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Airbus-Boeing Resolution Commits to Transparency on Government Funding for Aircraft R&D

The new agreement established between the European Union and U.S. will suspend tariffs enacted by both sides as part of a 17-year dispute over government subsidies on aircraft production, including the Airbus A220 facility located in Mobile, Alabama, pictured here. (Airbus)

Under a new agreement between European Union (EU) and United States (U.S.) officials announced on June 15, tariffs on large aircraft parts and components have been suspended by both sides for a period of five years that resolves a 17-year trade dispute involving Airbus and Boeing.

According to the cooperative framework published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), a key provision within the new agreement is that both sides will be subjected to a more open and transparent process in the way that they government funding supports research and development of new aircraft programs and technologies developed by Airbus and Boeing.

“Each side intends to provide any funding for research and development (R&D) for large civil aircraft to its [Large Civil Aircraft] LCA producer through an open and transparent process and intends to make the results of fully government-funded R&D widely available, to the extent permitted by law,” the framework reads. “Each side intends not to provide R&D funding or other support that is specific to its LCA producer in a way that would cause negative effects to the other side.”

A working group established by the new agreement will meet “upon request” twice a year, according to the agreement, and will serve as a bilateral resolution board when disputes arise between the two sides. There will also be an effort by the working group to analyze the “non-market practice of third parties that may harm their respective large civil aircraft industries.”

A statement on the agreement published by the European Commission valued the total of the suspended tariffs at $11.5 billion.

“With this agreement, we are grounding the Airbus-Boeing dispute. It proves that the transatlantic relationship is now moving to the next level and that we can work with the US on tackling long-running disputes,” European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement. “We now have time and space to find a lasting solution through our new Working Group on Aircraft, while saving billions of euros in duties for importers on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The dispute originally began in 2004, after a World Trade Organization (WTO) case filed by the U.S. against the EU claiming that Airbus was being illegally subsidized by the EU. A follow-up WTO complaint against the U.S. was filed by the EU the next year, kicking off the tariff battle between the two sides.

In 2019, the feud was reignited by WTO Large Civil Aircraft litigation which involved EU subsidies equaling $7.5 billion annually, according to the USTR. The U.S. determined they were denied rights under the WTO Agreement and placed additional duties on products from certain EU member states in Oct. 2019.

The tariff battle escalated in January when new tariffs were enacted by USTR on fuselages and fuselage sections, wings and wing assemblies, and horizontal and vertical stabilizers in response to tariffs enacted by the EU in November 2020.

“After years of bitter litigation and weeks of intense diplomacy, we have reached a deal on a set of high-level principles that resets U.S.-EU engagement in the large civil aircraft industry,” U.S. Ambassador Katherine Tai said in a statement.

Boeing released a statement welcoming the new agreement, describing it as a path toward ensuring that all future government support for commercial aircraft production is “provided on market terms.”

“The understanding reached today commits the EU to addressing launch aid, and leaves in place the necessary rules to ensure that the EU and United States live up to that commitment, without requiring further WTO action. Boeing will fully support the U.S. Government’s efforts to ensure that the principles in this understanding are respected,” Boeing said in the statement.

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Lilium Details Certification Path for 7-Seater Jet

Lilium is testing components for its eVTOL aircraft which it hopes to certify with EASA and the FAA by 2024. (Lilium)

While many electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft makers have predicted a launch in 2024, few have detailed exactly how they plan to get there. In a recent blog post from Lilium, Yves Yemsi, Lilium’s chief program officer, and Bhavesh Mandalia, Lilium’s head of airworthiness, detail how the company’s 7-Seater Jet is expected to reach certification in just three years.

Lilium is seeking concurrent certification for its 7-Seater Jet from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This will be completed under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), Yemsi and Mandalia said.

“Our choice to concurrently certify our aircraft with both EASA and the FAA demonstrates our commitment that Lilium’s service meets the most rigorous safety standards and is acceptable globally in markets that follow these certification standards,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post.

Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet design was announced in April and features an architecture based on efficient cruise flight for regional air mobility. The aircraft will have forward canards, main wings, and a distributed propulsion system with 36 individually controlled flaps each containing an embedded ducted fan.

While acknowledging the ambitions of its certification timeline, Lilium says it is on track to launch its eVTOL in 2024. (Lilium)

The type certification process follows seven steps which must be completed in the following order: define and agree to working methods for development and certification of the aircraft, technical familiarization of the aircraft and the establishment of initial certification basis, agreement on the certification program and level of involvement from regulators, detailed design, production and assembly, testing and compliance demonstration, technical closure and issue of a type certificate.

“Within these frameworks, our role in the development of the 7-Seater Jet is to collaborate with regulators to champion the design and demonstrate a robust process for the verification of applicable requirements,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post. “Lilium first applied for a Type-Certificate in 2017 through EASA and requested FAA validation as early as 2018 – and we’ve been working hand in hand with both authorities ever since.”

Yemsi and Mandalia acknowledge the ambitions of a 2024 entry into service goal in the post but say that they are confident in the program timeline. They detail the regulatory framework, aircraft complexity and novelty, aircraft size, and mission profile all as drivers of complexity and risk within a certification program.

“Our goal, therefore, has been to leverage existing aircraft design and certification principles, the inherent advantages of our aircraft architecture where possible, while at the same time actively working to mitigate downstream risks in areas that are novel or unproven in this new sector,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post.

Yemsi and Mandalia said Lilium is using about 30 times fewer parts than an average commercial airliner on its 7-Seater Jet. This will result in shorter timelines and fewer components to validate and verify.

The Lilium team has also followed a validation and verification (V and V) process where requirements are validated and cascaded down to the component level of the aircraft and then the aircraft is verified with a program of analysis, followed by ground and flight testing with regulators.

“This rigorous process is designed so that every single requirement can be demonstrated to the potential satisfaction of our regulators and allows us to leverage decades of well-established safety standards for aircraft development,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post.

In 2020, EASA issued a certification basis applicable for Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet, CRI-A01, which will provide a foundation for certification of the propulsion systems, noise requirements, airframe and minimum equipment, and standards for flight crew training. Lilium is working on the next steps to get a G-1 issue paper for certification basis with the FAA.

The 7-Seater Jet’s next milestones will be to complete a preliminary design review, detailed design of all components, critical design review, component and systems build and test phase, assembly of its conforming aircraft, ground testing, and flight-testing campaign.

“We expect that our flight test campaign will rely on six or more prototype aircraft for testing to ensure our ability to efficiently test different configurations of the aircraft, and perform numerous flight tests in parallel,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post.

While there are many tasks to overcome before Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet is certified, Yemsi and Mandalia said the company is on track for the first flight of its certified aircraft and its launch in 2024.

“We are in ongoing and concurrent engagement with both EASA and FAA to understand the airworthiness requirements and agree on means of compliance for our aircraft as we develop them,” Yemsi and Mandalia write in the blog post. “These efforts help to guide our program development team. We are on track for the first flight of a certified aircraft and welcoming you on board in 2024.”

Lilium recently announced that it was partnering with Honeywell Aerospace for avionics and flight control systems for the 7-Seater Jet. Lilium has also announced Luxaviation Group as a partner to support its eVTOL operations in Europe.

The post Lilium Details Certification Path for 7-Seater Jet appeared first on Aviation Today.

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Xeriant Has Joined XTI to Develop the TriFan 600

The TriFan 600 will have VTOL range of 750 miles with speeds up to 345 mph.

Xeriant has signed an agreement to develop a hybrid-electric fixed-wing long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the TriFan 600, under a new joint venture with XTI Aircraft, according to a June 14 announcement from the company.

“As we look at these majestic aircraft, we see how the industry has evolved as new technologies have enabled new capabilities and missions, dynamic with it continues today,” Keith Duffy, the CEO of Xeriant, the Florida-based aerospace investment firm, said during the June 14 press conference. “We are at an inflection point in the industry, a transitional period of innovation unlike any other in history, which promises greater accessibility to aerial mobility with a reduced environmental footprint, through the development of revolutionary new VTOL aircraft with electric or hybrid-electric propulsion.”

The TriFan 600 will have VTOL range of 750 miles with speeds up to 345 mph, CEO of XTI, Bob LaBelle, said during the press conference. The aircraft will fly at altitudes up to 29,000 feet and will be able to seat nine passengers when used as an air taxi.

Xeriant has signed an agreement to develop a hybrid-electric fixed-wing long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the TriFan 600, with XTI Aircraft company.

“We have developed this hybrid-electric propulsion system that allows this airplane to fly very economically long distance, high speed, high altitude, and conduct many missions,” LaBelle said.

XTI is developing the TriFan 600’s propulsion system with GE Aviation, LaBelle said. The propulsion system will consist of a GE catalyst engine which will power generators that power the electric motors. The aircraft will also include three batteries to provide supplemental lift in vertical mode and that can be recharged during flight.

“We’re using batteries in series with the engine to provide a what we call a series hybrid system,” LaBelle said. “The batteries provide extra boost on vertical takeoff and then when you’re cruising, the batteries are off and the airplane flies on a much more efficient engine that burns less fuel, and that powers a generator which then powers these electric motors in each of the two fans because the rear fan is turned off.”

The TriFan 600 will be used for point-to-point passenger transport and could be used for business commuter aviation, emergency medical transport, urban air mobility, or military missions.

The aircraft will use fly-by-wire flight controls to reduce pilot workload and it will have a carbon fiber structure to decrease its weight. It will also include a full airframe parachute.

The TriFan 600 will be used for point-to-point passenger transport and could be used for business commuter aviation, emergency medical transport, urban air mobility, or military missions, LaBelle said.

According to LaBelle, the TriFan 600 will reduce direct operation costs by 50 percent, deliver a 40 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions, and reduced noise by 50 percent.

“We’re going to reduce emissions, provide point-to-point travel, and there’s a huge opportunity where there isn’t as much infrastructure as we see here in the United States,” LaBelle said. “So, you know, you don’t have to build new runways, you can still go far and fast. So, this is what we’re delivering to the market.”

LaBelle said the TriFan 600 will be certified under available Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations instead of having to create new regulations as with other air taxi models.

“One of the big things I’d like to emphasize is that we don’t need a whole new set of regulations to fly this,” LaBelle said. “We’re going to certify under currently available FAA regulations, and we also, again, don’t need charging recharging. We don’t need new runways; we can operate perfectly within the current National Airspace System of this country or any other country.”

XTI predicts that the TriFan 600 will take its first test flights in 2022 with certification expected by 2024.

While the current design of the TriFan 600 will not be a zero-emissions aircraft XTI has a plan to make it one in the future, LaBelle said. This could involve solutions like replacing the engine with applicable batteries or using a hydrogen fuel cell system.

“We do have a very clear pathway, we think, to zero emissions,” LaBelle said. “Taking the engine out of the aircraft, it’s a long way down the road, but batteries are a possibility…There’s unknown breakthroughs that will occur over time which will benefit that but if the energy density that’s in batteries versus a gallon of fuel is comparable. The other one that’s promising is hydrogen fuel cells and or other types of hydrogen fuel systems, and my personal belief is that those have a much more logical progression to potentially being installed in an aircraft like this or even larger ones.”

The TriFan 600, which will sell for $6.5 million, already has 202 reservations, and 40 aircraft that are on firm purchase order which will equal $260 million in future sales, LaBelle said. They also have 122 reservations globally which will bring in $793 million in future sales.

The post Xeriant Has Joined XTI to Develop the TriFan 600 appeared first on Aviation Today.

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What’s Trending in Aerospace – June 13, 2021

Check out the June 13 edition of What’s Trending in Aerospace, where editors and contributors for Avionics International bring you some of the latest headlines and updates happening across the global aerospace industry.

Commercial

Lufthansa Responds to Increase in Summer Travel Demand with Airbus A350, Boeing 747-8

Lufthansa is re-positioning two of its wide-body aircraft, the Airbus A350—pictured here—and the Boeing 747-8 on summer vacation routes in response to an increase in demand generated by passengers flying from Munich and Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca. (Lufthansa)

Lufthansa is responding to an increase in demand from passengers for travel to popular German vacation destinations and routes by re-positioning an Airbus A350 and a Boeing 747-8 for flights to Palma de Mallorca from both Frankfurt and Munich.

The booking figures for Palma de Mallorca have increased 25 times between April and the beginning of June 2021, according to a June 11 press release.

“The airline will be operating a Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca four Saturdays in a row during the upcoming summer vacation in Hesse,” Lufthansa said in the release. “Additionally, the airline also plans to operate an Airbus A350 from Munich to the Balearic Island at the start of the summer vacation in Bavaria. Although these routes are normally operated by an Airbus A321, on 31 July, two wide-body Lufthansa aircraft will be arriving on Palma de Mallorca.”

French Aerospace OEMs Launch New Study of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, ONERA and Ministry of Transport are jointly launching an in-flight study, at the end of 2021, to analyze the compatibility of unblended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with single-aisle aircraft and commercial aircraft engine and fuel systems, as well as with helicopter engines, according to a June 10 press release.

Known as VOLCAN (VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux), this project is the first time that in-flight emissions will be measured using 100% SAF in a single-aisle aircraft, according to the release.

“Airbus is responsible for characterizing and analyzing the impact of 100% SAF on-ground and in-flight emissions using an A320neo test aircraft powered by a CFM LEAP-1A engine. Safran will focus on compatibility studies related to the fuel system and engine adaptation for commercial and helicopter aircraft and their optimization for various types of 100% SAF fuels,” Airbus said in the release. “ONERA will support Airbus and Safran in analyzing the compatibility of the fuel with aircraft systems and will be in charge of preparing, analyzing and interpreting test results for the impact of 100% SAF on emissions and contrail formation. In addition, Dassault Aviation will contribute to the material and equipment compatibility studies and verify 100% SAF bio-contamination susceptibility.

Military

First TH-73A Training Helicopter Delivered to the Navy

Leonardo delivered the first of 130 TH-73A training helicopters to the U.S. Navy on June 10. (Leonardo)

Leonardo delivered the first of 130 TH-73A training helicopters to the U.S. Navy on June 10, the company announced in a press release.

The Department of Defense originally awarded Leonardo a contract for 32 TH-73A aircraft in January 2020 and increased the contract by 36 helicopters in November in 2020, according to the release.

“The U.S. Navy expects the highest quality of training for its future aviators,” Gian Piero Cutillo, Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director, said in a statement. “We are honored to start delivery of the product chosen for this critical task. Today is just the beginning of a journey we have undertaken to support the Navy as it shapes the capabilities of future generations of aviation students.”

MQ-25 Model Conducts First Unmanned Aerial Refueling

The Boeing MQ-25 T1 test asset transfers fuel to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet on June 4, marking the first time in history that an unmanned aircraft has refueled another aircraft. The MQ-25 Stingray will assume the carrier-based tanking role currently performed by F/A-18s, allowing for better use of the combat strike fighters and helping extend the range of the carrier air wing. (Photo: Kevin Flynn)

The Boeing MQ-25A test asset, called T-1, conducted the first ever unmanned tanker to manned aircraft aerial refueling operation last week, the Navy announced June 7.

This flight demonstration proved the MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned tanker can fulfill its stated role using the standard probe-and-drogue aerial refueling method, the Navy and Boeing said.

The flight test was based around the MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., where the T-1 is based for testing. During the flight test on June 4, a Navy F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet approached the unmanned T-1 in close formation behind it, conducted a formation evaluation, wake survey, drogue tracking and then plugged into the T-1. The T-1 successfully transferred fuel from its Aerial Refueling Store (ARS) to the Super Hornet.

Boeing said this maneuver required as little as 20 feet of separation between the aircraft and both were flying at “operationally relevant speeds and altitudes.”

Raytheon Lands Possible $3.1 Billion Contract for F-15EX Radar

The F-15EX first arrived at Eglin Air Force Base in March to begin testing with the U.S. Air Force. (Boeing)

The U.S. Air Force on June 9 awarded Raytheon Technologies a contract worth up to $3.1 billion for the production, modernization, and support of APG-82 Eagle Vision radars for Boeing F-15EXs and possibly other foreign and domestic F-15s.

The contract is valid through 2036 and does not include any immediate delivery orders for Foreign Military Sales (FMS), “but does allow for future FMS orders,” the Air Force said. Raytheon is to build the radars at the company’s El Segundo, Calif. plant.

In 2010, Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles received the the first APG-82s to replace the aircraft’s Raytheon APG-70 radar, first fielded in 1987.

In 2019, under the B-52 bomber’s radar modernization program (RMP), Boeing picked Raytheon to design and build an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, based on AESA technologies in Raytheon’s APG-79/APG-82 family, to replace the bomber’s APQ-166 terrain-following and mapping radars by Northrop Grumman .

David Rockwell, a senior military electronics analyst at the Teal Group, said last year that the “new normal” for military radar programs involves just two companies, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, and “de facto non-competitive pricing for AESA upgrades.”

Connectivity

SmartSky Opens Southeast Corridor, Remains on Track for 2021 Launch

SmartSky Networks announced the completion of all technical milestones and the opening of the first fully operational coverage zone of its next-generation inflight communications network, enabling route-based flight demonstrations and marking an inflection point on its path to certification and commercial launch later this year.

SmartSky has now proven it can provide office-grade, bi-directional, multi-Mbps inflight connectivity with very low latency for business jet and turboprop flights transiting the network’s Southeastern corridor that covers a large contiguous portion of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

“While our primary goal remains lighting up the remainder of the nationwide network in the coming months, today we are showcasing the unparalleled inflight networking capabilities and advanced services that SmartSky is bringing to market for the connected aircraft ecosystem of operators, manufacturers, service providers and passengers,” SmartSky Networks CEO David Helfgott said in a June 10 press release.

SpaceX, Telesat Forecast 90% of IFC Service in 10 Years Will Be LEO

SpaceX, OneWeb, and Telesat executives discuss Low-Earth Orbit options for In-Flight Connectivity at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit.

SpaceX, OneWeb, and Telesat executives agree that in 10 years, most aviation connectivity will come through satellites in Low-Earth Orbit — a major shift from the primarily Geostationary (GEO) service of today.

Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of Starlink Commercial Sales for SpaceX was bullish, forecasting that 90 percent or more of In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) service will come from LEO in the next decade

“Passengers and customers want a great experience that GEO systems simply cannot provide. It’s going to be up to the individual airline whether they want to be responsive to that — or if they there are OK with having a system that is not as responsive to their customers’ demands,” Hofeller said Wednesday, speaking virtually at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit.

Embedded Avionics

Curtiss Wright Awarded Contract to Upgrade US Navy Seahawk Helicopter Mission, Flight Management Computers

U.S. Navy’s MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter is getting a flight management and mission computer upgrade. (Lockheed Martin)

Curtiss-Wright Corp. was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin to provide its Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) computers and video processing modules to upgrade the mission computer and flight management computer (MC/FMC) on the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters, according to a June 7 press release.

The initial contract is valued at $24 million, with an estimated lifetime value of $70 million.

Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright is providing Lockheed Martin with rugged single board computers and video processing modules. The modules result from Curtiss-Wright’s Modified COTS program, which enables system integrators to upgrade individual modules in their legacy systems without having to replace the entire system, significantly speeding delivery of advanced technology to the warfighter. Shipments began in December 2020.

Unmanned

FAA Forms New Rulemaking Committee to Advance BVLOS Drone Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created a new aviation rulemaking committee to develop a regulatory path for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson announced at the FAA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Symposium on June 9.

“I’m very pleased to announce that the FAA is forming a new aviation rulemaking committee for ARC [Aviation Rulemaking Committee], to help us develop a regulatory path for routine beyond visual line of sight operations,” Dickson said. “This committee will consider the safety, security and environmental needs as well as societal benefits of these operations.”

BVLOS drone operations will be key to enabling routine package delivery and infrastructure inspections, Dickson said.

Dickson said the committee would be submitting its recommendations to the FAA within six months.

eVTOLs

Archer Unveils Maker eVTOL

Archer held a live unveiling of its new Maker eVTOL aircraft in California last week. (Archer Aviation)

California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) aircraft developer Archer, debuted its Maker aircraft during an unveiling event June 10.

Maker is being developed with a range of 60 miles and a cruising speed of 150 mph.

“Maker’s unveil has been years in the making and marks a pivotal juncture for the eVTOL industry and future of transportation,” said Brett Adcock, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer. “Every day at Archer, we’re working to build the future, and we have never felt closer than we did introducing the world to Maker.”

Vertical Aerospace to be Publicly Traded After Merger with Broadstone

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL, the VA-X4, has a range of over 100 miles with a top speed of 202 mph and a five-person capacity. (Vertical Aerospace)

The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace is becoming a publicly traded company with a value of $2.2 billion after a merger with Broadstone Acquisition Corp, an acquisition company, according to a June 10 release.

“This is the most exciting time in aviation for almost a century; electrification will transform flying in the 21st century in the same way the jet engine did 70 years ago,” Stephen Fitzpatrick, Vertical CEO and Founder, said in a statement. “Today’s announcement brings together some of the largest and most respected technology and aeronautical businesses in the world and together we can achieve our aim of making the VA-X4 the first zero carbon aircraft that most people will fly on. The United Kingdom is already a global leader in aerospace innovation and we believe Vertical Aerospace will be the British engineering champion to drive the aviation industry forward.”

The company also announced investments from American Airlines, Avolon, Honeywell, and Rolls-Royce.

“Emerging technologies are critical in the race to reduce carbon emissions and we are excited to partner with Vertical to develop the next generation of electric aircraft,” Derek Kerr, Chief Financial Officer of American Airlines said in a statement. “For years, American has led the industry in investing in newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft. Today’s partnership is another example of that commitment, and an investment in the future of air mobility. We are excited about the prospect of what this could mean for our customers, and our company.”

Vertical Aerospace now has pre-orders for up to 1,000 of its VA-X4 aircraft which is set to take its first test flight this year and launching commercially in 2024.

Honeywell to Provide Avionics and Flight Control Systems for Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet

Lilium has a new partnership with Honeywell Aerospace to create the avionics and flight control systems for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the 7-Seater Jet, the company announced on June 9.

“Honeywell has a decades-long track record of developing and certifying avionics and safety systems for leading aerospace companies and has worked alongside Lilium to develop a bespoke solution for our aircraft,” Yves Yemsi, Chief Program Officer at Lilium, said in a statement. “We are proud that Honeywell is joining our roster of world-class aviation partners and also as one of our investors as we prepare to launch commercial operations in 2024.”

Lilium debuted its 7-Seater Jet design in April which features an architecture based on efficient cruise flight for regional air mobility. The aircraft will have a range of 200 kilometers and speeds up to 300 kph. The aircraft uses forward canards, main wings, and a distributed propulsion system with 36 individually controlled flaps each containing an embedded ducted fan.

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PODCAST: OneWeb, SpaceX and Telesat Talk Future of LEO Connectivity for Airlines

Aviation connectivity leadership from OneWeb Satellites, SpaceX and Telesat discuss future LEO development for airlines.

On this episode of the Connected Aircraft Podcast, we’re featuring a replay of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity panel from our Connected Aviation Intelligence program.

The panel we’re featuring is the “The LEO Revolution is Underway in Satellite: What Does it Mean for Airlines?” with guest speakers, Manik Vinnakota, Director, Commercial and Product Development, Telesat, Ben Griffin, Vice President, Mobility, OneWeb Satellites, and Jonathan Hofeller, Vice President of Starlink Commercial Sales, SpaceX.

We have seen major announcements from SpaceX, Telesat, and OneWeb regarding their LEO constellations. The era of LEO is here and what does this mean for the airlines? Will they be looking at the LEO option much more seriously compared to traditional GEO satellites in the future? With a LEO revolution taking place in satellite, the panel examines how much of an impact these players could have in the IFC arena.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

Listen to this episode below, or check it out on iTunes or Google Play If you like the show, subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they’re released.

FREE REGISTRATION: Connected Aviation Intelligence on-demand replay – https://www.gcasummit.com/agenda/

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Avolon Orders 500 of Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL aircraft in $2 Billion Deal

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL, the VA-X4, has a range of over 100 miles with a top speed of 202 mph and a five-person capacity. (Vertical Aerospace)

Avolon, an international aircraft leasing company, announced an order of up to 500 of Vertical Aerospace’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in a deal that could total $2 billion, according to a June 11 press release.

“Avolon is proud to be a launch customer for the VA-X4 aircraft, demonstrating our commitment to a net zero carbon economy and to driving innovation in the global aviation sector,” Dómhnal Slattery, Avolon CEO, said in a statement. “Our order with Vertical will also accelerate the inevitable commercial roll-out of zero emissions aircraft. Before the end of this decade, we expect zero emission urban air mobility, enabled by eVTOLs, to play an increasingly important role in the global commercial aviation market.”

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL, the VA-X4, has a range of over 100 miles with a top speed of 202 mph and a five-person capacity, according to the company’s website. Vertical Aerospace is expecting the VA-X4 to be certified in 2024. The aircraft is also expected to take its first test flight this year.

“We are delighted to announce this aircraft order with Avolon, one of the leading aircraft lessors in the world,” Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said in a statement. “Avolon’s proven management team and strong track record of starting, and scaling, a global leading business made this an attractive opportunity and represents a critical milestone for us. This agreement, with an established aviation company like Avolon will allow us to plug into their global commercial network of airlines, reaching key decision makers in a fast and efficient manner.”

Vertical Aerospace is expecting the VA-X4 to be certified in 2024. The aircraft is also expected to take its first test flight this year. (Vertical Aerospace)

The companies will also collaborate on the development, certification, and commercial roll-out of the VA-X4, according to the release.

“Our global scale and deep industry relationships, combined with Vertical’s technological leadership makes this a winning alliance,” Slattery said. “We are excited about the synergies and opportunities that both businesses will bring to the agreement. We believe the global reach of the Avolon platform will accelerate the inevitable adoption of eVTOLs as a new, safe and zero emissions mode of ultra-short-haul air transport.”

Vertical Aerospace’s other partners include Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, American Airlines, Microsoft, and Virgin Atlantic, according to the release.

“This order reaffirms Avolon’s position as an industry pioneer,” Slattery said. “With Vertical, we will revolutionize air travel and continue to reduce the impact of our industry on the environment. In Vertical, we have identified a long-term strategic operator that shares our vision for a cleaner and more efficient mode of air transport. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel will be materially reshaped with airlines needing to embrace emerging technologies that decarbonize air travel. We strongly believe that the VA-X4 will lead this transformation.”

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Insitu Forms Partnership for Drone Operations in the Arctic

The Insitu ScanEagle UAS has flown more than 1.3 million hours in the world’s most challenging conditions. The alliance with Robot Aviation of Hønefoss, Norway and Andøya Space of Andenes, Norway will synergize each company’s capabilities and experience to offer products and services optimized for the harsh environments north of the Arctic Circle where many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) allies operate routinely. (Insitu)

Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, has formed a partnership with two Norwegian companies, Robot Aviation and Andøya Space, to build an unmanned aviation ecosystem made for the Arctic and High North, the company announced in a June 8 press release.

“The Arctic is a place where, you know, one of the world’s most inhospitable environments, kind of collides with the tyranny of incredibly vast distances, right,” Dave Funkhouser, Insitu’s Global Growth Executive for Northern Europe, told Avionics International. “There’s just nowhere else like it really on Earth, but it also presents enormous opportunities and untapped potential that if it’s responsibly developed, it could benefit the entire planet food resources, energy resources mineral resources, things like that. Unmanned aircraft and autonomous systems in general, basically exists to do all dirty and dangerous jobs, but, quite honestly, the reality is most unmanned aircraft systems available on the market today can’t handle the Arctic because they were designed to operate primarily in the deserts and mid-latitudes, since that’s where most of the conflicts over the past 20 or 25 years.”

Most unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that have operated in these environments up to this point have not been optimized for the harsh environments of the region, Funkhouser said. The current technology that would equip an aircraft for these environments is made for larger commercial aircraft that can break or shake ice off of the airplane, however, drones have strict weight and power limitations that would make current methods unusable.

“Traditionally the way you fix that on a commercial airliner is a lot of heating elements and or pneumatic equipment that basically breaks and shakes the ice off the airplane,” Funkhouser said. “Well, that’s great on a big airliner but on smaller aircraft such as Insitu makes, it’s difficult to implement those kinds of technologies either because of the size weight and power limitations, or just the complexity.”

The partnership will focus on the whole UAS ecosystem including drone services. An example of this would be the Integrated Remote Sensing for the Arctic Project (IRSA) which Boeing and international partners participate in, Funkhouser said. This project would create a persistent network of autonomous systems to monitor the Arctic, North Atlantic, the Norwegian Sea, etc.

“Basically, imagine if every fishing fleet, every shipping company, every offshore energy company…have the ability to log on to a network and take a real-time look at what’s happening in a given spot in the Arctic,” Funkhouser said. “We think that would be a pretty valuable service, and in order to provide that we would need platforms that are able to not just survive but thrive in the arctic environment.”

The partnership will start with an exercise hosted this summer called ArcticX21 which will be a demonstration of the IRSA Development Group’s capabilities for Arctic service, Funkhouser said.

“At Andøya’s facility, the IRSA Development Group…will be hosting the first ever exercise called ArcticX21, where we bring several of these capabilities together same time, same place, link them all together, develop the techniques and procedures for employing them together basically in a controlled exercise style environment,” Funkhouser said. “The idea is to learn how to make everything communicate together and function together as one system and present all of that data in a common operating picture that eventually will become the basis of the IRSA project.”

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FAA Forms New Rulemaking Committee to Advance BVLOS Drone Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created a new aviation rulemaking committee to develop a regulatory path for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights.

BVLOS drone operations will be key to enabling routine package delivery and infrastructure inspections, Dickson said.

Dickson said the committee would be submitting its recommendations to the FAA within six months.

“Right now, there are several companies using limited beyond visual line of sight, under existing regulations with waivers to conduct routine surveillance inspection and maintenance tasks for the railroad, electric, oil and gas and communications industries, and we’re learning a lot from this work but the operations…are not truly scalable or economically viable in the mid to long term under today’s rules so we need to change that,” Dickson said.

The new BVLOS recommendations that come out of the committee will work in conjunction with remote ID and operations over people and at night rules which were released in December of 2020 and implemented earlier this year.

“The bigger picture, really, is that remote ID is a necessary ingredient for truly scalable routine beyond visual line of sight operations,” Dickson said. “And of course, as we all know those are key to unleashing the true potential of drones and other highly autonomous vehicles.”

Dickson said the FAA is also continuing to invest in research and programs like BEYOND to create these rules. This research will also include things like unmanned traffic management (UTM) and urban air mobility (UAM) for passenger transport.

“So, of course, we’re heavily invested in making sure that the drone ecosystem will fit hand in glove with our air traffic control system,” Dickson said. “Our answer is UTM, which as you know is a foundational capability needed to unlock the full potential of this important aviation sector. Now based on the work that we’ve done with NASA, we’re planning a regulatory framework based on a federated approach that will allow airspace users to cooperatively manage their operations where the FAA does not actively provide separation services.”

The UTM system will include drones and air taxis or electric vertical take-off and lift (eVTOL) aircraft, Dickson said.

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Honeywell to Provide Avionics and Flight Control Systems for Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet

A rendering of the 7-Seater eVTOL jet which shows the 36 ducted fans. (Lilium)

“The avionics and flight control computers from Honeywell will be a key element for the Lilium Jet’s electronic architecture,” Yemsi said. “Honeywell will integrate an advanced flight deck tailored for Lilium Jet as the central interface to the pilot with a vehicle management computer and a high integrity flight controls computing platform to provide a state-of-the-art Fly-By-Wire solution for the Lilium Jet.”

Honeywell’s compact fly-by-wire system will be used as the flight control system on Lilium’s eVTOL controlling all moveable parts on the aircraft including its ducted fans, according to Lilium.

The aircraft’s other avionics system will also be provided by Honeywell, according to the release. The system will be designed to be flown by a single pilot as well to reduce training time.

“At Honeywell, we believe in the promise of the Urban Air Mobility segment and we see the enormous potential it has to bring about a new age of aviation and forever transform the way we think about flight and transportation,” Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager of Urban Air Mobility at Honeywell, said in a statement. “Lilium shares that vision with us, which has enabled us to forge a fantastic relationship. We’re extremely excited for our avionics to be on board the Lilium Jet, where they will help ensure not only safe operation, but also make it easier for pilots to fly and provide a more comfortable journey for those onboard.”

Honeywell will also participate in the common stock PIPE offering with Lilium’s SPAC transaction with Qell, according to the release.

The Honeywell partnership comes several weeks after Lilium recently announced a partnership with Luxaviation Group to support its eVTOL operations in Europe.

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New Multicore Cockpit Display Earns Design Assurance Level A Regulatory Approval

The new MFD-3068 smart cockpit display developed by CMC Electronics is the second multicore avionics system to be certified to DO-178C Design Assurance Level (DAL A). (CMC Electronics)

A new multi-function smart cockpit display developed by CMC Electronics, the MFD-3068, has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) approvals to DO-178C Design Assurance Level A (DAL A) from Transport Canada.

The TSO submission included evidence of meeting all CAST-32A requirements for multicore processors, and this approval represents the second multicore system from CMC to be certified, after the PU-3000 avionics computer. Similar to the PU-3000, the MFD-3068 uses the Green Hills Software INTEGRITY-178 tuMP multicore real-time operating system (RTOS).

The initial installation for the certified MFD-3068 multicore smart display is on a major rotary-wing aircraft in Europe, according to a June 2 Green Hills Software press release. A representative from CMC Electronics told Avionics International that they’re unable to disclose what helicopter model or operator will be the first to use the new display system.

Brad Nolen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for CMC Electronics told Avionics that the software development kit (SDK) that accompanies the new display will allow operators and OEMs to implement their own unique applications on the display while retaining their intellectual property. A combination of customer developed and CMC developed software including primary flight display, navigation display, synthetic vision system, flight management applications can be hosted on the unit simultaneously, Nolen said.

“It is the first time that CMC supports customers in developing and hosting software applications on a cockpit display systems while meeting the highest design assurance level A ( DAL A),” Nolen said.

CMC has seen interest from customers using the MFD-3068 to port their existing applications or develop new DAL A applications like primary flight display, autopilot software, and engine indication that can be hosted alongside lower DAL applications such as moving map, checklist, or customer mission applications.

“The SMFD can drive up to 3 external video displays in addition to its own 6×8-in glass. In the specific case of driving a digital [head-up display] HUD, the display can host the HUD symbol generation and drive the HUD from its digital video interface with a refresh rate up to 60Hz,” Nolen said.

CMC is also currently developing a touchscreen capability for the MFD-3068.

“While our competitors are claiming multicore certification requires more research, Green Hills has enabled four different multicore TSO authorizations on two different systems deployed across both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft,” Dan O’Dowd, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Hills Software said in a statement.

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