AE November 2019 ROSPACE DELIVERING TOMORROW’S TRAINING TOP GUNS FOR HIRE – COMMERCIAL RED AIR URBAN AIR MOBILITY – A WHOLE NEW WORLD www.aerosociety.com November 2019 V olume 46 Number 11 Royal A TYPHOON GETS eronautical Society ITS SECOND WIND HOW THE FUTURE EVOLUTION OF EUROFIGHTER WILL LEAD ON TO TEMPEST Meetings & Events in the heart of London Home to the Royal Aeronautical Society, No. 4 Hamilton Place is a stunning venue, centrally located in Mayfair, with a choice of event spaces. The venue offers: • Room Hire discounts – 10% for members and 20% for Corporate Partners • State of the art conference facilities for up to 250 • Versatile meeting rooms • A beautiful west facing terrace • Catering by Blue Strawberry, where innovative food and creative design become an exceptional experience Let our dedicated team take care of your event requirements. For more information visit www.4hp.org.uk or contact the Venue Team on 020 7670 4314 or [email protected] | No. 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ 210x280_4hp_aerospace_nov2018_ad.indd 1 29/10/2018 09:37 BAE Systems Airbus Volume 46 Number 11 Typhoon gets its Creating a new November 2019 second wind world What lies in store News from the first 14 for the Eurofighter Global Urban Air Typhoon, post Mobility Summit Centurion upgrade? on the challenges 26 facing developers of Contents eVTOL flying taxis. 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 social media feedback. analysis and comment. 58 The Last Word Hard vs soft power 10 Antenna Keith Hayward on 70 years Howard Wheeldon looks of the B-52 in service and at the fall of Thomas Cook the past and future role of It has frequently been said that one of the ‘West’s’ main advantages in the and future demand for the long-range strategic Cold War was not necessarily military technology but the ‘soft power’ it commercial aircraft. bomber. could project around the world. Hollywood, Madison Avenue, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones (and the US dollar) provided cultural power that crossed the Iron Curtain to influence and win over those behind. However, Features Airbus others have learnt those lessons. In addition to displaying its military might Erik Hildenbrandt. for its 70th anniversary parade, Beijing is now exercising its ‘soft power’ derived from its massive economic might in ever more invasive ways. From demanding that Cathay Pacific crew hand over personal devices to 18 be checked for pro-Hong Kong material, to global airlines submitting to renaming Taiwan on IFE maps – no aspect is too small to cause offence. Plane Speaking Such is the spread of corporate fear that there is now anecdotal evidence An interview with Grazia 34 that Western corporations are now starting to pre-emptively self-censor Vittandini, Chief Technical Officer of Airbus. on China’s behalf – terrified as they are by the eye of Sauron alighting on Fight’s on! Commercial them for displeasing Beijing. Where does aerospace come into this? China Red Air in the 21st Century 22 Delivering tomorrow’s Providing affordable undoubtedly represents a valuable market for Western manufacturers pilot training aggressor tactical training is and suppliers – who previously have flown under the radar when it comes An RAeS conference now a growing trend – with provides an update on airline the US leading the way. to taking sides in geopolitics. Yet there is a sense now of progressively pilot training. increasing demands – making co-operation much more hazardous, as China increasingly flexes these geopolitical soft power muscles and finds, MAKS on the whole, a divided liberal west unable to forcefully resist and fearful of missing out on bumper sales. Hypersonic missiles may make for impressive parades but, slowly and surely, it is soft power that can gradually make 30 geostrategic changes and bend adversaries to your will. Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief 38 [email protected] Moscow to the MAKS Defence on parade A report on the 2019 A report on the 2019 Defence Moscow International & Security Equipment NEWS IN BRIEF Aviation and Space Show. International (DSEI) exhibition. Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office 2019 AEROSPACE subscription Tim Robinson Royal Aeronautical Society rates: Non-members, £170 +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place Please send your order to: [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Wayne J Davis, RAeS, No.4 Hamilton +44 (0)20 7670 4300 Deputy Editor Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK. 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[email protected] material in AEROSPACE shall be taken www.aerosociety.com/aerospaceinsight 50 Highland Branch lecture Publications Executive to represent the opinion of the RAeS. ISSN 2052-451X Including: Annabel Hallam Reproduction of material used in this 52 Diary Air ambulances, The challenges facing the +44 (0)20 7670 4361 publication is not permitted without the introduction of urban air taxis, Accelerating future [email protected] written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. 54 Obituary fighter development, Developing a global flight training association, In the October issue of Book Review Editor Printed by Buxton Press Limited, 55 Sandy Gunn aerospace AEROSPACE, The Aeronauts film review, Brian Riddle Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire careers programme SK17 6AE, UK AI and machine learning, 2019 DSEI [email protected] 56 Elections Distributed by Royal Mail exhibition report. Front cover: Eurofighter Typhoon over Dubai. (Eurofighter) @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2019 13 Radome INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Speed king The 360 would borrow the rotor system, scaled down to a smaller diameter and with four blades, from the larger 525 Relentless super-medium helicopter. A clean wing would unload 50% of lift from the rotor at top speed. Optionally piloted As a scout/attack helicopter the Invictus would have a crew of two but would also be able to be optionally piloted for maximum flexibility in future missions. The 360 would also reuse the triplex redundant fly-by-wire (FBW) from the V-280 Valor and 525 Relentless. Weapons The Invictus would feature a nose-mounted 20mm cannon, as well as an internal weapons bay for Hellfire class-guided munitions. The stub wings could also carry additional missiles. Bell 4 AEROSPACE / NOVEMBER 2019 Bell 360 Invictus specifications Crew 2 Speed 180kt Combat radius (with 90min on station) 135miles Payload 1,400lb Extra power As well as a T901 ITEP engine, the Invictus would also feature an additional supplemental power unit (SPU). This would be used as an APU on the ground, as well as for providing additional power for dash speeds, hover performance or in autorotation emergencies. Shrouded tail rotor The tailrotor would feature a canted ducted Fenestron-style configuration, for low noise and stability in the hover. W DEFENCE Bell reveals 360 Invictus Bell has unveiled its proposed concept for the US Army’s FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) programme – the 360 Invictus. The high-speed 360 Invictus features a shrouded tail rotor, internal weapons bay and a clean wing, as well as retractable landing gear. It would be armed with a 20mm cannon and Hellfire class missiles. Using stub wings, an additional engine would give a dash speed over 200mph. Currently in preliminary design, Bell is aiming to fly the 360 in 2022, with a fly-off expected in 2023. @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com NOVEMBER 2019 5 Radome AIR TRANSPORT AEROSPACE Thomas CookThomas Biggest ever peacetime Joint safety group slams repatriation as Thomas Cook Boeing, FAA over 737 MAX An international body of inadequate awareness of goes under experts tasked into looking the MCAS function which, at the development and coupled with limited oversight of the grounded involvement, resulted in Boeing 737 MAX in an inability of the FAA to the wake of two fatal provide an independent crashes has criticised assessment of the the FAA and Boeing for adequacy of the Boeing- safety lapses. The Joint proposed certification The collapse of 178 year old holiday group and airline, Thomas Cook, on 23 Authorities Technical activities.” The report September, saw the UK CAA activate the largest ever peacetime repatriation of Review (JATR) highlighted also slammed Boeing for over 150,000 passengers stranded in 18 different countries when the firm ceased the FAA's lack of oversight “extensive and fragmented operations. The pre-planned airlift, named Operation Matterhorn, saw 45 aircraft in delegating certification documentation” and for chartered by the CAA and ran from 23 September to 6 October. A number of other to the manufacturer, failing to inform the FAA airlines were also involved in returning stranded passengers using scheduled flights.