Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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15 Apr 21. Aitech Joins The Open Group FACE™ Consortium To Help Foster Software Interoperability Across Military Computing Platforms. Technology reuse and faster time to market at the forefront of FACE initiative. Aitech, a leading provider of rugged board and system level solutions for military, aerospace and space applications, has joined The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment™ (FACE) Consortium. The FACE Technical Standard enables developers to create and deploy a wide catalog of applications for use across the entire spectrum of military aviation systems through a common operating environment. This critically provides reduced and streamlined time to market, shared key learnings as well as increased innovation in the industry.
“We are very pleased that Aitech has joined The Open Group FACE Consortium as our newest Member,” said Judy Cerenzia, VP of Forum Operations at The Open Group. “We welcome their expertise and look forward to their contributions to help foster software interoperability across military computing platforms as we truly believe that software initiatives will move interoperability forward in modern military and defense applications.”
As a member of the FACE Consortium, Aitech brings decades of experience working with open standards and modular architecture, and will contribute its reliable software design experience to help develop FACE conformant capabilities that will enhance rugged embedded systems and boards for defense and space applications.
Pratish Shah, General Manager USA of Aitech, noted, “As the need for better collaboration between vendors continues to lead system development strategies in the military and defense markets, we recognize the importance of offering a well-rounded, complete solution, from board-level to integration. FACE helps bridge the hardware-software gap, and becoming a part of this initiative is a natural progression for Aitech.”
With the support of the three main branches of the US military and almost 100 industry manufacturers, The Open Group FACE and SOSA™ (Sensor Open Systems Architecture) Consortia are extensively developing standards that enable Modular Open Systems Approaches (MOSA) as specified by the U.S. Department of Defense for new systems development and modification of existing systems.
As a member of several open standards organizations, including VITA, the SOSA Consortium and now the FACE Consortium, Aitech seeks to provide its customers with both hardware and software solutions for use in today and tomorrow’s military, defense and aerospace programs.
Aitech continues to invest in next generation single board computers (SBCs), GPGPU products, graphics XMCs, communication and I/O cards, Ethernet switches and power supplies as well as system level products and software solutions to provide its customers with a large selection of open-standard architectures for rugged applications. The company offers more than 37 years of extensive expertise in designing and manufacturing cutting-edge open standards and custom defense and space electronics solutions.
For more information please call 888-Aitech-8 (888-248-3248), visit www.aitechsystems.com or e-mail
About Aitech Systems:
In business for more than three decades, Aitech is one of the world’s first, independent, open systems architecture, COTS/MOTS innovators offering open standards-based boards and integrated computing subsystem products, with customization services for rugged and severe environment, military, aerospace and space applications…i.e. products for Air, Land, Sea and Space. For more information, please visit www.aitechsystems.com
About The Open Group:
The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards. Our diverse membership of more than 800 organizations includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries. Further information on The Open Group can be found at www.opengroup.org
About The Open Group FACE™ Consortium
The FACE™ Consortium is a vendor-neutral forum for all military airborne platform types comprised of government, industry, and academia to develop and consolidate open standards, best practices, guidance documents, and business models. Further information on the FACE Consortium can be found at www.opengroup.org/face
15 Apr 21. Sikorsky S-97 RAIDER Demonstrates Agility at the X During Future Vertical Lift Flight Demonstrations at Redstone Arsenal. Flying low, fast and expertly executing crisp, tight, quick maneuvers that only Sikorsky’s X2 Technology™ family of helicopters brings, the Sikorsky S-97 RAIDER® helicopter flew two demonstrations before Army officials and Soldiers at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama this week. The events offered a glimpse at Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company’s bid for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, part of the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) effort to revolutionize its aircraft fleet. Sikorsky is a Lockheed Martin Company (NYSE: LMT).
The S-97 RAIDER, solely funded by Sikorsky is the only representative FARA aircraft flying today and provides risk reduction for Sikorsky’s FARA concept, RAIDER X®, a fast, agile, survivable compound coaxial helicopter that will allow future aviators to address evolving peer and near-peer threats in the most difficult environments.
“Since the first Black Hawk took to the skies in the 1970s, to when our teams broke helicopter speed records with X2 Technology in 2010, we have been working with our Army partners to develop and deliver low-risk, transformational, affordable and sustainable aircraft to support the warfighters’ missions,” said Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo, who was at Redstone this week. “This is the first of what we believe will be many times our X2 Future Vertical Lift aircraft will fly at Redstone.”
RAIDER X will fully integrate the strengths of Lockheed Martin such as digital thread, advanced manufacturing, sustainment, training, and weapon and mission system development, manufacture and integration. At Sikorsky, the digital thread is built into current programs and is being utilized today in our digital advanced manufacturing facility. This proven, holistic life-cycle approach runs seamlessly throughout the design, development, production, supply chain and sustainment process. Today, all of Sikorsky’s programs are born in a digital environment. The power of this digital thread drives affordability, producibility and reliability across the aircraft lifecycle.
In addition to the FARA competition, Sikorsky and partner Boeing are offering the DEFIANT X™ for the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition. With RAIDER X and DEFIANT X, the Army could have common, scalable aircraft with the mission advantage the Army is looking for. Both FARA and FLRAA are among the Army’s top modernization priorities meant to address near-peer threats in the multi-domain operations (MDO) of 2030 and beyond.
“Through this week’s RAIDER flight and our ongoing test program with DEFIANT, we are demonstrating the future of Army Aviation,” said Kevin Mangum, Lockheed Martin vice president, Army programs.
“With RAIDER X, we will fill a critical Army capability gap, providing the speed, reach, lethality and convergence to fight and win on the MDO battlefield, today and into the future. DEFIANT X will be the world’s best assault aircraft – like our great Black Hawk – for decades to come. Our X2-designed aircraft provide commonality – in parts, systems, maintenance and training. And, DEFIANT X has the same operational footprint as the Black Hawk, reducing the Army’s total cost of ownership by eliminating any modifications to existing facilities.”
Flight Demonstrations Highlight Maneuverability and Speed Where it Matters
On April 13 and 15 at Redstone, Sikorsky’s Christiaan Corry and Bill Fell piloted the S-97 RAIDER flight routines that highlighted both low-level helicopter maneuverability and the high-speed capability that only Sikorsky’s X2 Technology family of helicopters offers. Corry previously flew with the first Army experimental test pilot in S-97 RAIDER, with additional events to come.
“Flying RAIDER continues to amaze me,” said Corry, a former U.S. Marine with more than 4,500 flight hours in 25 types of aircraft including the CH-53E, CH-53K and others. “The combination of the coaxial rotors and the propulsor are really the enablers for this transformational technology. As we demonstrated today, in low-speed flight we are as capable as a conventional helicopter, but when we engage the prop, we are able to operate in a whole new way – it’s much more like flying an airplane.”
“RAIDER is a tremendous risk reduction vehicle for RAIDER X and DEFIANT X and enables us to make data-driven design decisions for both aircraft,” said Fell, a retired Master Army Aviator and former Army experimental test pilot. “Every time we fly, we are learning something that goes right into RAIDER X and DEFIANT X.”
Sikorsky has been flying and testing X2 Technology for more than a decade, accumulating nearly 500 hours on its X2 Technology test beds and aircraft including the X2 Technology Demonstrator, RAIDER and DEFIANT.
Sustaining the Future Fleet Using Tools Proven Today
Also while at Redstone, Sikorsky discussed its approach to mission and weapons systems integration, manufacturing and sustainment.
For example, its FVL aircraft will have much more actionable maintenance data, providing commanders with information to accurately assess the health state of the weapon systems as well as the ability to self-diagnose maintenance and predict aircraft availability. That increases the operational readiness and availability and reduces life cycle costs associated with that platform.
With Sikorsky’s Fleet Decision Tool, commanders can aggregate data from individual aircraft based on operational requirements, aircraft health assessment and maintenance flow to ensure they’re optimizing readiness and aircraft availability across the entire fleet.
“This means that I, as a commander, could look at my aircraft battalion and understand the health of each one of the aircraft and prioritize the right aircraft for the next mission,” Mangum said. “This positions us to meet the Army’s Maintenance-Free Operating Periods in which RAIDER X and DEFIANT X helicopters could operate without the need for service for an extended period of time.”
Operations in Huntsville
Sikorsky’s facility in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville houses about 100 employees dedicated to supporting Future Vertical Lift, U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters and other military aviation programs.
Also located in Huntsville is Sikorsky’s RAIDER X Portable Full-Mission Simulator (PFMS). The simulator consists of a full cockpit with a wrap-around dome for out-the-window visuals which can be updated as the system matures. In addition to the basic flying, the cockpit simulates sensors, weapons and a variety of tactical environments. The high-fidelity simulator has welcomed Army aviators, Soldiers and leaders at tradeshows and special events around the U.S. since 2018.
In addition, Sikorsky and Boeing have developed a DEFIANT X simulator, which is permanently located at the Sikorsky Huntsville facility. The DEFIANT X simulator will allow Army aviators, Solider and leaders to experience the unique flight characteristics provided by X2 Technology as well as experiencing the mission system approach to the FLRAA mission.
Learn more at our Future Vertical Lift webpage: www.lockheedmartin.com/fvl.
15 Apr 21. Thales IoT SAFE to secure cloud connectivity for new Internet of Things services in Canada.
- TELUS and CIRA to implement the Thales GSMA IoT SAFE solution for a new country-wide security management system for IoT devices.
- Thales solution integrates chip-to-cloud security with mutual authentication between devices and IoT Cloud Platform, guaranteeing data confidentiality and integrity.
- The innovative system offers simplified remote management of connected devices across a wide range of IoT sectors, including energy, healthcare, infrastructure, and more.
Thales technology is at the heart of a new Canadian IoT project that is enabling instant, secure and scalable cloud connectivity for SIM/eSIM-enabled IoT. Working alongside TELUS, a leading Canadian wireless network operator, and the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the project’s certification partner, Thales is supplying SIMs and the IoT server, both compliant with the GSMA IoT SAFE specifications.
The Thales IoT SAFE service offers an interoperable framework enabling swift deployment of IoT applications. Delivered in a plug & play SaaS mode, it benefits minimal integration effort. It creates a scalable and automatic environment for cloud data security of SIM-equipped devices with a remote management feature.
TELUS continues its IoT expansion with devices across Canada, offering enterprises an innovative system that eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming site visits. For example, a city can use the platform to manage their entire fleet of connected parking meters. The concept will also be used as the basis for further commercial IoT offers, in areas such as healthcare or energy, where fleets of connected devices handle data that needs to be protected.
“Combining secure SIM technology with IoT SAFE delivers an effortless roll-out for stakeholders. It also eliminates integration challenges for mobile operators, compliancy issues for device makers and service providers, and enables a straightforward connection via the Thales IoT server for cloud providers. This is particularly important as IoT SAFE is already compliant with the upcoming 5G framework, which will support massive IoT deployments.”
Guillaume Lafaix VP Mobile Connectivity Solutions at Thales
“The secure elements that we manage, such as the SIM and eSIM, are now very much the ‘Root of Trust’ for chip-to-cloud security in the rapidly growing IoT ecosystem. Through the support of Thales and CIRA, we become one of the first mobile operators in the world to provide the infrastructure for the next wave of disruptive IoT solutions.”
Ibrahim Gedeon, Chief Technology Officer, TELUS
“We believe our Secure IoT Registry framework will help kickstart a wide variety of IoT applications in Canada. In particular, this approach will be extremely valuable for sensitive services, such as healthcare or critical infrastructure, where secure device identity management is paramount.” Jacques Latour, chief security and technology officer, CIRA
15 Apr 21. Fischer UltiMate™ Series: new field-ready solutions for unparalleled functionality and ruggedness in extreme environments. The global connectivity solution provider Fischer Connectors has extended its flagship series of ultra-rugged and harsh-environment connectors with two new products: the Fischer UltiMate™ 80, a field-ready NATO STANAG 4695-compatible connector offering unparalleled functionality and ruggedness in comparison with similar harsh-environment quick-release connectors; and the standard Fischer UltiMate™ connector now available in size 15 with various pin layouts of up to 27 signal and power contacts. Intermateable with other NATO STANAG 4695 connectors, the field-ready Fischer UltiMate™ 80 connector
comes in two layouts featuring 6 or 7 signal and power contacts (size 08) with up to AWG 22. Engineered in Switzerland, it offers an ultra-rugged, lightweight and IP68-sealed connectivity solution for any harsh environment, especially for defense & security applications and soldier modernization programs. Its design is exceptionally rugged by any market standards and compliant with MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-202, providing environmental and mechanical performance and endurance that outperform by far other suppliers’ similar connectors:
- Ruggedness: high resistance to corrosion (500h salt mist), up to 10,000 mating cycles for the plug / 5,000
for the receptacle, random vibration 7.7 Grms, shock resistant (100 G), cable bending resistance (+/-90° for
5000 cycles), temperature (-55 °C to +135 °C), triple key coding
- Light weight: housing material in aluminum: 2,7 g
- Environmental sealing: connector Ingress Protection mated and unmated: IP68 sealing 2m/24h.
The Fischer UltiMate™ 80 connector comes as a pre-cabled plug, and a pre-cabled and/or panel receptacle.
As for the new Fischer UltiMate™ connector in size 15, it meets special power and high-speed data
requirements for further design and technology developments with various contact layouts (2, 4, 8, 4+12 or 27 signal and power contacts).
These new connectors are part of the world-renowned rugged, compact, and lightweight Fischer UltiMate™ Series used to ruggedize technology for field operations in extreme environments. Environmentally sealed to resist extreme shocks and vibrations, these durable and reliable connectors are ideal to interconnect devices, equipment, hubs and embedded electronic systems where weight matters, for example in defense & security, industrial, instrumentation, marine & underwater, as well as robotics and unmanned vehicles. The Fischer UltiMate™ connectors’ resin-sealed contact block offers extreme sealing (up to IP68 / IP69 even unmated, gastight, CBRN decontamination), high shock and vibration resistance, as well as superior cable resistance in terms of traction.
12 Apr 21. US sanctions makers of supercomputers linked to Chinese military. China’s government on Friday criticized the Biden administration’s curbs on access to U.S. technology for its supercomputer developers and said sanctions “only strengthen China’s determination” to invent its own.
The sanctions announced Thursday block access to U.S. technology for researchers and manufacturers the Commerce Department said build supercomputers used by the Chinese military in weapons development. They can be used to simulate nuclear explosions and the aerodynamics of high-speed or stealth aircraft and missiles.
The penalties are the latest sign President Joe Biden is sticking to the tough line taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, toward Chinese tech industries seen by Washington as potential threats.
The step adds to conflict over the ruling Communist Party’s industrial plans, access to American technology and accusations of computer attacks and theft of business secrets.
A foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, accused Washington of misusing phony security warnings to “maliciously suppress” Chinese industry.
“Containment and suppression by the United States cannot stop the pace of China’s scientific and technological progress, but will only strengthen China’s determination and will to innovate independently,” Zhao said.
Zhao said Beijing would protect its companies, echoing Chinese warnings after previous U.S. trade penalties that often are followed by no action.
Biden has said he wants better relations with Beijing but has given no indication he will roll back sanctions imposed by Trump on Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei and other companies.
The Communist Party has responded by declaring that accelerating efforts to transform China into a self-reliant “technology power” will be this year’s top economic priority.
Chinese supercomputers have set speed records but use U.S.-supplied processor chips and other hardware.
“The United States has implemented a technical blockade of China in the supercomputer field for a long time, but China’s supercomputers still lead the world due to independent innovation,” Zhao said.
The U.S. penalties apply to National Supercomputing Centers in the cities of Jinan, Shenzhen, Wuxi and Zhengzhou, Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center and Sunway Microelectronics.
Meanwhile, American telecom regulators are in the process of stripping three Chinese phone carriers of the right to operate in the United States.
Trump also tried to force the Chinese owner of video service TikTok to sell its U.S. unit and issued an order barring Americans from investing in securities of companies deemed by the Pentagon to be linked to China’s military. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Apr 21. Airbus further reduces its Beluga fleet’s environmental impact. Airbus has taken the next step in reducing its industrial carbon footprint with the maiden flight of a Beluga super-transporter using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from the aerospace company’s Broughton plant in the UK. The north Wales line station, which uses the Beluga fleet to transport aircraft wings to Toulouse, Hamburg and Bremen, becomes the second Airbus European site to use SAF, after Hamburg introduced the fuel to its cargo activities at the end of 2019.
“This first flight by a Beluga transporter from Broughton, partially fuelled with SAF, marks an important milestone in Airbus’ ambition to decarbonise its industrial operations,” said Tony Derrien, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Project Manager, Airbus.
“Combined with our ongoing research into the potential for 100% SAF in commercial flights, reducing fossil-fuels in our own operations underlines Airbus’ commitment to lessening the impact of our manufacturing footprint and contributing towards a more sustainable future for the aviation sector more generally.”
Sustainable aviation fuels are currently certified by regulators for up to 50% use in commercial flights; the Beluga fleet operating from Broughton will initially be loaded with a 35% blend of non-fossil derived fuel, set to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 400 tonnes over the next three months.
The SAF used by the Beluga fleet is made from used sustainable feedstocks, such as cooking oil, and supplied to Airbus in Broughton and Hamburg by Air bp.
Andy Owen, Beluga Line Station Manager at Broughton, added: “The progressive deployment of sustainable aviation fuels at Airbus’ sites is an essential part of our decarbonisation roadmap. We’re proud that Broughton has become the second Airbus site to introduce SAF in its Beluga-fleet operations.”
12 Apr 21. Dive Technologies pushes 3D printing for AUV manufacturing. Massachusetts-based startup Dive Technologies is looking to leverage additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, commonly referred to as 3D printing, for large and extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) applications.
Dive Technologies utilised a Cincinnati Incorporated Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) 3D printer for the external hull fairings and smaller 3D printers for the internal components of their DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). BAAM is an industrial-grade 3D printer that uses an extruder placed on a gantry system to create parts using materials such as high-performance thermoplastics, engineering grade thermoplastics, consumer grade thermoplastics and additives.
According to the company, BAAM features dynamic flow control, precise melt temperature control, and proprietary bead tamping technology, which enables it to print fully fused parts with consistent bead widths and minimal porosity. The system is also equipped with a large extruder and a high-speed motion system that provides it an extrusion rate of 36 kg/hour.
Dive Technologies co-founder Bill Lebo told Janes in late March that they originally planned to use thermoformed plastics for the external hull fairings for the DIVE-LD AUV.
To drive down the cost of the vehicle, Dive Technologies established a co-operative research and development agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), spending about two years investigating large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) technology to create the fairings for their first DIVE-LD AUV. During the process, the manufacturer realised the potential of LFAM to rapidly produce finished, customised components without the need for expensive tooling that the industry had become accustomed to. (Source: Jane’s)
11 Apr 21. 7 allies sign onto polar research project. The U.S. Defense Department and its counterparts in six allied nations have adopted a new agreement to better understand the Earth’s changing polar environments.
With the rise in temperatures, attributed to climate change, melting Arctic sea ice and opening up of new opportunities for maritime operations, the U.S. Navy wants a better understanding of Arctic conditions to counter what it considers aggression in the region from China and Russia.
In November, the Pentagon signed a new memorandum of understanding for the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research effort. The ICE-PPR involves a group of seven nations that formalized efforts to cooperate on basic research projects and solve the “biggest challenges of safely operating in the extreme polar environment,” John Woods, deputy director of the International Engagement Office with the Office of Naval Research Global, told C4ISRNET.
Aside from the U.S., the participating nations are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand, all of which have strategic interests in the Earth’s poles. The partnership includes both the Arctic and the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
The ultimate goal is to boost “cooperation, planning, integration and interoperability among our international partners to ensure safe and secure polar regions,” Woods said.
The group’s initial research projects involve the following:
- Communications.
- Environmental modeling and observations.
- Researching human factors.
- Detecting underwater changes.
The ICE-PPR hosts four working groups — environmental, human performance, platforms and situational awareness — that will “explore, study and report” on issues related to their focus area. Woods said the implementation of the working groups was one of ICE-PPR’s top successes so far.
The project also includes personnel exchanges to “increase awareness and understanding of each [of] our partners’ strengths and challenges” in the region, he said. The ICE-PPR is a whole-of-government effort that allows the military services and civilian agencies performing Arctic research to take part, he said.
“I see ICE-PPR as being a great tool for participating nations to get work done,” Woods said.
“This is not a group to have meetings just to have meetings. The engagements are geared toward harmonizing requirements to be turned into project arrangements to increase capabilities. I already see the operational users’ input getting into the workflow, ensuring the output from each project will have direct impact to the defense services,” he added.
While many of the participants are also members of NATO, Woods said the partnership presents new and unique opportunities for tangible outcomes.
“ICE-PPR is unique from NATO working groups and other activities in that the goal is for project work, not just information exchanges,” Woods said.
Under the new memorandum of understanding, the ICE-PPR executive steering group will evaluate past efforts, examine current projects and discuss future initiatives. The steering group includes flag officers and senior executives from each country.
Though the partnership has just formally launched, the group of nations have a history of working together in recent years. The U.S. and several of the participants contribute to the International Arctic Buoy Program, in which countries maintain a network of buoys in the Arctic that monitor changes in the underwater environment.
Woods said the environmental buoy deployments have achieved “outstanding” cost savings, but he would not provide details.
The ICE-PPR’s memorandum of understanding will remain in effect for the next 25 years, allowing countries to study and prepare for the long-term environmental changes for years to come. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
12 Apr 21. USAF Helps Metro Hop Test eSTOL Active Landing Gear. Metro Hop has the green light from the United States Air Force Agility Prime program to test its patent pending Active Landing Gear. This unique landing gear allows Metro Hop’s all-electric, short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft to fly up to 250 mph with substantial payloads, while operating nearly silently out of small spaces.
This landing gear also means that the Metro Hop aircraft can handle most vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) missions with superior performance.
With this Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer contract from Agility Prime, Metro Hop is teaming up with Auburn University’s Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Lab (VSDDL) to model and validate the design of the Active Landing Gear. VSDDL will use its flight simulation facilities and software to model the gear under various conditions during the takeoff and landing phases of flight.
“The VSDDL recently developed a reconfigurable flight simulator aimed at novel aircraft configurations and we’re currently developing two more. We look forward to using our capabilities to give us precise measurements of Metro Hop’s flight capabilities and allow us to aggregate essential data on the plane,” said Dr. Imon Chakraborty, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University and director of the VSDDL.
After this initial phase of testing is completed, Metro Hop will move forward with construction of a fully operational landing gear set and begin dynamic landing-drop and taxi testing.
“We are grateful for this support from Agility Prime and we are thrilled to be working closely with the VSDDL team at Auburn University to move our project forward,” said Metro Hop CEO and Founder Bruno Mombrinie. “This is the first step among many: let’s fly!”
Metro Hop envisions using a rubberized takeoff/landing mat with the subscale prototype it intends to build. The traction and smoothness of the surface could suit non-runway environments, shortening a takeoff run for the proposed prototype to just 100 feet Mombrinie says.
An eventual full-size airplane could use conventional runways or a more permanent prepared surface with rubber tile operationally while the mat option could work in pop-up scenarios.
If such a gear design/landing surface combo can effectively shorten the takeoff and landing runs of electric airplanes, it could find favor. Taking off conventionally requires less power than taking off vertically like numerous UAM aircraft are now being developed to do.
It’s also a less complex approach to flight than electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), potentially reducing cost along with engineering. Lower power requirements and less complexity generally add up to less takeoff weight, leaving capacity for more passengers or cargo.
Metro Hop’s goal is to offer electric airplanes for either role. The airplanes would weigh approximately 5,000 pounds and have a 45-foot wingspan. Mombrinie says his engineers are shooting for a 1,000 pound payload and cruise at speeds up to 2oo mph. Rather than re-charging its aircraft, Metro Hop imagines swapping batteries for fast turn-around.
“The infrastructure requirement to carry a lot of [electric] power becomes a huge problem,”
Mombrinie says, referring to the expensive, potentially dangerous high power charging facilities eVTOL operators are proposing.
Emphasizing the potential quietness of a Metro Hop aircraft – claimed to equate to an electric car – Mombrinie explains that the startup envisions landing at conventional airports but also atop or adjacent to existing warehouses or industrial complexes with large rooftop or open areas.
These areas would provide space for a “Metro Dock”, a two level structure with the top deck acting as a runway and the lower deck facilitating quick robotic cargo and passenger swaps.
“Our focus is on middle-mile parcel delivery, on hospital supplies,” Mombrinie says. “We’ve thought about doing this at shopping malls, many of which are dying out.”
ABOUT THE VEHICLE SYSTEMS, DYNAMICS, AND DESIGN LABORATORY AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY
The Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Laboratory (VSDDL) at Auburn University has extensive experience in modelling and simulation of aircraft dynamics and systems, flight simulation, and aircraft sizing and performance analysis. The lab is supported by funding from NASA Langley and Ames Research centers to investigate stability and control for novel aircraft concepts. It is also involved in multiple projects with SBC (small business concern) partners as part of the Agility Prime program.
ABOUT AGILITY PRIME
The United States Air Force recently launched Agility Prime, coining it “a non-traditional program seeking to accelerate the commercial market for advanced air mobility vehicles.”
Agility Prime also aims to bring together industry, investor, and government communities to establish safety and security standards while accelerating commercialization of this revolutionary technology. Agility Prime counts the Federal Aviation Administration as one of its partners, who sees tremendous value in this program for civil aviation applications. (Source: UAS VISION/Forbes)
09 Apr 21. South Korea unveils KF-X prototype. South Korea has officially unveiled a prototype of its new, indigenously-built, KF-X fighter that will eventually replace the country’s F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft.
South Korea has officially unveiled a prototype of its new, indigenously-built, KF-X fighter that will eventually replace the country’s F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft.
At a ceremony attended by South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Sacheon headquarters it was announced the jet would enter service as the KF-21 Boramae.
Moon Jae-In called the unveiling of the aircraft the “opening of a new era” according to Yonhap. Flight tests of the fighter are slated to begin in 2022. Under current plans, 40 fighters are set to be in service by 2028 with a further 80 to be delivered by 2032.
The launch was also attended by the Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia is stumping up 20% of the programme’s costs and is expected to receive a total of 50 fighters, however, reports have said Jakarta is looking to renegotiate its commitment to the programme.
In a press release carried by the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, Indonesian President Jokowi congratulated South Korea on the progress and added he hopes for the success of the prototype and its ‘positive’ benefits for defence cooperation between the two countries.
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) research fellow and editor of RUSI Defence Systems Justin Bronk told Air Force Technology that South Korea’s reasoning behind developing a domestic fighter jet was similar to Turkey with its TF-X project and India’s ‘Tejas and putative AMCA.’
The countries, he said, are looking to develop their own fighters having seen the profitability and strategic utility of the domestic military aerospace industries of established suppliers like the UK, France, Russia and US.
South Korea’s KF-X has been dubbed a 4.5 generation fighter and takes design cues from the US F-22, however, the South Korean jet in its current design carries weapons and fuel pods externally rather than in an internal carriage. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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