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DIU Solicits To Refresh Blue UAS Roster

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on Monday released a solicitation for an upcoming prize challenge for vendors to potentially have their unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and related capabilities added to a list of vetted systems that can be purchased by the Defense Department.

The Blue UAS Refresh Challenge will consider first person view drones, Group 1, 2, and 3 UAS, and related components, capabilities, and software. Products are vetted for safety and to ensure they are cyber secure.

Selected companies will participate in a demonstration event in early November at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Submissions are due by Aug. 19, finalists will be announced on Sept. 15, and the winners on Nov. 15.

A problem statement published with the solicitation highlights DoD’s need for more UAS platforms and related components and capabilities, adding that these capabilities are changing rapidly.

The current cleared Blue UAS list includes more than two dozen platforms provided by 14 vendors. The Blue UAS framework includes dozens of components and subsystems such as cameras, radios, flight controllers, and software provided by slew of vendors.

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

The post DIU Solicits To Refresh Blue UAS Roster appeared first on Avionics International.

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Looking into Today’s Enhanced Flight Vision Systems

Collins Aerospace Combined Vision Systems (CVS) seamlessly blend to provide a holistic view of the environment, high-fidelity flight information and a wider field of view to lessen pilot workload and improve critical decision making. (Photo courtesy of Collins Aerospace)

Part One in a series looking at the status of Enhanced Flight Vision Systems, which provide greater situation awareness and improved visual clarity for enhanced navigational safety and efficient operations.

An Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) uses high-tech imaging sensors installed on the nose of an aircraft to capture and provide real-time, clear images of an aircraft’s forward external environment . This image is then displayed to pilots using a head-up display (HUD) or an equivalent display to present aircraft information, flight symbology or an electronic real-time sensor image to aid situational awareness. Imaging sensors can be forward-looking infrared, millimeter wave radiometry, millimeter wave radar, low-light level image intensification or other real-time imaging technologies.

EFVS’ suite of technologies improves aircraft safety by enabling operational improvements in low-visibility operations. With it, pilots can navigate accurately and make informed decisions. During many types of weather conditions, EFVS can provide a view of the external scene using thermal contrast, when the naked eye is not able to do so due to obscuring clouds, fog, snow, haze, smoke, smog, darkness or other elements. While EFVS minimizes delays and prevents aircraft from being rerouted; more importantly, it lowers the risk of runway incursions and excursions.

Collins Aerospace Combined Vision Systems (CVS) seamlessly blend to provide a holistic view of the environment, high-fidelity flight information and a wider field of view to lessen pilot workload and improve critical decision making. (Photo courtesy of Collins Aerospace)

Collins Aerospace Combined Vision Systems (CVS) seamlessly blend to provide a holistic view of the environment, high-fidelity flight information and a wider field of view to lessen pilot workload and improve critical decision making. (Photo courtesy of Collins Aerospace)

In 14 CFR § 1.1, the Federal Aviation Administration defines enhanced flight visibility as the average forward horizontal distance, from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, at which prominent topographical objects may be clearly distinguished and identified by day or night by a pilot using an enhanced flight vision system.

Gang He, senior technical fellow at Aerospace Advanced Technology, Honeywell, Morris Plains, N.J., says large cabin business jet OEMs were the first adopters of this technology but “Now, other business jet segments and large transport OEMs are increasingly seeing the value that EFVS brings to operators and looking for ways to integrate it onto their platforms.”

Dror Yahav, chief executive officer at Universal Avionics, Tucson, Ariz., says EFVS have been in development since 2001, originally used in military operations and backed by generations of expertise from his parent company Elbit Systems Ltd.

“Universal Avionics has made groundbreaking advancements to the technology with the introduction of ClearVision, a complete gate-to-gate visibility solution and the first wearable EFVS certified for the commercial aviation market. Its SkyLens Head-Wearable Display (HWD) has altered the enhanced vision market, increasing availability for all aircraft types and enabling new functionality for pilots.”

The following systems do not meet the equipment requirements of an EFVS eligible to conduct operations:

  • An image presented on a Head-Down Display (HDD)
  • An image displayed on a HUD without symbology or guidance information
  • A Synthetic Vision System (SVS)
  • A Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS)
  • A Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) / Night Vision Goggles (NVG)

Equipping one of these systems alone will not allow operators to benefit from the features of a full EFVS system.

The EFVS Market

The EFVS market is experiencing significant growth. According to a research report titled “EFVS market Analysis: Industry Size, Share, Research Report, Insights, COVID-19 Impact, Statistics, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2024-2032” by Torrance, Calif-based Markwide Research, the market is being driven by:

  •       Advancements in aviation technology and the increasing demand for enhanced safety and operational efficiency in the aviation industry.
  •       The rising number of flight operations, the need to mitigate the risks associated with low-visibility conditions, and the continuous advancements in sensor technologies.
  •       Ongoing advancements in sensors, cameras and display technologies are facilitating the development of more sophisticated and reliable EFVS solutions.
  •       Aviation authorities and regulatory bodies are increasingly recognizing the benefits of EFVS and implementing regulations that mandate their use in certain flight operations, driving market growth.
Boeing 737 Aircraft pilot operates head-up with Universal Avionics SkyLens Head-Wearable Device (HWD). (Photo courtesy of Universal Avionics)

Boeing 737 Aircraft pilot operates head-up with Universal Avionics SkyLens Head-Wearable Device (HWD). (Photo courtesy of Universal Avionics)

The report does list EFVS market restraints:

  •       High implementation costs: The initial investment and installation costs associated with EFVS solutions can be substantial, posing a challenge for smaller aviation operators and airlines.
  •       Integration challenges: Integrating EFVS systems with existing avionics and flight management systems can be complex and time consuming, hindering market growth.
  •       Limited awareness and training: Lack of awareness about EFVS benefits and limited pilot training on EFVS operations and functionalities may restrain market expansion.
  •       Regulatory challenges: Differences in EFVS regulations across different regions and countries can create challenges for manufacturers and operators, hampering market growth.
  •       Technological limitations: Despite advancements, EFVS technologies may have limitations in extreme weather conditions, which may impact their effectiveness.

In another market report titled “Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) Market Research Report” by New York City-based Market Research Future, the EFVS market Size was valued at USD 0.2 billion in 2023. The EFVS market is projected to grow from USD 0.214 Billion in 2024 to USD 0.3211 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.00% during the forecast period (2024 – 2032).

This report states the EFVS market consists of established major companies such as Honeywell International Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., and L3Harris Technologies Inc. In a bid to capture a larger market share, companies in the EFVS space are strategically diversifying their product portfolios. Some are focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to enhance image processing capabilities. Others are leveraging partnerships with aviation authorities and regulatory bodies to streamline the certification process for EFVS-equipped aircraft. Furthermore, companies are investing in marketing initiatives to create awareness among aviation stakeholders about the benefits of EFVS, emphasizing its contribution to safety, reduced operational costs, and improved overall flight experience.

EFVS Improvements

In the past few years, numerous EFVS advancements have improved the functionality, reliability and safety of airborne operations. For example, Charlotte, N.C.-based Collins Aerospace’s imaging sensors have become more sensitive to include infrared and low-light cameras, providing exceptional clarity in all weather and visibility conditions.

New sensor technology (e.g., millimeter wave) can enable better image capture and also compute capability, whether embedded in the sensor or elsewhere in the system. “New vision sensors, beyond infrared cameras, are needed to support all weather conditions operations, as airports move to LED and away from incandescent lighting,” says Ankur Kumar, senior director, Integrated Avionics, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, Phoenix, Ariz. “The thermal footprint from incandescent bulbs, which enables infrared to provide the visual advantage over natural vision in low visibility conditions, is not the same with LED. The visual advantage of infrared vision systems for the most part is lost in weather conditions because the thermal signature from the incandescent lights is lost. While the infrared sensors will still enhance visibility during night visual meteorological conditions (VMC), for the most part it will provide no advantage during any bad weather or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) as compared to human vision.”

EFVS helps pilots navigate accurately and make informed decisions. (Photo courtesy of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies )

EFVS helps pilots navigate accurately and make informed decisions. (Photo courtesy of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies )

Sensors based on active or passive millimeter wave technologies can provide better weather penetration capabilities; however, Kumar believes they are currently limited by image resolutions, performance issues, weight, cost and other factors for commercial applications. “On-going development efforts are looking into sensor data fusion between camera and radar detection technologies in order to take advantage of combined capabilities of multiple types of sensor systems to achieve visual advantage for low-visibility operations.”

Kumar adds that he has seen, “Advances in EFVS through fusion use of multiple camera sensors to include more of the near visible and infrared spectrum. In addition, we’ve also seen higher resolution in the displays.”

Collins Aerospace has been coordinating with regulatory bodies to further expand the operational usefulness of EFVS by expanding certification to include use during the taxi, takeoff and landing phases of flight. “EFVS already provides for lower minima in the landing phase of flight, but the next step is to bring the benefits to takeoff and taxi,” Craig Brown, senior director, vision systems programs at Collins Aerospace says.

HUD technology was previously unaffordable, difficult to install and designed only for large cockpits due to space requirements. But by adding a wearable display, “Universal Avionics made EFVS available to all airplanes because the HUD is not installed—it is worn by the operator,” Yahav says. “No longer limited to a fixed, forward-looking display, Universal has developed many new applications such as panoramic synthetic vision, with surrounding traffic inputs and conformal traffic to follow. Our EVS has also evolved from a single infrared sensor to a multiple-sensor solution, combining visible light, near IR, and longwave infrared inputs to create a complete picture for operators. The EVS-5000 multispectral camera provides significantly improved image capture, detects LED lights, and penetrates weather in a way that no other technology does at 50% visual advantage, a first in the market.” 

 

The post Looking into Today’s Enhanced Flight Vision Systems appeared first on Avionics International.

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ITP Aero Reaps Growth From New Engine Platform Roles – AIN – July 23

The Spain-based ITP Aero engines and components business has been expanding its manufacturing and aftermarket businesses after it was sold from Rolls-Royce to Bain Capital two years ago, AIN report. The company is still a supplier to the Trent family of engines, but also has positions on Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan, Honeywell’s HTF7000, Airbus’ ZeroE hydrogen airliner program and is the Spanish engine partner for Europe’s Future Combat Air System. In the last full financial year it increased revenues by 25 percent and earnings by 50 percent while it has spent over $600 million in research and development in recent years.

The post ITP Aero Reaps Growth From New Engine Platform Roles – AIN – July 23 appeared first on Avionics International.

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Airbus And Partners Invest In Sustainable Aviation Fuel Financing Fund – July 23

A 2021 flight of an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel on both engines with a German Aerospace Center (DLR) chase plane to measure emissions compared to Jet A-1 fuel. (Photo: Airbus)

Farnborough, United Kingdom, 23 July 2024 – Airbus, the Air France-KLM Group, Associated Energy Group, LLC, BNP Paribas, Burnham Sterling, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. and Qantas Airways Limited co-invested in a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) financing fund to accelerate the production of SAF.

The corporate partners worked with investment manager Burnham Sterling Asset Management to establish the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Financing Alliance (SAFFA) investment fund in which Airbus is the Anchor Investor. The commitment from the seven partners is amounting to an aggregate of approx. US$200 million.

Each partner brings experience and financial expertise to the fund with the ambition to accelerate the availability of SAF by investing mainly in technologically mature SAF-producing projects using for instance waste-based feedstocks. Investments will be diversified across various SAF’s production pathways and also by region.

Each partner may then enter into priority contracts to secure SAF offtakes from the various projects SAFFA will invest in, for its allocated volumes. SAFFA is focusing on SAF that is eligible for RefuelEU Aviation or CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) certification. 

SAFFA made its first investment in Crysalis Biosciences, a tech company dedicated to renewing U.S. chemical manufacturing infrastructure with innovative fuel and chemical production technologies.

The company’s recent accomplishments include the acquisition and renovation of the Monarch facility, an ethanol plant located in Sauget, Illinois, USA, which was shuttered in 2019. As of the first quarter of 2024, the plant has completed the upgrades and received the necessary environmental authorizations to resume operations with the aim to produce low carbon intensity SAF and biochemicals.

The post Airbus And Partners Invest In Sustainable Aviation Fuel Financing Fund – July 23 appeared first on Avionics International.

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Joby demonstrates potential for emissions-free regional journeys with landmark 523-mile hydrogen-electric flight – July 11

Joby’s hydrogen-electric technology demonstrator aircraft completed a 523-mile flight on June 24, 2024 above Marina, California, with no in-flight emissions except water. (Photo: Joby Aviation)

Santa Cruz, CA, Jul 11, 2024 — Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a next generation aviation company, today announced it has successfully flown a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, with water as the only by-product. The aircraft, which takes off and lands vertically, builds on Joby’s successful battery-electric air taxi development program, and demonstrates the potential for hydrogen to unlock emissions-free, regional journeys that don’t require a runway.

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO, Joby, said: “Traveling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner. With our battery-electric air taxi set to fundamentally change the way we move around cities, we’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft.

“Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water. That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made towards certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.

“The vast majority of the design, testing and certification work we’ve completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercializing hydrogen-electric flight. In service, we also expect to be able to use the same landing pads, the same operations team, and Joby’s ElevateOS software that will support the commercial operation of our battery-electric aircraft.”

The landmark test flight, believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical take off and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, was completed last month using a converted Joby pre-production prototype battery-electric aircraft fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system. It landed with 10% of its hydrogen fuel load remaining.

Jacob Wilson, (Acting) Branch Chief, AFWERX Agility Prime, said: “Agility Prime has been very supportive of hydrogen-powered aircraft development and testing as it aligns with the program’s goals to advance transformative vertical lift technologies and broader Department of Defense operational energy goals of energy substitution and diversification, and energy demand reduction.”

“Clean hydrogen has the potential to help decarbonize our aviation system for decades to come,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Jeff Marootian. “Regional air mobility innovation provides a clear opportunity to incorporate clean hydrogen into the future of transportation.” 

“Joby is a stellar example of why California continues to lead the world in clean technology and high-tech manufacturing,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “Their pioneering work to decarbonize aviation, by advancing battery and now hydrogen fuel cell technology, is helping to fight climate change and create a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all Californians.”

Joby’s hydrogen-electric demonstrator is part of the Company’s future technology program and is the result of several years of collaboration between a small team at Joby and H2FLY, Joby’s wholly-owned subsidiary based in Stuttgart, Germany. The converted aircraft previously completed more than 25,000 miles of testing as a battery-electric aircraft at Joby’s base in Marina, CA.

Using the same airframe and overall architecture as Joby’s core, battery-electric aircraft, this demonstrator features a liquid hydrogen fuel tank, designed and built by Joby, which stores up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, alongside a reduced mass of batteries. Hydrogen is fed into a fuel cell system, designed and built by H2FLY, to produce electricity, water, and heat. The electricity produced by the hydrogen fuel cell powers the six electric motors on the Joby aircraft, with the batteries providing additional power primarily during take-off and landing.

Joby’s H2FLY team used similar technology to complete another record-breaking flight in September 2023, when they flew the world’s first piloted flight of a conventional liquid hydrogen-electric aircraft using their fuel cell technology.

As part of Joby’s wider commitment to leading the way on the development of new aviation technologies, it recently acquired Xwing Inc., an industry leader in the development of autonomous technology for aviation. Xwing has been flying autonomous aircraft since 2020, with 250 fully autonomous flights and more than 500 auto-landings completed to date, using the Superpilot software it developed in-house.

Joby plans to start commercial operations as soon as 2025, using its battery-electric air taxi. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has raised more than $2 billion of funding to date, including investments from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber and Baillie Gifford.

The post Joby demonstrates potential for emissions-free regional journeys with landmark 523-mile hydrogen-electric flight – July 11 appeared first on Avionics International.

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Army Details Hybrid-Electric VTOL Interest, Aims For Tech Demos In FY ‘26-’30

U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center Experimental Test Pilot Maj. Wes Ogden celebrates making history as the first Army aviator to fly an electric aircraft with Charles 'Camron' Guthrie, of BETA Technologies. (Photo: U.S. Army)

The Army has detailed an extensive plan for evaluating hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platforms and enabling technologies, with an aim to hold capability demonstrations between fiscal years 2026 and 2030.

A Request for Information notice published on July 16 notes the Army’s intent with hybrid-electric VTOL exploration effort is to bolster the service’s knowledge of the capability space, reduce risk associated with hybrid-electric technology, demonstrate advancements in aviation platform capability and inform its science and technology strategy for aviation, future requirements and “program of record roadmaps.”

“Electric, more-electric, and hybrid propulsion technologies for aircraft are being investigated and developed by many segments of industry, including large and small, new and established, non-DoD-affiliated and traditional defense contractor companies. Tremendous gains in individual components and system designs have brought the advanced air mobility industry to the cusp of success,” the Army writes in the RFI.

The Army states its interest in exploring hybrid-electric VTOL is focused on potential attributes including reduced fuel consumption, affordability and operational advantages such as silent approach and high speed cruise with low-speed loiter. 

The RFI opens with the Army noting it hopes to answer “many questions” on hybrid-electric VTOL with this demonstration effort, to include whether fully electric systems “limit mission flexibility” and if hybrid systems require a high level of expertise for optimization “due to the number of variables and large design space.”

“For the Army, many questions remain about the viability of these systems for military missions. Internal analysis based on best available knowledge has shown specific power and energy limitations may present mission performance challenges,” the Army writes.

The Army adds it plans to spend approximately $5 million to $7 million a year between FY ‘26-’30 on hybrid-electric VTOL demonstrations.

“While available funding is significant, it may be insufficient to solely fund the design, fabrication and test of a new-build aircraft. The government is open to cost sharing/teaming opportunities with industry for technology demonstrations provided goals and schedules align, and data rights arrangements are suitable,” the RFI notes. 

The eventual Request for Proposals is expected to open “the aperture to a wide range of technical solutions,” to include an “objective aircraft design” to “critical enabling technologies,” with the Army leaving open the possibility of funding one or more proposed efforts

“An objective aircraft design provides a target for technology development and indicates a capability that could potentially be adapted to satisfy a future requirement. While demonstration of the full objective aircraft may be cost prohibitive and unnecessary, critical enabling technologies integrated into practical systems can be demonstrated.  A future RFP would ask for information about both the objective aircraft design and how the integrated, enabling technology demonstrations would be executed,” the Army writes. “However, top level funding is fixed, therefore these decisions will be guided by the proposals received, balancing S&T value and available resources.  Non-selection will not necessarily imply any deficiency in the proposal.”

For full hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft designs, the Army provides a broad list of general “mission descriptions in the RFI to include an interest in: militarized, autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL platforms “capable of frequent and routine logistics movement of supplies” with a payload capacity of 1,200-2,000 pounds and an un-refueled/recharged combat radius of 130 nautical miles, small helicopters capable of “extended, precision” hover and medium-lift rotorcraft that showcase improvements in “range/payload capacity, operating and sustainment cost, fuel quantity use, or safety.”

The RFI also notes the Army’s interest in Group 3 or 4 drones “using hybrid-electric technology to extend range and endurance, or to provide good flight performance characteristics in multiple flight regimes,” including high and low-speed loiter operations.

“Ideally, demonstrations will be conducted at an aircraft system-level to show integration, interfaces, dependencies, synergies and constraints of constituent component technologies in a realistic, workable system. Ground and/or flight demonstrations are desired as project cost and outcomes are balanced. Surrogates such as iron/copper birds or alternative aircraft (including piloted) may be used to demonstrate critical enabling technologies as necessary to provide evidence that the objective design is credible,” the Army writes in the RFI.

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

The post Army Details Hybrid-Electric VTOL Interest, Aims For Tech Demos In FY ‘26-’30 appeared first on Avionics International.

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Sikorsky Nears Testbed For HEX VTOL Demonstrator, Pursuing Several Hybrid Electric Concepts

Family of future VTOL systems as envisioned by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. At left are quad and twin prop rotor UAS variants of the Hybrid Electric Demonstrator. Top right is a hybrid-electric single main rotor aircraft. Bottom right is the hybrid-electric Rotor Blown Wing UAS. (Photo: Sikorsky)

Sikorsky plans to have the power systems tested for its hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (HEX VTOL) demonstrator aircraft ready by year’s end to begin ground runs in 2025, citing it as a key marker in its pursuit to develop a family of hybrid-electric platforms.  

Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations, told reporters the company is working on a preliminary design review for the actual HEX VTOL follow-on demonstrator, with plans to eventually build two airframes.

“[The testbed] also serves as our lab, so we’ll certainly power it on. What happens after we power it on depends on our findings as we’re going pretty fast,” Cherepinsky said. “This is our first foray into a really high-powered hybrid [electric] system, so we’re going to take it as fast as possible without doing anything silly.”

In February, Sikorsky detailed its HEX VTOL demonstrator, which includes a tilt-wing configuration for potential commercial and military applications, and that it had partnered with GE Aerospace to integrate a 1.2 megawatt-class turbogenerator into the platform. 

Sikorsky said at the time that the HEX VTOL demonstrator is intended to have an operating  range of at least 500 nautical miles and 9,000-pound maximum gross weight, and would utilize the company’s MATRIX autonomy software. 

Work with the HEX VTOL power systems testbed will begin at Sikorsky’s headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut before transitioning to the company’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, Cherepinsky noted, with plans to conduct ground runs and eventual hover testing on the testbed by mid to late 2025. 

Cherepinsky told reporters work to build the two HEX VTOL airframes is following the testbed by “about to six to eight months,” and that timing of when first flights could occur will be informed by findings with the power systems testbed.

“Design on the actual air vehicle is proceeding. We are approaching the [preliminary design review] for the vehicle. And because we are Sikorsky Innovations we have started making some parts for the air vehicle,” Cherepinsky said. “So this becomes essentially a game of when have I demonstrated the powertrain that I’m comfortable to put in in a not inexpensive 9,000-pound air vehicle and go fly that.”

In a media briefing ahead of this week’s Farnborough International Airshow in England, Cherepinsky detailed Sikorsky Innovations exploration of multiple efforts in pursuit of a hybrid-electric VTOL family of systems.

“How do we deliver these products to our customers faster and cheaper? Part of the way of doing that really is to make sure that we have a common set of subsystems, and really subsystems, that we can develop and use in these different looking aircraft,” Cherepinsky said. 

The HEX VTOL tilt-wing demonstrator is one of four hybrid-electric concepts Sikorsky is pursuing, which also includes a larger version of the HEX VTOL platform that has gone through a conceptual design and a new rotor blown wing unmanned aircraft system.

“[The rotor blown wing] simply implies that we’re using a blowing effect from the rotors to do interesting things with wing interaction. It’s a tail-sitter. It’s designed for a variety of missions. It’s really meant to be a cost-effective way of providing VTOL UAS to a wide range of customers,” Cherepinsky said.

Sikorsky is developing a version of its rotor blown wing UAS concept for DARPA’s Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-Less Launch and Recovery program, also known as Ancillary, with the DoD agency having recently selected it as one of six companies to continue onto the risk reduction and component testing phase. 

The fourth concept is a hybrid-electric, single main rotor helicopter, which Cherepinsky said is currently in a conceptual design stage. 

“It’s ultra efficient, ultra cost efficient and also hybrid electric. It has a very nice blend between batteries, conventional turbine [engines] and other means of producing power to generate a very low cost per flight hour machine that is also eco-friendly,” Cherepinsky said. “Stay tuned for when and how we intend to proceed with it.”

Cherepinsky did add that Sikorsky is thinking about both a clean-sheet design for a hybrid-electric helicopter and potentially pursuing retrofit kits “further out in the future.” 

“We are actively studying all of that. I’m obviously being careful not to reveal things we are not ready to talk about yet,” Cherepinsky told reporters. “This is what we’re aiming for with our next product cycle. I can say that. So don’t expect us to talk about this for decades. Expect to hear from us in the year [with] a more concrete commitment to something or the other.”

The Army last week published a Request for Information detailing extensive plans for evaluating hybrid-electric VTOL platforms and enabling technologies, with an aim to hold capability demonstrations between fiscal years 2026 and 2030.

Cherepinsky detailed Sikorsky’s decision to focus on hybrid-electric over pursuing fully-electric platforms, noting the HEX design allows it to be “very upgradeable” to “whatever might come next” in battery technology.

“If you look at the vehicles that interest us, they are north of 10,000 pounds. Being purely electric for that size isn’t practical yet. I will never say that it will never be practical, right, because never say never. In this kind of tech [space] with batteries there are things that are coming out that might make it possible,” Cherepinsky said. “But to be pragmatic and to be able to develop electrified aircraft architectures we said we’re going to be agnostic to the source of the electric power, which today implies that the best thing to do is to take a turbine [engine] and convert all the power to electricity.”

Cherepinsky added that hybrid-electric platforms are likely to burn sustainable aviation fuels “much more efficiently” than conventionally-powered aircraft.

“We are very [aware] of the fact that aviation does produce carbon emissions and we are certainly looking at how do we offset that while still continuing to provide a valuable service,” Cherepinsky said. “The neat part about that is being environmentally conscious is actually good for business. As we produce vehicles that consume less fuel to start with and eventually are eventually convertible to zero emission vehicles, it’s all good news because the cost per mile drops.”

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

The post Sikorsky Nears Testbed For HEX VTOL Demonstrator, Pursuing Several Hybrid Electric Concepts appeared first on Avionics International.

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GE Aerospace, Kratos Developing Low-Cost Engines With Plans For Production To Meet CCA, UAS Needs

Small affordable jet engine developed by Kratos and GE Aerospace. (Photo: GE Aerospace and Kratos)

GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions on Monday said they have been jointly developing small affordable engines to power unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), and similar aircraft.

The two companies for the past year have been jointly developing a small affordable engine and on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing them to sign a new agreement to continue development and partner on full-scale engine production. A new agreement is expected in the coming months.

The thrust range for the UAS and CCA’s is between 600 and 1,250-pounds of thrust, the companies said. Production could begin by the end of the decade, they said.

“Our defense customers have a growing interest in small affordable engines to meet their evolving mission requirements,” Amy Gowder, president and CEO of the Defense & Systems business at GE Aerospace, said in a statement. “Our initial collaboration has been very successful, and this agreement furthers our efforts in this new dynamic military segment.”

Kratos, which has a jet engine business and develops and manufactures unmanned aerial target vehicles and an unmanned stealthy combat aircraft, first developed and ground tested the engine. After GE Aerospace and Kratos signed the existing agreement, the companies completed additional development work and are now testing the engine. Development efforts will continue and lead into altitude testing in 2025 at GE Aerospace’s test cell in Evendale, Ohio.

GE Aerospace is a legacy developer and manufacturer of engines used in fighter aircraft, commercial planes, and helicopters.

“Kratos has made significant investments in the development of our family of small, low-cost jet engines for jet-powered drones, missiles, and powered munitions that lead in technology and capability,” Eric DeMarco, president and CEO of Kratos, said in a statement. “We consider our relationship with GE Aerospace as invaluable based on our expectation and forecast for the potential future production of thousands of turbofan engines for multiple customers.”

The Air Force is managing a CCA program for unmanned jet aircraft that will include autonomous capabilities and team with manned fighters. Currently, Anduril Industries and General Atomics are conducting detailed design work for their respective CCAs with plans to build and test the aircraft.

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

The post GE Aerospace, Kratos Developing Low-Cost Engines With Plans For Production To Meet CCA, UAS Needs appeared first on Avionics International.

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Columbia and Piasecki To Upgrade Model 107 Helicopters – AIN – July 2

 Columbia Helicopters announced a partnership with Piasecki Aircraft to upgrade current Model 107-II tandem-rotor helicopters for better fuel efficiency, power and reliability like the new Columbia CHI-107-III model, AIN reported. Modifications cover installing an upgraded General Electric CT-58 turboshafts with 25 percent more power over the current T-58 engines, adding a new glass cockpit with improved autopilot, a new fuel system for longer ranges and a new rotor system with lower maintenance requirements. Modifications will be made and tested at Piasecki’s facility in Coatesville, Penn, which used to be Sikorsky’s production line for S-76 and S-92 single-rotor helicopters. The Model 107-II is the civilian version of the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter that served with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

The post Columbia and Piasecki To Upgrade Model 107 Helicopters – AIN – July 2 appeared first on Avionics International.

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L3Harris Electronic Warfare System Completes Rigorous Testing

MELBOURNE, Fla., July 10, 2024 — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has completed testing on its latest Viper Shield Electronic Warfare (EW) system, which enhances protection for F-16 pilots, at the U.S. Air Force’s Integrated Defensive Avionics Laboratory.

The hardware and software testing, known as Drop 4, was on the AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield suite, which identified and displayed threats of interest and sorted through them in challenging backgrounds to provide precise situational awareness. 

“Viper Shield demonstrated radar warning receiver functionality in dense background radio frequency environments, and successfully detected, identified, sorted and cued multiple threats,” said Air Force Col. Michael Rigoni, EW Program Manager, F-16 System Program Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The colonel attended the test and added that “completion of Drop 4 testing provides program risk reduction and marks an important level of system maturity.”

The Viper Shield Drop 4 capability uses production representative hardware and integrates fully with all F-16 systems. Drop 4 also ensures that the pilot has enhanced protection against threats through improved pilot-vehicle interface with the Countermeasures Dispensing System, which can release chaff and flares from the aircraft.

“Viper Shield is a virtual electronic armor that will improve the ability of F-16 fighter pilots to detect threats earlier so they can defend themselves and utilize that data to increase their survivability,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “We will continue to refine and advance this system for warfighters globally.” 

L3Harris designed Viper Shield as the baseline EW system for the global F-16 Block 70/72 fleet and can  enhance both offensive and defensive capabilities. The system has proven its performance with other important milestones, including seamless integration with the onboard APG-83 AESA radar. L3Harris can also install Viper Shield onto legacy F-16 configurations inside the aircraft or in fully integrated pod configurations utilizing the existing Line Replaceable Units mounted externally. 

The post L3Harris Electronic Warfare System Completes Rigorous Testing appeared first on Avionics International.

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