April 2023 - Aviation, Inflight and Aero Connectivity Consultants

U.S. Air Force Extends Contract with Joby by $55M

Joby’s contract with the U.S. Air Force was extended for a third time, bringing the potential value of the total contract to $131 million. The eVTOL developer also signed a long-term agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation, which will provide key powertrain and actuation components. (Photos: Joby Aviation)

Joby Aviation announced this week that its Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force has been extended for a third time. The total contract is now valued up to $131 million, having increased by $55 million. Joby agreed to deliver and operate as many as nine of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to the USAF and other federal agencies beginning early next year.

Joby’s eVTOLs will serve to demonstrate cargo and passenger transportation capabilities as well as other potential logistics use cases. The company could be the first to have its eVTOLs stationed at a military base in the U.S.

Joby’s plan is to launch commercial eVTOL operations in 2025 following certification.

“Today’s announcement comes days after four Air Force pilots, hosted by Joby at its manufacturing facility in Marina, California, became the first Air Force personnel to fly an eVTOL as sole pilot-in-command through the full flight envelope, including transition from vertical to wingborne flight.”

“Getting Air Force pilots trained and operating Joby aircraft at an Air Force installation is an incredibly important milestone for the program, providing key insights to actual operations and use case validation for advanced air mobility aircraft,” remarked Lt. Col. Tom Meagher, AFWERX Prime Lead. He added that the contract provides “an outstanding opportunity for accelerated learning with the other Department of Defense services and government agencies, including NASA and the FAA.”

“We’re honored to continue the tradition of accelerating emerging aviation technology as we become the first base to exercise electric air taxis as they are intended to be used in commercial operations.” – Lt. Col. Adam Brooks, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force commander

This week, Joby also announced the signing of a long-term agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation Inc. Toyota will provide key powertrain and actuation components necessary for producing Joby’s eVTOL. Toyota has invested close to $400 million into the eVTOL developer already, making it the largest external shareholder.

Kazuhiro Sato (left) and Jordin Gischler (right) with a completed tilt actuator that was manufactured at the San Carlos production facility; key parts were supplied by Toyota.

“Our mutual goal is mass production of eVTOL and helping Joby apply the best practices of the Toyota Production System in meeting high quality, reliability, safety, and strict cost standards,” stated Keiji Yamamoto, Toyota Motor Corporation Connected Company President.

In February, Joby completed the second stage in the type certification process. The FAA requires companies to progress through five stages before receiving type certification for commercial passenger use of their aircraft. Joby claims that it is the first eVTOL developer to complete the second stage of the process.

Joby is also in a long-term partnership with Delta Air Lines. The teams will coordinate to offer eVTOL flights to Delta’s customers once Joby has launched commercial operations. The airline also made an upfront equity investment in Joby totaling $60 million. There is a possibility of expanding that investment to $200 million, according to the announcement from October 2022.

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Enabling Advanced Air Mobility: Insights From EUROCONTROL and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau

This is the second in a two-part series covering a panel discussion on international cooperation for enabling advanced air mobility, featuring perspectives from EUROCONTROL and the JCAB. The AUVSI and the FAA hosted the discussion.

Last week, a panel of experts discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with cooperating internationally on advanced air mobility, or AAM. Jessica Orquina, Manager of the Implementation Branch for the FAA’s Safety & Integration Division in the UAS Integration Office, served as the moderator for the panel discussion. See insights from the FAA, Honeywell, and ANRA in our coverage of the first part of the panel discussion, published last week.

During the session, Tatsuya Hosaka, Deputy Director of the UAS/AAM Division for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) within the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), talked about Japan’s efforts to enable AAM operations. “We have plans to realize commercial flights using AAM at Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025,” he shared. “We expect to expand services to all over Japan from 2025 onwards. So we have been proceeding with various considerations regarding AAM.”

Hosaka noted that it is necessary to establish rules regarding aircraft safety and operations, and to conduct safety reviews for the classification of aircraft. “In order to develop systems and standards in Japan, we have established a Public Private Council (PPC) whose members are aircraft manufacturers, operators, and related agencies,” he explained.

“In addition, we have set up some working groups under the PPC, and specific studies have been conducted. We believe that improving social acceptability and building business models are essential for AAM. We have continued to exchange information with public and private stakeholders such as local governments, operators, and manufacturers.”

Andrew Hately, a researcher at EUROCONTROL’s Experimental Centre, responded to a question posed by Jessica Orquina of the FAA: How do you see AAM developing in Europe, and how can this be harmonized with activities elsewhere around the world?

“Quite a number of the commercial actors in the AAM environment are in a real rush to get flying as soon as possible,” Hately stated. “So there’s a bit of a tension with the actions of the regulators. In Europe, we’ve essentially tried to divide the problem.”

“We’re looking at a number of new innovations which are coming along simultaneously,” he continued. “These include new vehicles with electric power; we have UTM, [or] U-space, and we have remote control of the aircraft. We have new infrastructure—vertiports—and new airspace structures.”

“The aim of the regulator in Europe is to try and look at these one by one and individually convince themselves something is safe and can work,” he said. In Europe, the SESAR Joint Undertaking is leading a significant research program. The SESAR JU commissions a wide range of research projects.

Hately remarked of EUROCONTROL, “We are taking part in quite a number of research projects which are trying to push the envelope towards maturity as fast as we can to see if we can meet the aspirations of those who would like to operate eVTOLs and have them flying at the 2024 Olympics.”

He noted that there is a lot of pressure in the direction of progress; “We’re doing what we can.” From his perspective, it is most important to take a collaborative approach in Europe. The SESAR JU is driving research projects that involve cooperative efforts. That indicates how the entire world should work to advance AAM: “a harmonized research agenda that will lead us towards rapid and common solutions,” Hately explained.

The FAA’s Jessica Orquina asked Tatsuya Hosaka of the JCAB what challenges Japan faces related to AAM integration. “There is a difference in [altitude] between conventional aircraft and AAM,” he stated. “It goes without saying that the flight levels of AAM are lower than conventional aircraft. However, we need to give careful consideration to AAM flight in specific areas such as around airports and very low-level airspace.”

Hosaka explained that in Japan, they are just starting to create a new concept for a system to enable air traffic control of advanced air mobility vehicles, though it is still under consideration. “The system may be integrated with ATM [air traffic management] in the future,” he added.

“I’m a little worried about the human resources shortage, but for the initial operations, including operations at Osaka Kansai Expo, we plan to use the existing systems,” Hosaka said. “So eVTOLs are going to be operated under VFR with existing systems.”

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Turkey Plans to Upgrade Its F-16 Cockpits in $259M Deal with Lockheed

Turkey has secured a $259 million foreign military sale agreement with Lockheed Martin, approved by the U.S. State Department, to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighters by enhancing avionics and flight control systems, including software refresh and hardware modifications for improved capabilities. (Photo: Turkish Ministry of Defense)

Turkey will upgrade the avionics and flight control systems in its fleet of F-16 fighters under a new agreement with Lockheed Martin recently greenlit by the U.S. State Department.

The NATO ally requested and has been approved for a $259 million foreign military sale (FMS) of “defense articles and services” to upgrade its current fleet of F-16s and support equipment, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The upgrades will include software refresh of the aircraft’s operational flight program (OFP) avionics, which has an automatic ground collision avoidance system (AGCAS) capability and hardware modifications to enable integration of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Block Upgrade II (MIDS BU II), procured separately.

Also included in the FMS package are hardware and software upgrades to include aircraft major modification, classified and unclassified software and software support, integration and test support, support equipment, training equipment, spare parts, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $259 million.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve [Turkey’s] interoperability with NATO and ensure safety of flight for [Turkey’s] existing F-16 aircraft,” DSCA said in a statement. “The proposed sale will improve [Turkey’s] capability to meet current and future threats and assist in defending its homeland and U.S. personnel stationed there.”

Lockheed Martin, which built the F-16 at the Fort Worth, Texas, plant where it now builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, will handle the upgrades but will not need to send contractors to Turkey to overhaul the jet cockpits, DSCA said.

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SmartSky Expands In-Flight Connectivity Coverage and Launches Private Intranet Routing

SmartSky Networks anticipates obtaining STCs for multiple aircraft models. The company also introduced SmartSky Private Intranet routing this week, powered by its Skytelligence services platform, to enhance their air-to-ground connectivity offerings. Pictured above is SmartSky’s flagship hardware. (Photos: SmartSky Networks)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Last week, SmartSky Networks—provider of air-to-ground in-flight connectivity—made an announcement that it expects to complete Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for at least seven aircraft models this quarter. The next one coming up is an STC from the FAA for the Dassault Falcon 2000. The expected STC would complement the certification received for the Falcon 900 earlier this year.

“We’re going to almost double our STC count,” remarked CEO Dave Helfgott in an interview with Avionics International at the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Convention this week. “Our goal is to have over two-thirds of the addressable market covered by the end of the year, and more if we go faster. We’re going as fast as we can right now,” he said.

The company announced the launch of SmartSky Private Intranet routing at the start of this week. The Private Intranet (PI) routing is powered by SmartSky’s Skytelligence services platform, which connects the aircraft interface device to the SmartSky air-to-ground (ATG) network.

“We’re also expanding the work we’re doing in Skytelligence, not just for private intranet,” remarked Ryan Stone, president and co-founder of SmartSky.

Avionics International has previously featured insights from both Stone and Helfgott regarding its ATG connectivity service. The Cessna Citation X series aircraft was issued an STC last fall. The CEO and the president also discussed the company’s strategic relationship with Textron Aviation.

SmartSky has recently been conducting demonstration flights to showcase its ATG technology. As part of the “SmartSky Experience Tour,” the team flew passengers in partnership with Thornton Aviation at Van Nuys Airport in California earlier this month.

Stone sees their biggest challenge as communicating to potential customers the value of their offerings. “When we are able to spend time with someone and take them on a demo flight, they get it. But we can’t do that for everybody,” he explained to Avionics.

“It’s hard to relay that because you get so caught up in technobabble or hand-waving,” said Helfgott. “The real question is, what was the experience like? Are you actually able to take as many devices as you want and do whatever you want with them while you’re flying? That’s the real test. It’s just very hard to scale that; you can’t take everybody in America up on a plane.”

“We’re showing people that you don’t have to lower your expectations any more when you board the aircraft,” added Stone.

SmartSky enables the use of multiple devices in-flight.

The launch of PI routing this week underscores the capabilities of SmartSky’s network architecture compared to a more generic approach of connecting to aircraft, such as by satellite. The company’s physical and RF networks enable creation of a private network, Helfgott explained.

“With the 5G technology-based network, where you have beamforming, software-defined radios, and software-defined networking, that combination allows us to go towards the safety side of services in conjunction with an aircraft interface device,” rather than just focusing on the back of the cabin, Stone said.

“The other way to think about it is from the enterprise perspective,” he continued. “When you go to an office, your laptop connects to the network in the office. That’s secured by the IT department of an enterprise. IT departments set standards, and the egress point to the internet is through that IT department. So they have a lot of control for security and privacy. This essentially extends that network to now make it so that in the aircraft, when you sit down with your laptop, you can have the same virtualized physical infrastructure.”

Simply put, SmartSky creates a safe and secure bubble inside of a company’s defined private network, noted Helfgott. “It opens up the rest of the aircraft to other types of applications that haven’t been explored as rigorously as they can be. Connected aircraft is more than just the back of the plane—it’s flight operations and it’s the cockpit,” he commented.

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GE Touts LEAP Engine Program Strength, But Supply Constraints Remain

GE’s Aerospace division experiences significant commercial success following Air India’s historic order for 800 of the CFM LEAP engine, although supply chain obstacles persist. (Photo: CFM International)

Buoyed by Air India’s massive order placed in February for 800 CFM LEAP engines, the most ever for the narrowbody engine, GE Aerospace has “tremendous commercial momentum,” though it continues to face supply chain headwinds, according to General Electric Chairman and CEO Lawrence Culp.

The LEAP engine is produced by GE Aerospace in conjunction with Safran Aircraft Engines under the 50/50 CFM International joint venture. Air India will use the engines to power 210 Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft and 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Overall, the order book for the LEAP stands at more than 10,000 engines and GE/CFM plans to deliver 1,700 units this year.

But GE is facing the same supply chain bottlenecks as other aerospace manufacturers, even taking the step of sending machinists to supplier plants to help speed up the LEAP manufacturing process.

“We are making progress,” Culp said during an April 25 earnings call with analysts. “I think if you look at supplier on-time delivery, as one example, and if you look at material inputs being another, just our ability to hit our targets on a weekly basis internally, I see signs of progress.”

However, he cautioned that the supply chain remains strained. “It’s still challenging,” Culp said. “I don’t want to, in any way, suggest otherwise. But I’m encouraged by what we’re doing.” He cited “management intensity and discipline” on the LEAP program as a sign the company is taking the LEAP ramp up very seriously.

Culp said GE Aerospace has to keep up with the commercial aviation recovery from the COVID-19-related downturn in flying, “as the world is eager to travel.” He noted that airline departures of aircraft equipped with GE and CFM engines are “currently at 97% of ’19 levels, and we still expect to be back to ’19 levels later this year.”

GE Aerospace’s commercial engine deliveries were up 40% year-over-year in the first quarter, with LEAP deliveries up 50%. The LEAP engine is “the platform that garners the largest portion of our attention today,” Culp said.

“Again, we’re in the midst of an incredible ramp” on the LEAP, he added. “There are a whole host of things that will benefit us from that volume.”

The LEAP program was launched at the 2008 Farnborough Airshow but has not yet achieved profitability given high development and production costs. “We still need to get LEAP, both from a new unit and from a services perspective, to profitability,” Culp said. “That is a mid-decade task for us here in the near term. I think we’re making good progress in that regard. But there’s no reason we shouldn’t have that level of expectation or that you should have that level of expectation over time with the LEAP.”

Towards the end of last year, FADEC Alliance announced that it will develop the electronic control system for CFM International’s demonstrator engine. FADEC Alliance is a joint venture that includes GE Aerospace, BAE Systems, and Safran Electronics & Defense.

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Harnessing Connectivity and Data to Reach Aviation’s Sustainability Goals

In the relentless pursuit of a greener future, industries around the globe are embracing sustainability as a cornerstone of their operations. The aviation sector, with its significant impact on carbon emissions, is no exception. One company at the forefront of this sustainability drive is Honeywell Aerospace. In a recent interview, we had the opportunity to delve into Honeywell’s sustainability goals and explore how connectivity and data analysis are instrumental in achieving these objectives.

Honeywell recently announced that it will supply its 1-megawatt generator for a hybrid-electric VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) airship designed by Flying Whales Airships Quebec.

From optimizing the efficiency of older aircraft to empowering informed decision-making in maintenance practices, the power of connectivity is revolutionizing aviation sustainability. Join us as we unveil the insights shared by Jason Wissink with Honeywell’s Connected Aerospace division, who sheds light on the transformative potential of connected solutions in creating a more efficient and sustainable aviation industry.

Honeywell Aerospace is at the forefront of the aviation industry’s sustainability efforts, utilizing connectivity and data analysis to optimize aircraft efficiency and enable informed decision-making for maintenance practices, ultimately revolutionizing aviation sustainability.

Avionics: What are Honeywell’s sustainability goals?

Jason Wissink: Honeywell is a multinational industrial company. It has four businesses across aerospace, building technologies, performance materials, and performance solutions. As a company, Honeywell has pledged to be carbon neutral in all of our facilities by 2035. 50% or more each year of the investment we make in our products—whether it’s aerospace or any of our other businesses—is really focused on either environmental or social outcomes. A lot of the value in the products that we develop have to do with using less energy, using less fuel, and being more efficient.

Avionics: How might connectivity be used to achieve goals related to sustainability?

Wissink: Whether we’re talking about an airplane or a home, a worker, or a refinery, we look for opportunities to save energy or be more efficient or sustainable by connecting it something else. [That way] we can get real time data, put analytics around it, and really see how an asset, a vehicle, or a building is performing compared to what we would expect. That’s how you can uncover areas where you can be more efficient and more sustainable.

Connectivity is kind of at the core because if you don’t connect whatever it is you’re trying to measure, then you can’t get real time data, which is what you need when we talk about things that we’re going to do to be more sustainable in the future.

How can solutions related to connectivity help older aircraft in service to operate more efficiently and more sustainably?

As you look at older aircraft that you can retrofit with connectivity, there’s two main areas where we see a lot of opportunity. One is specific to how the aircraft is being flown. If you have, say, better connectivity with satcom [satellite communications] versus relying on an HF radio and you’re in oceanic airspace where connectivity can be somewhat spotty, the ability to speak to air traffic control at any time via satcom…. You can get better routing, you can get better altitudes versus potentially having to wait and flying either at an altitude or on a route that’s not as efficient—because you’re not able to communicate with ATC and get clearance to do something different. Retrofitting the aircraft, especially with satcom, so that you can always communicate immediately with air traffic control, it opens up better routing and better altitudes. And that directly corresponds to saving fuel.

The other big one relates to telemetry. Aircraft generate a lot of data; they generate fault messages and data that is being recorded about how the systems on the airplane are operating. But in the past, that data gets stored somewhere on the airplane in a recorder (or in some other system) and someone would actually have to go to the airplane and download it. That might happen once a month or once a week, but it certainly wasn’t real time.

So by the time you would get access to the data, and be able to analyze it, the ability to do something that would help with the operation of the aircraft—from a maintenance or an efficiency point of view—may have already passed. The ability to equip those aircraft with more real-time systems that push data off the airplane as soon as the plane lands allows for analysis of the data from a maintenance point of view to see if there are trends that would lead to some type of maintenance recommendation.

If you can catch those things, you can take a maintenance action at a more optimum time versus waiting for a system to completely fail. You’re typically going to save some time and money if you’re able to plan your maintenance actions at optimal times versus just running things to failure.

How does Honeywell address challenges or limitations with retrofitting older aircraft to use the latest connectivity solutions?

There are two things about retrofitting aircraft that we try to keep in mind. If you’re going to upgrade a system so that it can be connected to the outside world, is there a way we can design the product so that it easily fits in where the current product is?

An example would be a recorder that’s going to have connectivity. Can we design it so that it fits into the current tray or uses the same connectors, the same power? We try to take the installation into account ahead of time as we design the product, versus designing something and then trying to figure out how to put it on the airplane. There’s a lot of effort that’s put into that, especially when we’re developing products that we expect will have a significant demand for retrofits—not just for installation on new aircraft. At the front end, we try to take into account the current installation inside the airplane and the current wiring to make retrofitting easier.

When you’re talking about connectivity you usually have to keep antennas in mind as well. Typically, to get good range and good performance, you’re going to need an antenna that’s on the fuselage of the airplane somewhere, whether it’s on the top or on the bottom. Retrofitting antennas takes time and you have to find a spot for them, because the aircraft already has a lot of antennas. installed. Pay attention to antenna design up front and take into account whatever real estate is available on the aircraft. If you think about that ahead of time, it can really save a lot of work on the back end.

You can get into situations where you need to install an antenna, but there’s nowhere to put it because there’s already 10 other antennas that are on the airplane. Those are the main challenges that we try to pay attention to because we’ve seen it trip people up in the past.

Could you share any ongoing or upcoming initiatives to drive sustainability for aviation through technology?

The key with getting more real-time data off the aircraft is once you get that data, do something of value with it. IATA publishes a list of fuel-saving initiatives: things like doing single-engine taxi. It’s not that it’s hard for the airline to do those things. It’s sometimes hard to figure out how well you’re doing or if you are leaving opportunities on the table.

With the ability to get data in more real time—say, right after the flight completes—about the opportunities for fuel savings on that specific flight and what opportunities were actually captured, you can then quantify the gap of what else you you do or what you could do better to save more fuel.

The ability to get the data off the airplane and now most flight crews have EFPs or tablets you know, that have some type of connection. We have an ability now to take data off the aircraft and get it back to the people that need it in near real time, which allows [for] better decisions.

[With] long-haul flights, there’s always points in the flight where you could fly the aircraft more efficiently via a different route or requesting a different altitude. To get to get the most out of that, you need a fair amount of computing power. We have the ability now to do a lot of that processing on the ground because we can get data from the aircraft to the ground. We can have algorithms running on the ground and we can provide the results to whoever needs them so they can take some action. That’s another thing that we’re working on right now. Most flight crews now have access to a tablet or an EFB that has connectivity during the flight.

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EvFly Chooses Volatus as Exclusive Provider of eVTOL Infrastructure

Volatus will be the exclusive provider of eVTOL infrastructure and charging stations to enable EvFly’s projects related to advanced air mobility. (Photo: EvFly)

Volatus Infrastructure and EvFly just signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) naming Volatus as the exclusive provider of electric vertical take-off and landing infrastructure and charging stations to enable EvFly’s projects related to advanced air mobility (AAM).

EvFly was founded by a former commercial pilot, Yannick Erbs, to manage and operate eVTOL aircraft. He remarked on the LOI, saying that the main objective of Volatus “is to provide the best tailor-made tools and infrastructure while incorporating the latest technologies for electric charging stations and app support.”

Volatus, which launched in 2021, offers a vehicle agnostic charging station, three main eVTOL infrastructure designs, and an app as well as maintenance programs. The company partnered with Eve Air Mobility late last year to develop an agnostic vertiport automation solution.

“The LOI names Volatus as the exclusive eVTOL infrastructure and charging station provider for EVFLY’s global AAM projects.” (Photo: Volatus)

Earlier this month, EvFly signed another LOI with the Germany-based F.A.S.T. group that specializes in developing eVTOL flight simulators. Through this agreement, the partners will collaborate on AAM flight simulators and pilot training.

Last month, AutoFlight, an eVTOL developer, announced a deal with EvFly. EvFly will purchase 205 of AutoFlight’s Prosperity I passenger eVTOL and cargo aircraft. According to the company, some of these aircraft will be used for operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Volatus is also partnering with eVTOL manufacturer PLANA. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February, the two companies will work together on eVTOL integration and vertiport development. Grant Fisk, co-founder of Volatus, commented that collaboration is absolutely essential for the success of the eVTOL industry. He sees the present moment as a critical period of planning and preparation for advanced air mobility because some eVTOLs will soon complete the certification process.

Fisk was recently welcomed as a participant in the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) AAM Committee, and Volatus is now a member of the association. Megan Eisenstein, NATA Managing Director of Industry Affairs and Innovation, remarked on behalf of the association, “Volatus Infrastructure is on the cutting edge of practical, agile and scalable eVTOL infrastructure solutions, building strategic industry partnerships, and preparing communities to support a new aviation environment.”

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Supply Chain Management for Aerospace

FDH Aero, a California-based company that provides supply chain solutions for aerospace and defense, has had success in recent years despite the tumultuous climate. (Photo: FDH)

An aerospace company needs a supply chain, and the right strategy is crucial. An efficient and reliable supply chain helps companies to achieve their strategic and business goals.

The supply chain for an aerospace company involves a complex ecosystem of OEMs, suppliers, providers of maintenance services, and customers. The pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have contributed to supply chain challenges and disruptions.

“Russia’s war on Ukraine has caused industrial leaders to think about whether the aerospace sector is too dependent on specific regions or countries,” according to Patrick Gagné, Director of Operations at Global Partner Solutions. “Likewise, industrial leaders have analyzed the situation and considered diversification to reduce dependency on Russia’s resources.”

Gagné noted that aerospace companies can adopt digital technologies—such as advanced enterprise resource planning systems, artificial intelligence, predictive models, and data security—to move past disruptions. “These systems automate internal processes, streamline workflows, allow for better supply chain management, and let you leverage the power of data analytics to better position your company for dealing with uncertain situations,” he explained.

FDH Aero, a California-based company that provides supply chain solutions for aerospace and defense, has had success in recent years despite the tumultuous climate. Last year, FDH entered into a multi-year direct line feed agreement with FACC, an Austrian aerospace company. “We have made significant investments into our team in Europe, taking on well-respected industry experts in our new facilities in Germany and Italy,” commented Fred Short of FDH.

This week, the company announced that it has acquired BJG Electronics Group. BJG, headquartered in New York, offers interconnect and electromechanical products for a variety of markets.

Once the acquisition is complete, FDH will establish the FDH Aero Electronic Products Group division. Mitch Enright, who previously led another of FDH’s acquisitions, will be named president of the new division.

“The acquisition of BJG Electronics and establishment of our new FDH Aero Electronic Products Group comes at a time when raw material shortages and supply-chain constraints further emphasize the necessity for our customers to have a dependable and trusted supply-chain solutions provider for all of their electronic product needs,” Enright said in a written statement to Avionics International.

FDH delivers both OEM and aftermarket hardware solutions, including bearings, hinges, panel fasteners, seals, fittings, and clamps. The company also delivers c-class electrical components as well as high-performance connectors for the commercial and defense industries.

FDH Aero distributes chemicals and related products for the commercial and defense aftermarket industries, like adhesives, sealants, composites, and paints. Additionally, the company offers parts support, component repair management, inventory management, and licensing/authorizations. Its suppliers include Safran, 3M, PPG, Glenair, and TE Connectivity, among others.

Some of FDH’s customers include Lufthansa, Northrop Grumman, Ryanair, Sikorsky, Southwest, Turkish Airlines, UPS, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Delta, Embraer, FedEx, Finnair, Gulfstream, L3Harris, LATAM, Leonardo, and Lockheed Martin.

FDH Aero acquired Calco Industries in January 2022, marking its 11th acquisition. Calco is a supply chain partner to OEMs in the military and commercial aerospace sectors. FDH hoped to grow its position in the military rotorcraft supply chain with this acquisition.

The company also acquired Electro Enterprises in July 2022, which was led by Mitch Enright. Electro is a distributor of electrical and electronic components for aerospace and defense.

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New Product Introductions at AEA 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. — Over 30 companies presented at the New Product Introductions session at the AEA (Aircraft Electronics Association) Convention in Orlando this week.

Daniels Manufacturing Corporation

Shane Leary, Business Development Manager at Daniels Manufacturing Corporation, showcased their LaceLok Cable Lacing Fasteners product. DMC manufactures application tooling for the aircraft and aerospace industries. The LaceLok product is designed to replace cable ties and hand-tied lacing tape to offer secondary support of wire harnesses. Leary noted that it prevents inconsistent installations, increases safety, and offers more consistency.

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics

Ryan Reid, Account Manager, STC and Distribution/Chief Pilot at Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, presented the new FLEX Digital Standby Package, including an attitude indicator, counter drum encoding altimeter, and airspeed indicator.

The company also has new TB14 and TB28-12V lithium-ion batteries. According to Brett Williams, Vice President of Engineering, these are lightweight and long-lasting. Williams mentioned that their AML STC is “right around the corner.”

The TB28-12V advanced lithium-ion battery (Photo: True Blue Power)

PS Engineering

Gary Picou, VP of Engineering at PS Engineering Inc., discussed the new HUB50 audio management system, which was first revealed at Heli-Expo. The HUB50 offers configurations of more than 250 different parameters and does not rely on adapters or memory modules, according to Picou. There are also some system improvements made to the PAC45, including expandable intercom stations to 20 seats; day/night mode lighting adjustments; and a new user configuration DIP switch for PAC45/PAC45D series.

Cabin Management Solutions

David Feuerhak, Vice President of Sales at CMS, introduced EXPLORE, a next-generation 3D interactive moving map. He noted that it allows for custom configuration of flight information pages.

EXPLORE offers both Ethernet and optional Wi-FI for PED (personal entertainment device) interface. In the third quarter of 2023, CMS will also offer an optional flight deck controller.

AeroLEDs

AeroLEDs provides LED aircraft lighting solutions. The company announced the new SUNSPOT 36-4000 Series 75W LEDs at the AEA Convention. The product has previously been offered with 45W and 100W options. The 75W version boasts 200,000+ candela, the industry’s highest candela for a PAR36 LED landing light.

Airtext

Jonathan Pinson, General Manager of Airtext, introduced Airtext+, ideal for offering an internet alternative at a lower installation cost and with lower usage fees. It can be used to offer supplemental connectivity for large aircraft, or aircraft with international operations, and is also valuable for use in smaller aircraft. Airtext has also developed a new 14.6″ Bulkhead Moving Map along with a new Bluetooth handset for cabin audio calls.

Another new offering from Airtext to enhance the passenger experience is the “Oasis Above the Clouds,” or OATC. It provides a simple interface to control and explore cabin amenities as well as a Wi-Fi interface without requiring an internet connection and antenna. According to Pinson, it provides a way to put new technology into an aging airframe.

Collins Aerospace

Marc Ayala, Senior Director of Business & Regional Avionics Sales at Collins Aerospace, talked about the company’s plans for 2023 as well as its achievements in 2022.

Ayala announced a cabin management upgrade that will be available later this year—the WAP-6000 (wireless access points). The product maximizes 4K streaming and high-definition content for multiple devices. It is Wi-Fi 6 capable. and there is an option for remote mounting.

Collins also expects to complete the AML STC in Q2 of this year for its 5G resilient radar altimeters, ALT 1000+ and ALT 4000+. Also available in the second quarter of this year is Collins’ mobile application that enables a connectivity ecosystem for business jets. The application allows for predictive maintenance and offers flight data analytics in real-time.

ALTO AVIATION

VP of Sales & Marketing, Kevin Hayes, announced a complete series of new base receptacles offered by Alto Aviation. All are fully compatible with the company’s Articulating Arm Tablet Holder.

Blue Avionics

Blue Avionics designs and manufactures certified adaptable avionics products and systems. The company introduced the BA-650 A3U during the New Product Introductions at AEA.

Blue Avionics also announced several new STCs/certifications, along with new avionics functions. The company hinted at two new products that are in development now—keep an eye out for further details.

Garmin

Garmin introduced PlaneSync Connected Aircraft Management and the GDL 60 Datalink with PlaneSync technology, which is expected to be available in the third quarter of the year.

With Garmin’s pilot application, users can see in the app if their plane has been serviced before heading to the airport. It streamlines the process of owning and operating an aircraft, and it enables customers to keep tabs on their plane from virtually anywhere.

Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. (TIC)

TIC develops and produces rugged avionic flight line and bench test sets. At the AEA Convention, the company introduced the SDR-OMNI, an all-in-one avionics test set. Its capabilities include surveillance systems (transponders, ADS-B In and Out, FIS-B Weather, and ACAS/TCAS); comm/emergency radios (VHF/UHF radios, HF radios, SELCAL); navigation systems (VOR and ILS, DME, GPS); and antenna/cable testing (VSWR, Distance to Fault, cable/connector insertion loss).

LITEF

Northrop Grumman subsidiary LITEF develops and manufactures navigation and sensor systems. The company showcased the LCR-110, a small inertial reference system. It is designed as an alternative to classic IRS/INS, and it facilitates more reliable NextGen and SESAR operations of aircraft that do not have IRS/INS because of weight or costs.

Texas Aerospace Technologies

Texas Aerospace Technologies supplies next-generation and advanced avionics products to enhance flight safety through distribution and certification. The company has partnered with Curtiss-Wright, LITEF, Teledyne Controls, Genesys Aerosystems, AEM, and other leading OEMs. “The magnetic variation table to convert true heading into magnetic heading is hosted in the Installation Data Module, allowing a Mag Variation update in the field without a software update of the IRU,” Texas Aerospace Technologies shared.

Archangel Systems

Dan Reida, director of sales, introduced the AFC100AC—the company’s latest digital to analog converter. The AFC line was designed to bridge the gap between ADAHRS and ATI instruments, and it enables efficient automatic flight control. The AFC001 model was developed to support the company’s TSO-approved Air Data Attitude Heading Reference Systems (ADAHRS) for use with analog flight control systems.

Jupiter Avionics

Bryan Hart, Sales/Marketing Director at Jupiter Avionics, introduced 12 new products at the AEA Convention this week. These included the JA72-510/610—a dual USB-C glove box with optional Bluetooth—and the JA74-510/610, a dual USB-C charger with optional Bluetooth as well. Other new products are the dual six channel mixing amplifier, JA94-R62A; the power converter (10V to 32V input), JPC-1032; and the panel protector—JA71-PP1x—among several others.

Genesys Aerosystems

Genesys introduced the Airbus H125 Single Engine IFR Operations STC project, which is scheduled for completion by the second half of 2024. This includes the Genesys Avionics Suite, made up of dual IDU-680 EFIS displays, VHF NAV/COM aircraft digital radio, IFR helicopter autopilot, dual redundant ADAHRS, dual GPS/FMS, and other equipment that is required to achieve IFR certification.

The Genesys IFR helicopter autopilot has a new 4-axis functionality. Genesys also announced its UHF Airborne Radio for fixed-wing and helicopter platforms.

Gables Engineering

Gables showcased its G7324 touchscreen radio controller for Genesys Aerosystems’ digital radio series. Rick Finale, SVP Engineering & Business Development, shared details of the controller’s dimensions (1.485″ x 5.735″ x 0.376″) and electrical requirements (power 28 VDC, 10W [max]).

AEM (Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp.)

Steve Broderick of AEM introduced the MTR138-000GNW Mission Transceiver Remote Radio. Some of its advantages include a narrowband/wideband remote-mount transceiver; its coverage of a frequency band from 138MHz to 174MHx; and its ability to interface with a glass cockpit or panel-mount controller.

Avidyne

Tom Harper, Director of Marketing at Avidyne, shared the company’s Vantage12 upgrade for Cirrus, which includes dual AHRS for redundancy, and is expected to receive certification by the end of 2023.

Avidyne previously announced the HELIX Integrated Flight Deck at Heli-Expo. It will be available later this year, according to Harper.

Applied Avionics

Joe Stiffler, NEXSYS Product Line Manager, announced the embedding of signal processors into the form factors they already provide. NEXYS LYNK is the company’s integrated signal processor, featuring 28 addressable I/O pins and an internal momentary switch to allow for human-machine interface.

SKYTRAC

Reuben Mann, Head of Marketing at SKYTRAC, revealed the SkyLink 7100. The compact communications terminal offers 4G/LTE and Iridium Certus broadband satellite technology.

Flight Data Systems

Flight Data Systems manufactures avionics and instruments. The company just announced that it has completed Approved Model List (AML) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the TSO’d SENTRY Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) with Recorder Independent Power Supply (RIPS), SENTRY Cockpit Controller, and SENTRY Cockpit Area Microphone (CAM) by Canada West Avionics. FDS carries out readout services under EASA/UK approvals that enable customers to build the foundation of their flight data safety analysis programs. Its readout services also conform to ICAO and FAA recommendations.

Aspen Avionics

Andy Smith introduced Aspen Avionics’ new Pro MAX Series v2.12 software, including details about improvements to autopilot integration and the user interface. Mark Ferrari commented on the new software release following FAA approval in February, saying, “Aspen’s Pro MAX PFD coupled with the Garmin GFC600 autopilot enhances and expands the basic autopilot function and streamlines the controls, reducing workload and removes the need for some external adapters. When combined with all the features and benefits of Aspen’s glass panel technology, flying becomes easier and safer, especially for single pilot IFR missions.”

VIAVI Solutions

Mark Anderson commented that VIAVI has “2.5 product announcements” at the AEA Convention. First, the PSD90-3 Fuel Quantity Test Set was introduced. It features a new modern architecture and design, and it can replace current Fuel Quantity Test Sets as a single test solution. Users can use either Auto or Manual mode to detect and isolate contaminated fuel probes.

VIAVI also revealed the AVX-10K Flight Line Test Set and the UC-584 Stub Style Transponder Antenna Adaptor.

Southeast Aerospace (SEA)

Luke Gomoll, Aircraft Modification Sales Representative at Southeast Aerospace, talked about SEA’s IVSI and ESI STCs. The IVSI STC offers an alternative to expensive repairs for unreliable IVSI units and it includes integration with TCAS II and Resolution Advisories display. The ESI STC enables optional interfaces of GPS, Heading, and Navigation.

Innovative Advantage

Bill Dalton, Technical Program Manager at Innovative Advantage, covered the company’s Audio Video Distribution System (AVDS) Node Box in addition to new offerings: a Bluetooth adapter that enables customers to listen to music with their wireless headphones via the IFE system; an HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC); and a Signal Converter Box (SCB).

One Mile Up

Gene Velazquez, president and founder of One Mile Up, showcased their Panel Planner software that enables users to design and fabricate instrument panels for general aviation. He noted that their booth at the AEA Convention is displaying new products, including the Harness Planner, which is produced at Nelson Aviation’s wiring harness production facility in Florida.

Panel Planner (Photo: One Mile Up)

Harness Planner (Photo: One Mile Up)

Laversab

Laversab builds avionics RF and air data test sets. Kerry Nabors, Aviation Systems Manager at Laversab, highlighted the Laversab ARTS-7000, a multifunction all-in-one Avionics Radio Test System (ARTS). The optional GPS simulator offers fixed and motion modes, full-constellation GPS output, and intuitive route creation.

Flightcell

New Zealand-based Flightcell’s latest innovation is an all-in-one satellite voice solution, Flightcell SVS. The product provides worldwide voice communications over the Iridium Satellite network, including bi-directional calling between air traffic control and the aircraft. It also includes safety voice calling levels: emergency, high, low, and no priority.

SmartSky Networks

Sean P. Reilly, VP Digital Solutions & Air Transport, introduced a new product from the company: SmartSky Private Intranet. It’s an air-to-ground system with very low latency that enables real-time transfer of data, according to Reilly. It also allows for live streaming, video conferencing, gaming, and sending photos or videos.

CCX Technologies

CCX unveiled its T-RX GPS to a new audience at the New Product Introductions event this week. The T-RX GPS has previously been showcased at various other events. It has a secure and intuitive user interface, and it’s lightweight and portable. The T-RX GPS also has a software-based architecture that allows for upgrades to the device.

Universal Avionics

Universal Avionics (UA) announced earlier this year that it has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) authorization of the first Aperture visual data management solution as of January. Its optimized hardware includes eight A818 input channels and four A818 output channels. Aperture has a Design Assurance Level A (DAL A), a multi-core CPU, and two X AI dedicated processing units. UA is working to expand capabilities of Aperture to include additional video/sensor channels as well as low latency video aggregation and manipulation.

Raptor Scientific

Raptor Scientific provides engineering, testing and measurement services. This includes designing and manufacturing mass properties, air data test technology, and radar cross section measurement instruments. Highlighted at the New Product Introductions event was the Raptor ADTS-3250. Production of this pitot static test set is expected to kick off in June.

The post New Product Introductions at AEA 2023 appeared first on Avionics International.

Northrop Grumman In Build Phase Of SDA’s Satellite Mesh Network After Successful Critical Design Review

Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

A little over a year after winning a Space Development Agency (SDA) contract to provide satellites for a low-Earth orbit mesh communications network, Northrop Grumman [NOC] recently completed the critical design review (CDR), paving the way to begin building its spacecraft for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL), the company said on Tuesday.

Northrop Grumman’s contract calls for launch of the first of 21 of 42 T1TL satellites by September 2024, 32 months after contract award. The remaining satellites will be launched about three months later.

Northrop Grumman is demonstrating its ability to be “fast and responsive to the threat,” Blake Bullock, vice president, Communications Systems, Strategic Space Systems for Northrop Grumman, told Defense Daily on April 17 at the annual Space Symposium. “It’s a game changer for the Defense Department.”

SDA awarded Northrop Grumman contracts for 56 satellites, including 42 for the T1TL portion of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The T1TL will be a network of communications satellites that can link with other space as well as terrestrial assets as part of the DoD’s vision of a highly connected battlespace that it sums up as Joint All Domain Command and Control, or JADC2.

The transport layer satellites will include Link 16 datalinks, which are widely proliferated across warfighting assets, advancing the JADC2 vision.

Lockheed Martin [LMT] and York Space Systems are also building 42 satellites each for T1TL. All of the satellites, including Northrop Grumman’s, will communicate with each other via optical communications links.

Northrop Grumman is also building 14 satellites for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer, which will provide missile warning and tracking information as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The company recently completed a preliminary design review for the tracking layer.

Under Tranche 0 of the Transport Layer effort, Lockheed Martin and York Space Systems are supplying 10 satellites each to SDA. SpaceX and L3Harris Technologies [LHX] are supplying Tracking Layer satellites under Tranche 0 and L3Harris [LHX] is also under contract for Tranche 1 Tracking Layer spacecraft.

Northrop Grumman is partnered with Airbus Group, which is providing the satellite bus for the spacecraft. Production of the T1TL satellites will begin later this year.

This story was first published by Avionics International’s sister publication, Defense Daily.

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Monthly Archives: April 2023