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INTERIOR INNOVATION DESIGNING THE NEXT-GENERATION PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

October 2015

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* Images show hired chairs that would be an extra cost Volume 42 Number 10 October 2015 Innovations in Etihad cabin designs Barnstorming to Airline interiors are Australia the new battleground Tracey Curtis-Taylor 14 between airlines — prepares to ﬂ y a 1942 Rogier Westerhuis but how do you make 28 Boeing Stearman your cabin design biplane to Australia. Contents soar?

Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: The Editor, AEROSPACE, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK [email protected] Comment Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and feedback. analysis and comment. 58 The Last Word 10 Antenna Keith Hayward considers Turning point for air displays? Howard Wheeldon looks how research into at how RAF Marham is hypersonic transport could It seems like another world now, that black and white footage of Farnborough in 1952 preparing for the arrival of transform the cost of access with bodies and wreckage sprawled and black smoke rising. Yet in the terrible events at the fi rst F-35s in 2018. to space. Shoreham, in which 11 people lost their lives on a sunny afternoon outside the air show boundary, reminds us of the inherent risks in display fl ying, that, with careful planning can be minimised and reduced, cannot be eliminated entirely. Certainly, for 63 years, the Features display regulations in the UK have led the world in providing a ‘gold standard’ for safety at air shows and protecting the public. But, as Shoreham graphically shows, not every eventuality can be foreseen. In these safety conscious times, it is natural then, that the media spotlight has been turned on the small and tightly-knit world of display fl ying. There is already a great deal of soul-searching going on and, indeed, the CAA’s move to place Northrop Grumman restrictions on vintage jets and high-energy aerobatics is a sensible one, until a more 18 24 thorough and detailed assessment of air display safety standards can be concluded. Yet some of this is already falling on deaf ears — from some critics who would argue that Beyond the bomber Taiwan broadens its focus A proposed new USAF messing around with fast, dangerous fl ying machines is merely an aerial equivalent of TIM ROBINSON reports strategic bomber contract ‘Top Gear’ — boys (or girls) showing off. Nostalgia too, for past times and classic aircraft from the 2015 Taipei could transform US airpower Aerospace & Defense and also shake up the major is part of this too and many argue that it is far, far better to see an aeroplane in its natural Technology Exhibition. players in the US defence element, than stuck in a museum gathering dust. That may be but, while air shows are industry. popular, can what might be seen as an enthusiast’s hobby justify the loss of life in the 30 India: a new dawn 21st century? Yet air displays have a far more critical role. How many readers, I wonder, How the private sector is think back to seeing an air display as a young person and having their imagination now transforming Indian aerospace industry. sparked by the wonder of fl ight? How many aviation and aerospace professionals today, then, owe their career to being able to experience the visceral thrill of hearing and seeing (and feeling) a powerful machine be mastered by a human? If air shows are really under threat, it is on this ground that the battle must be fought. Not merely remembering an 22

aeronautical past — but inspiring the aerospace future. AgustaWestland Big data for everyone Tim Robinson How Internet information 34 and computerised data is being put to use by different From biplanes to tiltrotors [email protected] sectors of the aerospace AgustaWestland celebrates NEWS IN BRIEF industry. 100 years in the UK. Editor-in-Chief AEROSPACE is published by the Royal AEROSPACE subscription rates: Tim Robinson Aeronautical Society (RAeS). Non-members, £155 +44 (0)20 7670 4353 Chief Executive Please send your order to: [email protected] Simon C Luxmoore Dovetail Services Ltd, 800 Guillat Deputy Editor Advertising Avenue, Kent Science Park, Bill Read Emma Bossom Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU, UK. +44 (0)20 7670 4351 +44 (0)20 7670 4342 +44 (0)1795 592939 41 Afterburner [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0)844 856 0650 (fax) Publications Manager [email protected] Chris Male 42 Message from our President Unless specifi cally attributed, no +44 (0)20 7670 4352 Any member not requiring a print [email protected] material in AEROSPACE shall be taken 43 Message from our Chief Executive to represent the opinion of the RAeS. version of this magazine, please Production Editor contact: [email protected] 44 Book Reviews Reproduction of material used in this Wayne J Davis USA: Periodical postage paid at +44 (0)20 7670 4354 publication is not permitted without the 47 Library Additions written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. Champlain New York and additional [email protected] offi ces. 48 Weybridge Branch Printed by Buxton Press Limited, Online Reporter Postmaster: Send address changes Harry Lawson Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire 50 Battle of Britain SK17 6AE, UK to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, Additional features and content Book Review Editor Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. 75th anniversary events are available to view online on Brian Riddle www.media.aerosociety.com/ Distributed by Royal Mail 52 Diary Editorial Offi ce ISSN 2052-451X aerospace-insight Royal Aeronautical Society 55 Corporate Partners Including: UK superdrone targets three months No.4 Hamilton Place aloft, Report on the Taipei Aerospace & Defense London W1J 7BQ, UK 56 RAeS Elections Technology Exhibition, In the September issue +44 (0)20 7670 4300 of AEROSPACE, MMRCA: back to [email protected] Front cover: A future seat concept for premium connected gamer square one?, NASA test fl ies www.aerosociety.com passengers. Factorydesign Mars fl ying wing.

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INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT

Duct factor three Two high-performance 2,600-shp turboshaft engines power the three ducted fans that lift and propel the TriFan. The confi guration of the fans allows the aircraft to perform VTOL, hover and horizontal fl ight. Ducts on the wings tilt for forward fl ight and upper and lower doors slide over the rear duct to reduce drag during conventional fl ight.

Reducing risk The TriFan 600’s pilot will use fl y-by-wire controls and benefi t from improved IFR and advanced avionics. XTI is keen to use existing technologies in manufacturing in an attempt to reduce any risks and delays in fi nal delivery of a fi rst aircraft.

AEROSPACECE Crowdfunded VTOL A US start-up has launched a 'crowdfunding' campaign for a VTOL business aircraft. XTI Aircraft has begun to gather interest in a concept for a triple-ducted-fan VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. With the fl exibility of a helicopter and the range of a business jet, the TriFan 600 is designed to provide a true door-to-door service for prospective clients. By using an internal vertical duct and two wing- mounted pivoting ducts, the TriFan 600 would not only be able to take-off and land on any helipad-sized space but also fl y like a conventional fi xed wing aircraft. Denver- based XTI Aircraft, headed by a team of ex-Sikorsky and Cessna executives, has now embarked on a crowdfunding campaign to ‘test the waters’ of interest in the TriFan 600. Crowdfunding campaigns are growing in popularity, getting many businesses and products off the ground and XTI believes that this sort of capital generation is the fi rst step to producing the TriFan 600. As AEROSPACE goes to press, the funding campaign has already raised over $4.5m. Anyone interested in reserving shares is encouraged to go to www.startengine.com/startup/xti.

4 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Comfort and conformity The interior of the TriFan offers enormous fl exibility to the aircraft’s operators, according to XTI. For private and business travel the aircraft comfortably accommodates fi ve passengers. Should the aircraft be required in an air ambulance role, it provides enough space for a horizontal stretcher and up to three medical personnel or companions.

Speciﬁ cations An airport at your door Capacity — One pilot and fi ve passengers By taking the advantage of VTOL capabilities Max cruise speed — 340kt (400mph) and merging them with the style and comfort Max cruise altitude — Over 30,000ft of business jet travel, says the company, the Range — 800-1,200 miles (depending on TriFan will eliminate the need to drive to a take-off method/payload) busy airport. Instead, the airport is on your Vertical lift — three ducted fans doorstep — provided that your doorstep is Engines — two x 2,600shp turboshafts the size of a helipad — drastically cutting the Time to max altitude — 11 minutes time it takes to travel from point A to point B. Time to max speed — 90 seconds XTI Aircraft

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GENERAL AVIATION AIR TRANSPORT Shoreham Hunter crash kills 11 in Triple heaven worst UK air display disaster in 63 years deliveries for Emirates

an interim report that found On 3 September, 777-330ERs on order that pilot Andy Hill had Gulf carrier Emirates with Boeing and is the entered a loop too low celebrated the delivery biggest operator of the and subsequently failed to of three Boeing 777s. aircraft type. exit the manoeuvre at the It is the ﬁ rst time in On the same day, the correct altitude. Meanwhile, 15 years that Boeing has Middle East airline also the UK CAA quickly delivered three 777s at took delivery of its 66th announced restrictions once to a single customer. Airbus A380 — again on vintage jet displays, Emirates has received two Emirates is the world's limiting them to ﬂ ypasts 777-300ERs and one biggest operator of this AAIB and banning ‘high energy’ 777 Freighter. Emirates type, with another 74 yet Eleven people were killed crashed at Farnborough in aerobatics over land. currently has 46 additional to be delivered. on 22 August when a 1952, killing the two crew vintage Hawker Hunter T7 and 29 spectators. The AEROSPACE crashed onto a road after pilot of the aircraft survived it failed to pull out of a the crash but is in a critical CSeries makes a splash loop during a display at the condition after being Shoreham air show in West thrown from the aircraft Bombardier’s new CSeries has successfully completed its water ingestion testing. Sussex. The accident was on impact. The UK's Air The test, designed to validate how the aircraft behaves on a rain-soaked runway, took the worst tragedy at a UK Accident Investigation place in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. air show since a DH110 Branch (AAIB) published DEFENCE UK to upgrade Apaches to ‘E’s?

The US State Department spare parts and logistical has approved a possible support, is estimated sale of the AH-64E to cost $3bn. The sale Apache Guardian would see 50 WAH-64 helicopter to the UK Mk1 attack helicopters military. The sale of the remanufactured to the

helicopters, including AH-64E Guardian variant. Bombardier NEWS IN BRIEF

Association has called from Inzpire will develop America, the Middle East Airbus has selected for its members to vote and deliver team and and Africa. The satellites GKN Aerospace has Rolls-Royce to supply on 23 October whether collective training events on all-electric xenon-ion been selected as the core the engines for its new to strike against United behalf of 92(R) Squadron. propulsion system is partner for two future A330 Beluga XL heavy Parcel Service (UPS). Inzpire will be central in expected to last well Clean Sky2 engineering lift variant due to enter Members of the IPA have ensuring all training events beyond the spacecraft’s projects. GKN will service by 2019. Airbus’ been in negotiations with are as realistic and valuable 15-year service life. contribute to the engine current fl eet of Belugas UPS over the shipping as possible. project, headed by Safran, are powered by General company’s commitment North American Metro Rolls-Royce, MTU and Electric CF6 power to securing an industry- The world’s fi rst all-electric Aviation has contracted the Airbus-led Large plants but the European leading contract. propulsion satellite is now an order for six Airbus Passenger Aircraft project. manufacturer has selected operational after an orbit Helicopter EC145es — a The work will take place the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 UK-based Inzpire has won handover on 31 August. light weight low-cost at GKN's aero-engine for the new aircraft. a fi ve-year contract to The satellite, built by version of the EC145. engineering centre in provide whole force support Boeing for Bermuda-based Metro Aviation is the fi rst Sweden. Engineers will The leadership of the to the RAF's Air Warfare ABS, expands ABS’s North American customer design and manufacture Independent Pilots Centre. Aviation experts communication services in for the new light twin. complex structural and

6 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 AEROSPACE DEFENCE First A350-1000 wing into production F-22 Raptors forward- deploy to Europe On 28 August the fi rst of Reassurance Initiative and four USAF F-22 Raptors will see F-22s rotating in began arriving in and out of Europe. Germany as As well as part of a new Germany, forward- the F-22s deployed US have also presence in visited Airbus has begun assembling the fi rst A350-1000 wings at its Europe. The Poland and Broughton production plant in North Wales. Measuring 32m in move, the fi rst Estonia as length, the A350 wing will be the largest single carbon fi bre time the Raptor has part of USAF composite material component in use in civil aviation. been based in Europe, and NATO nations

Airbus is part of the European USAF training exercises. AIR TRANSPORT SPACEFLIGHT BA 777 engine fi re at The Atlas 5 rocket that launched on 2 MUOS Las Vegas airport September form Cape Canaveral, US, has delivered the US Navy’s Mobile User constellation A British Airways Boeing and fi re crews extinguished Objective System satellite 4 in orbit. complete 777 had to conduct an the fl ames within 5min. The Lockheed Martin-built satellite emergency evacuation at Preliminary fi ndings by the was released into space to complete Las Vegas McCarran airport US National Transportation the 56th Atlas 5 ascent. Weighing on 10 September after Safety Board (NTSB) say about 15,000lb, the MUOS 4 satellite suffering from ‘catastrophic’ that that investigators found completes the US Navy’s constellation of engine failure during multiple breaches of the strategically-placed satellites to provide take-off which caused left engine case in the area narrowband communications. the engine to catch fi re. around the high-pressure The fl ight crew were able compressor, as well as to halt the aircraft and fragments of the high safely evacuate all 157 pressure compressor spool passengers and 13 crew found on the runway. United Launch Alliance United Launch

mechanical parts for satellites into orbit; an order for six Vulcanair The A330neo’s demonstration models. The Swiss Parliament bringing the number of the P68Rs confi gured for engine pylon is being voted on 7 September to satellite type in service up airborne surveillance manufactured at the German carrier Lufthansa purchase six Elbit Systems to ten. The two satellites, missions. The deal will see company’s Toulouse cancelled almost half of Hermes 900 unmanned named Alba and Oriana, four role-adapted aircraft, facility and the fi rst its long-haul fl ights after air vehicles. The deal, join a fl eet that will consist with options for two more, centre wing box is being its pilots' union staged valued at $256m, will see of 30 spacecraft in the delivered in 2016 and constructed in Nantes. a two-day strike on 8-9 the six UAVs delivered to future with the intention 2017. A single P68R has September which affected Switzerland with upgrades of giving Europe an been on trial with NPAS Chinese aviation and passengers and cargo to improve performance in independent space-based providing nationwide shipping conglomerate HNA fl ying out of Germany. The the country’s mountainous positioning system. Alba surveillance support in is buying the Irish aircraft Vereinigung Cockpit pilots' terrain. The Hermes 900 will and Oriana were lifted into conjunction with the NPAS’s leasing fi rm Avolon Holdings union is in a long-running replace the county’s current orbit from French Guiana existing helicopter fl eet. in a deal, worth $2.5bn. dispute with the airline ADS 95 Ranger system. on 11 September. The Dublin-based company over pay, benefi ts and Airbus begun production manages 152 aircraft and retirement age. The strike A Russian Soyuz rocket The UK’s National Police of its fi rst re-engined HNA is China’s fourth largest was the 13th in 18 months. has released two Galileo Air Service has placed A330neo on 7 September. aviation group.

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AEROSPACE AIR TRANSPORT Russian bear hug for Transaero Russia’s largest passenger have blamed the sharp airline, Aerofl ot, has devaluation of the ruble agreed to take for reduced sales over its closest of international competitor fl ights. The Transaero. combined Aerofl ot airline is will pay the expected to grand total of carry more than one ruble for the half of all the domestic DARPA

indebted Transaero who passenger traffi c in Russia. Superjet DARPA foresees DEFENCE 'gremlins' drones Eurofi ghter wins Kuwait deal The US Defense Advanced missiles. The gremlins would Research Projects Agency be launched from larger (DARPA) is conducting aircraft, including bombers research into the concept transport aircraft or fi ghters of saving money on while out of range of expensive manned and hostile forces which would unmanned aerial platforms then surround an enemy by using swarms of smaller, target, using a variety of cheaper drones which jammers to interrupt radar would overwhlem enemy and communications. defences. Called ‘gremlins’ Any unused gremlins are the platforms would be then retrieved by a C-130 The Italian and Kuwaiti governments have signed a MoU for the supply of 28 Eurofi ghter used as alternatives transporter after the mission Typhoon combat aircraft. The €8bn deal, currently being fi nalised, makes Kuwait the for conventional fi ghter is over and taken back for eighth nation to buy the Eurofi ghter.

platforms and one-use re-use. ghter Euroﬁ NEWS IN BRIEF

produce the Twin Otter up on Reunion Island is an existing rule that digital video and voice After 20 months of Series 400. Viking Air and from missing Malaysia all carriers must have recorders and radios. negotiations, Brazil has its Moscow-based sales Airlines fl ight MH370. at least ten aircraft fi nalised an order for 36 agent, Vityaz Avia, had An endoscope inspection of which five must be Danish astronaut Andreas Saab Gripen NG fi ghters. gained approval to construct revealed three numbers owned. Airlines that do Mogensen has remotely Saab announced on 9 a facility to produce the within the wing component not meet this standard controlled a Europe-based September that the full 19-seat aircraft in 2010. linking the debris with by 1 October will have rover from the value of the contract is However, the Russian the serial numbers of the their operating licence International Space now booked on its order- administration has backed missing Boeing 777. suspended. Station (ISS). The backlog. All 36 Gripens out of the venture due to experiment took place will be delivered to the a lack of local demand for Indonesian authorities Airbus Defence and at both the ISS and the Brazilian Air Force between Twin Otters and the current may revoke the operating Space has begun European Space Agency’s 2019 and 2024. economic situation in licences of eight deliveries of an eventual (ESA) ESTEC technical Russia. airlines unless they 85 upgraded German centre in Noordwijk in The Russia’s Ulyanovsk regional meet minimum fleet Luftwaffe Tornados based Netherlands. Mogensen authorities have revoked The French Justice size regulations. The at Holloman AFB in the completed two drive, a deal to lease land to Ministry has confi rmed that Indonesian Ministry of US. The Tornados have approach, park and peg-in- Canada’s Viking Air to a fl aperon that washed Transport will enforce received new avionics, hole instructions.

8 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 GENERAL AVIATION AEROSPACE Hong Kong Government Flying Service First fl ight of the MRJ orders H175 SAR Japanese manufacturer and time of the fl ight will Mitsubishi Aircraft be announced one day Corporation has before it is due to take Airbus announced that the fi rst place. However, Mitsubishi fl ight of the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation did Regional Jet (MRJ) disclose that the aircraft test aircraft will take will fl y from Nagoya Airport, place in the latter half of Japan, and will be in the air October. The exact date for one hour. AIR TRANSPORT New WestJet 767 logo

Canadian carrier WestJet has announced the arrival of its new Boeing 767- WestJet Airbus Helicopters has its fi rst order for the SAR (search and rescue) variant of the H175 300ER. The Boeing 767 helicopter. A total of seven of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered rotorcraft have that arrived at WestJet’s been ordered by Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) with delivery scheduled in Calgary base in Canada 2017-2018. on 27 August is the fi rst of expected in spring 2016. four due for delivery with The new 767 is also the SPACEFLIGHT two more expected by the fi rst aircraft in the fl eet to end of 2015 and a fourth carry WestJet’s new logo. Inmarsat Global Xpress DEFENCE satellite launches INFOGRAPHIC: Taiwan's air A Russian-built Proton satellite operator and this power in focus rocket launched on launch provides the third 29 August carrying telecommunication satellite an Inmarsat Global to join the Global Xpress Xpress broadband network. The successful telecommunication satellite launch of the Boeing- into orbit. The Proton built Global Xpress is the rocket launched from fi rst Proton fl ight after a Baikonur, Kazakhstan, at failure back in May which 17:44 local time. Inmarsat destroyed a Mexican is the UK’s biggest satellite on launch. ON THE MOVE Grp Capt S D Ellard is become Head of Corporate to be Air Cdre and Head Communications & Political Unmanned Air Systems in Affairs for Lufthansa the Defence Equipment & Technik. Support Organisation. Jeff Smisek has resigned Grp Capt R S Norris is to as CE, President and be Commandant Defence Chairman of United Airlines. Helicopter Flying School, Royal Air Force Shawbury. Mark Abbott has joined Vertis Aviation Africa as a Dr Jens Krueger will Partner. CIGeography/ http://taiwan-in-perspective.com/

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 9 Global Outlook and Analysis with antenna: HOWARD WHEELDON RAF Marham begins ramp-up for F-35

aving had the good fortune of watching is hugely important for a large number of UK the aircraft perform at Eglin AFB in companies. BAE Systems manufactures all F-35 Florida last year and having followed rear fuselages at its Samlesbury plant and Rolls- the F-35 programme progress in detail Royce, which manufactures the LiftSystem for the since inception, I need little convincing F-35B STOVL variant at Bristol, is another hugely Hthat the aircraft capability will be a force multiplier important programme supplier. Martin Baker is for the RAF and RN when full operating capability responsible for manufacturing the ejection seat (FOC) is achieved in 2023. and other companies such as Cobham and Ultra The first of an initial eight F-35B Lightning Electronics are also heavily engaged. Overall the STOVL variant aircraft ordered by the UK F-35 programme is expected to support over government is due to arrive at RAF Marham 24,000 jobs within at least 100 UK supply chain in August 2018. Currently 17(R) Squadron companies over the next 20 years. engaged as part of the Joint Operational Test Apart from the fi rst three evaluation and Team (JOTT) operate two F-35B aircraft – BK-1 training aircraft based in the US at the time of and BK-2 that have already been acquired by the writing, the UK Government has so far ordered UK and that are permanently based at Edwards just eight F-35 aircraft from an intended minimum AFB in California. A third acquired aircraft, number of 48. Naturally I do have concerns in BK-3, is based at the Marine Corps Air Station, respect of the low number of F-35s currently Beaufort, South Carolina and here embedded planned, in respect of the size of task that will UK personnel gain initial conversion training be demanded when the aircraft achieves FOC and experience building. With seven RAF and in 2023. Leaving that issue aside, another fear RN pilots already trained and UK personnel is the seemingly slow progress getting on with fully integrated into the USMC squadron, huge the enormous infrastructure requirement at RAF progress has been made in training pilots, Marham in order to house and operate the jet. maintainers, instructors and other personnel. The excellent position that embedded UK Project Anvil personnel engaged in the US working and training alongside USAF and USMC personnel has been The infrastructure work required to accommodate a remarkable achievement to observe. Here in UK F-35 capability including training, synthetics, the UK, there remains considerable infrastructure engineering and maintainer requirement is work and diffi cult reorganisation to be achieved considerable. Known as ‘Project Anvil’ the plan in order to get RAF Marham ready to receive its not only involves a total £400m to £500m in fi rst F-35 aircraft in three years’ time. IOC (initial infrastructure build requirement at RAF Marham to operating capability) at Marham is planned for the accommodate 617 Squadron but also includes a end of 2018 and on the fi rst of the two new Queen considerable programme of demolishing existing Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers in December 2020. buildings, including hardened aircraft shelters that In respect of air interdiction and strategic are currently used to house 1X(B) Sqn Tornado GR4 attack, offensive and defensive counter air, close aircraft. air support and, as the vital air component part In addition, two large hangars currently used for of the continuous carrier capability, F-35 adds- in-depth GR4 maintenance and other engineering up to make truly awesome air power. Add in the support will also need to be demolished and potential capability provided for ISR (intelligence, rebuilt so that F-35 has the required state-of- surveillance and reconnaissance) and Air C2 (air the-art maintenance, logistics and operational command and control) that the platform offers and support facilities. Not only does the plan entail you have a force multiplier the like of which the building on eight new development sites on-base, RAF and FAA have never had before. including new headquarters for 617 Sqn, new It is worth reminding here that, with the UK maintenance, logistics and an integrated training being a ‘Tier One’ partner and 15% of each of an centre, but also refurbishment of 90% of the estimated 3,000 plus F-35 aircraft manufactured airfi eld operating surfaces. The latter plan includes in the UK, the Joint Strike Fighter programme main and secondary runways, building of vertical

10 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 USAF

The ﬁ rst two USAF ‘combat coded’ F-35As arrive at Hill AFB on 2 September. Could US F-35s at RAF Lakenheath make for synergies with RAF Marham?

landing pads, together with a STOL strip aside the 2016. Most works are, I understand, planned to secondary runway. be fi nished midway through 2018, although some, Importantly, all this work not only has to be such as the secondary runway refurbishment, will completed with the minimum of disruption to continue through 2019/20. the local area but also while the three remaining Tornado GR4 operational squadrons continue to Tight timing be the backbone of UK air-to-ground capability until the type OSD (out of service date) in early I would be wrong to ignore concerns in respect of 2019. tightness of timing to get all the work done. The Progress is now being made but it does appear fi rst concern of these is in regard of demolishing slow. With indicative designs for the F-35 Lightning hardened aircraft shelters that were built during maintenance, logistics, integrated training and the early 1980s. Clearly these were designed to be force headquarters now apparently complete, the formidable structures to protect vital aircraft assets. fi rst application of the infrastructure requirement My fear is that removing sizeable structures such as is expected to take place later this year. This these could well take longer than planned. will include moving 1X(B) Sqn to an alternative Marham is not untypical of an RAF base that location on the airfi eld. However, for the ensuing has lacked investment over many years but one period and until new buildings have been erected, other concern that I have is that there are few 1X(B) Sqn will be required to share the existing plans to improve the overall facilities on-base. squadron buildings and functions of 12(B) Sqn Keeping fi t is a hugely important task for military and that of 31 Sqn. This may not be quite as bad personnel but, when it comes to gym facilities, I as it appears because, with 1X(B) Sqn recently think RAF Marham probably has one of the worst. departed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus where it has That said, in terms of housing and mess facilities replaced 12(B) Sqn on the Iraq Operation Shader the base, which will celebrate its one hundredth I DO HAVE mission, for the duration of Shader only two anniversary next year (RAF Marham opened in CONCERNS squadrons will be on the Marham base at any one 1916 and was closed on May 1919, reopening as IN RESPECT time. The move of squadron location is expected a RAF Bomber station in April 1937) is, I suspect, to be complete by the time they return in early far from being considered one of the worst. OF THE LOW December. Lastly, I would mention a major concern that, NUMBER Key priorities within the planned infrastructure I have to ensure that with the US DoD having OF F-35S build required to accommodate 617 Sqn F-35B now confirmed that two USAF F-35A Sqns, each CURRENTLY Lightning capability are based around safety and with 24 aircraft, will be based at nearby RAF security of facilities construction. The substantial Lakenheath sometime during 2020, the UK PLANNED, IN upgrade due to take place must also be achieved and US should work together to ensure there is RESPECT OF concurrent with Tornado GR4 operation continuing no duplication of effort. Synthetic training and THE SIZE OF undisturbed throughout. The main runway at aspects of maintenance spring to mind. Clearly Marham will also be out of action midway between neither country should attempt to reinvent the TASK THAT WILL 2017-18 for a year, requiring Tornado force and wheel and working closely together could reduce BE DEMANDED other aircraft capability to use the secondary costs. In an age when money is tight for both WHEN THE runway. the UK and US military it seems to me hugely AIRCRAFT Enabling work for the bulk of ‘Project Anvil’ is important to ensure we do not duplicate facilities, now planned to begin during December this year particularly when the two bases are just 20 miles ACHIEVES FOC with the main works packages starting in April and 30 minutes apart. IN 2023

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LETTERS AND ONLINE

On issues raised by the Public safety at air shows Airport Commission’s If displays were banned on the back of this, in risk report Neither the original management terms it could report nor this latest follow raise some interesting up report discusses in any questions for the CAA. For detail the role of NATS in example, the tragic events analysing the ramifi cations at Kegworth, such logic of an extra runway on the would suggest fl ying is overall air traffi c system. banned from all airports in The air traffi c system is close proximity to arterial already extremely busy and roads. This would be an extra runway will have unthinkable considering major ramifi cations. There is the location of the airports. some talk of improvements We are fortunate in the in control but it should be UK that our CAA has kept in mind that more operated a very sensible aircraft movements in a Two Gnats taxi past crowds at a recent Duxford air show. risk policy over the years busy system means more and I have faith that will holding and more delays. On the debate over matter how competent requesting a complete ban continue. The restrictions Holding does not always safety at air shows the pilots all clearly are. implies that civil aviation put in place are, I believe involve fl ying in a pattern following the Shoreham Without knowing the cause must be banned as well sensible interim measures but often results in more crash This accident is of accident at Shoreham, as the rate of deaths until more is known from aircraft fl ying lower and more a terrible tragedy for it is diffi cult to know what and accidents are much the investigation. While this slowly. Inevitably this will the families affected measures should be taken. greater in terms of statistics continues our thoughts cause more distress to those as participants, not everything is predictable ... I Air displays out over the rather than airshows. remain with all of those people living below the fl ight sympathise with their pain, sea (hopefully not too far 1,713 people were killed affected by Saturday’s paths. It is probable, although it is very sad. from the beach) clearly in reported road traffi c tragic event. not discussed, that an extra reduce some of the risk accidents in Great Britain runway at Gatwick would Jeff Nalin but would be a great (www.gov.uk) ... this means Chris Barratt be more easily incorporated shame, as part of the whole that driving should be into the air traffi c system It is more than that! experience is seeing the banned as well in the UK. On NASA’s plan to than one at Heathrow. Aviation history very much aircraft start, taxi, take-off Therefore, a strict approach fl y a miniature fl ying The most extraordinary started in the UK and and land. It seemed from would never be the solution, wing over surface of statement in the fi nal report remains an important part the still photo of the but further exploration in Mars(1) This is a great is the proposal to institute of our current industry Hunter still in the air over the reason of the crashes idea. However, remotely an ‘Independent Aviation expertise and global the A27, that the traffi c and adding pressure on fl ying (what amounts to) a Noise Authority’. This should position. Shoreham is a was queued at suspended investigators to fi nd out model aeroplane on Mars already be the responsibility tragedy. However, as we traffi c lights (all covered) before further airshow is poses many diffi culties. If of NATS. have seen in the past 12 — and I suspect that was essential in bringing the I remember my Discovery months, aircraft accidents to facilitate traffi c into the trust in aviation and fi xing Capt John Faulkner Channel rightly, Mars can happen to modern air show. The areas in line the shortcomings. This AM FRAeS has sudden and violent aircraft as well as the with the runway should be is how aviation has been sandstorms. Avoiding them, older generation, whether as sterile as possible of through its entire history, and taking into account displaying or not. Perhaps people. Temporary traffi c ‘learning from mistakes’ and the time taken for a radio it is the rules on aircraft lights or police offi cers developing to the current command to reach Mars, displaying which should could move the stop line well-established state. It would be a problem. be reviewed so that the back a few hundred yards. is a parallel story to life ... public can safely enjoy ‘our’ It also brings to mind the ‘learning from mistakes’ ... Johnny Sadiq history. As an observation, crowds that gather at Here I would be criticised not to be able to see the the end of Waddington’s for not valuing the fatalities I understand the issues i Battle of Britain Memorial runway during displays, as ... in fact, my deepest feeling above. As a newly qualifi ed Flight in the air would can be seen on YouTube. and support for the families UAV Commercial Pilot be terrible. Could a fl ight Diffi cult decisions may hence I believe it’s essential and hoping to start a PhD On Greener by Design display down The Mall in have to be made and, as to learn from this mistake with Derby University on workshop on climate London potentially become Matthew Heath states, and preventing it repeating a very similar issue to change The introduction a thing of the past? it may be a terrible loss rather than running away this. I can see that with of the hybrid electric airliner for several reasons. The and taking shortcuts to the right Project Manager may have a great effect due Matthew Heath approach of the critics remove the burden of and Technical Director to the signifi cant reduction regarding this topic is not responsibilities. May all their this could be done. I have in fuel consumption. Watching the Red Bull quite convincing. If due souls rest in peace. the technology here and racing at Ascot, there was to safety, adding such now to do that job. There Ángel Villalonga Morales considerable risk — no restrictions to airshows and Lee Padgett are lots of challenges. My

12 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 PhD proposal would help @FG_STrim [On MS-21 Jet-powered biplane oddity with these answers as I airliner having central lock- will be looking at mapping ing overhead locking bins] accident sites using the But imagine if locks fail? same type of technology That happened to me once that a Mars mission may at an Ibis luggage locker. require. The issue is fl ying You’ll get 200 enraged pax over uneven terrain and for routine deboarding. at a safe altitude and mapping mountains at the same time. Weather management is similar to @ja_pascoe Would that Earth issues except that work, or would people you need, or may be not, just spend more time a safe haven if it gets trying to force open the bad. As a requirement bins? Also, many under- engineer in the military seat bags these days. aerospace business, this Jet-powered biplane PZL M-15 Belphegor from the Polish Aviation Museum. is a requirement that needs mitigation. Would @Aviaponcho would @Hamid [On jet- be interested in this as an only need to activate in @PaulMarks12 Good @wiredforfl ight powered biplane in aspect of a PhD. case of emergency quite God — it was a super- Eastern Europe aviation Polish museum] That unfrequently. Will mostly slow Soviet cropduster history is something I have looks pretty funky. Know Eur Ing Robert Shaw be unlocked. So can only en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ to get up to speed on. So the manufacturer/model fail to lock? PZL_M-15_… Wing tanks many amazing aircraft. by any chance? *Puts on are for pesticide. reading glasses* @Kinga_Kolasa Happy @DC_Claxton [On Tim you liked it! The museum @WandrMe Awesome Robinson’s CNN article is also a co-organiser of @TheDroneDealer museum there. The MiG ‘What is the point of airshow (usually late June), Wow, they sure have parking lot out back is air shows’(2)] excellent which may be a good some rare stuff. incredible! article, such shows spark reason to come back. interest and enthusiasm in the young for science @crp_uk [on BA 777 and technology. @CardingtonSheds [On HAV backer Bruce @rogerkb2012 [On RAF engine fi re at Las Vegas] Dickinson’s latest Iron Maiden song about the R101] targeted drone strikes Very calm. Notable how Comparing 85-year-old technology to modern state- against UK ISIS fi ghters] clear Speedbird’s RT was Andy_E_stone A great of-the-art LTA is like comparing the Wright Flyer to a demonstrates how @ in the Tower vs other local piece which certainly Eurofi ghter Typhoon. David_Cameron has no traffi c. speaks true for me and respect for the democratic my inspiration for getting process, after HOC said into fl ying. no to bombing in Syria. @Lexmechanic Am I wrong or does the spread RAeS (NAL) of fi re / timing suggest @GraysonOttaway [on the same failure in the @alandavison48 Do new Aerosociety Heritage air would likely end very you think this is a nail website] Nice work! And badly? in the coffi n of heritage Kia Ora from one of the displays? A level fl ypast new members of the would do me. Why pull newest chapters found @PhoenixGMH Issue stunts in a 50-yea-old rig? here in NZTG. all cabin crew with tasers. Any pax that go to evac Airship R101 at the Cardington mooring mast. with bags, zap them! @kautostar56 Some 1. http://aerosociety.com/News/Insight-Blog/3387/NASA-test-fl ies-Mars-fl ying-wing like me might ask. 2. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/24/europe/shoreham-air-crash-ban/ @ComdtCranwell Great Airshows yes but why skill and teamwork to ‘barrel roles’ and ‘loop deliver a safe end to a the loops’ at LOW challenging emergency. LEVEL over population Online Great work. areas? Additional features and content are available to view online at http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight

@aerosociety i Findlinkedin.com/raes us on LinkedIn f facebook.com/raesFind us on Facebook. www.aerosociety.comwww.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 13 AIR TRANSPORT Cabin interior design Innovation in cabin design From lie-fl at beds to passenger IFE ‘pods’ — PETER TENNENT, Managing Director of design studio Factorydesign looks at spotting the opportunities in airliner cabin interiors.

here are plenty of people pondering the future of innovation. But, while dreams — of fl ying in space, perhaps — come cheap, tangible innovation comes by committing time and expense to well- Tconsidered design and engineering. Commercially, airlines look for innovation to improve the passenger experience, improve profi tability and give themselves a competitive edge. So, innovation is diffi cult to achieve and must meet very clear criteria to prove its value. Every now and then an idea comes along that has a huge impact on the industry, when a brave airline is adventurous enough to take that step. British Airways pulled it off with the fi rst lie-fl at bed, as did Virgin Atlantic and their chauffeur-driven limo through service (albeit an on-the-ground offer). On the heels a unique of BA’s bed came seat developments which allowed process passengers to ‘lie fl at at an angle’, meaning airlines — the Etihad could reduce the pitch. Thompson Vantage was THE STARTING Design Consortium, a pioneer with its lie-fl at offer for business class, POINT SHOULD which brought together achieved by overlapping passengers’ feet into the ALWAYS BE THE different design skills and armrest in front. PASSENGER — brand experience expertise to Meanwhile, Jet2.com was the fi rst airline to deliver something that no other airline challenge the notion that low-cost carriers have to UNDERSTANDING can match. have second hand, refurbished seats and instead WHO THEY ARE, selected Acro’s Superlight seat, also designed by WHAT THEIR The next wave Factorydesign. NEEDS ARE AND,

Innovation in the premium category has taken The industry is now considering what the next Factorydesign a major leap in the past year with the introduction INDEED, THEIR wave of premium innovation can possibly offer. The of Etihad Airways’ VIP cabin — an idea that came ASPIRATIONS most inﬂ uential element of the air travel experience

14 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Factorydesign

between airlines and their products. This is what makes the others think and makes them react. Yet Etihad’s VIP cabin innovation can be contradictory. Ingo Wuggetzer’s sunroom concept for Airbus is fabulous with its has raised the bar myriad skylights but it’s in stark contrast with for the high-end the proposition from the Centre for Process luxury passenger Innovation which replaces the fuselage’s experience. windows with display screens. The starting point should always be the passenger — understanding who they are, what their needs are, and indeed their aspirations, and how those may change over the life of an aircraft.

Is different always better? NotForWhimps from Factorydesign is Innovation is defi ned as the pursuit of a seat concept aimed difference but designers must question at the affl uent, younger whether different is always better for the hardcore gamer passenger. For example, it might be an passenger. innovation for an airline to go from nine- abreast to ten-abreast in economy, even to standing-room only — I refuse to be negative about such things. Standing or even leaning may appeal to some for very short distances, after all these things are about choice. But we must never lose sight of the passenger experience. Designers must ask themselves where the opportunities for innovation in the cabin lie. While the tube won’t grow, designers and engineers are making efforts to challenge constraints and try to magic more space. The hunt continues for space to deliver more features balanced against pax count, meaning the offer to the passenger versus perceived dollar in the bank. This has led, for Airbus’ 2050 example, to confi gurations becoming increasingly all concept airliner. is cabin about interlocking, angling and overlapping. design, so airlines are trying to work out how best to meet increasing passenger expectations through inventive cabin design. To meet these growing passenger demands and to continue to improve products to keep ahead of — or even to keep up with — competitors, airlines have no choice but to keep innovating. However, true innovation is rare because it is so diffi cult to implement effectively. The fuel for innovation is the competition Airbus

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com SEPTEMBER 2015 15 AIR TRANSPORT Cabin interior design

which some have ﬁ lled with premium economy. This category was created by Virgin, and emulated by BA and others, as they have proved to be such commercially successful cabins. However, premium economy means different things to different airlines. What one may offer as an increase in pitch and free lunch, others will provide in the form of a bigger seat, enhanced inﬂ ight entertainment, and better on-board service. But, crucially, airlines are asking themselves if the success of this fourth class supports a broader

Factorydesign opportunity to re-evaluate the way cabins are classifi ed, how we classify passengers and their While Thompson Vantage was one of the fi rst activities: family zones, sleeping compartments, bars ‘AirLair’, a concept to explore the idea of horizontal overlapping, now and dining rooms, and so on. created for some major seat manufacturers considering ‘vertical NotForWhimps, a concept for Zodiac (formerly overlapping’, or bunk-beds. This is manifested Contour) that targeted a different type of premium Zodiac, features in AirLair, a concept Factorydesign created for traveller explored this idea further. Accepted norms vertically stacked Contour/Zodiac. were questioned — are all passengers after a pods. It’s easier to innovate in fi rst class or super- fi ne dining experience, a bed and a TV screen? premium, because there’s more space and money What about the deep-pocketed entrepreneurs devoted to these areas, and crucially more ambition. who want to sit and do gaming for fi ve hours on The opportunities are lessened slightly in business the trot? The Internet age has created a whole class, and again in premium economy. It follows range of passengers who positively revel in taking that innovation in economy proper is rare, yet when a different view on the world and their place in fi lling the economy section will make a substantial it. Not surprisingly, their needs are very different difference to margins, that is, perhaps, where from traditional fi nanciers, even if their spending innovation is most needed. power is comparable. This passenger is younger, However, designers would do well to question and is engaged with and entertained by different whether these traditional categories of travel are still things. They’re more XBox than Michelin star. This relevant for modern travellers. They were created research demonstrated how in a different time — one where choice was limited, an understanding expectations lower, and the understanding of brand of different and passenger experience was much less. In many passengers’ other sectors, an understanding that consumers aspirations cannot any longer be fi tted into a few very limited can provoke categories has taken hold. As this fragmentation of innovation. passenger types has become the norm, a different approach which is much more fl exible should be What about considered. The increasing blurring of boundaries economy? between classes might hint at a one-size-fi ts-all mentality. But this sits in stark contrast with other The economy demands for greater fl exibility, greater variation in cabin is at worst offer, more choice, and such like. a neglected cabin, at best a space The end of traditional cabin classes constrained by numbers, density and lack of Rather than levelling out the offer, traditional class investment. As such THE HOLY GRAIL categories could be broken up. For example, while it is the cabin which is OF FIXED-BACK some are pronouncing the death of fi rst class, the slowest to challenge SEATING IN others are delivering super-premium products. convention. The Holy Grail ECONOMY IS business class products are getting better and of fi xed-back seating in better and are blurring with fi rst class, leading economy is fi xed-back with FIXED-BACK passengers to ask themselves why they should pay an integrated recline function. WITH AN the extra for this experience. So we may not be No-one has mastered this yet. INTEGRATED seeing the death of fi rst class, more the evolution of But there are other signs of it into different sub-categories. ambition in this class. As well as RECLINE The huge improvements in business class have the Acro Superlight seat, there is FUNCTION also widened the gap between it and economy, the titanium Expliseat, and Morph by

16 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 the design agency Seymourpowell: a seat concept that adapts to the shape and size of individual passengers. Less convincing is Perch, a soft pad that standing passengers would lean against. The hysteria in the industry about weight is particularly acute in economy but how far can the drive towards reducing weight go? There’s an analogy to be made here with the ever-decreasing cellphone. Small was considered beautiful, so

devices kept shrinking. Then along came the Factorydesign iPhone, which shattered those preconceptions and reinvented the sector. Equally, ever lighter seats will many more of us are doing it. When things become reach a point where the passenger’s comfort will Lie-flat seat in mainstream they tend to become more conservative, suffer. And suffering passengers don't come back. the Four Seasons safer and, at worst, bland. Perhaps opportunities in economy lie not so To satisfy the majority we end up with much with the weight of each seat but with the Hotel jet cabin. compromises to accommodate vast extremes of cabin itself. Maybe these large, densely populated humans’ size, attitude, behaviour, culture, age and so spaces with row after row disappearing off into the on. That’s another good reason to look beyond the distance can be reconfi gured to feel more personal, standard three- or four-class approach. less cattle truck, more mini-bus, or taxi even. At the same time, the industry could consider Beyond the physical product, innovation can be products that do not multi-function but that can achieved through improvements to hospitality and be pre-set to become task-specifi c for a particular service offers. Factorydesign’s design of the new Jet fl ight; that is, eat, sleep or entertain. And that can be for the Four Seasons Hotel Group, aims to make it a confi gured to be single or double occupancy, private true hotel brand in the sky. Many premium offers are or communal. embracing these services and crucially, the attitudes Once every spare inch on an aircraft has been attributed to the luxury hospitality sector. utilised through ever-more ingenious converting This category is all about removing the most seat products, the only option is to give more space annoying things about fl ying: to the passenger. Pax count requirements, driven Factorydesign queuing, noise, delay, other by revenue management, have a huge infl uence on people, other people’s kids, layouts and on product. So perhaps we should be your own kids, fatigue more creative about load factors and yields. Surely and uncertainty. We have it is preferable to have a better product, so that 90 already seen nannies, chefs, seats are full all the time, than to have 100 seats at concierges and butlers, 80% occupancy. because they all support wellbeing, and wellbeing Flexibility needed for cabins and makes you feel better, regulation and when you feel better, But designers and engineers can’t implement everything innovations on their own. The airline industry and is better. the authorities also need to step in. Airlines should be more fl exible, not just in their approach but by introducing adaptable spaces, areas which may change their function through the course of a journey. An on board galley could be arranged to Designers create a larger welcome space and, through moving are now trying elements, could convert into a fully-functioning to search out galley in fl ight. unexplored The authorities need to be more open-minded opportunities for when it comes to the creation and interpretation ever-more service- Left: Acro’s of legislation. We all accept the need for diligent driven enhancements. and consistent attention to safety but modifying Another key Superlight seat, or adding new regulations to cover new cabin or infl uence — or constraint designed by product scenarios can be a repetitious, costly, slow — is the often talked about Factorydesign has process, adding months or years to new product democratisation of fl ying. As air development. travel is now accessible to almost been selected by That won’t help make things better for the everyone and no longer just the elite, Jet2. passenger.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 17 SHOW REPORT Taipei Aerospace and Defence Exhibition 2015

his August saw Taiwan showcase its Given the international dimension, many foreign aerospace and defence industries in the companies, fearful perhaps of Beijing sensitivities, biennial Taipei Aerospace and Defense prefer to stay away or keep a low profi le but this Technology Exhibtion (TADTE). year the US Pavilion saw big hitters Lockheed Held on 13-15 August, it saw 126 Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rockwell Collins Texhibitors — up nearly 27% from the previous show attend, as well as smaller fi rms from Germany, in 2013. Last year the Taiwanese aerospace industry Sweden and Japan. Let’s take a look at some of was worth NT$87bn — with some NT$46·1bn of highlights from the show. these in exports — mainly in the civil sphere. Wing-in-ground With restrictions on what it can import and with Taiwanese ‘Reaper-alike’ unveiled effect UAV the ever-present shadow of its large neighbour, (and their turbulent relationship) previous TADTE’s Dominating the offi cial MND (Ministry of National Spotted on the Fooyin have perhaps unsurprisingly focused on the island Defense) part of the show was a brand new UAV University stand was this nation's indigenous military capability. from Taiwan, appearing for the fi rst time in public. amphibious wing-in-ground However, now in its 13th year, TADTE refl ects This unnamed MALE UAV bore a remarkable effect (WIG) vehicle developed a growing focus toward civil aerospace – from resemblence to the ubitiqious Reaper with a V-tail. for maritime missions, such fl ight training to MRO services, as well as precision Details from the developer, Taiwan’s military R&D as fi shing fl eet support manufacturing tools that underpin the global centre National Chung-Shan Institute of Science Dr Jir-Ming Char from supply chains. Commercial exploitation of UAVs and Technology (NCSIST) were scarce — apart the University’s R&D HQ, too was a big theme, propelled no doubt by an from the fact its maiden fl ight was ‘recently’ and had explained how the WIG overlap in consumer ICT which Taiwan is famous fl own ‘many times’. However, NCSIST's Director of required a novel fl ight control for (Foxcomm, Asus, Acer, HTC and others are Aeronautical Research, Ma Wan-June, did reveal system to avoid banking turns headquartered here). that the nickname so far was ‘Big Drone’ and that at low-level. That is not to say that old tensions have it was not only aimed at military missions but at gone. The defence part of the exhibition, with civil roles too. Currently still undergoing fl ight tests, representation from the Republic of China’s Army, he also said it was too early to talk about possible Navy and Air Force provided a signifi cant overview of exports for this MALE UAV but is targeting a RoCAF the nation’s latest military equipment. requirement for this class of UAV. This familiar-looking MALE UAV from Taiwan's National New UAVs, precision manufacturing and tapping into Chung-Shan Institute growth in Asia-Pacifi c air travel were some of the themes of Science & Technology (NCSIST) at Taiwan’s premier aerospace show. TIM ROBINSON dominated the defence part of the exhibition. reports from the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition.

TTaiwanaiwan broadens its focus 18 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 TADTE IN BRIEF

During the show, Lockheed Martin announced that Taiwan had become the 20th International Customer for its Sniper Advanced Taiwan’s answer to SpaceX aims for low-cost space Targeting Pod which will equip the upgraded access with composite launcher F-16s. Two Sniper ATPs One highlight of the show was Taiwan's Advanced Rocket Research Centre (ARRC), from the National and integration support Chiao Tung University which is set to launch a composite hybrid-engine two-stage rocket — the HTTP-3 will be provided in the Hybrid Sounding Rocket — to an altitude of100-130km in early 2016 as part of a plan to develop its own initial contract. indigenous low-cost space access launch system. Already, fi ve earlier sounding rocket fl ights have fl own since 2010. For this latest fl ight, fi ring tests of the hybrid rocket motor had been progressively scaled up in power, with the engine using an innovative system to contra-rotate and ‘swirl’ the propellent with a dual vortical fl ow. This hybrid motor, notes ARRC, is more effi cient (292secs ISP) than Virgin Galactic’s SS2 rocket engine. The rocket also includes other innovative technology with a composite structure and fuel tank, as well as 3D printed parts. The launch site for the rocket will be on the southern tip of Taiwan, with an easterly trajectory out to sea. If the test is a success, ARRC will then shift to the development of a larger launcher which it, expects in 4-5 years, will be able to launch 30-50kg micro satellites into LEO and potentially enter the market for low-cost launch services. GA group targets AIDC targets trainer requirement AIDC is also partnered with Lockheed Martin mainland to upgrade the RoCAF’s F-16A/Bs to ‘F-16V’ Meanwhile, over at AIDC (Aerospace Industrial standard with the Northrop Grumman AESA APG- growth Development Corporation) the home aerospace 83 scaleable agile beam radar (SABR), new mission Another new exhibitor at champion was showcasing its range of aeronautical computer and cockpit displays. While the fi rst two TADTE was the Chinese expertise. Responsible for developing the F-CK-1 fi ghters will be upgraded in the US, the plan is that Association of General Aviation Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) in the the rest of the143 will be retrofi tted locally on a Development (CAGAD), which 1990s, last year AIDC was privatised — opening up Taiwanese production line. was set up in February 2014. a new chapter for the company. While the upgrade to the F-16V will boost CAGAD is a group of more At the show this year it revealed three options Taiwan's combat aircraft capability, the likelihood than 100 companies focused for the RoCAF's pending requirement for around of it being allowed to purchase F-35s in the future on developing the GA sector, 66 advanced jet trainers. These were an upgraded remains in question and entirely dependent on both in Taiwan and in the AT-3 — called the AT-3 MAX, a simpler IDF named Washington-Beijing relations. However, that is not mainland. In particular, the the XAT-5, and a partnership with Alenia Aermacchi to say that a stealth fi ghter may entirely be out of CAGAD is looking to pass on to locally build the M346 in Taiwan. reach. Talking to AEROSPACE, AIDC executives aviation expertise in human The AT-3 MAX sees the twin engines uprated revealed that it has already begun research on resources, education and from 3,000lb thrust each to 5,000lb to provide critical technology (read LO) for a next generation training to mainland China, as extra power while the structure would be lightened fi ghter. Having successfully developed the F-CK-1, Beijing moves to open up its through use of composites. Meanwhile, the avionics could AIDC go it alone if the F-35 was denied to airspace. (Below: three-quarter would also be overhauled with options such as a Taiwan in the future? scale LSA homebuilt Tucano kit glass cockpit, synthetic radar and an integrated AIDC is also aiming to become more deeply from CAGAD member). training system. embedded into global supply chains and expand The second proposal would be using a twin-seat its business. Already providing components for the F-CK-1 as the basis for an advanced trainer. The Sikorsky S-92, Bombardier Challenger 300 and XAT-5 would see the IDF modifi ed with extra fuel, Mitsubshi MRJ, last year saw AIDC win a key deal its engines derated to remove the afterburner and a from Airbus to become a new supplier for the A320 redesigned landing gear. family — producing composite aft belly panels. It Finally, the third option would be for AIDC to also, since 2010, has been supplying composite build the Aermacchi M346 Master advanced trainer engine nacelles to both Airbus and Boeing, among locally. other manufacturers. On display at TADTE 2015

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 19 SHOW REPORT Taiwan Aerospace and Defence Exhibition 2015

The MND part of the Air Asia — an MRO with rich history exhibition featured a With its HQ and main MRO hub located on Tainan, in the south of the island, another new exhibitor to number of interactive TADTE was Air Asia. No relation to the fast-growing low-cost budget airline group, Air Asia has a particularly displays and booths — colourful history — tracing its origins back to 1946 and General Claire Chennault. It also was the MRO and including this semi- maintenance arm of the CIA’s Air America secret airline during the US involvement in SE Asia, as well as dome tactical UAV servicing USAF aircraft in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Today that is much changed, with the fi rm 82% simulator from the RoC owned by Taiwan Aerospace Corporation (TAC). Now, Air Asia is looking to tap into growth in Asia-Pacifi c Army. airlines. It holds a large number of licences, particularly for older types such as the 727 or MD80 — but also for newer narrowbodies, such as the 737NG and the A320 — with its latest client to sign being Japan's low- cost Peach airline. Air Asia also provides extensive support and MRO services for government and military non-combat, support and rotorcraft — such as the NASCs (National Air Service Corps) fi refi ghting UH-1Hs and BV-234s (Chinook), as well as OH-58s, C-130s and E-2Ks. Though not fi nalised yet, Air Asia is also set to provide support Phased Depot Level Maintenance (PDM) for Taiwan’s P-3C Orion fl eet with a contract to be awarded next year. Maintainer training has already began for Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawks — with 60 set to replace RoC Army UH-1Hs by 2018.

from AIDC's TACC (Taiwan Advanced Composites operate full motion fl ight simulators. Ground has Center) was a prototype composite fl oor beam for already been broken for the fi rst simulator, an A320 the 787-9/10 which the company hopes will win it FFS from Mechtronix, which will arrive in December. work on the Dreamliner. APEX plans to add another A320, a 737NG and an ATR simulator in the future. With this venture, it will Civil training gets wings thus be able to offer end-to-end pilot training for customers, from initial screening, aptitude tests and Another new exhibitor this year at TADTE is APEX selection, to type conversion. With uncompromising Flight Academy — which is focused on supplying standards, APEX is targeting supplying high quality pilots for the phenomenal expansion of Asia-Pacifi c candidates to Asia’s fast growing airlines. Armed carriers. Previously fl ight training schools in Taiwan have been a non-starter due to its lack of GA sector, Precision manufacturing multicopter and unavailability of avgas on the island. However, drone concept the introduction of the Diamond DA 40/42NG Another key strength of Taiwan’s economy aiming Spotted on the MND part with the diesel Austro engine E4 upgrade opened to increase its share of aerospace business, is of the exhibition was this up a new opportunity for a fl ight training school, its machine tools and precision manufacturing futuristic looking multicopter according to its founder Wilson Kao. It offers PPL, business. In 2014, Taiwan’s exports of machine drone equipped with a submachine gun and two IR and CPL ratings and, next year, is also hoping tools were $3·75bn, ranking it fourth in the world. non-lethal net launchers. to launch the MPL. Licensed in September 2014, One such company, based in Taichung is Chin Hung However, this is just a concept it now has 70 students (including a couple of Machinery and Electric Industrial (CHMER) which for the moment. European pilots) undergoing fl ight training. The specialises in ultra high-precision drilling and milling only CAA 121 fl ight training organisation in Taiwan, machines. In particular, its CNC EDM (electronic APEX is based in a new state-of the art facility at discharge machines) are especially suitable for Taidong Fong Nian airport with classrooms, briefi ng high-tolerance advanced aerospace manufacturing rooms and dormitories. It currently operates fi ve jobs, such as drilling cooling holes in turbine blades. Garmin G1000 equipped aircraft (four Diamond Already supplying engine manufacturers GE, DA40NGs and one DA42NG) with four more to join P&W, Snecma and Safran, only 10% of CHMER's in the next 12 months. business is currently in aerospace. However, the It is also in the process of forming a joint venture company, and those responsible for promoting with Ansett Aviation Training which will see them Taiwan’s aerospace industry, see precision

20 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 manufacturing tools as a key niche it can exploit background in R/C helicopters since 1979 has with OEMs and the global aerospace supply chain. now moved into the consumer drone market with its Ghost quadcopter and X650/X850 multirotor Taiwan's ‘anti-access’ missiles drones. Some idea of the growing capabilities of these ‘semi-professional’ drones on its stand While much has been written about Beijing's A2/AD was a Ghost+ quadcopter equipped with a mini- (anti-access, area denial) strategy, the defence part thermal camera from FLIR — a feature that perhaps of the show also highlighted the Republic of China's only a decade ago would have been available on latest home-grown missiles to safeguard its skies UAV military sensor pods. The Ghost designs, in and coasts. Revealed at the show was Sea Oryx, a comparison to nearest rival DJI Phantoms also naval short-range SAM similar to the RAM defence feature retractable landing gear for 360°camera system. A box launcher holds either eight or 16 IR- views. guided missiles for close-in air defence of vessels. Meanwhile, a drone from AK Design saw a new Also on display was the Tien-Kung III (Sky use for a multicopter armed with a laser scanner — Bow III) SAM developed by Chungshan Institute as an anti-FOD surveillance system. Using a laser Control station for Sea of Science and Technology (CSIST). As well as sensor, the UAV can scan a runawy in 15minutes to Oryx naval SAM. aircraft, this long-range SAM system, upgraded check for dangerous FOD. The system is currently from previous versions is designed to tackle cruise being trialled in a six-month test at Taipei airport, missiles and tactical ballistic missiles — a key according to the company. requirement given it is estimated that there are Finally, the show also brought news of an roughly 1,600 ballistic missiles aimed at the island international UAV tie-up between Taiwan’s UAVER, from across the Taiwan Strait. Finally, TADTE also and Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) saw another of CSIST's latest missiles on display — which signed to become the US distributor for the Hsiung Feng III supersonic (Mach 2) anti-ship UAVERs range of small ﬁ xed-wing UAS systems. missile. Particulary noteworthy is UAVER's one-year guarantee and its frequency-hopping command An island of UAVs and control links — not just useful for military drones but as added safety as spectrums get With Taiwan’s reputation for consumer electronics, congested. UAVER also had on display its latest gadgets and toys, it is perhaps no surprise that electric-powered UAV, the Besura, which is hand- TADTE featured a staggering variety of UAVs, launched. Retailing under $10,000, this is expected particularly for the growing number of civil and to be attractive for universities and STEM type commercial applications like precision agriculture. organisations. UAVER meanwhile are still looking Exhibitor Thunder Tiger, for example, with a for a European distributor.

New HQ for Geosat shows future of civil UAVs Another Taiwanese UAV company to watch is Geosat Aerospace Technology. Based in Taichung, it had only moved into a Google-like HQ and factory in a technology park a day earlier than AEROSPACE’s visit. With roots in aerial surveying and geospatial data, the company won a national commendation last year for UAV aerial imagery analysis of damage from a mains gas explosion in Kaohsiung. With more than 150 employees, Geosat now offers a range of UAVs from multicopters, to rotary wing UAS and ﬁ xed-wing designs — the Sky Arrow 55/100 (below left). This is already being upgraded with winglets, while a follow-on version will use composites to reduce 10% of max take-off weight. Finally, the company has its sights on even larger UAVs, showing off an intriguing model (below right) of a planned 20m-wingspan Global Hawk-alike on its stand at TADTE. Called ARES (Advanced Reconassiance Endurance System) this HALE UAV is aimed at weather reconnaissance.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 21 AEROSPACE Information management Big data for everyone

RUPAK GHOSH* and BHOOPATHI RAPOLU** explain why big data and the Internet of things hold the key to the future of aerospace.

he advent of big data and the Internet of Beyond this, big data and the IoT are having things (IoT) has transformed business a huge impact on the industry through the advent and consumer sectors across the world. of predictive maintenance. These developments Facebook has over 1.4bn subscribers are driving massive reductions in costly aircraft on generating in excess of 600 terabytes of ground time (AOG), as well as transforming the Tdata every day. The impact on data-heavy sectors passenger experience, creating truly connected like aerospace has been even more revolutionary. aircraft as a result. The fi gures already dwarf those found in the consumer space, both in terms of the volume and Predictive maintenance the impact that they’re having across the industry. For example, Bombardier’s CSeries jetliner has IoT is having a growing infl uence over the Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) maintenance side of the aerospace engine — an engine that comes industry. This is important because of with 5,000 sensors and that the resultant reduction in AOG. can generate up to 10Gb of Every second of every minute data per second. A single that a plane is not in the twin-engine aircraft with air, it loses money; with an average of 12 hours Airbus China recently fl ight-time can produce estimating the daily 844TB of data. With cost of a grounded an order book of Airbus A380 to over 3,500 GTF be $1,250,000. engines, Pratt With operators could potentially under pressure download zeta to streamline bytes of data once their costs and all their engines increase their are in the fi eld. revenues, aircraft These scales, maintenance combined with the procedures play a level of storage fundamental role in and computing reducing this. infrastructure required Through sensors, to handle such volumes, IoT helps airlines are mind blowing. It collect and subsequently seems, therefore, that translate vast volumes of the data generated by the data into meaningful business aerospace industry alone could information that can then be soon surpass the magnitude of the applied to determine the status and consumer Internet. performance of particular systems and For the GTF engine, it uses this incredibly subsystems within an aircraft. Sensors are valuable information to build artifi cial intelligence now being distributed throughout the aircraft, for and predict the demands of the engine to adjust example, monitoring key performance parameters thrust levels. As a result, GTF engines are such as fuel burn in the engine. When the fl ight has demonstrating a reduction in fuel consumption by landed, this information can be downloaded and 10% to 15%, alongside impressive performance analysed by the ground staff, enabling appropriate improvements in engine noise and emissions. action to be taken to correct any minor faults or

22 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 make alterations and get the aircraft back in service Securing the future of IoT as soon as possible. Five years ago, this post-fl ight analysis used to take an engineer up to four days to Of course, with every innovation comes a new risk. process data from one engine, whereas now there In-fl ight wi-fi can leave aircraft vulnerable to hacking are solutions available that are providing useful and the US Government Accountability Offi ce has information within minutes of a plane landing. repeatedly tried to bring this to the Federal Aviation Though the real-time health monitoring is Administration (FAA)’s attention as a word of limited to some of the new generation aircraft due caution during its modernisation plans. to bandwidth limitations, the opportunities will be A security researcher recently claimed to have endless once we have the bandwidth capabilities taken control of a commercial airliner from his seat on required to support this activity. The current the aircraft, simply through hacking the entertainment

bandwidth for in-fl ight data Bombardier system. While there is reason to doubt the veracity transfer is around 400kbps and of his claim, this is nonetheless a stark the next planned upgrade is up to reminder of the challenges we have to 10mbps. Faster speeds yet will enable address in this area. increasing amounts of critical performance data to be However, the vulnerabilities shipped to the ground for real-time assessment. are not confi ned to the Ground staff having access to a constant aircraft cabin; the company stream of information could be a reality in around systems on the ground remain at risk. fi ve years’ time, giving them continual and complete This recently became a reality when ten aircraft visibility of the aircraft’s performance. If, for example, were grounded in Poland following a major hacking one of the engine vitals fails mid-air, a standby attack that jammed the carrier’s systems. The industry Pratt & Whitney’s system would kick in and run all of the necessary new 1500G engine needs to come together to fi nd new solutions and functions to enable it to complete its journey safely. which powers Bombardier’s increases in regulations. Updates to security, network An alert would then be sent to the ground staff, who CSeries regional jet (above) and data safety are crucial if there are to be further could use the real-time information to determine the is fi tted with 5,000 sensors advancements in big data and IoT. cause of the failure, before engaging the necessary which can generate up to Security concerns aside, there has never 10Gb of data per second. personnel and sourcing the components required been a more exciting time to be working in the to get the aircraft back up and running as soon as aerospace industry. Soon, thousands of sensors it lands. Getting all of this preparation done while will be embedded in each aircraft, allowing data to the aircraft is still in fl ight would help the airline to be streamed down to the ground in real-time. Who vastly reduce the chance of it being placed in AOG, knows, in time, this could drive the famous black box therefore helping it to reduce maintenance costs to simply become a backup device! The potential and also keep passengers happy. Airlines are responding benefi ts include reduced AOG from predictive to demands for increased maintenance as well as innovation in the passenger connectivity with improved in-fl ight experience, making the truly connected Connecting passengers to aircraft in-fl ight Wi-Fi and customised apps which allow passengers aircraft a very real and present possibility. Passengers are also driving another major trend in to interact with the aircraft and the use of big data and IoT in aerospace. The latest in-fl ight systems using their * VP, Cyient, smartphones, tablets and wearable devices are in the own devices. ** Head of Analytics EMEA, Cyient pockets of every passenger and there is an expectation to be able to use them at 39,000ft, just as we do in our living rooms. Airlines are responding with investment in improving in-fl ight wi-fi and the development of custom- Emirates built airline apps to allow passengers to interact with the plane and infl ight systems from their own device. There are multiple functionalities possible, including the ability to download movies to smartphones and tablets, adjust ambience settings, order food and drink or call for attention. This increased engagement with the aircraft produces data — such as information on the movies that are being downloaded, the food that is being ordered and when, by whom and in what quantity. With the right systems in place, airlines can ensure that they are able to extrapolate insight from this data to improve the passenger experience. This could be done through promotions on favourite food items for example, or recommendations on similar fi lms.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 23 Boeing DEFENCE Long range strike bomber Beyond the bomber

MIKE BRATBY reports on how a proposed new USAF strategic bomber contract may not only shake up US airpower but also the major players in the US defence industry.

he new Long Range Strike Bomber bombers with a stealthy, long-range strike aircraft (LRS-B) contract for the USAF, expected capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear to be announced in October, is claimed weapons and due to enter service around 2020. by some to lead to a dramatic shake-up A project this big will certainly impact American of the US combat aircraft industry. But military aerospace priorities for the next one or two Tother commentators believe its infl uence is being decades. However, its effect will also be in the short overstated. So where does the truth lie and how term, when the Pentagon decides whether Northrop important is this new programme for future US Grumman or a partnership between Boeing and airpower? Lockheed Martin will get the contract. Lockheed Martin would be better placed to withstand losing Bomber competition the LRS-B contract, as it is in the middle of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, worth The US military’s three prime combat aircraft $400bn to the company. Something may have to companies have recently been enjoying a good run give for Northrop Grumman and Boeing. Northrop A US AIR FORCE of commercial success. US industry analysts are Grumman’s last prime contract was for the B-2 CONTRACT ... IS warning that this is unlikely to last and that a US Air stealth bomber over a decade ago. Only 21 were SET TO UP-END Force contract due to be awarded later this summer built. Boeing’s combat aircraft production line is is set to up-end the apple cart and could well see expected to close down in 2018 when current THE APPLE CART a major move by one of the leading contractors to orders for the F-15 and F/A-18 fi ghters end. AND COULD acquire one of the others. Pundits claim that, basically, two of the three prime WELL SEE A The programme in question is the USAF’s contractors are running out of work, which is why MAJOR MOVE secretive Long Range Strike Bomber contract. this contract is seen as make or break. BY ONE OF Details of this highly sensitive project remain scarce, If Boeing and Lockheed Martin win the LRS-B although it is believed that development has been contract, Northrop Grumman could still survive, THE LEADING proceeding for years. The Pentagon plans to spend buoyed by its high technology units that produce CONTRACTORS $100bn on it. The programme will deliver 80 to 100 everything from EW components to radars to TO ACQUIRE ONE aircraft at about $550m each, eventually replacing unmanned drones. With no new combat aircraft OF THE OTHERS the Air Force’s legacy fl eet of B-52 and B-1B contracts in the pipeline, it would probably want

24 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Pre-LRS-B concept artwork from Boeing showing a fl ying wing bomber. $33bn LRS-B initial acquistion costs Northrop Grumman $24bn to sell off its aircraft unit and Boeing would be Cost of upgrading the obvious buyer. Northrop Grumman might remaining B-2 and then come under pressure to sell off other units, B-52 bombers and could come out of the competition looking a quite different company. In turn, this might cause complications for the Pentagon which has been discouraging mergers and acquisitions that reduce competition for the big defence contracts. Ash Carter, the current US Secretary of Defense, and formerly the Pentagon’s Chief of Technology Acquisition, is a supporter of the LRS-B and a vocal critic of mergers that reduce the Pentagon’s technological pool. He has made clear he does not support mergers between primes. A graph from Northrop Grumman’s 2008 research paper ‘The 2018 Bomber: The Case for Accelerating the Next Generation Long-range Strike System’ showing how the new strategic No reshuffl e of military primes bomber will replace and enhance the USAF’s existing bomber fl eet. First the LRS-B, while it may be the largest new military aircraft programme, is not the only one. The Air Force TX trainer programme and the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance Reducing costs with mature and Strike (UNCLASS) programme is also technology underway. In the 2020s there should also be a sixth generation fi ghter programme and very likely one or The defence scene has changed since the last more ‘black’ programmes over the same period. generation manned bomber, the B-2 Spirit, was The situation facing the combat aircraft primes developed. Arguably that programme assisted is also different from that in previous decades. None Boeing in developing its next generation commercial face the complete close down of production lines. aircraft, notably composites on the 777. Since then, Lockheed Martin still has the C-130J and, more commercial R&D has outstripped defence R&D important, the F-35 which will remain in production and LRS-B is believed to rely on relatively mature for many years. Northrop Grumman is part of the technologies. This may help keep its cost down F-35 team and also still has the Global Hawk long- but it means LRS-B will be less important as a range surveillance drone programme. Depending technology driver in developing new aerostructures on new orders, the Navy’s F/A-18 may also stay or network capabilities. Additionally, European rivals, in production into the next decade. Additionally, namely Airbus, don’t appear to have any advanced Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman both have airframe project that could challenge Boeing’s large diversifi ed portfolios of electronics, space hegemony with respect to technology transfer. and support business while Boeing has the P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and KC-46 Will the bomber get through? tanker transport programmes, alongside space and electronics programmes. Of course, there is always Given the secretive nature of LRS-B, this is a Boeing’s huge commercial aircraft business to be diffi cult question to answer. Retired USAF Lt Gen counted. David Deptula, currently Dean of the Air Force Some commentators assert that, if Northrop Association’s Mitchell Institute, has little doubt Grumman wins LRS-B, Boeing will want to buy it. it will. In a statement recently prior to a ‘Beyond However, there is not much evidence that Boeing the Bomber’ report launch, he points to Russia management is encouraging this line. The company and China’s updating of their bomber fl eets as already has a sizable defence portfolio alongside an endorsement of US policy. Russia is currently its large commercial business and may not see planning to reintroduce its Tu-160 Blackjack long- the need to pursue a constant balance between range bomber into production, as well as developing commercial and defence business. a next generation PAK DA strategic bomber. China,

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 25 DEFENCE Long range strike bomber

meanwhile, is pursuing a new bomber project as Under wraps replacement for its ageing Xian H-6K or Chinese copy of the Tu-16 Badger. Deptula reminds his No details have been revealed as to what either of the two competing USAF audience that bombers can deliver many times more bomber concepts might look like. However, there are a number of images precision bombs per sortie than a tactical ﬁ ghter released by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman which might provide a and stay airborne far longer but that the Air Force’s clue. current inventory of B-52, B-1B and B-2 bombers is looking increasingly aged, and 87% are not designed for stealth operations. Deptula joins other pundits in warning against the number of new bombers being squeezed by

Northrop Grumman a looming spending hump of other new military aircraft projects in the 2020s, such as F-35, KC-46 and JSTARS replacement, just when production of LRS-B is due to be ramping up. Initial acquisition costs of the new bomber could be $33bn. How the Pentagon intends to absorb that remains to be seen. An additional $24bn will also be required to upgrade the remaining B-2 and B-52 bombers over the same period. LRS-B is already facing a proposed $460m budget cut for ﬁ nancial year 2016 but this does not unduly worry the Air Force, An enigmatic poster from Northrop Grumman hints at a tailless design. as spending on the programme will be constrained anyhow until after the contract is awarded. Deptula insists that the LRS-B will be a ‘US asymmetric advantage’ and provide a key ingredient in the future US air power mix.

Lockheed Martin Lockheed How operationally effective will the new bomber be?

Not everyone agrees. One school of thought is that relying on relatively mature technologies indicates LRS-B will be no more survivable on penetration missions against high-end air defences than the current B-2 Spirit and may have to rely on escorts and roll-back suppression of enemy air defences to achieve its mission. While mass single integrated A Lockheed Martin poster shows the U-2 (left), SR-71 Blackbird (centre), F-117 Nighthawk fi ghter operational plan (SIOP) level strikes to clear away (right), plus an unidentifi ed aircraft in the foreground. enemy defences are less likely in a future confl ict, the issue by which LRS-B is judged will be probably its ability for assured penetration to carry out limited nuclear or conventional strikes to, for instance, remove a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capability, collapse a hardened storage site or hit

Lockheed Martin Lockheed transporter erector launchers (TELs) in the ﬁ eld. This may happen in the presence, not of an already disrupted integrated air defence system (IADS) with multiple penetration corridors cleared by preceding inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM)/ submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) strikes, as in a Cold War scenario, but against a fully functioning air defence. This means that if tactical air (TACAIR) has not arrived in theatre when a time- critical strike is authorised, the stealth bomber may well be going in alone. If the bomber is to rely on already established technologies this begs the question how effective An earlier example of concept art from Lockheed Martin. will LRS-B be in these circumstances. Replacing

26 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 the current trio of US bombers Air Force Assistant Chief of Staff with another one suggests an for Strategic Deterrence, Major upgrade of an existing design, General Garrett Hareneak has say the B-2, with new engines, stated on Capitol Hill that advanced composites design he is in favour of opening and the latest low observable Boeing up the debate on the future technology may be a cheaper directions of US strategic alternative, especially if this air power but many critics still enables a smaller overall load see fundamental questions that out. If you consider the latest missile need answers such as: what sort developments, such as joint air-to-surface of strategic weapons systems does the standoff missile (JASSM) and long-range anti- US need? Should it include a new generation ship missile (LRASM), that also provide stand-off The LRS-B will replace many of long-range manned bombers? Does the next capability for naval and overland missions and the of the USAF’s existing bomber generation aircraft require stealth for penetration GBU-53 as another option to bring down weight ﬂ eet — including the B-1B missions, or should it be a stand-off sensor-shooter Lancer, seen here refuelling and multiply stores stations, each aircraft could from a KC-46 tanker. platform, as suggested by David Deptula? Or deliver four to eight cruise weapons and 40 to 80 should the focus be on satellites, UCAVs and a new small diameter bombs. This would be in preference generation of hypersonic missiles? to engagement by hypersonic SAMs and heavy- weight free-fall munitions, such as GBU-31, which More of the same? have very short range, making detection of the bomber by modern VHF radars, such as Cynics are already saying that the Sky Watch, comparatively simple. LRS-B is shaping up to be a typical On the other hand, if ‘more of the same’ solution you are intending purely from the US military industrial a stand-off platform, to complex, with concern over exploit future advanced the fate of military aircraft

missile technologies, it USAF primes and maintenance of is questionable whether a fl eet of large long-range you need a bomber type bombers taking precedence, confi guration. A modifi ed and the inevitable retreat back transport aircraft would be into the secret world of black suitable, equipped with launchers projects meaning that the true cost for a large number of anti-ship missiles and capability of the aircraft will remain (ASMs) and cruise missiles. Equally, the way hidden for some time. Perhaps the only sure thing ahead may well favour advanced UCAVs capable Some of the USAF’s fl eet of will be that, in keeping with almost every other of delivering a variety of short- to medium-range B-52s will be retired while major defence project, LRS-B is likely to be over others will be upgraded. stand-off weapons. However, costs and predictions budget and behind schedule. In fact, this process of future capability suggest that the hypersonic has started already, with cost estimates for the new missile may be the best option with a high (Mach bomber rising by 76% this year, to $58.2bn over ten 8) performance and very low radar cross section years. The USAF has quickly moved to refute this, (RCS). Missiles can be made compatible insisting the programme remains stable with submarines and surface ships with true costs at $41.7bn over ten as well as air power, increasing years. Nevertheless, the projected persistence without the hazards cost of $550m per aircraft is to launch platforms from based on 2010 dollars and all extended range air defences 100 aircraft being purchased. or enemy weapons such as Few pundits expect the USAF DF-21D carrier killer missiles. to buy 100 aircraft, so unit cost is almost certain to rise. Northrop Grumman Opening up the The recent exchanges are debate probably only the opening shots of a battle between Capitol Hill and It has been claimed by journalist Bill the Pentagon over the cost, management Sweetman writing in infl uential aerospace and transparency of the programme: so watch magazine Aviation Week & Space Technology that The LRS-B may also this space! the future US nuclear defence posture is evolving eventually replace the B-2 without a soundly budgeted plan behind a veil of Spirit bomber. The author would like to thank AM Iain McNicoll, Chair of secrecy without its goals being clearly defi ned. US the RAeS Air Power Group, for his valuable assistance.

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 27 MAINTENANCE RAF Cosford training Barnstorming to Australia On 1 October, Tracey Curtis-Taylor will fly her 1942 Boeing Stearman biplane to Australia in honour of one of her heroines, Amy Johnson. Monsoons and bureaucracy allowing, she will arrive in Sydney in January next year. ANDREW DRWIEGA talked to her about the epic journey ahead.

mention an overland journey from Johannesburg to London in a Bedford truck, she ﬁ nally went to New Zealand.

Q. How did your love of ﬂ ying begin?

I undertook my fi rst fl ying lesson when I was 16 years old but started in earnest when I was 21 in New Zealand. I could only afford to fl y every couple of weeks and it was an awful lot of waitressing and odd-jobbing to get through both a private and a commercial licence.

Q. What did you learn from your African odyssey that has helped prepare you for this next epic ﬂ ight?

There were serious lessons n 1928 Mary Heath made history as the fi rst learned in Africa. We went in with woman to fl y solo the length of Africa and back some measure of naivety and I had to Britain. In 2013 Tracey Curtis-Taylor fl ew already fl own down in an old Antonov nearly 10,000miles from Cape Town to London An-2 on a delivery run from Kiev to Cape in honour of that momentous feat. Town with a Russian crew where I was IOn 1 October, she will take on another helping to manage the ground logistics and legendary fl ight, that of Amy Johnson’s 19-day documentation which was invaluable experience. solo 11,000mile journey in 1930 from Croydon to We were making a fi lm and there was a wave of Darwin in northern Australia. Curtis-Taylor’s trip will media and communications tasks to do every time I take a lot longer, by design, and will add on another arrived at a new destination. This aspect made a lot two thousand miles by fi nishing in Sydney. of demands. There is a psychological dimension to Heath’s aircraft was an Avro Avian while this which is a constant distraction from the fl ight. Johnson’s was a second hand Gipsy Moth named We had some serious problems in Africa and I was Jason. Curtis-Taylor will fl y in The Spirit of Artemis, a unhappy with aspects of how it was managed. restored vintage 1942 Boeing Stearman. There were a lot of pressures because of the fi lming Born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, at the age of and the very tight schedule and constant logistical two Curtis-Taylor’s family emigrated to Canada and issues which were intensely frustrating. One of spent nearly nine years there. They then returned to the biggest operational issues is fuel — avgas for the UK and the Lake District (as her parents were piston-engined aircraft is becoming a very rare both originally from Manchester). Following work at commodity in the world — so this needs to be De Beers and the Foreign Offi ce in London — not to positioned in most places at great cost. The lessons Tracey Curtis-Taylor Tracey

28 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 RAeS/NAL

learned in Africa have served me well in preparing fl y visual fl ight rules (VFR) and I love maps, so I still for this next trip. have my paper map onboard regardless. On top of that there are the clearances and Amy Johnson permits; during these trips you are constantly Q. How did you decide on the route down to and her DH Gipsy crossing borders and there are often time limits Australia? on the paperwork. I now treat Africa as fantastic Moth Jason at practise for the Australia fl ight. We are working on longer stops in fi ve main Croydon Airport locations. These are: Turkey, the United Arab before the start of Q. Why a Boeing Stearman? Emirates (Dubai), India, Singapore and Australia. her adventure. The stops in between are mainly transit locations I have been mad about them for years. This is the to allow the journey to be properly planned in terms iconic biplane for me. I love radial engines and did of distance fl ow and my endurance. In those fi ve my early training on North American T6s. I still have main locations we can spend time on engineering, my own PT22 Ryan Recruit which is the prototype engage with the media, visit aviation academies and built by PC Ryan who built the Ryan NYP (otherwise so on. There is a Women in Aviation conference at known as the Spirit of St Louis) for Charles the Dubai Airshow (8-12 November) which I am Lindbergh. looking forward to attending. However, time is I have owned shares in other biplanes, rationed, this journey is already taking three including an SE5a which was my fi rst and a half months, don’t forget. open cockpit biplane in New Zealand, I can’t fl y Amy’s route, as it took as well as a T6 Harvard, a Chipmunk her from Turkey through Syria to and a Piper Cub. I now just own the Iraq and Iran, so I needed to fi nd Stearman and the Ryan. an alternative route. My biggest fear is the weather which Q. What role does becomes a real issue from manufacturer Boeing play? Myanmar south. Between Singapore, Indonesia and Boeing celebrates its across northern Australia centenary next year and these I will hit the inter tropical epic journeys in my Stearman convergence zone which is embody something of the the monsoon line. I hope to heritage and pioneering ethos reach that in time to have which is the Boeing hallmark. it behind me and, hopefully, I am thrilled to be taking their blowing tail winds for the brand around the world with 300nm sea crossing from me. Likewise my other principal Indonesia to Australia. My only sponsor, Artemis Investment other concern is that we don’t Management who have been hit any tropical cyclones. I don’t magnifi cently supportive and my want my airplane to end up being ONE OF THE plane is named Spirit of Artemis in their left outside, as happened in Egypt. BIGGEST honour. Finding hangar space in bad weather is a When I met the Boeing team at the Royal problem — and I am vulnerable to that. OPERATIONAL International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in 2012 I met with ISSUES IS several women executives who loved my idea of Q. So what next after Australia? FUEL — AVGAS recreating Mary Heath’s African fl ight. Boeing has FOR PISTON- proven itself to be a company ready to promote I will crate the aircraft and send it to Seattle to arrive women and equality. They have been fully behind at Boeing’s home of Seattle during their centenary ENGINED Tracey Curtis-Taylor Tracey both projects. year. From there I will fl y across America along the AIRCRAFT IS early air mail route. It would be lovely to fi nish with a BECOMING Q. As you fl y VFR, what are your main technical fl ight around the Empire State Building in New York. A VERY RARE aids? Summary COMMODITY I have a Garmin NGS 430 in the cockpit which is IN THE WORLD my comms/nav/GPS system but I can only really However, that is another story. My fi nal question — SO THIS use the A-B function which doesn’t give me terrain addressed how she would return to England. Would information. I also have my iPAD with Air Nav Pro it be a circuitous route via Greenland and Iceland? NEEDS TO BE and Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, the latter being one of “Absolutely not,” she said. “My fi nal tribute to the POSITIONED IN our global suppliers for aeronautical data, charts and 1930s will be by luxury cruise liner, sipping a long MOST PLACES digital maps. But I was trained in WW2 navigation to pink gin…” Rogier Westerhui AT GREAT COST

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 29 INDUSTRY India’s private aerospace sector India: a new dawn With ‘Make in India’ the new mantra, NEELAM MATHEWS reports on the advent of the private sector in India’s aerospace industry.

decade of policy paralysis is giving a the liability of equipment manufactured on the prime new ray of hope to the sluggish Indian that is an Indian company — DPP 2015 mandates aerospace industry — until recently that the two partners share the risk jointly… New dominated by slothful staid public guidelines will also ensure that the military will have sector companies plagued with delays its choice of equipment and qualitative requirements withA neither the will, nor the inclination to innovate which are often changed midway, will be clearer or move forward. Driven by the promised speedy from the start,” said a defence ministry ofﬁ cial to and transparent policy for aerospace manufacturing AEROSPACE. by the, now over one year old, Narendra Modi Government, that has made ‘Make in India’ its Building Tier 1 competence mantra, the entry of private sector into forbidden

territory is changing the very dynamics of the Neelam Mathews “There is substantial capability being created at business. Tier 2 level from simple to complex geometrics for While there remains a slip between the cup aerostructures in India,” said Rahul Gangal, Global and the lip, $30bn worth of contracts cleared by Partner, Roland Berger Strategic Consultants, to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in the past AEROSPACE. He added while Tier 1 development year are awaiting release of Request for Proposal is happening for rotary wing, private sector (RFP) that, in theory at least, needs to be closed participation for fi xed wing aircraft appears to within a year. The new defence procurement policy Earlier this year, be 18-22 months away with the Airbus-Tata once announced, it is hoped, will ring in a new age an Indian company partnership for the Avro replacement programme in the country’s manufacturing ecosystem from supplied the fi rst with the C-295, that will become “A milestone the present low grade component manufacturing, Indian-built rear program for building Tier 1 fi xed wing competence.” moving up the value chain to high-tech products. Even the Russians are changing their fi delity, The new policy envisages that, in future, RFP cargo ramp and aft moving away from government-owned companies for large procurement will nominate platforms in pylon assemblies to service and manufacture their equipment. advance which will then have to be under the Make for the Boeing Privately owned Reliance Defence will produce in India pgprogramme. While the pprime will be an CH-47F. Kamov Ka-226T helicoptersp in a jjoint venture IndianIndid an ccompany,ompany, it wwillill be tthehe OOEMEM tthathat wiwillll cchoosehoose fofollowingllowini g a gogovernment-to-governmentvernnment-to-o gog veernmem nt ddealeaal foforr thetht e bebbestst ccompanyompaanyy wwithitth ththehe lolowestowest ccostost itt ddeemseee ms fi t prpprocurementocurrement of 4400 fl yawayyaway andand productionprodductit on ooff 1616060 to pproduceroodud cece iitstss pproductrooduct iinn InIndia.didiaa. ““UnlikeUnliikek tthehhee ppresentrer sentt KaKKamovmomov KaKa-226T-2262 T hehelicopters.elil coc ptp ers. SSpreadprp eae d acacrosscross 8866 DefenceDeD fef ncce PrPProcurementocurremennt PoPPolicyliicy ((DPP)DPD P)) 22013,010133, tthathah t pupputsts acaacres,res, tthehee ffacilityaca ility inincludescluddes a hhelicopterellicopter asassemblysembly

1414 AEROSPACEAERA ROSOSPOSPPAACCEE / OOCTOBERCCTTTOOBBER 202015155 Neelam Mathews

and components manufacturing at Nagpur airport in the Western state of Maharashtra, at the Reliance- owned Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park. The contract, once it has been signed at the Russia-India annual summit in December, will make Reliance the country’s fi rst private helicopter manufacturing facility, and it will ready by early 2017. India’s large and medium private companies have already made their presence felt and are attracting business from western OEMs. Those that stand out include Tata Group, Dynamatic Technologies, Larsen & Toubro, Axis, Aequs, Samtel Avionics and Mahindra Defence Systems. most likely succeed and step up the production Too fragmented? rate,” said a recent report by Deloitte. The medium- sized Delhi-based Samtel Group, the fi rst Indian Sikorsky S-92 Things are not easy. A common refrain is that company in defence and airborne electronics, is cabin produced aerospace manufacturing in India is fragmented. living up to this, having registered many patents in by Tata Advanced “The only high-tech project in India that is closest to display technology. Its technology for ruggedisation Systems. call is the Light Combat Aircraft Mk1 that has 80% of LCD panels and multi-functional displays (MFD) foreign parts. There is an anomaly in the policy that for the Su-30MKI, is now being customised for expects 60% of indigenous content. If barely 20% other vendors. Samtel Thales Avionics, a joint of aircraft parts for an aircraft made in India are venture between Samtel Avionics and Thales, indigenous, how does the government expect 60% recently dispatched the fi rst batch of MFDs for 49 to be sourced in India?,” said an engineer. Mirage 2000 upgrade projects of the Indian Air “Aerospace requires R&D and the private sector Force. “Our policy is to move up the value chain in is not interested in investing in it, as it is a chicken the technical domain,” said Puneet Kaura Executive and egg situation. Without contracts who will Director. He added the company was looking want to put in the money?” He cites the example at servicing OEMs globally and “partnering with of a contract to HAL for 187 reconnaissance customers to be part of their global supply chain.” and surveillance light helicopters even as its fi rst International partnerships are growing. Samtel’s fl ight has been delayed despite the design being long-term contract with Honeywell to develop based on an existing model built under licence, the EFIS-40, an electronic fl ight instrument system, Advanced Light Helicopter, Dhruv. “If you cannot has helped break Japan’s monopoly. It also has remodel the existing model, what kind of player are an agreement with Saab to jointly develop and you?” adding “We couldn’t make a basic trainer and market the RIGS head up display (HUD) to provide are now attempting to build a fi fth generation fi ghter helicopters with a cost effective display solution. aircraft.” However, today, few can deny that HAL, Dynamatic Technologies and a smaller working on numerous aircraft greenfi eld projects, no medium enterprise, Aequs with a management longer holds a monopoly. Increasingly, component that has moved away from a feudal architecture, sourcing and high value projects are moving have followed the road to hi-tech manufacture towards private companies where trust and reliability methodically and effi ciently. “Hopefully, the is the primary factor, given that India’s Foreign Direct professionalism showed by some of these Investment is limited to 49%, where the OEM does companies will erase the memory of archaic not have an equal nor controlling stake. government-owned defence manufacturer, While Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) has Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, that virtually had a already established joint ventures (JVs) with monopoly in the defence business,” said an industry US companies Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky offi cial. Quality issues have plagued the image of to produce Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules the industry yet in its infancy and will need to be IT WILL BE THE empennage and centre wing-box structures, addressed. Boeing recently terminated a contract to OEM THAT WILL and cabins for the Sikorsky S-92 medium-lift HAL for poor quality of production of weapons bay CHOOSE THE helicopters, it is the almost invisible but high-tech doors for the US Navy P-8 MPA. BEST COMPANY up-the-value-chain manufacturing that is starting to gain attention of Western OEMs. Partnering the global OEMs WITH THE LOWEST COST Growing avionics expertise Based on a track record of military industrial IT DEEMS FIT capability on the ground, Dynamatic has built a “Strong suppliers who possess economies of scale value chain of macro assemblies, detailed parts and TO PRODUCE in their cost structure and have the balance sheet engineering parts, creating an eco-system, Udayant ITS PRODUCT IN strength to invest in risk sharing programmes will Malhoutra, CEO and managing director Dynamatic INDIA MoD @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 31 INDUSTRY India’s private aerospace sector

told AEROSPACE. The company started its initial work as a developmental partner of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) producing indigenous products including the wing

Russian Helicopters and rear fuselage for India’s Lakshya pilotless target aircraft, ailerons and wing fl aps for the Intermediate Jet Trainer HJT-36 and major airframe structures for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fi ghter. Experience Ka-226T gained is yielding results. Today, it is a single source supplier of fl ap track beams for A330 airliners. helicopters built The work is divided between Dynamatic’s main in India will be facility in Bangalore and the Bristol facility of its UK produced by subsidiary Dynamatic Oldland.

Precision engineering Dynamatic-Oldland Neelam Mathews India’s fi rst private Aerospace has complex fi ve-axis machining sector helicopter capabilities for the manufacture of aerospace Chinook helicopter, mentioned by the Indian Prime facility. components and tooling. “We married the highly Minister, Narendra Modi, during his inaugural automated robotics and low cost of capital available address at Aero India 2015 in Bangalore. in UK with the artisanal manufacturing in India “The Chinook is an advanced helicopter to create a global delivery model of quality, cost, requiring complex manufacturing processes, and delivery and engineering,” said Malhoutra. this Make in India capability demonstrates that “Dynamatic was selected based on its technical Indian companies can deliver high standards of capabilities, cost competitiveness and skill base,” quality and productivity within a competitive cost said Airbus India Managing Director, Srinivasan structure that is essential for the aerospace sector,” Dwarakanath, adding that it is part of the airframer’s said Dennis Swanson, VP, Boeing Defense, Space & plan to boost its aerospace supply chain in India. Security India. “Through these partnerships, we can proudly claim that there’s a bit of ‘Make in India’ in all our aircraft UAVs pathfi nding the way programmes,” he added Dynamatic has also been engaged in A major project of Dynamatic is the co-development the development and production of airframe of a new generation lightweight unmanned aerial components for the Bell 407 since December system (UAS) with AeroVironment of the US. Called 2013. Having completed the First Article the Cheel (Hindi for Eagle), the design evolved from Acceptance of aft fuselage detail parts, it ships the 5kg Raven and 12kg Puma UAS. The project the parts to Bell’s aircraft assembly site in Mirabel, is one of the six ‘pathfi nder projects’ identifi ed Canada. Last year following an agreement with under the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Textron Systems and Bell Helicopter, Dynamatic Initiative (DTTI) earlier this year. “The fi rst Cheel will was declared a single source supplier for major fl y 11 months after formal approval,” said Malhoutra. airframe assemblies for the Bell 407GX and 407GT. He added: “We look at drones as part of our larger The agreement “represents a signifi cant milestone strategy. We have integrated battle management in Bell Helicopters’ global sourcing strategy and systems, as we already have ground robots, birds brings effi ciencies to our manufacturing process for that fl y and ground control mobile stations.” Test rig at Samtel the Bell 407,” said Mike Loeffl er, Bell Helicopters’ What was once a dream now seems a lucrative for Su-30 MFDs. Vice President, Supply Chain. Earlier this year, reality for the company as it readies to start a the company produced the fi rst set of aft pylon 30-acre facility near Bangalore airport where and cargo ramp assemblies for Boeing’s CH-47F the fi rst factory will be opened by the end of the year. Multiple plants planned include facilities for composites, assembly, detailed parts, engineering parts and fi nal assembly. Aerospace manufacturing in India never had to compete globally as HAL was delivered business on a golden platter. “But when we win packages on a global basis, expectations are different,” said Aravind Melligeri, Founder and Chairman of Aequs, a company that too has attempted to move up the value chain producing integrated assemblies rather than just components and sub-assemblies. Aequs specialises in precision machining, sheet metal

Neelam Mathews fabrication, assembly, forging and special processing

16 AEROSPACE / JUNE 2015 Udayant Malhoutra sent back to the OEM. Aequs recently made a minority equity investment in the Farinia Group’s Dynamatic CEO Spartacus3D, an upcoming French company with Airbus specializing in additive layer manufacturing (ALM), A330 ﬂ ap track also known as 3D printing technology. “We are beam. working to bring our ﬁ rst customer to India,” says Melligeri.

Moving up the supply chain tiers

Aequs recorded $45m revenues this year, taking six years to break even. Melligeri claims he is the fi rst Indian company to be Tier 1 to Airbus, having started by supplying detailed parts to its UK facility. The Airbus supply “We have reached a million hours of capacity that for the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas chain supports we had forecast for 201!” he added. “However, this industries, with clients that include Airbus, UTAS, more than 5,000 industry must be able to absorb economies of scale. Eaton, Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Bosch. Companies get into aerospace because they want Spread across 250 acres just 150km from Goa, workers in India to diversify.” The Aequs JV with Swedish SAAB the Aequs Special Economic Zone in Belgaum called Aero Assemblies India was established “to provides one of the fi rst integrated ecosystems for develop a robust aerospace business focused on aerospace component manufacturing by India’s build-to-print assemblies for the emerging market private sector. Aequs has a defi nite advantage, opportunities in India,” said Melligeri. having essential capabilities of an aerospace cluster Europeans are increasingly looking at emerging that include component manufacturing, machining, markets like India for consolidation of supply chain surface treatment, forging and assembly within of small suppliers and a need for dollarisation and the same space. Clients include Airbus, Honeywell, lower costs. Melligeri feels challenges to source Saab, Magellan and United Technologies. a reliable and sustainable supplier base from Like Dynamatic, Aequs too has found benefi ts India will include enough scale of suppliers who in foreign acquisition. It acquired Paris-based are diversifi ed, reliable with a roadmap of $100m aerospace component maker T&K Machine for revenue by 2020. $10m, renamed Aequs Aero Machine. A second However, things at the moment are slower than acquisition worth around $50m may be made soon. envisaged. “While ‘Make in India’ is a good concept, “We are looking at companies in areas where we projects need to be awarded. The process is long lack gaps. Landing gear components, actuations and and bureaucratic.” long bed machining,” said Melligeri. Melligeri is clear that the industry has no Being a start-up in manufacturing, Melligeri shortage of work. Competition is not between Indian went the orderly way. “We initially got expats suppliers but globally (now).” from Manchester in 2011 to address cutting Malhoutra agrees. “The most important part is tool challenges for people to just understand the 100% delivery performance. Why restrict OEMs to machining process. Our business is in generating Component set up 100% subsidiaries? It will be good for India chips — the faster we generate, the more money we assemblies at (if opened up), as it will get investment, technology make. The idea was to change mindsets by showing and create jobs. We should encourage the best them how effi ciently the work could be done.” Aequs' facility. manufacturers to bring in their business. (Besides) Melligeri said he is now comfortable in bidding We make the parts….” for large projects. Recently, the company won a seven-year global contract from Premier Aerotech. “We are now building 45 new parts every month — up from 10-15 a month a few years ago — and might have to triple the number,” he says. Challenges remain that slow down growth, the major spoke being high tax according to Melligeri. “Returns need to go back into business. We need much more incentive to grow.” Material issues such as getting titanium on time too are a constraint. “Titanium used for the 787 is 5553 type patented Boeing grade and is much harder. We had a tough time with the landing gear shackle we manufacture.”

Forgings from VSMPO are machined in India and Neelam Mathews

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com JUNE 2015 17 HISTORY 100 years of AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland From biplanes to tiltrotors 100 years of aviation in Yeovil

JEREMY GRAHAM looks at AgustaWestland’s fi rst century of aeronautical achievement — a journey from patriotic gesture to global vertical lift inﬂ uence.

34 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland’s aeronautical heritage stretches from the Short 184 biplane of WW1 (top right) through to the AW609 tiltrotor (left) and AMI Combat SAR AW101 of the modern day.

t was April of 1915 when the board of Petters Ltd, an established manufacturer of oil engines based in Yeovil, Somerset, agreed to offer the entire resources of their company to the Government for the purpose of war work. IThis unconditional offer was made in response to a call from Government for the industrial capacity of the United Kingdom to be brought to bear on This DH4 was delivered ballasted with a barrel of cider strapped to the observers cockpit. Such deliveries supporting the needs of the troops ﬁ ghting a war to the Western Front were declared as ballast required to balance the DH4 when ﬂ own with a single crew. that was clearly different from all others that had gone before. Petters was not alone in making this offer nor were they alone in having no prior experience the DH9 as quickly as was possible. de Havilland of munitions manufacture. It is likely that the proposed re-engining the DH9 with the American expected demands would have been for oil engines Liberty engine to improve its performance but it

and similar heavy engineering machinery and AgustaWestland was the Westland Aircraft Works that received components. When the Admiralty responded with a the contract to complete this task. The result, the request that the company build Shorts sea planes DH9A (aka Ninak) was an immediate success, the news was received with trepidation, but the offer transforming the performance of the type and had been unconditional and the Petters board set Percival Petter. creating an entirely contemporary fast day time out to honour their offer as best as they could. bomber. During 1918, production at Yeovil and One hundred years later to the day of that fi rst elsewhere was converted to this new version of the offer, on 27 April 2015, Bill Tyack, President of the DH9 and early aircraft arrived on the Western front RAeS, unveiled a heritage plaque in the presencence of as the armistice approached. the AgustaWestland Managing Director, a role tthathat From one aircraft in January 1916 to over has a lineage back to the founding Petter familyy 800 aircraft delivered by November 1918, and in particular to Earnest Petter who, with hiss thet Westland Works achievement may not twin Percy, founded the company and oversaw its haveh been unique but nonetheless impressive transition into aviation. fromfr a standing start by a heavy engineering These intervening years span almost the cocompany only three years earlier. entire history of viable aviation and aeronauticalal Following the declaration of the armistice, engineering and the Yeovil site is the only knownwn ththee need for military materiel sharply declined location where contiguous aircraft manufacturee anandd many contracts were terminated with has been undertaken for a century. imimmediatem effect or allowed to run to a cconclusionon with no expectation of renewal. The era of wood, canvas and wiree The young aircraft industry was typifi ed by manmanufacturing sites having no history in aviation The fi rst Shorts 184 was fl own in January 19166 and hhence little infrastructure beyond manufacture. from Hamble; the fourth aircraft spotted the MManyany of these organisations did not survive the German fl eet at Jutland in June, operating ppeaceeace dividend and this might too have been the from HMS Engadine. Further contracts to build fafatete ooff the Westland Aircraft Works division of additional Shorts sea planes followed along withh PPettersetter Ltd if it had not been for its unique situation. contracts to build Sopwith and Airco (de Havilland)nd) An advert for Westland as TThehe AAircraft Works had a proven design capability, it types. Land to the north of the Petters Westland a civil aircraft manufacturer could lay claim to the Ninak, which was to become foundry was levelled to provide an airfi eld in 1916 published in The Aeroplane, the standard RAF general purpose aircraft of the and a purpose-built assembly hall was erected. in 1917. post war period, and it existed within a Company In 1917 the factory converted from building AgustaWestland that had a wider engineering portfolio. It was these DH4 to DH9 in line with the Government strategy three factors that allowed Petters to weather a to standardise on the latter. However, the promise period that many others found they could not. that the new type would offer superior performance In October of 1926 the Westland Aircraft was not realised and the RFC offi cially described Society was formed with the purpose of providing the aircraft as ‘obsolete’ as soon as it began to lectures in accordance with the recently published appear on the Western Front. However, the need examination syllabus for ground engineers. Within for aircraft outweighed any disappointments with two months the local society had become the local its performance and so, along with many other Branch of the RAeS. Together with Coventry these factories, the Westland Aircraft Works produced two Branches were the very fi rst to be recognised.

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Peak performance control at low speed and in this respect at least it mirrors the efforts of his Spanish contemporary, In 1933 a Westland aircraft became the fi rst Juan de la Cierva, who was focused instead on the to fl y over Mount Ever- rotating wing. est. The Houston Mount Possibly the most signifi cant contribution of the

Everest Expedition set AgustaWestland Pterodactyls to the future of Westland was that a out to prove that a British young Chief Designer was appointed when Hill left aircraft with a British crew could fl y over the highest the company with the last Pterodactyl unfi nished. point on Earth and use the The son of Earnest Petter, by now the Chairman opportunity to contribute of Petters Ltd, William Edward Willouby (Teddy) to scientifi c knowledge by Petter was a fresh postgraduate in 1929 when he photographing inaccessi- ble and dangerous terrain. was taken on the staff of Petters Ltd to learn the The aircraft involved were business from the ground up: in effect he became two modifi ed Wapitis, a the fi rst postgraduate apprentice to be employed PV3 Houston-Westland and a PV6 Houston-Wallace fl own by Auxiliary Air Force in what has become a long tradition in Yeovil. A pilots Douglas-Hamilton, Lord Clydesdale and Flight Lieutenant David McIntyre, with graduate of Cambridge he was appointed Chief observers Colonel LVS Blacker and SR Bonnet (cinematographer with the Gaumont Designer in 1934, quickly followed by Technical British News). The fi rst fl ight successfully achieved the summit and a second fl ight, against orders, achieved the Expedition’s scientifi c goals. Unknown to the expedition Director. leader, pilots Clydesdale and McIntyre fl ew a second mission to retake photographs Winning the contract to re-equip the Army lost due to a faulty camera. Clydesdale and McIntyre were reprimanded by the RAF Co-operation Squadrons with what would for their breach of conduct and then awarded the Air Force Cross. soon be known as the Lysander was a turning point for Teddy Petter and the Company. This aircraft combined innovative aerodynamics with conventional construction and a well-known engine The transition to metal to produce an aircraft that possessed impressive and useable STOL performance. Against stiff competition it was a Westland design, With the Lysander well established in based on a modernised DH9A, that was selected production, Teddy Petter turned his attention to AgustaWestland as the replacement for this venerable but, by 1925, the RAF requirement for a high-performance outdated aircraft. The design would eventually cannon-armed fi ghter and a contract was awarded Westland Wapiti eschew wood completely in its primary structure to Westland in 1937 to build his twin-engined but could be built from the outset using available four cannon single seat fi ghter, the Whirlwind. The wooden wings mated to a metal fuselage structure. design was as uncompromising as it was modern. This aircraft was quickly placed in mass production The Whirlwind saw Squadron service from mid- as the Wapiti and, in the fi ve years from 1927, 1940 and found its forte in the low level ground some 569 aircraft were built: vital work that likely attack role where its fi repower, speed and twin would not have come to Yeovil but for the DH9A engine reliability made it a very effective weapon. re-engining contract let in 1917. Running close behind the Whirlwind was the From 1930 the Petters board sanctioned the high-altitude Welkin fi ghter using a high aspect ratio build of an improved Wapiti which, as the Wallace, wing, twin Merlin power and a pressurised cockpit. saw RAF service across the Empire until the start Investigation of unexpected fl ying behaviour at AgustaWestland of WW2. Most famously, the two Wallace prototypes altitude provided Petter with the grasp of high Mach were chosen by the Royal Geographical Society as No fl ight that he would later apply to the Canberra the aircraft that would equip the fi rst over fl ights of jet bomber, a project started in Yeovil but completed Pterodactyl fl ying wing. Everest, which was achieved in April of 1933. by English Electric after Petter moved to lead the During the 1920s and 30s experimentation design team being established at Warton. was nurtured by Government sponsorship Alongside the design and build of Westland and entrepreneurial investment alike, enabling types the factory at Yeovil was again employed aviation companies to maintain their design and in the mass production of other types, most manufacturing skills by building prototypes in a notably Seafi res but also a small number of Fairey period when mass production was uncommon. At Barracudas as well. Wartime production exceeded Westland two types stand out against a backdrop of 4,000 aircraft built at the Yeovil site. biplanes: the Widgeon, designed and built to satisfy Teddy Petter’s fi nal design at Yeovil is found in a Government-sponsored search for a light fl ying the early stages of work on what would become the club two-seater, and the Pterodactyl series of fl ying Wyvern heavy fi ghter for the Fleet Air Arm. Many AgustaWestland wings. The latter fl ew four prototypes in the period innovative features were to be offered but with 1926 to 1936 engineered at the Westland Aircraft Teddy gone the design team lead by Davenport Lysanders lined up for Works by a team lead by Captain Geoffrey Hill. Hill’s took a more traditional approach with innovation put delivery at Yeovil. intent was to create an aircraft that would not lose aside save for its use of a turboprop power unit.

36 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 AgustaWestland

Rotary wing focus Alongside the experimental Westminster, the WS-58 was following the Whirlwind into Cierva may be regarded as the father of the production as the Wessex and together these modern helicopter but his early autogyros two types achieved a combined production were characterised by poor control at low run of 700 over a 20-year period. speed. So it was that in 1922 an approach from Cierva suggesting collaboration with A new identity with a familiar Petters was declined for concern that the name technology was not mature. It was not until 1930 The vectored thrust Meteor that Cierva was able to demonstrate autogyros jet fi ghter demonstrator The Duncan Sandys White Paper of 1957 resulted preparing to ground run at with effective slow-speed control and at this point Yeovil showing the Nene in a merging of the UK aerospace companies. the Westland Aircraft Works elected to collaborate engine placed ahead of the Westland Aircraft Ltd became the focus for with him to build a fi ve-seat, enclosed cabin, wing and the defl ector jet helicopters, combining the production strength of autogyro. This aircraft was a victim of ‘ground pipe. the Yeovil company with the technological strengths resonance’ which was not understood at that time of Fairey, Bristol and Saunders-Roe (née Cierva). and the aircraft was struck off charge without ever The famous names of Hafner, Ciastula and Hislop, achieving fl ight. As the newly appointed Technical now joined Fitzwilliams and Hollis-Williams as the Director, Teddy Petter took up the challenge of the core of the new design team based in Yeovil. autogyro and arranged for a second collaboration, Production in the early 60s was centred on this time with Cierva and George Lepère, in 1934. Yeovil with the Whirlwind and Wessex but the This aircraft was fl own by Cierva himself, Alan Belvedere production run was completed under Marsh and Reggie Brie but was considered to be cover of the new alliance at Weston Super Mare underpowered. and development of the Scout/Wasp completed at Not until post WW2 was the rotary wing aircraft Eastleigh. The AB-47 Sioux licence build at Hayes to feature again at Yeovil and this time it was was contracted after the merger and was the fi rst the result of a very deliberate strategy. With an liaison between Westland and Agusta SpA of Italy. increasing preponderance of jet-powered aircraft The merger with Fairey brought with it the it was clear that the future of Westland Aircraft Ltd Rotodyne project. An adventurous convertiplane at Yeovil in fi xed wing activities could not be concept, it had already achieved a world speed secured. Helicopters had begun to show record and held the promise of high-speed their value in WW2 but access to the city to city transportation. Heralding a new required technology was required era in rotorcraft, the Rotodyne was the quickly. The solution was a licence subject of license build agreements arrangement with Sikorsky and the with Kaman in the USA and also slated fi rst example of this collaboration, for operation by BEA in the UK and to be known as the WS-51 AgustaWestland Okinagan Helicopter Group in Canada. Dragonfl y, fl ew from Yeovil in The Board of Westland Aircraft chose October of 1948. From here on the to support continuation of the Rotodyne focus for aviation at Yeovil would be as the path to the future of heavy vertical the helicopter although support to fi xed lift but when BEA distanced itself from wing continued with the build of the world’s the programme and Government support also fi rst vectored thrust jet fi ghter based on a Meteor waned then the fate of the programme was sealed together with maintenance activities on Meteors, along with any viable prospect of rejuvenating the Same idea, different F-86 Sabres and fi nally the Fairey Gannet. generation — Widgeon suspended Westminster. The WS-55 Whirlwind arrived as a company- and Gazelle helicopters The gap left by the cancellation of Rotodyne owned demonstrator in 1951 with licence simultaneously operational at was large but could be fi lled with work on the production deliveries starting in 1954 to the Royal Yeovil. Whirlwind and Wessex, production of the Scout/ Navy. The experience with Whirlwind allowed the Wasp, studies into a Scout/Wasp replacement company to develop a derivative of the WS-51, (to mature as the Lynx) and a wide ranging known as the Widgeon, which gave a taste of what Government-sponsored study of intercity has become the modern fi ve-seat civil helicopter. transportation known as the Short Range Transport The close association between Westland Study. The latter activity concluded that a 100-seat and Sikorsky allowed the Yeovil site access to a tilt-wing would serve the emerging European short- heavy-lift rotor and transmission (taken from the haul market best, combining minimal airport facilities S-56) which, when combined with transmission with the ability to cruise at turboprop speeds. A modifi cations and Napier Eland gas turbines, demonstrator was proposed but in the end the created the Westminster. The aircraft fl ew in 1958 SRT convertiplane envisaged by Raoul Hafner was and pre-dated Sikorsky’s use of the turbine for stillborn for lack of Government support. Unmanned heavy-lift application by four years. rotorcraft studies and projects in this period were

@aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 37 HISTORY Radome100 years of AgustaWestland AgustaWestland

Merlin HC3A helicopter.

undertaken to establish the feasibility of this engines. The result was an average speed of over technology but the SUPERVISOR demonstrator 400 km/hr, a record that still stands today. programme was cancelled in 1979 before the During the coming decade minority shareholding AgustaWestland concept could be fully proven and a subsequent taken earlier by GKN was converted to a successful bid for the follow-on PHOENIX programme proved take-over in 1994 and the collaboration with unsuccessful. Agusta saw the Merlin placed into production Westland Whirlwind – the Iron Towards the end of this decade the fi nal liaison The anticipated contracts with the UK and Italian Chicken last Mk 7. of note with Sikorsky was formalised with the Navies were closely followed by contracts to agreement to licence build the S-61, Sea King. deliver additional Merlins for the RAF and a SAR The fi rst arrived in 1979 and the 330th production confi gured type for the RCAF. Lynx developments aircraft was delivered to Norway in 1992. Sea Kings were created for both home and foreign markets were delivered in numbers to customers across establishing the type as the small ships helicopter of the globe, many of which remain operational today choice around the World. 1990 saw SUPERVISOR some 40 years on. unmanned air vehicles being refurbished under Entering the 1980s, the company was contract to Martin Marietta and the aircraft free fi nancially strong and elected to embark on rotor fl own in trials in the USA. blade, transmission and avionics technology With the closing of the millennium approaching research that would be injected into coming the GKNWestland Helicopters/McDonnell Douglas projects. A move into civil mass production was team won the competition to equip the UK Army Air also planned but with a foundation that was at Corps with a dedicated attack helicopter, the Royal

AgustaWestland least in part based on the realisation in the UK of Navy and RAF Merlin production contracts were in a Puma replacement to meet the requirements full swing and the fi rst re-engined Super Lynx 300 of Air Staff Target 404. It is a matter of fact was delivered. After the fi nancial crisis of the mid that AST 404 did not come to fruition but the 80s, stability and growth had been re-established. Westland Sea Kings Mk 1, 2, civil programme was committed and pursued The fi rst decade of the new millennium would NEWS3, 4 and 5. IN BRIEFwith vigour though was ultimately to prove an be more exciting still when the US government unsustainable fi nancial burden. In this context announced that it had selected the EH101 (later by the mid-1980s Westland Helicopters could renamed the AW101) as the VVIP presidential ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? be characterised as technologically strong but transport for the future. The contract for nine aircraft ????? ????? ?????? fi nancially precarious. The subsequent ‘Westland was executed with all aircraft delivered by USAF Affair’ has been well documented elsewhere but C-17s to the US. In the event, the US procurement ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? the outcome for the company was a signifi cant process for the follow-on full fl eet build was halted ????? ????? ?????? change in respect of its shareholders and its and so the US President will never use the AW101 internal organisation. in this role but the experience gained has been put ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? As the re-structuring process came to a close in to good use in modernising the base aircraft and ????? ????? ?????? 1986 the board took a decision to make an attempt in confi guring it as a VVIP transport without peer. on the helicopter FAI world speed record. Lynx had A derivative of the AW101 was submitted to the ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? already gained a class record early in its life but this USAF competition for a replacement Combat SAR ????? ????? ?????? new attempt was to be more adventurous. Nothing aircraft and in support of this activity the BERP less than the absolute record would suffi ce. At IV rotor development was demonstrated and the AgustaWestland ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? the heart of the bid would be the new technology fi rst air-to-air refuelling trials fl own by a Westland ????? ????? BERP III rotor blade. Some close attention was design completed. Both of these features are now paid to airframe drag reduction and, with help from embodied in production versions of the Merlin and Lynx Mk 9A. Rolls-Royce, maximising power available from the the AW101.

386 AEROSPACEAEROSPACE / OCTOBER/ JUNE 2013 2015 AgustaWestland Collaboration, a defi ning Ownership and the future principle Sir Earnest and Percy Petter were Collaboration across national undoubtedly the guiding lights of boundaries as the means to design the company which grew out of their and develop new types has become father’s ironmongery business. Aircraft the accepted norm. In 1967 the Anglo were built at the Petter’s Westland foundry French agreement for Gazelle, Puma from the outset and by the 1930s this and Lynx set the scene for Westland. Since work had come to dominate the factory site. Oil then the EH101 programme has developed engine production continued in Yeovil until 1937 On 12 July 2015 the Merlin in collaboration with Agusta SpA, the AgustaWestland held a when production was moved to Loughborough. As NH-90 programme was originally developed in a special event at Yeovil to of 1934, Westland Aircraft Ltd was established collaboration with the UK, France, Holland, Germany celebrate its 100 anniversary. to run the aviation business and in 1937, as the and Italy, the A129 LAH programme with the UK, oil engines were being moved from Yeovil, the Holland, Spain and Italy and the BA 609 (now controlling shares in Westland Aircraft were sold AW609) tiltrotor with Bell. Production collaborations to John Brown and Company, shipbuilders. John extend to the WAH-64 Apache with McDonnell Brown oversaw a signifi cant development of the Douglas, now Boeing, the Royal Navy Merlin with site in Yeovil during the run up to WW2 with a large IBM (now Lockheed Martin), the AW139 originally assembly hall being built to the north of all other with PZL in Poland (now an integrated member buildings and the company retained a signifi cant of the Finmeccanica Group), and the NH-90 with shareholding until 1994 when GKN secured full Airbus Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures. ownership of the Westland Aircraft Group. Ten AgustaWestland Collaboration with Agusta has evolved beyond years later GKN was to sell all of its interest in the a matter of convenience, initially realised as a joint Company to Finmeccanica who retain ownership to venture agreement in 2001 between GKN and this day. Finmeccanica to form AgustaWestland. In 2004 Women working in the Detail The Finmeccanica vision for the future of Finmeccanica acquired GKN’s 50% stake of Shop at Yeovil during WW1. AgustaWestland is one that recognises technological AgustaWestland to become the sole shareholder. innovation as crucial in an increasingly competitive Programmes apply design and operations resources global market place. The convertiplane is fi nally irrespective of geography as necessary and a civil becoming a civil aviation reality with the AW609 production line has been established at Yeovil for the TiltRotor now progressing towards civil certifi cation. fi rst time in 30 years to expand the civil production This will be joined by other products in the same facilities available across the AgustaWestland group vein but within a portfolio that also includes a return to meet a growing demand. to remotely-piloted air systems and, at its core, the The Petter twins prided themselves on achieving modern, effi cient, and versatile helicopter. AgustaWestland international success. Success with aircraft production AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility is the UK’s may have initially been stimulated by the demands of only manufacturer of rotorcraft and one of only national security but export was quickly established a handful of sites in the world that has the following WW1 and has been a vital ingredient of the Undergraduates working to capability to design, develop, manufacture and aviation activities at Yeovil ever since. refurbish the Lynx helicopter support complete rotorcraft systems. With the which broke the speed record backing of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland is well in 1986. positioned as it enters a second century of aircraft manufacturing at Yeovil.

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CAREERS IN AEROSPACE.COM

The Autumn UK careers and recruitment fair dedicated to aerospace and aviation CAREERS IN AEROSPACE LIVE 2015 V isitor RAeS, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ Regi stratio Friday 6 November 2015 now n open! AM session 10:00 – 12:45 PM session 13:00 – 15:45

FREE TRY! EN your line for ster on oon Regi aftern ing or morn n sessio

Business Class exhibitors:

Premium Economy exhibitors include:

Register at: www.aerosociety.com/Careers-Education/careersinaerospacelive For Group Bookings please email [email protected] #CiAL15 Contact: E: [email protected] T: 020 7670 4325 for exhibitor and visitor information Afterburner www.aerosociety.com

Diary 4 November Brabazon Lecture James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways received its ﬁ rst A380 in December 2014. Airbus.

42 Message from RAeS 44 Book Reviews 51 Aerospace Masters Bursary - President Army of the Sky, Australia and the War in the Air, To 500th MSc bursary student. Rule the Winds and So You Want to be an Engineer? “As we remember the events of 75 years ago, it is appropriate that the Society should be active 52 Diary in putting forward the views of our profession in 47 Library Additions Find out when and where around the world the respect of today’s defence concerns and to this end Books submitted to the National Aerospace Library. latest aeronautical and aerospace lectures and the Society has generated a paper for events are happening. contribution to the debate surrounding the 2015 UK Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR).” 48 Weybridge Branch AGM 54 Obituary TSR2 technology, future aircraft propulsion and air Peter James Conchie. - Chief Executive traffi c control were some of the subjects covered in “The Society submitted a written representation lectures at the RAeS Weybridge Branch during the 55 Corporate Partners to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in advance past year. of the Comprehensive Spending Review, due for Two new members joined the Society’s Corporate publication by HM Treasury on 25 November. The Partner Scheme. RAeS submission provided the Government with 50 Battle of Britain 75th recommendations for the aerospace sector that Anniversary events would promote growth and productivity, deliver 56 Elections 30th Allied Air Forces Memorial day at the Yorkshire greater effi ciency and value for money across the New Society members elected in the past month. public sector and promote innovation.” Air Museum and RAF Hendon Museum’s Spitfi re 10K run.

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Martin Broadhurst I was privileged to be able to attend one of the the case for a force construct that meets a series commemorative events marking the 75th of generic requirements, that in turn will improve anniversary of the ‘Hardest Day’; the day of greatest the fl exibility of the UK to adapt to the evolution of losses on both sides during the Battle of Britain. global security challenges; argues for further reform There will, of course, be more events as we lead up of procurement processes to improve the effi ciency to Battle of Britain day on 15 September which will and affordability of defence acquisition; makes the provide additional opportunity for us to remember case for continuing long-term Government-industry and thank all those people who played their part partnerships to capture and exploit the full suite during that remarkable period of our history. of economic, security and social gains; and sets The history of the Battle of Britain is interwoven out the benefi ts of maintaining regional and global with the history of the Spitfi re and the story of this alliances. We look forward to ongoing engagement aircraft and the people involved in its development, with government as SDSR progresses. AS WE production and deployment, many of whom are Equally the Society concerns itself with the REMEMBER THE members of our Society, is brilliantly portrayed in challenges facing the environment and has recently EVENTS OF 75 Paul Beaver’s latest offering Spitfi re People — published its Greener by Design Annual Report providing insight into the courage and determination 2014/2015 (see http://www.aerosociety.com/About- YEARS AGO, IT of that generation. Us/specgroups/Greener-by-Design/annualreports). IS APPROPRIATE As we remember the events of 75 years ago, The environmental challenge of reducing carbon THAT THE it is appropriate that the Society should be active emissions remains one of the most important issues SOCIETY in putting forward the views of our profession in facing the world today and the aviation aspects of respect of today’s defence concerns and to this end this challenge will further be addressed in October SHOULD BE the Society has generated a paper for when Greener by Design hosts its annual workshop

ACTIVE IN contribution to the debate surrounding the 2015 UK — ‘Contrail-cirrus, other non-CO2 effects and Smart PUTTING Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR), see Flying’. http://www.aerosociety.com/News/Discuss-Papers. Finally, on behalf of the Society, I wish to offer FORWARD THE It argues that to deal with new, changing international sincere condolences to the families and friends VIEWS OF OUR developments in a cost-effective way, a genuinely of all those who lost their lives in the terrible air PROFESSION strategic approach to defence provision is required crash at Shoreham on 22 August, as well as our IN RESPECT by the UK Government. The Society assesses the best wishes for a speedy recovery to those who are current international landscape and sets out the injured. There will be lessons that must be learned OF TODAY’S broad capabilities, and the more detailed aerospace from this tragedy and the Society stands ready to DEFENCE capabilities, required to deal more effectively and support the investigation and formulation of CONCERNS ... efﬁ ciently with these new threats. The Paper makes subsequent recommendations.

TRUSTEE TALK

Directly elected by the Society’s members, Council governance Regulations. These will be available is the body responsible for the outbound delivery on the Society’s website as soon as the of all the Society’s multitude of services and amendments suggested by the Trustees have publications. However, as a registered UK charity been implemented. the Society must, by law, ultimately be governed by 3. Received an update report on the Memorandum a Board of Trustees who are personally responsible of Understanding (MoU) with the Aeronautical for ensuring that the organisation meets all its legal Society of Mauritius which was signed by and Charity Commission obligations. In truth the the President of the Society in April 2015. Board’s activities tend to come in the ‘boring but The Trustees were pleased to see that two important’ category. Presidential Invitations have been approved in During the past few months the Board of relation to the MoU and that the Aeronautical Trustees, among other activities, has: Society of Mauritius has invited the Society’s 1. Approved the Ten Year Strategy for the Society President to visit Mauritius to deliver a lecture in Welcome to the fi rst which was developed by the Society’s President- 2016. Trustee Talk which Elect and which took an inclusive approach 4. Reviewed the risk register put together by the will be published with eight work-streams working on a variety of Society’s Executive Team and discussed the key following each areas such as Membership, International, and risks facing the Society. Digital and Media. meeting of the 2. Reviewed the Specialist Group Regulations Phil Boyle CEng FRAeS Board of Trustees. which form part of the Society’s main Chair of the Board of Trustees

42 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Simon C Luxmoore  This month sees Aerodays, the European applications to the 2015 Scholarship Fund and Commission’s fl agship event for aviation have made 12 team awards and ten individual research and innovation, come to London. awards totalling £59,050. The aim of the The Society has been working closely with Centennial Scholarship Fund is to support the the Commission and ADS group to deliver the future of aeronautics by providing fi nancial Young Researcher Competition, which aims assistance to individuals completing relevant to showcase some of the best undergraduate courses and for organisations arranging events and postgraduate research across Europe with and activities to promote aeronautics, aerospace the opportunity to present to delegates and a and aviation to young people. jury of experts. I encourage you to attend these  We’re feeling quietly pleased with ourselves now sessions if you will be visiting Aerodays on 20- that the Society, together with the Royal Academy 23 October and support the talented pipeline for of Engineering, has successfully delivered the researchers from across the region. AeroMSc bursary scheme, with the 500th bursary  Our events team have also been working closely being awarded to Lowri Nicholls at the end of with the Air Accident & Investigation Branch August. This award fulfi ls a commitment made (AAIB) to organise their Centenary Conference, by the Aerospace Growth Partnership to award which will be held on 14 October at No.4 500 MSc tuition fee bursaries for home students Hamilton Place. In view of recent air accidents, to pursue aerospace-related MScs at a wide this technical programme of international range of top UK universities. Since its launch by speakers will consider the important work the Prime Minister in 2012 at the Farnborough carried out by the AAIB and what the future International Air Show, the Aerospace Masters holds for accident investigation, so I hope to Bursary Scheme has been developing a pipeline see many of our members in attendance to of talented individuals looking for a career in contribute to the debate. aerospace who, but for the bursary, would have  The Society submitted a written representation been unable to study at that level. The scheme to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in advance has an impressive list of business sponsors: of the Comprehensive Spending Review, due for Airbus, BAE Systems, Bombardier Aerospace publication by HM Treasury on 25 November. (Belfast), Finmeccanica UK, GE Aviation, GKN, The RAeS submission provided the Government MBDA Missile Systems, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, with recommendations for the aerospace sector Rolls-Royce and Spirit AeroSystems. It has also that would promote growth and productivity, been supported by the Department for Business, deliver greater effi ciency and value for money Innovation and Skills and the Department across the public sector and promote innovation. for Enterprise and Learning in the Northern THE SOCIETY,  A new Policy & Public Affairs section has been Ireland Administration. Lowri’s achievement TOGETHER added to the Society website as a central hub was celebrated at No.4 Hamilton Place on 7 WITH THE ROYAL where details of the RAeS’ external infl uencing September when she joined senior members of and public profi le activities can be found, the profession at our New Fellows Reception ACADEMY OF including Society press releases, responses to offering the chance for us to celebrate both ENGINEERING, consultations and submissions to inquiries, and today’s high achievers, and tomorrow’s. HAS our latest policy briefi ngs. www.aerosociety.com/  October sees the annual renewals for SUCCESSFULLY Policy membership subscriptions being sent out to all  At No.4 Hamilton Place, the Publications members. For members living in the UK (UK DELIVERED Department has been relocated to the fi fth taxpayers only) it is an opportunity for them THE AEROMSC fl oor with the room that they have vacated on to Gift Aid their subscription (if they have not BURSARY the third fl oor now being refurbished, following previously completed a Gift Aid form) which will a very generous donation the Society recently allow the Society to claim back 25% of these SCHEME, WITH received from Mr Ralph Hooper OBE FRAeS. subscriptions from HMRC; these funds are used THE 500TH This latest move completes the move of by the RAeS Foundation to support the Society’s BURSARY BEING staff to the fourth and fi fth fl oors making all on going charitable objectives. To donate Gift AWARDED TO the accommodation in the building, from the Aid please complete the form sent with the basement up to the third fl oor, available for renewals or check out the Society’s website LOWRI NICHOLLS meetings, conferences and events. (www. aerosociety.com/foundation) to fi nd out AT THE END OF  The Centennial Scholarship Committee was more about Gift Aid and other ways to donate to AUGUST pleased to see a high number of good quality the Society.

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 43 Afterburner Book Reviews ARMY OF THE SKY

Russian Military Aviation developed industrial capability and large numbers of badly educated peasants could no longer ensure before the Great War 1904- Russia’s military might by weight of numbers against 1914 sophisticated modern weaponry, on the ground, at sea and in the air. By G Vitarbo The rivalry between the Aviation Section of the Offi cers’ Aeronautics School, established at the Peter Lang Publishing, Moosstrasse 1, CH-2542 Gatchina aerodrome in 1910, and the Sevastopol Pieterlen, Switzerland. 2012. 256pp. £51. ISBN Aviation School of the Department of the Air Force 978-1-4331-1490-8. is repeatedly referred to. This did not help to build a fully functional air force but nor did the Russian As its title implies, this book is about the birth of class system at the time, with most of the pilots Russian military aviation before WW1. It is not about belonging to the ‘Offi cer Class’ while the equally the Russian aircraft designers who were building vital role of the ground based mechanics, who kept aircraft during this period, such as Sikorsky, Gakkel, the planes in fl ying condition, was largely drawn Khioni, Steglau and others for the very good reason Catalogue of the fi rst from the despised peasantry. There is a section of that the Russian military preferred to purchase International Aeronautical Exhibition, held in St notes on each chapter, which is useful, as well as a aircraft from abroad — Deperduissin, Farman, Petersburg in 1911 and detailed bibliography. Nieuport etc. Grand Duke Mikhailovich “argued organised by the Imperial This book is likely to be of interest to those forcefully and repeatedly that the Russian Air Force Russian Technical Society. seeking an explanation of some of Russia’s failings must be built primarily with foreign technology,” RAeS (NAL). when war came in 1914 and ultimately contributed mainly French; France being considered to be the to the revolution in 1917. leader in aircraft development during this period. Russia, at this time, had suffered defeat in the Nigel Eastaway Far East at the hands of Japan and from a poorly OBE Affi liate

AUSTRALIA AND THE WAR IN THE AIR

The Centenary History of turning to organisation, administration, recruitment, training and reinforcement. The various theatres Australia and the Great War of war where the AFC was employed are then Vol 1 dealt with chronologically. Australia was the only By M Molkentin Dominion to insist on a distinctive air component but Molkentin also includes the work of Australians within the wider Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which Oxford University Press, 253 Normanby Road, enables him to discuss the part air power in general South Melbourne, Victoria 3205, Australia. 2014. 284pp. Illustrated. £60. ISBN 978-0-19-557679-5. played on the Western Front and in the Middle East. In this respect it is similar to S F Wise’s Canadian Scholarly books on WW1 in the air are rare, and Airmen and the First World War: the Offi cial History readable ones even rarer. Michael Molkentin’s of the Royal Canadian Air Force Vol 1 (University of Fire in the Sky: the Australian Flying Corps in the HMAS Australia I launching a Toronto Press. 1980). Unfortunately the AFC did First World War (Allen & Unwin. 2010) achieved Sopwith Pup. not have a bomber squadron which means that this this double distinction. This new book is based on Commonwealth of Australia. aspect is not dealt with at any length. While some his doctoral thesis and is the fi rst in a series on might disagree with his generally rather favourable Australia and the Great War. assessment of the RFC’s higher command, his case As the author points out: “Other books is well argued and stimulating. concentrate on the technical aspects of aeroplanes The book is well furnished with photographs, or the personal experiences of airmen, this book maps, statistics and appendices and a bibliographic takes on a broader perspective.” The earlier book essay. All afi cionados of WW1 will wish to read this covered the experience of the Australian Flying All afi cionados book. It is just regrettable that a similar work on the Corps (AFC) at the tactical level. In this one he of WW1 will RFC or other national air forces is unlikely to be looks at the role of Australia and the AFC at the published in this country. strategic, Imperial and political level. He begins with wish to read the origins of military aeronautics in Australia before this book Christian Busby

44 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 TO RULE THE WINDS

The Evolution of the British active steps, if only limited, to develop fi ghting To conclude, it aircraft in the pre-war period, including a programme is important to Fighter Force Through Two of aerial weapons testing (pp 234-249). These are World Wars: Volume 1 Prelude important conclusions, which challenge popular commend the to the Air War — the Years to perceptions regarding the focus of British military work of Duncan aviation during the period. Fox’s bibliography also Rogers and 1914 warrants close attention, particularly the primary archival sources (pp 294-298). Helion, who By M C Fox In a more critical vein, Fox’s extensive use of are publishing lengthy quotations, an approach justifi ed by the some wonderful Helion & Company Limited, 26 Willow Road, Solihull ‘intrinsic value’ of primary evidence (pp xv-xvi), works of military B91 1UE, UK. 2014. 314pp. Illustrated. £34.95. lends a somewhat disjointed feel to the prose. This ISBN 978-1-909384-14-9. also leaves the study feeling a little unbalanced in history at an terms of the ratio of narrative to analytical content; affordable price To Rule the Winds offers an interesting and disappointing considering Fox’s obvious talent for accessible, and extensively illustrated, overview analysis. Fox’s conclusions would also have been of the development of military aviation in Britain strengthened with an overt engagement with the during the pre-WW1 period. By building on a current historiography and he does not generally solid foundation of primary sources, Fox is able to position his study in relation to the conclusions of demonstrate that there was more to early British other historians. For example, Ash’s biography of aviation theory, policy and practice than a simple Sykes — Sir Frederick Sykes and the Air Revolution focus on air power as an aid to reconnaissance in 1912-1918 (Frank Cass Publishers. 1999) — would the land and maritime environments. have provided further context to Fox’s conclusions. Fox illustrates that an inherent aspect of early However, such issues do not detract from what British air power theory and policy, refl ected in is an interesting, useful, and detailed narrative. lectures given by military professionals at forums The remaining volumes of the series will be keenly such as the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain anticipated by enthusiasts and historians alike. To and the Royal United Services Institute (pp 115- conclude, it is important to commend the work of 116 and 158-161), was that there would be a Duncan Rogers and Helion, who are publishing need to fi ght to establish control of the air; a some wonderful works of military history at an position refl ected in government policy that led to affordable price. HMS Hibernia with the the creation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in temporary launching ramp and the Short S38, as used on 9 1912 (pp 121-126) and in the RFC’s fi rst doctrinal Dr James Pugh May 1912 for the fi rst fl ight publication, the Training Manual (pp 194-196). Fox Centre for War Studies from a ship underway in Great continues by demonstrating that the RFC took University of Birmingham Britain. RAeS (NAL).

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 45 Afterburner Book Reviews SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ENGINEER? A Guide to a Wonderful, Mysterious Profession with Sketches from an Aeronautical Engineer’s Album — Second edition By G D Padfi eld

Published by the author. 2015. 260pp. ISBN 978-0- 9929017-2-1.

Professor Padﬁ eld has, with this book, taken up the very topical challenge of enthusing young people about engineering to motivate them to consider it as a career choice. Hence the book is aimed at a readership ranging from early sixth form school students to undergraduates in the middle of engineering courses. The author’s style in this book is colloquial and the book is lavishly

and appropriately illustrated with many interesting Airbus photographs, CAD drawings of engineering products, diagrams, sketches and story-line cartoons. As a result it is very readable and I am particularly risk, value, sustainability and ethics. sure will be found attractive by the target readership. There is an excellent discussion of leadership, the The author’s aim, which is certainly achieved, point being emphasised that engineers most often is to demonstrate the excitement of engineering work in teams and the importance of developing as a subject and as a lifelong career. The reader inter-personal skills. is taken through the different facets of the Most of the chapters in the book are essentially engineering process from concept through design descriptive and will be very accessible to even the and manufacture to product, the need to consider early sixth form end of the intended readership. the whole life-cycle and the procedures of testing, However, a couple of chapters, because of the correction and design modifi cation. The author’s mathematical underpinning of engineering, do background is in aeronautical engineering, fi rst in present a fair amount of mathematics but mostly the aircraft industry, then government research, both basic mechanics and kinematics, such as simple rotorcraft, and then latterly as head of a university harmonic motion, non-planar trigonometry and some engineering department with a strong aerospace linear algebra. In the past the majority of these course. topics would not have caused any great problem Inevitably, therefore, the majority of the to most students taking an A-level maths course. examples in this book are drawn from the aircraft Nowadays, unfortunately, a large proportion of UK industry. The second edition of the book broadens A-level maths students lack the same degree of this somewhat by introducing examples from the experience in these topics and I suspect that some Professor car industry, although this is still an industry not may fi nd these sections diffi cult. Padfi eld has, too dissimilar from the aircraft industry, both being The fi nal section of the book contains a number with this book, geared to moderate to large number production of a of short biographies of engineers in mid-career, product with similarities in the system design, safety mostly ex-graduates of the Engineering Department taken up the and effi ciency considerations. Hence the book of Liverpool University — which the author headed very topical focuses more on this type of engineering rather — and fi nishes with the author’s account of his own challenge than, for example, the one-off project-approach of career. These examples serve well to fi x the whole of enthusing much of the civil engineering industry. Nevertheless, message of the book in reality. the majority of the engineering philosophy and This is a very readable book with an important young procedures which are described are applicable aim and, if it manages to catch the attention of the people about over the whole range of engineering, as the author intended sector of young people, will perform a engineering to makes clear. most useful function. motivate them The book also devotes sections to the areas of engineering and engineering education which Professor J M R Graham to consider it as relate to the increasingly important societal issues, CEng FRAeS a career choice

46 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Library Additions BOOKS

AERODYNAMICS Astronautics, 1801 Alexander Sales (Secret). Gloster 1-61200-2996. Illustrated. £39.99. ISBN 978- Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, Aircraft Co. Ltd, Hucclecote. The WW2 experiences 1-107-07577-1. VA 20191-4344, USA. 2015. April 1953. 7pp. Illustrated. of an American 348th Fighter CAMBRIDGE Distributed by Transatlantic Group pilot fl ying the Republic AEROSPACE SERVICE AVIATION SERIES Publishers Group, 97 P-47 Thunderbolt during the APPLIED Greenham Road, London N10 Pacifi c War as the theatre COMPUTATIONAL 1LN, UK. 309pp. Illustrated of aerial battles spread from AERODYNAMICS £32. [20% discount available New Guinea to the Philippines A MODERN ENGINEERING to RAeS members on request; are vividly recalled in these APPROACH E [email protected] memoirs, which is interspersed T +44 (0)20 8815 5994). with extracts from offi cial ISBN 978-1-624103-49-0. accounts of the campaign.

HISTORICAL Northern ‘Q’: the History of Royal Air Force Leuchars.

2533%,,-#5--).'3s7),,)!-(-!3/. Retribution and Recovery: I Smith Watson. Fonthill Media 3#/44!-/24/.s$!6)$2-#$!.)%, German Aircraft and Limited, Millview House, Aviation 1919 to 1922. Toadsmoor Road, Stroud L Andersson and R Sanger. GL5 2TB, UK. 2015. 208pp. Applied Computational Air-Britain (Historians). Air- Illustrated. £20. ISBN 978-1- Aerodynamics: a Modern Britain (Trading), Causeway 78155-192-9. Engineering Approach. House, Chiddingstone The history of one of Aeronautical Applications R M Cummings et al. Causeway, Tonbridge, Kent the oldest remaining active of Non-destructive Testing. Cambridge University Press, TN11 8JP, UK (E sales@ RAF in Camera — 1950s. K airfi elds in the UK, from its A Fahr. DEStech Publications, The Edinburgh Building, air-britain.co.uk). 2014. Wilson. Pen & Sword Aviation, origins operating balloons Inc, 439 North Duke Street, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK. 274pp. Illustrated. £39.95 Pen & Sword Books, 47 under the Royal Engineers, Lancaster PA 17602-4967, 2015. 861pp. Illustrated. £75. (Air-Britain members), £59.95 Church Street, Barnsley, S its interwar evolution into an USA. 2014. 479pp. Illustrated. ISBN 978-1-107-05374-8. (non-members). ISBN 978-0- Yorkshire S70 2AS, UK. 2015. elementary training fl ying $179.50. ISBN 978-1-60595- 85130-467-0. 304pp. Illustrated. £35. ISBN station ultimately under 120-1. AEROACOUSTICS 978-1-47382-795-0. Flying Training Command, the RAF in Camera — 1960s. K WW2 operations of Coastal Design and Analysis of Acoustics and Wilson. Pen & Sword Aviation, Command and its post-war Structural Joints with Aerodynamic Sound. Pen & Sword Books, 47 role as a key Air Defence Composite Materials. M Howe. Cambridge University Church Street, Barnsley, S Fighter station. R B Heslehurst. DEStech Press, The Edinburgh Building, Yorkshire S70 2AS, UK. 2015. Publications, Inc, 439 North Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK. 320pp. Illustrated. £35. ISBN Blood, Sweat and Duke Street, Lancaster PA 2015. 295pp. Illustrated. £55. 978-1-47383-776-8. Courage: 41 Squadron 17602-4967, USA. 2013. ISBN 978-1-107-04440-1. Numerous captioned RAF 1939-1942. S Brew. 459pp. Illustrated. $195. ISBN colour and black-and-white Fonthill Media Limited, Millview 978-1-60595-034-1. FLIGHT TESTING photographs illustrate these House, Toadsmoor Road, year-by-year chronicles of Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2014. Modeling the Effect of Harnessing the Sky: key decades in the Royal Air 960pp. Illustrated. £35. ISBN Damage in Composite Frederick ‘Trap’ Trapnell, Force’s history which saw the 978-1-78155-296-4. Structures: Simplifi ed the US Navy’s Aviation service introduction of many A very detailed day-by- Approaches. C Kassapoglou. Pioneer, 1923-52. new military jet aircraft types, day account based on offi cial John Wiley and Sons, The F M Trapnell Jr and D Trapnell within the context of the sources — and incorporating Atrium, Southern Gate, Tibbitts. Naval Institute Press, development of thermonuclear summary biographies of Chichester, West Sussex 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, False Dawn: the Beagle weapons during what became every pilot who fl ew with the PO19 8SQ, UK. 2015. 238pp. MD 21402, USA. 2015. Aircraft Story. T Wenham. known as the ‘Missile Era’ squadron from September Illustrated. £74.95. ISBN 978- Distributed by Eurospan Group, Air-Britain (Historians). Air- and overseas air operations 1939 - July 1942 — of 41 1-119-01321-1. 3 Henrietta Street, London Britain (Trading), Causeway in Malaya, Indonesia, Cyprus, Squadron’s air operations WC2E 8LU, UK. 238pp. House, Chiddingstone Kenya, Rhodesia, Aden and during the crucial formative PAMPHLETS Illustrated. £24.50. ISBN 978- Causeway, Tonbridge, Kent Libya, among other countries. years of WW2. 1-61251-848-0. TN11 8JP, UK (E sales@ Experiments on the Forces Set in the context of the air-britain.co.uk). 2014. A Detailed History of RAF Harrier Boys: Vol 1 — Cold acting on the Wings of a evolution of US naval aviation, 454pp. Illustrated. £39.95 Manston 1931-1940: Arise War through the Falklands Biplane (‘Secret’). J R Pannell a biography of a leading test (Air-Britain members), £59.95 to Protect. J Bamford et al. 1969-1990. B Marston. Grub and E A Griffi ths. Confi dential pilot who was to head the (non-members). ISBN 978-0- Fonthill Media Limited, Millview Street, 4 Rainham Close, Information Memorandum No Flight Test Section during the 85130-479-3. House, Toadsmoor Road, London SW11 6SS, UK. 2015. 7. RN Air Department, London. crucial wartime years of May Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2015. 192pp. Illustrated. £20. ISBN March 1917. 8pp. 1940 - May 1943 overseeing The Age of Air Transport: 176pp. Illustrated. £18.99. 978-1-909808-29-4. Report of experiments the service introduction of the a Condensed History of ISBN 978-1-78155-095-3. A compilation of informal undertaken at the National Vought XF4U-1 Corsair and Douglas Commercial Recording the recollections from RAF pilots Physical Laboratory based on Grumman F6F Hellcat — and Transports. Douglas — operations of RAF Squadron and other service personnel RAF 6 section aerofoil. becoming the US Navy’s fi rst Aircraft Division, Long Beach, No3/48/79/206/234/235/ of the experience of operating jet pilot when he fl ew the Bell CA. February 1966. 16pp. 253/600/601, the evolution the famous V/STOL ‘jump P-59A Airacomet on 21 April Illustrated. of the School of Air Navigation jet’ aircraft from its initial 1943 — subsequently fl ight A concise overview of and the No3 School of introduction and fl ight testing testing nearly every naval the evolution of the famous Technical Training and the trials through to the major role aircraft prototype over the Douglas Commercial (DC) Kent airfi eld’s key involvement it was to play in the Falklands next decade as he defi ned the series of airliners from the fi rst in the Battle of Britain and the confl ict. operating requirements for fl ight of the DC-1 on 1 July Dunkirk evacuation. For further information carrier-based jet aircraft. 1933 — and the subsequent STRUCTURES AND development of the DC-2/ Check Six!: a Thunderbolt MATERIALS contact the National GUIDED FLIGHT DC-3/DC-4/DC-6/DC-7/ Pilot’s War Across the Aerospace Library. DC-8 — through to the Pacifi c. J Curran and T G Mechanics of Aero- T +44 (0)1252 701038 Intercept 1961: the Birth DC-8-61 and DC-9. Porpravak. Casemate, 10 Structures. S Nair. Cambridge or 701060 of Soviet Missile Defence. Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, University Press, The E hublibrary@aerosoci- M Gruntman. American Javelin Performance OX1 2EW. 2015. 350pp. Edinburgh Building, Cambridge ety.com Institute of Aeronautics and Summary for Technical Illustrated. £20.99. ISBN 978- CB2 8RU, UK. 2015. 182pp.

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 47 Afterburner Society News WEYBRIDGE BRANCH AGM

At the 2015 Weybridge Branch AGM, Chairman Christopher Orlebar gave a roundup of their 2015/2016 lecture season. Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to the 2015 AGM of the Weybridge Branch of the Society. At the close of our 2014/15 lecture season, I can say that we have had nine most interesting evenings at our Branch. In spite of a reduction in the membership, the attendance is not decreasing as quickly. The fi rst lecture on Wednesday 17 September 2014 was by Frank Ludwig who is the Director of Manufacturing at Rolls-Royce cars and responsible for the R-R Wraith. He emphasised the importance of Above: Rolls-Royce Wraith. nearly as good as that of kerosene. Perhaps a gas researching the needs of customers and building a Mtaylor848. turbine could generate electric power which would Below, from left: Allan Winn, relationship with them — obvious for articles selling at be distributed to motors using superconducting over a quarter of a million pounds; but often forgotten Jean Brown, Capt ‘Winkle’ Brown, Prof John Allen and cables. Interesting too were his researches into for cheaper purchases. A video clip of an artist Chris Orlebar at the 2014 R K people’s attitude to travel and the environment. applying a thin speed line along the body work of a Pierson lecture. On 5 November Richard Deakin, Chief Executive car by hand illustrated the care taken in producing of NATS, National Air Traffi c Systems gave the talk. these mechanical marvels. A shame that, unlike the He spoke of the increase of density of aircraft fl ying R-R jet engines, the R-R cars are foreign owned. in our airspace. He showed how the direction and On 24 September three days before the 50th concentration of air traffi c varied throughout the day. anniversary of the fi rst fl ight of the TSR2, Michael He discussed how procedures and equipment were Simmons, brother of the Branch’s membership coping with ever more air traffi c. The Boris Island secretary Alan Simmons, gave a short presentation Airport would concentrate air traffi c over the south about some of TSR2’s technology, hitherto east unnecessarily. A parallel runway to the south unpublished. The Brooklands documentary fi lm HE EMPHASISED west of Heathrow would be preferable. that followed showed a clip of the TSR2, built at THE On 13 March Paul Sternberg, a Brooklands Weybridge in fl ight. Its test pilot Roland Beamont IMPORTANCE volunteer, organised a visit to NATS in Swanwick remarked how smoothly it coped with turbulence (between Southampton and Portsmouth). The due to its high wing loading, the Lightning chase OF NATS Operations Director, Juliet Kennedy, gave planes had had a rougher ride. Mike Salisbury, one RESEARCHING us a comprehensive talk with slides. She spoke of our Branch’s vice-presidents was closely involved THE NEEDS OF about direct routes, continuous descents and the with its design. elimination of holding through earlier en route On Wednesday 15 October Prof Riti Singh CUSTOMERS speed reduction. Finally she rolled up the blinds from Cranfi eld University gave us a very polished AND BUILDING behind the audience to reveal ATC in action — calm talk about future propulsion in aircraft. Electric effi cient and professional; exactly what the tired propulsion would be good for the environment. A RELATIONSHIP crew member needs having wrestled with the ‘High However, the energy density of a battery is not WITH THEM frequency’ communications over the Atlantic, always fettered with distorted pops and crackles. The 62nd R K Pierson Lecture was given by Prof John Allen, Fellow of the Science Museum, on 26 November. It was his 60th to the RAeS and titled ‘The 2014 Longitude Prize, an Aeronautical contribution’ in deference to the original 18th century prize for the determination of longitude. The object of the 2014 prize was to stimulate research into several problem areas whether in antibiotics, water purifi cation or fl ight without emitting carbon dioxide. By the time the RKP lecture was given, the 2014 prize had already been awarded to the group protecting antibiotics. Not discouraged, Professor Allen proposed the kind of machines we might develop if his idea of ‘mass dynamic’ propulsion were possible. To the scepticism of some in the audience he showed how a mission to Mars might be undertaken in months rather than

48 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 years. After all, three centuries before the appearance of the internal combustion engine, Leonardo da Vinci had ‘invented’ machines which required horse power rather than man power. Professor Allen hopes that his vision of the future may take less than three centuries. Could the study of ‘dark energy’ be the entry into fuel less fl ight? A very positive vote of thanks was given by ‘Winkle’ Brown — test pilot and aeronaut extraordinaire and at 95, two years older than the lecturer. Then, thanks to the generosity of BAE Systems, 71 invited guests including R K Pierson’s son, grandson and several former colleagues of the lecturer, sat down to dinner in the Bluebird Room next to the Napier Room — venue for the lecture. On 14 January, Air-Vice Marshal Graham Skinner spoke about the introduction of the jet aircraft into the Royal Air Force. This fundamental change required the acquisition and deployment of post war Britain. One of the recommendations turned Vickers Viscount 701, different fuel, different lubrication oil, new ground into the de Havilland Comet 1; nearly a success; G-AMOG, Robert Falcon Scott, of BEA. RAeS (NAL). support equipment and training — Herculean. another, the enormous and slow Bristol Brabazon, On my 70th birthday, 4 February, Andrew was a failure. However, one became the Vickers Matters of BAE Systems spoke to us about the Viscount, the fi rst turboprop airliner. Worldwide sales Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers. Should they have exceeded 400; it was a stunning success. been nuclear powered? No, too expensive and able The fi nal lecture of the year was given on only to visit the ports of close allies. How many 18 March by Jeremy Graham, the Chief Project ‘through-deck cruisers’ were represented by one Engineer of the Sea King and Apache helicopters. new carrier? No committal. These two carriers, each He told us about the history of the AgustaWestland displacing 70,600 tonnes, have space for 40 F-35B aircraft company. He described the Westland short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fi ghter aircraft involved with the fi lming fl ight over Mount bombers and/or a variety of helicopters. In contrast Everest, which occurred in 1933. This expedition the Invincible-Class of ‘through deck cruisers’ was fi nanced by a wealthy widow, Lady Houston. displaced 22,000 tonnes and carried, depending She was very concerned with its technical safety on mission, 18 Harrier GR7/9 and four Sea King and asked no lesser person than Squadron Leader helicopters (Wikipedia). Orlebar for his assessment. The former leader of the On 25 February the Branch met in the new winning Schneider Trophy team fi nanced by Lady Vickers Suite. Preceding the lecture, Allan Winn, Houston, approved; the expedition was a success. Vice President of the Branch and Director of our We all appreciate Chris Farara’s excellent lecture venue, the Brooklands Museum, announced summaries which are frequently published in that the museum had won a National Lottery AEROSPACE, the Society’s monthly members’ award and work had started on the moving and magazine. The encouraging attendances to our refurbishment of the wartime hangar currently lectures are in no small part due to Chris’s hard HOWEVER, positioned on the fi nishing straight of the circuit. work. I would also like to say how much I value the ONE BECAME Brooklands was the birthplace of the Viceroy help of the committee members who make the THE VICKERS which was the last engineering feat of R K Pierson existence of our Branch possible. Chief Designer at Vickers. It was renamed the We are everlastingly grateful for the help and VISCOUNT Viscount, as India became independent from the co-operation given to us by the Brooklands Museum THE FIRST British Empire. The Viscount was the subject of the Trust. TURBOPROP lecture given by John Gough, who was a Hawker’s The fi rst lecture of 2015/16, on Wednesday aerodynamicist and John Caton, who was manager 16 September, was arranged by the IMechE. On AIRLINER, for the production of Vickers aircraft. John Caton 21 October (Trafalgar Day) a lecture on ‘Concrete WORLDWIDE told us that in 1942 Lord Brabazon, then Minister for Piercing Bombs’ will be given by Reg Milne. Aircraft Production, had been sacked by Churchill for This subject will be of great interest to former SALES suggesting too publicly what an advantage it would Brooklands’ engineers. EXCEEDED be if the Germans and Russian destroyed each other 400, IT WAS at Stalingrad. His expertise had to be harnessed, so Christopher Orlebar he was asked to chair the committee named after FRAeS A STUNNING him to suggest aircraft types suitable for building in Chairman, RAeS Weybridge Branch SUCCESS

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com OCTOBER 2015 49 Afterburner Society News

BATTLE OF BRITAIN 75th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS Allied Air Forces Memorial day

On Sunday 6 September, the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York hosted its 30th annual Allied Air Forces Memorial Day which this year commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the 70th Anniversary of the return of Elvington’s French Bomber Command Squadrons to France to form the nation’s post war air force. The event was attended by the Chief of the Air Staff ACM Sir Andrew Pulford KCB CBE ADC RAF, ACM Sir Stephen Dalton, the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, the Lord Mayor of York, Royal Air Force Station Commanders and high level diplomatic/Air Force representatives from France, The Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Qatar, as well as other Above: Marchpast led by the Yorkshire Band of the Royal British Legion with Corps of Drums in front of dignitaries. the museum’s Handley Page Victor K2. Below left: The YAM’s restored Handley Page Halifax provides a backdrop as ACM Sir Stephen Dalton welcomes participants to the Memorial Day service in the main hangar.

Hendon’s Spitfire 10K run

The event included a fl ying display by a Spitfi re in Polish Battle of Britain colours piloted by Flt Lt Charlie Brown, as well as live engine runs of a replica SE5A and Eastchurch Kitten, a Douglas Dakota IV, de Havilland DH104 Devon and Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2. Other events included a parade made up of Air Training Corps cadets, serving RAF personnel and members of numerous RAF Association, Royal British Legion, Royal Observer Corps and other Associations with Standards, followed by a ‘Drumhead’ commemorative church service held in the main display hangar in front of the restored WW2 The runners began with a The RAF Museum at Hendon commemorated the warm up session conducted in 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain on 6 Handley Page Halifax bomber. 1940’s period style in front of Unfortunately, the fi nal highlight of the day — a one of the museum’s preserved September with a 10km Spitfi re 10k fund-raising fl ypast of the XH558 Avro Vulcan bomber — did not Lancaster bombers, before run attended by over 600 runners. The event raised take place, after the aircraft suffered an operational leaving the Museum for two over £10,000 which will be used to support the problem the previous day in which its front loops of a fl at road course ‘Historic Hendon’ project which will tell the story of around Colindale. undercarriage locked in the down position. the museum’s former life as an airfi eld from which Spitfi res fl ew in the Battle of Britain and Winston Bill Read Churchill fi rst learned to fl y.

50 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 AEROSPACE MASTERS BURSARY 500th MSc bursary student

A ground-breaking scheme to keep the UK at the forefront of the global aerospace industry has recruited its 500th student. The scheme — jointly funded by industry and government with £3m each — awards bursaries to study Masters (MSc) degrees in aerospace engineering and will help meet the urgent demand for engineers in the UK. Lowri Nicholls, aged 24 of North Wales, was awarded the 500th Aerospace Masters bursary, Lowri Nicholls with Martin The scheme, managed by the RAeS with the on 8 September, fulﬁ lling a commitment made by Broadhurst, RAeS President, at Royal Academy of Engineering, has an impressive the Aerospace Growth Partnership to create an RAeS HQ. list of business sponsors — Airbus, BAE Systems, additional 500 MSc places. Already with a BSc in Bombardier Aerospace (Belfast), Finmeccanica UK, Mathematics, she will study an MSc in Materials GE Aviation, GKN, MBDA Missile Systems, Messier- Science and Engineering at Leeds University. Bugatti-Dowty, Rolls-Royce and Spirit AeroSystems. Since its launch by the Prime Minister in 2012 It has also been supported by the Department for at the Farnborough International Air Show, the Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department Aerospace Masters Bursary Scheme has been for Enterprise and Learning in the Northern Ireland developing a pipeline of talented individuals looking Administration. for a career in aerospace who, but for the bursary, would have been unable to study at that level. Emma Bossom

RAeS 2016 MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS

Membership Grade 2016 Notes Subscription Rate 1. CPI Rate — Average 12 months to July 2015 — 0·5%. £2. 2016 Membership Subscriptions increased by CPI (rounded up/down to Fellow or Companion 340 nearest £). Fellow or Companion — 20% discount 270 3. Members who have or will be reaching normal retirement age in 2016 are Member 229 entitled to pay subscriptions at the Baseline Rate. Member — 20% discount 184 4. Members who have or will be retiring during the course of the year can apply Associate Member 142 for the 20% discount on their subscriptions. Note — if the 20% discount takes Associate 131 the subscription below the Baseline Rate then the Baseline Rate will apply. E-Associate 46 5. Student (full time) and Apprentice Affi liates can either choose online Affi liate 118 membership only (Free) or membership which includes a subscription to the Student Affi liate 0/44 Society’s AEROSPACE publication at £44pa — see the Society’s website for Apprentice Affi liate 0/44 more information. Baseline Rate 118 6. Members have the option to pay their subscriptions by Direct Debits either in one sum in January 2016 or in ten monthly instalments from January 2016. Administration Fees Grade Application Transfer Note 1: Please note the admin fees are paid in advance and are non-refundable. Fee Fee Note 2: Employees working for companies which belong to the Society’s Fellow or Companion £143 £52 Corporate Partner Scheme have the Entry and Transfer Admin Fees waived — All other grades £72 £52 check www.aerosociety.com/Corporate for details.

2016 Engineering Council Registration Fees 2016 Annual Fees 2016 Entry Fees Category CEng IEng EngTech/ CEng IEng EngTech/ ICTTech ICTTech Full £36.80 £31.10 £17.90 £47.80 £40.40 £16.50 Interim £13.10 £13.10 £13.10 £9.80 £9.80 £9.80 Reduced £16.60 £13.90 £8.00 - - -

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

6 October Aeromedical Aspects of Flight Simulation Dr Helen Hoar, AME/Pilot, Virgin Atlantic Airways Aerospace Medicine Group Lecture

7-8 October RPAS — Achievements and Challenges President’s Conference Crown copyright/AAIBCrown

A Harrier GR7 of 1 Squadron RAF during deck operations onboard HMS Illustrious. Sir Donald 14 October Spiers will describe the Harrier at Medway on 21 October. Crown copyright/LA (PHOT) Billy Bunting. 100 Years of Accident Investigation — What’s Next? AAIB Centenary Conference BEDFORD Joint lecture with the ETPSA. fuel in Formula 1 — passion, 24 November — 19 October ARA Social Club, Manton The Human education and dedication. Lane, Bedford. 7 pm. Marylyn element — a disturbing trend in Ian Greig, Mercedes-Benz UK Wind-Tunnel Capabilities: Strategy Application and Wood, T +44 (0)1933 353517. recent air accidents. Dr Garnet Grand Prix Future Cars Group, Veriﬁ cation for Future Requirements 14 October — The ESA Ridgway, QinetiQ. 12.15 pm. Brackley. Young Persons Aerodynamics Group Conference Rosetta Mission: Flying around 8 December — myCopter: Lecture, joint lecture with 20 October a Comet. Dr Colin Snodgrass, paving the way for personal IMechE and IET. Buffet (by Cierva Lecture: The Theory and the Reality of Tiltrotor Open University. air vehicles. Dr Mike Jump, ticket) at 6 pm, lecture follows. Convertiplane 11 November — Flying the University of Liverpool. 19 November — Aircrew Andrea D’Andrea, Integrated Project Team Lead (Future Shuttleworth Collection. Roger equipment — performance with Tiltrotor), AgustaWestland ‘Dodge’ Bailey, Chief Pilot. BRISTOL protection. Dr Michael Trudgill, Rotorcraft Group Named Lecture 9 December — Modern ﬂ ight Concorde Room, BAWA, Head of Aircrew Equipment deck design. Les Evans. Southmead Road. 6.30 pm. E & Integration, RAF Centre of 22 October [email protected] Aviation Medicine.

Contrail-Cirrus, Other Non-CO2 Effects and Smart Flying BIRMINGHAM, 6 October — Transatlantic 17 December — The Boeing Greener by Design Workshop WOLVERHAMPTON AND adventure. Eddie McCallum, RC-135V/W Rivet Joint. Wg COSFORD Microlight Pilot. Joint lecture Cdr Garry Crosby, RAF Ret’d. 26 October The National Cold War with LAA Bristol Strut and Marshalls, Cambridge Airport. The 1955 Supply of Military Aircraft White Paper: The First Museum, RAF Cosford. 7 pm. Bristol Aero Club. Room 1, Visitors are required to register Post 1945 Procurement Crisis Chris Hughs, T +44 (0)1902 BAWA, Southmead Road. their attendance in advance Prof Keith Hayward 844523. 7.30 pm. with the Branch Sec at Historical Group Lecture 15 October — Flying and 12 November — First Collar [email protected] or 29 October displaying historic vintage Lecture. Aeroelastics. Prof +44 (0)1223 373129. aircraft. Rod Dean. Jonathan Cooper, University Trenchard Lecture: The Trick Cyclists: Neuropsychiatry and 26 November — The e-Go of Bristol. Pugsley Lecture CANBERRA the Management of Aerial Warfare in the Royal Air Force, story. Adrian Hillcote, Chief Theatre, Queens Building, ADFA Military Theatre. 6 pm. 1939-1945 Executive, and David Boughey, University of Bristol, University Jon Pike, Lynsey Shaw Cobden, University of Oxford Sales and Marketing Manager, Walk, Bristol. E [email protected] Air Power Group Lecture e-Go Aeroplanes. Venue TBC. 13 October — Assembling, 30 October 17 December — Warton BROUGH testing and operating a Jabiru Sustainability Solutions: Technology and Diversity fl ight operations in the 1970s. Cottingham Parks Golf & aircraft. Roger MacRury and Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee Conference Eric Bucklow, 1970’s Tornado Country Club. 7.30 pm. Ben associates. Test Pilot. Groves, T +44 (0)1482 10 November — Branch AGM. 4 November 663938. Brabazon Lecture BOSCOMBE DOWN 14 October — Technology CHESTER James Hogan FRAeS, CEO, Etihad Airways Lecture Theatre, Boscombe transformation and capability. The Airbus Conference Suite, Named Lecture Down. Refreshments from Mike Murray, BAE Systems. Airbus UK, Chester Road, 5 pm. Lecture 5.15 pm. 11 November — The last Broughton. 7.30 pm. Keith 6 November Visitors please register at fl ight of Lancaster DV403. Housely, T +44 (0)151 348 Careers in Aerospace LIVE 2015 least four days in advance Prof Trevor Kerry. 4480. (name and car registration 14 October — Carbon fi bre 11-12 November required) E secretary@ CAMBRIDGE wing spar manufacture and Simulation-Based Training for the Digital Generation BoscombeDownRAeS.org Lecture Theatre ‘O’ of fi xed trailing-edge assembly Flight Simulation and Young Persons’ Groups Conference 13 October — 29th Sir the Cambridge University for the Airbus A350 XWB. Henry Tizard Lecture. Spitfi re Engineering Department, Darren John Winter, GKN 16 November restoration. John Romain, ARC Trumpington Street, Aerospace. Light Aircraft Design Duxford. Ticket only. Cambridge. 7.30 pm. Jin-Hyun 9 December — Airfi x — General Aviation Group Conference 27 October — Catalina Yu, T +44 (0)1223 373129. scaling down reality. Simon operations over the Antarctic. 8 October — 100 years Owen, Lead Researcher, All lectures start at 18.00hrs unless otherwise stated. Tony Dyer, QinetiQ. 12.15 pm. of aircraft manufacture at Hornby Hobbies. Conference proceedings are available at 10 November — Flight Yeovil. Dr Alisdair Wood, www.aerosociety.com/news/proceedings testing the e-Go. Keith AgustaWestland. CHRISTCHURCH Dennison, e-Go Aeroplanes. 29 October — The winning Cobham Lecture Theatre,

52 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Bournemouth University, Fern 28 October — Willy Barrow, Poole, Dorset. 7.30 Messerschmitt Lecture. pm. Roger Starling, Fliegende Simulatoren und E rogerstarling593@btinternet. Technologieträger. Prof com Hameln. 22 October — Horseless carriage to helicopter: 100 OXFORD years of Westland. Jeremy Magdalen Centre, Oxford Graham, AgustaWestland. Science Park, Oxford. 7 pm. 26 November — Airﬁ x Nigel Randall, E oaktree. Models. Simon Owen, Lead [email protected] Researcher, Hornby Hobbies. 17 November — A new 17 December — Palmair — light aircraft design and Bournemouth’s airline. Mike development project. Andrew Phipp. Barber.

COVENTRY PRESTON Lecture Theatre ECG26, Personnel and Conference Engineering and Computing Centre, BAE Systems, Warton. Building, Coventry University. 7.30 pm. Alan Matthews, 7.30 pm. Janet Owen, T +44 T +44 (0)1995 61470. (0)2476 464079. 14 October — V-22 Osprey. 21 October — John Boyd Rick Lamaster, Boeing. Dunlop Lecture. From 11 November — Westland animals to aircraft: biological A CV-22 Osprey and a MH-53 Pave Low fl y over the coastline near Hurlburt Field, Florida. The V-22 100th anniversary. Jeremy inspiration and bio-inspired air will be discussed by Lt Col James Peterson at Loughborough on 13 October and by Rick Lamaster Graham, AgustaWestland. vehicles. Prof Graham Taylor, at Preston on 14 October. USAF/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter. 9 December — Taranis fl ight Department of Zoology, Oxford testing. University. 12 November — Annual the basis of aviation. Dr John Berliner Tor 5 (Neubau), 12 November — RPAS PRESTWICK Dinner and Talk. Shipwrecked Ackroyd. Hörsaal 01.12, Hamburg. operations and integration The Aviator Suite, 1st Floor, in the Antarctic. Georgina Hale. 8 December — Green 6 pm. Richard Sanderson, in civil and military airspace. Holiday Inn, London Road, Terminal Building, Prestwick Lecture. Aircraft safety T +49 (0)4167 92012. Dr Stuart Gilmartin, Director, Airport. 7.30 pm. John Wragg, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry. and evacuation. Prof Ed 19 November — Aircraft Gilmartin Global Consultancy. T +44 (0)1655 750270. 9 December — Queen Galea, Director, Fire Safety conservation — the Dornier 10 December — Charles 12 October — How tiny Elizabeth-Class aircraft carriers Engineering Group, University Do17. Darren Pridday, Abell Lecture. Marshall of spacecraft are revolutionising — fl agships for the future. of Greenwich. Manager, Conservation Centre, Cambridge — past, present the space industry — the story Andrew Matters, QE Class Royal Air Force Museum and future. Terry Holloway, of Clydespace. Craig Clark. Support Integration Manager, GATWICK Cosford. Joint lecture with Support Executive — Marshall 9 November — Cody to BAE Systems. CAA, Aviation House, Gatwick DGLR, HAW and VDI. Group. Concorde. Richard Gardner. Airport South. 6.30 pm. Don 24 November — Annual Joint lecture with IMechE. CRANFIELD Bates, T +44 (0)20 8654 Christmas Dinner and Lecture. LOUGHBOROUGH 14 December — Going bush. Vincent Auditorium, Cranfi eld 1150. David Owens, Airbus Senior Room U020, Brockington Paul Catanach. University, Cranfi eld. 6.30 pm. 7 October — 3D printing and Director, Flight Crew Training Building, Loughborough 27 October — Lord Kings digital technology. Kevin Smith, Policy. Anglo-German Club, University. 7.30 pm. Colin QUEENSLAND Norton Lecture. The work of Global Applications Director, Harvestehuder Weg 44, Moss, T +44 (0)1509 the Aviation Safety Regulator. Voxeljet and Steve Ashworth, 20149 Hamburg. 7 pm. 239962. Hilton Cairns Hotel, Padhraic Kelleher, Head of Technical Director, Aeromet Registration required. 13 October — The CV-22 Queensland. 25-27 November — Intelligence, Strategy & Policy, International PLC. 3 December — The cabin Osprey — a truly versatile Seventh CAA. 11 November — The A400M environment and crew workhorse. Lt Col James S Asia-Pacifi c International in RAF service. Sqn Ldr J J performance. Prof Michael Peterson, 7 SOS Operations Symposium on Aerospace CRANWELL Harrison, OC C Flt, XXIV Sqn. Bagshaw, Visiting Professor Manager, RAF Mildenhall. Technology (APISAT). Room 64, Whittle Hall, RAF 2 December — The Air of Aviation Medicine, Kings 3 November — Human- Cranwell. 7.30 pm. Prof Trevor Accident Branch. Keith College London. powered fl ight. Dr Bill Brooks, SEATTLE Kerry, Conradi, Chief Inspector of Air P & M Aviation. Museum of Flight, 9404 East E [email protected] Accidents. HATFIELD 17 November — Typhoon: Marginal Way South, Seattle, 5 October — Do17Z — 15 December — Airline University of Hertfordshire, current and future capability. Washington. 6.30 pm. recovering and preservation. safety. Capt David Heath, Hatfi eld. 7 pm. Maurice James, Mark Bowman, Chief Test 14 November — Joe Sutter Darren Pridday, Manager, Training Captain, easyJet. Joint T +44 (0)7958 775441. Pilot BAE Systems. Joint Dinner Lecture. The strange Conservation Centre, Royal Air lecture with CILT. Harlequin 21 October — Pilot lecture with the Loughborough career of the American Force Museum Cosford. Theatre, Redhill. psychology. Prof Peter Orton. Students Flying Club (LSFC). Spaceplane: NASA and the 2 November — WW2 fi ghter 18 November — HIRF/ 8 December — The quest for routine human combat — compare and GLOUCESTER AND lightning protection. Peter Future of safety in air traffi c space operations. Dr Roger D contrast the main fi ghters. Paul CHELTENHAM Moore. management. Sam Espig, Launius, Associate Director Stoddart. Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, 16 December — e-Go Head of Safety Strategy of Collections and Curatorial 7 December — Ethics in the Restaurant Conference Room, fl ight test programme. Keith Development, NATS. Joint Affairs at the Smithsonian operational use of drones. Dr off Down Hatherley Lane. Dennison, e-Go Aeroplanes. lecture with Loughborough Institution’s National Air and Peter Lee. Daedalus Offi cers’ 7.30 pm. Peter Smith, T +44 6.45 pm. University Velocity Society. Space Museum. Mess, RAF Cranwell. 7 pm. (0)1452 857205. 20 October — Spitfi re HEATHROW MEDWAY SOLENT FARNBOROUGH Squadron. Paul Fowler, Theatre, British Airways Staff Restaurant, BAE Southampton University. BAE Systems Park Centre, Enstone Flying Club. Waterside, Harmondsworth. Systems, Marconi Way, 7.30 pm. Chris Taylor, T +44 Farnborough Aerospace Centre. 17 November — Aviation and 6.15 pm. For security Rochester. 7 pm. Robin Heaps, (0)1489 445627. 7.30 pm. Dr Mike Philpot, intelligence. Mike Bryant. passes please contact David T +44 (0)1634 377973. 20 October — Planning the T +44 (0)1252 614618. 15 December — Ageing Beaumont, E secretary. 21 October — The life and journey for hybrid-electric 13 October — The future of aircraft — keeping the Hawk [email protected] or T +44 times of the Harrier. Sir Donald propulsion for commercial the Hawk. Graeme Codner, fl ying. Wg Cdr Ross Priday. (0)7936 392799. Spiers. passenger aircraft — a Chief Engineer Hawk, BAE 8 October — Aircraft fatigue Rolls-Royce perspective. Systems. HAMBURG from Comet to Boeing 787. MUNICH Kevin Daffey, Global Head of 17 November — Cody Hochschule für Angewandte Dr Andrew Halfpenny, Chief Deutsches Museum München Electrical Power and Control Lecture. Aerodynamics as Wissenschaften Hamburg, Technologist HBM-nCode. (Ehrensaal). 7 pm. Systems, Rolls-Royce.

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SOUTHEND SWINDON Weybridge. 6.45 pm. Ken The Royal Naval Association, The Montgomery Theatre, Davies, T +44 (0)1483 79 East Street, Southend-on- The Defence Academy of 531529. Sea. 8 pm. Sean Corr, T +44 the United Kingdom, Joint 21 October — Concrete (0)20 7788 0566. Services Command Staff piercing bombs. Reg Milne. 13 October — BAC One- College, Shrivenham. 7 pm. Eleven. Stephen Skinner. New attendees must provide YEOVIL 10 November — Cosford details of the vehicle they will Dallas Conference Room 1A, Lecture. be using not later than ﬁ ve AgustaWestland, Yeovil. 6 8 December — The days before the event. Photo pm. David Mccallum, E david. development of aircraft ID will be required at the gate mccallum@agustawestland.com simulation — a vital part of (Driving Licence/Passport). 15 October — 20th Penrose aircraft design and airline Advise attendance preferably Lecture. Wildcat operations. training. Capt Hugh Dibley, via email to raeswindon@ Cdr Louis Wilson-Chalon RN. Consultant Flight Instructor, gmail.com or Branch Secretary Airbus Training UK. Colin Irvin, T +44 (0)7740 136609. STEVENAGE 7 October — The Berlin The Lunch Pad Restaurant, Airlift. Alec Chambers. Airbus Defence and Space, 4 November — In-ﬂ ight Gunnels Wood Road, refuelling, past, present and Stevenage. 6 pm. Matt Cappell, future. James Kemmett. E [email protected] 2 December — The V force 13 October — SSTL — and the Cold War. David Head. changing the economics of space composites — the TOULOUSE BAC One-Eleven 407AW, engineering challenges. Chris Symposium Room, Airbus Hamar. Joint lecture with SAS/HQ, B01, Campus YS-18C, of TACA IMechE. 6.30 pm. 1, Blagnac. 6 pm. Contact: International at Managua, 12 November — Engineering [email protected] for Nicaragua. The BAC One- for the Red Planet: the a security pass. Eleven will be discussed by ExoMars Rover. Abbie Hutty. 20 October — Space tourism Stephen Skinner at Southend 18 November — RAF Halton — rocketing to new heights. on 13 October. RAeS (NAL). Trenchard Museum and Tring Joint lecture with 3AF. Brewery Trip. 1 December — Hawker WEYBRIDGE Hunter Aviation. Matt Potulski. Brooklands Museum,

PETER JAMES CONCHIE

OBE FRAeS mance to make it truly competitive on the world 1928-2015 market. The family of fi ve European Communica- tions Satellites (ECS) for Eutelsat was the result. Peter joined GEC Research Laboratories in With this job done, Peter was conveniently Wembley straight from school to work on valves and offered the chance to return to Hatfi eld in 1978 to cathode ray tubes. He was called up for National run the Infra-Red Division and he was given Service in the RAF in 1946 where he repaired radar responsibility for the design and build of the equipment and he returned to GEC Wembley in guidance head for the new Advanced Short Range 1949. While there, he began an external degree at Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM). London University. In 1953 Peter joined de Soon promoted to Executive Director Aircraft A full obituary for Peter Havilland Propellers in Hatfi eld as a Flight Observer Equipments, Peter took over the Propeller Division may be found on the and Electronic Engineer. too, with two main products, cold air units (CAUs) Society’s website at: In the mid 60s Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and windpower generators. http://www.aerosociety. (HSD), as it had become, at Stevenage won the By this time Peter had become Director com/News/Society- contract to design and build the ESRO II spacecraft ASRAAM and HSD, by now the Air Weapons News/3582/OBITU- to study solar astronomy and cosmic rays and Peter Division of the British Aerospace Dynamics Group, ARY-PETER-CONCHIE was called on to obtain and install several vacuum had won the Tornado ASRAAM. chambers of varying sizes. He was also invited to In 1982/3 Peter became Director Air-to-Air be the Assembly Integration and Test Manager for Missiles at Hatfi eld just as there was talk of the site ESRO II but, even more signifi cant was that when being shut down and the Division moved to Stevenage preparing the paperwork for the justifi cation and Site A. Fortunately, he was offered what was effectively installation of the largest 8 x 8 foot chamber he met his old job back at Stevenage Site B and he became Anne. They married on 31 May 1967. Business Development Director for what was now The European communications satellite was British Aerospace Space and Communications. born but, to justify the investment, the MESH Peter retired in 1990 and continued to pursue Consortium had to be seen selling this capability his hobbies with his usual energy and enthusiasm, round the world. This led to Peter instituting an OTS supporting the Nene Valley Railway and making improvement programme to increase its perfor- violins and cellos.

54 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Corporate Partners NEW PARTNERS EVENTS

Please note: attendance at Corporate Partner Briefi ngs is strictly The Royal Aeronautical Society would like to exclusive to staff of RAeS Corporate Partners. welcome the following as Corporate Partners. Monday 12 October 2015 / London (registration at 16.30 hrs) Being an intelligent MoD customer Corporate Partner Briefi ng by AM Sir Stephen Hillier, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability), Ministry of Defence Sponsored by: ARPAS UK Sherwood House, 41 Queens Road, Farnborough, Hants GU14 6JP UK E [email protected] Thursday 22 October 2015 / London (registration at 17.30 hrs) W www.arpas.uk SDSR Update (title TBC) Contact Corporate Partner Briefi ng by Philip Dunne MP, Minister for Defence Paul Rigby, UK & EU Regulations Procurement, Ministry of Defence Sponsored by: ARPAS UK is the professional trade association for remotely piloted aircraft systems in the UK. It is a not-for-profi t association run by an elected committee. We represent the membership on a number of working groups, safety partnerships www.aerosociety.com/events and industry co-ordination groups with the CAA, For further information, please contact Gail Ward NATS and the DfT. All members are actively E [email protected] or T +44 (0)1491 629912 encouraged to be involved in our activities and we have a thriving support network. In addition to being a learned association we actively promote collaboration and business opportunities between members.

THE AIM OF THE RAeS Corporate Partner Scheme CORPORATE The RAeS is the ONLY professional body ACCELERATE CORPORATION PARTNER dedicated to the entire aerospace community. 34 Churchill Tower, South Harbour Street, Ayr SCHEME IS TO It retains a sense of history and tradition, KA7 1JT, UK BRING TOGETHER while maintaining its energy and relevance and W www.acceleratecorporation.com ability to contribute to today’s environment and is Contact ORGANISATIONS ideally placed to face the challenges of the future. Bruce Thomson, Managing Director TO PROMOTE By joining the Society’s Corporate Partner BEST PRACTICE Scheme, your organisation aligns itself to the Accelerate Corporation is developing SpaceIPX Charter of the Royal Aeronautical Society and (Space IP Exchange) which is a digital portal that WITHIN THE demonstrates a commitment to professional facilitates strategic growth through a genuine INTERNATIONAL development of engineering and technical staff holistic approach to the exploitation of space within the aerospace community. through both existing and future technologies. AEROSPACE The SpaceIPX system has processes that values SECTOR AIM space intellectual property, the intellectual asset The aim of the Corporate Partner Scheme is to (IA) is underwritten and then the IA is leveraged bring together organisations to promote best through a tax effi cient fi nance raising system practice within the international aerospace sector. collateral to maximise the commercial value. With over 200 members worldwide, the scheme Accelerate Corporation also has a large provides a respected and recognised independent drone system called Metaranis under protocol forum of discussion and information exchange development to determine exact offshore Contact: on issues facing the aerospace sector, as well as situations and to accurately report on real-time Simon Levy providing unique networking opportunities with weather. MaCloudAir is potential new direct long- Corporate Partner Manager infl uential fi gures in the industry, government and haul airline. E [email protected] public sector. T +44 (0)20 7670 4346

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FELLOWS Recent elections SOCIETY OFFICERS Srinivas Bhamidipati President: Martin Broadhurst Andrew Cornish to Engineering President-Elect: Prof Chris Atkin Gary Elliott Charles Gummow BOARD CHAIRMEN Gregory Hood Council David Jacobson Learned Society Chairman: Ian Middleton Shelley Robertson Registration Membership Services Chairman: Bishnujee Singh Dr Alisdair Wood Gary John Norman CHARTERED Professional Standards Chairman: ENGINEERS Slavin MEMBERS Prof Jonathan Cooper Lara Elizabeth Small Rizwan Ahmed Isaac Alcaide Malcolm Alexander DIVISION PRESIDENTS Peter Antonenko Paul Ashcroft Smye Damian Penneck Sam Ashworth Brian Richard Spalding Australia: John Vincent Ralph Petritsch Timothy William Baker Robin Michael New Zealand: Gp Capt Frank Sharp Gordon Thomson Alan Bassett Trewinnard-Boyle Pakistan: AM Salim Arshad Stephen Paul Matthew Paul Walton South African: Dr Glen Snedden ASSOCIATES Briancourt Gary Stuart Way Hamesh Bukhory Jonathan Charles Alex Lusty Christopher David Burke Richard Williams Georgy Markin David Henry Carr Nam-Taan Woods Ian Porteous Nigel Phillip Dean Mestre WITH REGRET Robert Stanley Paul Eccleston Yizhi Zhi Wu The RAeS announces with regret the deaths of the Douglas Rattey Thomas James Fell INCORPORATED following members: Beth Alison French ENGINEERS E-ASSOCIATES Sharon Louise Fuller Alan Barlow CEng FRAeS 93 Tanya Louise Gamble Thomas Carl Bartlett Timothy Michael Birchman ARAeS 72 James Bairstow Richard Quine Mark Andrew Bayley John Konnakkottu Gilbertson Simon Robert Malcolm Humby Brown AMRAeS 81 Michael Lovering Kenneth James Gill Blackburn Albert David Fowler CEng MRAeS 88 Milan Odedra Paul Anthony Gilmartin Eleri Louise Cooling Gareth Roberts Kajal Haria Simon Robert Deeks Lawrence Frank Gillard CEng FRAeS 86 Charith Johanne Justin John Harwood Michael Bernard Leslie James Green CEng FRAeS 89 Wijesinghe Andrew James Hegg Hollings Jeffrey Arthur Lane CEng MRAeS 83 Steven William Holland Timothy Charles AFFILIATES Satish Christoph Kingswell Herbert Harry Pearcey CEng FRAeS 93 Khakhar Mark Lennards Derek John Rowlands AMRAeS 78 Robert Adams James McKenzie Cameron Andrew Claude Castan Kneller McKay Peter Duncan Stewart CEng MRAeS 87 Spencer Ferrier Kostas Ladiellis Danny Lee Moore Ivan Ray Yates CBE FREng FRAeS 86 Suranga Samarasinghe Ian Anthony Lakin Andrew Geoffrey Parker Peter Trafford-Smith Ben Lambert Matthew Charles Read Richard John Lipscomb Gavin Jamie Scott STUDENT AFFILIATES Helen Louise Lockett Jonathan Sixsmith Stuart John Mackrell Jack Small Duncan Bewick Miranda Rose Mills Devon Sumner Finn Catling Gregory John Mitchell Michael John Sebastian Hall Rachel Moore Whitehead Paul Henry Morgan Stephen Whitehouse Adam James Newman Stephanie Louise Wilde Graham Alexander ADVERTISING ENGINEERING Nimmo TECHNICIANS To advertise in any of the Royal Russell James Nowy Aeronautical Society’s publications, Paul O’Gara Joseph Daniel Cocks Copy date Jonathan Paisley website or e-media please contact: Peter Janik Emma Bossom for the next issue Adam Roy Pike Jeremiah Leshao of AEROSPACE is Marc Ridings Matayian T +44 (0)20 7670 4342 2 October. Ian Jonathan Ross Deborah Ann Needham E [email protected] Gareth David Rudge

56 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 EUROPEAN AIRLINE TRAINING SYMPOSIUM

Conference by: ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY eats2015 No.4 Hamilton Place WARSAW LONDON W1 The leading aviation The Proprietors again beg to inform the Nobility, Gentry and Public of the training event for Europe, Aerospace & the Middle East and Africa 3-4 November 2015 Aviation Book Fair DoubleTree by Hilton, Warsaw, Poland Monday, 16 November 2015 11.00-18.00 A great opportunity to browse and buy from a range of aviation booksellers and publishers. Visit the National Aerospace Library stand selling a Featuring two conference streams large range of new/secondhand books and journals. tPilot Training tCabin Crew Training Partake from the RAeS merchandise range. Plus a ‘Heads of Training Meeting’ with representatives from EASA. FREE ADMISSION Register today for best prices Supported By: Please contact the Conference and Events Department to RSVP: www.halldale.com/eats T +44 (0)20 7670 4345 E [email protected]

xxxxxx

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COMMENTARY FROM Professor Keith Hayward FRAeS

Son of Hotol — and more conventional routes to space

So Airbus has an American patent for a hypersonic Ariane 6 is go aircraft. Stories of Europe to the Far East in less News that agreement has been reached on terms than three hours immediately leap into the media. to develop an Ariane 6 has therefore come at a very Shades of the all-British Hotol and its more opportune moment. Aiming to be in service by 2020, recent manifestation in the Reaction Engines’ the new Franco-German team of Airbus-Safran Sabre project. Certainly hypersonic propulsion launchers is also looking to cut Ariane launch costs is on the leading edge of aerospace, with active by half, getting close to a SpaceX price but implying programmes in the US and elsewhere. At one the Ariane premium for proven reliability. This entails point, the Japanese were in the fi eld to leapfrog the radical step of imposing commercial discipline on into a world lead. There are some signs that China the way in which European space programmes are may also be in the fi eld. developed. Instead of allocating subcontracts on a The US has DARPA and the USAF teamed to ‘fair return’ basis — one Euro of national investment follow up work done on the X-51 demonstrator; but equals one Euro’s worth of work — Ariane 6 will seek the interest here is as much directed at potential the best bids for a long-term contract. In return, the military uses as a future strategic bomber as European Space Agency will be able to cut its launch reviving ‘Concorde commuting’ (any hypersonic price subsidy. airliner is likely to be aimed at a very high premium This may have some political costs if junior passenger). But let’s not get too cynical too quickly: members of the European space industry lose out all of this is still very much in the realms of concept and become less inclined to support future space work. A 30-year wait for a ticket to Tokyo will make activities: there are also signs of a rearguard action Virgin Galactic’s timescale for a lob into near-space from the French national space agency CNES, very near term. which may also see some of its direct infl uence over European launcher development, diminish. The French Reducing the kilogram cost to orbit are certainly prepared to lead investment in new TRUE If this technology turns up a way of dramatically infrastructure at the French Guiana launch complex. REUSABILITY reducing the cost of putting stuff into space, WILL that would be a very worthwhile result. The Reusability is the key EVENTUALLY Virgin team, as well as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is But Ariane, and its contemporaries, is still old-style already trying its best to revolutionise launcher technology: linear descendants of the pioneering HAVE ITS DAY economics, although the former for the moment rockets and ballistic missiles of the 1950s. Later AND, AS FROM is confi ned largely to putting small satellites versions of Falcon will have some reusable elements THE DAWN into near-Earth orbit. Both imply a game- further to cut launch costs — a development that has OF SPACE changing moment in the space business. Musk seen an ESA investment in similar concepts. True EXPLORATION, intends to charge half the price of a current reusability — probably based around a hypersonic MILITARY telecommunications satellite launch with a heavy- aircraft — will eventually have its day and, as from lift Falcon. This has put a rocket — forgive the pun the dawn of space exploration, military interest will INTEREST WILL — under the current players and their comfortable drive things forward. At that point Europe may fi nd DRIVE THINGS business models that contain a heavy element of itself following, rather than leading, unless substantial FORWARD public subsidy or closed markets. sums can be found to stay in the fi eld.

58 AEROSPACE / OCTOBER 2015 Women in Aviation and Flight Simulation & Young Aerospace Committee Persons Conference

SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS: SIMULATION-BASED TRAINING FOR TECHNOLOGY & DIVERSITY THE DIGITAL GENERATION

ATTRACTING, SELECTING, RECRUITING AND TRAINING ‘DIGITAL NATIVES’ FOR CAREERS IN SIMULATION AND TRAINING LONDON / 30 OCTOBER 2015 LONDON/ 11 - 12 NOVEMBER 2015 Aerospace companies are increasingly focusing on Flight Simulation has served green issues. the aviation industry well; commercial aviation would What are the issues that not be possible without need attention? How are they simulation - based training. being addressed? What role does diversity play in this? This conference, will look at the new techology and This conference will training modes, hear from the also discuss the need to ‘digital natives’ themselves encourage women to enter, and consider how these can and stay in, the aerospace be seemlessly intergrated industry. into meeting the needs of the industry.

www.aerosociety.com/events www.aerosociety.com/events Sponsors Sponsored by:

General Aviation Group Weapon Systems and Technology Group Conference

DELIVERING CAPABILITY: LIGHT AIRCRAFT DESIGN A BALANCE BETWEEN WEAPON AND PLATFORM

METHODS AND TOOLS 2015 UNCLASSIFIED CONFERENCE

LONDON/ 16 NOVEMBER 2015 LONDON / 20 NOVEMBER 2015

This conference will provide Affordability forces us to a mix of practical and focus on certain aspects of thought provoking papers, capability but this must be including detail design issues, maximised within financial advances in manufacturing constraints. Are there with composites and funding different constructs between for small enterprises. There weapons and platforms that will be an introduction to the can give greater utility from a open source OpenFOAM CFD fixed defence budget? software and an appraisal of how flight simulators can Please visit our website to help in the design process and view the programme and to potentially support an approach register. to fly-by-wire for general aviation. may be gained from www.aerosociety.com/events/LAD15 www.aerosociety.com/events Sponsors Lead sponsor: BOOK NOW - VIP SPEAKERS CONFIRMED Keynote Address Mr. Kieron McFadyen Executive Vice President Joint Venture Excellence, Shell

Join the debate and hear industry VIPs discuss why and how they are moving beyond regulatory compliance to safety performance

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Find out more and book your places online at www.bainessimmons.com/symposium