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AE AUGUST 2021 ROSPACE UAV VS SUBS HELICOPTER TECH RENAISSANCE Q&A WITH UAE SPACE CHIEF www.aerosociety.com A ugust 2021 V SLICK WORK olume 48 Number 8 HOW 2EXCEL AVIATION KEEPS ITS SPECIAL MISSIONS IN HOUSE Royal A eronautical Society AEROSPACE August 21 Cover FINAL.indd 1 22/07/2021 09:28 Multi-Mission Performance The AW149 is the ideal solution for the UK’s New Medium Helicopter requirement. Leonardo’s AW149 multi-role utility helicopter delivers latest-generation battlefield capability, and is rapidly reconfigurable for a wide range of demanding missions in the most severe operational environments. Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor - Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow. leonardocompany.com Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space European Rotorcraft Forum ERF AW149 (210x280mm).indd 1 12/07/2021 23:08:41 Volume 48 Number 8 August 2021 EDITORIAL Contents Space tourism is coming Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission home The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and social media feedback. The term ‘Space race’ is an overused one which attempts to shoe-horn Apollo- analysis and comment. era Cold War US-USSR rivalry into today’s multi-dimensional and increasingly 58 The Last Word 11 Pushing the Envelope Sixty years after Gagarin’s co-operative international space sector. Are China’s Moon and Mars rover Rob Coppinger examines the first flight into orbit, Keith missions worthy of Sputnik-style security panic or should they be congratulated SABRE project which uses Hayward considers the on advancing space science and exploration? The recent sub-orbital flight of morphing helicopter blades politics and economics of the new ‘space race’. Sir Richard Branson, pipping rival billionaire Jeff Bezos to the post of being to reduce fuel burn. the first billionaire to fly a spacecraft that his own company has developed, is most definitely a race – with the associated bragging rights of a Bleriot or Features OSRL Lindbergh. Insiders and space critics may argue among themselves about 30 whether sub-orbital hops can be defined as space while others may point out that the first space tourist, Denis Tito, flew to the ISS in 2001. However, 14 Branson’s flight was not aimed at the paid-up space industry professionals but Ryanair rather as an advertisement directed at the wider public and opening the doors to the democratisation of space travel. True, it is not cheap, but for the price of From aerobatics to £175,000 you, too, could have the ultimate experience that until now only a emergency response The interception of Ryanair flight FR4978 select few have experienced. Indeed, Bezos’ New Shepard flight on 20 July also A focus on the diverse activities of UK aviation The implications to air law of the broke down barriers in other ways, with the youngest (18) and oldest (82) people services company 2Excel, interception and diversion of a ever to fly into space – further opening up diversity of participants. Later this including a low-level flight in a Ryanair 737 over Belarus. year orbital tourists are set to fly with the Inspiration 4 mission aboard a SpaceX oil spill response 727. Crew Dragon. All this makes for a varied ecosystem of space tourism business – whether one just wants to fly on Zero-G flight for $6,700, take a sub-orbital 32 International airlines – 20 Plane Speaking suffering from Long Covid ride, or pay millions for an orbital stay. Space tourism – or more accurately, high- An interview with the Chair of How Covid has affected the risk, high-speed adventure travel may have been a long time coming but now it the UAE Space Agency HE present and future prospects seems to be ready to finally take flight. Sarah Al Amiri. of the world’s airlines. Tim Robinson FRAeS, Editor-in-Chief Schiebel [email protected] @RAeSTimR 24 38 Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office 2021 AEROSPACE subscription Tim Robinson FRAeS Royal Aeronautical Society rates: Non-members, £190 +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place To place your order, contact: Airbus Helicopters [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4300 Capability revolution Deputy Editor +44 (0)20 7670 4354 [email protected] UAVs vs Subs Bill Read FRAeS [email protected] Is the end in sight for the +44 (0)20 7670 4351 www.aerosociety.com Any member not requiring a print How UAVs are now being conventional helicopter as [email protected] AEROSPACE is published by the Royal version of this magazine should developed for a new mission – eVTOLs move ever closer to Aeronautical Society (RAeS). contact: [email protected] Production Manager anti-submarine warfare. reality? 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Annabel Hallam Reproduction of material used in this 49 e-Library Additions +44 (0)20 7670 4361 publication is not permitted without the 50 Electric seaplane student project [email protected] written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. 52 AeroWomen21 Book Review Editors Printed by Buxton Press Limited, Tony Pilmer and Katrina Sudell Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire 54 New Member Spotlight [email protected] SK17 6AE, UK 55 RAeS Diary Cover: OSRL oil response 727 operated by 2Excel Aviation (Ian Black) Distributed by Royal Mail 56 Elections Additional content is available to view online at: aerosociety.com/aerospaceinsight Read AEROSPACE and the Insight blog on your Including: Interview with chair of UAE Space Agency, Pilot mental health conference report, Air chiefs gather for high-level summit, Electric seaplanes for zero-carbon tourism, RAeS International smartphone or tablet with the AEROSPACE app Online Light Aircraft Design Contest 2021/22, Implementing UAS – the regulator’s veiwpoint. APP available from iTunes and Google Play @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com AUGUST 2021 13 Contents August.indd 1 22/07/2021 14:33 Blueprint INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Single engine The Checkmate is reported to be powered by a single NPO Saturn Izdeliye 30 engine, similar to those being developed for the Sukhoi Su-57. Short take-off capabilities and thrust vectoring have also been reported. Butterfl y tail The aircraft features a butterfly tail of integrated vertical rudders and horizontal stabilisers, similar to the Northrop YF-23 and McDonnell Douglas/BAe JAST studies. DEFENCE Checkmate makes its move Russia’s Rostec has revealed a new concept for a Sukhoi single-engined stealth fi ghter at this year’s MAKS air show outside Moscow. Teased under the ‘Checkmate’ tagline, a full-size mock-up of the Light Tactical Aircraft (LTA) was revealed at the show and is apparently aimed at attracting export partners with its $30m price tag as a fi fth-generation successor to the MiG-21, as well as the Russian Aerospace Forces. First fl ight is set for 2023, with production examples ready by 2026 and potentially 300 to be produced, according to UAC. Rostec 4 AEROSPACE August 2021 News.indd 2 22/07/2021 14:46:57 Specifications Max speed Mach 1.8+ Range 1,860nm Combat radius 930nm Payload 15,000lb Max G 8G AI and sensors Rostec says that the LTA Checkmate will incorporate advanced AI and avionics, while the traditional cockpit-mounted EO/ IR sensor ball is joined by a faceted ventral F-35-style ETOS (electro-optical targeting system) window. An AESA radar is fitted. The aircraft will also be able to be modified into an uncrewed UCAV version and will feature an automated logistics system known as Matreshka. DSI intake The fighter features a wrap- under chin DSI (diverterless supersonic inlet) suitable Weapon bays for Mach 1+ flight while maintaining Checkmate features two low-observability. side-mounted weapon bays for short-range missiles and a central weapons bay able to carry up to three larger weapons, such as the R-73/ RVV-BD ‘AWACS-killer’ or mini-cruise missiles. AUGUST 2021 5 August 2021 News.indd 3 22/07/2021 14:46:58 Radome COVID-19 AEROSPACE AIR TRANSPORT UK relaxes air travel Aegean Airlines gets state bailout restrictions Airlines Aegean On 19 July, Britain relaxed there was confusion as its Covid-19 measures for France was added to a air travel with adult arrivals new category of ‘amber- not needing to self-isolate plus’ countries where from ‘amber list’ countries travellers would still need if they have been fully to self-isolate. Meanwhile, vaccinated. Children under on 19 July, the US Center 18 now will also not need for Disease Control & to self-isolate. However, Prevention raised the the relaxations only apply danger level of the UK to to those that have had the red due to the prevelance Greece’s Aegean Airlines has received a state bailout from the Greek government of NHS-approved vaccine. of the Delta variant and €120m to compensate for Covid-19 losses. The airline is set to restore 75-80% of But, only a day before advised Americans not to lost capacity in its third quarter – with losses almost halving from a €84.5m net loss in the easing of restrictions, travel to the UK.