www.aerosociety.com UNLOCKING THE SKIES ICAO’S GLOBAL ATM PLAN May 2014 F-35 — THE TEST PILOTS’ VIEW WHAT HAPPENED TO MH370? ROLLS-ROYCE FUTURE ENGINES GET THEIR CAREERS OFF TO A FLYING START IN AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Futures Day NOT TO BE MISSED… 18 July 2014 Careers fair Futures Day at Farnborough International Airshow 2014 has been designed to give groups of young people aged 11 – 21 a chance to see Interactive area the exciting career opportunities available in the dynamic sectors of Aerospace and Defence. Demonstrations Groups from schools, universities and youth associations can experience the exciting Lectures prospects available and be motivated in their study of STEM subjects. Flight simulator The interactive, informative and engaging SURJUDPPHHQDEOHVWKHPWRVHH¿UVWKDQGWKH variety, innovation and expertise that makes a Awards presentations career in these key sectors so rewarding. RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKETS TODAY! Contact Claire Parsons on 020 7091 4507 or email [email protected] www.adsfarnborough.co.uk/futures Volume 41 Number 5 May 2014 Gaining lift — Russia’s Powerplant rotorcraft industry Rolls-Royce revolution New models and an eye Rolls-Royce reveals on the global civil market 28 two new engine Russian Helicopters 34 means Russia’s helicopter designs for the 2020s. industry is embracing Contents growth. 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 Lockheed Martin Lockheed aeronautical intelligence, and feedback. analysis and comment. 58 The Last Word Flexibility of airpower 10 Antenna Keith Hayward on the Howard Wheeldon looks at implications for air transport The giant F-35 programme has endured its fair share of fl ak from many quarters. the introduction of the F-35 of Flight MH370. into UK service. Its ‘affordable’ tag now seems like a cruel joke to some potential customers and questions still remain about the readiness of its software as it counts down to initial operating capability. Only time will truly tell if it performs as well as the glossy brochure says. Two articles this month (one from a F-35 test pilot), however, hint that Features its true capabilities may prove a big leap once in service. Though much criticised, the UK’s switch from CV to STOVL variant, there NATS may, perhaps, be one big advantage going for the F-35B that arguably outweighs its payload and range drawbacks. That is fl exibility in its ability to operate from airbases, ships and shorter, more austere airstrips. Though its complex systems and stealth coatings mean that it would be perhaps unlikely to operate from rough Northrop Grumman ‘Harrier hides’ inside German forests, the ability to quickly disperse to a wider set of airfi elds or operating bases than other combat aircraft brings its own advantages 14 24 and complicates enemy targeting. With a new Cold War brewing, the amalgamation of air force assets into a few giant superbases would present in the time of ATM — Global Vision 2014 Make way for the drones confl ict, an irresistible target to enemy attacks. As the attack on Bastion in 2012 ICAO’s new plan for the The future development of demonstrated — even supposedly impregnable, well-defended superbases can be future of air traffi c control. remotely piloted aircraft. vulnerable to determined attackers on foot — let alone the proliferation of lower-cost precision weapons and missiles that can target hangars and parking spots easily found on Google Earth. Aertec While taking F-35s ‘off-piste’ in this way may be diffi cult, crucially it may not be impossible — especially in improvising a defence against a surprise attack. Martin Lockheed The F-35, then scores extremely highly in one of the key tenants of air power — fl exibility and versatility. Indeed, there are already signs that this vulnerability is a concern in Washington. Under the ‘Rapid Raptor’ concept, the US Air Force plans to disperse 18 38 handfuls of F-22s across the Pacifi c, complicating any temptation by adversaries to Struck by Lightning Game on for aerospace shut down its operations by attacking key superbases. A UK F-35 test pilot How video gaming As the ultimate in a fl exible based fi ghter, could then, the F-35B fi nd itself being explains why this aircraft is technology will allow exactly the right aircraft, at the right time for the new geopolitical realties? truly a game-changer. aerospace workers to ‘level- up’ their skills. 22 What happened to Tim Robinson MH370? 32 100 not out NEWS IN BRIEF RAeS experts consider what Australia celebrates its [email protected] might have happened to the centenary of military missing Malaysian airliner. aviation. Editor-in-Chief AEROSPACE is published by the Royal AEROSPACE subscription rates: Tim Robinson Aeronautical Society (RAeS). Non-members, £150 +44 (0)20 7670 4353 Chief Executive Please send your order to: 41 Afterburner [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. 42 Message from our President +44 (0)20 7670 4351 +44 (0)844 848 8426 +44 (0)20 7670 4342 43 Message from our Chief Executive [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0)844 856 0650 (fax) [email protected] Publications Manager Unless specifi cally attributed, no 44 Book Reviews Chris Male AEROSPACE Any member not requiring a print material in shall be taken 47 Library Additions +44 (0)20 7670 4352 to represent the opinion of the RAeS. version of this magazine, please [email protected] contact: [email protected] Reproduction of material used in this 48 Aircraft Company Publications Production Editor Online publication is not permitted without the USA: Periodical postage paid at 51 Cambridge and Wayne J Davis written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. 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Printed by Buxton Press Limited, Farnborough Lectures are available to view online on [email protected] Postmaster: Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire Send address changes 52 Diary www.media.aerosociety.com/ Editorial Offi ce SK17 6AE, UK to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, aerospace-insight Royal Aeronautical Society Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. 54 Corporate Partners Including: No.4 Hamilton Place Eavesdropping from space, MH 370 London W1J 7BQ, UK Distributed by Royal Mail 55 Obituaries — implications of a ‘Black Swan’ aviation event, +44 (0)20 7670 4300 ISSN 2052-451X What happened to Flight MH 370?, Video of [email protected] 56 RAeS Elections Schools Build a Plane challenge NATS www.aerosociety.com Front cover: Data visualisation of fl ights over the UK. 57 With Regret — in their own words @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MAY 2014 13 Radome INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Flight plan The 2015 round-the-world fl ight will see the Solar Impulse take off from the Gulf, before heading east over India and China, crossing the Pacifi c, over the US, across the Atlantic, Europe and North Africa. The entire trip, split into fi ve-to-six day legs, will take fi ve months. NEWS IN BRIEF ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? Concept????? ????? ?????? of Lightweight construction operations Despite a 72m wingspan, Solar Impluse 2 ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? only weighs 5,000lb, thanks to advanced The????? two ????? pilots ?????? will take turns composite and carbon fi bre materials that to fl y the aircraft in fi ve or — are lighter in weight than ever. six-day?????? ???? legs. ???? During ??? ??? the day????? the ????? aircraft ?????? will cruise at 28,000ft. At night it will slowly descend?????? ???? to ???? 5,000ft ??? ??? before climbing????? ????? again?????? when the sun comes up. ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ????? Solar Impulse 4 AEROSPACE / MAY 2014 Solar panels The top surface of the aircraft contains 17,248 solar panels which drive four electric motors and top-up lithium-polymer batteries for fl ight during the night. Cockpit The unpressurised, unheated 3·8m3 single-pilot cockpit features a reclining seat and toilet. A 'virtual co-pilot' will allow the human pilot to sleep and alert him if the autopilot strays off course. Engine power Solar panels supply four electric motors (17·5 CV each) with power — giving a top speed of 105mph during the day. The brushless electric motors are 94% effi cient. AEROSPACE Round-the-world — without a drop of fuel Revealed in Payerne, Switzerland, on 9 April by adventurer Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg was Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft that they aim to fl y in a round-the-world fl ight in 2015. The lightweight Solar Impulse 2 is a bigger and more sophisticated version of the fi rst Solar Impulse HB-SIA demonstrator, which performed a number of successful solar fl ights including a transAmerican crossing last year. Flight tests of Solar Impulse 2 will begin this month. @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com MAY 2014 5 Radome GENERAL AVIATION AIR TRANSPORT Learjet 85 makes fi rst fl ight Strikes ground Lufthansa On 2 April, Lufthansa operations and Lufthansa’s pilots began a three-day Germanwings low-cost strike in a dispute over subsidiary. Lufthansa is retirement contracts. The now to hold further talks strike caused the German with the Vereinigung fl ag carrier to cancel 3,800 Cockpit pilots’ union, which fl ights. The industrial represents most of the action also affected cargo airlines' 5,400 pilots. Bombardier Bombardier has fl own 30,000ft and a speed of its new Learjet 85 250kt. AEROSPACE business jet for the fi rst The maiden fl ight of the time.