AEROSPACE December 2018 REGIONAL AIRLINES BATTLE TURBULENCE REBUILDING UK COMBAT AIR REINVENTING THE PISTON ENGINE www.aerosociety.com December 2018 Volume 45 Number 12 Volume OVER THE HORIZON REGULAR BVLOS DRONE OPERATIONS EDGE CLOSER Royal Aeronautical Society Royal Aeronautical Spotlight on: Fundamentals of Accident Investigation Upcoming courses in aerospace, advanced vehicle engineering and manufacturing: 14 January–1 February 2019 2019 Sensor Fusion: Architectures, Algorithms and Applications: 14–18 January This course focuses on the fundamental Aircraft Accident Investigation: skills required by an accident 4 January–22 February investigator, and draws upon the Applied Aircraft Accident Investigation: experiences of the air, marine and rail 4–22 February transport industries to give a balanced Air Transport Engineering – Maintenance view of the accident investigation Operations: 11–15 February process. Investigating Human Performance: 25 February–1 March Gas Turbine Appreciation: 4–8 March Asset Management: Coupling Business and For more information or to book Technology: 12–14 March your place: Flight Data Monitoring and Flight Operational Quality Assurance in Commercial Aviation: E: shortcourse@cranfi eld.ac.uk 11–14 March T: +44 (0)1234 754189 Fundamentals of Aircraft Engine Control: www.cranfi eld.ac.uk 11–15 March Introduction to Avionics: 8–12 April Mattenet Steve Houldsworth Volume 45 Number 12 A new ERA for December 2018 European flight Drone control Report on the Results of the UK European Regions 14 Government initiative to 34 Airline Association seek industry views on (ERA) General future UAS regulations. Assembly in Edinburgh. Contents 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 the Last exit for Bombardier? Howard Wheeldon looks prospects of the UK’s Team at the recent commercial Tempest future fighter. performance of Boeing Defense. The news that Bombardier has sold its Q400 programme to the parent group of Viking Air, its flight training arm to CAE and is shedding some 5,000 jobs in the process, is another example of how the global aerospace Features environment continues to shift and evolve. Viking Air already owns the Twin DHL Otter which it has successfully refreshed for the 21st century and is now Galactic Virgin working on an updated CL415 amphibian. The Dash8/Q400 may be in 18 good hands with a new owner dedicated to turboprops – as opposed to being an orphan product among a line-up of jets. But what does this mean for Canada’s foremost aerospace OEM? After selling the CSeries to Airbus, the airframer is left with the CRJ700/900 airliners and its bizjet business. 26 The CRJs have had a tough job in the biggest single market for regional jets – the US, which is tightly bound by scope clause restrictions and the Out of sight, not out of company is already said to be exploring options to divest this too. Shedding A safe space mind its Q400 and flight training divisions, therefore, may allow Bombardier What are the safety How far are we away from standards for space tourist UAVs being able to fly and to focus more tightly on one civil airliner programme and its bizjet arm, vehicles? operate beyond visual line reversing the previous situation where it overextended itself and had to be of sight? bailed out by the Quebec government. However, this is only the latest sell-off of the family jewels, as the company has struggled to manage its cash-flow. 30 Thirty years of hurt Is UK combat aircraft design Since 2003 it has sold its Ski-Doo arm, military maintenance and flight coming home? training divisions, as well as airport real estate. Although it may be premature 22 to conclude that this means it is now inevitable that Bombardier will exit the MoD airliner business completely, it is difficult to imagine how it could return to the Ilmore Engineering product range it once boasted of. Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief 38 [email protected] Clean sky thinking Motorsport specialists Ilmore The Trenchard touch NEWS IN BRIEF Engineering work to improve How the founder of the the power density of a GA RAF will inspire future Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office Printed by Buxton Press Limited, piston engine. generations into the 21st Tim Robinson Royal Aeronautical Society Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire century. +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place SK17 6AE, UK [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Distributed by Royal Mail Deputy Editor +44 (0)20 7670 4300 [email protected] 2019 AEROSPACE subscription 41 Afterburner Bill Read rates: Non-members, £170 +44 (0)20 7670 4351 www.aerosociety.com [email protected] AEROSPACE is published by the Royal Please send your order to: Chris Male, RAeS, No.4 Hamilton Place, 42 Message from our President Publications Manager Aeronautical Society (RAeS). London W1J 7BQ, UK. 43 Message from our Chris Male Chief Executive +44 (0)20 7670 4352 +44 (0)20 7670 4352 Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS [email protected] Chief Executive [email protected] Advertising Any member not requiring a print 44 Book Reviews Online Production Editor John Minassian version of this magazine, please Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4346 contact: [email protected] 47 Library Additions Additional features and content are +44 (0)20 7670 4354 +44 (0)773 331 4725 [email protected] [email protected] USA: Periodical postage paid at 48 Young Persons’ available to view online on www.media. Champlain New York and additional Conference aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight Book Review Editor Unless specifically attributed, no offices. Brian Riddle material in AEROSPACE shall be taken 49 Obituary – Laurie Price Including: to represent the opinion of the RAeS. Postmaster: Send address changes Disrupting the military trainer market, Reporting on to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, 50 Ballantyne event the end of WW1, ERA 2018 General Assembly, Reproduction of material used in this Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. In the November issue of AEROSPACE, BVLOS publication is not permitted without the 52 Diary written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. UAVs, Replacing the Soyuz launch system, ISSN 2052-451X 55 Corporate Partner Events Tackling the pilot shortage, Mind the 56 Elections (LEO) gap. Front cover: DHL Parcelcopter 4.0. DHL @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com DECEMBER 2018 13 Radome INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Silent take-offs Two forward-facing 60kw electric motors driving multibladed propellers will give ‘near silent’ take-offs and landings, according to VoltAero. Electric taxiing On the ground, the VoltAero would divert power to an electric nosewheel to taxi – giving added safety benefits by having no blades turning. W GENERAL AVIATION ex-Airbus CTO unveils hybrid French start-up VoltAero has revealed a new hybrid-electric aircraft with a 'push-pull' configuration that it aims to put in production in 2021-22, with an assembly line in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France. The firm, headed by ex-Airbus CTO Jean Botti and Technical Director Didier Esteyne, brings their experience from developing the previous electric E-Fan demonstrator. For the VoltAero, the company plans to validate its hybrid-electric power system in late 2019 with a ground-based ‘Iron Bird’ and a flying demonstrator – converted from a Cessna 337 Skymaster. VoltAero anticipates an annual demand for its five-nine seat light aircraft of around 150. 4 AEROSPACE / DECEMBER 2018 Rear power Providing power to the rear multiblade propeller is a dual-hybrid power module, with a 170kw piston engine and a 150kw electric motor. The internal combustion engine provides cruise power and also charges the onboard batteries – with the whole 440kw engine power controlled by a single power lever. Composite construction While the VoltAero shares its ‘push-pull’ configuration with the Cessna 337, it will ultilise advanced lightweight composites. Specifications Passengers 5-9 Endurance Up to 3.5hr MTOW 2t VoltAero @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com DECEMBER 2018 5 Radome AEROSPACE DEFENCE Lion Air 737 MAX crash kills 189 Eurofighter fleet passes 500,000hr milestone Eurofighter Typhoon has policing and combat announced that the global operations accelerated Eurofighter fleet has now this milestone, with passed the half a Eurofighter saying million (500,000) that almost 500 E flying hours u Typhoons provide r o fi g mark. The h the backbone t e r T achievment y of Europe’s p h o o saw four n defence. With European air 623 ordered, the forces (Germany, fighter is in service Italy, Spain and UK) with seven countries, each mark a jet with with two more operators 500,000 flying hours (Kuwait and Qatar) set Indonesian National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure Indonesian National Agency markings. Recent air to join. On 29 October a Boeing 737 MAX 8 from Indonesian carrier Lion Air crashed shortly after take-off from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International, killing all 189 on board. The aircraft, a brand-new MAX 8, had taken-off as flight JT610 bound for Pangkal Pinang at 06.20 in AIR TRANSPORT the morning local time, when it crashed into the sea 11 miles north of Karawang with no survivors. The airframe in question had reportedly developed technical issues on its previous Icelandic carriers flight, though the airline says that these had been resolved by the time of the fatal flight. consolidation Shortly before the accident, the pilot had requested air traffic control for permission to turn back to the airport.