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ONE OF the most active areas There are electric aircraft made up by sprinklings of projects use that company’s Cora two- in the aerospace industry right planned for the business aviation across Asia-Pacifi c and South person air taxi to research safe now is the development of and general aviation markets, America. urban air mobility. electric aircraft. small commuter aircraft providing The quickening pace of The Roland Berger research There are no fewer than short to medium-haul services for development activities around says: “That urban air taxis and 170 di! erent electric aircraft regional airline requirements, and urban air mobility has been partly general aviation projects dominate development projects around the electric aircraft demonstrators due to the entry into the electric in fully electric propulsion remains world, according to a May 2019 from major aircraft manufacturers aviation area by some major unsurprising. Not only are smaller estimate by consultancy Roland designed to study and prove the aerospace original equipment developments easier to fund and Berger, which it says is an increase technologies of batteries and manufacturers. test, but current electrical systems of 50% since April 2018. The electrical power distribution In January 2019, for example, technology still favours lower consultancy says there could be systems. Boeing announced the successful power and shorter distance fl ights.” around 200 such projects by the According to the Roland Berger fi rst test fl ight of its autonomous There are grander plans, end of this year. research, air taxis account for more passenger air vehicle (PAV) though. The recent Paris Air Show Electric aircraft projects span than half of the 170 electric aircraft prototype developed by its Boeing turned out to be a focal point for various areas in the commercial development projects and regional NeXt division and Aurora Flight announcements in the electric aviation market. There are and commuter aircraft for around Sciences. The vertical take-o! aviation segment. Especially electrically powered unmanned a tenth. and landing PAV can carry two striking news was Rolls-Royce systems designed for urban air The consultancy identifi es passengers and has a range of up announcing it is to acquire the mobility, a catch-all term for the Europe and North America as to 50 miles (80km). electric and hybrid-electric growing ecosystem that includes key areas for electric aircraft Another electric aviation aerospace propulsion activities air taxis and cargo delivery drones development. Out of those 170 project in which Boeing is of Siemens, a deal expected to to transport passengers, goods and projects, it counts 72 in Europe and involved is a strategic partnership be completed later in 2019, to supplies around urban areas. 67 in North America, the remainder with Kitty Hawk Corporation to advance the development of Electric dreams Cora, designed and built by Kitty Hawk Corporation, is one of dozens of electric aircraft projects. Kitty Hawk Corporation via Boeing

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all-electric and hybrid electric the front engine replaced by and large commercial fl ight; this is Detailed safety cases, risk analyses propulsion solutions for aerospace. electric motors. The company not expected before 2030.” and testing regimes will need to be Rolls-Royce and Siemens have is planning a new-build aircraft, Starting with smaller hybrid developed (for example, around already been involved in the E-Fan the Cassio 2, based on the Cassio aircraft and then scaling the the health of batteries, the safety X demonstrator project with Airbus 1’s confi guration but using an technology up is the most of high-voltage cabling and power to showcase electric propulsion all-composite airframe and a fully obvious path forward for distribution systems) and protocols at the scale required to power hybrid engine. electric technologies agreed and implemented across regional aircraft. Separately, as reported in the Beyond battery technology the industry and proven to work. Paris also saw the Israeli July 2019 issue of AIR International, however, there are many other This area is especially crucial for company Eviation Aircraft show Airbus, Dahler and Safran also used practical issues facing electric the area of urban air mobility, if the a prototype of its - Paris to announce the EcoPulse aircraft, whether the goal is vision developers like to portray seat commuter aircraft powered initiative to develop a hybrid engine introducing autonomous air taxis when they release CGI renderings by a hybrid electric engine and for testing on a TBM 700. or a larger commuter aircraft. of futuristic-looking autonomous announce the US regional airline It is, however, unlikely people What infrastructure adjustment or systems whizzing over cities Cape Air as the aircraft’s fi rst will be fl ying long distances on energy generation is required to delivering people and cargo, is to customer, although no details an electric aircraft any time soon. accommodate electric aircraft? become a reality. were released about the size of Energy density of battery systems What will be the model for It is clear all areas of the industry the order. is an issue. Roland Berger’s analysis organisations operating them? will have to work together to move Another start-up developer, notes: “A battery gravimetric How will developers and operators electric aircraft from curiosities to VoltAero, showed a mock-up of density of ~500Wh/kg would make money? platforms of relevance to daily life. a hybrid power module. VoltAero be required as a minimum for Regulations and certifi cation are Although this is a big task and will is planning to start fl ight testing viable aircraft that could one crucial pieces in the jigsaw. There inevitably take some time, it makes of a demonstrator called Cassio day be competitive with today’s will necessarily have to be a lot of electric aviation an interesting area 1, based on a Cessna 337, with propulsion systems for regional work into standards and operations. to watch. Mark Broadbent Electric dreams

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SINGLE-AISLE narrowbody service (with Arkia Israeli Airlines) to have ordered more examples of much faster growth within Asia airliners able to fl y long haul are cater for the transatlantic market. the furthest-fl ying single-aisles. Pacifi c in the low-cost long-haul not new. Boeing 757s have plied Single-aisle usage for long haul Jetstar Airways, its sister operation narrowbody segment. AirAsia routes across the North Atlantic is set to become more prevalent Jetstar Japan and the Japanese X may use A321LRs to replace for years, the big US network elsewhere. The CAPA Centre for LCC Peach have all committed to A330-300s on its thinner routes carriers American Airlines, Aviation consultancy says: “There acquiring A321LRs, each saying to North Asia, including Japan, Delta Air Lines and United are huge opportunities within the it will use the aircraft to serve as well as opening new routes to Airlines all using the type in the vast Asia Pacifi c region for LCCs new long-haul routes around north Asia, south Asia and Australia transatlantic market. [low-cost carriers] to utilise the southeast Asia. that would not be viable with The 757 fi ts nicely into these improved range of new generation One interesting player in this widebody aircraft.” airlines’ fl eets by o! ering a cost- narrowbody aircraft.” respect could be AirAsia. The Further spice to the long-haul e! ective way to serve so-called CAPA says although Asia-Pacifi c carrier’s AirAsia X unit already narrowbody mix has been provided ‘thin’ routes from major hubs to is a key region for LCCs, with fl ies long haul using A330s, by the A321XLR, launched by secondary destinations that don’t operators ranging in size from but in CAPA’s view: “There is Airbus in June 2019. This new have the passenger numbers to AirAsia, IndiGo, GoAir and VietJet nothing preventing AirAsia X A321neo variant boasts even justify putting a larger twin-aisle to smaller players such as 9 Air from supplementing its existing further range than the A321LR, widebody on them. and Spring Airlines in China, only widebody fl eet with narrowbody o! ering 4,700 nautical miles Other single-aisle jets used two LCCs in the region, IndiGo aircraft on long-haul routes (8,400km). on transatlantic routes are the and VietJet, currently use single- . . . AirAsia and AirAsia X are 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 (the latter aisles on routes beyond fi ve hours’ separate companies with until its grounding), with WestJet fl ight time. Operators fl ying long di! erent ownership groups and 737-800s used from Canada and haul in the region such as AirAsia, stock listings, but they share a Norwegian 737 MAX 8s used on Jetstar, Scoot and Cebu Pacifi c website, brand and distribution some routes to the United States. mainly use widebody twin-aisles network.” Norwegian has also ordered the like Airbus A330s and 787s for The consultancy added: “A A321LR, the long-range A321neo such routes instead. potential A321LR order from subvariant with 4,000 nautical This is set to change, however, AirAsia X would have signifi cant miles (7,408km) range that entered because more LCCs in the region strategic implications, leading to Flying further

Flynas is among the launch customers for the A321XLR. Airbus

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In terms of the Asia-Pacifi c the carrier to grow its presence in China Southern market specifi cally, it was notable certain parts of its network. that both the Qantas Group Airbus is confi dent about the (parent company of Jetstar) and A321XLR’s prospects in this region; A350-900 Cebu Pacifi c were among launch it was noticeable on launching the customers for the A321XLR, variant the company specifi cally signing commitments for 36 and cited how several key routes in the ten examples respectively. What region (–Delhi, Auckland– chance A321XLRs might be heading Hawaii, –Dubai) fall in

to Jetstar, given A321LRs are the subvariant’s range. Masclet/Airbus P already destined for the carrier? Back in the transatlantic market, These might not be the last the A321XLR clearly fi ts into many A321XLR operators from the region, operators’ requirements, as orders given the number of incumbent from American Airlines (50 aircraft), A320neo Family customers there. The IAG (up to 28 aircraft for Aer Lingus A321XLR (and the A321LR) give airlines and Iberia), Indigo Partners (some of an opportunity to put in right-sized whose 50 aircraft will go to Frontier capacity for long-haul markets too Airlines) and JetBlue (13) all show. CHINA SOUTHERN Airlines has international destinations. small for widebodies, but too large for With Delta and United both taken delivery of its initial A350- China Southern joins Air China, a standard-gauge single-aisles. operating ageing midsize 900, the fi rst of 20 examples of the Asiana, Cathay Pacifi c, China An interesting announcement equipment, and other carriers in newest Airbus twin-aisle widebody Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, at Paris in this respect was AirAsia Europe, Latin America and the to be received by the - Airlines, Japan Airlines, converting no fewer than 235 Middle East eyeing long-haul based carrier. Philippine Airlines, Airlines A320neo orders to the A321neo. expansion (the Saudi LCC Flynas China Southern operates an and Vietnam Airlines as carriers in Might AirAsia further amend its was another A321XLR launch Airbus fl eet of 335 aircraft, including Asia-Pacifi c to have received A350s. Airbus orders to take on A321XLRs? customer with an order for ten), it 282 A320 Family aircraft, 48 A330s To date, fi rm orders for the family Although it has ordered A330-900s is possible other airlines will take on and fi ve A380s. from carriers in the region represent for AirAsia X, an A321LR or A321XLR the latest, more capable single- China Southern’s A350-900 over a third of total sales for the conversion might make sense for aisles. Mark Broadbent aircraft features a three-class type, with Sichuan Airlines and cabin layout of 314 seats: 28 Starlux other customers set to put business, 24 premium economy variants of the aircraft into service in and 262 economy. the future. The airline will initially operate the At the end of May 2019, the new aircraft on its domestic routes A350 XWB Family had received from Guangzhou to 893 fi rm orders from 51 customers and , followed by fl ights to worldwide. Mark Broadbent NAVBLUE for Silver NAVBLUE

REGIONAL CARRIER Silver solution for operational control Airways has selected NAVBLUE and crew management, including to design, test, train, implement scheduling and planning, to help and administer a range of Silver track crew duty/rest, training, operations control centre vacation, medical checks and products to improve the passport expiry. The airline will e! ciency of its operations. further use the N-Crew LBS and NAVBLUE, a supplier of N-Crew Pairing Optimiser software integrated fl ight operations to fi lter and sort crew pairings and software, will supply Silver manage their schedules. Airways with its N-Flight Planning, Brent James, Silver Airways described as “a multi-tiered Vice President Operations, said: browser-based fl ight planning “We have already seen positive system” that will enable users to tangible benefi ts to our operation, compute highly optimised fl ight including improved employee trajectories swiftly, factoring access to critical operational payload, aircraft performance, information via NAVBLUE’s easy- current weather and air tra" c to-use interface, and we look constraints, with the ability to forward to their systems providing optimise for minimum fl ight time, even further improvement fuel burn or total cost. to Silver Airways’ operational NAVBLUE will also provide e" ciency and communication.” Silver Airways with its N-RAIDO Mark Broadbent

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CONCORDE REMAINS the most what a passenger-carrying aircraft traditional canopy will enable the vivid symbol of technical progress leveraging quiet supersonic pilot to see the horizon. in the commercial aircraft technologies could look like.” The XVS is designed, NASA industry. How can it not be? It The company’s CGI rendering of explained, to help ensure the let people in everyday clothes the QSTA concept shows a striking X-59’s design shape reduces a fl y at a speed faster than a rifl e planform with sharply swept-back sonic boom. The data collected bullet, taking them high into the delta wings and twin tails. The during the X-59 test fl ights will stratosphere and a" ording them a QSTA would be equipped with two be presented to the US Federal view of the curvature of the Earth. 40,000lb-thrust (177kN) engines Aviation Administration, enabling The early dream that and seat 40 passengers, according the regulator to make an informed Concorde represented the future to a Lockheed Martin slide on the decision on whether to scrap A 4K monitor showing a view of the for commercial aviation was just aircraft’s confi guration. the current regulations banning world outside will serve as the central that, illusory, with the jet ending The jet would be 225ft (68m) commercial supersonic fl ight forward view on the X-59 QuESST up as a highly niche aircraft used in length and have a 78ft (23m) over land, which torpedoed the demonstrator. NASA mainly by moneyed and/or time- wingspan, making it roughly the commercial hopes for Concorde sensitive passengers who could same length as the Boeing 787-10, back in the 1970s. announced its intention to fl y the a! ord to fl y it. The aircraft still the largest 787 Dreamliner variant, Lockheed Martin said: XB-1 in 2019, only rollout is planned became a pop culture icon, of and about as wide as a smaller “Overturning this ban [creates] by the end of this year, with fl ight course, which added gloss to its regional jet. Wing area would be the opportunity for an entire tests now planned for 2020. glamorous image. 3,000ft 2 (279m 2) and gross weight new industry. With the ability However, Boom says there has Nearly 16 years after Concorde 210,000lb (95,254kg). to fl y anywhere in the world been progress. The company said last fl ew – a curious moment given The QSTA work is a separate in half the time it takes today, supersonic inlet wind tunnel tests how an aircraft that still looked e! ort from Lockheed Martin’s work there is a tremendous amount demonstrated performance to futuristic became a museum piece with NASA on the X-59 QuESST of market potential for aircraft reach the targeted Mach 2.2 fl ight – there are still some years yet (Quiet Supersonic Transport) manufacturers.” speed is achievable and that the before supersonic passenger air demonstrator, built for the Low- This potential explains why other XB-1 “exceeded the performance travel is a reality again, but there are Boom Flight Demonstration companies are planning aircraft of Concorde’s inlets”. e! orts to make it happen. mission that will see the aircraft fl y they hope will one day open a Full range fl ight telemetry system In June, Lockheed Martin over communities in the United new age of supersonic passenger tests proved a two-way data link unveiled its Quiet Supersonic States to gather data about quiet air travel. Aerion Supersonic and for XB-1 and spin tunnel testing has Technology Airliner (QSTA) supersonic fl ights. The X-59 will fl y Spike Aerospace are developing been carried out to understand the concept with a relative lack of in 2022. supersonic business jets, while departure modes of the aircraft, fanfare; it was announced at the In June NASA announced the Denver, Colorado-based Boom as well as what the company American Institute of Aeronautics X-59 will not have a forward-facing Supersonic is planning a supersonic called “fully comprehensive aero and Astronautics Aviation Forum cockpit window. Instead, a 4K airliner called Overture. database generation” simulating in Washington, DC, and not at the monitor will provide the central Boom is developing a aerodynamic fl ow. Paris Air Show, this year’s biggest forward view showing the pilot demonstrator called the XB-1 Boom also announced aerospace event, which began on stitched images from two external that will generate data to other companies will provide the same day. cameras which, combined with support the development of specialist input into its project. Lockheed Martin told AIR terrain data from an advanced aerodynamics, stability, control Dassault Systèmes will use its International: “QSTA continues computing system, will provide and handling qualities, the 3DEXPERIENCE software to more than two decades of what NASA calls an eXternal propulsion inlet, nozzle and accelerate the design process, experience advancing quiet Visibility System or XVS. Displays control systems for Overture. JPA Design will design the supersonic technologies. [It] is a beneath the XVS will provide Boom gave an update about interior and Stratasys will supply conceptual design and the result of aircraft systems and trajectory data. its work at the Paris Air Show. Its 3D-printed polymer-based parts. a study completed to understand Two portals on the fuselage and the plans are delayed. Having earlier Mark Broadbent

Lockheed Martin has unveiled its Quiet Supersonic Technology Airliner concept. Lockheed Martin

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