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IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL AIRLINES

RAF TO STIMULATE AIR POWER DEBATE

IN-FLIGHT CONNECTIVITYBOOST

April 2017

ARE DUBAI’S FLYING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES THE FUTURE OF SHORT-RANGE PERSONAL TRAVEL?

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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Contents

Comment

The ascent of mammals

Regulars

Afterburner

Dubai’s fl ying taxisCan Dubai deliver the world’s fi rst automated fl ying taxi service?

Regional repercussionsHow ERA is assisting regional airlines to compete in diffi cult economic conditions.

4 RadomeThe latest aviation and aeronautical intelligence, analysis and comment.

10 Antenna Howard Wheeldon asks whether there may be further UK defence cuts ahead.

12 TransmissionYour letters, emails, tweets and feedback.

62 The Last WordKeith Hayward on the positive role of humanitarian air power.

39

Features

Stealth partnersThe UK is collaborating with Turkey on an indigenous stealth fi ghter for the Turkish Air Force.

Faster helicopters, quicker innovationHow Airbus Helicopters is designing a new generation of rotorcraft.

18 30

26

Volume 44 Number 4 April 2017

Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: The Editor, AEROSPACE, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK [email protected]

3

The force awakensIs it time to review regulatory requirements for pilot control loads based on a pilot’s physical strength?

An Aeromexico wave to the new 787-9 DreamlinerAeromexico prepares its new Dreamliners for service entry.

24

Front cover: eHang passenger-carrying drone. eHang

14

How long might the conventional helicopter, as we know and love it, survive? Certainly it is probable that, for some tasks, traditional rotorcraft will continue for decades and Bell’s FCX-001 (see p 4) represents a futuristic look at where technology may go. Yet, for some missions and roles there are now early stirrings of what might be termed VTOL mammals, to rotorcraft’s dinosaurs. This new breed of VTOL aircraft – smaller, quieter and more agile – may begin by scurrying around the urban undergrowth but for how long? This year, for instance, Dubai plans to lead the world by putting into service a fully automated, electric-powered aerial passenger ‘drone’ (see p 14) to enhance urban mobility. Others now believe we are close to realising a goal of aerial urban transport. Airbus is to fl y its fi rst Vahana electric VTOL vehicle by the end of the year and has other concepts on the go. Meanwhile, Google co-founder Larry Page is working on a secretive ‘fl ying car’ project with a start-up called Zee.Aero. Israel’s Urban Aeronautics has conducted autonomous fl ights of its Cormarant ducted-fan UAV – which is aimed at urban rescue and MEDVAC missions. Finally, ‘ride sharing’ service, Uber has outlined what it forsees as a workable urban aerial passenger service business model. The dreams of ‘fl ying cars’ or personal aerial VTOL machines have been around for almost as long as the car and the aeroplane. Today, a convergence of technologies, including electric motors, more effi cient batteries, autonomous systems, big data and lightweight composite materials, is rapidly redefi ning the art of the possible. Could conventional helicopters go the same way as the fl ying boat after WW2? Will future generations of aviation archaeologists look on the traditional helicopter as today’s paleontologists look on fossils of pterosaurs?

Tim Robinson

[email protected]

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Editor-in-ChiefTim Robinson +44 (0)20 7670 4353 [email protected]

Deputy Editor Bill Read +44 (0)20 7670 4351 [email protected]

Publications Manager Chris Male +44 (0)20 7670 4352 [email protected]

Production Editor Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4354 [email protected]

Book Review EditorBrian Riddle

Editorial Offi ceRoyal Aeronautical SocietyNo.4 Hamilton PlaceLondon W1J 7BQ, UK+44 (0)20 7670 4300 [email protected]

AEROSPACE is published by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).

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Advertising Simon Levy+44 (0)20 7670 [email protected]

Unless specifi cally attributed, no material in AEROSPACE shall be taken to represent the opinion of the RAeS.

Reproduction of material used in this publication is not permitted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief.

Printed by Buxton Press Limited, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE, UK

Distributed by Royal Mail

AEROSPACE subscription rates: Non-members, £160

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ISSN 2052-451X

38

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42 Message from our President

43 Message from our Chief Executive

44 Book Reviews

47 Library additions

48 Minutes of the 151st AGM

50 Yeovil Branch Cool

Aeronautics

52 NAL survey

53 NAL Sound Archive

54 Corporate Partners

56 Diary

59 YPN in the spotlight

60 RAeS elections

OnlineAdditional features and content are available to view online on www.media.aerosociety.com/

aerospace-insightIncluding: RAF Air Power conference, Offsetting

carbon, Regional repercussions, Bright sparks –

the quest for electric speed, In the March issue

of AEROSPACE, Space in 2017 –

a look ahead, Dubai’s aerial taxis,

Blast off from Britain.

34 Better connectionsInmarsat and Honeywell have developed new satellite broadband systems which can offer faster and more reliable in-fl ight Wi-Fi.

22 Centenary countdownThe RAF prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2018 with a forthcoming conference on air power.

4

Radome

AEROSPACE / APRIL 2017

AEROSPACE

Bell reinvents rotorcraft

INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT

Unveiled at Heli-Expo in Dallas, Texas, last month was Bell Helicopter's futuristic FCX-001 concept helicopter. The full-scale mock-up at the exhibition was not a helicopter destined for production, nor even a prototype but is a ‘concept’ rotorcraft similar to how motor manufacturers present their visions of the future with concept cars. The fl y-by-wire, optionally piloted FCX-001 is the result of an internal innovations team established by Bell in September 2016 to study emerging technologies to develop 'safer, smarter rotorcraft'.

Augmented reality cockpitAs well as increased visibility thanks to new transparencies, the FCX-001 features a single-pilot fl ight deck incorporating augmented reality (AR) for ‘heads-out’ situational awareness, as well as artifi cial intelligence (AI) assistance. In a radical move, Bell envisages that there would be no physical cyclic or collective controls – instead an AR headset would recognise the pilot’s gestures and movement to create ‘virtual’ controls or displays to customise them as necessary. AR would also be available in the modular eight-seat passenger cabin.

Morphing blades The rotor blades on the FCX-001 would incorporate variable geometry or ‘morphing’ outer sections to optimise for different fl ight modes. For example, the tips would adjust to be straight for maximum lift in the hover, then sweep back to an angle for high-speed cruise fl ight.

5APRIL 2017fi@aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

Advanced landing gear The FCX-001 features a retractable tricycle undercarriage which takes advantage of ‘non traditional’ geometries for the wheels and support structures to create high-energy absorbing landing gear.

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Look ma, no tail rotorThe FCX-001 would dispense with a traditional tailrotor in favour of an electrically actuated fan-driven anti-torque system. Vectoring high power fans would lead to a reduction in noise.

Hybrid propulsionNo engine is specifi ed but the medium helicopter would use twin powerplants in a hybrid propulsion package to power the electric anti-torque tail system, doing away with the gearbox and tail rotor shaft, thus saving weight.

6

Radome


NEWS IN BRIEF

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted a new aircraft CO2 emissions standard to reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions. The new Standard will apply to new aircraft type designs from 2020 and to aircraft type designs already in production from 2023.

Isle of Man regional carrier CityWing has ceased fl ying from 11 March after the company

became ‘commercially unsustainable’. The airline, which was operated by Czech carrier Van Air using Let L-410s, was unable to source suffi cient aircraft to continue fl ying (See Regional repercussions, p 26).

The Indian Navy has decommissioned its aircraft carrier INS Viraat on 6 March after 30 years of service. Originally commissioned as British Centaur class carrier HMS

Hermes in 1959, the ship served as the fl agship during the 1982 Falklands Campaign.

Arianespace has successfully launched the European Space Agency Sentinel 2B environmental satellite from the Guiana Space Center. The satellite was carried into orbit on 6 March aboard a solid-fuelled Vega launcher. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, Sentinel 2B will be used in conjunction with

an identical 2A satellite launched in June 2015 to map land surfaces, monitor crops and forests and to detect pollution in lakes, streams and coastal waters.

Pilatus Aircraft has fl own its third PC-24 business jet prototype. In a fl ight on 6 March from its facility in Stans, Switzerland, P03 was airborne for 2hr.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has

awarded certifi cation to the new Boeing 737 MAX 8.

US regional carrier Mesa Airlines is to acquire 12 Embraer 175s as part of moves to expand its partnership with United Airlines. Delivery of the aircraft is due to begin in May.

BAE Systems has announced the completion of successful MBDA Brimstone integration fl ight trials with the

SPACEFLIGHT

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has revealed plans for the Gulf airline to enter the Indian market with a 100%-owned Indian domestic airline, a venture made possible by more liberalised foreign ownership rules for Indian airlines. Though foreign airlines are limited to a 49% stake in Indian

The US has began deploying the fi rst elements of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system to South Korea in response to North Korea's provocative missile tests, the latest of which, on 7 March, saw Pyongyang

AEROSPACEQatar Airways plots launch of Indian airline

carriers, foreign investors can now own 100%, opening up the airline to be fully owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.Press reports say the planned airline would operate around 100 narrowbody airliners in a full-service, rather than a low-cost confi guration on domestic routes.

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a human-rated Dragon V2 capsule. Further details, such as the identities of the

space tourists and the full cost of the

trip, are yet to be announced. Musk revealed that the

passengers would be the

only crew onboard the capsule, the Dragon capsule being highly automated.

DEFENCE

AIR TRANSPORT

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SpaceX

SpaceX to fl y two humans to Moon in 2018

US deploys THAAD to South Korea

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has revealed it will fl y two private passengers on a space tourism fl ight around the Moon and back in 2018. The fl ight, which would be the fi rst time humans have ventured beyond low-Earth orbit since 1972, would use a Falcon Heavy rocket which would launch

A tale of two aviation citiesOn 7 March two new airliners rolled-out on the same day in North and South America. In Seattle, Boeing rolled out the fi rst 737 MAX 9. The second member of the re-engined 737 MAX family, the MAX 9 can carry up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,515nm. The aircraft will now undergo

DoD

system checks, fuelling and engine runs prior to its fi rst fl ight. The MAX 9 is due to enter service in 2018.

Meanwhile, Brazil's Embraer rolled out its E195-E2 regional jet. The largest version of the E2 family, the E195-E2 can carry up to 146 passengers in a single class and has a range of up to 2,450nm. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the fi rst half of 2019. Brazil's Azul Brazilian Airlines will be the launch customer for the E195-E2.

fi re four missiles 1,000km eastwards into the Sea of Japan. The deployment of THAAD has drawn criticism, not only from North Korea but also from Russia and China, which sees the ABM system undermining its own missile capabilities in the region.

7i f APRIL 2017

Eurofi ghter Typhoon ahead of live fi ring tests later this year. Space access start-up Zero 2 Infi nity successfully launched its fi rst Bloostar test rocket from a high-altitude (25km) balloon on 1 March off the Spanish Coast. The rocket was recovered by parachute after a water landing.

Bell Helicopter has delivered its fi rst Bell 505

Jet Ranger X. The aircraft was delivered to Arizona-based private operator Scott Urschel of Pylon Aviation who plans to use it for charter, tourism and utility fl ights.

Mitsubishi Aircraft's MRJ will make its fi rst international air show debut this summer at the Paris Air Show.

New South Korean low-cost carrier KAIR Airlines has placed an order for

eight Airbus A320ceos. The airline plans to start operations from Cheongj in 2018. Boeing has unveiled the AW139-based military MH-139 as its proposal to replace the aging UH-1Ns operated by the USAF. It is competing with Sikorsky, which is offering a modifi ed Black Hawk in the form of the HH-60U..SpaceX has conducted a tethered hot fi re test of

a Falcon 9 rocket prior to its launch from Florida on 14 March carrying the EchoStar 23 commercial television broadcast satellite.

US GA aircraft manufacturer One Aviation is to cease production of the Eclipse 550 VLJ, ahead of a larger business jet model, codenamed Eclipse Canada.

Airbus has received joint EASA and FAA type

certifi cation for the CFM International LEAP-1A powered variant of its A321neo.

Air New Zealand, together with Australian carriers Qantas, Regional Express and Virgin Australia, has set up an industry group to lobby on industry issues. Named Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ), the group will present a single voice on issues such as airport costs, taxation and fees.

DEFENCE

AIR TRANSPORT

@aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

GENERAL AVIATION

BA to put the squeeze on legroom

Qin

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British Airways

Germany to procure Triton UAV

Following on from its decision to charge for food in economy on short haul fl ights, British Airways is to increase seating on its Airbus A320 and A321 fl eet on European fl ights by an extra two rows or around 12 seats, next year. The move, which brings BA's A320 fl eet in line with other airlines in parent group

Final Shoreham crash verdict: pilot error

QinetiQ has announced that the UK’s Empire Test Pilots’ School has been awarded Approved Training Organisation status from EASA to train civil test pilots. The ETPS becomes one of three test pilot schools in the world to hold ATO accreditation and be able to train test pilots to obtain civil fl ight test ratings. As part of ETPS training fl eet recapitalisation, QinetiQ has ordered four Airbus Helicopters H125 helicopters to replace its aging Gazelles. The H125s are to enter service in 2019 and will be equipped with Garmin 500 avionics, TCAS and a custom fl ight test instrumentation suite.

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ETPS gains EASA civil accreditation

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has published its fi nal report on the crash at the Shoreham Airshow in August 2015 in which a vintage Hawker Hunter jet crashed onto a busy road killing 11 people. The report concluded that the pilot attempted a manoeuvre with insuffi cient speed and engine thrust to complete

it within the height available. The AAIB report also included 11 new recommendations to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and one to the Department for Transport, saying that display authority procedures for private pilots fl ying multiple types should be reviewed and assessment standards should be tightened.

AEROSPACE

IAG, including Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, has drawn criticism from some quarters, as it reduces

seat pitch legroom to 29inches, or

1inch less than budget carrier Ryanair. The move follows a BA

‘densifi cation’ plan, announced

in November to increase seating on

Gatwick-based 777s from 280 seats to 332.

The German Bundeswehr is to order three Northrop Grumman Triton HALE UAVs for the signals intetillgence (SIGINT) role. The UAVs, bought directly from the US Navy, would see the fi rst example delivered in 2025, with the rest the following year. In German service the Triton will be equipped with the ISIS sensor payload, which was originally developed for the Euro Hawk, which was axed in 2013 due to an inability to get approval to fl y in German airspace.


Press reports have suggested that Chinese state media has confi rmed that the country’s fi rst stealth fi ghter, the Chengdu J-20, has now entered operational service. Between nine and 12 production standard J-20s are believed to have been built so far.

United Launch Alliance is reported to be close to deciding to select the Blue Origin BE-4 engine as its

preferred powerplant for its next-generation Vulcan rocket scheduled to launch in 2019. The engine will replace the Russian-built RD-180 engine on ULA’s Atlas 5 rockets.

Switzerland's Alpinlift Helikopter has placed an order for the Marenco Swisshelicopter SKYe SH09 light single-engine helicopter.

Leonardo has revealed that it expects to fl y a second-

generation civil tiltrotor, as part of Europe's Clean Sky 2 R&D project in 2023.

Boeing has revealed a previously unidentifi ed order for 30 737 MAX 8 airliners, worth $3.3bn at list prices, is from lessor CDB Aviation Lease Finance.

February saw the USAF's Lockheed Martin F-35A make its debut at Red Flag training exericises in Nevada – achieving a

20-to-1kill ratio against aggressors in mock battles. .NASA is mulling accelerating its manned Orion/SLS spacecraft programme and turning the fi rst uncrewed mission – a 22-day trip around the Moon and back in 2018 – into an eight-day human crewed translunar fl ight.

As AEROSPACE goes to press, one crew member from a four-person crew has been rescued in a

critical condition after a Dublin-based Sikorsky S-92 Coast Guard SAR helicopter went missing off the west coast of Ireland on 14 March.

XTI Aircraft Company and Bye Aerospace are to partner to jointly develop a full-size hybrid/electric prototype of XTI's TriFan VTOL aircraft. Two electric motors and a smaller turboshaft engine will give reduced weight compared to the previous design.

NEWS IN BRIEF

DEFENCE

Boeing to open fi rst factory in UK

GENERAL AVIATIONSecond Gulfstream G600 prototype joins test fl eetGulfstream has announced that the second G600 test aircraft joined its fl ight test campaign on 24 February.The second G600 prototype fl ew a 4hr 25min fi rst fl ight from Gulfstream’s

Savannah, Georgia, headquarters.

With two aircraft now in the fl ight test fl eet, Gulfstream

expects entry into

service of its latest large-cabin, long-range business jet in 2018.

Boeing is to open its fi rst manufacturing facility in Europe with a new £20m production plant in Sheffi eld to produce trailing-edge wing actuators for the 737, 737 MAX and 777. The new advanced manufacturing facility, called Boeing Sheffi eld, which will employ

RadomeAEROSPACE

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around 30 people, will be twinned with a Boeing

factory in Portland, Oregon, which

also produces actuators. The new 25,000ft2 facility is

planned to be built alongside the

University of Sheffi eld’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to leverage R&D into new manufacturing techniques.

Blue Origin wins fi rst launch deals for New Glenn reusable rocket

Gulfstream

Blue Origin has announced details of

its new reusable New Glenn orbital-class booster. The seven-

engine two-stage rocket will be 270ft (82m) tall and can carry a payload of nearly 29,000lb

(13tonnes). The fi rst stage is designed to descend back to Earth and land on a fl oating platform. Blue Origin has won a contract

from Eutelsat to use the launcher to put a commercial communications satellite into orbit while OneWeb has ordered at least fi ve New Glenn launches

for its multiple broadband Internet satellites in the early 2020s.

The US Air Force is to conduct a light attack aircraft demonstration later this summer at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The service is inviting industry to submit off-the-shelf COIN aircraft for the experiment, which could potentially lead to a follow-on phase and an acquisition programme (OA-X) for a low-cost attack aircraft for permissive

environments.

Boeing

SPACEFLIGHT

USAF to hold light attack trial

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RAeS President Professor Chris Atkin has been elected Chairman of the Engineering Council, taking over in June.

Dan Hart has been appointed as the fi rst President of the newly created Virgin Orbit small satellite launch company.

Embraer has appointed Michael Amalfi tano

ON THE MOVE

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INFOGRAPHIC: UK civilian SAR helicopter taskings

GENERAL AVIATION

The UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Technology Offi ce has placed a two-year R&D contract with Leonardo MW for a Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System, Capability Concept Demonstrator.

AEROSPACE

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NASA begins QSST wind-tunnel testing

ANA dreams a blue turtle

The RWUAS CCD Phase 2 contract aims to ‘identify,

develop and exploit opportunities offered by emerging technologies, to reduce costs

and increase the agility, fl exibility,

resilience and persistence of military equipment in the rotary wing arena.’

UK greenlights rotary UAV R&D project

DEFENCE

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is to conduct eight-weeks of wind-tunnel tests on Lockheed Martin’s Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) preliminary design model. The tests will simulate

speeds from Mach 0.3 to Mach 1.6 and will

analyse the airfl ow into the engine during all phases of fl ight. NASA

is hoping for additional funding

to award a further contract to build and test a low-boom demonstration aircraft by 2020.

AIR TRANSPORT

to become the next President and CE of its Executive Jets division.

Charles Champion, VP Engineering at Airbus, is to retire at the end of 2017. His place will be taken by Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Engineering, Airbus Helicopters.

Saab has announced that Lennart Sindahl is to become Acting Head of Aeronautics.

NA

SA

Japan's All Nippon Airlines (ANA) has revealed a special livery to be painted on its fi rst Airbus A380, set for delivery in 2019. The livery, featuring a Hawaiian green sea turtle, will be used on an A380 fl ying the Tokyo to Honolulu service, ANA's most popular leisure route.

Leonardo


antenna:

The recent National Audit Offi ce (NAO) report stating that ‘risks to affordability’ of the UK MoD Equipment Plan are greater than at any point since reporting began in 2012 has, not surprisingly, created fuel

for sceptics who might well fear the appearance of another huge ‘black hole’ in the MoD defence budget.

In publishing the Equipment Plan audit report, NAO Head, Amyas Morse, said that: “it is worrying to see the cost of new commitments arising from the review considerably exceed the net increase in funding for the plan”. Morse went on to suggest that “the MoD will need to fi nd an additional £5.8bn of savings from the planned £178bn of armed forces spending during the period 2016 to 2026” (a fi gure that represented a £12bn increase on the previous spending plan) and added that: “there is little room for unplanned cost growth and that the MoD must actively guard against risk of a return to previous practice where affordability could only be maintained by delaying or reducing the scope of projects”.

The additional £5.8bn of savings that the NAO says will now be needed comes on top of the £11bn that the Government had stated in SDSR 2015 that would be required over the fi ve years that the review covers (2016 – 2020) to fund planned new defence equipment. Although diffi cult to be precise in respect of predicting where the value of sterling is likely to stand against the US dollar in one let alone two years from now, the NAO has made plain its view that the Equipment Plan “is vulnerable to the impact that Brexit has already had (on sterling) and may have in the future”. The latter point is important and, although the MoD says that it has the next two years of currency risk covered on planned foreign equipment purchases, we also know that much of the planned procurement of defence equipment from the US stretches out well beyond that.

A new plan?

Will the requirement for additional savings mean that the Service Chiefs, each now responsible for their own respective budgets, together with industry, should prepare for another round of defence cuts? Should we interpret that Government plans, as outlined in the fi ve-year SDSR 2015 review, have already been blown out of the water in less than 18 months since the review was published? The answer is most probably yes.

Global Outlook and Analysis with HOWARD WHEELDON

More defence cuts on the cards?

The £11bn of savings required to be found over fi ve years in SDSR 2015 had been based on expectations of further large cuts in numbers of civil servants employed by the MoD together with additional outsourcing, military base cuts and real estate sales. To that end, the MoD has already announced plans to dispose of various parts of the defence estate but, having already cut the number of civil servants working in the MoD by close to half over the past ten years, combined with the reality that, if spending on procurement and manning of the armed forces is being increased, further cutting of civil servant expertise could be counter-productive. The bottom line is that 18 months after SDSR 2015, those charged with running defence have so far determined around half of the £11bn requirement for cuts.

Mind the spending gap

While the current seemingly worsening defence budget overspend situation is nowhere near as bad as the reported £38bn ‘black hole’ that the Coalition Government inherited in defence, there can be no doubt that the reduced value of sterling has and will likely continue to adversely impact on the defence budget. I note that the Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Harriet Baldwin, told the House of Commons Defence Select Committee in February that the MoD was covered in terms of currency hedging for the next three years, although I note that at an earlier hearing late last year the Committee was told by the Permanent Secretary that this was two years.

MoD

APRIL 2017@aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com 11i f

Currency hedging is both important and very necessary, particularly as most aerospace and defence equipment is priced in dollars. Good practice should be that a Government organisation such as the MoD would hedge forward over seven or eight years of a programme if it can. Over those years, should sterling rise, then this will lead to the establishment of unrealised profi ts but if sterling falls then the opposite applies. Generally, the hope is that, over a period of several years, they will balance out. However, with sterling having fallen so sharply since the Brexit vote was taken last June, it seems unlikely that with ongoing levels of uncertainly, the situation on the pound's low value is likely to reverse for some considerable time. If there is a positive in all this it is confi ned to making sovereign capability (where that exists) more competitive and exports cheaper.

Cutting the defence budget to balance the books will hopefully be ruled out by the Government but no doubt the slowing down of planned procurement will be an option considered. However, with the contingency funding made available in SDSR 2015 theoretically used up; the MoD is likely to place even greater pressure on the four armed service groups – Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Joint Forces Command to achieve effi cient further cuts.

Avoiding the pull of another black hole

Achieving cuts will not be easy. For instance, the RN, which had been afforded a small increase in personnel numbers over the fi ve year SDSR 2015 period, is continuing to struggle in respect of manning and particularly in respect of engineering and support. Ahead of their replacement by Astute Class submarines, Trafalgar Class nuclear submarines are suffering increased age-related problems. On top of this, although the MoD has determined how it will

resolve propulsion systems problems on the RN’s Type 45 destroyer fl eet, funding for this is yet to be found.

Pushing back procurement purchases is the most common way the MoD goes about attempting to balance the defence budget books but, having taken so many capability gaps in SDSR 2010 and with the level of threats against us much increased since then, options to further push back equipment procurement are somewhat limited. Noticeably though, the MoD has been slow in confi rming actual F-35 purchases and, with only 14 ordered so far at the time of writing, and most of these having been already or will have been delivered by 2018, concerns are growing in defence circles that air power-related carrier-strike capability could be further delayed.

Note too that, while contracts for the purchase of nine Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft have been signed along with the required infrastructure build at RAF Lossiemouth, there has been little word about progress on the plan to acquire 50 AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Army, although I have been reassured that all parties are working toward achieving this soon.

Unlike the defence ‘black-hole’ situation ‘found’ by the Coalition Government in 2012, the current situation is as different as it is both unfortunate and probably more diffi cult to have foreseen. Further cuts are inevitable, as is the use of push-back of programme starts. If common sense prevailed, of course and, if there was better realisation that with 2% of GDP being the ‘minimum’ option that is required for each European NATO member to work toward spending on defence, the UK Government would do just as well to decide that raising the defence budget would be the better option in sorting this supposed new ‘black hole’ out and to stop it growing out of control. It would also make good sense for UK defence as a whole.

Above left: Currency hedging is important for US defence equipment paid for in dollars.

Below left: An Astute class submarine, HMS Ambush is pictured during sea trials near Scotland.

Greg L. D

avis

IT IS WORRYING TO SEE THE COST OF NEW COMMITMENTS ARISING FROM THE REVIEW CONSIDERABLY EXCEED THE NET INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR THE PLAN

Amyas Morse NAO Head

Boeing D

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TransmissionLETTERS AND ONLINE

Howard Wheeldon has hit the proverbial nail on the head(1). Protectionism has not just commenced with Donald Trump’s recent dictates, it has been around a long time, with the US and other countries as well. An example of nearly 40 years ago was the Anglo-French programme between the then Aerospatiale and Westland Helicopters which resulted in the UK build of signifi cant numbers of SA341 Gazelle and SA330 Puma helicopters for the UK services under French design leadership. However, when it came to building the Westland design-led Lynx helicopter the French Government only ordered a small number of the naval variant, cancelled French Army requirements and thus the development of the tandem seat attack version. This action curtailed a potentially signifi cant market and sales for both companies. Despite this, Westland did manage to build signifi cant numbers of Utility Lynx and Naval variants for our own UK services and achieved the conventional Helicopter World Speed record at 249mph now 35 years ago, a record which, by the way, still stands. This led on to a signifi cant go-it-alone Westland export market penetration of the small ships helicopter market and the AW159 Wildcat, today’s ultimate development from the Lynx. This type of protectionism partly contributed to the ‘Westland Affair’ – with its political innuendo and manoeuvring between ministerial departments – which greatly damaged and weakened Westland at the time. In more recent times the VH 71 presidential variant of the

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AW EH101 was cancelled – after nine airframes had already been built – by Obama’s administration, despite Lockheed Martin’s involvement and the promises made by the previous Bush administration. No doubt this was aided by a response from US industry complaints of a ‘not -invented-here’ syndrome. So much for the so called ‘Special Relationship’ after supporting the US in the Iraq wars. It does not end there as search and rescue became the next victim – privatisation. The UK Government presided over a disastrous tendering process that was tarnished and re-run leading to a US consortium which resulted in the now Texas-based Bristow company being awarded the contract for SAR using the Sikorsky S92 helicopter. That ,after the Westland company had provided some 65 years of unstinting helicopters, support and value for money to the taxpayer. Oh yes, AgustaWestland is assembling a small number of AW189 SAR equipped helicopters – the consolation prize for the

runner up? If you think that it ends there, how about the recently placed order for 50 AH64E Apache helicopters direct to Boeing? That, after 67 Westland-assembled WAH64D Apaches developed with British-built equipment and RTM322 engines, a commonality feature with the AW101 Merlin. You may wonder why such a talented team of design and development engineers and many others at Westland responsible for the world beating BERP composite blades, ACSR and the superb and award-winning semi-rigid rotor head used on the Lynx and Wildcat, among other innovations, have not received better recognition and support from our own Government? The answer is not only US protectionism but a failure by our own Government to back a British industry in the manner that the French Government has wholly supported and favoured their own Industry. Maybe this is why Brexit has occurred?

David Weinel IEng AMRAeS

Upon a Trailing Edge: Risk, the Heart and the Air Pilot

The above, reviewed in the March 2017 issue of AEROSPACE(2) refl ects a personal journey in aviation covering the prosaic subject of regulation. Over three billion passengers are carried by air each year for the loss of a few hundred fatalities. This outstanding achievement refl ects huge credit on the industry in all its aspects from design and build, to maintenance and operation. The author grew up in the post-war years when cadets were fl own in Meteors and Canberras while staying in an offi cers mess in Germany. A fl ying scholarship on a Tiger Moth led to a pilot’s licence. After becoming a doctor, later a cardiologist, the Trident disaster in 1972 (the worst in UK aviation history at the time) led to his appointment as cardiologist to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a post he held for 38 years.At that time there was no methodology for medical certifi cation and no adequate standard.

This led to the concept of workshops which involved many colleagues, and which introduced science into the licence decision-making process. As enthusiasm grew internationally for these developments, the opportunity arose to visit ICAO regional centres and lecture on its behalf. The invitation also arose to write the second and third editions of the cardiovascular chapters in the ICAO Handbook of Aviation Medicine as well as numerous other papers and chapters in textbooks. The author co-drafted ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices and was involved in the same process for the European Joint Aviation Authorities. It is an ICAO requirement that specialists in aviation medicine are required to maintain and improve their knowledge of the conditions undertaken in their duties. This eventually led to nearly 1,000 hours fl ying in command with twin and instrument ratings. There was even an opportunity to hand-fl y the Concorde – related in one chapter. Some of these experiences are recorded along with visits to exotic places in the service of aviation safety. The text is an eclectic weave of history, personal experience and aviation safety from the (medical aviation) accident point of view. It is also polemical where it was believed (correctly as it turned out) that the path being pursued at the time by the regulator was misconceived. The text is aimed at anyone with an interest in aviation, its development and its safety.

Michael JoyOBE FRAeS

Protectionism – a long history?

A French Aéronavale Westland Lynx Mk2 (FN) landing on the French Navy anti-submarine frigate Latouche-Tréville.

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OnlineAdditional features and content are available to view online at http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight

1. AEROSPACE, March 2017, p 10, The return of protectionism2. AEROSPACE, March 2017, p 44, Book Reviews3. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/blast-off-from-britain/4. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/dubais-aerial-taxis/5. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/space-in-2017-a-look-ahead/

@aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook. www.aerosociety.comi f

Depends if my inertial drive works or not. £10m might be enough for me to get to Mars and the Moon.

Jon Jennings

£10m wow! It will just about build a snack bar. Our government’s commitment to aerospace is pathetic. Mind you, they have the excuse of no funds, due to the Brexit disaster that they are set on pursuing.

Andrew Yule

£10m doesn’t sound like much but it could go someway to starting something but it’s more of a case of defi ning what. As the article points out, it’s already perfectly feasible to launch a Terrior-Orion rocket from Scotland, and these easily punch 100km. If the UK decided it was interested in competing in the sounding rocket world, then small launchers based on military surplus

is an achievable goal – operating something along the lines of the AnØya or Esrange space centres in Norway and Sweden. It all depends on political will and what direction is interesting. If sub-orbital rockets are feasible, it wouldn’t necessarily be that hard to expand to higher altitudes. 1,000km is easily feasible with current ‘cheap’ motors. With some major regulatory effort and probably international collaboration (read ESA) it would be feasible for the UK to launch small

i

Could the UK have its own equivalent of Spaceport America?

satellites into low polar orbits within ten years, and, as the article suggests, perhaps this kind of rapid launch capability for short life small satellites would be very complementary to the current direction in the space industry. By 2025 someone will be doing these cheap rapid launches for CubeSats and alike and, if the UK government can get behind it with funding and sort out the regulatory framework, it’s possible it could be us.

Alex Kinnaird

UK Government to boost UK spaceport(3) with £10m

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Dubai aerial taxis(4)

I’m sure that certifi cation of the EHang passenger-carrying UAVs will not be a shoe-in. I remember the fi rst plane I fl ew in was a Super Constellation and about that time someone walked into the prop. We have come a long way since those days but I agree with the comment that the props seem alarmingly close to the doors. Although a simple interlock system should minimise that risk. Also I suppose if they run out of power after 30 minutes, they have a lot of sand to land on!

Julian Lea-Jones

@Clare Muir [On Space in 2017(5)] Exciting times for all of us within this dynamic sector. Delighted for our team to be involved.

@Patrick LR Space shall not be taken as a piece of cake to be eaten!!! We are part of it and interdependent of it.

@CBrenchley [On ‘wishful thinking’ for UK airlines hoping for a soft Brexit] This is utter scaremongering tosh. We are already part of EASA and the ECA which do not require EU membership.

@OliWalkerJones [On Dubai’s aerial taxis(4)] Would you trust an autonomous aerial taxi? I think even I might struggle a bit with that! #TheJetsonsAreComing

@Aeroengieeer Really good article! I’d be worried about thermal runaway of the battery!

@keirinjoyce Today the RAeS Australian Division said thanks to fi ve departing councillors: 50+ years service to RAeS!

@ems_parry [Ibis Style Marseille HAS to be the most #avgeek hotel possible. Instrument panel bed tray + runway carpet!!!] That is incredible!

@ProfAtkin Echoing thanks for both long and transformative service!

50 years of service down under

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@TWPILOT1 How is this for an #avgeek hotel?

@Damage_13 Runs down corridor arms in delta V, Vulcan coming in for landing.

@katiaavstrom Have you seen #ibis Campo de Marte in Sao Paulo? Same style and decoration!

Welcome to Hotel AvGeek

@AarronBBrown Somebody get that carpet for Harrison Ford, he needs some practice distinguishing runway from taxiway.

BILL READ FRAeS reports on Dubai’s plans to begin operating the world’s first aerial taxi service using autonomous passenger-carrying drones.

Dubai’s flying taxis

14 AEROSPACE / APRIL 2017

Mattar al-Tayer, Chair m

an, RTA

(RTA)

After storing their luggage in a small ‘boot’ at the back of the drone, customers would get into the cabin and use a map touch screen on a tablet console to

select their destination from a predetermined menu of take-off and landing sites.

Once their seat belt had been fastened, the air-conditioned drone would take off and fl y them to their programmed destination. The fl ight would be completely automated and would require no further input from

the passenger but would be monitored and controlled from a ground-based fl ight

command centre.According to al-Tayler, the introduction of the

AAVs is part of a directive from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform

Dubai into the ‘smartest’ city in the world. The RTA is also working on plans to provide self-

driving road transport with the aim of using self-driving vehicles for 25%

of total individual trips by 2030. As part of this policy, the

Dubai has announced plans to begin operating an aerial taxi service from July using passenger-carrying drones. The announcement was made by Matt al-

Tayer, head of the city’s Roads and Transportation Agency at the World Government Summit held in Dubai in February.

The service would be operated using a fl eet of Chinese-made eHang 184 eight-rotor autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs). Fitted with a passenger cabin, these large scale electrically-powered drones can carry one passenger and luggage with a combined weight of up to 100kg and have a 30 minute fl ight time. A promotional video from the Dubai Roads and Transportation Agency shows a customer using their mobile device to summon the drone from a parking area from where it would fl y to where they wanted to be collected.

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A promotional video featuring a future commuter using an AAV from Dubai Roads and Transportation Agency.

RTA


RTA is to buy 200 Tesla electric vehicles fi tted with autonomous driving technology to be added to the limousine fl eet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC).

Introducing the eHang 184

The drone manufacturer, eHang, is based in Guangzhou in China with two overseas branches in Dusseldorf and California. In addition to the large scale 184 AAV, eHang specialises in small leisure and commercial quadcopter drones. According to eHang‘s website (www.ehang.com/ehang184), the main frame of the 184 AAV is constructed of carbon fi bre epoxy composite with other components made of aluminium alloy. Measuring 3.989m × 4.024m × 1.447m (including propellers), the aircraft weighs 240kg and is powered by eight rotors with a maximum output of 152kW. The cabin has a width of 1.018m and a height of 2.074m and is fi tted with a moulded seat. Luggage capacity is limited to a ‘18in backpack’.

The AAV fl ies in an ‘inverted U shape’, fl ying up vertically to a set height, then fl ying horizontally and then descending vertically over the landing area. It has a maximum payload of 100kg – which is the same as the version announced for Dubai – but only has a 25min cruising duration which is less than the 30min advertised for the Dubai service but perhaps this

RTA

GENERAL AVIATIONAutonomous aerial taxis

refers to the horizontal fl ight time. The manufacturer claims that the 184 can cruise at 60km/hr at a maximum height of 3,500m – although al-Tayer’s presentation said that speeds for the Dubai AAVs would be limited to 100km/hr down from a maximum speed of 160km/hr at a height of 3,000ft (914m). The AAV can still fl y safely with one power system out of action and will automatically land in the event of component malfunction. The command centre could also prevent the AAV from fl ying if it considered that weather conditions were too dangerous.

Flight tests

Matt al-Tayer said that the Agency had ‘experimented with this vehicle fl ying in Dubai’s skies’ in conjunction with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), although when and where these tests were carried out is not clear. The 184 has been test fl own in China and, in May 2016, an agreement was signed between eHang, the Nevada Governor’s Offi ce of Economic Development and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) which gave the go-ahead for NIAS and eHang to collaborate in fl ight testing, training and development of the passenger-carrying drone at its FAA-designated Nevada UAS test site. However, it is not certain how far these fl ights tests have gone and how close the 184 is to airworthiness certifi cation.

A question of airspace

The announcement of the introduction of large scale passenger-carrying drones in the skies over Dubai has come at the same time that the emirate is busy trying to restrict the risks posed by UAVs. As far as smaller UAVs are concerned, the DCAA regulations say that drones can only be operated in line of sight and it is illegal to fl y them over congested areas or within 50m of people, vehicles and structures. In addition to introducing regulations in April 2015 requiring drone

eHang

Above: A still from an eHang video showing the 184 being fl ight tested.

Below: The Chinese-made eHang 184 featuring gull-wing doors.

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registration, the emirate also has no-fl y zones for drones over both its commercial airports, Al Minhad Air Base and the Palm Jumeirah. Prior permission is also required for nine other areas, including downtown Dubai around the Burj Khalifa (currently the tallest building in the world).

Despite these restrictions, there were three incidents in June, September and October last year in which fl ights at Dubai International Airport were suspended due to drone incursions. As a result of these incursions, Dubai Airports is conducting trials of a tracking system to detect drones in the vicinity of its airports and the radio frequency on which they are being operated. Those caught infringing the no drone fl y zone over the airport face up to three years imprisonment and a fi ne of up to 100,000 dirhams ($27,228).

This raises a number of questions – the fi rst of which is where could the AAV actually fl y? Assuming that the larger AAV has to comply with the same regulations, its area of operation must be somewhat limited, as much of Dubai is built up with many high-rise buildings. Its most obvious use would be to fl y people to and from the city’s airports and the business district – both of which may be out of bounds.

According to the promotional material, the fl eet of AAVs would operate on pre-programmed routes to a pre-determined set of destinations where, presumably, there would be space for them to land. Where these routes and landing sites will be is not yet clear – presumably they would be in open areas away from people and tall buildings with suffi cient space for several AAVs to land at once. How convenient would the locations of these pick-up and landing sites be for a business traveller, compared to a door-to-door service offered by a conventional taxi?

Are 30mins enough?

Another question is the range over which the AAVs could operate. The RTA’s promotional video showed the empty AAV taking off to fl y to the customer and then immediately fl ying on to his destination. Assuming that this take-off site is a central ‘parking area’ where the AAVs are stored, serviced and recharged, the AAV would need to fl y to the customer pick-up point, then fl y to its destination and then return to the central area. All these three journeys would need to be completed within the maximum fl ight time of 30mins. If the AAV did not have enough battery charge to return to its base, would it then need to be recharged at one of the landing sites? The RTA has said that battery recharging could take between one to two hours.

Safety issues

Although the eHang 184 is fi tted with safety systems which will keep the AAV fl ying and enable it to land safely in the event of mechanical problems, there must

be safety concerns about the risk of battery failure or some other mechanical problem happening in the air to such a large aircraft over a built-up area, as they would be unable to autorotate like a helicopter.

An additional safety concern is that the AAV design features eight unshrouded propellers located at ground level and close to the passenger door. It would therefore be very important that the propellers are not in motion when passengers are entering or exiting the aircraft. Revolving propellers could also be a potential safety issue if the passenger needed to exit the AAV in a hurry in the event of an accident.

The AAV also has the limitation that it can only carry one passenger and a very limited amount of luggage. It would not therefore be a suitable option for a group of business people wishing to travel somewhere together. It is also not yet known what would be the likely cost of using an AAV compared to a car or a taxi.

Ready by July?

There is also the question of timing. The RTA has said that the service is to commence in July, yet there is no indication that the eHang 184 has yet received fl ight safety certifi cation from either the US or China. It is also not known whether the RTA has placed an order from eHang for a fl eet of AAVs or what progress has been made on setting up the ground-based control station.

However, Dubai is renowned as a city of progress where miracles can happen and happen fast, so the future vision of unmanned aerial taxis may yet come true.

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ang

The UK Prime Minister’s visit to Turkey announcing BAE Systems’ collaboration on an indigenous stealth fi ghter for the Turkish Air Force represents a vital win for the UK military aerospace sector. TIM ROBINSON assesses the ramifi cations of this deal.

which will replace the Lockheed Martin F-16 in service.

While the Turkish Air Force (which was heavily involved in the 2016 coup attempt) currently fl ies F-16s and some F-4s and is set to receive around 100 F-35s, the concept for TF-X is that it would be more heavily tilted towards the air superiority mission – as a F-22-class combat aircraft for the mid-2020s. Currently, there are three confi gurations mooted for TF-X – a single engine design, a twin-engine fi ghter and a highly agile version with canards.

While there is a requirement for a predicted 250 TF-X fi ghters for the Turkish Air Force itself, reports suggest that TF-X will also be aimed at the wider export market. With F-22 production halted, the F-35 optimised for strike and the other options being mid-


DEFENCEUK – Turkish fi ghter cooperation

On 28 January British Prime Minister Theresa May, on an offi cial visit to Istanbul, Turkey, to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that the UK’s BAE Systems, in partnership

with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), would help design a new ‘fi fth generation’ stealth fi ghter – the TF-X. This agreement for BAE Systems to help design the TF-X for service in the mid-2020s is a potential lifeline for the UK’s combat aircraft design expertise.

What is TF-X?

So what is Turkey’s TF-X? Although the confi guration is not yet set in stone, Turkey’s goal is to develop its own indigenous (as far as is practical) stealth fi ghter

Above: UK Prime Minister Theresa May and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in January 2017.

Below: TF-X concept.

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BAE Systems’ stealth fi ghter Replica testbed never fl ew – but it gave the company valuable knowledge in LO design.

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in-house LO experience since Replica means that TAI has access to a highly competent industrial partner – especially when it comes to airframe, sensor and weapons integration.

The problem – what next for UK military aerospace?

The announcement comes at a critical time for Britain’s military aviation sector – as design and development work for new UK platforms becomes scarce. It is notable that, of the fi ve key air platforms (F-35, P-8, AH-64E, Protector and Zephyr) highlighted in the 2015 SDSR, only one (Zephyr) is actually designed and built in the UK.

While BAE Systems is currently busy adding capability to the Eurofi ghter Typhoon, the end of production may be in sight unless new customers are found. A mid-life Typhoon update in the 2020s means the best is yet to come but it will still not require the full engineering capability or design expertise of a clean-sheet military aircraft.

Meanwhile, on the F-35 which, despite having entered service with the US Marines in 2015 and the USAF in 2016, fi rst fl ew some 17 years ago in 2000 as the X-35. The UK, as Tier 1 partner on the project, has contributed heavily to the design, particularly for the STOVL ‘B’ variant. Now in full production and ramping up, UK industry is expected to benefi t massively from its investment in the future. However, while future opportunities for support and ongoing upgrades will continue, again the initial design and engineering work is well in the past.

So too, for the BAE Hawk advanced trainer. First fl ying in 1974, the Hawk has been a spectacular British sales success, with over 1,000 sold. However, despite BAE updating it to latest T2 standard for the RAF, it was ditched by partner Northrop Grumman for the USAF T-X trainer requirement for a fresh design from Scaled Composites. Any hope that BAE’s design work would continue has now been dashed when NG/BAE took the decision earlier this month to not

life upgrades of the Eurocanards (Eurofi ghter, Rafale and Gripen) it is possible that the TF-X could turn into an export success in the mid-2020s and beyond for countries looking for a fi fth generation air dominance fi ghter.

While BAE Systems will help with design and development, this participation could also open doors to other parts of UK industry for specifi c systems or components that Turkey is unable to produce in-house. The Rolls-Royce EJ200 engines from the Eurofi ghter have already been tipped as the powerplant and were the subject of an MoU in 2015. A true stealth fi ghter may well require a matching engine and this may also be an opportunity for Rolls-Royce to acquire the necessary expertise.

Other opportunities for UK industry may be in ejection seats (Martin-Baker), HUDs or HMDs (BAE Striker II) – indeed, BAE Systems already supplies its LiteHUD for TAI’s Hurkus basic trainer.

While Turkish defence electronics company ASELAN has already reportedly started work on an active electronic scanned array (AESA) radar, there could potentially be other opportunities for UK’s Selex ES (now Leonardo MW) which produces AESA radars for Eurofi ghter and Gripen, as well as EO IRST and EW systems.

Finally, while Turkey’s own state missile house Roketsan boasts an impressive range of weapons, including stand-off missiles, precision bombs and anti-tank missiles, MBDA’s air-to-air portfolio ASRAAM and, in particular, the game-changing Meteor, would be an ideal fi t for a fi fth-gen air superiority combat aircraft.

Choosing a stealth partner

The collaboration may be signifi cant for the UK, with BAE winning this design work over rival bids from Airbus Defence and Space and Saab, but it also represents a smart move by Turkey in selecting a European partner that has a long history in low-observable projects.

In the 1990s, for example, BAE Systems developed a secret stealth fi ghter concept called Replica that reached mock-up stage – partly as a back-up plan to collaboration with the larger US JSF programme. This home-grown stealth fi ghter, then showcasing the UK’s low observable (LO) expertise, was Britain’s entry ticket to JSF at the highest level. Since then, the company has developed further with collaboration on F-35, and LO UAV projects, with the most recent being the Taranis UCAV demonstrator – seen by some knowledgeable observers as one of the most stealthy air vehicles ever. BAE is also working on a follow-on Anglo-French UCAV demonstrator in partnership with Dassault.

While strict fi rewalls and US ITAR knowledge sharing restrictions will mean that BAE will not be able to share or transfer all of its stealth knowledge developed with international partners, its hard-won

Three possible confi gurations of proposed TF–X

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bid a proposal. The Hawk lives on, in the Advanced Hawk (previously ‘Combat Hawk’), developed in co-operation with HAL. (see AEROSPACE, pp 4-5, March 2017)

On the positive side of the equation, BAE is involved with the most challenging and potentially signifi cant combat aircraft programme in Europe, the UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System) with Dassault. This £1.5bn programme builds on the expertise and experience of Britain and France with their own demonstrators (Taranis and Neuron) for a low observable UCAV. With feasibility study complete, a demonstration programme, to begin in late 2017, will see two UCAS fl ight demonstrators by 2025, with operational stealth drones in the 2030s and beyond.

Yet, despite this cutting-edge aerospace technology, the jury is still out on how many UCAVs air forces will need in the future. The timescales to operational platforms (another 13 years away at least – and more likely 18) also mean that there is a signifi cant gap in production between the end of Eurofi ghter at the end of this decade and the start of any UCAV manufacturing.

DEFENCEUK – Turkish fi ghter cooperation

The fear is that the reduction in UK defence programmes is gradually whittling away at the front-end of the UK’s end-to-end design, development, manufacturing and support base – with key capabilities, skills and expertise being lost over time. Indeed, there is much evidence from recent programmes (T-45, Astute and Nimrod MRA4) that suggests this has already happened.

Brexit may also deprive BAE Systems of access to the burgeoning EU defence R&D programme which, if French lobbying has any impact, will feature combat aircraft relevant technology acquisition. The deal with Turkey would also help to fi ll this potential gap.

The deal to help design the TF-X represents a major coup for BAE Systems in keeping a critical part of the UK’s design capability alive.

Same problem, elsewhere in Europe

However, a shortage of combat aircraft design projects is not just a problem facing the UK industry either but across the whole of Europe’s defence sector.

The most signifi cant recent clean-sheet pan-European combat aircraft to enter service, the A400M, had its fi rst fl ight eight years ago and its original requirement dates back to the 1980s. Outside UAVs, other ‘new’ European combat aircraft are either upgrades or modifi cations of existing types. The European defence sector has also singularly failed to dethrone US and Israeli leadership in UAVs – particularly in the medium-altitude long endurance (MALE).

Saab, for example, has just rolled out its Gripen NG and has future unfunded concepts beyond that but has found its own lifeline working with Boeing to help design its T-X trainer. Like Eurofi ghter, France’s Dassault can look forward to a mid-life Rafale upgrade in the mid-2020s – and is partnered with the UK on the Anglo-French UCAV.

Worst off, arguably, is Airbus Defence and Space which, in concert with other European companies, has faced an uphill battle to attract political interest in a European MALE UAV platform. Last year

Three confi gurations of the TF–X are being considered, including both single and twin engined versions, in addition to a highly agile variant with canards.

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Below left: Eurofi ghter Typhoon in the Anechoic Chamber at BAE Systems Electronic Warfare Test Facility, Warton, Lancashire.

Below right: The new RJ328 to be built in Turkey.

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21i f APRIL 2017@aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com

AirbusDS revealed a proposal for a stealth fi ghter replacement for Germany’s Tornado fl eet but it faces the disadvantage of being outside both F-35 and the Anglo-French UCAS programmes, as well as Berlin’s lukewarm approach to defence procurement.

Turkey’s growing ambition

Not all countries are struggling with declining design work for their military sectors. Turkey has one of the most active and ambitious aerospace and defence industries and is working steadily to develop its indigenous capability – with a fl urry of activity in recent years. State-owned TAI has moved from license-built production of F-16s and other aircraft to designing and manufacturing its own aircraft. It has developed a basic trainer and light attack aircraft, the Hurkus, as well as the Anka MALE UAV. TAI has also produced an upgraded version of the A129 Mangusta attack helicopter, the T129 ATAK, in co-operation with original manufacturer, Leonardo.

The country has also ambitions in the civil aerospace sector – with a Turkish Regional Jet project being launched in 2015 to develop a family of regional airliners, beginning with a design based on the Dornier 328JET.

Space and a healthy missiles systems sector through the state-owned Roketsan round out Turkey’s growing aerospace sector. For aerospace companies willing to help Istanbul develop its aerospace industry further, there could be other potential opportunities in the future.

Summary

The prospect of a growing UK defence partnership with Turkish strongman Erdogan, post the 2016

coup attempt, may be unpalatable in some quarters – but the deal is critical in that it helps the UK maintain an irreplaceable combat aircraft design capability – at a time when rival European defence companies are also scratching around for work. The prize is a juicy one – a large 200+ aircraft buy, potential export sales and a ‘European F-22’ style air dominance fi ghter that complements the F-35. The UK, too, through its experience in Replica, Taranis, F-35 and FCAS is, arguably, the the most advanced aerospace sector outside the US in LO technology – and thus safeguarding and protecting this expertise with as much design and technical work as possible should be a clear strategic goal for UK Plc.

This is also signifi cant in that it is an agreement to help develop a fi ghter aircraft with a non-EU, but NATO country (that is not the US (or Canada) – and is thus a boost for those who see the UK striking deals with the wider world post-Brexit. The Turkish AF – twice the size of the RAF – is also a major power player on NATO’s southern fl ank – despite recent political upheavals.

However, it is important not to overstate this deal too much. The stated size of the contract, ‘£100m or more’ is insignifi cant in total development budgets for an advanced stealth project like this – which may top $25bn in total. Turkey, of course, will want to manufacture and develop as much technology in-house as possible and it is possible that TF-X itself may fall victim to outside forces or budget squeezes.

Yet, despite these caveats, the partnership has major implications in helping maintain critical UK combat aircraft design capability that, without a spread of new projects to work on, might otherwise wither and die.

Turkish NATIONALITY British Ankara, Turkey HEADQUARTERS London and Farnborough, UK 1973 (TAI) FOUNDED 1999 (Final merger between BAe & Marconi) Nejat Bilgin CHAIRMAN Sir Roger Carr Aircraft, Satellites PRODUCTS Civil and military aerospace, Defence electronics, Naval vessels, Munitions, Land warfare systems US$886.5m* (2015) TURNOVER US$25.3bn* (2015) 4,289 (2013) NO OF EMPLOYEES 84,600** (2015)

72* POSITION IN DEFENSE NEWS TOP 100 3*

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*Defense News**Forbes

A new, improved RAF Air Power Conference this summer will help set thestage for the Service’s 100th anniversary in 2018 – with a goal to broadenthe global debate of air power. TIM ROBINSON reports.

This year, with new organisers in the form of APA and a countdown to the historic milestone of the centenary of the RAF in April 2018, the conference aims to stimulate and widen the debate about the utility of air power beyond the usual ‘bubble’ of senior offi cers, MoD civil servants, industry executives and air power analysts.

The organisers plan to harness social media, as well as build on last year’s conference where presentations were livestreamed to RAF stations, with a wider audience this year, engaging international partners. It may be potentially a bold move to open up debate in this way with some red-hot topics such as ‘how air power integrates with irregular forces’, however, the RAF believes that the benefi ts of increased engagement, challenging debate and wider participation are worth the risks.

The event, which also plans to incorporate more ‘operational’ presentations with speakers pulled directly from the cockpit (or ISR cell), is also not to be seen in isolation and forms part of a wider programme within the Service to rekindle doctrinal thinking. The RAF’s desire to stimulate critical airpower thinking, generate ideas and listen to even its lowliest airman/woman can be seen in the ‘Thinking to Win’ conceptual initiative that was launched in 2016 by the previous CAS. In addition, the organisers are keen to see the online ‘conversation’ about air power both precede and carry on after the actual conference itself, especially as the RAF counts down towards its 100th birthday in 2018.

Summary

In short then, it is highly appropriate that the world’s oldest independent air force is aiming high ahead of its second century with a refreshed and challenging new vision for global air power debate – and to push the boundaries of air power understanding, deliver thought-provoking debate and develop new advocates. As AVM Knighton noted: “Our hope is that we make the UK’s air power conference THE leading air power conference in the world – it is very much a stepping stone for the RAF into 2018.”


Speaking in early March, then Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Richard Knighton, said that the revamped conference will be: “An opportunity for us to challenge ourselves about the state of

power, how it’s going to evolve and how it’s going to develop. It gives us an opportunity to debate where air power is today and to help, jointly, with our allies from around the world to develop that air power thinking.”

While in previous years the RAF Air Power Conference has always been an annual fi xture for military professional, academics and industry, the 2017 event sees the UK’s Air Power Association (APA) partnering with RUSI to produce the two-day event on 12-13 July.

The conference usually has no problem attracting high-level speakers thanks to its calendar proximity to the Royal International Air Tattoo and this year will see the Chief of the Air Staff ACM Sir Stephen Hillier, Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon MP and the USAF Chief of Staff General David Goldfein (celebrating its 70th anniversary this year) all set to speak. Additionally the conference, to be held at the IET in London, is expected to draw over 30-35 representatives of foreign air forces, many of these their own chiefs.

Broadening the air power debate

The theme of the Conference this year is 21st Century Partnerships – a highly topical subject, given the global political, geostrategic and operational changes in the previous 12 months that have shaken the news. Drones, the introduction of fi fth-generation platforms and the ‘high ground’ of space add to the technological challenges. What then is air power – the politicians ‘go to’ tool of choice, place in this fast-moving, connected world?

Yet, while the expert speaker line-up can be taken for granted, perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this year’s event is the goal to develop new air power advocates, not just in the UK but internationally by critical and thought-provoking discussion.

IT IS VERY MUCH A STEPPING STONE FOR THE RAF INTO 2018Air Vice-Marshal Richard KnightonAssistant Chief of Air StaffRoyal Air Force

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AEROSPACE

GOLF DAYFOR INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE MEMBERS

FRILFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB, OXFORDSHIRE / WEDNESDAY 5 JULY 2017

18 hole texas scramble competition

9 hole stableford points competition

Individual and corporate team prizes

Lunch, refreshments and afternoon tea

Optional ‘social supper’ on 4 July 2017

Join us at our 2017 Golf Day for some healthy competition with fellow golfers in the aviation community.

This event is ideal for networking in a relaxed and informal setting.

Enter a corporate 4-ball team or opt to be teamed up with other individual players.

For further details please apply to:Gail Ward Events Manager – Corporate and SocietyRoyal Aeronautical SocietyT +44 (0)1491 629912E [email protected]

FAA Chief Scientific & Technical Advisor, Flight Deck TechnologyIntegration, Dr ROBERT E JOSLIN, asks whether regulatoryrequirements for ‘pilot control loads’ based on a pilot’s physical strength are now excessive for today’s demographic of male and female pilots.

‘… a Cessna Citation 525, N996JR, ditched in the waters of Penn Cove, Coupeville, Washington, following a loss of elevator trim control (runaway trim) that resulted in an uncommanded nose-low pitch attitude. Personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wichita Aircraft Certifi cation Offi ce reported that post accident simulator testing of the elevator fl ight control system revealed that full defl ection of the trim tab (trailing edge up) would require extremely high control wheel forces to achieve level fl ight.’ (NTSB Identifi cation: SEA03FA147)

‘Uncommanded pitch, roll and yaw. Unable to arrest uncommanded inputs or correct unco-ordinated fl ight confi guration with anything other than reduction of thrust to reduce forces on primary fl ight control surfaces. It took the full strength of both pilots to control the aircraft.’ (ASRS ACN:749984)

The above excerpts from accident, incident and anomalous event reports from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) databases highlight the safety implications of continued reliance on outdated regulations for cockpit fl ight control forces.


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Are cockpit fl ight control force design requirements too high for today’s pilots? Evidence suggests that pilot strength requirements for pitch, roll, and yaw fl ight controls (eg yokes,

control columns, rudder pedals) set over 50 years ago from data from military aviators are now excessive for today’s demographic of pilots – which includes female pilots. These outdated legacy controls may even pose a safety hazard in extreme recovery situations for some pilots if they require excessive strength.

‘When the captain took control, the airplane was about 700ft above ground level at 143 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed), high and to the right of the approach course. At 0436:00, about 10sec after the captain took control, the forces exerted on the cockpit controls peaked with max forces on the control column, control wheel, and rudder pedals of 36lb, 29lb, and 112lb, respectively... Immediately after the captain exerted the peak forces on the cockpit controls, about 27sec before impact, the aural stall warning and the stick shaker activated for the second time, concurrent with the TAWS (terrain awareness and warning system) warning, ‘Pull up. pull up’.’ (NTSB: CEN09MA142)

Gulfstream active side-stick. Many modern aircraft are fl own using fl y-by-wire technology which has no physical connection between the cockpit controls and the aircraft’s control surfaces where pilot strength is irrelevant.

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years there have been some small-scale studies focused specifi cally on aircraft fl ight control forces. However, there has not been any recent large-scale study of human strength/control forces. NASA recognised this shortfall and relied on statistically manipulating the requirements from Mil-Std-1472 and the Occupational and Biomechanics textbook by Chaffi n, Andersson and Martin (1991) to develop strength requirements for the NASA Constellation programme for the fi rst to the 99th percentile (male and female), with the rationale being that people with anthropometric measurements predominantly in the extremes of the fi fth or 95th percentile, often have some measurements/strengths outside the bounded range.

New data needed

To mitigate the hazard of excessive fl ight control forces, valid fl ight control force-application strength data are needed to ensure that new aircraft designs account for the current pilot population demographic and fl ight control confi gurations. The data should be gathered from a statistically signifi cant number of subjects representative of the current pilot population demographic, utilising current and reasonably anticipated fl ight control-input devices to be found in transport category and normal category aircraft. Data should be collected related to the maximum forces, both momentary and sustained, that can be exerted by the target pilot population for all control inceptors (eg yoke, wheel, column, centre and side sticks, cyclic, collective) when in the normal seated position in the cockpit with seat belt/harness fastened (if applicable). These data should be used to update the design certifi cation regulations that are used by manufacturers to show compliance and the civil aviation authorities to fi nd compliance, with regulations related to pilot fl ight control forces.

Controlling the force

The maximum force requirements for manipulation of fl ight controls in transport category aircraft are quantitatively specifi ed in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) under 14CFR §25.143(c) and Certifi cation Specifi cation (C.S.) 25.143(d) (see atop of page). The control force values were originally derived from data for fi fth to 95th percentile males applying for US military service in the 1950s, as published in Mil-Std-1472, Mil-Hdbk-759, Mil-F-8785,and DoD Hdbk-743, fi gures which are not representative of the current civilian pilot population. Apart from two adjustments, these control force requirements, as originally adopted and published as Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) §4b.130 in the 1950s and subsequently converted to Federal Aviation Regulations under 14CFR §25.143 in the 1960s, have not changed in over a half of a century, even though the civilian population demographic has evolved considerably.

In 1978 the yaw (rudder) maximum control force under 14CFR §25.143(c) Amendment 25-42 was changed from 180lb to 150lb (667N) based on fl ight test experience that had shown that 180lb may make control diffi cult for some pilots under some fl ight conditions. Seventeen years later the roll maximum control force under 14 CFR §25.143(c) Amendment 25-84 was changed from 60lb to 50lb (222N) to harmonise with the control force limits provided in the corresponding European Joint Aviation Regulation (JAR) §25.143(c). Furthermore, new cockpit fl ight control inceptors have been incorporated in most modern aircraft (eg side-sticks), beyond those specifi ed in the tables of maximum allowable control forces as published in current regulations.

A similar chronology was followed for transport category rotorcraft, whereby the pilot control forces fi rst published under CAR §7.225 in the 1950s and subsequently converted to Federal Aviation Regulations under 14CFR §29.397 in the 1960s have not changed, other than in 1977 when 14CFR §29.397 Amendment 29-12 deemed the term ‘control wheel’ as ‘unnecessary’ and also added forces for ‘secondary controls’ with the explanation that the rule, as written, applied to all controls. However, a distinction needed to be made between ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ controls (eg fl ap, tab, stabiliser, landing gear), such as provided for aircraft.

Whereas in aircraft design, the anthropometric body measurements are typically bounded by the fi fth and 95th percentile, strength design limits for control forces normally only have a lower boundary, typically based upon the fi fth percentile of the female user population (fi rst percentile for critical skills) or the weakest person in the population, as recommended in Mil-Hdbk-759C (1995). Over the

14 CFR 25.143 – General(d) The following table prescribes, for conventional wheel type controls, the maximum control forces permitted during the testing required by paragraph (a) through (c) of this section:Force, in pounds, applied to the control wheel or rudder pedals Pitch Roll YawFor short-term application for pitch and roll control – two hands available for control 75 50 For short-term application for pitch and roll control – one hand available for control 50 25 For short-term application for yaw control 150For long-term application 10 5 20

The wording of the Federal Aviation Regulations Certifi cation Specifi cation 25.143(d)

Above: Table from Male and female strength capabilities for operating aircraft controls. McDaniel, J W (1981). AFAMRL-TR-81-39. Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Lab Wright-Patterson AFB OH, USA.

Below: Figure from A Preliminary Study of Maximal Control Force Capability of Female Pilots. Hasbrook, A H , Snow, C C, Karim, B, Bergey, K H, and Chandler, R F (1972). FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute.

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Regional airlines provide underappreciated but critical connectivity for passengers all over Europe. TIM ROBINSON reports how the European Regional Airlines Association (ERA) is assisting its members in negotiating these tough times.

Yet, although ERA’s regional airlines only make up 9% of intra-European passenger services, they provide a vital social and economic function – linking remote communities and regions and providing connectivity to help businesses grow. Indeed, while the reasons behind Brexit and the election of President Donald Trump are varied and beyond the scope of this article – one only needs to look at a voting map of either the UK or US to see what happens if regions are neglected in favour of the urban, cosmopolitan cities.

Speaking at ERA’s annual media briefi ng in February, Jonathan Sullivan, Managing Director at consultants Seabury Aviation and Aerospace, notes that 2016 was “the year that the regions spoke.”


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Regional repercussions

Aging aircraft fl eets, fewer seats, declining services, tight margins and intense competition – who would be in the regional airline business – especially in a Europe still

experiencing an economic slump?Fighting the corner of regional airlines in Europe

is the European Regional Airline Association (ERA). It now has 191 members overall (including ten OEMs and 22 airports), as well as 53 regional carriers. These range from Air Greenland to Hop! from Flybe to Widerøe. The Association also benefi ts from the synergies from having both airlines and suppliers in the same organisation – and acts as a forum in which members can learn from each other.

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Regional airlines have responded to this by shrinking fl ights and growing seats. On some routes, daily fl ights, for example, have been reduced to three times a week – putting off business travellers who desire the most convenient schedule. That, in turn, feeds into a perception that regions are ‘cut off’, stifl ing economic connectivity even further.

One symptom of this is the age of regional airlines’ jet airliners. Alone among other airline sectors, the average age of regional jets in service has dramatically increased – the very opposite of the rest of the airline sector. While new RJs (such as the SJ100 and the CSeries) are entering service and others are on the near horizon (MRJ, E2) there remain a lot of older aircraft still fl ying. Indeed, Seabury’s analysis shows that, while ERA’s 53 airlines have 706 aircraft in service, at present they have only 88 aircraft on order.

Simple physics and the effi ciencies of larger aircraft means that, while the rest of the industry has been focused on up-gauging, regional airlines have yet to see the full benefi ts of next-generation RJs. While turboprop manufacturer ATR has enjoyed record orders in recent years, new turboprops being delivered would still not make up the shortfall

Too late, decision-makers are now dealing with the aftermath of this neglect.

A lack of regional connectivity is not just a case of illogical travel, such as a passenger wanting to fl y from Inverness to Bristol having to go via the hub of Amsterdam, but in effect, helps consign huge swathes of the electorate to limited economic opportunities.

Indeed, an underappreciated fact, says Sullivan, is how many major corporate headquarters are often found outside cities. In Europe, for example, this includes Airbus, Fiat, Morrisons, BASF, VW, Lego, Volvo, Santander and others. All these giant brands drive economic growth in these regions and rely on effi cient travel connections to generate business, visit customers and shift staff around sites etc. Thus, while Europe’s regional airlines have faced downward pressure from the European mega-LCCs, such as easyJet and Ryanair, their business/leisure passenger spilt (77%/23%) is more like the full-service legacy carriers.

Finally, in some parts of the world, including Europe, regional airlines may not so much power regional growth as provide essential air links to remote communities that could not survive otherwise. These subsidised services, called public service obligations (PSO), are open to all airlines and are transparently advertised but are dominated by regional carriers with small aircraft. (If it was economical to run bigger aircraft, it would not be needed in the fi rst place). These vital links provide a critical but underappreciated social and logistical lifeline to remote communities. ERA is working on a campaign to promote PSOs among its members, believing greater use should be made of these temporary air links to connect Europe’s remote communities.

Aging fl eets

Yet, despite the economic, social (and political) benefi ts), Europe’s regional airlines are, if not in actual decline, then under extreme pressure. “It’s a tough business to be in.” admitted Sullivan. Just in the past nine years, ERA’s member airlines, relative market share has declined 20%, as competition has intensifi ed. Low-cost carriers in Europe have grown by 7.9% over the past year, above the market average of 3.5%, while regional airlines have bumped along the bottom with 1.5% growth.

A stagnant European economy, not fully-recovered from the crash of 2008, also has led to a decline in frequency and seats available. “Europe is in the doldrums,” warned ERA’s President and KLM Cityhopper MD, Boet Kreiken.

Above: A Hop! airline, ATR 72.Below: A fl ybe Embraer 175.Opposite page: A CityJet Sukhoi Superjet.

Airline members of European Regional Airlines Association (ERA).

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as older regional jets are phased out. In addition, despite the fuel effi ciencies and quietness of modern turboprop airliners, there is still some resistance from passengers who perceive that turboprops equal old propeller aircraft.

A ‘limited window’ for profi ts

This situation is partly due to a function of the niche that regional airlines occupy. If they do make a route serving a specifi c region a roaring success – then larger airlines will quickly move in. There is then, says Sullivan, a ‘limited window of opportunity’ for regional carriers to make profi ts and grow a route. before bigger players will move in to gobble up market share. “The defi nition of success for a regional airline,” says Sullivan “is working themselves out of a job.”

Yet Europe’s sluggish economic growth is now constraining economic opportunities. A slowing of EU expansion since ten countries joined en masse in 2004 has also limited new markets for European airlines. At the same time, the larger LCCs, with economies of scale and lots more aircraft on order,

will now be tempted in the near future to take on riskier, more marginal routes to try and stimulate growth. In particular, continued low oil prices will reduce the downside for LCCs to put extra capacity into riskier markets.

Aero Icarus

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This extra competition is further bad news for Europe’s squeezed regional airlines. As Sullivan notes, even this ‘window of opportunity’ for regional airlines is now shrinking.

ERA’s response

This tough business climate – along with new worries about Brexit and what that could mean for regional carriers – has kept trade organisation ERA busy working for its members. ERA predicts that, despite the pressures on its airline members, results from 2016 will show a good year for Europe’s smaller airlines, with increased demand and better load factors.

Sullivan’s analysis is that regional airlines should react by focusing on the business market fi rst, building brand loyalty among business passengers. In the medium term, he suggests that regional carriers should consider a partnership strategy with larger airlines to act as feeders into their bigger networks. One model for this kind of relationship might well be Etihad’s European beachhead, Switzerland’s Darwin Airline (Etihad Regional).

Going forward, one key initiative that ERA is championing is alerting its members to up to €1bn worth of credit for fl eet renewal from the European Investment Bank (EIB) – as the 2008 crash has made accessing fi nance much more diffi cult. Indeed, ERA observes that it has been easier to get fi nance for airport equipment than for actual aircraft. A decision by the EIB in July 2016 to open up new lending guidelines was preceded by a three-year campaign by ERA highlighting the investment opportunities offered by regional carriers.

These loans are targeted directly at regional airlines to upgrade their equipment with newer, more fuel-effi cient regional jets. Unlocking this fi nance from the EIB could be a critical step in reversing the aging fl eet problem and speeding up the introduction of next generation regional aircraft.

This initiative is already starting to pay off. Simon McNamara, Director General, ERA, says that several of ERA’s member airlines are now in negotiations with the EIB, with potential orders in the next six months. Could this year’s Paris Air Show see a fl urry of orders for regional jets?

Above: A Montenegro Airlines Fokker 100 taking off.

Below: A TAP Express Embraer ERJ-190LR landing at Schiphol Airport.

Airport members of European Regional Airlines Association (ERA)

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29i f APRIL 2017 @aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com

Stalled progress

Meanwhile, ERA notes that progress in two key areas of concern for its members has come to a virtual standstill. A planned review of the controversial EU621 passenger compensation regulation has become a political football over UK-Spanish disagreement about Gibraltar’s sovereignty – with little sign of progress over the past 18 months. This EU consumer regulation dealing with delays and cancelled fl ights has been disputed by airlines for extending their responsibility (and therefore compensation) to events that carriers say are completely beyond their control – the latest being birdstrikes. A recent case had seen an ERA member held liable for a fl ight delay following a birdstrike by a non-aviation specialist judge, as they ruled birds are present in the air, so the incident was thus foreseeable. ERA has been pressing the European safety regulator, EASA, to intervene as an impartial expert body to warn judges that making airlines liable for this could have a negative impact on safety.

Another project going nowhere fast is, of course, Single European Sky (SES) – the grand project to modernise Europe’s fragmented ATM and create more effi cient airspace. With Brexit and other populist forces threatening to pull Europe apart, the prognosis for any swift action on SES is not good. Yet, it is still estimated by Eurocontrol that rationalisation and optimisation of Europe’s ATM system could save airlines 10% in fuel burn. For regional airlines that already operate on thin margins this saving would not be insignifi cant. “It’s very frustrating.” says McNamara.

A soft (aviation) Brexit needed

Another issue of concern for ERA for its members is the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) which applies to fl ights within the EU. For smaller carriers of the kind that makes up most of ERA’s airline membership, this means the burden of extra administration.

While ICAO agreed in October 2016 to extend the ETS into a global system, ensuring a level playing fi eld for all airlines, ERA is still frustrated that Europe’s ETS will be extended until 2025 and is concerned that there could be twin carbon-trading schemes

(EU and ICAO) in operation – making for even more paperwork and red tape for small airlines and affecting competitiveness.

Finally, for all European airlines, there is the looming shadow of the UK’s decision to leave the EU – which ERA’s D-G McNamara describes as: “a European issue, not just a UK issue.” McNamara says that ERA’s position is consistent – what is needed for ERA’s regional airlines is “as soft Brexit as possible” – allowing airlines the same (or similar) access to markets and regulation – such as continued traffi c rights and, especially for regional airlines, aircraft and crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) leasing. McNamara is bullish that, when Article 50 is triggered, negotiators on both sides will put Europe’s consumers fi rst. “Everyone’s talking doomsday but there needs to be a solution that works.” Brexit for the wider European airline industry is not purely a UK challenge.

Summary

In short, despite their small size in comparison to Europe’s legacy airlines and LCCs, regional airlines remain extremely important – both in generating economic growth through linking regions of Europe and for social reasons – connecting remote communities. As politicians on both sides of the Atlantic found out last year – neglect the regions at your peril.

A Croatia Air Bombardier Q400.

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How Airbus Helicopters designs the next-generation of rotorcraft at its new Development Centre in Marignane, France. TIM ROBINSON reports from the company’s ‘Skunk Works’ pushing the boundaries of rotary technology.

ROTORCRAFTAirbus helicopter innovation

Faster helicopters, quicker innovation

WE HAVE A SPIRIT AT AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AND THIS AIRCRAFT IS THE TOP OF THAT SPIRIT Olivier GensseChief Flight Test Pilot, H160Programme


‘ The bigger picture

This is part of a wider push by AirbusHC to fully embrace, exploit and accelerate the possibilities offered by digitisation and innovation – an initiative that is also going on in the parent group and in its airliner business. A third focus, stressed by AirbusHC CEO Gulliame Faury, is fast-track ‘increased maturity’ of its products, using advanced tools, facilities and processes to de-risk products and provide high levels of reliability from the get-go.

This innovation and digitisation effort, believes AirbusHC, will pay off in the form of getting products more quickly to market, with greater effi ciencies and enhanced safety for customers.

A milestone year for the H160

This innovation is already feeding into AirbusHC’s fl agship H160 project. Indeed, 2017 is set to be a milestone year for AirbusHC’s new H160 twin-engine medium helicopter with a third prototype joining the two already fl ying, a customer signing by the end of the year and the fi rst serial airframe to enter fi nal assembly.

Giving an update to the media earlier in February, Bernard Fujarski, Head of H160 Programme, revealed that the H160, which was launched in 2015, had already racked up over 360 hours in fl ight testing with the two prototypes. The third, currently being assembled, will be used to test the indirect effect of lightning strikes.

While the H160, with its canted Fenestron, biplane stabiliser and Blue Edge rotors, is striking enough from the outside, AirbusHC test pilots were effusive in praising its benign handling qualities. Even with the autopilot and stability augmentation switched off it is ‘very stable’ to fl y, said Olivier Gensse, Chief Flight Test Pilot. The H160 is designed for ease of operation and, with ten minutes of pre-fl ight, can be started up in two minutes, he said. Gensse also noted the H160’s outstanding quietness, remarking

that, during hover taxiing with a H125 chase helicopter, the Squirrel could be heard over

the H160’s internal cabin noise. Sadly, with a packed fl ight test

programme to complete, it is not clear when the H160 might make its public air show debut. While one H160 was recently undergoing cold

weather testing in Canada, AirbusHC could not spare one of the prototypes for

Heli-Expo in Dallas last month. Fujarski also was unable to confi rm whether a H160 would be

free to appear at Le Bourget in late June. Could that mean that the H160 might make its international air show debut at Farnborough 2018?

Fail fast, fail often’ is the new mantra at Airbus Helicopters (AirbusHC) Development Centre at its factory in Marignane, Marseilles, France – which is embracing a Silicon Valley-style

approach to stimulating ideas and creativity from its workers. The centre, inaugurated in 2016, brings together around 1,000 engineers from AirbusHC to brainstorm radical ideas and work on projects for the next generation of rotorcraft. The design and development work spans tweaks to existing models to futuristic VTOL fl ying machines, such as autonomous aerial taxis, UAVs and even augmented reality (AR) applications for manufacturing.

Though AirbusHC stresses that not all those in the building are involved in innovation (and that innovation is widespread across the company) the building acts as a central hub for rapid prototyping, experimentation and sharing ideas. Taking its inspiration from Silicon Valley tech fi rms like Google or Facebook, the Centre features innovation labs, as well as a multitude of meeting areas, along with coffee spaces to encourage engineers from different areas to collaborate and brainstorm ideas.

The labs themselves are hi-tech workshops with 3D printing machines and other tools to enable engineers to quickly get hands-on with hardware or to build rapid prototypes or models. Meanwhile, open-plan shared spaces are designed to provide the perfect work environment for innovation and creativity. The team, for example, working on VIP interiors for the H160, features a private meeting capsule, visualisation management on the walls and glossy lifestyle magazines to help put them into the mindset of VIP and corporate helicopter customers.

While tech labs and meeting spaces take up most of the Centre, the ground fl oor is devoted to actual full-size hardware – allowing engineers working on projects to easily handle with the prototypes.

Key to the Development Centre is a willingness for engineers to experiment and ‘fail fast, fail often’. Engineering design projects therefore are focused ‘sprints’ and feature ad hoc multidisciplinary teams put together to solve a particular problem. These ‘sprints’ last from either a week to three months, with the goal to either quickly make progress, add more resources, or to move on to the next project. Crucially, says Remi Maillard, Chief Engineer Development Helicopters, it is important that there are not too many ‘sprints’ going on simultaneously to dilute the effort.

Olivier Gensse, Jr (Chief Test P

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With entry-into-service in 2019, AirbusHC is gearing up for production of the H160 with the fi rst serial production airframe entering the factory this year. Here the rotorcraft division is taking cues from the airliner part of Airbus, with large assemblies (such as the tail section) arriving in the factory already pre-wired and fi tted out as much as possible – speeding up fi nal assembly in Marignane. Once production is up and running, AirbusHC expects to build 50 H160s a year. Ideas from airliner development don’t end there. AirbusHC will also replicate the Airbus A350’s ‘Airline1’ maturity and operations environment with the H160 to de-risk and troubleshoot the helicopter, eliminating operational teething troubles well before the fi rst customer takes delivery. Indeed, Airbus’ efforts to enhance the maturity are already paying off, with the company fl ying the prototypes 20% more at this stage of testing than previous models.

First H160 customer demonstration fl ights began last year with feedback ‘beyond expectations’, according to Fujarski, who added that the company expects to sign a fi rst fi rm civil H160 customer from the LOIs it already has by the end of 2017. However, in early March, a proposed military derivative of the H160 received a huge boost when the French MoD announced it had selected it for its tri-service light helicopter replacement programme. This will see between 160-190 H160s replace existing aging types including, Alouette IIIs, AS365 Dauphins, AS555 Fennecs and SA342 Gazelles operating by the French Navy, Air Force and Army.

Targeting a naval niche

Another military rotorcraft being worked at the AirbusHC’s Development Centre, is the VSR700 – a

ROTORCRAFTAirbus helicopter innovation

shipboard naval VTOL UAV based on the Guimbal Cabri G2 light helicopter. The diesel-powered VSR700 is being developed in partnership with naval shipbuilders DNCS with the goal of a VTOL UAV for ISR missions able to stay aloft for 10+ hours with a 100kg payload. A fi rst autonomous fl ight with a modifi ed Cabri G2 and a safety pilot is set for this year, with a maiden fl ight of the VSR700 in 2018 and fi rst deliveries in 2020. While the maritime VTOL UAV market is becoming increasingly crowded with systems such as the MQ-8C FireScout, Schiebel Camcopter S-100 and UMS Skedar, AirbusHC believes that the 700kg VSR700 occupies a niche with no direct competitors.

Future rotorcraft

Beyond the H160, the recent super-medium H175 and updates to existing products (the H125/H130 now come equipped with Garmin 500 glass cockpits) the company is working on a wide range of short, medium and long-term rotorcraft technology, explained Tomasz Krysinski, Head of Research and Innovation. AirbusHC’s goals for rotorcraft, he explained, are reduced cost and noise, higher speed, more autonomy and lower fuel consumption than today’s helicopters. To achieve these, AirbusHC is innovating across a wide spectrum, which, as well as the air vehicles themselves, also covers advancing manufacturing, MRO and new service models. In particular, the company sees huge opportunities for lowering costs and improving safety by collecting and analysing ‘big data’ from helicopter health monitoring and predictive maintenance: “We are at the beginning of a new era” for this technology, says CEO Faury.

But full size prototypes are also vital in advancing technology. In tests AirbusHC’s H135-based Bluecopter technology demonstrator, said Krysinski, had cut the noise footprint in half, thanks to a fi ve-bladed rotor, rotor hub fairing and advanced Fenestron tail system. Meanwhile, its HCE demonstrator, which uses a piston engine in place of a standard turbine, had demonstrated a whopping 42% reduction in fuel burn – which could translate into a 30% reduction in operating costs – a potential game changer for light helicopters.

Further out in the future, AirbusHC is now working on a follow-up to its X3 (X-cubed) high-speed hybrid rotorcraft demonstrator, under the European Clean Sky 2 green aviation research project. The goal, says Krysinski, is to develop a helicopter that is 50% faster than existing models

Left above: Airbus helicopters has secured the fi rst two customers for its HForce modular weapon system.Left below: Airbus Helicopters is now trialling augmented reality (AR) technology for manufacturing.

ffft,t, st e


but with only 20% increase in costs. Speed – ‘but not any price’, says Krysinski, could open up new civil markets for high-speed rotorcraft, such as VIP, SAR or EMS, where speed for the ‘golden hour’ of medical attention is critical. Although Bell/Boeing’s V-22 tiltrotor has scored its fi rst export customer in Japan, AirbusHC believes that a simpler, more affordable high-speed VTOL solution would open up a wider military market.

The Clean Sky 2 LifeRCraft (Low Impact Fast & Effi cient RotorCraft), which passed wind-tunnel

tests last year, moves into preliminary design review this year, with a fi rst fl ight targeted for 2020. The design slows and unloads the main rotor to provide lift with stub-wing mounted propellers providing forward thrust in high speed mode. The LifeRCraft will use Safran RTM322 turboshaft engines. Interestingly, the stub-wings include control surfaces and the twin-engined LifeRCraft will be designed to be able to shut down an engine in fl ight to cruise at 190kt in fuel saving mode. While AirbusHC has previously released concept images of the LifeRCraft, Krysinski says that a new confi guration will be unveiled this summer at the Paris Air Show.

Aerial taxis and drone deliveries

As well as what might be described as a 21st century successor to the Fairey Rotodyne, AirbusHC is also looking further into the future of VTOL aerial transport by supporting Airbus Group concepts for ‘fl ying cars’ and ‘aerial taxis’. Its A3 (A cubed) start-

up plans to test fl y an electric VTOL aircraft with distributed propulsion later this year. Meanwhile, a larger VTOL ‘fl ying car’ concept, the CityAirbus with four ducted fans, would seat 3-4 passengers. Airbus HC estimates from market studies that the potential market for this kind of VTOL urban aerial passenger transport could be two and a half times bigger than current helicopters.

However, for these passenger ‘aerial taxis’ to take-off – there needs to be a deep

understanding and knowledge of autonomy, intelligent systems and AI – both for any advanced autopilot in the air vehicle itself and for any automated ATM system that would run an urban air traffi c system. To understand these and other related challenges better, AirbusHC has partnered with the National University of Singapore in the Skyways project to trial delivery of small parcels using drones across the university campus.

Though Airbus has already fl own its UAVs at an undisclosed location, the time schedules

for this project are aggressive – with the company aiming to trial seamless

deliveries using a octo-copter UAV by 2018. This technology

demonstration is also ambitious in attempting to operate in the toughest

environment of a densely populated urban area – rather than rural locations

favoured by other competitors. This demonstration, is not designed to produce a ‘product’ like an ‘AirbusHC drone’ but is instead an exploration of ‘systems of systems’ and using Airbus core values (safety and security) in a market that is currently dominated by consumer or ‘toy’ products.

Summary

In short, AirbusHC’s Development Centre provides a fascinating counterpart to digitisation and innovation efforts underway in the rest of Airbus. It is clear that, despite the subdued civil market for rotorcraft (2016 was a “rather challenging year”, noted Fuary), focusing on R&D and innovation now will keep Airbus Helicopters ahead of the power curve in the future. Indeed, such is the ferocious pace of innovation, that Kryinski, who observed students in the US concerned that he would berate them for appearing to copy Airbus’ Blue Edge rotor on a recent visit laughed: “I told them not to worry and go ahead and do it – we’re now on to the next thing.”

Airbus is set to unveil a new confi guration

of its Clean Sky hybrid rotorcraft

at this year’s Paris Air Show

Inmarsat and Honeywell have developed new enhanced satellite broadband and in-fl ight Wi-Fi systems which they claim offers a signifi cantly faster and more reliable service than previous versions, BILL READ FRAeS reports.

and speed of such services is sometimes not all it should be. To address this problem, leading global mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat has developed the Global Xpress (GX) high-speed broadband network which it claims has four times the available bandwidth compared to alternative Ku-band solutions and enables users to access advanced data services anywhere around the world.

First available from December 2015, the Global Xpress service relies on three I-5 Ka-band, high-speed mobile broadband communications satellites which were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in December 2013, February 2015 and August 2015. Inmarsat-5 satellite F1 (I-5 F1) is powering services over Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia; I-5 F2 serves the Americas and Atlantic Ocean region; and I-5 F3 the Pacifi c Ocean Region.

Each of the I-5 satellites operates 89 Ka-band spot beams, providing a foundation layer of global coverage capable of providing up to 50Mbps to fuselage-mounted antennas and 33Mbps to tail-mounted antennas. Capacity can be supplemented by a steerable beam which can direct additional capacity three times as powerful as the spot beams


AIR TRANSPORTInfl ight Connectivity

Better connections

Once there was a time when passengers aboard an aircraft in the air were isolated from all forms of electronic communication from the ground. However, recent years

have seen a technological revolution in satellite communications turn modern aircraft into smart, fully connected machines where passengers can use phones, surf the net and use other forms of Wi-Fi communications just the same way as they can on the ground.

Airlines have been keen to equip their fl eets with Wi-Fi, as it brings many advantages both to operators and passengers. For passengers, access to connected systems enhances their fl ight experience and satisfy customer needs. Connectivity also benefi ts the carrier which can gain additional revenue if it charges for access, as well as targeting specifi c advertising and selling duty-free products which can be delivered to the passenger’s home or destination.

Global Xpress

However, although many airlines now offer passengers in-fl ight Wi-Fi connectivity, the reliability

GLOBAL XPRESS STATES THAT ITS SYSTEM CAN COMPLEMENT MILITARY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IN KA-BAND, ALLOWING GOVERNMENTS TO COST-EFFECTIVELY AUGMENT THEIR SYSTEMS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

Lufthansa


For business aviation users, Inmarsat offers JetConneX, to deliver an ‘in-the-air broadband experience comparable to on-the-ground connections’. The data speeds are fast enough to support voice over IP (VoIP), live TV, fi le transfer and VPN, thus allowing biz-jet passengers to join a video conference while fl ying over the Atlantic, catch the latest market reports en route to the next business meeting, download tomorrow’s presentation from the company server, or stream sport or TV shows live.

Honeywell – JetWave

The exclusive hardware for aircraft to connect to GX is provided by Honeywell’s JetWave wireless in-fl ight connectivity system. In January 2016 the JetWave system received US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval following over 180 fl ight hours and tests aboard Honeywell’s Boeing 757 test aircraft which showed that the system would stay connected to Inmarsat’s GX network at various altitudes, angles and speeds, through several different types of weather and over land and water. Launched at the end of last year, Honeywell rolled out its JetWave service which links up with both Inmarsat’s GX network and the JetConneX business aviation Wi-Fi service to provide enhanced in-fl ight broadband connectivity for business or commercial aircraft. Honeywell produces two MCS terminals fi tted with an RF and antenna controller, modem and router hardware. The MCS-8000 features a tail-mounted antenna for business aviation aircraft while the MCS-8200 has a fuselage-mounted antenna for larger aircraft.

The JetWave MCS 8X00 system consists of four major components:

to busy airspace during high traffi c periods. Each satellite has two ground stations to guarantee reliable communication to the satellites. Operational control is maintained with redundant satellite control and network operations centres which are also owned and operated by Inmarsat.

A fourth I-5 satellite to provide additional capacity and redundancy over a third of the total global coverage area was due to be launched in 2016 but was delayed following the launch pad explosion in September of a SpaceX Falcon rocket. Inmarsat also has plans to launch two additional Ka-band payloads in the 2020s to supplement regional capacity.

According to Inmarsat, Global Xpress replaces the ‘makeshift patchwork’ of Ku-band services that have not met the high standard of reliability for passengers and the aviation industry needs. The global coverage offered by its GX service will ensure more consistent performance with no drop-outs between satellite beams.

Customised service

Inmarsat is marketing the Global Xpress to military, business and commercial aviation customers. For military users, Global Xpress states that its system can complement military satellite communications in Ka-band, allowing governments to cost-effectively augment their systems without additional infrastructure investment. Inmarsat says that the GX system could be used for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, special operations and expeditionary forces, live full-motion video and command and control. As for security, the company claims that the Global Xpress network is base-lined to satisfy US Mission Assurance Category (MAC) level III, with secure gateways and satellite control. High capacity beams operating in the military Ka-band allow NATO and AUSCANZUKUS users to access wideband capacity as part of their own independent network, in the same frequency band as national systems like Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS). US Department of Defense users can augment their WGS coverage, as well as connecting mil-Ka SATCOM terminals, using any DoD-certifi ed waveform, to the same destined point of presence, or through Inmarsat-provided Global Xpress secure enclaves. Users also have the option to add Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) for even greater resilience and frequency diversity.

For airline users, Inmarsat claims that ‘GX for Aviation’ takes airlines ‘beyond basic broadband’ to streamed entertainment, advanced in-fl ight shopping, digital and personalised services. In addition to being based on effi cient Ka-band spot beams to provide reliable global coverage. GX can also be supplemented with additional or redirected bandwidth across hub and traffi c hotspots.

From Satellites to Services,From Airtime to AppsPossibilities of Connectivity. Made Easy.

› Higher Bandwidth

› Guaranteed Performance

› Seamless Global Coverage

› Single Network

Ka-BAND

(Faster speeds)

› Safety Services

› Voice Over Data

› Worldwide Coverage

L-BAND

(SwiftBroadband)

Software & Equipment Onboard

HD710: L-Band

› Channels Up to 2

› SwiftBroadband

› Up to 1.3 Mbps

› Cockpit / Cabin

Aspire 300: L-Band

› Channels 1-2 Voice 1 Data (FANS)

› Iridium

› True Global Coverage

› Cockpit

Aspire 200: L-Band

› SwiftBroadband

› Up to 600 Kbps

› Cabin

Sky Connect

› Iridium

› Tracking, Voice, Text,

SBD and Flight Data

Monitoring

› Cockpit

Jetwave™: Ka-Band

› Inmarsat GX Network

› Up to 35 Mbps

› Cabin

G Direct Suite of Apps

Honeyw

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Honeyw

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● Antenna controller to point the antenna to the satellite

● RF unit to transmit the data through space

● Modem to process the incoming and outgoing data

● Either a fuselage, or tail-mounted antenna to direct the data to and from the satellite

Data transmission speeds will vary depending upon what service packages a business operator or airline chooses. The JetWave system for business aviation is capable of handling speeds up to 35Mbps while commercial aviation is capable of handling speeds up to 50Mbps to the aircraft. With either speed, Honeywell is confi dent that passengers will be able to access applications ‘well beyond the capabilities of other onboard Wi-Fi services’. Passengers can use JetWave to make phone calls or check emails at any point during fl ights, including over oceans, or stream live video at any altitude without interruption. Users can also access social media, transfer large data fi les and do on-line shopping.

Honeywell is also offering JetWave to military operators, once again with options for either a fuselage- or tail-mounted antenna for different aircraft types. The system can be used to provide military aircraft with mission-critical applications, such as real-time weather, video conferencing, large fi le transfer, encryption capabilities, in-fl ight briefi ngs, ISR video and secure communications.

According to Honeywell, JetWave equipment has been selected by a number of leading airlines, including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Qatar, Vietnam Airlines, Air Caraibes, Air New Zealand and Air Astana. Honeywell has already delivered 300 JetWaves with another 700 on order. Honeywell can install the system on all Airbus platforms while system integrations is in process for the Boeing 737 and 787. Bombardier and Gulfstream will also be offering JetWave on select models of new aircraft. Honeywell is also certifying the JetWave

AIR TRANSPORTInfl ight Connectivity

system for aftermarket upgrades on over 30 models.

EAN

Further developments are underway. With European air traffi c forecasts to double over the next decade, Inmarsat is working on a project with Deutsche Telekom to combine ground and space-based infrastructure to enhance in-fl ight connectivity across Europe. Scheduled to enter service later this year, the European Aviation Network (EAN) will combine connectivity from a new Inmarsat S-band satellite due to be launched in mid-2017 with approximately 300 Deutsche Telekom ground towers. Inmarsat explains that the system can easily be expanded, as bandwidth can be multiplied by increasing the number and density of long-term evolution (LTE)-based ground station towers.

In February, Inmarsat announced that it had completed testing key satellite infrastructure for the EAN with the validation of a EAN Satellite Access Station (SAS) in Greece. The SAS is located in Nemea in Greek and operated under an agreement with Greek telecommunications provider OTE which is a member of the Deutsche Telekom Group. The SAS consists of a 13-metre antenna that provides feeder links to the satellite, a radio frequency sub-system and a radio access network provided by Inmarsat partner Cobham SATCOM.

Other uses

Enhanced connectivity is not limited to passenger use. Other uses include the operation of the aircraft from Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) relaying performance data to maintenance crews on the ground to providing dynamic weather information for electronic fl ight bags. A prioritised IP connection can also bring real-time data streaming, position reporting, and power the electronic fl ight bag.

Below: Stills from EAN Inmarsat promo video.

Inmarsat

Inm

arsa

t

37i f APRIL 2017 @aerosociety Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook.com www.aerosociety.com

Inmarsat has had its Classic Aero system for fl ight decks since 1991 but has since developed a new system called SwiftBroadband–Safety (SB-S) service which it claims will enable safer operations, improved fuel effi ciency, better communications and optimised fl eet performance. SB-S offers multiple voice channels to allow fl ight crew members to hold conversations at the same time. SB-S can also be to transmit aircraft health and performance data to the ground in real time, as well as enabling aircraft positional surveillance via ADS-C, and can support a higher frequency of positional reporting. This is particularly important over the ocean – to make sure that aircraft can always be tracked when out of radio range.

Broadband data can be prioritised to the cockpit, providing segregation between regulated safety services and cabin communications. This

data segregation creates a virtual ‘fortress door’, ensuring the highest levels of information security.

Flight tracking

Looking to the future, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is to launch the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), a fl ight-tracking mandate for all new aircraft to help prevent the loss if aircraft in distress. Inmarsat says that SB-S will help airlines lay the foundation for GADSS, as on-board equipment can identify an abnormality in fl ight, triggering one-minute position reporting and allowing fl ight data recorder information to stream off the aircraft in real time, permitting air accident investigators to reduce search and rescue radius, as well as already having the critical information leading up to an event.

Above top: Inmarsat and its partners have successfully completed testing at the European Aviation Network’s satellite access station in Nemea, Greece.Above left: GX Aviation installation on a Honeywell Boeing 757 test aircraft. Above right: Eurowings Airbus A319 with radome installation for Inmarsat GX.

rsat

Honeyw

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Honeyw

ell

NITISHA KAUR takes a look at how Aeromexico plans to debut its new 787-9 Dreamliner on a key route to London.

be the seventh weekly service on the route, as six services are already running; altogether providing more than 13,600 seats per month. Jorge Goytortua, Aeromexico’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales, said: “The 787-9 will show Aeromexico’s commitments to the British and European market. In 2012 Aeromexico served the London – Mexico City route from three weekly fl ights, now increased to six with a seventh weekly fl ight this year.”

Quetzalcoatl, the ‘feathered snake’ is crowned as the name of Aeromexico’s brand new 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft stands proudly displaying its ancient Aztec symbols and gods, which are embodied all over the aircraft. Graphic designer, Jose Manuel Escudero was the winner from 2014’s ‘Design in the Air’ competition and was picked to design the new 787-9’s livery for the launch last year. Andres Conesa, Chief Executive


AIR TRANSPORTAeromexico 787-9

An Aeromexico wave to

Mexico’s national airline, Aeromexico, launched its brand new Dreamliner 787-9 last year and is set to be in the sky during 2017. The airline is currently

developing and expanding its fl eet to increase its daily fl ights on its current network. Aeromexico has a current Dreamliner fl eet of nine Boeing 787-8s and is planning to have a total of nine to ten 787-9s.

“We are currently waiting on approval for our slot at Heathrow Airport for our fi rst 787-9. If the slot is not approved by the fi rst quarter of 2017, the airline will have to fl y on a later date in 2017” states Venetta Perry, Aeromexico’s UK & Ireland Market Manager. It appears all fi ngers are crossed this year for Aeromexico’s employees.

The Boeing 787-9 will fl y on a daily direct service between London and Mexico City. It will

Leaders of Boeing and Aeromexico gather in Mexico City to sign a commitment for 100 aircraft. Aeromexico agreed to buy ten 787 Dreamliners in addition to 90 737 MAXs.


remaining profi table, working in harmony with our employees, the community and the environment.’ Aeromexico‘s continual investment to develop its product on its network will ensure that it remains a market leader within Mexico and Latin America. The airline is also involved in code-sharing with Delta Airlines and Garuda Indonesia, helping to increase its market share in America and Asia. The airline is a strong believer in improvement of its airline and to increase brand awareness.

the new 787-9 Dreamliner

Offi cer of Aeromexico, chose Jose due to his designs refl ecting the present Mexico.

Quetzalcoatl’s 787-9 features include a fuselage 20 feet longer than the 787-8, a capacity for 48 extra passengers on longer routes with 20% greater fuel effi ciency and up to 20% fewer emissions. Aeromexico is also the fi rst airline that will include a complimentary chauffeur service to all its Class Premier Passengers and corporate club loyalty members on the 787-9, as well as additional passenger benefi ts such as a social area for its business passengers called ‘Espacio Premier’ which will offer premium food and beverage, an ideal area for business passengers to network.

The upgrade to a new 787–9 fl eet supports Aeromexico’s mission statement: ‘To be an air transportation company providing customers with safe, effi cient and quality services while

rofi table, working in harmony with ees, the community and the t.’ Aeromexico‘s continual to develop its product ork will ensure ns a market n Mexico merica. s d

es

elping its market share in d Asia. The airline is a strong believer eent of its airline and to increase brand

Established as a key event in the social calendar of the aviation and aerospace community, the Royal Aeronautical Society Annual Banquet attracts high level industry attendance and offers the ideal opportunity for networking and corporate entertainment.

Individual tickets and corporate tables are available with discounted rates for RAeS Members and Corporate Partners.

Guest of Honour

Sir Martin Sweeting OBE FRS FREng FIET HonFRAeSGroup Executive Chairman, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)

Venue

The InterContinental London Park Lane,One Hamilton Place, London W1J 7QY, UK

Programme

Reception: 7.15pm Dinner: 8.00pm

What’s included?

This black tie event includes a pre-dinner networking reception followed by an exquisite four-course dinner with fine wines and coffee.

Enquiries to:Gail Ward, Events Manager – Corporate & SocietyRoyal Aeronautical SocietyT: +44 (0)1491 629 912 / E: [email protected]

www.aerosociety.com/banquet

Thursday 11 May 2017 / London

Supported by

2017ANNUAL BANQUET

41APRIL 2017

Afterburner

42 Message from RAeS- President“As well as the International and Membership Reviews which I discussed in the last two editions of AEROSPACE, I can report on a workshop held in January to explore the level of engagement between the RAeS and academia.”

- Chief Executive“With a growing number of our Corporate Partners operating in the Business Aviation sector, we will be hosting a networking event on 25 April to bring together industry, the regulators, media and government representatives where a panel of experts will discuss the opportunities, economic benefits and challenges to overcome.”

44 Book ReviewsAdvanced Airship Technologies and Design Approaches, Facing the Unexpected in Flight and Striking the Hornets’ Nest.

48 Minutes of the 151st AGMIn advance of the 152nd RAeS AGM on 11 May, the Society publishes the minutes of last year’s AGM.

50 Cool AeronauticsAs part of the Society’s 150th anniversary celebrations, last December the Yeovil Branch hosted the largest Cool Aeronautics so far.

53 RAeS Sound ArchiveThe National Aerospace Library has just released a series of historic sound recordings of interviews with leading American test pilots.

54 New Corporate PartnersSeven new companies join the Society’s Corporate Partner Scheme.

56 DiaryFind out when and where around the world the latest aeronautical and aerospace lectures and events are happening.

59 YPN in the SpotlightAn update from the Young Persons Network.

www.aerosociety.com

i fFind us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

A Boeing P-8A Poseidon assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 fl ies over USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) as the ship travels to its new home port of San Diego, California. Zumwalt was commissioned in Baltimore, Maryland, in October 2015 and is the fi rst in a three-ship class of the US Navy’s newest, most technologically advanced multi-mission guided-missile destroyers. US Navy.

Diary4 April

Swindon BranchSir George Greenhill LectureBoeing P-8 PoseidonGp Capt Simon Joy, Programme Development Manager

42

Message from RAeSOUR PRESIDENT

Prof Chris Atkin

THE SOCIETY CANNOT WAVE A MAGIC WAND BUT TO CHALLENGE THESE TRENDS AND TO ENGAGE OUR MANY EMPLOYER MEMBERS IN THIS DEBATE IS ENTIRELY WITHIN OUR REMIT


Afterburner

I begin April’s message as I closed in March: please take the time to read up about our candidates for the Council election and place your votes, if you have not done so already.

As well as the International and Membership Reviews which I discussed in the last two editions of AEROSPACE, I can report on a workshop held in January to explore the level of engagement between the RAeS and academia. Specifi c themes included education (both accreditation of courses and support to teaching), engagement with employers, learned output and outreach. As well as aiming to strengthen the relationship between the Society and my own constituency, I wanted to explore the notion that academic staff are the fi rst professional role models which students encounter and, as such, have a strong infl uence – whether conscious or otherwise – on their perceptions about the relevance of the Society to their future careers. A good number of universities participated in the workshop. I think we gained a good understanding that, apart from our contribution to the quality assurance of degree courses, the awareness within academia, of what the RAeS is and does, could and should be much greater. The Society should do more to help academics in our sector see themselves as aerospace professionals; and we should do more, through our Branch network and Corporate Partner Scheme, to help bridge the divide between students and employers.

‘Divide’ may seem a strong word but I think that industry has not adapted well to the de-regulation of the HE sector in the UK. The far greater number of engineering courses and graduates in recent times does not seem to have helped employers, who regularly report a shortage of appropriately skilled recruits (not exclusively graduates, of course). The idea of employers being the ‘customers’ of universities was perhaps never strongly rooted but it is clear that students have now attained that status. The fi nancial commitment to higher education has shifted from the state to the individual, while the sponsorship of students by industry, which could have eased this burden, is no longer common. The cost of academic failure is thus deemed unacceptable: universities’ teaching quality is increasingly being measured by graduation rates, while student surveys have moved on from questions about teaching quality and levels of academic support to whether marking is fair and whether assessments are transparent (just like that

design problem you’re dealing with right now). As an academic from industry, who often pictures his charges working for former colleagues, I have mixed feelings about this business model and the effects of the associated performance metrics over the longer term.

At the same time, many employers seem to be moving towards online assessments (cognitive skills, etc) to down-select their job applicants. While I understand the problem faced by HR departments in fi ltering large numbers of applications, I wonder when it was that the 11+ IQ tests, from years ago, were deemed suitable fi lters for the world of employment? Have these new fi ltering tools been tested on existing staff with proven achievement records? My scepticism is reinforced by having this year met a number of young people who have been turned down by our industry as a result of these tests, despite decent academic qualifi cations and/or CVs which even include the Society’s own Schools Build-a-Plane Challenge. Moreover, if these assessments really are effective, then surely they should be used before aspiring engineers invest £40k in higher education?

The Society cannot wave a magic wand but to challenge these trends and to engage our many employer members in this debate is entirely within our remit. My hope is that our community can also provide more support to universities and other educators in shaping the competence and commitment of the next generation of aerospace professionals.

Chris Atkin, RAeS President, second from left, gave the opening keynote at MRO Africa in Johannesburg in March. Simon Levy.

Simon C Luxmoore

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON WHO REPRESENTS YOUR SOCIETY ON COUNCIL AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CAST YOUR VOTE

OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

APRIL 2017 43

With a growing number of our Corporate Partners operating in the Business Aviation sector, we will be hosting a networking event on 25 April to bring together industry, the regulators, media and government representatives where a panel of experts will discuss the opportunities, economic benefi ts and challenges to overcome. Book your place online www.aerosociety.com/BizAv

The Society’ Council Election opened on 23 February and will remain open until 9am (BST) on 11 May. I was pleased to see that voting turnout has increased since 2014 which was 19.4% to 21.6% in 2016 and hope to see an increase in this year’s voting. This is your opportunity to have your say on who represents your Society on Council and I encourage you to cast your vote. If you have not received your email on voting, then please contact mi-voice on +44 (0)2380 763987 or via email on [email protected]

I encourage members to attend the 152nd AGM which will take place at 6pm on 11 May. To register your attendance to this event please book on our website at www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/raes-annual-general-meeting.

The Finance and Audit Committee held its fi rst joint meeting in February which was both informative and helpful. Both Chairs of the respective committees agreed that this should continue in ensuring open communications going forward.

After success releasing archive recordings of Society lectures on Sir George Cayley and the Fairey Delta 2 record, the National Aerospace Library has started to release the fi rst of a series of interviews with some of the key fi gures in mid-20th century aeronautics. The fi rst selection includes American test pilots Al White, Dick Johnson and Pete Knight. Listen to recordings

of these and many other Society events via www.aerosociety.com/podcasts.

Following another successful year in 2016 (operations fi nishing the year with a surplus of £139.5k) the Society was able to make another payment of £500k to pay down the Mortgage on No.4 Hamilton Place; by the end of 2017 the outstanding loan will be below £2m.

The AeroChallenge 2017 quiz organised by the Young Persons Committee was a great success and attracted 60 young members to Hamilton Place on Wednesday 15 February. The diverse mix of teams represented in the competition included: Rolls-Royce; QinetiQ; Marshalls; Martin-Baker; Imperial College; Queen Mary University; University of Hertfordshire; University of Leeds and Buckingham New University. Congratulations to all teams for demonstrating such an outstanding level of aeronautical knowledge throughout the day. The victors, Rolls-Royce, duly took home the coveted AeroChallenge Trophy which, this year, was kindly sponsored and presented by Magnesium Elektron.

Thank you to all who have renewed their membership with the Society for 2017. I regret that at this stage of the year, in line with our By-Laws, we are lapsing unpaid members from the Society’s Membership Roll and the Engineering Council Register if applicable. Lapsed members will no longer have access to their membership benefi ts, will not be eligible to vote in our upcoming AGM and will no longer be able to use the Society’s post-nominals letters after their name. Reinstatement into membership, following removal from the Roll, may incur an administration fee, so I’d urge any unpaid members to contact the Subscriptions Team to renew on +44 (0)20 7670 4304/15 or at [email protected]


The Royal Aeronautical Society Council Election 2017 opened for voting on 23 February 2017. All voting members who have an email address registered with the Society will have received an email notice enabling you to vote. If you believe that you are a voting member but did not receive an email, or you do not have a valid email address registered with the Society, then please contact

our election provider, mi-voice, on +44 (0)2380 763987 (we would advise you check your email account’s junk folder, in case your email settings determine this email as being spam).

Please note that voting will close at 9am on Thursday, 11 May 2017.

HAVE YOU VOTED IN THE RAeS COUNCIL ELECTION 2017 YET?

Thank you for taking the time to vote in the 2017 RAeS Council Elections

2017 RAeS COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Book Reviews


Afterburner

ADVANCED AIRSHIP TECHNOLOGIES AND DESIGN APPROACHES

For further information about the National Aerospace Library contact:T +44 (0)1252 701038 or 701060E [email protected]

Airlander 10 in fl ight. Hybrid Air Vehicles.

Learning from Past Operational and Design Lessons to Seek a More Assured Path to Practicable Gas Buoyant Air VehiclesBy P V Hunt

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344, USA. 2015. Distributed by Transatlantic Publishers Group, 97 Greenham Road, London N10 1LN, UK. 224pp. Illustrated. £52. [20% discount available to RAeS members on request; E [email protected] T +44 (0)20 8815 5994] ISBN 978-1-62410-351-3.

Philip Hunt’s book is a much-needed addition to the airship library. There are many books that cover the intricacies of the Golden Age of airships in the 1920s and 1930s from an historical, technical and even social and economic perspective. There are a few books that cover the modern-day engineering specifi cs for the graduate engineering professional. But there is a dearth of books that explain the challenges of designing modern-day airships to the educated layman. Hunt’s book does exactly this.

With a burgeoning industry and many companies in many different countries designing different types of new generation lighter-than-air craft, this book sweeps through the entire spectrum, whether high altitude (stratospheric), heavy lift, long endurance rigid, non-rigid or hybrids. It summarises the designs, the advantages and disadvantages and likely capabilities of each type of craft and surveys the work that still needs to be undertaken to commercialise these aircraft types.

It is a very timely volume in that regard. As the introduction states: “The present cost of fuel is having an immense impact on the carriage of air cargo and passengers. Around 50% of airline budgets are now spent on fuel. However, looking forward to the next 20 years, aircraft makers anticipate delivering around 31,000 new aircraft to airlines. The economic growth and aspirations of the burgeoning East place new demands on the global oil supply. If ever there was a need for a transformational aviation technology to ease the demand on fuel, it is with us now. The challenge is how to carry more cargo for less fuel used and ipso facto, at lower cost?”

I would add that, with the cost-effectiveness of CAD designing and CFD modelling by computer, together with a huge range of new strong and lightweight materials, this is a new golden age of development of lighter-than-air technology. The green aspects and endurance capabilities of airships are

also likely to see them emerge as a powerful class of aircraft within the aerospace industry, so by reading this book this should help towards a more informed industry prepared for the airship revolution over the coming years.

Mr Hunt’s background is a former British Royal Navy Air Engineer who subsequently worked on the US Government’s DARPA’s Walrus airship as a programme manager. Walrus was DARPA’s programme to try and ultimately develop a 500ton lifting airship capable of a range of 12,000nm with VTOL and the book is distinctly informed by learnings and issues on that programme.

Following an initial short couple of chapters on airship background which is a high-level summary of the different types that there have been, the bulk of the book focuses on current airship design challenges. There are short sections on areas such as ballasting, buoyancy control, trim and pitch control, survivability and weather issues. These are all useful summaries of where the industry as a whole has got, though often with the conclusion that more research needs to be undertaken (some of which has been but is commercially protected by the companies at the forefront of any particular technology).

As befi ts the author’s background, the book concludes with an extensive section on the programme challenges of developing new LTA aircraft and suggestions for some ways of looking at the specifi c issues regarding estimating timescales for entirely new classes of aircraft. The book wraps up with a clear message to (the US) Government about the support needed to co-ordinate the different approaches to maximise benefi t strategically.

It is diffi cult to cover an entire new industry in one thin volume and this book does a reasonable job but not without some problems. Some key areas get scant attention and there are a number of sections in the book where the reader is left wanting more information (but that’s maybe no bad thing). The book is entirely in US imperial units which can be a little irksome to anyone in the rest of the world that relates more easily to metric units.

With a number of independent market studies calculating there is a market for between 500 and 1,000 hybrid airships alone in the coming years, the area of airships is going to be more of interest to the entire aviation industry and this book is an excellent start to getting a fuller understanding of it.

Chris DanielsHead of Partnerships and CommunicationsHybrid Air Vehicles

There are short sections on areas such as ballasting, buoyancy control, trim and pitch control, survivability and weather issues. These are all useful summaries of where the industry as a whole has got, though often with the conclusion that more research needs to be undertaken

APRIL 2017 45i fFind us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

I would have expected these ideas to be examined in more detail using the current research available from cognitive psychology, such as Broadbent or Treisman’s theories on attention and perception, or Kahneman and Klein’s work on judgement. Furthermore, the book drifts away from the implications for design and there is little reference to developments in neuroscience especially in relation to cognitive impairment under stress.

Although, I cannot recommend the book itself, the author does make many valid points as a result of his research and his suggestions are valuable. Some gems are that alarms that are seen out of context are rejected; that under stress pilots require a simple presentation of key data; and that monitoring is an essential role that must not be undermined by too many pilot not fl ying tasks. There is also a section of the book on the seven systems of fl ight that is interesting and another that helpfully reviews the various psychological theories used in the method.

Perhaps the most useful conclusion to be gained from the book is a recognition that the issue of startle does exist, is serious and that regulators and operators should ensure that solutions are found to manage it appropriately.

Carey EdwardsFRAeS

Perhaps the most useful conclusion to be gained from the book is a recognition that the issue of startle does exist, is serious and that regulators and operators should ensure that solutions are found to manage it appropriately

FACING THE UNEXPECTED IN FLIGHT

Human Limitations and Interaction with Technology in the CockpitBy J PinetCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2015. Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, UK. 233pp. Illustrated. £63.99. [20% discount available to RAeS members via www.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotion code]. ISBN 978-1-498-71871-4.

The aim of this book is to try and understand human behaviour in unexpected, time critical and stressful situations to inform better cockpit design and automation processes. The aim is exciting, topical and ambitious, as there has been a recent focus in human factors on concepts such as startle and developing resilience. The author makes a valiant attempt at analysing and explaining complex, dynamic and inconsistent behaviour through the use of a novel cognitive method that he has developed. Unfortunately, the book does not achieve the aim, primarily because the model itself is far too complicated, ill-defi ned and under-researched, written in an academic style that is often laborious and repetitive.

What I did like is the use of detailed case studies to explain the model and the use of experienced pilots, whom the author calls super experts, to analyse the various incidents. The case studies try hard to describe how the various parts of the model infl uenced the actions of the crews and even though they are littered with assumptions, they are helpful in gaining insight into how pilots behave in stressful situations.

The book begins by explaining the cognitive model using a plethora of terms that are neither fully distinct nor clear. He begins with explaining mental models and mental model patterns, which are ‘framework scenarios’ based on experience, that are accessed from either long term or working memory. These mental models are used by seven operational agents, which manage various fl ying tasks and up to 12 arbitrary cognitive functions, which transfer tasks into actions. These conscious actions are driven by an operational process, which is served by one principal agent that is involved in perception and management and by another concerned with monitoring and detecting anomalies. Although there is a diagram piecing this altogether, he further attempts to simplify and summarise the model by describing several levels of cognitive functions together with four operational management levels.

Airbus provides its electronic fl ight bag (EFB) performance-calculating applications for pilots on iPad. Airbus.

46

Book ReviewsAfterburner


STRIKING THE HORNETS’ NEST

Britain and France to gain knowledge on how the air campaign is being fought. At the same time, and usually against regulations, some of them gained practical experience of combat in RNAS machines.

In common with many WW1 histories on air power, this volume contains the mix of pioneering and the huge logistical challenges involved in getting men and materiel from as far away as California across to the theatre of battle. It also catalogues the frustration in not having the right kit in the right place; furthermore, the aircraft that they did have were not up to the job. As far as the Northern Bombing Group was concerned much of its effort had to be expended in fl ying with, and servicing alongside, RAF squadrons. As the authors state, this experience was not all in vain, as it did provide substance to the US Marine Corps aviation capability. Unfortunately for the US Navy, their ‘fi rst on the scene’ venture into strategic bombing petered out, leaving the stage eventually to the RAF and USAAF.

Overall, this is a timely book and certainly adds to the historiography of British and American aviation. It is well written, has an excellent selection of supporting photographs and is immaculately researched. Some readers may discern a slight preference for a naval interpretation of events but that is not necessarily a bad thing! Defi nitely recommended reading.

Dr Peter GrayFRAeSUniversity of Birmingham

Naval Aviation and the Origins of Strategic Bombing in World War IBy G L Rossano and T Wildenberg

Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA. 2015. Distributed by Eurospan Group, 3 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8LU, UK. 293pp. Illustrated. £39.50. ISBN 978-1-61251-391-1.

It is tempting to suggest that the existing literature on the origins of strategic bombing has covered all of the bases and that, short of the discovery of new archival evidence, there is nothing new to say. But in military history, as in the wider historical discipline, there are always going to be new perspectives and particular niches to explore. Rossano and Wildenberg, both distinguished American naval aviation scholars, have identifi ed one of these niches and produced an authoritative account of the US Navy’s Northern Bombing Group and its contribution to the offensive against the German U-Boat campaign in WW1.

The narrative begins, almost inevitably, with Churchill and the RNAS’ efforts to neutralise the German Zeppelin threat at source – in their immense sheds. The story then gathers pace and direction as it chronicles the fi rst tentative steps as American pilots from the USN and the Marine Corps visit

100th Aero Squadron and its Dayton-Wright DH-4s, Ourches Aerodrome, France, November 1918. US Army.

In common with many WW1 histories on air power, this volume contains the mix of pioneering and the huge logistical challenges involved in getting men and materiel from as far away as California across to the theatre of battle

APRIL 2017 47

Society News


AERODYNAMICS

Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics Vol 49, 2017. Edited by S H Davis and P Moin. Annual Reviews, 4139 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA. 2075. 649pp. Illustrated. $107. ISBN 978-0-8243-0747-3.

‘The Life and Work of William C Reynolds (1933-2004)’, ‘Infl ow Turbulence Generation Methods’, ‘Incompressible Rayleigh-Taylor Turbulence’, ‘Anisotropic Particles in Turbulence’, ‘Combustion and Engine-Core Noise’, ‘Flow Structure and Turbulence in Wind Farms’, ‘Uncertainty Quantifi cation in Aeroelasticity’ and ‘Physics and Measurement of Aero-Optical Effects: Past and Present’ are among the subjects discussed in the latest enlarged-format volume in this informative series reviewing developments in fl uid dynamics research and applications.

AVIONICS AND SYSTEMS

Polish Aircraft (1939) Instrument Panels. D Karnas. Published by Stratus, Poland, on behalf of Mushroom Model Publications, 3 Gloucester Close, Petersfi eld, Hants GU32 3AX, UK. (www.mmpbooks.biz). 2017. 36pp. Illustrated. £15. ISBN 978-83-65281-40-1.

A compilation of detailed colour diagrams and photographs of the various cockpit instrument panel designs (including the individual instruments) of the PZL P.11c/PZL.37 Los/PZL.23 Karas, Lublin R-XIII G, RWD-14 Czapla and PWS-26.

HISTORICAL

Axis Suicide Squads: German and Japanese Secret Projects of the Second World War. J Miranda. Fonthill Media Limited, Millview House, Toadsmoor Road, Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2017. 224pp. Illustrated. £30. ISBN 978-1-78155-565-1.

Illustrated by 125 of the author’s line drawings, a detailed study of the numerous German and Japanese proposed ramming fi ghter and suicide bomber aircraft designs to be deployed in kamikaze and Sturmjager attacks as desperate measures to counter the Allied advance.

SAFETY

Aviation Disasters: the World’s Major Civil Airliner

Crashes since 1950 – Sixth edition. D Gero. The History Press, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2QG, UK. 2017. 424pp. Illustrated. £25. ISBN 978-0-7509-6633-7.

A revised and updated edition of this informative chronologically arranged compilation of analytical summaries of all major commercial aviation accidents that involved over 60 fatalities that have occurred during 1950-2015.

Gear Up, Mishaps Down: the Evolution of Naval Aviation Safety, 1950-2000. R F Dunn. Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA. 2017. Distributed by Eurospan Group, 3 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8LU, UK. 204pp. Illustrated. £30.50. ISBN 978-1-68247-005-3.

SERVICE AVIATION

Beardmore Built – HMS Argus 1914 to 1947. C E MacKay. Distributed by A MacKay (Publisher) Ltd, 87 Knightscliffe Avenue, Netherton, Glasgow G13 2RX, UK (E [email protected]). 2017. 175pp. Illustrated. £10.25. ISBN 978-0-9573443-5-8.

Beginning with a review of the early days of naval aviation, a detailed well-illustrated history of the world’s fi rst fl at-top aircraft carrier constructed by William Beardmore & Co Ltd at the Dalmuir Naval Construction Works on the hull of an Italian liner Conte Rosso. Launched in 1918, HMS Argus was subsequently to become during WW2 the Royal Navy’s principal deck landing training carrier, playing a signifi cant role in Operation Torch – the 1942 Allied invasion of French North Africa.

Playa Giron: the Cuban Exiles’ Invasion at the Bay of Pigs 1961. S Rivas.

Helion & Company Limited, 26 Willow Road, Solihull B91 1UE, UK. 2017. Distributed by Casemate, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW, UK. 72pp. Illustrated. £19.95. ISBN 978-1-911096-02-3.

A detailed history of the failed attempt to overthrow the government in Cuba of Fidel Castro Ruz, which had been planned by the US government through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the decisive role played by the air operations of the newly created Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria.

Wings for the Fleet: a Narrative of Naval Aviation’s Early Development, 1910-1916. G van Deurs. Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA. 2016. Distributed by Eurospan Group, 3 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8LU, UK. 175pp. Illustrated. £42. ISBN 978-1-59114-590-5.

Originally published in 1966, a welcome new 50th anniversary paperback edition of this well-illustrated detailed history of the formative years of American naval aviation, the concluding appendices recording the fi rst US 34 naval aviators and technical data summaries of the aircraft they fl ew (Curtiss A-1/A-2/C-1/N-9, Wright B-1, US Navy B-2, Burgess Co and Curtiss D-1).

SPACE

Apollo Pilot: the Memoir of Astronaut Donn Eisele. University of Nebraska Press, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Lincoln NE 68588-0630, USA. 2017. Distributed by Combined Academic Publishers Ltd, Windsor House, Cornwall Road, Harrogate HG1 2PW, UK. 163pp. Illustrated. £20.99. [25% discount available to RAeS members via www.combinedacademic.co.uk using CS314FLIGHT promotion

code]. ISBN 978-0-8032-6283-6.

Published posthumously, the rediscovered memoirs of an Apollo 7 astronaut recalling fi rst-hand his experiences of NASA astronaut selection, the tragic Apollo 1 Command Module fi re (which caused the deaths of Lt Col Virgil Ivan ‘Gus’ Grissom, Lt Col Edward Higgins White II and Lt Cdr Roger Bruce Chaffee) and the fl ight of Apollo 7 in detail – the programme’s fi rst manned mission – in the company of fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham and Wally Schirra.

Satellite: Innovation in Orbit. D Millard. Reaktion Books Ltd, Unit 32, Waterside, 44-48 Wharf Road, London N1 7UX, UK. 2017. 206pp. Illustrated. £16. ISBN 978-1-78023-659-9.

Published in association with the Science Museum, over 125 colour and black-and-white photographs illustrate this concise history of the development of artifi cial satellites from the early visionaries (including K E Tsiolkovsky, R H Goddard and Hermann Oberth) and the early Sputnik launches through to the ever-widening applications of satellites today in GPS navigation, communications, remote sensing and weather forecasting.

SYMPOSIA

Astrodynamics 2015: Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference held 9-13 August 2015, Vail, Colorado. (4 vols + CD-ROM). Advances in the Astronautical Sciences Vol 156. Edited by M Majii et al. Univelt, PO Box 28130, San Diego, CA 92198, USA. 2016. 4480pp + CD-ROM. Illustrated. $790. ISBN 978-0-87703-629-6.

‘Multiple Frame Assignment Space Tracker (MFAST)’, ‘Effi cient Trajectory Propagation for Orbit Determination Problems’,

‘Characterizing the Effects of Low Order Perturbations on Geodetic Satellite Precision Orbit Determination’,’ Semi-Analytical Spacecraft Dynamics around Planetary Moons’, ‘Orbit and Attitude Stability Criteria of Solar Sail on the Displaced Orbit’, ‘SEP Mission Design Space for Mars Orbiters’, ‘The Europa Mission’, ‘Searching for More Stable Perturbed Orbits around the Earth’, ‘Lyapunov Based Attitude Constrained Control of a Spacecraft’, ‘Analysis of Attitude Dynamics of Spinning Satellites in an Elliptical Orbit’, ‘Nonlinear Tracking Attitude Control of Spacecraft on Time Dependent Trajectories’, ‘Power Star: a New Approach to Space Solar Power’, ‘Agility Envelopes for Reaction Wheel Spacecraft’, ‘Solar Sail Spacecraft Boom Vibration during Deployment and Damping Mechanisms’, ‘LISA Pathfi nder’, ‘Multi-Objective Hybrid Optimal Control for Multiple-Flyby Interplanetary Mission Design using Chemical Propulsion’, ‘Trajectory Optimization for Low-Thrust Multiple Asteroids Rendezvous Mission’, ‘Mission Analysis for a Human Exploration Infrastructure in the Earth-Moon System and Beyond’, ‘Targeting the Martian Moons Via Direct Insertion into Mars’ Orbit’, ‘Solar Sail Transfers from Earth to the Lunar Vicinity in the Circular Restricted Problem’, ‘Design, Implementation, and Outcome of Messenger’s Trajectory from Launch to Mercury Impact’, ‘A Massively Parallel Bayesian Approach to Planetary Protection Trajectory Analysis and Design’, ‘Rosetta: Imaging Tools, Practical Challenges and Evolution of Optical Navigation Around a Comet’, ‘Towing Asteroids with Gravity Tractors Enhanced by Tethers and Solar Sails’, ‘Planetary Defense Mission Applications of Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicles’, ‘The European Asteroid Impact Mission’, ‘Trending in Probability of Collision Measurements and Observability of Space Debris Objects’ and ‘Hyperbolic Rendezvous at Mars’ are among the subjects discussed over the 254 papers presented at this proceedings.

BOOKS

For further information contact the National Aerospace Library.T +44 (0)1252 701038 or 701060E [email protected]

Afterburner

Society News


151st AGM

The 151st Annual General Meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society was held in the Lecture Theatre at No.4 Hamilton Place, London, on Thursday, 12 May 2016.

The following voting members were present: Mr Martin Broadhurst (President), AVM David Couzens, Mr Phil Boyle, Sir Donald Spiers, Sir Colin Terry, Air Cdre Bill Tyack, Dr Graham Coleman, Prof Chris Atkin, ACM Sir Stephen Dalton, Sir Peter Norriss, Capt David Rowland, Mr Ross Barkla, Mr Gordon McCoombe, Dr Mike Steeden, Mr Keith Mans, Dr John Green, Mrs Jenny Body, Mr Peter Barrett, Mr Lee Balthazor, Mr Simon Luxmoore, Mr Chris Male, Mr Bill Read, Mr Scott Phillips, Prof Keith Hayward, Lt Cdr Richard Gearing, Ms Hilary Barton, Mr Jeremy Graham, Ms Jane Middleton, Dr Kit Mitchell, Mr Philip Spiers, Capt John Faulkner, Mr Graham Jolley, Prof Jan Davies, Ms Sarah Moynihan, Mrs Joanne Lindsay, Prof Jonathan Cooper, Dr Francesca De Florio, Mr Tim Coffey, Mr Antony Heaps, Wg Cdr Rodney Powell, Mr Robert Lawson, Capt Tilmann Gabriel, Mr Anthony Henley, Mr Howard Wheeldon, Mr Peter Brooks, Mr Christopher Walkinshaw, Ms Zoe Layden, Capt Hugh Dibley, Sir John O’Reilly, Capt Francis Freeman, Prof Richard Parker and Ms Ingrid Lagarrigue.

The following non-voting members were present: Mr Ronald Carr, Dr Thurai Rahulan, Mr Hongming Li,

Miss Valeriya Mordvinova and Mr Sam Harrison. The following non-members were present:Mr Patrick Slomski (Honorary Solicitor), Ms Beth

Hargreaves (Governance Manager) and Ms Jessica Tee (minutes).

To read the Notice convening the Meeting (agenda item 1)

The President, Mr Martin Broadhurst, took the chair and welcomed everyone to the 151st Annual General Meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

The papers circulated before the meeting were identifi ed by the President as being the Calling Notice and Agenda, the minutes of the 2015 Annual General Meeting, the 2015 Annual Report and Accounts and the 2015 Annual Review.

The Chief Executive, Mr Luxmoore, confi rmed that there was a quorum and read the Calling Notice, which

had appeared in the April 2016 edition of AEROSPACE and on the website.

Apologies for absence were noted from: Mr Robert Savidge, Mr Christian Müller, Mr John Vincent, Mr David Lang, Mr Ian Middleton, Mr Robin Stanier, Ms Stevie Green, Mr Keith Cobley, Mr Colin Sirett , Sir Neville Trotter, Mr Paul Bailey, Prof John Allen, Mr Nick Floyer, AVM John Porter, Capt Chris Hodgkinson, Mr Giovanni Bisignani, AM Sir John Walker, Cdr Martyn Bolus, Mr Geoffrey Howell, Mr Mike Carrivick, Mr Gordon Page, Dr Oliver Lewis, Dr Alisdair Wood, Dr Alessandra Badino, Mr Roland Fairfi eld, Prof David Ian Poll, Mr Stewart John, Sir Charles Masefi eld and Mr Martin Renshaw.

To receive and consider the Minutes of the 150th Annual General Meeting held on 19 May 2015 (agenda item 2)

The President invited the meeting to consider the minutes of the 150th AGM held on 19 May 2015.

The Minutes of the 2015 AGM were accepted as a true and accurate record, as proposed by Capt Hugh Dibley and seconded by Air Cdre Bill Tyack.

To receive and consider the Audited Accounts and the Report of the Board of Trustees on the state of the Society for the year ending 31 December 2015 (agenda item 3)

The President invited the meeting to receive and deliberate upon the 2015 Annual Report and Accounts.

The President invited Ms Middleton, Chairman of the Finance Committee, to highlight the key points of the report.

Ms Middleton reported that the Society’s operational income at year-end was just over £4 million, which was slightly less than the previous year partly due to the reduced conference programme. Of the £4 million just under £2 million was from membership fees which had increased by 2.5%. The major successes for the year were the 11% increase in Corporate Member income and the 15% increase in revenue from Venue Hire. The 2015 expenditure was £3.93 million which was down 2%, giving a surplus of £76,000. The Society has a strong balance sheet with £2.6 million invested in funds with JM Finn, and £2.6

MINUTES OF THE 151st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

of the Royal Aeronautical Society

49APRIL 2017i fFind us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

The President congratulated those elected and invited those present to give a round of applause. He thanked the other candidates for standing and encouraged them to stand again.

The President also thanked the retiring members of Council:

Mr Lee Russell Balthazor Mrs Joanne Lindsay Lt Lara Small Air Cdre Bill Tyack

To receive the names of those appointed to the Board of Trustees (agenda item 5b)

The meeting received the names of the Board of Trustees:

Professor Chris Atkin Phil BoyleMartin BroadhurstJoanne LindsaySir John O’ReillyJane MiddletonDr Thurai Rahulan Howard WheeldonAir Cdre Bill Tyack

The President noted that Mrs Joanne Lindsay and Air Cdre Bill Tyack will remain Trustees of the Society under By-Law 6.5 until the fi rst meeting of the new year of the Council.

Close of Meeting

The President thanked everyone for their support during the past year and congratulated Prof Atkin on becoming President for the 2016-2017 year.

It was noted that Sir Stephen Dalton has been elected President-Elect for 2016-2017 year.

Mr Martin Broadhurst formally handed over the Presidency of the Society to Prof Chris Atkin and closed the AGM.

In taking over the Presidency, Prof Atkin thanked Mr Martin Broadhurst for a fantastic year as President and for all his hard work towards the 150th anniversary events.

Prof Atkin then presented Mr Broadhurst with a medal in acknowledgment of his Presidency and a silver gilt broach for Mrs Broadhurst, his wife, who was not present at the meeting.

Prof Atkin noted that it is a tremendous honour to become President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is very much looking forward to getting involved in the 150th anniversary events and refl ecting on the enthusiasm and hard work put in 2017.

The President thanked the members present for attending the meeting.

million cash invested in the bank. The President invited questions in relation to the

Annual Report and Accounts. The meeting agreed nem con to receive 2015 Annual Report and Accounts, as proposed by Sir Colin Terry and seconded by Prof Keith Hayward.

To appoint the Auditors for the year 2016 (agenda item 4)

Ms Middleton noted that haysmacintyre had been reappointed as the Society’s Auditors in 2015, for three years at a fi xed fee and a new audit partner has been appointed to work on the Society’s accounts from 2016.

The President gave thanks to haysmacintyre for their support in 2015 and invited questions and comments.

The President-Elect, Prof Chris Atkin proposed that haysmacintyre be reappointed for the 2016 accounts, Air Cdre Bill Tyack seconded the proposal which was agreed nem con by the meeting.

To receive the names of those newly elected to Council for the years 2016-2019 (agenda item 5a)

The President announced the results of the Council ballot and the votes received by each candidate in numerical order:

Number of Voting papers dispatched 8,352Number of Voting papers returned 1,801Turnout Total 21.6%

Candidate’s Name Number of VotesDr Alisdair James Wood 985Professor Jonathan Edward Cooper 912Mrs Brenda Crawford 872Professor Richard Parker 848Dr Francesca De Florio 843Miss Kerissa Shervanda Khan 723Mrs Adele Gammarano 701Mrs Joanne Lindsay 691Captain David Charles Rowland 683Mr Lee Russell Balthazor 634Mr Martin Renshaw 566Dr Robert Winn 484Captain John Faulkner 448

The President announced that, in accordance with the Society’s By-Laws, the following have been duly elected to serve on Council for the three years 2016-2019, in alphabetical order:

Professor Jonathan Edward Cooper Mrs Brenda Crawford Dr Francesca De Florio Miss Kerissa Shervanda Khan Professor Richard Parker Dr Alisdair James Wood

Society NewsAfterburner


On Thursday, 8 December 2016, the Royal Aeronautical Society Yeovil Branch and Leonardo Helicopters UK held the world’s largest Cool Aeronautics STEM event at the Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAAM).

Planning for the day started in December 2015 after the RAeS Yeovil Branch was asked if they would be able to run a STEM event in 2016 as part of meeting the overall RAeS target; engaging with 150 schools across the year to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Coincidentally, this year also marked the 90th anniversary of the Yeovil Branch, so to jointly celebrate these milestones it was proposed to organise an event that would cater for at least 150 pupils from nine different local Yeovil schools to inspire the next generation into a career within aerospace.

The day started with all the students taking part in an interactive talk called ‘Team Tim’, which was based on Tim Peake and his work with the UK Space Agency and delivered by SpaceFund, a UK-based company that gives inspirational talks around the world on the subject of space. Pupils then participated in two different aerospace activities (named ‘Space Drop’ and ‘Paper Planes’), designed and run by Leonardo employees to teach the children the fundamentals of maths, physics and aerodynamics. In conjunction with this, a number of small presentations from inspirational people within the aerospace industry took place across the day, to give the pupils a small insight into what being an engineer means, and the various career routes open to the students. The end of the day was marked with a prize-winning ceremony for the winning teams and individuals from the two activities, after which the pupils were arranged into formation for the RAeS 150th anniversary photo.

All of the pupils that attended were aged 10-11 and in Year 6 from the following local Yeovil schools: Ilchester Community School, Barwick and Stoford Primary School, All Saints Church of England Primary School, Chilthorne Domer Church School, Bradford Abbas CEVC Primary School, Preston Church of England Primary School, St Michael’s Academy, Birchfi eld Community Primary School, and Milford Junior School.

The RAeS Careers and Outreach Offi cer who attended, Jonathan Axford, passed along both his and the Society’s thanks to the ‘excellent team of volunteers’ involved on the day, calling it one of the ‘biggest and best’ Cool Aeronautics events he has attended. The previous largest Cool Aeronautics event was held No.4 Hamilton Place (RAeS HQ) in London, which was attended by 120 pupils from three different schools.

Statistics and fi gures about the day:151 pupils in attendanceNine primary schools present representing 13%

of the total RAeS primary schools engaged with for the year

50 volunteers from Leonardo Helicopters, the Airbus Group, the MoD and Bristol University

18 teaching staffFour activities based on the KS2 core syllabus

for maths, science and englishThe lead co-ordinator of the day, Daniel Young

from the Yeovil Branch committee, expressed his gratitude to all who attended the event, saying: “The amount of energy and passion shown by all of the volunteers and teaching staff far exceeded any expectations I had for the day, and was refl ected in the genuine excitement and enthusiasm of the pupils present which were equally split between boys and girls. Everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.”

Due to the overwhelming success of the day, the museum and the RAeS plan to make the Yeovil Branch Cool Aeronautics day an annual event, so that they can continue to educate the next generation on the world of aerospace.

Daniel Young

YEOVIL BRANCH

‘Biggest and best’

Right: Paper planes are put through their paces in the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND PASSION SHOWN BY ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND TEACHING STAFF FAR EXCEEDED ANY EXPECTATIONS

fi@aerosociety linkedin.com/raes facebook.com/raes www.aerosociety.com 51APRIL 2017

152nd Annual General Meetingof the Royal Aeronautical Society

The 152nd Annual General Meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society incorporating the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers, the Helicopter Association of Great Britain and the Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers and Technologists will be held on Thursday, 11 May 2017, at 1800 hours at the Registered offi ce of the Society, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK.

The business of the AGM:1. To receive and consider the Minutes of the 151st Annual General Meeting held on 12 May 2016.2. To receive and consider the Minutes of the Special General Meeting held on 12 May 2016.3. To receive and consider the Audited Accounts and Report of the Board of Trustees on the state of the Society for the year

ending 31 December 2016.4. To appoint the auditors for the year 2017.5. To receive the names of those appointed to the Board of Trustees and those newly-elected to the Council for the years

2017-2020.

To register your attendance to the 152nd AGM please visit our website on: www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/raes-annual-general-meeting

Apply online now: www.aerosociety.com/login

or find out more: [email protected]

+44 (0)20 7670 4384/4400

The next closing date for you to submit your membership application is 9 MayDemonstrate your dedication and skillWe strive to provide you with support towards your professional development throughout your entire career. Upgrading will also give you access to a new post-nominal which is instantly recognisable in industry.

Professional Registration Support for engineers working towards professional registration, an internationally recognised qualification and essential requirement for commercially aware engineers showing dedication, skill and competence.

Society NewsAfterburner


A Library and Heritage Working Group has been working to create a new vision for the National Aerospace Library. To inform deliberations, the group commissioned a survey to canvas users and potential users. 200 responses were received from three different surveys targeted at users, readers of the RAeS daily newsletter and members of RAeS Committees and Boards. The results are in and have highlighted a number of themes:

90% of those who responded to the survey thought that it was essential or very important that the RAeS gave access to e-books and e-journals.

Last summer we successfully placed a bid before the RAeS Foundation to fund a pilot scheme that will give our members and visitors access to over 100 current aero engineering e-books. Rolling out during 2017, members will be able to log into the RAeS website from anywhere across the world and use the books, while free student members and visitors will be able to access them from the National Aerospace Library in Farnborough.

More users accessed the collection remotely than visiting in person and members were more likely than non-members to visit Farnborough.

It was not a surprise to fi nd out that more people email [email protected] or phone +44 (0)1252 701038, than walk through our doors. Our librarians answer enquiries from across the world, while users can search our online library catalogue to fi nd relevant material and, for a small fee, order scans of chapters and articles and, for subscribing UK members, we can issue postal loans. Last year the library started to sell licences, which enables users to order copies which they can then use for commercial activities.

Current users were primarily looking for historic material, with the largest group undertaking historic research and just under half looking for historic answers to contemporary problems.

With the Royal Aeronautical Society collecting the cream of aeronautical publications for over 150 years, it is perhaps not surprising that aero historians fi nd gems on our shelves. Our collection of over 50,000 technical reports and countless journal articles are a key resource, enabling aeronautical professionals to fi nd yesterday’s

answers to today’s problems. We have also placed digital copies of 14 of our most precious items onto www.AeroSocietyHeritage.com, with more to follow during 2017.

There were strongly held opinions that that the library should provide a mix of contemporary and historical material.

Last year we catalogued 130 modern books and indexed 388 articles, with the vast majority on today’s aeronautical challenges. Details of our new books are published in AEROSPACE plus in our online library catalogue available via www.aerosociety.com/nal.

There was a near-unanimous agreement that a primary role of the library is to act as guardians of the Society’s history, while a third of committee members had primarily used the library for RAeS activities.

The library is proud to be the fi rst place that people turn to when they want information about the Society’s past. We regularly give details on members from years past and have been working with our volunteers to place details from the Society’s historic letters collection online. We have also worked with our volunteers to release two old RAeS lectures as podcasts and the RAeS Foundation have given us funding to do even more.

Any other comments?

Can we use our phones to take copies? We have introduced a new licence system where users can buy a £5 licence which enables them to use cameras and phones to take copies of library material.

Thank you: Comments gave praise to the quality of the staff and the advice they gave, the collections and the belief that the library was a key part of the RAeS and its membership offering.

What next?

The Library and Heritage Working Group will soon be meeting to look at a draft vision and aims of the National Aerospace Library, together with reviewing a new collections policy, while Brian and Tony, the Society’s Librarians, will continue to help members and non-members to fi nd the amazing material they need.

NATIONAL AEROSPACE LIBRARY

Renewing the vision: what NAL users and members have said

Above: The National Aerospace Library at Farnborough.Below: The inside cover of Sir George Cayley’s school book which dates back to 1780. This is held in the NAL and may be viewed on the Library’s heritage website along with many of Cayley’s notebooks. RAeS (NAL).

53APRIL 2017fi@aerosociety linkedin.com/raes facebook.com/raes www.aerosociety.com

The National Aerospace Library has just released a series of historic sound recordings of interviews with leading American test pilots Col W J ‘Pete’ Knight, R L ‘Dick’ Johnson and Al White which reveal fascinating insights into the North American X-15/XB-70 and Republic XF-91 programmes among many others which can now be downloaded via the following website via the Royal Aeronautical Society’s ‘Soundcloud’ service as they become available:www.aerosociety.com/Podcast

The recordings are from a collection of interviews conducted by the late Rodney Giesler (1931-2016) with a number of British and American aviation personalities (mainly test pilots) during 1979-1999. These recordings have been edited by Library volunteer Mike Stanberry MRAeS, and will be released in stages via the Royal Aeronautical Society’s ‘Soundcloud’ site. The next batches will include interviews with Charles E ‘Chuck’ Yeager, A Scott Crossfi eld, Emil Edward ‘Ted’ Sturmthal, Bill Humble and Peter Bugge.

In addition the Royal Aeronautical Foundation has approved funding for 2017 to digitalise the Library’s entire historic sound archive (a mixture of over 70 sound recordings of old Society lectures, interviews and speeches held on magnetic reel tapes, cassette tapes and gramophone records dating back to the 1940s) which is currently being undertaken by the MAX company who worked on the Library’s heritage website launched in 2015 (www.AeroSocietyHeritage.com) and previously ‘highlights’ from the Library’s aviation posters and early ballooning lithographs collection:www.aerosociety.com/printsandposters

These sound recordings – which mainly date

from 1953-1992 – are a mixture of lectures to the Society, speeches and interviews with leading aviation personalities and captains of industry (including Theodore von Kármán, Igor Sikorsky, Sir George Edwards, Sir Barnes Wallis, Sir Frederick Handley Page, Sir Dermot Boyle and Sir Peter Masefi eld among others) and, in a number of cases, are the only record we hold of a particular lecture.

A number of these lectures were organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group Committee and are a valuable oral historical record of many of the pioneers refl ecting on the development of aviation during the 20th century.

As a ‘taster’ of what is to follow, two of these historic recordings are already available – the eminent early aviation historian Charles Gibbs-Smith discussing the work of the ‘Father of Aeronautics’ Sir George Cayley: www.aerosociety.com/news/podcast-sir-george-cayley and Peter Twiss and others describing the development of the Fairey Delta 2 and the world air speed record of 1,132mph it achieved in 1956: www.aerosociety.com/news/podcast-fairey-delta-lecture

The ‘highlights’ from the Library’s historic sound archive will be made available to all to listen to during 2017 via the Society’s ‘Soundcloud’ site.

Please note that, if these recordings or extracts from these recordings are to be reproduced in any way (book, journal article, website etc), acknowledgement should be made to the ‘Royal Aeronautical Society (National Aerospace Library)’ as being the source of the original.

For any enquiries about this material please contact the librarians at Farnborough: E [email protected]

NATIONAL AEROSPACE LIBRARY

Sound Archive

Top: Chuck Yeager in the cockpit of the Bell X-1. On 14 October 1947 Yeager become the fi rst person to exceed the speed of sound. NASA.

Second top: Scott Crossfi eld in a Douglas Skyrocket. In this aircraft in November 1953 he became the fi rst person to exceed Mach 2. NASA.

Third top: Pete Knight alongside a X-15. On 3 October 1967, Knight set a world aircraft speed record for manned aircraft by piloting the X-15A-2 to Mach 6.72, a record that stands today. NASA.

Bottom: On 10 March 1956 Peter Twiss broke the World Speed Record in a Fairey FD2, raising it to 1,132mph, which thus became the fi rst aircraft to exceed 1,000mph in level fl ight. RAeS (NAL).

The Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket dropped from a Boeing P2B-1S launch aircraft. NASA.

54

Corporate Partners


Afterburner

NEW PARTNERS

THE AIM OF THE CORPORATE PARTNER SCHEME IS TO BRING TOGETHER ORGANISATIONS TO PROMOTE BEST PRACTICE WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE SECTOR

The Royal Aeronautical Society would like to welcome the following Corporate Partners.

RESOURCE GROUP – AVIATION TECHNICAL TRAININGK4 Hangar, Cotswolds Airport, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 6BA, UKT +44 (0)1905 368500E [email protected] http://lrtt.co.uk/Contact Georgina Neep, Marketing Director

Resource Group’s Aviation Technical Training division is a UK CAA, EASA Part-147 Approved Aviation Training Organisation.

Established to provide high-quality and cost-effective aircraft maintenance training solutions, we have trained thousands of individuals from some of the world’s leading airlines and maintenance organisations and collectively have over 300 years experience.

ENTUZIASMO LTDWilberforce House, Station Road, London NW4 4QE, UKT +33 7 84 32 32 47E [email protected] www.entuziasmo.euContact Frederic Gouze, Director

Entuziasmo helps aerospace industry purchasers in the supply chain operational management, acting directly at subcontractors, all around the world.

With their multi-skills expertise and 360° vision, Entuziasmo Field Engineers can rapidly evaluate and correct problematics which could put at risk an assembly line supply. They organise and set up war rooms to catch manufacturing or ramp up delays.

Electronics/foundry and forging/special processes (shot blasting, painting)/plasma coating and heat treatment/CNC machining, broaching, cutting, grinding/balancing/sciences of materials and metrology/contract management and documentary quality process/manufacturing, charge capacities and ramp-up analysis.

QFINSOFT (PTY) LTD76 Sovereign Drive, Route 21 Corporate Park, Postnet Suite #274, Irene, Centurion, Elarduspark 0047, South AfricaT +27 12 345 1917E info@qfi nsoft.co.zaW www.qfi nsoft.co.za/Contact Danie de Kock

Qfi nsoft (Pty) Ltd was founded in 1999 and represents the combined expertise of a group of engineers with years of practical and consulting experience in computer aided engineering. These technical capabilities have led to the development of several commercial products and engineering software packages. Through Qfi nsoft’s international network, we have partnered with world-leading CAE companies to represent them in South Africa. With these partnerships we distribute, train and support local users in the use of ANSYS and Rocky DEM software products.

SIMERA TECHNOLOGY GROUP (PTY) LTDOu Paardevlei Road, Somerset West 7130, South AfricaT +27 (0)21 852 6450W www.simera.co.zaContact Johann du Toit, CEO

Simera Technology Group is a mechanical and mechatronic engineering design and development company servicing government, research, and design and production industry sectors throughout all phases of the product development life cycle. Our experience, expertise and access to the latest technology, provide our clients the edge they require to stay ahead in today’s competitive market.

Our engineering specialists will assist you with your most demanding design, analysis and development tasks, following execution plans optimally tailored to your particular project requirements.

In addition to general engineering development support work, we specialise in UAV and small satellite optical payload systems. Another keen interest is the optimisation of UAV airframes to form optimised unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that make use of in-house sensor designs.

APRIL 2017 55i fFind us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

EVENTSPlease note: attendance at Corporate Partner Briefi ngs is strictly exclusive to staff of RAeS Corporate Partners. Both individual and corporate members are welcome at the Annual Banquet and the Aerospace Golf Day.

Monday 24 April 2017 / LondonContributing to the prosperity of the UK through partnerships and innovation Corporate Partner Briefi ng by Norman Bone MBE, Chairman and Managing Director, Leonardo MW Ltd

Thursday 11 May 2017 / LondonAnnual BanquetCorporate tables and individual tickets availableLead sponsor:

Tuesday 23 May 2017 / LondonCorporate Partner Briefi ngNigel Stein, Chief Executive, GKN plcSponsor:

Tuesday 6 June 2017 / LondonCorporate Partner Parliamentary ReceptionHouse of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A at 18.30 hrs

Wednesday 5 July 2017 / Frilford Heath, OxfordshireAerospace Golf Day

www.aerosociety.com/eventsFor further information, please contact Gail WardE [email protected] or T +44 (0)1491 629912

PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETYRoper Street, Brooklyn, Box 11790, Hatfi eld, Pretoria 0028, South AfricaE [email protected] www.boyshigh.comContact John Illsey, Second Master

The PBHS Aeronautical Society is one of the extramural activities offered at the school. It has been running for over two decades and is intended to foster an interest in all facets of aviation and to expose members to various career options within civil and military aviation. Many past members have pursued a career in an aviation-related fi eld. Activities of the Society include hosting guest speakers; undertaking excursions to local airports and aviation companies and undertaking practical projects that allow pupils hands-on experience.

PAKISTAN AERONAUTICAL COMPLEX (PAC)Kamra, District Attock 43570, PakistanT +92 519 0990W www.pac.org.pkContact AM Salim Arshad

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra (PAC Kamra) is situated 70km from Islamabad, the nation’s capital. The complex houses four factories and is spread over ten square kilometres. It employs over 10,000.

PAC Kamra offers MRO services for the entire aircraft fl eet of PAF and its associated equipment. It also offers some specifi c and general engineering services to other Armed Forces of Pakistan as well as other customers, as and when required.

PAC manufactures Mushshak and Super Mushshak aircraft for primary fl ight training and is also engaged in co-operation of JF-17 fi ghter aircraft, along with PRC.

Contact:Simon LevyHead of Business DevelopmentE [email protected] +44 (0)20 7670 4346

FAIRMONT CONSULTING GROUP160 State Street, 4th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, USAT +1 857 265 3400W www.fairmontcg.comContact James Wynn, Managing Director

Fairmont Consulting Group is a strategic advisory fi rm supporting clients in the aerospace and defence sectors. The fi rm helps clients understand changing market dynamics and develop proactive tactical and strategic plans to achieve sustainable, profi table growth. Fairmont also advises clients in mergers & acquisitions in the A&D sector, providing objective buy-side due diligence analysis of companies, their served markets and their fi nancial forecasts.

Afterburner


DiaryEVENTS

5 AprilNew Materials, Structures and Manufacturing Methods for Aerospace UseStructures and Materials Group ConferenceSheffi eld Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

20 AprilAlan Bristow Lecture: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – How Sky-Futures and Bristow are shaping a new era of industrial aviationJonathan Bailiff, President and CEO, Bristow Group; James Harrison, Co-founder and CEO, Sky-Futures; Nick Rogers, Co-Founder/Chief Regulatory and Training Offi cer (CRTO), Sky-Futures and Ben Daniel, Training and Development Manager, Bristow Aerial SolutionsRotorcraft Group Named Lecture

24-25 AprilThe Architecture of Air Travel – Designing for Human BehaviourAir Transport Group Conference

9 MayStaying Alert: Managing Fatigue in MaintenanceHuman Factors Group ConferenceCranfi eld University

11 MayRAeS AGM and Annual Banquet

16 MaySafely Enabling Unmanned Aerial System Traffi c ManagementUAS Group Seminar

16 MayF-35B Initial Ski Jump TestingGordon Stewart, Principal Engineer, Flight Physics, QinetiQLecture

18 MaySpies in the Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence during World War 2Taylor Downing, HistorianHistorical Group Lecture

23 MayAircrew Mental Health: Regulatory and Implementation ChallengesConference

1 JuneEscort Spitfi re? The Missed Opportunity of Extending the Spitfi re’s RangePaul Stoddart, Operational Analyst, UK MoDLecture

All lectures start at 18.00hrs unless otherwise stated. Conference proceedings are available at www.aerosociety.com/news/proceedings

www.aerosociety/events www.aerosociety/events

56

25 AprilTime to Rethink Business Aviation?Networking Event

Jam

es

LECTURES

Refreshments from 5pm. Lecture 5.15pm. Visitors please register at least four days in advance (name and car registration required) E [email protected] April — Branch AGM followed by Engineering the A380. John Roberts.

BROUGHCottingham Parks Golf Club. 7.30pm. Ben Groves, T +44 (0)1482 663938.12 April — 63rd Sir George Cayley Lecture. Regenerating UK carrier strike capability,Captain Chris Alcock. 7pm.10 May — A history of aircraft fatigue from Comet to Dreamliner. Dr Andrew Halfpenny, Director of Technology – nCode Products.

CAMBRIDGELecture Theatre ‘0’, Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge. 7.30pm. Jin-Hyun Yu, T +44 (0)1223 373129.6 April — Branch AGM (7.15pm) followed by Safety priorities in helicopter fl ight test and operation. Andrew Warner, Airbus Helicopters.

CARDIFFUSW Conference & Events Services, University of South Wales, Pontypridd. 7pm. E [email protected] April — Branch AGM followed by From blue sky to green skies – how aircraft fl exibility can be used to design environmentally friendly aircraft. Prof Jonathan Cooper.

BAY OF PLENTYClassic Flyers, 9 Jean Batten Drive, Mt Maunganui, New Zealand. 5.30pm.7 April — What’s in an airshow?

BEDFORDARA Social Club, Manton Lane, Bedford. 7pm. Marylyn Wood, T +44 (0)1933 353517.12 April — Branch AGM followed by Turbine blade technology evolution in gas turbines. Stefan Wagner, Rolls-Royce.10 May — The Icarus Project. Dr Angelo Niko GrubiŠic, University of Southamption. Joint lecture with Cranfi eld Branch. Room LR29, Building 122, Cranfi eld. 6pm.

BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON AND COSFORDNational Cold War Museum, RAF Museum Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire. 7pm. Chris Hughes, T +44 (0)1902 844523.20 April — The James Webb Space Telescope – following Hubble in 2018. John Thatcher.18 May — Branch AGM (6.15pm) followed by The fi rst of the Phabulus Phantoms. Dave Ward, Heritage Department, BAE Systems, Warton.15 June — Operation Varsity. Steve Wright, GPRA. Joint lecture with the Glider Pilot Regimental Association (GPRA).

BOSCOMBE DOWNLecture Theatre, MoD Boscombe Down.

CHESTERRoom 017, Beswick Building, University of Chester, Parkgate Road. 7.30pm. Keith Housely, T +44 (0)151 348 4480.12 April — Farnborough – from Cody to Concorde. Richard Gardner. 10 May — Branch AGM followed by ‘I tell my story’ short talks by Branch members.

CHRISTCHURCHCobham Lecture Theatre, Bournemouth University. 7.30pm. Roger Starling, E [email protected] April — Branch AGM followed by Bush fl ying.

COVENTRYLecture Theatre ECG26, Engineering & Computing Building, Coventry University, Coventry. 7.30pm. Janet Owen, T +44 (0)2476 464079.19 April — Branch AGM followed by Mini lectures.

CRANFIELDRoom LR29, Building 122, Cranfi eld. 6pm.10 May — The Icarus Project. Dr Angelo Niko GrubiŠic, University of Southamption. Joint lecture with Bedford Branch.1 June — Lord Kings Norton Lecture. Additive manufacturing. Stewart Williams. Vincent Auditorium, Building 52a, Cranfi eld University.

CRANWELLDaedalus Offi cers’ Mess, RAF Cranwell. 7.30pm. 3 April — Trenchard Lecture.

A Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine is mated to Thai’s fi rst A380 on the Airbus fi nal assembly line. John Roberts will discuss engineering the A380 at Boscombe Down on 11 April. Airbus.

57APRIL 2017i fFind us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com

Photo reconnaissance. Taylor Dowling.8 May — Branch AGM followed by 41(R) Sqn.5 June — Combined bomber offensive: mythology versus policy. Gp Capt (Retd) Chris Finn.

DERBYNightingale Hall, Moor Lane, Derby. 5.30pm. Chris Sheaf, T +44 (0)1332 269368.19 April — Buying British – the politics of the VC10 and Trident programmes. Prof Keith Hayward.

FARNBOROUGHBAE Systems Park Centre, Farnborough Aerospace Centre. 7.30pm. Dr Mike Philpot, T +44 (0)1252 614618.11 April — The BAe146 Water Bomber. Dr Michael West, BAE Systems, Regional Aircraft.23 May — The Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint programme. Wg Cdr Garry Crosby, RAF (Retd), former OC 51 Squadron.13 June — Aerodynamics of LO aircraft. Chris Lee, BAE Systems, Military Air and Information.

GLOUCESTER AND CHELTENHAMSafran Landing Systems, Restaurant Conference Room, off Down Hatherley Lane. 7.30pm. Peter Smith, T +44 (0)1452 857205.20 April — 17th Sir George Dowty Lecture. The Gloster E28/39. Chris Radford, Jet Age Museum.16 May — The Napier Deltic engine: its development and

applications. Nigel Paine, Napier Power Heritage Trust.

HAMBURGHochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW), Hörsaal 01.12, Berliner Tor 5 (Neubau), 20099 Hamburg. 6pm. Richard Sanderson, T +49 (0)4167 92012.6 April — Perspektiven der Luftfahrtforschung. Joint lecture with DGLR, VDI and HAW. ZAL TechCenter, Hein-Sass-Weg 22, 21129, Hamburg.22 June — The RAF Harrier in the Cold War. Gp Capt John ‘Jock’ Heron.

HEATHROWCommunity Learning Centre, British Airways Waterside, Harmondsworth. 6.15pm. For security passes please contact Dr Ana Pedraz, E [email protected] or T +44 (0)7936 392799.13 April — Test fl ying the BAC 1-11. John Thorpe, Aviation Historian.27 April — Branch AGM followed by fi lm show.

ISLE OF WIGHTConference Hall, Isle of Wight College, Newport. 6.30pm.25 May — High altitude, long-endurance UAVs – world-leading UK technology. Paul Brooks.

LOUGHBOROUGHRoom U020, Brockington Building, Loughborough University. 7.30pm. Colin Moss, T +44 (0)1509 239962.4 April — Austers I have known and fl own – the history of Auster Aircraft. Terry Dann.

Left: Vickers Super VC10, G-ASGI, of BOAC. Right: The second de Havilland/Hawker Siddeley DH/HS121 Trident 1C, G-ARPB, of BEA. The politics leading to these two aircraft programmes will be discussed by Prof Keith Hayward at Derby on 19 April. RAeS (NAL).

SHEFFIELDAMRC Knowledge Transfer Centre, Brunel Way, Advanced Manufacturing Park, Rotherham. 7pm. E [email protected] April — Air accident and investigation. Graham Braithwaite, Professor of Safety and Accident Investigation, Cranfi eld University.

SOUTHENDThe Royal Naval Association, 79 East Street, Southend-on-Sea. 8pm. Sean Corr, T +44 (0)20 7929 3400.11 April — Branch AGM.9 May — Ernest Dove Lecture. Air operations in Afghanistan. Wg Cdr Paul Morris.

STEVENAGEKnebworth Barns, Knebworth Country Park. 6pm. Matt Cappell, E [email protected] April — Leslie Bedford Lecture. Gaia mapping a billion stars. Prof Gerry Gilmore, Cambridge University. Registration to above required.11 May — Young persons’ lecture competition. 1900 Building, Rooms 1 and 2, The Metropolitan Restaurant, MBDA, Six Hills, Stevenage. 5.30pm.

SWINDONThe Montgomery Theatre, The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Joint Services Command Staff College, Shrivenham. 7.30pm. New attendees must provide details of the vehicle they will be using

25 April — Developments in aerospace electronics. Ian Stothers, Director of Technology, Ultra Electronics. IPSA, 63 Boulevard de Brandebourg, 94200 Ivry sur Seine, Paris.23 May — Charles Lindbergh Lecture. Jan Woerner, Director General, European Space Agency.

PRESTONPersonnel and Conference Centre, BAE Systems, Warton. 7.30pm. Alan Matthews, T +44 (0)1995 61470.12 April — Red Arrows. Alan Chubb, ex-Red Arrows pilot.10 May — History of Blackpool Airport. Russell Brown.14 June — Future Hawk. John Hurrell, BAE Systems.

PRESTWICKThe Aviator Suite, 1st Floor, Terminal Building, Prestwick Airport. 7.30pm. John Wragg, T +44 (0)1655 750270.10 April — Aeropair – aircraft interiors. Stephen Findlay, Aeropair.

QUEENSLANDSecurity Offi ce, Enoggera Barracks, Lloyd Street, Enoggera. 5.30pm. Formal photo ID required.27 April — Briefi ng and tour of Enogerra Barracks followed by Branch AGM at 7pm.

SEATTLEMuseum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, Washington. 6.30pm.17 May — Introduction to the KC-46 tanker design. Danny Wright, KC-46 Chief Mechanic.

13 June — Loughborough University MEng Final Year Aircraft Design Projects – series short lectures. Joint event with University Dept of Aero and Auto Engineering. Room J104, Edward Herbert Building, Loughborough University. 7pm.

MANCHESTERRoom E5, James Lighthill Building, Manchester University. 7pm. Bryan Cowin, T +44 (0)161 799 8979.26 April — Branch AGM followed by Mini Lecture Competition.

MEDWAYStaff Restaurant, BAE Systems, Marconi Way, Rochester. 7pm. Robin Heaps, T +44 (0)1634 377973.19 April — BAE Systems Hawk aircraft. 17 May — Branch AGM followed by lecture.

OXFORDMagdalen Centre, Oxford Science Park, Oxford. 7pm. Nigel Randall, E [email protected] April — Sadler Lecture and Dinner. Mark Davies, James Sadler Biographer and Local Historian. Sadler Building, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford.16 May — Branch AGM followed by Use of artifi cial intelligence in aircraft fault diagnostics. Dr Adam Zagorecki, Senior Research Fellow, Cranfi eld University.

PARISSalle Vinci, 52 rue Jacques Hillairet, Paris 12th.

Diary


Afterburner

not later than fi ve days before the event. Photo ID will be required at the gate (Driving Licence/Passport). Advise attendance preferably via email to [email protected] or Branch Secretary Colin Irvin, T +44 (0)7740 136609.4 April — Sir George Greenhill Lecture. Boeing P-8 Poseidon. Gp Capt Simon Joy, Programme Development Manager.3 May — All-day visit to RNAS Yeovilton.

TOULOUSESymposium Room, B01, Airbus HQ/SAS, 1 rond point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac. 6pm. Contact: [email protected] for a security pass.11 April — ALM/additive layer manufacturing (3D printing). Jérôme Rascol, Head of ALM Platform, Airbus.16 May — Branch AGM followed by Tenth ADS Lecture. Prof Iain Gray, Director of Aerospace, Cranfi eld University.9 June — Annual Dinner. Château de Larroque, 32200 Gimont.

WASHINGTON DCBritish Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. 6pm.20 April — Leading Edge Award Presentation followed by Branch AGM.11 May — Electric aeroplanes panel discussion.

17 May — Branch AGM followed by Hitachi trains. Note day change.15 June — Taranis UAV. Chris Clarkson, BAE Systems.

WEYBRIDGEBrooklands Museum, Weybridge. 6.45pm. Ken Davies, T +44 (0)1483 531529.19 April — Branch AGM.

YEOVILDallas Conference Room 1A, Leonardo Helicopters, Yeovil. 6pm. David Mccallum, E [email protected]

An artist’s impression of the Gaia spacecraft, with the Milky Way in the background. Gaia, which was launched in December 2013, will construct the largest and most precise 3D space catalogue ever made and totalling approximately one billion astronomical objects. The Gaia programme will be described by Prof Gerry Gilmore in the Leslie Bedford Lecture at Stevenage on 6 April. ESA.

TRUSTEE TALKSince the Board of Trustees meeting in November 2016, among other activities the Board has approved the Revenue Budget 2017, the Capital Budget 2017; the RAeS Foundation Budget 2017 and the Restricted Budgets 2017.

The Trustees have approved the formation of the Nottingham Branch and have agreed formally to note the formation by the Pakistani Division of the Islamabad and Kamra Branches. We have also approved the Australian Division’s revised Deed of Association.

Following the Privy Council’s approval of the appropriate By-Laws amendments our Code of Conduct had been transferred to our Regulations where they have been approved by the Board. The current, new Regulations may be viewed on the Society’s website.

At our March Meeting we signed off on the Society’s Annual Report.

On a more personal note, this will be the last time that I shall write ‘Trustee Talk’. After nearly 25 years on Council, a year as President, fi ve years as

the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and over 100 Council Meetings, I have decided that the time is right for me to step down from so active a role within the Society. The Society is in the best state that I have ever known it to be, and I have absolutely no doubt that the currently existing triple growth arc of size, infl uence and prestige will continue.

I would urge everybody reading this actively to consider how they might play a greater role within the Society. It really is true to say that, the more one puts into an organisation such as the Royal Aeronautical Society, the more one receives back.

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the literally hundreds of Society members with whom I have worked over the years and I acknowledge an especial debt of gratitude to Simon Luxmoore and his team who have provided unwavering support particularly during my periods as President and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Phil Boyle CEng FRAeSChair, Board of Trustees

ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE, THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME THAT I SHALL WRITE ‘TRUSTEE TALK’

Copy datefor the May issue of AEROSPACE is 31 March.

59APRIL 2017

Society News


THE CONFERENCE AIMS TO INSPIRE DELEGATES WITH A SERIES OF INTERACTIVE LECTURES AND HANDS-ON SESSIONS

YPN in the

spotlightWilliam Lee Heathrow Branch

YOUNG PERSONS NETWORK

Q: Why do you think the RAeS is important for young aerospace professionals?A: Aerospace is a fairly small world compared to other industries. Colleagues within our industry rely on reputation to do business with trusted persons or organisations and networking to learn new information from each other. All of these require the right platform and the Society offers many opportunities for young professionals to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and experience.

Q: Why did you volunteer for the YPN?A: I have been an international student myself, the Society helped me a lot with the skills, knowledge and network that ultimately secured a career for me in the UK. I think it is important for giving back to the community upon your success and the best way to do so is through volunteering, both via the Young Persons Network (YPN) and other channels. In fact, by participating on those volunteering opportunities, I have gained even more skills to further enhance my career in aviation.

Q: How do you aim to improve the service of the RAeS to young members at a local level?A: Continuous efforts have been made at the Heathrow Branch to engage with local young members and improve the connection between them and industry. I have also been actively looking for opportunities to bring local stakeholders (such as BA, IAG and Heathrow) together, as well as organising young member-focused events. In addition to the routine get together with young members at local pubs – sharing study advice and career experience, the Branch organised an ‘Inspiring Future Generations’ event which included an industrial visit, networking reception and themed lecture in January 2017. It was attended by many local young members, as well as industry professionals and senior executives from many local businesses. In February 2017, with assistance from the RAeS Careers team, the Branch also collaborated with Heathrow Airport, participating in the tenth Annual Heathrow Jobs & Careers Fair, offering advice and engaging with many young people.

We are pleased to announce...The RAeS Young Persons Committee is pleased to announce the 2017 Young Persons Conference will be ‘The Future Aerospace Workplace’ and will be held at No.4 Hamilton Place on Wednesday, 6 September 2017.

The aim of the conference is to present exciting technologies which could change the way we work in aerospace in the years to come. The conference aims to inspire delegates with a series of interactive lectures and hands-on sessions, enabling delegates to try out some early versions of these technologies. It will delivered by a wide range of experienced speakers from within and outside the aerospace industry.

The conference will take delegates through phases of the typical product life cycle and present corresponding topics which could change the way we work in these phases. It is anticipated that topics such virtual reality (VR) and additive manufacturing (AM) will feature, amongst others.

If you are interested in attending or in learning more about what the RAeS offers to young members: visit our page on the RAeS website: www.aerosociety.com/get-involved/young-persons-network and join our Facebook group: search for ‘Royal Aeronautical Society Young Members Group’.

This event will also be live streamed through Facebook Live.

William joined the RAeS in 2011 as a Student Affi liate member, while he was studying for a BSc Air Transport course at City University London. Since William joined the Society, he has been actively involved in many Society activities at HQ and the Heathrow Branch. At Heathrow, he serves as a Committee Member and the YPN Rep – actively linked in with other Young Members in the local area.

60

Elections


SOCIETY OFFICERSPresident: Prof Chris AtkinPresident-Elect: ACM Sir Stephen Dalton

BOARD CHAIRMEN

Learned Society Chairman: Ian MiddletonMembership Services Chairman:

Dr Alisdair WoodProfessional Standards Chairman:

Prof Jonathan Cooper

DIVISION PRESIDENTS

Australia: Andrew NeelyNew Zealand: John MaciIreePakistan: AM Salim ArshadSouth African: Dr Glen Snedden

Afterburner

Tubrez AsifJim BowdenPaul ChiversPierre CoutuMark DarbyHeather DeaconJohanna DeakinMichimasa FujinoBernd HildenbrandKeoki JacksonMujahid KhanDeborah LawrieDaniel Lindfi eldGeorge LloydChristian MariLeo MurphyCharles PantlinJonathan PentreathDavid PilkingtonAlfredo PinelliImran RahmanChristopher RobinsonPhilip RowlesColin RydonDavid ShawPeter SherryJean-Jacques SpeyerMichael SterlingKevin YoungRichard Woodburn

Jonathan AbbeyTariq AkhtarVeera AkulaHani Al AshkarAlison AliVasco AraujoMark Bretton

FELLOWS Omar ClarkeAntonio ColosimoRichard CrockettAndrew DelaneyNicolas DroletBen EganDavid EmsleyAndrew ForrestDonald GreigAlfredo Hernandez

LanciegoHarikrishna KammulaKevin LawryStephen LewitowskiStuart LittleDaniel ManzanoChris Marshall-CowlingPauline McRaeDavid OsborneKieron ParnellPeter RitchieNathan SeidlWilliam SmeddlePieter ’t HartAlmuiz TahaIan WoodIan WroeRaybin Yu

Iqbal AhmedRebecca AndertonJames BarnesMalgorzata BarzowskaCarlos CarpCarlo Andrea CattaneoVincent CoombsDale CousinsJack CrichtonJames DawkinsPatric Helbig

Ana Luisa MaldonadoArava Anmol ManoharMaria Victoria Naranjo

AstilleroPayam NathaniJoshua PanikkarNicholas RogersRana SiddiqueMatthew SimpsonBenjamin SkillenJose Soler Ribes

Oyediran AfolabiAli BukshMatthew FittonMustafa KhanMpfariseni Mulaudzi

Joshua De SouzaAndrew EadyAlexander HallKonstantinos KarvelisTyler MartinAndrew PoundVaughan ThomasMatthew TsaiGavin Tse

Anton AponsoShaun BeechingCarl CorcoranMoira DonoghueGraham FrancisIain GoldreinToby HollandMasharib Khan

ASSOCIATES

MEMBERS

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

WITH REGRET

Sqn Ldr Maurice Ernest John Hickmott DFC

FRAeS 92

Wg Cdr John William Higgins CEng MRAeS 95

Donald Lowson McDiarmid CEng FRAeS 86

Victor Charles Pickett Affi liate 91

Harold Roy Radford FRAeS 88

Gp Capt Michael Irwin Thom CEng FRAeS 81

The RAeS announces with regret the deaths of the following members:

E-ASSOCIATES

AFFILIATES

STUDENT AFFILIATESThiago Nunes MenezesEmir ÖngünerDaniel RonenAndy SimpsonDenis Wood

Lara FlanaganMaria Malan

Supermarine Spitfi re prototype, K5054. RAeS (NAL).

THE JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICAL HISTORY

Three new papers added to The Journal of Aeronautical History include: ‘The Aerodynamics of the Spitfi re’ by John Ackroyd; ‘On the Aerodynamics of the Miles Libellula tandem-wing aircraft concept 1941-1947’ by Brian Brinkworth; and ‘The Flight Claims of Gustave Whitehead’ by Tom Crouch.

The Journal of Aeronautical History, is a web-based, peer-reviewed journal, published by the Royal Aeronautical Society, containing papers of an historical nature, covering all aspects of aerospace. First published in 2011, there are now 28 papers on the Society’s website and they are all FREE to access.

https://www.aerosociety.com/news-expertise/journals-papers/journal-of-aeronautical-history/

Society News

www.aerosociety.com/eventsSponsor

Air Transport Group Conference

THE ARCHITECTURE OF AIR TRAVEL

DESIGNING FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

LONDON / 24 APRIL 2017This conference will be examining the feedback loop driving air travel architectures and passenger behavioural response and will examine the following themes:- Architectures of Air Travel – Eliciting Desired Behaviours

- Masterplan Paradigms Brave New Visions and Airports In Transition

To register, please visit our website.

www.aerosociety.com/UTM

UAS Seminar

SAFELY ENABLING UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

LONDON / 16 MAY 2017

Sponsorship

Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available for this conference. For more information please contact [email protected] or call+44(0)20 7670 4345

This seminar will bring together key stakeholders to consider the key challenges and opportunities for safely enabling unmanned aerial system traffic management, considering low level operations and the scope of full air traffic control.

www.aerosociety.com/events

Society Conference

AIRCREW MENTAL HEALTH

REGULATORY AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

LONDON / 23 MAY 2017

Sponsorship

Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available for this conference. For more information please contact [email protected] or call+44(0)20 7670 4345

This conference will provide delegates with opportunity to engage in practical programmes based on responses to the January 2017 EASA mandated Peer Support Programmes.

The primary aim will be to surface the EASA requirement and provide risk profile incidence evidence and current experience of PSS.

in partnership with

Fantastic images from the National AerospaceLibrary Collection of the Royal AeronauticalSociety are now available to purchase as reproduction prints and giftware items.View the complete collection at:

www.pr ints -onl ine.com

Religious or secular, the aims are the same

At this point, I must declare an interest as a monthly donor to MAF. Despite being a non-believer, I see this as an organisation offering a lot more than just spiritual support, delivering substantive aid to some of the world’s most needy people. MAF and ASF also demonstrate on a daily basis the rarest of piloting skills, fl ying into rough landing strips, often in some very tricky weather conditions: and not to mention the possibility of facing a hostile reception.

And closer to home

Air ambulances and search and rescue are part of the same humanitarian package – and operations easier to grasp as they clatter overhead. There was once a survey of Londoners’ attitudes towards aircraft noise. Needless to say, helicopters were not welcome – unless, of course, they were ‘doing good’, as opposed to carrying rich people to and from Battersea Heliport. The problematic aspect is that so much of this activity, here and abroad, is the dependence on charity. Inevitably, national spending priorities as well as the propensity or otherwise of governments to allocate resources to overseas development, will not always ante up to support humanitarian infrastructure.

Harnessing new technology

A cheaper and safer means of delivery could in some cases help the humanitarian cause. Indeed, there have already been some tentative steps towards using UAVs to reach remote areas and to deliver emergency aid, or at least to monitor the situation as part of an initial assessment of a remote or cut-off disaster area. In the future, larger autonomous vehicles might provide a more capable adjunct to a conventional response – something certainly for the likes of Bezos and Gates to fund? But in any case there is always scope for more individual donations.

http://www.aviationwithoutborders.orghttps://www.maf-uk.org

To an erstwhile defence analyst and aerospace historian, air power usually means the sharp end of strategy and aviation. However, if you watch any TV story of human misery there will be images of C-130s and Antonovs delivering aid. The ubiquitous helicopter will also be there to rescue and evacuate casualties. This is humanitarian air power at work – and was the focus of a recent Society conference. With speakers from the UK Department for International Development, OXFAM, ICAO and the RAF, the event covered a wide spectrum of relief mission issues. The aviation community does more than just talk: there are several active organisations providing concrete forms of relief and developmental assistance.

Biggles in a dog collar

Since 1946, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a Christian organisation has provided aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world’s remotest areas. From three major operational centers in the US, the UK and Australia, MAF serves in more than 55 countries, fl ying over 201,710 passengers with a fl eet of some 130 aircraft.

Aviation Sans Frontières

With an echo of the famous Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Aviation Sans Frontières was founded in 1980, based on actions by Air France pilots and fl ight engineers, deeply affected by the horror of the Nigerian Civil War in 1971 to provide airlift support. ASF is now a pan-European organisation with its own fl eet of aircraft and the fi rst NGO to hold a European Air Operator’s Certifi cate. Aviation Sans Frontières is a partner of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection.

The Last Word

Air Power as a force for good

Professor Keith HaywardFRAeS

COMMENTARY FROM

IN THE FUTURE, LARGER AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES MIGHT PROVIDE A MORE CAPABLE ADJUNCT TO A CONVENTIONAL RESPONSE


Air Power Conference 2017

IET Londonairpower.org.uk

Join the debate#airpower17

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Produced by Air Media Centre, HQ Air Command. 2422_16RM© UK MMOD Crown Copyright, 2017

12-13 July

Media partners: Aviation International News, , Shephard Media, Airforces Monthly and Combat Aircraft

Documents

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