to overcome Comac would prefer to develop its own widebody, which it Masalov, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is to become UAC’s commer- vice around 2027. The Chinese side is reportedly pushing to this critical shortcoming. had penciled in for the 2020s before the top leadership of cial aircraft division, incorporating the MC-21 narrowbody develop the intended second type of engine for the aircraft, Another indication of an imbalance is that Comac is to China and Russia decided, evidently for diplomatic reasons, airliner, Il-114 turboprop and the Il-96 programs. c the Long-Range Wide Body Commercial Aircraft ( Lrwbca). build the Lrwbca’s metal-and-composite fuselage, while UAC The balance of top appointments is one indication of the makes the composite wing. In both cases, that work will pre- program’s tilt toward China. Guo Bozhi, head of Comac’s sumably include detail design and development. Comac will widebody department, will be the overall project leader— also perform fi nal assembly, the stage of aircraft manufactur- specifi cally, president of the joint company that will design, ing that brings the most glory. The wing of an airliner should sell and support the Lrwbca. UAC’s head of widebody pro- account for rather less than half the cost, even if the center Precision grams, Sergey Fominykh, will be only a member of the board wing box is included. of directors. The identity of the vice president is unknown, Discussing how to balance that, perhaps by allocating a but he or she will presumably be Russian. preponderant share of onboard equipment to Russia, may You Can Trust. Shanghai, Comac’s home town, was chosen last year as be a reason for the delay in getting the program moving. The the project company’s headquarters. That was to be partly Chinese negotiators likely have an advantage in these talks Introducing balanced by setting up the joint engineering center in Mos- because they probably have easier access to government THE NEW CMA-6024 GPS SENSOR cow. But it has now been decided that the of ce, responsible funds than UAC and because China, with its greater popu- for top-level development, will also be in Shanghai, says an lation and larger economy, will of er a much bigger home industry source. The engineers will spend some months each market for the Lrwbca than will Russia. SBAS/GBAS CAT-I/II/III Precision Approach Solution year in Moscow. UAC’s announcement of the leadership appointments at Dependable • Reliable • Flexible At fi rst, a Western engine will be needed. Last year, the least clears one obstacle to registering the joint company—in Russian side expected to of er an engine, the forthcoming Shanghai. This will happen soon, a UAC spokesperson says. PD-35 of United Engine Corp., as an alternative around 2030. The intended name is China-Russia Commercial Aircraft The Chinese are pushing to substitute their proposed engine, International Corp. Ltd., a good sign of its governmental the CJ2000, reports Russia’s Life news service. Their ambi- origins. tion to do so is not surprising—and also implausible, since Russian industry of cials say the prolonged negotiations www.esterline.com/avionicssystems China has very little experience in developing any kind of with the Chinese are no surprise to them. They have seen aircraft engine, let alone a turbofan of probably more than this before, when the Chinese side in earlier programs has

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 45

AW_04_03_2017_p42-45.indd 44 3/29/17 11:20 AM AW_04_03_2017_p42-45.indd 45 3/29/17 11:20 AM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT

A320neo’s Bump The new Airbus narrowbody exceeds performance targets, but engine troubles have not yet been overcome Jens Flottau Toulouse Guy Norris Los Angeles

ow that the A320neo has been in ser- Nvice for a little over one year, airlines as well as Airbus and its key suppliers have gained operational experience with the reengined narrowbody. The story so far has been about a tumultuous start involving a last-minute change in launch operator and a difcult introduction of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine. But Airbus and operators are encouraged by the aircraft’s performance data. As of March 1, Airbus had delivered a total of 88 A320neos. The aircraft are fown by 20 airlines; 49 aircraft at 11 carriers are equipped with the Pratt & Whitney 1100G engine; 39 at nine airlines with the CFM International Leap 1A (see table, page 50). As of mid-March, the in-service feet had accumulated more than 57,600 flight hours and around 37,500 cycles. The A320neo feet averages close to nine block hours per day, and some airlines fy the aircraft up to 10 cycles a day. In this respect, the Neo is not diferent from the A320ceo (current engine option). Lufthansa operates some of the short- est routes, with the aircraft routinely being dispatched on the 45 min. sectors from Frankfurt to Hamburg or Munich. China Southern Airlines fies some of the longest sectors, close to 6 hr. The average stage length across the Neo feet is

800-900 nm on 142 diferent routes. While there have been O sler/ l ufthansa some high-profle operational issues—in particular related

to Pratt’s geared turbofan engine (GTF)—those have not Oliver r

46 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 46 3/28/17 4:33 PM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT

A320neo’s BumpyBump Start The new Airbus narrowbody exceeds performance targets, but engine troubles have not yet been overcome Jens Flottau Toulouse Guy Norris Los Angeles ow that the A320neo has been in service for a little over one year, airlines N Lufthansa became the fi rst airline to fl y as well as Airbus and its key suppliers the A320neo. It now operates fi ve. have gained operational experience with the reengined narrowbody. The story so far has been about a tumultuous start involving a last-minute change in launch operator and a difcult introduction of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine. But Airbus and operators are encouraged by the aircraft’s performance data. As of March 1, Airbus had delivered a total of 88 A320neos. The aircraft are fown by 20 airlines; 49 aircraft at 11 carriers are equipped with the Pratt & Whitney 1100G engine; 39 at nine airlines with the CFM International Leap 1A (see table, page 50). As of mid-March, the in-service feet had accumulated more than 57,600 flight hours and around 37,500 cycles. The A320neo feet averages close to nine block hours per day, and some airlines fy the aircraft up to 10 cycles a day. In this respect, the Neo is not diferent from the A320ceo (current engine option). Lufthansa operates some of the short- est routes, with the aircraft routinely being dispatched on the 45 min. sectors from Frankfurt to Hamburg or Munich. China Southern Airlines fies some of the longest sectors, close to 6 hr. The average stage length across the Neo feet is

800-900 nm on 142 diferent routes. While there have been O sler/ l ufthansa some high-profle operational issues—in particular related

to Pratt’s geared turbofan engine (GTF)—those have not Oliver r

46 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 47

AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 46 3/28/17 4:33 PM AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 47 3/28/17 4:33 PM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT

had a massive detrimental effect on nized by Airbus and co-chaired by cated recording boxes on 10 aircraft. overall dispatch reliability, which is Lufthansa and IndiGo, the two first The devices, initially called customer now at 99.6%, against a target of 99.7%. A320neo operators, which presented support troubleshooting tools, are col- In spite of the various technical is- what their initial experiences with the lecting about 12,000 parameters moni- sues that still have to be rectifed in the aircraft have been and answered ques- toring the in-service feet. Sequences coming months, there is one important tions by other carriers. “We want to of 120 hr. are analyzed. By now, Air- piece of good news for Airbus, Pratt keep the collaborative approach,” says bus has—protected by non-disclosure and CFM: The aircraft is meeting and Jean-Pierre Gomez, head of A320neo agreements with the airlines—collect- sometimes exceeding its performance Program Support. ed 17 terabytes of data from the 10 in- targets. Several operators confrm that Following the Toulouse meeting, service aircraft. “We know everything the fuel-burn savings of 15% per seat is Airbus initiated monthly webinars for about them,” Gomez says. This kind of monitoring is not unusu- al, and similar data volumes are available on the A350 and A380 feets, but given that the A320 is an older design, the boxes had to be installed separately. The same tool will be used when the A330neo is introduced in 2018. In spite of all these eforts, the A320neo’s entry into revenue service has been less than smooth, and most problems are linked to Pratt’s GTF engine. Several initiatives are ongoing to rec- tify the issues, but it will likely take Airbus and Pratt at least until the end of 2017 to identify and implement proper mitigation that will bring the Pratt feet to the level of ma- turity that the Leap fleet has enjoyed from the start. The issues can be grouped into CFM INTERNATIONAL three categories: bringing down the extended start-up time initially required CFM managed a relatively smooth service introduction for the Leap 1A, but for cooling the PW1100G engines to op- the engine’s production ramp-up remains a challenge. erationally feasible levels; making design fxes that will eliminate the in-service problems faced a reality even on very short sectors Airbus A320neo In-service where the added weight is a strong by carriers such as IndiGo counteracting factor. When the air- Fleet Data (March 2017) and Go Air that have been craft is fying longer routes, the fuel- operating the Neos in harsh burn savings rise to 16-17% and can Flight Hours ...... 57,600 environments; and catching climb to 20% or beyond in specific Cycles ...... 37,500 up on the delays in delivering cases, as airlines such as Lufthansa Routes ...... 142 aircraft and engines to cus- have added two seat rows to increase Dispatch Reliability ...... 99.6% tomers on time. capacity to 180 from 168 passengers. In Toulouse, one does not And following some modifcations to Average Daily Block Hours ...... 8.41 have to look far for illustra- the dampening of hydraulic pumps, Average Stage Length ...... 900 nm tion of the dramatic early cabin noise has also been dramatical- Source: Airbus days of A320neo introduc- ly reduced. “The A320neo is now the tion. Several A320neos in quietest aircraft,” says Klaus Roewe, Qatar Airways colors and head of the A320-family program. the airline community, split between without engines are still parked near Airbus held the frst A320neo op- CFM and Pratt customers. The frst the airport fence for long-term storage: erator seminar in February one year was held in mid-March with 54 airlines, The carrier decided not to take deliv- after entry into service. It was initially only 20 of which had then taken delivery of the jets, and it appears more and focused on the 2016 and 2017 opera- ery of A320neos. “The participation in more doubtful that it will ever accept tors, but more than 30 airlines ended meetings like this allows carriers to be them, as it is negotiating a switch to up attending, many of which had not well-prepared when they receive their the larger A321neo powered by CFM yet taken delivery of their frst Neo. frst aircraft,” Gomez says. engines. Qatar’s refusal was initially Pratt & Whitney and CFM Interna- To detect and address technical is- linked to the discovery of the long tional as well as other key suppliers sues quickly, Airbus, in cooperation cooling times required ahead of engine also participated in the forum orga- with fve airlines, has installed dedi- start-up that was intended to eliminate

48 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 48 3/29/17 12:40 PM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT had a massive detrimental effect on nized by Airbus and co-chaired by cated recording boxes on 10 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney continues test- overall dispatch reliability, which is Lufthansa and IndiGo, the two first The devices, initially called customer ing of PW1000GJM engines to now at 99.6%, against a target of 99.7%. A320neo operators, which presented support troubleshooting tools, are col- improve their robustness. In spite of the various technical is- what their initial experiences with the lecting about 12,000 parameters moni- sues that still have to be rectifed in the aircraft have been and answered ques- toring the in-service feet. Sequences filling procedure are also targeted. coming months, there is one important tions by other carriers. “We want to of 120 hr. are analyzed. By now, Air- Lufthansa and other carriers have piece of good news for Airbus, Pratt keep the collaborative approach,” says bus has—protected by non-disclosure pointed out to Airbus that idle power and CFM: The aircraft is meeting and Jean-Pierre Gomez, head of A320neo agreements with the airlines—collect- is too high. Following brake release, the sometimes exceeding its performance Program Support. ed 17 terabytes of data from the 10 in- aircraft start moving with no added targets. Several operators confrm that Following the Toulouse meeting, service aircraft. “We know everything thrust, so some airlines want lower the fuel-burn savings of 15% per seat is Airbus initiated monthly webinars for about them,” Gomez says. idle thrust levels to reduce fuel burn This kind of monitoring is not unusu- during taxi. “We have already reduced al, and similar data volumes are avail- idle power,” says Roewe. “We are also able on the A350 and A380 feets, but working to further reduce it, but there given that the A320 is an older design, is a limit because we need thrust to the boxes had to be installed separately. cool the engines. We will not go down The same tool will be used when the & Whitney Pratt to Ceo levels.” A330neo is introduced in 2018. Airbus and Pratt also have learned In spite of all these eforts, the so-called rotor bow, minimal bending do on 14 aircraft, and Air Astana com- the hard way that there is a diference A320neo’s entry into revenue ser- of the engine shaft under certain tem- pleted the frst retroft in mid-March. between the conditions under which vice has been less than smooth, perature conditions. At the time, Luf- The pace difers from airline to airline engines are tested and the humid, and most problems are linked thansa stepped in as launch operator because “not everyone is as sensitive,” hot, polluted and salty environment to Pratt’s GTF engine. Several and has since been highly engaged in Roewe says. But carriers like IndiGo in which two of its customers in par- initiatives are ongoing to rec- addressing the issues with the back- that have turnaround times below 30 ticular, IndiGo and Go Air, operate. tify the issues, but it will likely ing of its own huge in-house technical min. rely on speedy engine start-up. Making the engine ft for these condi- take Airbus and Pratt at least organization. Dual cooling is now a standard fea- tions has been the second major task until the end of 2017 to iden- Initially, it took the airline more than ture for newly delivered Pratt-powered they have had to address since service

tify and implement proper 7 min. to start up both engines, creat- Lufthansa entry, and their work is not yet com- mitigation that will bring the ing operational havoc at its Frankfurt plete. Due to a number of factors, 42 Pratt feet to the level of ma- hub and forcing it to park the aircraft premature removals of PW1100Gs turity that the Leap fleet has only at gates where extended halts on accumulated by Feb. 24, the majority enjoyed from the start. near taxiways would not block other of which afected some of IndiGo’s 17 The issues can be grouped into trafc. The time compares to 1-2 min. Pratt-powered A320neos and Go Air’s CFM INTERNATIONAL three categories: bringing down the ex- to start up the CFM56 and up to 2.5 fve. Several more such removals are tended start-up time initially required min. for the International Aero En- planned. Airbus also confirmed that CFM managed a relatively smooth service introduction for the Leap 1A, but for cooling the PW1100G engines to op- gines V2500. it reduced the maximum period of op- the engine’s production ramp-up remains a challenge. erationally feasible levels; making de- It was clear from the beginning that eration until mandatory checks and sign fxes that will eliminate something had to be done, and fast. In possible repairs to 3 fight hours from the in-service problems faced 10 fight hours after certain warnings a reality even on very short sectors Airbus A320neo In-service the frst half of 2016, Pratt developed where the added weight is a strong by carriers such as IndiGo improved software that took about appear. India’s Directorate of Civil counteracting factor. When the air- Fleet Data (March 2017) and Go Air that have been 20 sec. out of the start-up sequence, Aviation (DGCA) also now requires craft is fying longer routes, the fuel- operating the Neos in harsh according to Lufthansa’s A320 fleet A320neo operators in the country to burn savings rise to 16-17% and can Flight Hours ...... 57,600 environments; and catching chief pilot, Sascha Unterbarnscheidt. respect the shorter time until manda- climb to 20% or beyond in specific Cycles ...... 37,500 up on the delays in delivering Hardware fixes combined with soft- tory maintenance checks. cases, as airlines such as Lufthansa aircraft and engines to cus- ware upgrades brought the process The biggest issue Pratt and Airbus Routes ...... 142 Lufthansa’s ffth aircraft is the frst have added two seat rows to increase Dispatch Reliability ...... 99.6% tomers on time. down to 5 min. 40 sec. The introduc- have had to deal with relating to 28 capacity to 180 from 168 passengers. In Toulouse, one does not tion of the so-called dual-cooling pro- equipped with a switch for dual premature engine removals is associ- And following some modifcations to Average Daily Block Hours ...... 8.41 have to look far for illustra- cedure—cooling down both engines at engine cooling during start-up. The ated with wearing of an air seal for the the dampening of hydraulic pumps, Average Stage Length ...... 900 nm tion of the dramatic early the same time—delivered the single function is now standard for the feet. No. 3 bearing. Although the bearing it- cabin noise has also been dramatical- Source: Airbus days of A320neo introduc- biggest efect so far, a reduction of 2 self has been functioning normally, the ly reduced. “The A320neo is now the tion. Several A320neos in min. 10 sec. Lufthansa has meanwhile A320neos. On the CFM side, it is not worn seal has allowed traces of metal quietest aircraft,” says Klaus Roewe, Qatar Airways colors and taken delivery of its fifth aircraft, ofered, “because we have not seen the particles to enter the oil system, which head of the A320-family program. the airline community, split between without engines are still parked near registered D-AINE, which has a dual- demand,” he says. has triggered chip-detector warnings. Airbus held the frst A320neo op- CFM and Pratt customers. The frst the airport fence for long-term storage: cooling switch on the overhead cockpit Lufthansa reports that it now typi- The failure has been traced to wearing erator seminar in February one year was held in mid-March with 54 airlines, The carrier decided not to take deliv- panel. The process therefore remains cally needs 3 min. 30 sec. for engine of the carbon air seal and will be ad- after entry into service. It was initially only 20 of which had then taken delivery of the jets, and it appears more and manual; crews can decide before every start-up, a time that is also confrmed dressed by a retroft package currently focused on the 2016 and 2017 opera- ery of A320neos. “The participation in more doubtful that it will ever accept fight whether they want to use dual by Airbus for the broader in-service under test. tors, but more than 30 airlines ended meetings like this allows carriers to be them, as it is negotiating a switch to cooling or not. fleet. Roewe says Airbus and Pratt Pratt frst uncovered air seal issues up attending, many of which had not well-prepared when they receive their the larger A321neo powered by CFM Lufthansa has taken delivery of ret- want to bring the procedure down to 2 around the same bearing compart- yet taken delivery of their frst Neo. frst aircraft,” Gomez says. engines. Qatar’s refusal was initially roft kits and, like other operators, will min. 30 sec. by the end of 2017 through ment in 2015 and partially revised the Pratt & Whitney and CFM Interna- To detect and address technical is- linked to the discovery of the long install them during scheduled mainte- further software upgrades. Lufthansa’s design. Improved bearing compart- tional as well as other key suppliers sues quickly, Airbus, in cooperation cooling times required ahead of engine nance downturns. It still has to retroft Unterbarnscheidt says fuel nozzle ments were introduced starting with also participated in the forum orga- with fve airlines, has installed dedi- start-up that was intended to eliminate its frst four Neos; IndiGo has work to modifcations and changes to the oil engine No. 160 in 2016. Both the third

48 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 49

AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 48 3/29/17 12:40 PM AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 49 3/29/17 12:40 PM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT

fififi fifiufififi bfififififififi wfififi fifififi fifififibfififi fififi fififi fifivfififi Tfifififi fifivfi fifififi Airbus A320neo No. of fi fifi fififiufifi fififi fifififi fifififi, wfififi fififip- In-service Fleet Engine bfififi fififififi fifi fiufifififi fiufifififififi vfififi fififi fifi fififip fif fififi fififi fififififi-bfiw fififiufi (as of March 1, 2017) Aircraft (OGV) fifififififififififififi fiufi fifi fi fififiufififi- wfifififi fififippfifi up fififififi fifi fififi fififivfififi Air Asia 6 CFM fiufifififi qufififififi fififiufifi Sfififi fifififififififififififi fifi fififi fififififififi Tfifi fifiw pfifikfififi fifi fifififi fififi bfififi fibfififivfifi bfi Lufififififififi fifipfifivfifififififi fifi bfifififi fifififififififi fifi bfi Air Astana 1 P&W fifi wfififi, fififififiufifi fififi fififififififi, vfififibfifi fifififififi fifififi fifi-wfifififi Air India 2 CFM fifififi fifi fififi fiufififi pfifififi fifi fififi OGVfi, Afifibufi fifi fifiw ufifififi fififi fiwfi A321fififi All Nippon Airways 2 P&W fifivfi fififi bfififi fifi fififififififivfi fififi fifivfi fifififi fifififififififi fifi vfififififififi fififi fifipfifivfi- fififi fifiufififi fififi fififififiw-fifi fififififififi fifififififi Ififififififififi, fififi fififififififi fifi fififififififi Avianca Brazil 3 CFM Rfifiwfi fifififi fifififi fi “fififififi pfipufifififififi fifi fifififiwfififi fififififififi, fififi fififi fifififififi fifi Azul 7 CFM fifi fififififififi fifififififififi fififi bfififi fif fifififififi fififi fifipfifififi fifi fififififi fipfififififififi fififififi- China Southern 5 P&W Tfifi fifififi fifiufifi fififi bfififi fifififififififififi fififififi, fifi fififi fl fififififi fififi fifikfififi pfifififi fifi fifi fifipfifipfifi bfifififififi bfifiwfififi fififi fifi- Tfiufifiufififi Hfiwfivfifi, fififi fifififi fififififififi Citilink 2 CFM fifififiufi fififi fififipfififififi pfififififi Efififififi wfififi bfi fifipfififififi wfififi fifififififi fifififi fifififi Frontier 5 CFM fififipfifififififi pfififififiufififi fifivfi bfififi fifi- fififififipfififififi fifififiwfififi fififififi fifififififififi Go Air 5 P&W pfifivfifi, Afifibufi fififififi Afifififififififi fifi Rfifiwfi, Afifibufi pfifififi fifififi Tfifi fifififi fifiwfi fififi fififi fifififififi fifikfifi fififipfififififi fifififi fifi Ififififi fififi Afi-Afifi fifi Hong Kong Express 3 P&W fifi fifififi fififi fififi fififivfi fifififi fifififififi fifi fififi fififi Ufififififi Afifib Efififififififi fifi wfififi, fifi IndiGo 19 P&W fififififi fifi fififi GTF fififi bfififi pfifibfififi- fifififik fifiw fififi fifififififi pfififififififi fifi vfififi LATAM Airlines 2 P&W fififififi fiufififi, fififi fififi pfififiufififi fifivfifififififififififi Pfifififi’fi fifififififi fifififi fifi fifi fifififivfifi bfi- Pfifififi pfifififi fifi ufifi fififi fiwfi Bfififififi 747 Lufthansa 5 P&W fiwfififi 350 fififi 400 GTF fififififififi fifififi fl fifififi fifififibfifi fififi vfififififififififi fl fifififififi Pegasus 9 CFM fififififi Tfifi fififipfififi fifi fifififi fifififi fifi fifik- Ffifififiwfififi fififi fififififi, fifififi fifififififi fifi- SAS 5 CFM fififi fififi fifififififi, fifi fififififi fifi fififi pfififiufififififi wfifik fififi fifi fifikfi pfififififi Tfifi fifififififififi fifi fififi bfififififififififi fififi bfififififi—fififi fi fififififififi fififi fifififififi fififibfifi fifi fifi-fififivfififi Spirit 5 P&W fifi fififi fifififi fififiufifi fififififififi bfifik fifififivfifi- fifififififififi Afifififififififi fifi Afifibufi, fififi fififi- SriLankan 1 CFM fififi fi fififififiufifi fififi fififi fifififififififififi fifififi- VivaAerobus 2 P&W wfififi upfifififififi fififififi fififi fifi bfi fififi fifififi A fiufififififi 13 pfififififiufifi Pfifififi GTF Volaris 1 P&W fifififififi fifififivfififi fifivfi bfififi fifiufififi bfi Total: 90 fififibufififififi fifififibfifi fifififififififi wfifififi, Source: Airbus fififififififififi fifi fififiufifififi fif fififififi, wfifi fififi- fifivfifififi bfi bfifififififipfi fififipfififififififi fifififi fifivfififififi bfififikfifi fififififififi fififififi fifi fifififi fifififififiufififi fi fifivfifififi fiufifi-fifizzfifi fifi- pfifififififi Tfifi fififififi fifiufififi fifi fififi pfifibfifififi fifi fififififififi fi fififibufifififi fifififi, fifi fifififi fifivfi bfififi fififififififi fifi, fififi Pfifififi’fi “fifiwfi,fi pfifibfifififi Afi fifipfifivfifi, fifififi fifififififififi fififififi fifi fifififififififi fifififi fi fiub- fiufifibfifi fififibufifififi fifififififi fifi ufifififififi- H. GOUSSE/AIRBUS fifififififififi pfifififififi fifi fififi fififififififififififi fifi fififi fififififi fififi fifi fifipfififififi fifi bfi fififififi- fififikfifi fifi fipfififififififi fifi fififififififi fifivfifififi- fiufififi fifi Sfipfififibfififi fififififi wfififi fififififififi fifififi Tfififi fippfifififi fifi A fifififififi Pfifififi fifififififi fifififivfifi wfifi fififi fifi 2016—fifi fififififififififififi Ifi fifififififififi, bfi fififi fifiufifi fifi fififi Jfififi 21 fifififififi fifififi- pfifififififififi fifi fi pfifififiufifififi fififififiwfififi fi fifiw fififi bfifififi fififiufifififiufifififi fifififififififi ufifi fifi fifi IfififiGfi Afifibufi A320fififi fiufifi fififififi fififip-fifififififififi wfifififififi fifi fififi fifi Lfifififififi, Mfififififififi, fifi fififi fifi jfififi fififi fififi fififi fifikfifif fiufi fifi Mufibfifi, wfifififi fifififi fififififififififi fifififibfififi fifififififififi fififiufiufififififi bfifififi pfififiufififififi wfifi fibfififififi fifi fifififi fipfifififi Ffifi-bfifififi fififififif fififi fififiufifififi, fifififi fifififi fifi IHI fifi Jfipfififi Rfifiwfi fifififi Afifibufi Tfifi fififibufifififi fififi fifififi pfifivfifiufififi Ifi fififi bfififi fifififififi bfifik fifi fifipfifipfifi fifififi fififi fififififivfifi fifififi fififififififi bfi Pfifififi bfififi fifi fififiufi fififi Pfifififi, wfifififi fififififififi bfifififififi fifi fififi fifiufififiufi fififi bfifififi fifififi fifififivfififi fififififififi fififi 2017 fifififififi fififififibfififi Spirit is one of two U.S. A320neo operators. The other is Frontier Airlines. Ovfififififi, Afifibufi pfifififi fifi fifififivfifi fibfiufi 200 A320fifififi fifi fiufififififififi fifififi fifififi, fifififiufifififi bfififi Pfifififi- fififi CFM-pfiwfifififiCFM-pfiwfifififi vvfifififififififififififififififi ““WfiWfi wwfifififififi fifififififififififififi fififipfififififipfifi wfififiwfififi wfiwfi fifififivfifififififififivfifififi fifififififififi fifififi,fififififi,fi RRfifiwfififiwfi fifififififififififi ““TfififiTfififi fifififi fifififififi fifibjfifififivfifibjfifififivfifi WWfifi fififivfifivfi fi fifi fififififififi fififififififi fi fififififi fififififififififififififififififififififi fififififififififi fififififififi fififififififififififififififi fi fifivfifififivfifi fifififi Pfifififi;Pfifififi; fifififififififi wfififiwfififi fiufifififiufififi fififivfifififivfi fiufifiufi pfififiufififififipfififiufififififi fifififififififi fifififi fififififififi fififififififi fififififififififi fififififififififififi AfiAfi fifififififi fifififififififi fifififi,fifififi, fifififififififi wfififiwfififi fifivfififivfi fiufififiufifi fiuppfifififiuppfififi fifififi fifififififi fiufifififififi—fififiufifififififi—fifi fifififififi fiufi-fiufi- fifififififififififififi wfififiwfififi bfibfi fifififififififififififi fififififififififi C. BRINKMAN/AIRBUS WfifififiWfifififi AfifibufiAfifibufi fifififififi PfifififiPfifififi fifififififi fifififififififififi wfifikfififi fifi fi fififi fififi fififi pfifibfifififi fifi

50 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p46-51.indd 50 3/29/17 12:40 PM A320NEO IN-SERVICE REPORT

fififi fifiufififi bfififififififi wfififi fifififi fifififibfififi fififi fififi fifivfififi Tfifififi fifivfi fifififi thf farlf phasf of thf GTF ffgfff’s Airbus A320neo No. of fi fifi fififiufifi fififi fifififi fifififi, wfififi fififip- In-service Fleet Engine bfififi fififififi fifi fiufifififi fiufifififififi vfififi lfff, Rofwf poffts out that hf fs “vfrf fififi fifi fififip fif fififi fififi fififififi-bfiw fififiufi (as of March 1, 2017) Aircraft (OGV) fifififififififififififi fiufi fifi fi fififiufififi- happf” wfth thf CFM ffgfff. CFM has wfifififi fififippfifi up fififififi fifi fififi fififivfififi Air Asia 6 CFM fiufifififi qufififififi fififiufifi Sfififi fifififififififi- af “fxtra fhallffgf” wfth thf Bofffg fifififi fifi fififi fififififififi Tfifi fifiw pfifikfififi fifi fifififi fififi bfififi fibfififivfifi bfi Lufififififififi 737 MAX program fow rampffg up ff fifipfifivfifififififi fifi bfifififi fifififififififi fifi bfi Air Astana 1 P&W fifi wfififi, fififififiufifi fififi fififififififi, vfififibfifi parallfl wfth thf A320ffo, hf fotfs, fifififififi fifififi fifi-wfifififi Air India 2 CFM fifififi fifi fififi fiufififi pfifififi fifi fififi OGVfi, but thf projfft fs “mafagfd quftf wfll,” Afifibufi fifi fifiw ufifififi fififi fiwfi A321fififi All Nippon Airways 2 P&W fifivfi fififi bfififi fifi fififififififivfi fififi fifivfi hf adds. “Thff arf fxtrfmflf proffs- C. BRINKMAN/AIRBUS fifififi fifififififififi fifi vfififififififi fififi fifipfifivfi- fififi fifiufififi fififi fififififiw-fifi fififififififi sfofal.” Noffthflfss, Afrbus has “somf fifififififi Ififififififififi, fififi fififififififi fifi fififififififi Avianca Brazil 3 CFM Rfifiwfi fifififi fifififi fi “fififififi pfipufifififififi margff ff produftfof” to ffsurf ft fs Pegasus is currently the largest operator of the Leap-1A-powered version. fifi fifififiwfififi fififififififi, fififi fififi fifififififi fifi Azul 7 CFM fifi fififififififi fifififififififi fififi bfififi fif fifififififi prfparfd for aff hfffups ff thf sup- fififi fifipfifififi fifi fififififi fipfififififififi fififififi- China Southern 5 P&W Tfifi fifififi fifiufifi fififi bfififi fifififififififififi plf fhaff. Hf strfssfs that both ffgfff ffgs ff fxffss of thf promfsfd 15%. Afd thfs ffar of Bofffg’s 737-8, CFM plafs fififififi, fifi fififi fl fififififi fififi fifikfififi pfifififi fifi fifi fifipfifipfifi bfifififififi bfifiwfififi fififi fifi- mafufafturfrs arf rampffg up to lfv- as Pfgasus has sffff bfff dfplofffg thf to dflfvfr morf thaf 500 Lfap ffgfffs Tfiufifiufififi Hfiwfivfifi, fififi fifififi fififififififi Citilink 2 CFM fifififiufi fififi fififipfififififi pfififififi Efififififi fls prfvfouslf ufhfard of. afrfraft of lofgfr sfftors of aroufd 2.5 ff 2017. Thf ratf wfll stffpff furthfr wfififi bfi fifipfififififi wfififi fifififififi fifififi fifififi Frontier 5 CFM fififipfifififififi pfififififiufififi fifivfi bfififi fifi- “Ovfrall, thf fxpfrfffff has bfff hr., “thf savffgs wfll go up,” hf safs. “Wf ff 2018, whff aroufd 1,100 Lfaps arf fififififipfififififi fifififiwfififi fififififi fifififififififi Go Air 5 P&W pfifivfifi, Afifibufi fififififi fxffptfofal,” safs CFM Exffutfvf Vfff havf sfff up to 18% [lowfr fufl burf] of duf for dflfvfrf, afd ft fs fxpfftfd to Afifififififififi fifi Rfifiwfi, Afifibufi pfifififi fifififi Tfifi fifififi fifiwfi fififi fififi fifififififi fifikfifi Prfsfdfft Allff Paxsof. Thf fi rst Lfap- a fl fght-bf-fl fght basfs.” pass thf 1,900-ffgfff mark ff 2019, fififipfififififi fifififi fifi Ififififi fififi Afi-Afifi fifi Hong Kong Express 3 P&W fifi fifififi fififi fififi fififivfi fifififi fifififififi fifi fififi 1A-fqufppfd A320ffo fftfrfd sfrvfff Pfgasus plafs to fl f thf Nfo of thf fffallf lfvflffg off at af aftfffpatfd fififi Ufififififi Afifib Efififififififi fifi wfififi, fifi IndiGo 19 P&W fififififi fifi fififi GTF fififi bfififi pfifibfififi- wfth Pfgasus Afrlfffs ff August 2016 samf routfs as A320ffos, but ft fs ff- 2,000-pfr-ffar ratf ff 2020. Of top of fifififik fifiw fififi fifififififi pfififififififi fifi vfififi LATAM Airlines 2 P&W fififififi afd fmmfdfatflf fl fw sfx fl fghts of thf trodufffg two ffw routfs to Bfshkfk, thfs, morf thaf 1,400 CFM56 ffgfffs fiufififi, fififi fififi pfififiufififi fifivfifififififififififi Pfifififi’fi fifififififi fifififi fifi fifi fifififivfifi bfi- fi rst daf afd 11 of thf sffofd. “Thff put Kfrgfzstaf, afd Almatf, Kazakhstaf, wfll bf dflfvfrfd ff 2017, markffg af- Pfifififi pfifififi fifi ufifi fififi fiwfi Bfififififi 747 Lufthansa 5 P&W fiwfififi 350 fififi 400 GTF fififififififi fifififi thfs thffg to work rfght awaf afd wfrf that arf possfblf bffausf of thf Nfo’s othfr bumpfr produftfof ffar for thf fl fifififi fifififibfifi fififi vfififififififififi fl fifififififi Pegasus 9 CFM fififififi Tfifi fififipfififi fifi fifififi fifififi fifi fifik- fl fffg ft fftfrfatfofallf vfrf quffklf,” hfghfr maxfmum takfof wffght. Thf orfgffal ffgfff famflf. Ffifififiwfififi fififi fififififi, fifififi fifififififi fifi- SAS 5 CFM fififi fififi fifififififi, fifi fififififi fifi fififi pfififiufi- Paxsof fotfs. “It was all about a sfam- afrlfff fs also lookffg at ffw dfstf- Dfspftf major ffvfstmfft ff pro- fifififi wfifik fififi fifi fifikfi pfififififi Tfifi fifififififififi fifi fififi bfififififififififi fififi bfififififi—fififi lfss fftroduftfof ffto thf fl fft wfth thf fatfofs ff Ifdfa, Pakfstaf afd sub- duftfof rfadfffss goffg bafk sfvfral fi fififififififi fififi fifififififi fififibfifi fifi fifi-fififivfififi Spirit 5 P&W fifi fififi fifififi fififiufifi fififififififi bfifik fifififivfifi- mfffmum of fftfrruptfof.” Saharaf Afrffa that arf wfthff rfafh ffars, CFM afkfowlfdgfs ft was “1-2 fifififififififi Afifififififififi fifi Afifibufi, fififi fififi- SriLankan 1 CFM bffausf of thf afrfraft’s lofgfr rafgf. wffks” bfhffd fts Lfap bufld plaf ff fififi fi fififififiufifi fififi fififi fifififififififififi fifififi- VivaAerobus 2 P&W Sfmflarlf,Sfmflarlf, LATAMLATAM AAfrlfffsfrlfffs llauffhfdauffhfd farlf Ffbruarf. Thf Gfffral Elfftrff- wfififi upfifififififi fififififi fififi fifi bfi fififi fifififi a fofstopfofstop sfrvfffsfrvfff fromfrom SaftfagoSaftfago dfdf Safraf jofft-vffturf fompaff afmfd A fiufififififi 13 pfififififiufifi Pfifififi GTF Volaris 1 P&W ChflfChflf toto thfthf hfgh-altftudfhfgh-altftudf afrportafrport atat to bf bafk of trafk bf latf Marfh. fifififififi fifififivfififi fifivfi bfififi fifiufififi bfi Total: 90 BBogota,ogota, CColombfa,olombfa, tthathat fftt ffouldould ffotot “Wf arf foffi dfft wf wfll do what wf fififibufififififi fifififibfifi fifififififififi wfifififi, Source: Airbus havfhavf rfafhfdrfafhfd wfthwfth thfthf CfoCfo vfrsfofvfrsfof safd wf’d do,” safs Paxsof. Hf fotfs fififififififififi fifi fififiufifififi fif fififififi, wfifi fififi- wfthwfth a fullfull pafload.pafload. that ffvfstmffts ff produftfof of fifivfifififi bfi bfifififififipfi fififipfififififififi fifififi CFM’sCFM’s PPaxsofaxsof ssafsafs PPfgasusfgasus ffss ffotot thf advafffd tffhfologf flfmffts of fifivfififififi bfififikfifi fififififififi fififififi fifi fifififi fifififififiufififi fi fifivfifififi fiufifi-fifizzfifi fifi- aloffaloff ffff thfthf savffgssavffgs ftft fsfs sffffg.sffffg. WhflfWhflf thf ffw ffgfff ff arfas sufh as ad- pfifififififi Tfifi fififififi fifiufififi fifi fififi pfifibfifififi fifi fififififififi fi fififibufifififi fifififi, fifi aftualaftual pfrformafffpfrformafff ffumbfrsumbfrs aarfrf stfllstfll dftfvflf mafufafturfd fufl fozzlfs, fifififi fifivfi bfififi fififififififi fifi, fififi Pfifififi’fi “fifiwfi,fi pfifibfifififi Afi fifipfifivfifi, fifififi bfffgbfffg amassfd,amassfd, “wf“wf hhavfavf ggoodood aafff-fff- fframff matrfx fomposftf parts afd fifififififififi fififififi fifi fifififififififi fifififi fi fiub- fiufifibfifi fififibufifififi fifififififi fifi ufifififififi- H. GOUSSE/AIRBUS dotaldotal fffdbafkfffdbafk thatthat thfthf fuflfufl ffff ff fffffffffffff rfsff trafsffr moldfd bladfs afd faf fifififififififi pfifififififi fifi fififi fififififififififififi fifi fififi fififififi fififi fifi fifipfififififi fifi bfi fififififi- IndiGo has suf ered from a large fsfs thfrf,”thfrf,” hfhf safs.safs. “Wf“Wf arfarf sffffgsffffg 17-19%17-19% fasffgs has pafd of . fififikfifi fifi fipfififififififi fifi fififififififi fifivfifififi- fiufififi fifi Sfipfififibfififi number of engine replacements in fufl-burf fmprovfmfft ovfr thf fxfst- “Whfrf wf havf spfft a lot of tfmf fififififi wfififi fififififififi fifififi Tfififi fippfifififi fifi A fifififififi Pfifififi fifififififi fifififivfifi wfifi fififi fifi 2016—fifi fififififififififififi Ifi fifififififififi, its fl eet of 17 A320neos. ffg fl fft.” rfffftlf fs morf of thf stafdard pro- bfi fififi fifiufifi fifi fififi Jfififi 21 fifififififi fifififi- pfifififififififi fifi fi pfifififiufifififi fififififiwfififi fi fifiw fififi bfifififi fififiufifififiufifififi fifififififififi Efgfff-rflatfd dfspatfh rflfabflftf ffssfs sufh as fastffgs, forgffgs afd ufifi fifi fifi IfififiGfi Afifibufi A320fififi fiufifi fififififi fififip-fifififififififi wfifififififi fifi fififi fifi Lfifififififi, Mfififififififi, fifi fififi fifi jfififi fififi Bf farlf Marfh, Pfgasus had thf for Pfgasus has bfff aroufd 99.7%. Of mafhfffd parts,” hf safs. “It fs rflf- fififi fififi fifikfifif fiufi fifi Mufibfifi, wfifififi fifififi fififififififififi fifififibfififi fifififififififi fififiufiufififififi bfifififi pfififiufififififi largfst Lfap-powfrfd flfft afd was thf CFM sfdf, “wf havf had a fouplf abflftf ff ffflds that wf havf to kffp af wfifi fibfififififi fifi fifififi fipfifififi Ffifi-bfifififi fififififif fififi fififiufifififi, fifififi fifififi fifi IHI fifi Jfipfififi Rfifiwfi fifififi Afifibufi rfgularlf flfffg up to 10 flfghts pfr of dflafs, afd wf arf trfffg to staf fff of. Thfrf arf 5,000 fompofffts Tfifi fififibufifififi fififi fifififi pfifivfifiufififi Ifi fififi bfififi fifififififi bfifik fifi fifipfifipfifi fifififi fififi fififififivfifi fifififi fififififififi bfi Pfifififi daf pfr afrfraft afross fts ffff-strofg ahfad of thosf,” safs Paxsof. “Wf pfr ffgfff, afd wf havf a hafdful bfififi fifi fififiufi fififi Pfifififi, wfifififi fififififififi bfifififififi fifi fififi fifiufififiufi fififi bfifififi fifififi fifififivfififi fififififififi fififi 2017 fifififififi fl fft. “Othfr opfrators havf had thf havf had approxfmatflf 30 faults, of whfrf wf havf fffld fssufs somftfmfs. fififififibfififi samf fxpfrfffff: Thf afrfraft wfft to whffh aroufd half wfrf assoffatfd “Thf problfm fs thf supplf fs a Spirit is one of two U.S. A320neo operators. The other is Frontier Airlines. Ovfififififi, Afifibufi pfifififi fifi fifififivfifi work rfght awaf wfthout aff dfsrup- wfth a solffofd of af afr valvf.” Thf lfttlf lumpf,” Paxsof foftffufs. “Off fibfiufi 200 A320fifififi fifi fiufififififififi tfof,” safs Paxsof. AfrAsfa has thf dfvfff offasfofallf “hafgs up” whff wffk wf wfll gft half thf fffld, afd fifififi fifififi, fifififiufifififi bfififi Pfifififi- fififi sffofd-largfst Lfap-1A-powfrfd fl fft thf powfr supplf fs swftfhfd to fftfr- thf ffxt fs twfff thf fffld. 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Off ffgfff wfll bf of fifififififi fifibjfifififivfifibjfifififivfifi WWfifi fififivfifivfi fi fifi fififififififi fififififififi trodufffg thf afrfraft has bfff “rathfr rfmaffffg faults havf bfff “off-of ” plaf afd off maf bf, saf, fi vf dafs of fi fififififi fififififififififififififififififififififi fififififififififi fififififififi fififififififififififififififi fi posftfvf.” Thf Turkfsh low-fost far- fvffts sufh as ofl lfaks, faultf mfs- plaf. Havffg produffd 1,690 CFM56s fifivfifififivfifi fifififi Pfifififi;Pfifififi; fifififififififi wfififiwfififi fiufifififiufififi fififivfifififivfi fiufifiufi rffr took dflfvfrf of fts fi rst A320ffo sagfs from thf full-authorftf dfgftal [a rfford for CFM’s fi rst ffgfff] ff pfififiufififififipfififiufififififi fifififififififi fifififi fififififififi fififififififi fififififififififi fififififififififififi of Julf 19, 2016, afd ffftfallf put ft of ffgfff foftrol afd vfbratfof sffsors. 2016, wf kfow smoothffss fs vfrf AfiAfi fifififififi fifififififififi fifififi,fifififi, fifififififififi wfififiwfififi fifivfififivfi fiufififiufifi short domfstff routfs. Thf fl fghts wfrf Whflf fftrf ffto sfrvfff has bfff fmportaft.” c fiuppfifififiuppfififi fifififi fifififififi fiufifififififi—fififiufifififififi—fifi fifififififi fiufi-fiufi- affompafffd bf tffhffffafs to ffsurf rflatfvflf smooth for thf ffw CFM ff- fifififififififififififi wfififiwfififi bfibfi fifififififififififififi fififififififififi spffdf troublfshootffg. Ulga hfghlfghts gfff, thf produftfof ramp-up has bfff Gallery See more about the carriers C. BRINKMAN/AIRBUS WfifififiWfifififi AfifibufiAfifibufi fifififififi PfifififiPfifififi fifififififi fifififififififififi thf fufl-burf pfrformafff: Evff of morf fhallffgffg. Togfthfr wfth thf operating the A320neo: wfifikfififi fifi fi fififi fififi fififi pfifibfifififi fifi short sfftors, thf afrlfff has sfff sav- Lfap 1B, whffh wfll fftfr sfrvfff latfr AviationWeek.com/A320neoInService

50 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 51

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smallest, the Mk. 1, will carry 20 kg (44 lb.) of food aid. The Mk. 2, with a span of 2 m (6.5 ft.), will have a gross weight of Eat This Drone 75 kg including 50 kg of payload—enough to feed 50 people for a day. The 3-m-span Mk. 3 will carry 100 kg of aid. Disposable UAVs show promise for The Mk. 1 and 2 are designed for air launch. They are sized around the Lockheed C-130J, which has the smallest distributing humanitarian food aid cargo volume of aircraft used by the World Food Program to deliver aid. The Pouncer can also be launched from a balloon Graham Warwick Washington and from the ground using a catapult. After release from a transport aircraft at 120 kt., GPS is nmanned aircraft seem a sensible and economical way used for navigation. In the terminal phase, the autopilot pitch- Uto deliver humanitarian aid, particularly into high-risk es the UAV up to a high angle of attack and deploys a para- areas such as besieged Aleppo in Syria. But designing chute so that it does a belly fl op and breaks up, says Harrall. a UAV that is available quickly and cheaply, easy to use, and A C-130J can carry 64 Pouncer Mk. 2s, enough to deliver which can achieve its purpose without potentially placing 4.8 metric tons of food in one pass, or to deliver aid to mul- valuable technology into the wrong hands is not so simple. tiple landing zones. Breaking up the airframes on landing UK startup Windhorse Aerospace’s answer is an edible will prevent reuse by an enemy and will also make it more ap- drone. The Pouncer is an unpowered, air-launched, dispos- parent to those on the ground that the drone is carrying food. able UAV carrying food and medical supplies in compart- Today, standardized humanitarian daily rations are air- ments within an airframe that, on landing, can be broken up dropped in bulk, but Harrall says some of the contents are and burned to heat the food. Later versions may be made of never consumed because they are not recognized as food. extruded vegetable matter that itself can be eaten. Windhorse plans to use regionally, ethnically and religiously Pouncers will be stored “fl at-packed,” assembled as needed, appropriate payloads so more of the food delivered is eaten. and launched from transport aircraft such as the Lockheed The company has completed proof-of-concept, includ- C-130J and Airbus Military A400M at a safe distance, without ing computational fluid-dynamics design and materials having to overfl y combat zones. The drone will glide to a delib- research—the plywood selected is sustainable and burns erate crash-landing that breaks up the airframe so it cannot without harmful emissions, says Harrall—and conducted a be captured and reused. The GPS chip in the autopilot will be preliminary design review in late February. destroyed automatically to prevent it falling into hostile hands. “We are happy [the Mk. 2] can carry 50 kg. We are happy The team is no stranger to unmanned aircraft. Windhorse with its performance as a glider,” he says. “We’ve talked to was founded by Chairman Nigel Gif ord, who was managing the NGOs [humanitarian relief nongovernment organiza- director of Ascenta, the UK company that was acquired by tions] and if they want more range, we can go higher or put a Facebook in 2014 to develop its Aquila solar-powered strato- motor on it. We gave Frazer-Nash the most dif cult mission.” spheric internet-delivery UAV. The next steps are to build a lightweight fl ying model to “At the end of 2015, we were approached to see if it was validate the aerodynamics and representative static proto- possible to manufacture a drone that could be eaten,” says type to prove out the structural concept, materials and stor- Vice Chairman Phillip Harrall. “We looked at dif erent food- age areas and to show how payloads can be easily changed. stuf s and how to carry them.” An unpowered one-way drone So far, Windhorse has been funded by the company’s four was promising, but its range was limited. directors who include Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of heavy Given the premise that a champion wingsuit jumper could metal band Iron Maiden . The company is talking to the fl y for 12 mi. from 10,000 ft. altitude, “we worked with Frazer- World Food Program, which has formed a UAV department, Nash Consultancy and gave them the goal of designing a UAV as well as other relief NGOs, says Harrall. with no engine that could go for more than 12 mi.,” he says . “If all goes well,” says Harrall, Windhorse plans to be “Frazer-Nash did the aerodynamics, looking at differ- ready to produce “Phase 1” Pouncers by August-September. ent wing shapes and came up with a delta with 20-30-deg. Phase 2 would follow 12 months later and involves making sweep and wingtip fences. On paper, it can go 35 km [22 mi.],” the airframe from extruded vegetable matter so the drone Harrall says. Glide range from the maximum release height is truly edible. “There looks to be good stuf out there. It is a of 25,000 ft. is estimated at 100 km. matter of convincing the authorities that a structure made Windhorse plans an initial family of three Pouncers. The of extruded food is as strong [as plywood],” he says. c

The unpowered Pouncer is designed to pitch up and crash on landing to break up the airframe and prevent its reuse. WINDHORSE AEROSPACE

52 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p52.indd 52 3/28/17 3:46 PM UNMANNED AVIATION AIRCRAFT INTERIORS smallest, the Mk. 1, will carry 20 kg (44 lb.) of food aid. The Mk. 2, with a span of 2 m (6.5 ft.), will have a gross weight of enue areas. While these spaces cannot Eat This Drone 75 kg including 50 kg of payload—enough to feed 50 people Virtual Vision accommodate seats due to height refor a day. The 3-m-span Mk. 3 will carry 100 kg of aid. strictions for instance, there may be Disposable UAVs show promise for The Mk. 1 and 2 are designed for air launch. They are Airlines are beginning to explore the potential opportunities to create ‘public’ spaces, sized around the Lockheed C-130J, which has the smallest such as a VR cinema. This would of- distributing humanitarian food aid cargo volume of aircraft used by the World Food Program to of virtual reality for infight entertainment fer a greater entertainment option for deliver aid. The Pouncer can also be launched from a balloon passengers and could also provide air- Graham Warwick Washington and from the ground using a catapult. Helen Massy-Beresford Paris lines with additional revenue.” After release from a transport aircraft at 120 kt., GPS is Jaeger sees acceptance of VR on nmanned aircraft seem a sensible and economical way used for navigation. In the terminal phase, the autopilot pitch- board aircraft accelerating as the Uto deliver humanitarian aid, particularly into high-risk es the UAV up to a high angle of attack and deploys a para- headsets or goggles needed to plunge areas such as besieged Aleppo in Syria. But designing chute so that it does a belly fl op and breaks up, says Harrall. into another world evolve to be smaller a UAV that is available quickly and cheaply, easy to use, and A C-130J can carry 64 Pouncer Mk. 2s, enough to deliver and lighter. “Eventually, they will be which can achieve its purpose without potentially placing 4.8 metric tons of food in one pass, or to deliver aid to mul- like sunglasses,” he says. valuable technology into the wrong hands is not so simple. tiple landing zones. Breaking up the airframes on landing Torsten Wingenter, head of digital UK startup Windhorse Aerospace’s answer is an edible will prevent reuse by an enemy and will also make it more ap- innovations at Lufthansa, also sees drone. The Pouncer is an unpowered, air-launched, dispos- parent to those on the ground that the drone is carrying food. the potential for VR technology evolv- able UAV carrying food and medical supplies in compart- Today, standardized humanitarian daily rations are air- ments within an airframe that, on landing, can be broken up dropped in bulk, but Harrall says some of the contents are Lufthansa is one of the frst airlines and burned to heat the food. Later versions may be made of never consumed because they are not recognized as food. experimenting with using virtual extruded vegetable matter that itself can be eaten. Windhorse plans to use regionally, ethnically and religiously reality for infight entertainment. Pouncers will be stored “fl at-packed,” assembled as needed, appropriate payloads so more of the food delivered is eaten. and launched from transport aircraft such as the Lockheed The company has completed proof-of-concept, including alongside consumer trends. “In a C-130J and Airbus Military A400M at a safe distance, without ing computational fluid-dynamics design and materials couple of years,” he says, “passengers having to overfl y combat zones. The drone will glide to a delib- research—the plywood selected is sustainable and burns might bring their own VR glasses in- erate crash-landing that breaks up the airframe so it cannot without harmful emissions, says Harrall—and conducted a stead of smartphones and tablets on be captured and reused. The GPS chip in the autopilot will be preliminary design review in late February. board. An airline has to be prepared.” destroyed automatically to prevent it falling into hostile hands. “We are happy [the Mk. 2] can carry 50 kg. We are happy Lufthansa showed a “moving map” The team is no stranger to unmanned aircraft. Windhorse with its performance as a glider,” he says. “We’ve talked to concept at the ITB International Trav- was founded by Chairman Nigel Gif ord, who was managing the NGOs [humanitarian relief nongovernment organiza- el Trade Show in Berlin March 8-12, director of Ascenta, the UK company that was acquired by tions] and if they want more range, we can go higher or put a Wingenter says, describing a scenario Facebook in 2014 to develop its Aquila solar-powered strato- motor on it. We gave Frazer-Nash the most dif cult mission.” Lufthansa in which the captain might alert pas- spheric internet-delivery UAV. The next steps are to build a lightweight fl ying model to rom lazing on a tropical beach integrated without prolonging turn- sengers to the view of the ferris wheel “At the end of 2015, we were approached to see if it was validate the aerodynamics and representative static proto- Fto exploring a city destination, around time.” in the Prater in Vienna—but not ev- possible to manufacture a drone that could be eaten,” says type to prove out the structural concept, materials and stor- shopping for duty-free goods to The focus group on board will be eryone will be able to see it through Vice Chairman Phillip Harrall. “We looked at dif erent food- age areas and to show how payloads can be easily changed. meditating, the immersive experienc- able to sample a variety of content a window. stuf s and how to carry them.” An unpowered one-way drone So far, Windhorse has been funded by the company’s four es virtual reality (VR) can ofer could from city tours to movies, a 3D duty- “With the Lufthansa-App VR Mov- was promising, but its range was limited. directors who include Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of heavy transform the onboard experience for free shop and relaxation and medita- ing Map all passengers will see the Given the premise that a champion wingsuit jumper could metal band Iron Maiden . The company is talking to the airline passengers. The technology is tion experiences. ferris wheel because the foor of the fl y for 12 mi. from 10,000 ft. altitude, “we worked with Frazer- World Food Program, which has formed a UAV department, there already, but are airlines, passen- The company, which is also busy plane becomes vitreous,” he explains. Nash Consultancy and gave them the goal of designing a UAV as well as other relief NGOs, says Harrall. gers and infight entertainment (IFE) raising more funding, hopes to launch “With VR glasses the VR-App shows with no engine that could go for more than 12 mi.,” he says . “If all goes well,” says Harrall, Windhorse plans to be providers ready to make the leap? its frst pilot scheme on a commercial 360-deg. photos and videos of sights “Frazer-Nash did the aerodynamics, looking at differ- ready to produce “Phase 1” Pouncers by August-September. Carriers, aircraft manufacturers fight in the frst quarter of 2018. and scenery underneath the plane. The ent wing shapes and came up with a delta with 20-30-deg. Phase 2 would follow 12 months later and involves making and IFE companies are keeping a close VR opens up the possibility of new prototype at the ITB showed sights in sweep and wingtip fences. On paper, it can go 35 km [22 mi.],” the airframe from extruded vegetable matter so the drone eye on developments in VR technology, revenue streams for airlines, through Vienna or the Hochkogel mountain en Harrall says. Glide range from the maximum release height is truly edible. “There looks to be good stuf out there. It is a and while large-scale deployment of paid-for premium content as well as route from Frankfurt to Dubai.” of 25,000 ft. is estimated at 100 km. matter of convincing the authorities that a structure made virtual reality goggles onboard com- onboard purchases in virtual “shops,” The airline has also tested the use Windhorse plans an initial family of three Pouncers. The of extruded food is as strong [as plywood],” he says. c mercial fights may still be some way depending on the specifc airline’s pre- of VR glasses at the gate. “For some of, progress is being made. ferred model. intercontinental fights from New York The unpowered Pouncer is designed to Inflight VR, which was chosen to “Low-cost carriers could rent out and Frankfurt we invited passengers pitch up and crash on landing to break up take part in the Airbus BizLab accel- headsets, and while the basic library to virtually visit Premium Economy the airframe and prevent its reuse. erator program, plans a test fight of its should be free there could be VR ex- class on board the plane,” he says. VR system with an airline in the sum- periences you can unlock for $1 or $3,” “After experiencing the interior (and mer, for what Nikolas Jaeger, co-CEO Jaeger says. the larger legroom), passengers could of the Munich-based company, says Revenue possibilities could also decide to upgrade into Premium Econ- will be the most advanced VR system make use of hitherto-underused parts omy class.” tested on board an aircraft to date. of the aircraft, says Rob Walsh, head of Advances in the practicalities mean “The focus of the test fights will be visualization at airline- and transport- VR is getting closer to becoming a passenger acceptance,” says Jaeger, focused design agency Priestman- reality on commercial flights, says “how long and how well VR is accept- Goode: “As part of our wider work PriestmanGoode’s Walsh. “Some of ed, what is the best type of content, as with airlines, one of the things we are the limitations in the past have had to well as cabin integration, streaming looking at is how to make the best use do with cost and hygiene. On the latter content and how the systems can be of what have traditionally been nonrev- point, there are so many advances in WINDHORSE AEROSPACE

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As VR headsets get smaller and lighter, uptake will increase.

antibacterial materials, that this will become a nonissue. And it is not all that diferent from traditional headsets that you currently have on airplanes. “As for cost,” he adds, “a VR head- set, while expensive as an individual item, is considerably cheaper than current in-seat monitors, although the hardware, graphics cards and PCs required are expensive,” The industry still has work to do on safety and comfort while VR is being used, however. “Some VR experiences are designed so that the viewer can ‘move around,’ which of course would not be practical in a commercial aircraft, Point technologies so [programmers] would need to con- airplane cabin. Passengers using VR gest obstacle to VR becoming univer- sider that viewers will be in a fixed while fying can experience dizziness sally available in aviation is probably seat position. You also need to con- and confusion, interrupting the VR the commercial viability,” adds Tim sider that the headsets are bulky and experience. Other issues include the Manson, design director at transport- hard to wear for extended periods of ability to incorporate turbulence and focused agency JPA Design. “CEOs time, and some users experience mo- contact with other passengers. These and product teams will have to ask tion sickness. So the use of VR is not are some of the challenges that must themselves what benefts will VR re- without its challenges.” be addressed before VR can be seen ally bring: ‘Will it afect our passenger Blake Emery, director of diferentia- as a technology that would work in the experience positively or negatively? tion strategy for Boeing Commercial cabin.” Can we maintain the system? Will Airplanes, agrees: “There are several “Apart from [needing] great con- it be reliable?’ After some trials and obstacles to integrating VR into an tent and social acceptability, the big- some neat solutions, as with any seat

FlyNet infight broadband internet service, is now in the pro- Linking Up cess of introducing connectivity on its short- and medium- haul feet, in the rollout and testing phase. “Of course, we are Use of personal electronic devices continuously evaluating future technologies and possibilities regarding IFE and connectivity,” says a Lufthansa ofcial. is a game-changer for IFE providers “However, we still consider seatback systems on long-haul aircraft as complementary to personal devices.” Helen Massy-Beresford Paris Kent Craver, regional director of cabin experience and revenue analysis at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, agrees martphones, tablets, e-readers and laptops are spark- that content is increasingly being delivered to passengers’ Sing a revolution, changing passenger expectations and personal devices, especially on single-aisle aircraft. prompting airlines and manufacturers to rethink in- “Currently, some content can only be shown on embedded fight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity. But carriers will IFE systems and is not available for streaming to personal not do away with seatback entertainment systems entirely— devices,” he says. “That is primarily because of digital rights or at least not yet. management of the content. We believe that at some point “We are seeing an increasing takeup of passengers using the infight entertainment industry will resolve these con- their personal electronic devices, their smartphones and cerns, and when that happens, streaming to personal devices tablets,” says Jon Norris, senior director of integrated so- will proliferate across all platforms.” lutions at Panasonic Avionics Corp. “We see those devices When that time comes, Craver says, “we anticipate that augmenting the passenger experience, with the syncing of embedded systems in single-aisle [aircraft] will decrease, devices to the seatback screens, adding to what an airline but that twin-aisle aircraft will continue to have embedded can give to a passenger. systems installed, and the streaming will be in addition to “It’s not about having a personal device or a seatback those seatback systems.” screen—it is personal device and seatback screen. In your Norris sees IFE increasingly helping to diferentiate dif- home, how often do you watch TV with a second screen on ferent cabin classes. “A typical widebody airline may have your lap?” asks Norris. “We see it as a huge opportunity—we three or four classes of travel, so the front end may have are leveraging the fact that the passenger has a device.” seatback systems augmented with wireless, and as you go Lufthansa, a pioneer in equipping long-haul fights with its through the aircraft that ofer changes.”

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As VR headsets get smaller and entertainment system, it is possible we communicate with passengers while impact of VR technology on passenger lighter, uptake will increase. could see VR on board.” they are using VR is important, for well-being could be signifcant. He adds, “Another factor to consider safety and also potentially to help Tests have shown how big an impact antibacterial materials, that this will will be whether ground-based personal them if they experience difficulties the concept of perceived space has on become a nonissue. And it is not all VR headsets will become exponentially in operating the system, says Infight well-being, so there is potential for VR that diferent from traditional headsets popular, thus placing in doubt the need VR’s Jaeger. to help people feel more comfortable that you currently have on airplanes. for airlines to provide their own head- “I think it is interesting when the de- and relaxed during long-haul fights. “As for cost,” he adds, “a VR head- mounted displays at all.” vices become mixed-reality,” he adds. The physical effects of VR are set, while expensive as an individual Lufthansa also had passengers test “You can switch between virtual reality strong, Jaeger says: “We have done item, is considerably cheaper than Avegant’s Glyph video glasses infight and augmented reality.” A passenger tests, with people sitting down in a current in-seat monitors, although the at its FlyingLab SXSW from Frankfurt could look at an augmented reality seat but given a virtual avatar. When hardware, graphics cards and PCs re- to Austin, Texas, on March 9. “This screen on the seatback while eating an the avatar is walking uphill, the per- quired are expensive,” video headphone is capable of playing infight meal, only to switch back to full son starts to sweat although they are The industry still has work to do on 360-[deg.] and VR videos. On the way virtual-reality mode once the tray has physically seated.” safety and comfort while VR is being to Texas we showed some regular Luf- been cleared away. Further down the line, after much used, however. thansa videos and the passengers also Walsh also sees the potential for us- more research, VR might have a role “Some VR experiences are de- followed the speakers of our inflight ing augmented reality before passen- to play in keeping passengers healthy signed so that the viewer can ‘move conference for the SXSW. A livestream gers even board their aircraft. The sky is the limit, then, for on- around,’ which of course would not was transmitted via Wi-Fi. “If you take Google glasses as an board VR. “In one sense aviation may be practical in a commercial aircraft, Point technologies “The Glyph does not use displays. example, these could facilitate [fnding have to follow ground-based para- so [programmers] would need to con- airplane cabin. Passengers using VR gest obstacle to VR becoming univer- Instead LEDs emit light onto several your way through] airports,” he says. digms, but in another view aviation sider that viewers will be in a fixed while fying can experience dizziness sally available in aviation is probably million micromirrors,” he continues. “For instance, you could walk into the could lead the VR innovation with its seat position. You also need to con- and confusion, interrupting the VR the commercial viability,” adds Tim “They reflect the light through two airport, and your glasses would tell captive audience and controlled envi- sider that the headsets are bulky and experience. Other issues include the Manson, design director at transport- lenses directly onto the retina of the you which direction you need to go. ronment,” says JPA Design’s Manson. hard to wear for extended periods of ability to incorporate turbulence and focused agency JPA Design. “CEOs user. It is a totally diferent experience. [Augmented reality] could allow you “After all, an economy-class cabin is the time, and some users experience mo- contact with other passengers. These and product teams will have to ask Also the feld of vision is not blocked to fnd quicker routes to your gate, see perfect place to have an immersive ex- tion sickness. So the use of VR is not are some of the challenges that must themselves what benefts will VR re- completely by the Glyph. The user still what shops, restaurants and amenities perience or exploration to help pass the without its challenges.” be addressed before VR can be seen ally bring: ‘Will it afect our passenger can look downward to steer the input are on your way and so on. In short, it time and stimulate the mind. Aviation Blake Emery, director of diferentia- as a technology that would work in the experience positively or negatively? device—smartphone, tablet, laptop or would make your airport experience is a relatively complex arrangement of tion strategy for Boeing Commercial cabin.” Can we maintain the system? Will game console —and see if the person seamless and stress-free.” hardware, technology and people, and Airplanes, agrees: “There are several “Apart from [needing] great con- it be reliable?’ After some trials and next to him or her wants his attention.” And although there are still obsta- VR is a great tool to push the boundar- obstacles to integrating VR into an tent and social acceptability, the big- some neat solutions, as with any seat Making sure cabin crew can still cles to overcome, Jaeger believes the ies of these relationships.” c

FlyNet infight broadband internet service, is now in the pro- Personal devices, via airline apps, can allow for more per- those functionalities are available on the Companion App Linking Up cess of introducing connectivity on its short- and medium- sonalization, says Norris, as well as increased continuity of Panasonic provided for Singapore Airlines, Norris says. haul feet, in the rollout and testing phase. “Of course, we are service before, during and after the fight. “The beneft for “As consumers on the ground, we now expect to consume Use of personal electronic devices continuously evaluating future technologies and possibilities an airline working with Panasonic,” he says, “is that we can whatever content we want wherever [we] are,” he adds. “We regarding IFE and connectivity,” says a Lufthansa ofcial. provide software development kits, and they can add fea- are going to expect to be able to do that onboard, whether it is a game-changer for IFE providers “However, we still consider seatback systems on long-haul tures and functionality onto their own applications.” is streaming from your own account, or being able to fully aircraft as complementary to personal devices.” So a passenger who has downloaded the airline app customize your playlist, or buy online for delivery at your des- Helen Massy-Beresford Paris Kent Craver, regional director of cabin experience and could preselect connectivity, choose their infight meal or tination. It is going to be a new level of personalization and revenue analysis at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, agrees preferred playlist, or receive diferent benefts according to spontaneity. That is where we are seeing the excitement— martphones, tablets, e-readers and laptops are spark- that content is increasingly being delivered to passengers’ their frequent-fier status, among other options. Many of personalization making passengers feel special.” Sing a revolution, changing passenger expectations and personal devices, especially on single-aisle aircraft. Design agency PriestmanGoode’s head of vi- prompting airlines and manufacturers to rethink in- “Currently, some content can only be shown on embedded sualisation, Rob Walsh, believes however that fight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity. But carriers will IFE systems and is not available for streaming to personal personal devices could eventually remove the not do away with seatback entertainment systems entirely— devices,” he says. “That is primarily because of digital rights need for dedicated IFE systems altogether: or at least not yet. management of the content. We believe that at some point “With the ubiquity of personal devices these “We are seeing an increasing takeup of passengers using the infight entertainment industry will resolve these con- days, it is not impossible that airlines may want their personal electronic devices, their smartphones and cerns, and when that happens, streaming to personal devices to do away with monitors and have virtual re- tablets,” says Jon Norris, senior director of integrated so- will proliferate across all platforms.” ality headsets as alternative entertainment op- lutions at Panasonic Avionics Corp. “We see those devices When that time comes, Craver says, “we anticipate that tions. From a design perspective this is interest- augmenting the passenger experience, with the syncing of embedded systems in single-aisle [aircraft] will decrease, ing, as it frees up living space around seats. The devices to the seatback screens, adding to what an airline but that twin-aisle aircraft will continue to have embedded greatest beneft, however, is from an operational can give to a passenger. systems installed, and the streaming will be in addition to point of view. Removing monitors would signif- “It’s not about having a personal device or a seatback those seatback systems.” cantly reduce weight, in turn leading to greater screen—it is personal device and seatback screen. In your Norris sees IFE increasingly helping to diferentiate dif- fuel efciency and lower operating costs.” c home, how often do you watch TV with a second screen on ferent cabin classes. “A typical widebody airline may have your lap?” asks Norris. “We see it as a huge opportunity—we three or four classes of travel, so the front end may have Panasonic Avionics contends IFE can are leveraging the fact that the passenger has a device.” seatback systems augmented with wireless, and as you go help diferentiate between diferent Lufthansa, a pioneer in equipping long-haul fights with its through the aircraft that ofer changes.” classes of travel. Panasonic avionics corP.

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pose. Aerospace accounts for one in Digital Connector every 54 jobs in the Greater Montreal area. “That strong concentration is one Montreal’s powerful aerospace cluster reason why we are so tightly knit and work so well together,” Benoit says. sets its sights on transforming its suppliers The entrepreneurial and engineering skills it is hoped an AI supercluster into digital companies will bring to Quebec are expected to play a role in the aerospace industry’s Graham Warwick Washington ongoing transition to “Industry 4.0”— which includes virtual design, automa- s aviation embraces digitization, tors, says Suzanne Benoit, president tion and connected manufacturing—a ACanada’s aerospace industry of Aero Montreal. “In its budget, the task that falls heavily onto Aero Mon- hopes to tap into a new govern- Quebec government recognizes the im- treal because of the high proportion of ment initiative to boost investment in portance of developing transformative small companies in the cluster. artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technologies with investments aimed Illustrating its closely knit organiza- manufacturing and other digital-driv- at creating a supercluster in artifcial tion, the cluster also includes educa- en technologies that can be applied intelligence and developing the sector tional establishments. Aero Montreal throughout the life cycle of aircraft. of virtual reality,” she says. “These new works with the region’s trade school, Already the third-largest aerospace technologies alone present enormous technical schools and universities, to cluster in the world after Seattle and potential for our aerospace companies.” ensure a supply of engineers and tech- Toulouse, Montreal is aiming to be- Quebec accounts for 52% of Ca- nicians. “When we know that the indus- come a “supercluster” in AI—a suite nadian aerospace sales and close to try is booming, we do a big campaign to of technologies that the aerospace in- 50% of the industry’s jobs. It is home get students enrolled,” she says. “When dustry is applying to analyze the vast to Canada’s four largest aviation origi- there is a slowdown, we adjust the fow amounts of data generated during the nal equipment manufacturers (OEM): so everyone will get a job.” design, manufacture and operation of Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, The region’s aerospace sales slipped aircraft. Bell Helicopter Textron Canada and in 2016, to C$14.4 billion from C$15.5 The Canadian federal and Quebec CAE. “These four big OEMs are im- billion a year earlier, the downturn in provincial governments already sup- portant for Quebec because they drive business aviation and commercial he- port the country’s aerospace industry innovation and help develop an innova- licopters afecting all the OEMs. Bom- through various mechanisms, but the tion culture in our smaller companies,” bardier has been shedding jobs as part Montreal cluster hopes their new inno- says Benoit. of its five-year turnaround plan, but vation strategy will attract the exper- As is the case across Canada, small Benoit says Aero Montreal has a stra- tise in advanced software and systems and medium-size enterprises (SME) tegic working group in which the OEMs design that is needed to be competitive make up the bulk of the almost 210 cooperate in an efort to minimize the in the future. companies in the cluster, and develop- impact of cyclical layofs. Unveiled on March 22, the federal ing the capabilities of the supply base Quebec continues to work to attract government’s 2017-18 budget proposes is a large part of Aero Montreal’s pur- aerospace companies to the region. establishing a new department, In- novation Canada, that will invest up to C$950 million ($710 million) over fve years to support a small number of business-led superclusters with the greatest potential for accelerating economic growth. A competition for the funds will launch in 2017 and focus on advanced manufacturing, clean technology, digital and other sectors as well as transportation, Ottawa says. On March 28, Quebec followed up with its 2017-18 budget, under which the provincial government plans to invest C$100 million over fve years to create a scientifc and industrial supercluster devoted to AI. The move is welcomed by Aero Montreal, a group that brings together industry, universities and research institutions to support development of the regional aerospace cluster. The planned superclusters will not be sectoral and will develop know-how that can be applied across industry sec- BomBardier Photos

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AW_04_03_2017_p56-57.indd 56 3/30/17 5:08 PM AEROSPACE IN CANADA pose. Aerospace accounts for one in Supplying center fuselages for Digital Connector every 54 jobs in the Greater Montreal Bombardier’s Global 7000 brought area. “That strong concentration is one Airbus company Stelia into the Montreal’s powerful aerospace cluster reason why we are so tightly knit and Montreal cluster. work so well together,” Benoit says. sets its sights on transforming its suppliers The entrepreneurial and engineer- The most recent addition was Airbus ing skills it is hoped an AI supercluster company Stelia Aerospace, which in into digital companies will bring to Quebec are expected to 2013 set up in Mirabel, near Bombar- play a role in the aerospace industry’s dier Aerospace, to assemble fuselage Graham Warwick Washington ongoing transition to “Industry 4.0”— center sections for Global 7000/8000 which includes virtual design, automa- business jets. s aviation embraces digitization, tors, says Suzanne Benoit, president tion and connected manufacturing—a “Where we have a gap is in system ACanada’s aerospace industry of Aero Montreal. “In its budget, the task that falls heavily onto Aero Mon- engineering and system integration hopes to tap into a new govern- Quebec government recognizes the im- treal because of the high proportion of capability,” says Benoit. “This is really ment initiative to boost investment in portance of developing transformative small companies in the cluster. important, and we are trying to build artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technologies with investments aimed Illustrating its closely knit organiza- on this, because with the big artifcal- manufacturing and other digital-driv- at creating a supercluster in artifcial tion, the cluster also includes educa- intelligence projects for Quebec, which C$372.5 million in repayable contribu- we plan to take on 10 more this year,” en technologies that can be applied intelligence and developing the sector tional establishments. Aero Montreal will play a key role in AI in Canada, we tions to Bombardier for the C Series says Benoit. Quebec is providing an- throughout the life cycle of aircraft. of virtual reality,” she says. “These new works with the region’s trade school, need system and software engineers.” and Global 7000 programs. other C$4 million in public money, to Already the third-largest aerospace technologies alone present enormous technical schools and universities, to The challenge the Montreal clus- The funding is being provided be matched by C$4 million in private cluster in the world after Seattle and potential for our aerospace companies.” ensure a supply of engineers and tech- ter faces “is to stay at the front of the through Ottawa’s Strategic Aerospace investment to fund the program for an- Toulouse, Montreal is aiming to be- Quebec accounts for 52% of Ca- nicians. “When we know that the indus- parade in terms of innovation,” she and Defense Initiative and follows the other three years. “We have done more come a “supercluster” in AI—a suite nadian aerospace sales and close to try is booming, we do a big campaign to says. “The Canadian government un- Quebec government’s $1 billion invest- than 600 projects up to now and want of technologies that the aerospace in- 50% of the industry’s jobs. It is home get students enrolled,” she says. “When derstands that, and the Quebec gov- ment in a C Series limited partnership to do another 300 over the next three dustry is applying to analyze the vast to Canada’s four largest aviation origi- there is a slowdown, we adjust the fow ernment is matching what the federal with Bombardier. Quebec’s investment years,” she says. amounts of data generated during the nal equipment manufacturers (OEM): so everyone will get a job.” government is doing to reinforce the in- arm now holds a 49.5% equity stake in As a next step in developing sup- design, manufacture and operation of Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, The region’s aerospace sales slipped novation capability of Quebec. We will the program, in return for a commit- plier capabilities, Aero Montreal will in aircraft. Bell Helicopter Textron Canada and in 2016, to C$14.4 billion from C$15.5 be the hub for Industry 4.0, artifcial in- ment that engineering, manufacturing April begin the Mach Fab 4.0 Initiative, The Canadian federal and Quebec CAE. “These four big OEMs are im- billion a year earlier, the downturn in telligence, etc., and this will be key for and assembly work will remain in the a fve-year program, with C$19 million provincial governments already sup- portant for Quebec because they drive business aviation and commercial he- our industry to thrive internationally.” province for at least 20 years. in public and private funding that will port the country’s aerospace industry innovation and help develop an innova- licopters afecting all the OEMs. Bom- Canada does not spend as heavily on In October 2016, the federal govern- support 50 SMEs in transitioning to through various mechanisms, but the tion culture in our smaller companies,” bardier has been shedding jobs as part defense research and development as ment invested C$54 million in the de- digital companies. The program will Montreal cluster hopes their new inno- says Benoit. of its five-year turnaround plan, but the U.S. does and, in the absence of a velopment of next-generation aircraft fund projects involving areas such vation strategy will attract the exper- As is the case across Canada, small Benoit says Aero Montreal has a stra- major research organization like NASA technologies by a consortium of 15 Ca- as automation, robotics, Internet of tise in advanced software and systems and medium-size enterprises (SME) tegic working group in which the OEMs or a major research program like Eu- nadian companies led by Bombardier. Things, simulation, additive manufac- design that is needed to be competitive make up the bulk of the almost 210 cooperate in an efort to minimize the rope’s Clean Sky, federal and provincial This is funded by Ottawa’s Technology turing and cybertechnologies. in the future. companies in the cluster, and develop- impact of cyclical layofs. governments support industry through Demonstration Program, which makes Benoit says examples of the types Unveiled on March 22, the federal ing the capabilities of the supply base Quebec continues to work to attract different mechanisms. In February, nonrepayable contributions to large- of projects that will be funded under government’s 2017-18 budget proposes is a large part of Aero Montreal’s pur- aerospace companies to the region. Ottawa announced it would provide scale R&D projects. Mach Fab 4.0 include digitization of the establishing a new department, In- The following month, Quebec invest- shop foor to enable real-time manage- novation Canada, that will invest up ed C$40 million in the second phase of ment of manufacturing; optimizing to C$950 million ($710 million) over Quebec’s government has an environmental aircraft research the production cycle by using simula- fve years to support a small number pumped more than $1 billion program, SA2GE. Subprojects include tion to determine the best sequencing of business-led superclusters with the into Bombardier’s new flagship, advanced cockpit, rear fuselage and of machines; using data collection for greatest potential for accelerating eco- the C Series airliner. vertical tail structures with Bombar- preventive maintenance of manufac- nomic growth. A competition for the dier; virtual and connected training turing equipment; and connecting to funds will launch in 2017 and focus on technologies with CAE; new navigation customers’ enterprise resource man- advanced manufacturing, clean tech- technologies with Esterline CMC Elec- agement systems to allow the real-time nology, digital and other sectors as well tronics; photonic modules for airborne exchange of information. as transportation, Ottawa says. communications with TeraXion; and a Benoit says the federal government On March 28, Quebec followed up fight-critical controller for nonavionics is watching the initiative with inter- with its 2017-18 budget, under which the systems with Thales. est as it wrestles with how to help in- provincial government plans to invest The Quebec government is also dustries across the country with the C$100 million over fve years to create supporting Aero Montreal’s eforts to transformation to digitization and a scientifc and industrial supercluster increase the international competitive- automation. One challenge, she says, devoted to AI. The move is welcomed ness of Montreal’s smaller suppliers. is identifying reliable consultants with by Aero Montreal, a group that brings Now entering its ffth year, the Mach relevant experience that can help Mon- together industry, universities and re- Initiative is a supplier-development treal’s aerospace SMEs make the tran- search institutions to support develop- program that now involves 60 SMEs, sition to Industry 4.0. The bigger Tier 1 ment of the regional aerospace cluster. with OEMs providing mentorship for suppliers have yet to make that shift The planned superclusters will not projects to improve supplier processes and are unable to help the SMEs, she be sectoral and will develop know-how and make them more productive. says, adding: “We can’t have the blind that can be applied across industry sec- “We want to reach 70 SMEs, so leading the blind.” c BomBardier Photos

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In DARPA’s RSGS, the robot servicer will autonomously rendezvous, grasp, inspect, repair and attach a payload to a GEO satellite (left).

The long-lived, payload- agnostic GEO platform is an alternative, or perhaps a complement, to the growing trend toward smaller satellites that can be launched more quickly and cheaply into photo S SpaceLora L Sy S tem lower orbits and replaced more frequently to keep pace with rapid technol- House Calls ogy advances. The concept will be en- abled by robotic capabilities to assemble, service and reconfgure satellites Robotic on-orbit servicing on orbit. These are scheduled to be demonstrated by NASA’s Restore-L mission planned for 2019-20 and in DARPA’s Ro- expected to drive satellite design botic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program planned for launch in 2021. to modularity Space Systems Loral (SSL) will supply its 1300-series com- Graham Warwick Washington mercial satellite bus to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for Restore-L and has been selected by DARPA to integrate magine a platform that is launched into geo- a government-supplied robotics payload onto its 1300 bus for synchronous orbit (GEO) without a payload RSGS. SSL’s MDA US Systems will supply robotic arms for I both spacecraft. but with the resources on board to stay on orbit But getting satellite servicing of the ground is not proving for 40 years. Payloads are launched as required to trouble-free. President Donald Trump’s fscal 2018 budget plug into standard ports on the platform, provid- seeks to restructure “duplicative” aspects of robotic satellite servicing. Orbital ATK has fled a lawsuit to block the RSGS ing capabilities that change over time. contract, arguing it will subsidize the creation of a competitor This is one concept being examined to enable govern- for its planned commercial satellite life-extension service. And ment and commercial customers to refresh the technology SSL has sued Orbital ATK after one of its employees accessed on their satellites in response to changes in markets and proprietary data on Dragonfy, a robotic satellite assembly threats. And it is one potential product of robotic servicing program with NASA. demonstrations now in the planning stage. “Satellite servicing enhances resiliency,” says Benjamin

Beames, executive chairman of York across a wide range of uses: Earth ob- En MassE Space Systems. servation, weather, communication and Jen DiMascio Washington The company’s focus from the start other military missions. has been to optimize performance and Low-cost spacecraft will enable en- ork Space Systems plans to do ease of manufacturing, an approach that trepreneurs who want to quickly demon- Yfor satellites what Ford did for the it anticipates will deliver signifcant cost strate a new idea to send it to low Earth Model T. The Denver-based startup plans reductions. The highly automated process orbit on a highly reliable bus, Beames to mass-produce satellite buses, thereby includes very little touch labor. Many of says. “The money is made with the instru- drastically reducing their price and en- the machines in the production facility ment that attaches to the bus,” he adds. abling the collection of all kinds of data on the campus of the Metropolitan State York’s bus will be slightly bigger than from space. University of Denver will be operated by a cubesat. The company’s S-class bus “One-half of the cost of the satellite just two people. has a mass of 65 kg (143 lb.). It uses a is the bus, and this bus will be about one- York’s business model is to prepare three-axis stabilized spacecraft that can quarter of the price of what satellite op- buses built to standard interfaces that support 85 kg of payload, providing 100 erators are currently paying,” says Chuck can be modifed for individual sellers watts of orbit average power. Accord-

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NASA’s Restore-L will robotically In DARPA’s RSGS, the Reed, deputy project manager in the refuel Landsat 7, a satellite robot servicer will au- satellite servicing capability office at that was never designed to be tonomously rendezvous, NASA Goddard. Refueling could ex- serviced in orbit. grasp, inspect, repair tend the life of an on-orbit satellite if and attach a payload to launch of its replacement is delayed. a GEO satellite (left). Tugging to change orbit would save onboard fuel. Repair could mean freeing The long-lived, payload- a stuck solar array or communications agnostic GEO platform is antenna that did not deploy as planned. an alternative, or perhaps But the ability to swap out payloads a complement, to the for the latest technology may prove growing trend toward the most compelling reason for ro- smaller satellites that botic servicing. “You are looking at 20 can be launched more years of technology development from quickly and cheaply into the request for proposals to retiring a photo S SpaceLora L Sy S tem lower orbits and replaced satellite,” says Reed. “We have to move more frequently to keep operators from a position where they pace with rapid technol- need to make 15-20-year decisions, be- ogy advances. cause the market is moving too quickly House Calls for them to make those decisions with The concept will be en- abled by robotic capabili- confdence,” says Steve Oldham, SSL ties to assemble, service senior vice president for strategic busi- and reconfgure satellites ness development. Robotic on-orbit servicing on orbit. These are scheduled to be demonstrated by NASA’s Restore-L is a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) mission to refuel asset is as regular as replacing the gaming card in your PC. Restore-L mission planned for 2019-20 and in DARPA’s Ro- an existing satellite not designed for servicing. The robotic None of that happens today with satellites. We are headed to expected to drive satellite design botic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program serving vehicle will autonomously rendezvous with Landsat 7, an architecture where satellite manufacturers and operators planned for launch in 2021. which is scheduled to be decommissioned ahead of the demo. start planning for modularity and replacement.” to modularity Space Systems Loral (SSL) will supply its 1300-series com- Robotic arms will autonomously grasp the satellite. Ground To enable the demo, SSL plans to work with DARPA or a Graham Warwick Washington mercial satellite bus to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center operators with hand controllers will then use the arms to pull commercial operator to put up a satellite that has the equiva- for Restore-L and has been selected by DARPA to integrate away thermal blankets, remove the cap and cut the wires se- lent of a USB port. “And then when RSGS goes up, it will take magine a platform that is launched into geo- a government-supplied robotics payload onto its 1300 bus for curing the fuel valve, and the servicer will connect to refuel along a piece of technology that is plugged into the USB port synchronous orbit (GEO) without a payload RSGS. SSL’s MDA US Systems will supply robotic arms for the satellite. Plans also call for the robotic servicer to pull and becomes functional,” he says. “I think once this plug-and- I both spacecraft. Landsat to a new orbit to demonstrate tugging. play capability is demonstrated, you are going to see satellites but with the resources on board to stay on orbit But getting satellite servicing of the ground is not proving “The DARPA mission involves a lot more than refueling. It as standard with these USB ports.” for 40 years. Payloads are launched as required to trouble-free. President Donald Trump’s fscal 2018 budget is primarily aimed at augmentation and assembly in space,” Another DARPA program is developing the Payload Orbital plug into standard ports on the platform, provid- seeks to restructure “duplicative” aspects of robotic satellite says Oldham. Launched into GEO, the RSGS robotic servicing Delivery (POD) system to carry robotic-servicer tools and plug- servicing. Orbital ATK has fled a lawsuit to block the RSGS vehicle will autonomously rendezvous with a cooperative sat- in payloads riding piggyback on satellites launched to GEO. The ing capabilities that change over time. contract, arguing it will subsidize the creation of a competitor ellite, conduct an ultraclose optical and lidar inspection and, frst POD will go up this year on an SSL commercial satellite. This is one concept being examined to enable govern- for its planned commercial satellite life-extension service. And using its robotic arms, conduct repairs and install a technical “The 1300 is a large satellite, so we use a battery bay at the ment and commercial customers to refresh the technology SSL has sued Orbital ATK after one of its employees accessed package on the exterior of the spacecraft. bottom. It is like a closet,” says Oldham. “Instead of a battery on their satellites in response to changes in markets and proprietary data on Dragonfy, a robotic satellite assembly “That is the primary diferentiator between the missions,” we put a jettisonable small satellite in there. That gets us up threats. And it is one potential product of robotic servicing program with NASA. says Oldham. “[RSGS] is designed to take us to an architec- to GEO, where it jettisons gently from the bus and either be- demonstrations now in the planning stage. “Satellite servicing enhances resiliency,” says Benjamin ture where assembly in space or augmentation of an existing comes a free-fying satellite or gets picked up by something

Beames, executive chairman of York across a wide range of uses: Earth ob- ing to York’s website, the base price is on the ground to identify which areas protected satellite communications. York En MassE Space Systems. servation, weather, communication and $675,000. “York will manufacture three need more or less water. Mining compa- has been involved in discussions with the Jen DiMascio Washington The company’s focus from the start other military missions. spacecraft this year, and plans to have the nies can use spectral data to fnd the best companies that are planning to seek con- has been to optimize performance and Low-cost spacecraft will enable en- frst unit qualifed by December. Within places to dig. “I think all of those indus- tracts for a future Space-based Infrared ork Space Systems plans to do ease of manufacturing, an approach that trepreneurs who want to quickly demon- the next 2-3 years, we intend to be able tries and the [makers of] spacecraft that Satellite program or a future Advanced Yfor satellites what Ford did for the it anticipates will deliver signifcant cost strate a new idea to send it to low Earth to produce about 200 spacecraft per will be used to optimize those industries Extremely High-Frequency satellite mis- Model T. The Denver-based startup plans reductions. The highly automated process orbit on a highly reliable bus, Beames year,” says York co-founder and CEO Dirk will be very interested in a spacecraft that sion. As the U.S. Air Force looks to disag- to mass-produce satellite buses, thereby includes very little touch labor. Many of says. “The money is made with the instru- Wallinger. at a minimum uses the York bus, but they gregate its large constellations in the drastically reducing their price and en- the machines in the production facility ment that attaches to the bus,” he adds. Despite the seeming dominance of very well may be interested in having York future, Beames says York is well suited abling the collection of all kinds of data on the campus of the Metropolitan State York’s bus will be slightly bigger than Earth-observation companies such as build their spacecraft for them. A lot of to the missions. Although it may not be from space. University of Denver will be operated by a cubesat. The company’s S-class bus DigitalGlobe, UrtheCast and recent new the companies are seeing money in data as capable as the military’s giant geosta- “One-half of the cost of the satellite just two people. has a mass of 65 kg (143 lb.). It uses a entrants to the feld such as BlackSky or data services,” Beames says. tionary satellites, these spacecraft will be is the bus, and this bus will be about one- York’s business model is to prepare three-axis stabilized spacecraft that can Global and Planet, Beames says the mar- The York bus and its proprietary sen- very capable and can be quickly reconsti- quarter of the price of what satellite op- buses built to standard interfaces that support 85 kg of payload, providing 100 ket for spectral data is largely untapped. sors will also be capable of national secu- tuted or replaced. Plus, the satellites will erators are currently paying,” says Chuck can be modifed for individual sellers watts of orbit average power. Accord- Satellite imagery can zero in on tiny spots rity missions including early warning and use of-the-shelf processor technology. c

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like the RSGS servicer and used for whichever operation it servicer is designed to last for 15 years in GEO and perform is intended for.” up to 10 servicing events a year. “One vehicle, one client is Restore-L will be operated by Goddard, and only one servic- not afordable; one vehicle, multiple clients is,” says Oldham. ing mission is planned. SSL is talking to NASA about making Orbital ATK argues RSGS as structured is a subsidy, with relatively minor modifcations that would enable more than DARPA paying for the robotic payload, satellite modifcations one mission, but maneuvering between orbits in LEO requires and launch, and handing the system over to SSL after the a lot of fuel, “and they are going to use a majority of the fuel demo. SSL counters that it will contribute the bus, pay for ser- on board to get to Landsat and refuel it,” he says. vicing operations and repay government funding through dis- RSGS is planned to be operated by SSL and, once the counts on future servicing missions and that, as with Restore- DARPA demo is complete, to be handed over to the company L, the government-developed technology will be available to so it can be ofered as a service to government and commer- other companies. “Government technology must be made cial operators. The spacecraft will carry signifcantly more available to others. And if we share costs, any government maneuvering propellant than a standard 1300-series satellite, funds must be repaid over time through repairs,” says Oldham. enabling it to move from client to client in GEO. The robotic Looking ahead, SSL sees the “USB port” concept enabling

Space Wars U.S. Air Force The U.S. Air Force is defending its role as Pentagon’s space lead Lara Seligman Washington

n often overlooked core function of the U.S. Air Force Ais its stewardship of space. From the private citizen sending a tweet to the president’s ability to order a nuclear strike, the U.S. relies on satellite technologies felded by the military’s air service. But as space becomes more contested, the government is taking a hard look at how to better manage military assets in that domain. The Air Force is pushing to maintain its lead role, but other ways of managing U.S. space operations are The Air Force is responsible for more than 90% of being proposed. Among them are a separate Space Corps, the Pentagon’s space assets, including the GPS modeled on the U.S. Marine Corps, or a Space Guard, in- satellite constellation. spired by the U.S. Coast Guard. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) has operated for including acquisition—are fragmented across an astounding decades in a relatively benign environment, says Maj. Gen. 60 government stakeholders. The Government Accountabil- David Thompson, AFSPC vice commander. Operators are ity Ofce (GAO) issued a report last year warning that this accustomed to keeping an eye out for natural threats such as fragmentation is contributing to program delays, cancella- space debris, background radiation or solar storms, and tak- tions, cost increases and inefcient operations. Congress is ing appropriate action to move spacecraft out of harm’s way. also taking an interest: Lawmakers wrote in the fscal 2016 But all that is changing. Potential adversaries are beginning defense policy bill that they are concerned by the disjointed to feld ofensive capabilities in space, from electronic-jam- nature of the military’s space acquisition. ming devices to anti-satellite weapons that could destroy U.S. This scrutiny could potentially threaten the Air Force’s spacecraft, says Thompson. To counter the emerging threat, long-standing role as the Defense Department’s point or- the Air Force is looking to fortify its space infrastructure. ganization for space. The deputy secretary of defense des- “It’s become very clear, based on the activities of those ignated the secretary of the Air Force as the Principal De- who could be our adversaries in the future that they intend fense Department Space Advisor (PDSA) in 2015, but it is to challenge our ability to operate in space,” says Thompson. possible the Air Force could lose that position. The GAO “While we don’t want to see that war extend to space, we report noted that ofcials and experts are “skeptical” that have to recognize it might, and we have to be prepared.” the move has been efective in consolidating fragmented And Vice Adm. Charles Richard, deputy commander of leadership responsibilities, and some thought the PDSA U.S. Strategic Command, points out that space, a domain authority would be better placed under the auspices of the that enables other domains such as cyber, ground, land and secretary of defense. sea, needs to be integrated. “To wage war efectively, we need “Why reorganize military space?” asks Maj. Brent Zi- to be operating in all domains,” he says. arnick, an assistant professor at the Air University’s Air The push comes as the Pentagon faces pressure to better Command and Staf College. “Space is a diferent domain manage its space assets. Although the Air Force is currently from air, land and sea. A new organization is needed to de- responsible for more than 90% of the Defense Department’s velop new ways of thinking,” he says. “The current Air Force space enterprise, defense space leadership responsibilities— structure has shortchanged new needs. The Air Force is too

60 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p58-61.indd 60 3/29/17 3:36 PM RESILIENT SPACE like the RSGS servicer and used for whichever operation it servicer is designed to last for 15 years in GEO and perform a long-lived GEO platform on NASA is supporting a ground is intended for.” up to 10 servicing events a year. “One vehicle, one client is which payloads can be switched demonstration of robotic Restore-L will be operated by Goddard, and only one servic- not afordable; one vehicle, multiple clients is,” says Oldham. out by robotic servicers. This satellite assembly under ing mission is planned. SSL is talking to NASA about making Orbital ATK argues RSGS as structured is a subsidy, with will also reduce launch costs, SSL’s Dragonfy program. relatively minor modifcations that would enable more than DARPA paying for the robotic payload, satellite modifcations as only payloads need to be or- one mission, but maneuvering between orbits in LEO requires and launch, and handing the system over to SSL after the bited, Oldham points out. “If you could build a solar a lot of fuel, “and they are going to use a majority of the fuel demo. SSL counters that it will contribute the bus, pay for ser- On-orbit assembly, being de- array three times as big as the on board to get to Landsat and refuel it,” he says. vicing operations and repay government funding through dis- veloped under Dragonfy, would ones up there now, you would RSGS is planned to be operated by SSL and, once the counts on future servicing missions and that, as with Restore- allow satellites to be orbited have a lot more power and be DARPA demo is complete, to be handed over to the company L, the government-developed technology will be available to with larger arrays and antennas able to provide a lot more band- so it can be ofered as a service to government and commer- other companies. “Government technology must be made than can now be folded to ft inside the payload fairings of width if you are a commercial operator,” Oldham says. “Or if cial operators. The spacecraft will carry signifcantly more available to others. And if we share costs, any government launch vehicles. Array or antenna elements could be stacked you are military and want a better radar system, you need maneuvering propellant than a standard 1300-series satellite, funds must be repaid over time through repairs,” says Oldham. on top of the satellite. In orbit, a mobile robot would collect much more power for that. And you can start building much enabling it to move from client to client in GEO. The robotic Looking ahead, SSL sees the “USB port” concept enabling them and plug them into position. larger antennas because you assemble them in orbit.” c U.S. Air Force focused on its core mission; it is an air force, not an air and beneft in the adversary trying to attack you,” Thompson Space Wars space force.” says. “For example, the GPS constellation has 30 satellites Col. Michael Smith, a professor at the Air University’s on orbit today, so if an adversary were to attack one or two, The U.S. Air Force is defending its School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, is even more or perhaps even fve, the overall efect on the GPS constel- harsh in his assessment. “The Air Force is to space as the lation would still be relatively minor.” role as Pentagon’s space lead air guard is to music,” he told a panel at the Satellite 2017 The Air Force is also looking at equipping spacecraft with conference in Washington in March. “The core competency both ofensive and defensive capabilities. One idea is making Lara Seligman Washington of the Air Force is air power; other contingencies, other pri- sure vulnerable spacecraft can carry extra fuel onboard that orities fall of the table . . . until the Army and Navy tell us they can use to outmaneuver an incoming threat. The Air n often overlooked core function of the U.S. Air Force to bring them back.” Force is exploring ways to incorporate this into the Space Ais its stewardship of space. From the private citizen The Air Force appears to be launching a ferce campaign Based Infrared System (for early missile warning) and Ad- sending a tweet to the president’s ability to order a to prove the skeptics wrong. In recent months, Air Force vanced Extremely High-Frequency satellites (for protected nuclear strike, the U.S. relies on satellite technologies felded Chief of Staf Gen. David Goldfein has repeatedly stressed military communications), says Thompson. by the military’s air service. the service’s history of safeguarding space, which dates There may be opportunities for the Air Force to take But as space becomes more contested, the government is back to 1954. Thompson echoed Goldfein’s comments, say- advantage of commercial advances in satellite technology, taking a hard look at how to better manage military assets ing the Air Force needs to take the lead in developing the Thompson points out. The commercial and civil markets in that domain. The Air Force is pushing to maintain its lead new command-and-control constructs, tools and capabilities have a “tremendous” remote-sensing capability that the role, but other ways of managing U.S. space operations are The Air Force is responsible for more than 90% of across the military that will ensure the U.S. maintains its military could leverage for intelligence, surveillance and being proposed. Among them are a separate Space Corps, the Pentagon’s space assets, including the GPS edge in space. reconnaissance missions, he says. The Pentagon can either modeled on the U.S. Marine Corps, or a Space Guard, in- satellite constellation. That means “taking a lead role in the coordination and syn- buy these commercial capabilities directly, or let commercial spired by the U.S. Coast Guard. chronization of all space activities that the Army, Air Force, operators operate on the government’s behalf. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) has operated for including acquisition—are fragmented across an astounding Navy, Marines and Coast Guard bring,” says Thompson. Most important, the Pentagon needs to have integrated decades in a relatively benign environment, says Maj. Gen. 60 government stakeholders. The Government Accountabil- “We need to establish some kind of [space] organization operations across the joint force equipped to detect threats David Thompson, AFSPC vice commander. Operators are ity Ofce (GAO) issued a report last year warning that this with autonomy within the Air Force,” says Smith. There and efectively counter them, Thompson says. To this end, accustomed to keeping an eye out for natural threats such as fragmentation is contributing to program delays, cancella- is an opportunity to create a Space Corps within the Air the Air Force recently stood up the Joint Interagency Com- space debris, background radiation or solar storms, and tak- tions, cost increases and inefcient operations. Congress is Force, he says, in the same way the Army Air Corps was bined Space Operations Center at Schriever AFB, Colorado ing appropriate action to move spacecraft out of harm’s way. also taking an interest: Lawmakers wrote in the fscal 2016 formed within the Army as a precursor to an independent Springs, to unify space defense eforts between the Defense But all that is changing. Potential adversaries are beginning defense policy bill that they are concerned by the disjointed Air Force. Department and the intelligence community. It also serves to feld ofensive capabilities in space, from electronic-jam- nature of the military’s space acquisition. The proposal for a separate Space Guard difers in that, as a hub for operational collaboration and experimentation ming devices to anti-satellite weapons that could destroy U.S. This scrutiny could potentially threaten the Air Force’s like the Coast Guard—which started life under the Treasury on new space system tactics, techniques and procedures. spacecraft, says Thompson. To counter the emerging threat, long-standing role as the Defense Department’s point or- Department, is now part of the Homeland Security Depart- Congress, however, is looking at a command structure for the Air Force is looking to fortify its space infrastructure. ganization for space. The deputy secretary of defense des- ment, but would operate under the Navy in wartime—it an autonomous Space Corps, says Smith. He suggests that “It’s become very clear, based on the activities of those ignated the secretary of the Air Force as the Principal De- would “still be a military force, but not war-focused,” says AFSPC be turned into a Space Corps within the Air Force who could be our adversaries in the future that they intend fense Department Space Advisor (PDSA) in 2015, but it is Ziarnick. “It would focus on safety and security, which pro- by transferring people and coding assets. “The relationship to challenge our ability to operate in space,” says Thompson. possible the Air Force could lose that position. The GAO vide a beneft in peacetime.” of the Space Corps to the Air Force would be the same as “While we don’t want to see that war extend to space, we report noted that ofcials and experts are “skeptical” that Thompson, meanwhile, detailed several initiatives the the Marine Corps to the Navy,” he says. U.S. Space Com- have to recognize it might, and we have to be prepared.” the move has been efective in consolidating fragmented Air Force is already undertaking to bolster its space in- mand, merged with Strategic Command in 2020, would be And Vice Adm. Charles Richard, deputy commander of leadership responsibilities, and some thought the PDSA frastructure. One efort is distributing the mission across reestablished as a functional command supported by the U.S. Strategic Command, points out that space, a domain authority would be better placed under the auspices of the a wider array of in-orbit systems—increasing redundancy Space Corps. that enables other domains such as cyber, ground, land and secretary of defense. and minimizing the damage caused by one individual attack, “We are naturally the service that can and should lead the sea, needs to be integrated. “To wage war efectively, we need “Why reorganize military space?” asks Maj. Brent Zi- he says. This can also be applied to ground control stations: way in fguring out how to synchronize, integrate and put all to be operating in all domains,” he says. arnick, an assistant professor at the Air University’s Air The more the U.S. can distribute its global satellite control those capabilities together,” argues Thompson. “If you have The push comes as the Pentagon faces pressure to better Command and Staf College. “Space is a diferent domain network, the less devastating a cyberattack against a specifc capabilities in air, space and cyber and integrate them ef- manage its space assets. Although the Air Force is currently from air, land and sea. A new organization is needed to de- node will be. fectively, the whole is absolutely greater than the sum of the responsible for more than 90% of the Defense Department’s velop new ways of thinking,” he says. “The current Air Force “If in fact you distribute the systems and the functions and parts in terms of the efect you can deliver for the security space enterprise, defense space leadership responsibilities— structure has shortchanged new needs. The Air Force is too the tasks wide enough, it might mean that there is very little of the nation and the rest of the joint force.” c

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AW_04_03_2017_p58-61.indd 60 3/29/17 3:36 PM AW_04_03_2017_p58-61.indd 61 3/29/17 3:44 PM SAFETY

The 2015 crash of the Hawker Hunter, pictured in 2013, has sent reverberations throughout the UK air show community.

TONY OSBORNE/AW&ST Investigators also found issues within the air show organization and apparent confusion about permissions for the display and overfl ights of heavily populated areas. Risk assessments by the show’s organizers were found Slipping Through to be defi cient; the report notes that lessons from incidents at other shows had not been learned. the Cracks “No organization or individual considered all the hazards associated Trials suggest air show pilot was too low with the aircraft’s display, what could go wrong, who might be af ected and and too slow to complete maneuver what could be done to mitigate the risks to a level that was both tolerable Tony Osborne London and as low as reasonably practicable,” the report says. t might ultimately have been pilot him to begin aerobatic maneuvers “Controls intended to protect the I error that caused the crash of a vin- from 500 ft., but he began his display public from the hazards of displaying tage Hawker Hunter jet fi ghter at from 185 ft.—more than 300 ft. lower aircraft were inef ective,” it adds. the Shoreham Airshow in England in than permitted. He started the maneu- There are also questions about the 2015. But the report into the accident ver at 310 kt. and reached 2,700 ft. at Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) ap- published in early March has given the apex and a speed of 105 kt. Without proach to awarding display authori- Britain’s air shows and the UK’s cot- enough height or energy, the aircraft zations to pilots. Such permits allow tage industry of vintage jet operators a hit the ground. pilots to operate display aircraft at air clean bill of health and instead thrown The AAIB says the maneuver could shows. The report notes that’s Hill’s the spotlight on the wider regulatory have been aborted safely, but Hill “did 2015 authorization was based on an system. not recognize that the aircraft was too aerobatic display in a piston-engine The report by the UK Air Accident low to complete the downward half of Vans RV-8 light aircraft rather than Investigation Board (AAIB) reveals a the maneuver,” it states. The report was on his expertise in vintage jets. litany of failings by the show’s orga- accompanied by a video aimed at help- The AAIB has made more than 30 nizers and the regulator, the UK Civil ing to visualize the aircraft’s maneuver. recommendations based on its fi nd- Aviation Authority, that allowed the Trials demonstrated with a similar ings in both its interim and fi nal re- accident—the worst at a UK air show Hawker Hunter jet showed that pilots ports, but not all have been adopted since 1952—to occur. have 4 sec. after the apex to fl y an es- by the CAA. Reviews into air show Pilot Andrew Hill somehow man- cape maneuver, but Hill was unaware safety are continuing, however, as a aged to survive the accident on Aug. 22, of such procedures. result of the tragedy. thrown clear of the wreckage after the The AAIB believes that Hill’s expe- A primary focus is on how display aircraft plowed into the busy A27 high- rience with the straight-wing, slower authorizations are allocated, and cre- way, hitting cars as well as pedestrians and less-energetic Jet Provost training ating a mechanism to withdraw them and spectators trying to view the air aircraft—approximately 934 hr. during if a pilot’s competency is in question. show from outside of the event. his military service and more than that New rules have been introduced about Hill was to start his display with a in his civilian life—may have also have the extent of information to be provid- bent loop containing both a pitching had an infl uence. ed to organizers about pilots’ display and rolling component, but the long- Aerobatic pilots use a set of sequences, and studies are underway awaited probe found he had attempt- “gates”—speeds, heights and power into optimal crowd-separation dis- ed to fly the maneuver at too slow a inputs required to achieve certain ma- tances. A report by the UK Military speed and too low a throttle setting to neuvers. The AAIB suggests that Hill Aviation Authority on the subject is achieve it safely. may have been recalling and focusing expected later this year. Trials with a Hawker Hunter fl own on the gates associated with the Jet And most critically, the report calls by the Empire Test Pilots School Provost rather than the Hunter. on the UK Department for Transport (ETPS) on behalf of the AAIB conclud- “His greater experience and recency to conduct a review into the gover- ed that the pilot needed to be fl ying at on the Jet Provost meant that he was nance of fl ying display activity. 350 kt., at maximum power, to achieve more likely to be familiar with the Hill continues to be the subject of a the apex of 3,500 ft. and allow for the speeds and handling characteristics police investigation and could poten- 2,600-2,950 ft. of altitude that would be of this type, and to recall them more tially face charges of manslaughter be- lost in the second half of the maneuver. easily than those for the Hunter,” the cause of the crash, in which 11 people Hill’s display authorization allowed AAIB report states. were killed and several more injured. c

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AW_04_03_2017_p62.indd 62 3/29/17 10:24 AM SAFETY Contact Us Aerospace Calendar To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings President/Publisher: Gregory D. Hamilton; The 2015 crash of the Hawker +1 (212) 204-4368; [email protected] email: [email protected] Hunter, pictured in 2013, has sent Managing director, Global Media: Iain Blackhall (UK); reverberations throughout the UK +44 (0)20 7975 1670; [email protected] April 8-July 22—AOPA Flight Instructor Refresher Course. Various Locations. See aopa.org/ u.s. sales Offces air show community. forms/event-calendar/FIRC_ONSITE Managing director, Americas: Beth Wagner; (703) 997-0261; [email protected] April 11-13—Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE 2017). Shanghai TONY OSBORNE/AW&ST Investigators also found issues director, Commercial sales: Tom Davis; Hawker Pacifc Business Aviation Service Center. Shanghai. See abace.aero/2017 within the air show organization and (469) 854-6717; [email protected] April 17-18—Dubai Heliconference. Al Maktoum Airport. Dubai. See dubaiheliconference.com apparent confusion about permissions international regional sales Offces April 18-20—ICNS 2017: CNS Challenges for UAS Integration. Westin Washington Dulles for the display and overfl ights of heav- Publisher, defense, space & security: Airport. Herndon, Virginia. See i-cns.org ily populated areas. Risk assessments Andrea Rossi Prudente (UK): +44 (207) 182 4524; by the show’s organizers were found [email protected] April 20-21—Aircraft Noise and Emissions Reduction Symposium. Embassy Suites. Alexandria, Virginia. See aiaa.org/ANERS2017 Slipping Through to be defi cient; the report notes that Marketing services lessons from incidents at other shows Business Development Manager: Jason Washburn; April 25—Westminster Business Forum: The UK Space Economy. Westminster Central (216) 931-9161; [email protected] London. London. See westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/conference/space-industry-2017 had not been learned. Full sales team Listings: @AviationWeek.com/salesteam the Cracks “No organization or individual con- April 25-26—SAE 2017 Aerospace Standards Summit. EASA Headquarters. Cologne, Germany. See sae.org/standardsdev/summit sidered all the hazards associated Business/Production Carey Sweeten; with the aircraft’s display, what could Group Production Manager: April 25-27—Infocast’s Space 2.0. Crowne Plaza San Jose. Milpitas, California. See Trials suggest air show pilot was too low (913) 967-1823; [email protected] infocastinc.com/event/space-2-0 go wrong, who might be af ected and Production Coordinator: Kara Walby; April 25-27—American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Defense Forum. Kossiakof what could be done to mitigate the (913) 967-7476; [email protected] and too slow to complete maneuver Center at Johns Hopkins University. Laurel, Maryland. See aiaa-defense.org risks to a level that was both tolerable Advertising/Marketing services Tony Osborne London and as low as reasonably practicable,” April 26-27—Military Space Situational Awareness Conference. Copthorne Tara Hotel For Media Kits, Promotions or Custom Media: London. See smi-online.co.uk/defence/uk/milspace the report says. www.aviationweek.com/mediakits or Elizabeth Sisk; “Controls intended to protect the (860) 245-5632; [email protected] April 26-28 —CubeSat Developers Workshop 2017. Cal Poly Performing Arts Center. San Luis t might ultimately have been pilot him to begin aerobatic maneuvers Obispo, California. See cubesat.org error that caused the crash of a vin- from 500 ft., but he began his display public from the hazards of displaying Business and Finance Manager: Gabriel Balmes; I +1 (860) 245-5632; [email protected] May 2—American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Fellows Dinner 2017. Crystal aircraft were inef ective,” it adds. tage Hawker Hunter jet fi ghter at from 185 ft.—more than 300 ft. lower City Hilton. Arlington, Virginia. See aiaa.org/FellowsDinner2017. the Shoreham Airshow in England in than permitted. He started the maneu- There are also questions about the subscriber service 2015. But the report into the accident ver at 310 kt. and reached 2,700 ft. at Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) ap- u.s.: (800) 525-5003 Outside the u.s.: +1 (847) 763-9147; published in early March has given the apex and a speed of 105 kt. Without proach to awarding display authori- Manage your subscription (and claim digital edition) at: Britain’s air shows and the UK’s cot- enough height or energy, the aircraft zations to pilots. Such permits allow aviationweek.com/awstcustomers Aviation Week Events hit the ground. pilots to operate display aircraft at air tage industry of vintage jet operators a Conferences/exhibitions +1 (800) 722-6344 clean bill of health and instead thrown The AAIB says the maneuver could shows. The report notes that’s Hill’s www.aviationweek.com/events: the spotlight on the wider regulatory have been aborted safely, but Hill “did 2015 authorization was based on an to sponsor/exhibit: Beth Eddy; April 11-12—Airline Engineering & Maintenance: Middle East. Abu Dhabi. (561) 862-0005; [email protected] system. not recognize that the aircraft was too aerobatic display in a piston-engine April 25-27—MRO Americas. Orlando, Florida. The report by the UK Air Accident low to complete the downward half of Vans RV-8 light aircraft rather than to register: Virginia Gongora; (212) 204-4202; [email protected] April 26-27—MRO Military. Orlando, Florida. Investigation Board (AAIB) reveals a the maneuver,” it states. The report was on his expertise in vintage jets. May 2-3—SpeedNews 5th Annual Aerospace Manufacturing Conference litany of failings by the show’s orga- accompanied by a video aimed at help- The AAIB has made more than 30 AW&ST Mailing List rental and sales nizers and the regulator, the UK Civil ing to visualize the aircraft’s maneuver. recommendations based on its fi nd- Mary ralicki; (212) 204-4284; [email protected] (AMC). Dearborn, Michigan. May 4—SpeedNews AeroAuto Conference (AAC). Dearborn, Michigan. Aviation Authority, that allowed the Trials demonstrated with a similar ings in both its interim and fi nal re- reprints, Photocopies and Permissions accident—the worst at a UK air show Hawker Hunter jet showed that pilots ports, but not all have been adopted Custom reprints: Brett Petillo; [email protected] May 10-11—MRO BEER. Sofa, Bulgaria. since 1952—to occur. have 4 sec. after the apex to fl y an es- by the CAA. Reviews into air show Wright’s Media, 2407 Timberloch Place, Suite B May 10-11—Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance. London. The Woodlands, Texas 77380 Pilot Andrew Hill somehow man- cape maneuver, but Hill was unaware safety are continuing, however, as a Offce: (281) 419-5725 May 31-June 1—ap&m Europe, London. aged to survive the accident on Aug. 22, of such procedures. result of the tragedy. Toll Free: (877) 652-5295 Sept. 13-14—Aero-Engines Europe. Madrid. thrown clear of the wreckage after the The AAIB believes that Hill’s expe- A primary focus is on how display Cell: (281) 853-5434 Fax: (281) 419-5712 Sept. 18—SpeedNews 5th Annual European Aerospace Raw Materials & aircraft plowed into the busy A27 high- rience with the straight-wing, slower authorizations are allocated, and cre- www.wrightsmedia.com way, hitting cars as well as pedestrians and less-energetic Jet Provost training ating a mechanism to withdraw them Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (ERMC). Toulouse. and spectators trying to view the air aircraft—approximately 934 hr. during if a pilot’s competency is in question. social Media Sept. 18-20—SpeedNews 18th Annual Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference show from outside of the event. his military service and more than that New rules have been introduced about Join the conversation. Follow us at: (AISCT-18). Toulouse. Hill was to start his display with a in his civilian life—may have also have the extent of information to be provid- linkedin.com/company/aviation-week bent loop containing both a pitching had an infl uence. ed to organizers about pilots’ display Twitter.com/AviationWeek and rolling component, but the long- Aerobatic pilots use a set of sequences, and studies are underway Facebook.com/AvWeek YouTube.com/AviationWeek awaited probe found he had attempt- “gates”—speeds, heights and power into optimal crowd-separation dis- Advertisers in this issue Paris Airshow 2017 ...... 3rd Cover ed to fly the maneuver at too slow a inputs required to achieve certain ma- tances. A report by the UK Military Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations and Magazine Singapore Airshow ...... 9 Aerospace Daily Defense Report** ...... 5 speed and too low a throttle setting to neuvers. The AAIB suggests that Hill Aviation Authority on the subject is Publishers of America. 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NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 3, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, in the offces of Vedder Price P.C., 1633 Broadway, 31st Floor, New York, New York, pursuant to that certain Aircraft Security Agreement Aviation Week’s Recruitment (MSN 37306), dated as of September 18, 2015 (as supplemented, amended and in effect as of the date hereof, the “Security Agreement”), between Bank of Utah, not in its individual capacity, but solely as owner trustee (together with its successors and permitted assigns, the “Owner Trustee”), and Bank of Utah, as security trustee (together with its successors and permitted Portfolio Provides Unparalleled assigns, and in its capacities as the secured party and foreclosing lender, the “Security Trustee”), and other related documents, and pursuant to Section 9 610 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted under applicable law, and by direction of the lender (the Reach into the Largest, Most “Lender”) holding all of the loans under the related loan agreement, the Security Trustee will hold a public foreclosure auction to offer for sale all of the Owner Trustee’s estate, right, title and interest in and to the assets, properties, rights and interests assigned and pledged as collateral by the Owner Trustee to the Security Trustee under the Security Agreement, including, without limitation, Dynamic Market in the World. all of Owner Trustee’s right, title and interest in and to the following collateral (collectively, the “Collateral”): (i) one (1) Boeing model 787-8 airframe bearing manufacturer’s serial number 37306 and FAA Registration No. N887BA, along with two (2) Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-A2 aircraft engines bearing manufacturer’s serial numbers 10312 and 10293, along with all related equipment, parts and accessories in respect of the aircraft and related equipment (collectively, the “Aircraft”), (ii) all fight records, logs, manuals, maintenance data and inspection, modifcation and overhaul records and other documents relating to any portion of the Aircraft, (iii) related warranty rights, (iv) related insurance rights and (v) the remainder of the “Collateral” (as defned in the Security Agreement). Terms and Conditions of Sale. Build Your Recruitment 1. The Collateral shall be sold as a whole lot or in multiple partial lots (for example, the Aircraft and the other Collateral may be sold either together or separately), as determined in the sole discretion of Seller, on an “AS IS, WHERE IS” basis, with all faults, and Program Today! without recourse to the Security Trustee or the Lender. The Security Trustee and the Lender make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the value, condition, merchantability or ftness for use of any of the Collateral or any other representation or warranty with respect to the Collateral whatsoever. The Security Trustee and the Lender do not claim title to the Collateral being sold hereunder and each disclaims any warranty of title, possession, quiet enjoyment, value or quality of the Collateral and the like in any To Learn More, sale. 2. The Collateral (or portion thereof) will be sold at public auction to the bidder with the highest or otherwise best bid (as determined by the Security Trustee and the Lender), for cash, except as otherwise provided herein, and on such other commercially Contact: Miguel Ornelas reasonable terms as the Security Trustee and the Lender may determine in accordance with the Security Trustee’s bid procedures (the “Bid Procedures”), a copy of which is available upon request from the representatives listed below. 661-480-7000 3. The public auction sale will take place at the time listed above. 4. The Security Trustee and/or the Lender reserve the right to bid at the sale and to credit bid all or any part of the total amount [email protected] of their secured claims in satisfaction (or partial satisfaction) of the purchase price as set forth in the Bid Procedures. The Security Trustee further reserves the right, on or prior to the date of sale, to modify, waive or amend any terms or conditions of any sale or impose any other terms or conditions on any sale and, if the Security Trustee deems appropriate, to reject any bids and/or to adjourn, delay or terminate any sale. 5. For a copy of the Security Trustee’s Bid Procedures, the above-referenced documents or additional information regarding the terms of the sale or the Collateral, or inquiries regarding legal issues or technical specifcations regarding the Collateral, please contact (a) counsel for the Lender, Vedder Price P.C., Michael J. Edelman, Esq., (Tel.: 212-407-6970) or Cameron A. Gee, Esq. (Tel: 212-407-6929), 1633 Broadway, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10019, Fax: 212-407-7799 or e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] or (b) for technical specifcations, James Raff (Tel. 312-508-5505). All bidders and others requesting confdential information relating to the Collateral will be required to sign a confdentiality agreement. No information provided in response to such request shall constitute a representation or warranty.

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64 VIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/APRIL 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

170403_AW_A.indd 64 3/29/2017 10:52:19 AM CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING To Place Your Classified Ad Contact: To Place Your Classified Ad Contact: Miguel Ornelas; Tel: 661-480-7000 • [email protected] Miguel Ornelas; Tel: 661-480-7000 • [email protected]

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BOOKS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 3, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, in the offces of Vedder Price P.C., 1633 Broadway, 31st Floor, New York, New York, pursuant to that certain Aircraft Security Agreement Aviation Week’s Recruitment (MSN 37306), dated as of September 18, 2015 (as supplemented, amended and in effect as of the date hereof, the “Security Agreement”), between Bank of Utah, not in its individual capacity, but solely as owner trustee (together with its successors and permitted assigns, the “Owner Trustee”), and Bank of Utah, as security trustee (together with its successors and permitted Portfolio Provides Unparalleled assigns, and in its capacities as the secured party and foreclosing lender, the “Security Trustee”), and other related documents, and pursuant to Section 9 610 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted under applicable law, and by direction of the lender (the Reach into the Largest, Most “Lender”) holding all of the loans under the related loan agreement, the Security Trustee will hold a public foreclosure auction to offer for sale all of the Owner Trustee’s estate, right, title and interest in and to the assets, properties, rights and interests assigned and pledged as collateral by the Owner Trustee to the Security Trustee under the Security Agreement, including, without limitation, Dynamic Market in the World. all of Owner Trustee’s right, title and interest in and to the following collateral (collectively, the “Collateral”): (i) one (1) Boeing model 787-8 airframe bearing manufacturer’s serial number 37306 and FAA Registration No. N887BA, along with two (2) Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-A2 aircraft engines bearing manufacturer’s serial numbers 10312 and 10293, along with all related equipment, parts and accessories in respect of the aircraft and related equipment (collectively, the “Aircraft”), (ii) all fight records, logs, manuals, maintenance data and inspection, modifcation and overhaul records and other documents relating to any portion of the Aircraft, (iii) related warranty rights, (iv) related insurance rights and (v) the remainder of the “Collateral” (as defned in the Security Agreement). Terms and Conditions of Sale. Build Your Recruitment 1. The Collateral shall be sold as a whole lot or in multiple partial lots (for example, the Aircraft and the other Collateral may be sold either together or separately), as determined in the sole discretion of Seller, on an “AS IS, WHERE IS” basis, with all faults, and Program Today! without recourse to the Security Trustee or the Lender. The Security Trustee and the Lender make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the value, condition, merchantability or ftness for use of any of the Collateral or any other representation or warranty with respect to the Collateral whatsoever. The Security Trustee and the Lender do not claim title to the Collateral being sold hereunder and each disclaims any warranty of title, possession, quiet enjoyment, value or quality of the Collateral and the like in any To Learn More, sale. EQUIPMENT 2. The Collateral (or portion thereof) will be sold at public auction to the bidder with the highest or otherwise best bid (as determined by the Security Trustee and the Lender), for cash, except as otherwise provided herein, and on such other commercially Contact: Miguel Ornelas reasonable terms as the Security Trustee and the Lender may determine in accordance with the Security Trustee’s bid procedures (the “Bid Procedures”), a copy of which is available upon request from the representatives listed below. 661-480-7000 Know the Value

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170403_AW_A.indd 64 3/29/2017 10:52:19 AM 170403_AW_A.indd 65 3/29/2017 10:52:53 AM Letter From The Editor Women Wanted By Joe Anselmo

wo snapshots from Aviation Week’s recent Wanda Austin retired last October after eight Laureate Awards paint starkly diferent years as president and CEO of The Aerospace T images of gender diversity in today’s aero- Corp. And DXC Technology—the company be- space industry. The frst photo is this year’s 20 ing created by the merger of CSC and Hewlett Twenties, a group of standout science, technol- Packard’s Enterprise Services business—plans ogy, engineering and math (STEM) students. to name a woman to run its North American Selected through a rigorous judging process aerospace and defense business after the merger that statistically evaluated dozens of nomina- takes efect April 3. tions from universities on three continents, they But while women have made great inroads in are an impressive group with bright futures— aerospace fnance and management, they remain and half of them are women (AW&ST Feb. 20- woefully underrepresented on the technical side March 5, p. 54). of the industry. Women make up not even one- quarter of U.S. workers in STEM felds and account for less than 15% of aerospace engineers, according to Aviation Week’s annual Workforce Study. Why is that? Such statistics help explain why so many winners of Laureate Awards—which tend to be nom- inated based on the success of programs, not individuals—are men. It also means the challenge is not just a generational one that will fade away with time. More young women need to be con- vinced that pursuing technical careers in aerospace will be fulflling. Studies have shown that

The second photo is of a group of Laureate Award winners, including luminaries such as Blue Origin founder Jef Bezos; U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. (ret.) Charles Bolden, a recently departed NASA administrator, astronaut and combat pilot; and John Tracy, a Boeing engineer who played an instrumental role in the use of composites in commercial aircraft. But there is not one woman in the group. So which image presents the real face of to- women place particular importance on going into day’s aerospace industry? The answer, it seems, a profession where they can make a diference, is neither. which is why many more pursue careers in bio- Women certainly are more visible in aerospace medicine than aerospace. than they were in 1986, when Sandy Magnus Programs like the 20 Twenties are a good graduated from the Missouri University of Sci- start. But Magnus—who went on to become a ence and Technology and was hired by McDon- NASA astronaut, spent four and a half months nell Douglas as a stealth engineer. All of her on the International Space Station, and now co-workers were men. Magnus so impressed leads the American Institute of Aeronautics and an early supervisor that she received what was Astronautics—believes it also means moving out meant to be a glowing performance appraisal: of our comfort zones when looking for people to “You know, Sandy, you’re just as good as any of fll boards or serve on panels. “When you look my guy engineers,” he told her. for people, you naturally pull from your own Three decades on, young women in aerospace network, which tends to be people who are like have more role models to look up to—if they want you,” she says. “We need to create more diverse to run a company. Lockheed Martin is led by networks.” Marillyn Hewson, General Dynamics by Phebe What do you think? Weigh in at Novakovic and Boeing’s Defense, Space and Se- [email protected] curity unit by Leanne Caret. Marion Blakey has run the FAA and Aerospace Industries Associa- Joe Anselmo is editor-in-chief tion and now heads Rolls-Royce North America. of AviationWeek & Space Technology.

66 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p66.indd 66 3/30/17 2:10 PM Letter From The Editor Women Wanted By Joe Anselmo wo snapshots from Aviation Week’s recent Wanda Austin retired last October after eight Laureate Awards paint starkly diferent years as president and CEO of The Aerospace FROM 19 TO 25 JUNE, 2017 T images of gender diversity in today’s aero- Corp. And DXC Technology—the company be- Where aerospace leaders space industry. The frst photo is this year’s 20 ing created by the merger of CSC and Hewlett Twenties, a group of standout science, technol- Packard’s Enterprise Services business—plans get down to business ogy, engineering and math (STEM) students. to name a woman to run its North American Selected through a rigorous judging process aerospace and defense business after the merger that statistically evaluated dozens of nomina- takes efect April 3. tions from universities on three continents, they But while women have made great inroads in are an impressive group with bright futures— aerospace fnance and management, they remain and half of them are women (AW&ST Feb. 20- woefully underrepresented on the technical side March 5, p. 54). of the industry. Women make up not even one- quarter of U.S. workers in STEM felds and account for less than 15% of aerospace engineers, according to Aviation Week’s annual Workforce Study. Why is that? Such statistics help explain why so many winners of Laureate Awards—which tend to be nom- inated based on the success of programs, not individuals—are men. It also means the challenge is not just a generational one that will fade away with time. More young women need to be con- vinced that pursuing technical careers in aerospace will be fulflling. Studies have shown that

than they were in 1986, when Sandy Magnus Programs like the 20 Twenties are a good - P graduated from the Missouri University of Sci- start. But Magnus—who went on to become a : ence and Technology and was hired by McDon- NASA astronaut, spent four and a half months n g i s e nell Douglas as a stealth engineer. All of her on the International Space Station, and now D co-workers were men. Magnus so impressed leads the American Institute of Aeronautics and an early supervisor that she received what was Astronautics—believes it also means moving out meant to be a glowing performance appraisal: of our comfort zones when looking for people to “You know, Sandy, you’re just as good as any of fll boards or serve on panels. “When you look my guy engineers,” he told her. for people, you naturally pull from your own Three decades on, young women in aerospace network, which tends to be people who are like have more role models to look up to—if they want you,” she says. “We need to create more diverse to run a company. Lockheed Martin is led by networks.” Marillyn Hewson, General Dynamics by Phebe What do you think? Weigh in at Novakovic and Boeing’s Defense, Space and Se- [email protected] curity unit by Leanne Caret. Marion Blakey has an event from Offcial Media Partner run the FAA and Aerospace Industries Associa- Joe Anselmo is editor-in-chief siae.fr tion and now heads Rolls-Royce North America. of AviationWeek & Space Technology.

66 AviAtion Week & SpAce technology/ApRil 3-16, 2017 AviationWeek.com/awst

AW_04_03_2017_p66.indd 66 3/30/17 2:10 PM 704AWAIBC.indd 1 3/29/2017 10:06:24 AM COCKPIT B50 THE ULTIMATE PILOTÕS INSTRUMENT

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