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eVTOL batteries gaining acceptance

The eVTOL industry is rapidly evolving, and as a result the acceptance of eVTOL battery use is growing. This is likely fueled by the increasing interest in electric aviation for urban air mobility and shorter flights. At a cell level, the focus is on finding ways to improve the material chemistry of lithium-ion batteries to increase the cell energy density by 30 percent.

Many companies are working to develop new cell chemistries, such as cells with silicon anode that have the potential to deliver the required energy density. But the majority of these chemistries are still in the technology demonstration phase or early-stage pilot scale development manufacturing phase, says Puneet Sinha, senior director, battery industry at Siemens Digital Industries Software, Plano, Texas.

A number of companies and battery suppliers are working at the product design level to develop new batteries that will meet the operating requirements for eVTOLs while also ensuring safety and compliance with all FAA requirements. As they are able to deliver new technologies that are safe, FAA compliant and meet the operating demands of eVTOLs, we will see increased acceptance by the aircraft industry and in time the general public as well.

Some of the eVTOL companies are exploring hybrid power solution such as use of H2 fuel cells paired

with a smaller battery. The ability to offer longer flight time beyond and faster charge time than what

today’s commercially available Li-ion battery can deliver is a key motivation to pursue such hybrid

solutions. Such an approach, however, brings its own challenges such as additional complex controls and

power sharing, and safe handling of not only battery but also hydrogen. Increased system complexity

may add to the challenges for system certification and cost.

The post eVTOL batteries gaining acceptance appeared first on Avionics International.

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Southwest’s New Electronic Flight Bag Will Eliminate 88M Pages of Paper a Year

Southwest Airlines has chosen AvioBook to equip its fleet with digital technology designed to streamline operations and help eliminate 88 million pages of paper the carrier prints every year.

The electronic flight bag technology is in use with more than 65 airlines including United, Frontier, KLM, IndiGo and Wizz. Southwest brings it to the largest U.S. airline in terms of domestic passengers. Southwest should have the technology in 2024, AvioBook, owned by Thales, said.

Southwest’s multi-year contract with AvioBook provides pilots with a technology platform that includes the only fully-integrated Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and Electronic Logbook (eLB) solution on the market to improve efficiency throughout the operation, the company says.

“Southwest is thrilled to collaborate with AvioBook to modernize our operation and introduce cutting-edge technology solutions directly benefiting our frontline employees,” said Steve Christl, vice president of operations, strategy and implementation at Southwest Airlines. “These advancements not only streamline processes but also eliminate numerous paper-based documents. This shift empowers our Employees to dedicate more time and focus on delivering Southwest Hospitality to our valued Customers.”

The airline also signed an agreement to equip the entirety of its Boeing 737 NG fleet with the company’s Aircraft Interface Device (AID), known as AvioCast, which will provide real-time aircraft data to various operational groups.

Once installed, it will provide real-time aircraft data to various operational groups to mitigate safety risks, enhance compliance, add technology redundancy and resiliency, and increase environmental sustainability, all while enabling shorter turn times.

Southwest says this is one in a list of trailblazing moves incorporating digital technologies to improve travel experience for customers and for its employees.

At least 4,000 aircraft and 100,000 flights per week carry AvioBook, the company said. .

“We look forward to helping bring together all Southwest stakeholders from across the airline, improving communications and workflows while eliminating paper,” said AvioBook Chief Executive Frédéric Dru.

State Department Approves $582 Million Spy Plane Upgrade For Saudi; Radar for UAE

The State Department on Monday said it has approved a potential $582 million foreign military sale (FMS) to Saudi Arabia for the modernization of the RE-3A Tactical Airborne Surveillance System aircraft that would include new sensors and communications equipment.

L3Harris Technologies [LHX] is the prime contractor for the upgrades. The RE-3 is a modified Boeing [BA] 707 commercial aircraft.

The upgrades include seven embedded GPS/inertial navigation system security devices, M-Code capability, five L3Harris BlackRock communications intelligence sensor suites, KY-100M narrowband/wideband secure communications terminals, KIV-77 MODE 4/5 identification friend or foe cryptographic appliques, AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders, integrated electronic intelligence/signals intelligence systems, L3Harris multiband receivers/transmitters, RTX [RTX] ARC-210 radios, high frequency radios, secure communications equipment, test and integration support, spare and repair parts.

Separately, the State Department approved a potential $85 million sales of 18 man-portable AN/TPQ-50 radar and related equipment to the United Arab Emirates. The proposed sale also includes 107mm high explosive rockets for testing in the U.S., computer digital military laptop radar control display units, 5kW advanced medium mobile power source trailer-mounted, diesel engine driven power unit PU-2001 spares, mission, communications, and navigation equipment, repair parts and other equipment.

SRC, Inc. is the principal contractor for the lightweight radar.

The State Department said that radar will be used to “recognize incoming threats from hostile nations or agents of adversary nations” and will support the UAE’s “efforts to protect critical infrastructure and high value civilian targets, as well as military installations and forces from rocket, artillery, and mortar and unmanned aerial system threats.”

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Monday notified Congress of the potential FMS deals.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

TTTech Aerospace Talks Deterministic Networks in Avionics

In our latest podcast episode, Kurt Doppelbauer, Vice President of Strategic Sales and Business Development for TTTech’s aerospace business (TTTech Aerospace), discusses the company’s solutions for networking and computing platforms for onboard systems in the aerospace industry, deterministic networking solutions, safety and security, and future, more autonomous applications.

Learn More

Website: https://www.tttech.com/aerospace

About Kurt Doppelbauer

Kurt Doppelbauer joined TTTech in 1999 and held various positions in management control, R&T project management, and cross-industry sales. He was appointed as commercial head for the business unit Aerospace (2006-2018), as Chief Sales Officer for TTTech’s North American subsidiary (2009-2013), and as Senior Director Marketing for TTTech Group (2019-2022). Since October 2018, he has been holding the role of ‘Vice President Strategic Sales and Business Development’ for TTTech Aerospace, most recently focusing on Aviation.

About TTTech Aerospace

TTTech Aerospace provides deterministic embedded network and platform solutions for aviation and space applications. Its products have already completed over 1 billion flight hours in Level A safety-critical applications like fly-by-wire, power systems, avionics, engine controls, and environmental control systems and covered distances of more than two million kilometers in deep space. Proven, mature solutions help customers in the aviation and space industries to develop integrated, modular, and scalable deterministic network platforms that increase safety, fault tolerance, and availability. In addition, integrated solutions reduce size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C), allowing for easier handling of equipment and lowering total lifecycle costs.

TTTech Aerospace is part of the TTTech Group, a globally oriented group of high-tech companies, founded and headquartered in Vienna, Austria. TTTech is the innovator of Deterministic Ethernet and a driving force behind the IEEE TSN and the SAE AS6802 Time-Triggered Ethernet standards. TTTech North America Inc, headquartered in Andover, MA, and with offices in, among others, Houston, TX, is also part of the TTTech Group.

FAA’s MOSIAC Rule Change Could Pave Way For Ultralight, eVTOL Certification

Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on FAA certification of light sport and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The first can be found here.

The FAA is proposing a rule modification for certifying light sport aircraft called the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification, or MOSAIC, to incorporate the development of emerging technologies, in particular electrically-powered rotorcraft.

Two decades of data show that flying LSA-approved aircraft was safer than amateur-built kit and ultralight aircraft, according to Vertical Flight Society Director of Strategy Mike Hirschberg. This, he said, demonstrated that the LSA “experiment” was successful and could be modified to include larger aircraft, small rotorcraft and electric aircraft.

MOSAIC will enable companies targeting personal/private and recreational use of their aircraft because the proposed rule allows LSA pilots to fly for recreational purposes and not for carrying persons or property for compensation or hire. Hirschberg said companies with smaller one- and two-seat eVTOL aircraft would be able to sell their factory-built air vehicles for private or recreational use in the US, allowing some ultralight aircraft, which are more severely restricted by speed and weight, to be approved as compliant with MOSAIC requirements. This would allow larger designs with a higher expectation of safety.

AIR of Israel plans to have its AIR ONE two-seat multi-copter with collapsible wings approved for use in US airspace under MOSAIC if the rule is finalized as written. Roni Flouts, AIR CEO, told Avionics on Nov. 2 that approval under MOSAIC would allow the company to offer its aircraft in the US much sooner than competitors.

AIR also has the aircraft undergoing type certification. Flouts said the company plans to offer the AIR ONE not only as a recreation and commuting aircraft but also as a training platform. AIR wants to use the AIR ONE to train powered lift pilots for flying eVTOL aircraft being developed by companies such as Joby, Beta Technologies and Archer.

The FAA created the LSA category to establish rules for the manufacture, certification, operation and maintenance of light-sport aircraft such as airplanes, gliders, balloons, powered parachutes, weight-shift-control aircraft and gyroplanes weighing less than 1,320 lbs or 1,430 lbs for aircraft intended for operation on water. The FAA uses experimental amateur-built aircraft for the safety continuum or requirement, discussions since they are similar to light-sport category aircraft in the MOSAIC proposal.

Amateur-built aircraft are largely used for recreational purposes, are flown by sport pilots and pilots with higher grade certificates, and generally have the same flight envelope and occupancy limits. Amateur-built aircraft have no regulatory design requirements for the suitability of materials used, structural integrity, or instruments, equipment and systems. MOSAIC would prescribe design requirements for light-sport aircraft for these items.

The FAA said light-sport category aircraft, since 2004, have shown a lower accident rate than experimental amateur-built airplanes. As of 2021, there have been 984 accidents, or incidents involving light-sport category aircraft, with roughly half of those accidents or incidents occurring during the landing phase.

Of the 501 landing accidents, seven resulted in a fatality. The second highest number of accidents or incidents, 164, occurred during an emergency descent.

Carl Dietrich, Jump Aero Inc. founder and president said the safety record of light sport aircraft since the category was established is somewhat remarkable considering the durability issues these aircraft had in the field due to the weight limit in the existing definition. The FAA, he said, now has data from the past 20 years that the process of declaring compliance with industry standards results in a safety record that is almost as good as certified aircraft that have gone through the more burdensome FAA certification process.

The FAA considers that the safety record of light-sport category aircraft validates certification requirements originally established and provides support for expanding the scope of certification for light-sport category aircraft and operations.

“The FAA intends for these expansions to increase safety by encouraging aircraft owners, who may be deciding between an experimental aircraft or a light-sport category aircraft, to choose aircraft higher on the safety continuum and, therefore, meet higher aircraft certification requirements,” the administration said in its Federal Register notice.

The proposal would also expand the type of aircraft sport pilots can operate and allow them to use their aircraft for a wider range of operations, such as some aerial work. If MOSAIC is finalized, Hirschberg said, small eVTOL and electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft could be operated by sport pilots. Although sport pilots could operate aircraft designed with up to four seats, they would remain limited to operating with only one passenger.

Pivotal, developer of the BlackFly and Helix single-seat tilt eVTOL with fixed rotors and tandem wings, supports MOSAIC. Kristina Menton, company COO, told Avionics on Nov. 8 that Pivotal is specifically in support of adopting a performance-based requirement for LSA.

Pivotal, she said, also endorses allowing increased aviation training device credit for simulator time beyond the 2.5 hours that would be permitted for sport pilots under MOSAIC. This is because not only are modern simulators highly realistic to actual flying of alternate types of aircraft, but flying on a Cessna or similar fixed-wing aircraft is not the best training for flying a BlackFly or Helix. The FAA does not currently permit the use of flight simulation training devices (FSTD) or aviation training devices (ATD) to meet sport pilot experience requirements for a certificate or rating.

Not everything is potentially positive for electric aircraft developers under MOSAIC. Hirschberg said that if light-sport aircraft under the proposed rule amendment are not sufficiently airworthy, or their pilots are not sufficiently risk-adverse, they could tarnish the image of rotorcraft and electric aircraft in the minds of the public and the FAA.

The administration announced on Oct. 4 that it extended the comment period for MOSAIC through Jan. 22.

Daher, Safran, Airbus Demonstrate EcoPulse Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System

EcoPulse, the hybrid-electric distributed propulsion aircraft demonstrator jointly developed by Daher, Safran and Airbus to support aviation’s decarbonization roadmap, has successfully performed its first flight test in hybrid-electric mode, the companies announced on Dec. 5.

The demonstrator flew with its electrically-driven “ePropellers” activated, powered by a battery and a turbogenerator.

EcoPulse took off from Tarbes Airport, in southern France near the Spanish border, on Nov. 29, just after 10:30 a.m. local time. The test flight lasted nearly two hours.

During the flight, the crew engaged the electric propellers and successfully tested the aircraft demonstrator’s flight control computer, high-voltage battery pack, distributed electric propulsion and hybrid electric turbogenerator, Airbus said.

EcoPulse’s first hybrid flight follows extensive ground tests and 10 hours of flight tests of the aircraft with the electrical systems inactive.

Based on a Daher TBM aircraft platform, EcoPulse is equipped with six integrated electric thrusters or e-Propellers supplied by Safran, distributed along its wings. Its propulsion system integrates two power sources: an electric generator driven by a gas turbine also supplied by Safran, and a high-energy density battery pack supplied by Airbus.

At the heart of the aircraft architecture is a power distribution and rectifier unit, or PDRU, that protects the high-voltage power distribution network.

The battery pack designed by Airbus is rated at 800 Volts DC and can deliver up to 350 kilowatts of power. Airbus also developed the flight control computer that controls aircraft maneuvers using the ePropellers, and synchrophasing to support future aircraft acoustic recommendations, the company said.

The demonstrator aims to evaluate the operational advantages of integrating hybrid-electric distributed propulsion, with specific emphasis on carbon emissions and noise-level reduction. This disruptive propulsion architecture enables a single independent electrical source to power several engines distributed throughout the aircraft.

“We confirmed today that this disruptive propulsion system works in flight, which paves the way for more sustainable aviation,” said Eric Dalbiès, Safran’s executive vice president of strategy and chief technology officer. “The lessons learned from upcoming flight tests will feed into our technology roadmap and strengthen our position as leader in future all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsive systems.”

“The flight campaign will give Daher invaluable data on the effectiveness of the onboard technologies, including distributed propulsion, high-voltage batteries and hybrid-electric propulsion,” commented Pascal Laguerre, Chief Technology Officer at Daher. “We’re working to converge practical and significant know-how on design, certification and operation to shape our path toward more sustainable aircraft for the future.”

Unveiled at the 2019 Paris Air Show, EcoPulse is one of the major collaborative projects in Europe to reduce the aviation industry’s reliance on fossil fuels. It is supported by the French Civil Aviation Research Council, and co-funded by the French Civil Aviation Authority through a French government economic recovery plan and NextGeneration EU.

“This is a major milestone for our industry and we’re proud to have powered the EcoPulse demonstrator first flight with our new battery systems,” said Sabine Klauke, chief technical officer at Airbus. High-energy density batteries will be necessary to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, whether for light aircraft, advanced air mobility or large hybrid-electric aircraft. Projects like EcoPulse are key to accelerating progress in electric and hybrid electric flight, and a cornerstone of our aim to decarbonize the aerospace industry as a whole.”

FAA’s proposed MOSAIC rule for Light Sport Aircraft could slash electric aircraft development costs

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on FAA certification of light sport and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The second can be found here.

A proposed rule modification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could benefit electric aircraft developers as it would allow new types of aircraft to fly without costing hundreds of millions of dollars for certification.

Mike Hirschberg, director of strategy at the Vertical Flight Society (VFS), told Avionics on Nov. 25 that the proposed Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule amendment for light sport aircraft (LSA) should allow larger aircraft to be approved to fly under the category. This, he said, will make them much cheaper to certify, manufacture and purchase than existing type certificated aircraft.

Hirschberg said the cost of flying, such as operations and maintenance, among others, will also be less with major changes like electric propulsion, which has generally been seen as costing less to fly and maintain than traditional light sport aircraft that use piston-powered propulsion systems.

MOSAIC could greatly accelerate the adoption of electric aircraft for small air vehicles as well as help attract more fixed- and rotary-wing pilots to the industry. Hirschberg said MOSAIC would open up new designs and technologies that are safer and cheaper compared to existing light sport aircraft, kit-built and ultralight designs.

“The Vertical Flight Society is very excited to see the FAA leaning forward on such a progressive approach to allowing smaller aircraft to fly in the national airspace system,” Hirschberg said.

The FAA on July 24 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would expand the definition of LSA and amend rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, maintenance and alteration of light sport aircraft. Under the proposal, the aircraft’s weight limit is based on its stall speed.

By permitting higher stall speeds of 54 knots calibrated airspeed (CAS) for airplanes, the proposal would bring aircraft weighing around 3,000 pounds within the LSA regulatory framework. This would more than double the weight of aircraft under the current LSA definition of 1,320 lbs, allowing larger and stronger aircraft to qualify as LSA, according to an FAA statement.

Light-sport aircraft are currently limited to 45 knots CAS at the aircraft’s maximum certificated takeoff weight and most critical center of gravity. MOSAIC would retain the 45 knots CAS maximum stall speed for gliders and weight-shift-control aircraft.

Carl Dietrich, Jump Aero Incorporated founder and president, told Avionics on Nov. 27 that there is a large gap under the current LSA regulatory construct, which was created in 2004. At one end is Part 103 ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that do not need to meet any standards.

At the other end is certified Part 21.17b “special projects”, the process being used to certify eVTOL air taxis that has extensive bureaucratic requirements and very high certification costs. Dietrich said MOSAIC will open a new middle ground between these two pathways to market that should inspire both additional investment in product development and increased customer demand.

Additionally, Dietrich said MOSAIC would reduce the cost of flying eVTOL and light-sport aircraft since the cost to bring a new product to market will be lower than under the current construct. As such, manufacturers will not need to amortize as large of a development cost, resulting in more product options for consumers.

This, in turn, would lead to more competition and lower prices. Jump Aero is developing a biplane standing tail-sitter with high lift-to-drag ratio and low frontal area to be used for emergency medical services.

If MOSAIC is finalized as written, Dietrich expects to see many more products that will excite general aviation consumers with the most significant possibility being a true commuter eVTOL. Previous Part 103 ultralight aircraft, he said, cannot be legally flown to places people want to go, but light-sport aircraft can go to those locations. This opens a tremendous opportunity that many eVTOL developers are looking into.

“I believe the MOSAIC NPRM, if accepted as written, could be the single most positive regulatory change of this century in the general aviation industry,” Dietrich said.

Eve Air Mobility and NATS team to develop urban air mobility air traffic management systems

Eve Air Mobility and NATS Services, the commercial arm of the U.K.’s leading air traffic control services provider, announced at the Dubai Airshow they would partner to develop future traffic management services for urban air mobility (UAM) operators worldwide.

The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to reinforce the partnership designed to advance technologies for a faster, more efficient and sustainable urban air transportation system.

“Our first association with NATS began in early 2021 as part of the U.K. UAM Consortium with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority Regulatory Sandbox, developing a concept of operations for the London environment, including air traffic management arrangements and proposing new regulatory solutions,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “Our work with NATS throughout the years both fortifies our newly established relationship and supports our forthcoming projects and future endeavors designed to transform the urban air mobility sector globally.”

The Eve-led U.K. concept of operations was developed in partnership with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and global companies, including NATS as well as six other members, using data to focus on the technologies needed for near-term UAM deployment in London. The CAA published the Phase 1 results of the Future Air Mobility Regulatory Sandbox project in October 2021, highlighting eVTOL strengths and the challenges that will inform future developments in the UAM industry.

Eve and NATS have also been part of the Future Flight Challenge through the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC) with leading British aviation companies since July 2022. Developed by U.K. research and innovation and delivered by Innovate U.K., the program is funded by the U.K. government and aims to accelerate the progress of new technologies and advanced aviation technologies while attempting to demonstrate the societal benefits of advanced aviation, the companies said

“We already work closely with Eve as part of the U.K. Future Flight Phase 3 AMEC project, working to prepare U.K. airspace for future UAM operations,” said NATS Services Managing Director Guy Adams. “Going forward, we intend to grow our collaborative efforts to explore future traffic management products and solutions worldwide and enable the introduction and scaling of UAM across many countries in a consistent, high-performance and safe approach.”

Eve’s Urban air traffic management software is an agnostic solution that will enable the integration of all airspace users in the urban environment, the company said, which is “critical to supporting the safety, efficiency, and improvement of the entire UAM ecosystem, including fleet and vertiport operators.”

Skyryse automates helicopter autorotation, but some pilots are skeptical it can outperform human pilots

Skyryse in July performed what it calls the first fully automated helicopter autorotation emergency landing procedure, according to a Nov. 9 company statement.

Skyryse’s technology is a highly automated flight control system. The company claims it is the first and only system that works with the pilot through a reimagined human-machine interface to manage complex emergency procedures — including during autorotation after an engine failure. Due to the complexity of current control systems, the company claims helicopters have been unable to automate this manuever until now.

Using redundant flight controls and a suite of sensors, the Skyryse system quickly recognizes a power failure, sets multiple procedures in motion, and uses a button push to make the landing uneventful, the company says. From entry to steady descent, it lowers the aircraft’s pitch, aligns the nose, manages stability, completes the flare and lands at the desired landing location, according to Skyryse.

A Skyryse video posted March 3 to YouTube shows National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg flying a helicopter with a tablet computer and a sidestick-type controller. Skyryse in July performed a fully-automated helicopter autorotation emergency landing procedure. PHOTO CREDIT: Skyryse/Youtube

Skyryse said it has completed dozens of automated autorotations since the initial demonstration. The milestone automated autorotation took place in a Robinson R66 five-seat rotorcraft outfitted with Skyryse technology at its Los Angeles-area flight test and performance facility.

Skyryse markets itself as making it easier for lay people to fly helicopters. As flying is complex and requires pilots to constantly log flight time to remain proficient and safe, Skyryse says its FlightOS software can boost pilot supply by simplifying the cockpit and flight controls as well as automating certain features. FlightOS, the company says, makes it easier to manage any aircraft and earn a pilot’s license.

Skyryse did not return requests for comment prior to publication.

An aeronautical engineer and helicopter pilot with roughly 1,000 flight hours is skeptical of Skyryse’s claims that its software will allow average people to safely fly rotorcraft. This pilot, who asked not to be identified by name, told Avionics on Nov. 15 that there are many different scenarios where having a human pilot in the loop is important to ensure safety.

The pilot said mechanical inputs translated into a tablet computer do not necessarily add layers of safety. He said they may also degrade safety in certain scenarios, such as a rotor stopping or a false indication of an engine failure.

In a false engine failure scenario, the light may turn on and a sound may resemble engine failure, but a human pilot would attempt to enter autorotation and troubleshoot to verify whether an engine died.

“If that happens, would the computer troubleshoot?” he said. “Once you start diving into details, there are complex scenarios where human decision-making is extremely important.”

The pilot said there is also too much complexity in a tablet-driven fly-by-wire system for human pilots to quickly respond in emergencies. He said if a bird came into his viewscreen, he would not move the autopilot to change the heading because there is far too much lag and the gain on the system is too low. The pilot said he would need to “get on the sticks” and move the flight controls rapidly and disconnect the autopilot.

The pilot pointed out how Skyryse over the last two years subtly transitioned from flying a helicopter exclusively with tablet computers to adding a sidestick-type controller to go with the tablets. The company posted a video on YouTube on Oct. 27, 2021, that showed actor Jon Hamm learning to fly an aircraft with just two tablets and Skyryse technology.

Skyryse on March 3 posted a video on YouTube showing Bruce Landsberg, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) vice chairman, using one tablet with the sidestick-type controller.

Dan Patt, a senior fellow with the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology who has a PhD in dynamics and control, with helicopter applications, told Avionics on Nov. 13 that there is a lot of promise in the add-on automation approach used by Skyryse and others. It can make existing operations safer, build hours and reliability into systems, reduce pilot workload and create a path toward fully uncrewed operations, he said.

Icarus provides ‘smart’ view-limiting helicopter pilot training device to University of North Dakota

Icarus in mid-2023 delivered to the University of North Dakota five of its “smart” view-limiting helicopter pilot training devices that gives flight training instructors the ability to change flight visibility for students.

Nick Sinopoli, company founder and managing partner, told Avionics on Nov. 13 that the deal had a total value of $6,250 to outfit the university’s Robinson R44 four-seat helicopters. Icarus’ view-limiting pilot training device is a lightweight screen that the pilot wears in front of their eyes, either clamped to a hat or flight helmet or as part of a headset. The device helps pilots practice the critical transition to instrument flight and remain calm and in control of the aircraft, the Sinopoli said.

Icarus has also sold its device to the U.S. Army National Guard (ANG). Sinopoli declined to provide details, but said that 30% of states in the ANG use it.

A student pilot dons an ICARUS flight training device during a demonstration by a company employee. ICARUS photo

The device uses an electronic signal to change the opacity of the screen in front of the student’s eyes, simulating clouds or fog while flying. It can simulate different levels of flight visibility, from unrestricted to less than a half-mile.

When in use, the device can be changed by a flight instructor from transparent to opaque either gradually or instantly, simulating the aircraft’s entry into low-visibility conditions, according to a company statement. The device replaces the traditional hood for instrument flight rules (IFR) training and allows for inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions training. The screen is battery-powered and paired to the instructor’s iPad for remote control.

The technology used in Icarus’ device is polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PLDC) film, also known as smart glass, Sinopoli said. The idea for the technology came after he had a near miss with a bird under a paper hood and had just read about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner commercial fixed-wing jet airliner’s electrochromic windows, which Sinopoli said uses the same type of technology to electronically dim cabin windows.

The device is powered by a common small battery that provides six hours of power. The device is paired to the instructor’s tablet computer for remote control.

There is a cutout in the visor that Sinopoli said allows the student pilot to see the instrument panel. It is tailored to the aircraft to ensure the pilot does not receive any visual cues that they will not get in a cloud. Old hoods and foggles, he said, allow pilots to see outside, which leads to a massive training gap and a false sense of security. As the R44 has a small instrument panel, it has the smallest cutout.

Icarus’ device was granted fleet-wide airworthiness releases for the Sikorsky UH-60M/L Black Hawk and the Airbus Helicopters UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) earlier this year.

UND Aerospace has been evaluating the ICARUS device for the past year and found it extremely valuable. “We are always looking at innovative ways to improve safety and flight training, and the ICARUS has proven to be a key tool for instrument training,” said Wes Van Dell, chief flight instructor for the helicopter program at UND Aerospace. “Using the ICARUS in the aircraft combined with our GAT Helo spatial disorientation simulator on the ground, we aim to provide the highest level of instrument and IIMC training in the industry.”