Search for:

Drone Strategy 2.0: The Future of Unmanned Aircraft in Europe

On Nov. 29, the European Commission published Drone Strategy 2.0 to establish the role of unmanned aircraft in commercial operations over the next decade. (Photo: Copyright European Union – Cristof Echard)

On Nov. 29, the European Commission published its Drone Strategy 2.0 to lay the foundation for how unmanned aircraft will be used in the commercial and regulatory sectors. As part of a larger mission to be carbon neutral by 2050, this strategy will help regulate drone usage so it supports a more digitized and sustainable Europe.

The European Commission’s Drone Leaders Group, which consists of General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and other member companies, has looked at how drones should be regulated over the past few years. They published their final report in April, a report which became the basis for the recently released drone strategy.

Within this new drone strategy, the European Commission laid out how drones should be used in cargo and passenger operations. They also outlined performance-based and risk-based regulations as well as the skills development training needed to ensure drones are used properly. The framework is meant to ensure that drones are widely used—and regulated—by 2030.

The report draws from the current U-space regulatory framework and sets out the new Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) framework to regulate local and regional commercial air travel and the new Innovative Aerial Services (IAS) framework. IAS will regulate imaging, surveillance, mapping, and inspecting in European Union states, while IAM will focus more on the use of drones in commercial operations.

“Drones and IAM will become a part of the future urban and regional multimodal intelligent mobility ecosystem and the ground and air infrastructures enabling these transport services will be widely deployed and integrated,” said Kyle Martin, GAMA Vice President of European Affairs, in a recent press release.

The recently released report predicts that the drone sector could be valued at €14.5 billion by 2030 with over 145,000 new jobs created in the European Union over the next decade. Their vision also includes fully autonomous aircraft carriers in the commercial sector by 2030.

While the drones will have a positive impact on the economy, there are some environmental concerns around the increase in drone production. The report laid out production and recycling regulations, with the hope to decrease the environmental footprint when creating new drones and the noise pollution when they are in use.

The Drone 2.0 Strategy is confined within the European Union, but countries around the globe have started to work together to create drone regulations on an international scale. This time last year, regulators from the U.S. and EU gathered to discuss the successful integration of unmanned aircraft into civilian airspace.

When looking to the future of drones, Martin remarked, “GAMA will continue to work closely with the European Commission, EASA and Member States to make the strategy’s vision for 2030 a reality for EU citizens and businesses.”

The post Drone Strategy 2.0: The Future of Unmanned Aircraft in Europe appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Q&A With Chief Operating Officer of UMILES Next

Óscar Lara, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at UMILES Next, discusses the company’s collaboration with TECNALIA and the recent test flights conducted with the Concept Integrity eVTOL prototype. (Photo: UMILES Next)

In late October, the electric air taxi prototype Concept Integrity performed its second successful test flight. The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft was designed by UMILES Next and was equipped with FlyFree technology that was developed by TECNALIA. The test flight is part of a European demonstration project called USPACE4UAM that supports the integration of manned and unmanned aircraft into the airspace in urban environments.

Concept Integrity’s first flight took place in Toulouse in September. This second test flight was conducted at the ATLAS Test Flight Centre in Spain. Another eVTOL developer, Lilium, has also been performing flight tests at the ATLAS center since April. This fall, Lilium successfully achieved a full transition from hover to wing-borne flight with its Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator.

According to the announcement from Umiles Next, the third site where the team is conducting test flights of the Concept Integrity is Lugo, Spain.

In a written interview with Avionics International this week, Óscar Lara, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Umiles Next, shared some insights into the partnership with Tecnalia and development of the Concept Integrity aircraft.

Óscar Lara, COO of UMILES Next

Avionics: What is USPACE4UAM and how does Umiles Next participate in this project?

Óscar Lara: USPACE4UAM is a European Union project that consists of introducing new types of aircraft (drones, unmanned aircraft, air taxis) in an airspace compatible with the current airspace. Within this context, Umiles Next and Tecnalia have conducted several flight tests, testing how our air taxi can be included in these airspaces, including coordination with other actors within the airspace and identifying our potential specific needs in these new environments. 

 

What is the extent of the partnership between Umiles Next and Tecnalia? How do the two companies benefit from working together?

Lara: Umiles Next acquired the technology developed by Tecnalia for the development of new flight systems applicable to the air taxi concept Integrity. Currently, Tecnalia is an engineering service provider of Umiles Next that is helping us in the new developments oriented to the implementation of the technology in Integrity 3 (2+1), a new aircraft in design process that represents an evolution with respect to Concept Integrity and in which all the needs are being taken into account for the Type Certification of the same.

Pictured above is the Concept Integrity team at the ATLAS center. Honeywell is leading the USPACE4UAM project, which also includes the companies Vertical Aerospace, CATEC, and ENAIRE. (Photo: UMILES Next)

Can you share any details about the Concept Integrity aircraft and the test flights?

Lara: The Concept Integrity aircraft has so far performed three outdoor flights in the cities of Toulouse, Jaén, and Lugo in which the results obtained previously, in the indoor flights performed, have been corroborated.

The objective of these flights has been to validate the different aspects of the vehicle, its flight envelopes, and, in particular, to verify its own differentiating technologies. The results so far have been very satisfactory since we have been able to verify that the behavior of the aircraft fits with a high precision to the simulations performed. For this purpose, we have tested different flight scenarios, with different ranges, maneuvers, environmental conditions, and air traffic.

An important conclusion of the flights has been the demonstration of the high safety and stability of the aircraft and, by extension, of Umiles Next’s proprietary technology (FlyFree), which presents a clear competitive advantage in the air taxi market, where this need is clearly a commercial driver.

 

What are some of the company’s short-term objectives?

Lara: The goals we have for the near future can be divided into two parts.

On the one hand, we have the objective of continuing to perform flights with the Concept Integrity aircraft to further validate the technology and with it the flight envelope of the aircraft.

On the other hand, we aim to continue developing the new Integrity 3(2+1), which will be the aircraft that will complete the certification process.

All this together with our autonomous ground vehicle developments will make our vision of “Changing How The Planet Moves” a reality.

“The Concept Integrity was flanked at the testing event by other unmanned aircraft at different layers with a view to proving that this new traffic type can be safely and seamlessly integrated into urban areas in the near future.” (Photo: UMILES Next)

Could you tell us more about the testing of automatic flight control and autonomous take-off and landing systems at Umiles Next?

Lara: Our Concept Integrity aircraft is conceived to be autonomous, which means implementing important innovations in the different flight control and navigation systems.

This approach has a strong implication in conventional air traffic management, which is precisely one of the points we have been working on in all these European projects.

However, we are aware that in the near future, autonomous aircraft for passenger transport will not be certifiable due to a lack of regulation. That is why we have decided to design the Integrity 3 (2+1) aircraft including a pilot as an intermediate step to a future autonomous aircraft.

Within the autonomous systems we have tested in the various flights we have made the autonomous landing and take-off systems, with success.

As everybody knows the landing and take-off phases can be the most challenging of a flight and therefore the realization of these tests means an important step towards the autonomous future of aviation.

 

What about detect-and-avoid technology?

Lara: We consider that detect-and-avoid systems will be a critical element to introduce this type of new aircraft in the airspace, both manned and especially autonomous, as more and more airspace will include a greater number of aircraft. The fact of increasing the number of aircraft in the airspace will imply a greater need for autonomy in sense and avoid situations. 

Without these systems, that we are testing together with other companies, such as Honeywell, this automation would be complicated. That is why in the flights we have already made, one of the elements we have tested is different scenarios in which our eVTOL has faced situations of potential collision with other users of the airspace, the reaction being very positive.

The post Q&A With Chief Operating Officer of UMILES Next appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Airbus Reveals New “DisruptiveLab” Demonstrator and Other Sustainability Efforts

Airbus revealed its new flying laboratory, DisruptiveLab, to test technologies for improving aircraft performance and reducing CO2 emissions for helicopters. (Photo: Airbus)

During its annual summit this week, Airbus revealed its new flying laboratory called DisruptiveLab which was created to test technologies for improving aircraft performance and reducing CO2 emissions for helicopters. Airbus Helicopters plans to conduct the first flight of the DisruptiveLab before the end of 2022.

The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) provided some financial support for the development of the DisruptiveLab demonstrator, which is part of the French Council for Civil Aviation Research Conseil’s roadmap.

Airbus previously developed another demonstration aircraft, the FlightLab, beginning in 2020. This concept used an H130 platform and targeted research and development of technology to enhance safety and autonomous operation. In comparison, the new DisruptiveLab is aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of aircraft and improving overall performance.

Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, commented during the Airbus Summit 2022 that the new demonstrator is at the core of the company’s roadmap towards clean aviation. The DisruptiveLab “will combine several technology bricks with the objective to reach a reduction of 50% CO2,” Even stated.

The team at Airbus Helicopters will be testing various components such as aerodynamics, weight, and hybrid power. “The innovative architecture and the fully parallel hybrid propulsion system could only really be tested on a brand new demonstrator in order to verify the combined impact in CO2 reduction,” he commented in the announcement by Airbus.

The company made several announcements during the summit. Airbus shared that it is developing a hydrogen-powered zero-emission engine that could be integrated into its aircraft entering service by 2035. The team plans to start flight testing the new hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine onboard the ZEROe demonstrator aircraft around 2025.

“Airbus has revealed that it is developing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. The propulsion system is being considered as one of the potential solutions to equip its zero-emission aircraft that will enter service by 2035.” (Photo: Airbus)

“By continuing to invest in this technology we are giving ourselves additional options that will inform our decisions on the architecture of our future ZEROe aircraft, the development of which we intend to launch in the 2027-2028 timeframe,” remarked Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus.

The ZEROe aircraft concepts are all fueled by hydrogen. While three of the aircraft have engines that utilize hydrogen combustion to drive gas turbines, the fourth is configured with six eight-bladed propellers attached to engine pods. The pods contain hydrogen fuel cells to produce electricity that will power electric motors. 

This flight test demonstrator is the first developed by Airbus to have a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell engine. The demonstrator will use the A380 MSN001 multi-modal flight test platform. Airbus will install a customized cryogenic tank inside the aircraft’s rear fuselage that will hold the liquefied hydrogen.

“With the A380 we also have an aircraft that’s already fully instrumented,” explained Mathias Andriamisaina, Head of ZEROe Demonstrators and Tests at Airbus. He is quoted in the press release from Airbus, saying, “The flight-test-instrumentation (FTI) is a big part of the project and can be a big driver in terms of cost and planning. So MSN001 was the perfect fit for us.”

Airbus announced a collaborative effort with ArianeGroup this week. They will work together to build a liquid hydrogen refueling facility at the Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in France that is expected to start operating in 2025.

“Airbus and ArianeGroup, a joint venture equally owned by Airbus and Safran, and a world leader in space propulsion technologies, will work together to build the first liquid hydrogen refuelling facility for ZEROe aircraft at Toulouse, Blagnac airport.” (Photo: Airbus)

“ArianeGroup, with its unique skills and know-how in the storage, testing, and use of liquid hydrogen, enables new industrial sectors in Europe to accelerate their energy transition,” noted André-Hubert Roussel, CEO.

The post Airbus Reveals New “DisruptiveLab” Demonstrator and Other Sustainability Efforts appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Integrating Hardware and Software in Microprocessors to Expedite Avionics Certification

Pre-integrating hardware and software components can alleviate the complications surrounding multi-core processor certification. (Photo: Intel Corporation)

After decades of relying on single-core processors to power everything from flight controls to cockpit instrumentation panels, it appears avionics manufacturers are ready to embrace multi-core processors in the hopes of saving Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) and achieving greater efficiency. But the move toward multi-core processors comes with significant concerns and complications that have impeded the ability to certify the technology.

Here, we will look at the complications surrounding multi-core processor certification and how pre-integrating hardware and software components can alleviate those issues, resulting in more efficient certification processes and safer equipment.

Multi-core complexity creates certification challenges

The concept of determinism dictates that every event has a cause. In compute terms, a two-core processor might have different cores sharing the same cache, each with its own cause.

Things can get complicated when the two converge. For example, a core handling non-safety-critical tasks could accidentally lock the cache, preventing the second core—which handles safety-critical tasks—from performing its functions. The more cores in the processor, the greater the chances of multi-channel interference between the cores.

It’s difficult to predict when or if this will happen, and that has made certifying multi-core processors historically challenging. Certification of any technology depends on that technology behaving in reliable and predictable ways. This is especially important in avionics, which holds strict Design Assurance Level (DAL) standards, particularly DAL-A and DAL-B.

Unfortunately, multi-processing has not traditionally been reliable or predictable, at least as far as avionics certification goes. Avionics manufacturers normally must run multiple cycles to determine possible failures, gather and parse swaths of data, and more—a time-consuming process.

Now, there are tangible and more efficient solutions built on pre-integrated hardware and software components, making multi-core interference much less of a concern. With these integrations, avionics manufacturers can more easily gather safety certification data from the hardware, creating a certification process that is efficient, faster, predictable, and safe.

Hardware integration addresses challenges and expedites certification

There are a few specific ways integrating hardware and software helps avionics teams address their determinism challenges and expedite their certification processes.

First, avionics manufacturers have typically needed to perform their own analysis and characterization of the processor chips they’ve purchased from vendors. That’s because most chips are provided with low-level data, requiring avionics teams to perform extensive due diligence to ensure that the chips’ data corresponds with DO-254 level safety standards.

Conversely, chips designed with both hardware and software in mind, and that already include this information, take much of the onus off avionics teams. They no longer need to concern themselves with combing through multitudes of data to ensure the chips comply with required safety standards and ensure critical workloads do not get preempted. CoreAVI and Intel are working together to help with the product developer’s bottom line. Both companies recognize how important aviation safety is for all and supporting avionics customers’ requirements. The benefits of time and engineering resources savings in platform safety certification are clear. A pre-integrated solution reduces system integrators’ risks and allows a quicker time to deployment.

Second, most multi-core processors include generic bootloaders or  a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), of which avionics manufacturers may only use a subset of specialized features. Since the cost to certify a single line of code can be extraordinarily high, avionics teams need to go through the systems and remove any unnecessary code that does not require certification. They must also ensure that codes comply with the parameters around DO-178C, which requires that each line of code have a purpose (or, again, cause).

Bootloaders and BIOS that have been pre-certified and manufactured to provide avionics manufacturers with only relevant code allow avionics teams to streamline their multi-core certification processes. A board support package with just enough data to get the system up and running is an example of a system that uses an integrated hardware and software approach to provide manufacturers with precisely what they need and no more.

A look forward

Improving and accelerating certification processes is only the beginning of a series of potentially game-changing use cases that could result from the use of multi-core processors in avionics.

Multi-core processing will play a key role in making air transportation both smarter and safer. Applications like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) depend on multiple cores to be able to process information, such as wind speed and direction, from various sensors. This information is turned into actionable data that human pilots and self-piloted aircraft can use to make real-time decisions while in flight.

With enough data, a single pilot can fly without the need of a co-pilot and still effectively manage her journey; a drone can accurately drop off a package at a person’s doorstep; or the pilot of an air taxi can maximize the craft’s flight distance.

But these use cases also need the right amount of processing power to manage the data. Multi-core processors built with pre-integrated hardware and software deliver that power, creating greater efficiencies in certification and opportunities for the future.

 

This article was written by Debra Aubrey, Technical Product Marketing Manager, Federal and Aerospace, Intel Corporation.

The post Integrating Hardware and Software in Microprocessors to Expedite Avionics Certification appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Investing in Live Sports for In-Flight Entertainment Helps Airlines’ Bottom Lines

Airlines can take advantage of the widespread interest in sports by making live sports events available for viewing in-flight. (Photo: Panasonic Avionics)

It is increasingly common for an airline to offer some kind of in-flight entertainment for its passengers, whether through seatback screens or personal devices. One way that airlines can further improve their bottom lines is by adding live sports to their in-flight entertainment (IFE) offering.

Customers have always cared about the quality of the in-flight experience. As air travel makes a comeback from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to consider what components contribute to a positive experience for passengers.

Watching live events is a unique and valuable experience for many across the world. Especially for national and international competitions, like the World Cup, in-flight viewership can increase tenfold, according to Dominic Green, Senior Director of Product Line Management at Panasonic Avionics. “To harness that ability [to watch live events]—and to take credit for it as an airline that provides access to these unmissable moments—is extremely powerful for curators of the passenger experience,” he explained.

Green added, “Showing live sports on board brings the in-air experience closer to the expectations consumers have on the ground.” Airlines can take advantage of the widespread interest in sports by making live events available for viewing in-flight. Men account for about 60% of the market for sports viewership, but women are responsible for purchasing close to half of all NFL merchandise. In fact, nearly 80% of all sales of sports apparel are conducted with women, according to a recent NYU study cited by Panasonic.

Panasonic Avionics has partnered with IMG to offer Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra for in-flight entertainment. Live sports are a core part of Panasonic’s offerings for passenger engagement, in addition to live news. According to the company, including live sports with IFE can have a positive impact on budgetary efficiency and tangible metrics.

“Live content is unmissable, and the must-see element can mean changing the way airlines think about appropriating content budgets,” Green shared.

He added, “More time spent engaging with other content experiences like maps or live television means less time and resources that airlines need to allocate in pursuing giant, expensive libraries of content.”

Panasonic Avionics provides high-speed in-flight connectivity for the commercial aviation industry. Their connectivity services provide coverage for 99.8% of global flight routes. Panasonic and OneWeb entered into a distribution agreement to add low earth orbit (LEO) networks to Panasonic’s satellite network. The company’s single panel antenna, or SPA, is a Ku-band antenna with a simplified design that is mounted on the fuselage. Panasonic invests in electronically-steered antennas (ESAs) for LEO and GEO constellations.

The post Investing in Live Sports for In-Flight Entertainment Helps Airlines’ Bottom Lines appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

European Innovation Council Awards €2.5M Grant to Dronamics

Dronamics was just awarded a €2.5 million grant from the European Commission’s European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program. The funds will support continued development and rollout of Dronamics’ cargo drones. (Photo: Dronamics)

Dronamics announced last week that the European Commission’s European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program awarded them a grant of €2.5 million. These funds will support development and rollout of Dronamics’ fleet of large cargo drones. The grant also goes towards deployment of droneports in the company’s network and towards support of general operations in Europe.

Svilen Rangelov, co-founder and CEO of Dronamics, commented that the support from the EIC serves “as testament to the impact that cargo drone logistics can have on the European Union economy at large.” The EIC has also made commitments in support of the company’s upcoming Series A round.

Rangelov remarked, “We will use this grant to establish our European operations and keep bringing innovation to help elevate communities and businesses using breakthroughs in aviation and technology that will revolutionize air cargo mobility.”

Nearly 1,000 candidates applied for funding by the EIC Accelerator program, which awarded grants to only a handful of companies. 

Dronamics is headquartered in the UK. The company announced Quickstep as its first strategic manufacturing partner earlier this year. Quickstep will oversee manufacturing of the cargo drones in New South Wales, Australia. Dronamics plans to enter the Australian market in 2023.

Dronamics claims to be the first cargo drone company to receive a European drone airline license, or light UAS operator certificate (LUC), which is granted individually by European national aviation authorities. 

“Built specifically for cargo, unlike other aircraft, the Black Swan can carry the same load as a small cargo van at a distance of up to 2,500 km, resulting in cost, time, and carbon emission savings.” (Photo: Dronamics)

In an interview with Avionics International earlier this year, CEO Rangelov shared that the team’s strategy is “to create a new type of vehicle that’s more efficient to produce and more efficient to operate than existing technology.”

Rangelov also participated in a recent webinar on the future of advanced air mobility, along with the CEOs of Elroy Air, Pyka, and MightyFly. All four companies are developing cargo drones for different missions and markets. The Black Swan that Dronamics is developing will be operated as a middle-mile solution for distances of at least 300 miles.

The post European Innovation Council Awards €2.5M Grant to Dronamics appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Port of Rotterdam Chooses Airwayz for UTM System Prototype

The Port of Rotterdam Authority chose Airwayz to build a U-Space prototype for the port industrial complex. The U-Space services will be set up over the next two years and Airwayz’ UTM system will be configured in a way that is specific to the needs and requirements of the port. (Photo: Airwayz)

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has selected the software provider Airwayz as a partner to prototype an air traffic management system for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The system will enable drones and helicopters to operate in the same airspace. Drones can be used at the Port of Rotterdam for surveillance, inspections, delivery services, and incident control.

Airwayz is based in Tel Aviv. Its unmanned traffic management (UTM) system for UAS utilizes artificial intelligence to enable the full potential of drone operations. UTM requires a high degree of automation because there is not enough time to account for human decision timelines.

“We have proven technology that can support multiple scalable drone operations in real time,” shared Airwayz ​​CEO, Eyal Zor, in an interview with Avionics International. Zor noted that this may be the first client looking at deploying and scaling up a commercial UTM system.

Airwayz enables efficient drone operations, which means that the operators can conduct enough flights in real time to support their clients or end-users. “We have the technology to connect all the different stakeholders—dozens of drone operators—and enable them to operate simultaneously within the same airspace, without compromising the safety measures that are needed for the port to conduct such operations and manage its own airspace,” Zor explained.

The Port of Rotterdam selected Airwayz for this partnership because of the company’s automated system that can scale up to match increasing drone activity. Not only can drones offer support to the 3,000 companies that operate within the port, but Airwayz demonstrated that such operations could result in a commercial revenue stream.

According to Zor, one of the main challenges is to prove that the model is working successfully. “There are a lot of stakeholders,” he said. “With a UTM, you are responsible for connecting all of the drone operators in the port and making sure they are in compliance with the set of rules that you define with the local regulators and the port itself.”

He added that there is a need to ensure other vehicles operating in the port are connected. There are other stakeholders who want to connect to the system,” he said. “There are eight helicopter fleet operators within the port. They also need to be part of the ecosystem we are deploying.” 

Over the next few years, the challenge is going to be making sure that the market is ready to adopt increased commercial drone operations. “I’m quite optimistic,” Zor said, “because when I see different industries like autonomous cars, compared to where we are today in terms of deployment, the market is showing a high level of readiness regarding commercial activity.” 

“A lot of companies already do drone deliveries,” he added. “Compared to different industries, the acceptance is already there at an initial level.”

Aviation authorities and ANSPs will play an important role in increasing the market’s acceptance of UTM companies. Their approach will be “making sure the industry is advancing without compromising safety,” Zor remarked, “and ensuring that stakeholders understand their rights to adopt this technology.”

Airwayz initiated a pilot program in Israel last year. The team operated a UTM system within a defined corridor to manage drone fleets from five different UAS companies. The drones used their own UAS service systems for route planning and flying, and these systems communicated with the UTM system operated by Airwayz.

The post Port of Rotterdam Chooses Airwayz for UTM System Prototype appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Ampaire’s Hybrid-Electric Grand Caravan Takes Flight

Ampaire’s Eco Caravan aircraft, an upgraded Cessna Grand Caravan, made its first flight last week on a fully-integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system. (Photo: Ampaire)

Ampaire has achieved a major milestone using a modified Cessna Grand Caravan. The Los Angeles-based electric aircraft developer flew its first hybrid-electric regional aircraft on a 30-minute test flight above southern California during the early morning hours of Friday, Nov. 18. This test flight shows promising success for the developer’s integrated propulsion system. 

The retrofitted Cessna Grand Caravan is one of several achievements Ampaire has reached within the past year. The company broke a record in July 2022, when its Cessna 337 Hybrid-Electric demonstrator performed a 1,135 mile journey nonstop from California to Oshkosh, the longest route ever flown by a hybrid-electric aircraft. 

Despite recent success, decarbonizing the aviation industry comes with major challenges. As Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker explained in the announcement, “Fully-electric aircraft are range limited because of the weight and energy capacity of current-generation batteries. Hybrid-electric aircraft, however, can preserve the range and utility of today’s aircraft. That is why we are focused on hybrid-electric propulsion for a series of increasingly capable regional aircraft. It’s a way for the airline industry to decarbonize more quickly and also to benefit from lower operating costs.” 

The Cessna Grand Caravan used in Ampaire’s recent test flight features an integrated propulsion system that includes both a compression ignition engine and an electric engine. A battery pack supplied by EP systems was placed in a body fairing of the aircraft, which helped preserve capacity for passengers and cargo.

On Nov. 18 at 7:49 AM, Ampaire’s Eco Caravan departed from Camarillo Airport for its 33-minute test flight. At full power, the aircraft climbed to 3,500 feet using a combination of power from both its electric and combustion engines. For about 20 minutes, test pilot Elliot Seguin tested various power settings and monitored readings on his instruments. Afterward, Seguin flew the aircraft back to Camarillo Airport, touching down at around 8:22 AM.

The Eco Caravan, while still using some traditional aviation fuel, can cut emissions by up to 70% while cutting operating costs by 25% to 40%. It does this without sacrificing range capabilities. In fact, with eight passengers, the Eco Caravan can actually fly further than traditional Grand Caravans because it boasts a maximum range beyond 1,000 miles.

While this news is positive for Ampaire and the cause for sustainable air travel, the industry still lacks certain infrastructure key for the widespread use for aircraft like the Eco Caravan. While it can charge its batteries in the air, charging stations at airports across the country is one of many considerations that will need to be made prior to widespread utilization.

Ampaire seems optimistic about the future of its Eco Caravan. Because it is not an entirely new aircraft design, it does not need a full aircraft certification program—only a supplemental type certificate (STC). With this in mind, Ampaire hopes to receive certification by 2024. 

Regardless, Ampaire has shown that more sustainable air travel is just around the corner. The Eco Caravan could be the first of many innovations made for the timely improvement of the aviation industry.

The post Ampaire’s Hybrid-Electric Grand Caravan Takes Flight appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Lilium Closes $119 Million Capital Raise

Lilium recently announced the successful closing of a capital raise totaling $119 million which came from from existing shareholders, strategic partners, and new investors. (Photo: Lilium)

Leading eVTOL developer Lilium has closed a $119 million capital raise—a concurrent private placement and registered direct offering (RDO). Participants included existing shareholders, strategic partners, and new investors. Honeywell, Aciturri, Tencent, and B. Riley Securities contributed to the capital raise along with LGT and its affiliated impact investor Lightrock, as well as Klaus Roewe, Lilium’s new CEO, and three board members.

Rowe remarked on the successful closing of the $119 million capital raise, saying, “These proceeds are expected to strengthen our balance sheet and advance our commercialization efforts including signing of customer agreements with pre-delivery payments, reaching an agreement with EASA on our Means of Compliance, and commencing assembly of the type-conforming aircraft for the final manned flight test campaign.”

The net proceeds from the offerings are expected to go towards funding Lilium’s operations and continued development of the Lilium Jet.

Honeywell Aerospace’s Stéphane Fymat, Vice President and General Manager of Urban Air Mobility, also commented on the announcement from Lilium: “Honeywell and Lilium share a common vision of the importance of electric aviation and the positive impact it will have on air transportation and decarbonization. We are proud to partner with Lilium as the provider of the avionics systems, [flight] controls, and electric motors used to guide and power Lilium’s revolutionary electric jet.”

Honeywell has worked with Lilium for about two years. They shared news of a partnership in 2021 to create avionics and flight control systems for Lilium’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Honeywell will provide its compact fly-by-wire system for flight control of all moving parts on the aircraft. Honeywell’s Anthem flight deck is also being considered for integration into the electric air taxi developed by Hyundai’s Supernal.

In June 2022, the team at Honeywell announced a collaboration with DENSO Corporation to develop an electric motor for Lilium’s aircraft. The motor will provide 100 kilowatts of electric power and is expected to weigh less than 4 kilograms.

Later that month, Lilium selected Astronics Corporation to design and manufacture an electrical power distribution system for the electric air taxi. The two companies plan to collaborate for more than 12 months on the project. In July, Lilium also confirmed its selection of L3Harris as a supplier of extra light data recorders.

Lilium’s technology demonstrator, Phoenix 2, completed the full transition from hover to wing-borne flight this fall. The flight was conducted at the company’s ATLAS (Air Traffic Laboratory for Advanced Unmanned Systems) Flight Test Center in Spain. 

The post Lilium Closes $119 Million Capital Raise appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Space Avionics from L3Harris Propel Artemis I Launch

On Nov. 16, Artemis I successfully launched into space, thanks in part to L3Harris’ space avionics. (Photo: John Kraus)

Northrop Grumman successfully launched NASA’s Artemis I on Nov. 16 with the help of L3Harris’s space avionics. L3Harris’ avionics systems ensured that the launch and the first eight minutes of remote command for the unmanned spacecraft went smoothly.

In order to help the unmanned spacecraft hit 17,000 mph within the first eight minutes of the flight, L3Harris provided over 30 advanced space avionics systems. These were used in the core, upper stage avionics, and booster for Artemis I to enable remote control, help determine the trajectory of the flight, and provide a rocket booster jettison.

Compared to earlier space exploration flights, Artemis I had a reduced risk for material obsolescence, a lower cost per flight, and an increased payload capacity, all thanks to the booster provided by L3Harris. L3Harris avionics systems provided a low-cost, high-quality solution for Artemis I. L3Harris works with a variety of customers to help them reach their goals as efficiently as possible.

As a company, L3Harris offers a wide range of avionics systems and solutions for spacecrafts, airplanes, and other aviation applications. The company has a long history of working with branches of the US government—and upcoming projects demonstrate the continuation of this partnership.

L3Harris will be providing mission management processors for Boeing’s T-7A Red Hawk, a pilot training system designed for the U.S. Air Force. The processors developed by L3Harris are also integrated into the F-35, F/A-18, and the U.S. Navy’s new MQ-25 unmanned tanker aircraft.

With regards to NASA specifically, the company has contributed to their space exploration missions for decades. Kristin Houston, the president of Electro Optical at L3Harris, stated, “NASA relied on L3Harris’ expertise and technology from early spacecraft through the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Mars missions.”

On launch day, the use of L3Harris’ avionics translated into a smooth launch for Artemis I, enabling the spacecraft’s mission to analyze the moon’s surface with more attention to detail than ever before. In the short-term, the Artemis mission is designed to land the first women and person of color on the moon. NASA predicts this project will also create a long-term human-robot community on the moon and allow humans to go to Mars in the next decade.

To accomplish this mission, NASA is working with private and international partners, including companies such Northrop Grumman and L3Harris, and countries such as South Africa and Japan. Jim Free, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, stated, “This successful launch means NASA and our partners are on a path to explore farther in space than ever before for the benefit of humanity.”

L3Harris has been a crucial partner for NASA’s goal of improving the technology inside their spacecrafts. The L3Harris team expects to continue helping NASA with their missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Their next contribution will be the hardware for Artemis II, which is scheduled to launch in 2024.

The post Space Avionics from L3Harris Propel Artemis I Launch appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed
Free Business Hosting
Free Email Account
Dropcatch
Free Secure Email
Secure Email
Cheap VOIP Calls
Free Hosting
Boost Inflight Wifi
Premium Domains
Free Domains

Transcom ISP - Transcom VOIP - Free Secure Email - Dropcatch Software - FastApn Inflight - Aero Connect - Premium Domains