Author: neilw

Methods Machine Tools has introduced the new Nakamura-Tome NTRX-300, a multitasking turning center featuring complete parts machining in one operation, with a built-in load/unload automation system and advanced operator recognition management software.

The company says the NTRX-300 features true opposing twin spindles; an 8″ A2-6 25 HP or a 10″ A2-8 30 HP. The machine also features a robust 25 HP tool spindle with 12,000 RPM and full 5-Axis capabilities, with a Fanuc 31I A5 Control and offers a large machining area for application versatility. The NTRX-300 can machine a 10″ square on the face of a part, with no C-Axis rotation required due to X-Axis capability of 5″ (125mm) below center travel and a Y-Axis capability of 10″ (250mm).

Taking up a compact footprint of only 104 sq./ft. (9.66 sq. meters) of floor space and weighing in at a hefty 37,480 lbs. (17,000 kg) for maximum rigidity, the NTRX-300 is available in two models; 8″ (203mm) chucks with 2.5″ (63.5mm) bar capacity or 10″ (250mm) chucks with 3.15″ (80mm) bar capacity. The NTRX-300 is designed with a long 53.15″ (1,350 mm) distance between spindles to eliminate any interference of tooling during multitasking. The machine has a standard 40 tool ATC and is available with options for 80 and 120 tool ATC’s.

Methods says the machine has a unique bed design with a vertical column structure mounted on a horizontal machine bed for superb rigidity and thermal stability. A uniform load applied over the machine bed during slide movement ensures exceptional stability. The compact design also allows easy reach of the spindle center and a versatile operation panel ensures optimum comfort for the operator. The high performance automation system is equipped with loading and unloading grippers at the ATC magazine.

“The NTRX-300 offers state-of-the-art multitasking, automation and software all in a compact, heavy-duty machine,” said Richard Parenteau, director of Application Development/Nakamura-Tome at Methods Machine Tools, Inc.

Shannon, located at Shannon Airport (EINN), announced the complete renovation of its FBO. The update to the FBO, includes a renovated VIP departures lounge as well as all new crew and operations offices.

“Our focus is always firmly on our customer, and leaving them with a memorable experience on the ground,” said Derek Collins, general manager, Universal Aviation Ireland – Shannon. “We have listened carefully to our clients’ feedback, and we’re proud that we have enhanced our FBO with the features and amenities they requested.”

Traffic at the FBO (which has been open since May 2003), continues to grow, and Universal Aviation has worked closely with Shannon Airport to promote the airport’s value-added services, such as United States Customs & Border Protection pre-clearance. According to Neil Pakey, Chief Executive Officer, Shannon Airport, Shannon’s U.S. pre-clearance facility is the only one of its type in either Europe or the Gulf region and offers business jet operators the opportunity to pre-clear Customs & Immigration to the U.S., and proceed directly to their destination within the U.S.

“Universal Aviation is a key partner in the development of our Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation,” said Pakey. “Universal’s new lounge is a high-quality and timely addition to the services available at the airport, and we credit Universal Aviation for investing in this way. We look forward to continuing to work successfully with Universal Aviation in the years to come as we jointly develop more business aviation activity at Shannon.”

“Shannon is known for being an excellent tech stop, but it is also an increasingly popular destination,” said Sean Raftery, Managing Director Universal Aviation UK and Ireland. “This renovation is just the latest in our ongoing commitment and investment to enhancing our clients’ experience at strategically important locations throughout Europe and the world – whether through full ground handling facilities or highly customized supervisory services.”

Universal Aviation is the ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Universal Aviation has more than 40 locations in 20 countries, including 11 in Europe.

MTU Aero Engines says the purpose of its understanding of sustainable business practices is to assume product responsibility along the entire value chain. In its sustainability efforts, the German engine manufacturer is pursuing an integrative approach that takes ecological as well as social aspects into account when looking at business performance. The third Sustainability Report issued by the company for the years 2013 and 2014 is the first to combine the reports to the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress and Global Reporting Initiative (G3.1) standards and covers the activities of MTU’s company locations in Europe.
“MTU Aero Engines is a major player in the global aircraft engine industry and a technology leader that keeps developing promising technical innovations. Corporate Responsibility is an integral part of our corporate culture,” explains Reiner Winkler, MTU Aero Engines AG’s CEO. “Eco-efficient and safe products are key to our long-term economic viability. This is why product responsibility is a top priority in our efforts aimed at responsible entrepreneurship.”
The company says top on their agenda is the development of aircraft engines that burn less fuel, produce fewer emissions, such as CO2, and are less noisy. MTU says new geared turbofan engine is an example of the company’s strong commitment to product stewardship. With Clean Air Engine, MTU is responding to pressing global challenges, such as climate change, mobility needs and scarcity of resources. Plans are to reduce noise levels by 65 percent and to cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent by the year 2050. To communicate the efforts it is making to address climate change even more effectively to all stakeholders, MTU last year developed and published a separate climate strategy based on Clean Air Engine.
MTU says that next on the list of top priorities is the commitment to responsible business practices. The company has undertaken to observe the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact relating to human rights, fair labor standards, environmental protection and the fight against corruption. MTU’s strong performance in international rankings – the company was awarded Prime status by oekom research AG and won the 2014 German Investors’ Award for responsible business practices.

The engine manufacturer is placing a special emphasis on the sustainability of upstream manufacturing processes. In 2014, MTU laid down binding labor, social and environmental standards in a Supplier Code of Conduct that governs cooperation with its worldwide supplier base, according to the company. These standards are based on the principles of the UN Global Compact.
The MTU Aero Engines 2013/2014 Sustainability Report is available online on the company’s website at:
http://www.mtu.de/company/corporate-responsibility/reports/

GE Aviation has entered into an agreement with ViaSat to provide Inertial Reference Units (IRUs) for ViaSat airborne satellite communications on-the-move applications. The multi-million dollar contract will include various military and commercial aircraft programs.

“The inertial reference system technology enables pilots and operators the ability to connect to ViaSat’s Exede In-the-Air network and provide accurate orientation and positioning in real time,” said George Kiefer, general manager of Avionics Military Systems with GE Aviation. “This is a valuable benefit to users like government leaders or commanders in mission critical operations.”

The IRU is used for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Command and Control airborne missions. GE Aviation’s IRU enables accurate pointing for ViaSat’s small aperture and flat panel aperture antennas, including the Ku-band and high-speed Ka-band satellites for the VR-12 antenna.

The IRU provides the same accuracy for the Ku/Ka low profile antenna, which are used in airborne satellite communications on-the-move applications. These antennas provide connectivity on ViaSat’s global Ku-band network and over the U.S. and Europe on the ViaSat Exede In-the-Air network. These networks enable applications such as real-time command and control and an “office-in-the-sky” for government and commercial subscribers.

The inertial reference unit provides the technology to provide orientation and position using Global Positioning System (GPS) data for a wide variety of land vehicle, airborne and seaborne applications for surveillance, target acquisition, and satellite antenna pointing. The reference unit combines inertial data and GPS data to provide the user with high-accuracy continuous location, heading, pitch, and roll data in both stationary and moving vehicles.

GE Aviation provides similar systems to many different types of applications for the purpose of warfighter protection and for satellite communications antenna pointing for commercial and military use.

Thales announced the launch of a new generation TopWings Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) software application suite designed by pilots for pilots.
This product will be designed in cooperation with IT experts and pilots from Air France and numerous other airlines to gather their insights and understand their operational needs.
Air France announced its intention to cooperate with Thales on the development of this solution. The airline intends to equip its entire fleet with this new EFB software solution. Other airlines of the Air France-KLM group have expressed their interest for the TopWings solution.
Already at the leading edge of disruptive innovation and EFB solution- deployment, Air France will be closely involved in the definition of the software suite.
The result of this collaborative innovation approach will be an EFB solution designed to provide pilots with fully digitized access to all information required for the entire journey, from the moment they leave home to the moment they return. Operational efficiency improvements will also provide significant cost reduction for operators.
The new software system will integrate a wide range of functions such as e-Documentation, e-Briefing, e-Logbook or e- Weather, in one solution with a graphical user interface designed by man-machine-Interface specialists.
The solution will be fitted on the entire Air France fleet the system’s connectivity functionalities, pilots will have access to real- time information that enhances their situational awareness.
The new software will also allow advance mission planning to assist in all ancillary actions, including medical checks, passport renewals, all the way up to recurrent training alerts. The new generation TopWings is the first true “digital assistant” for pilots.
“We are convinced that this new generation EFB application suite will be a major step towards the digital transformation of our Flight Operations,” Sébastien Veigneau, Air France pilot and project leader on Digital Transformation of Flight Operations, says. “It will aggregate all the information pilots need for their missions, to achieve a better situational awareness that improves flight safety and operational efficiency. At last, we will have a solution designed by pilots for pilots.”

Cemair announced it will be the first operator to launch passenger service in South Africa using 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D Airliners retrofitted with the Garmin G950 Integrated Flight Deck (IFD). The G950 system offers a new level of safety-enhancing situational awareness tools, solves avionics obsolescence issues, improves dispatch reliability, and expands the operational life and capabilities of this venerable aircraft.

“The G950 upgrade provides next generation avionics capability, including ADS-B, with an impressive feature set at a fraction of the cost of traditional flight deck retrofits,” said Miles Van der Molen, CEO. “It’s a complete avionics modernization with all new wiring replacing unreliable and obsolete parts. And it saves 220 pounds. In addition to the operational benefits, G950 offers significant safety improvements resulting from the large 15-inch moving map, TCAS II traffic system, weather radar, and Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS). Passengers and crew can expect fewer delays as a result of the more reliable avionics.”

The G950 modification was completed by AMI Aviation Services, a Garmin G1000 qualified dealer, at its Orlando/Sanford International Airport facility in the United States (KSFB). AMI Aviation’s parent company, AeroMech Incorporated, engineered and received supplemental type certification (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the modification. Both companies, in conjunction with Garmin, are now working to integrate the G950 system into B1900D autopilot-equipped aircraft, a solution that is expected to be ready in early 2016. “AMI Aviation is pleased to see the first G950-equipped 1900D Airliner flying in South Africa, a market that holds tremendous opportunity for our solution. We would like to thank CemAir for trusting us to modify their first aircraft and we look forward to working with them on modifying the rest of their 1900D fleet” said Dave Doucette, president of AMI Aviation.

SAKOR Technologies has supplied a test system to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to be used to test the atmospheric flight control system for the Dream Chaser spacecraft. Dream Chaser is a lifting-body, reusable, crewed or uncrewed horizontal-landing vehicle. It is owned and operated by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and is designed as a space utility vehicle for low-Earth orbit.

SwRI, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the United States. Contracted by SNC to design and build the atmospheric flight control system, SwRI selected SAKOR to build a sophisticated system to exercise Dream Chaser’s new control system and simulate flight from atmospheric interface to landing. The system characterizes overall design performance as well as dynamic response to physical forces typically experienced in standard and extreme flight conditions.

The Dream Chaser spacecraft features seven control surfaces and the SAKOR-designed test system features seven dynamometers, each simulating dynamic loads on a specific control surface. SAKOR’s DynoLAB data acquisition and control system controls the entire test stand, acting as a spacecraft emulator. Sending test profiles to the atmospheric flight controller as well as simulating force feedback from each control surface, DynoLAB communicates directly with the atmospheric flight control system via MIL-STD-1553B bus, which is a built-in capability of the DynoLAB system.

“We are extremely proud to have been selected for this project, which is so critical to our nation’s next-generation space capabilities,” said Randal Beattie, president of SAKOR. “We are confident that the system will push the design envelope to ensure the atmospheric control system can handle anything it may have thrown at it.”

Pro Line Fusion for new King Air turboprops features commercial aviation’s first touchscreen primary flight displays, which keeps pilots’ eyes forward for safer flying.

Rockwell Collins will be showcasing commercial aviation’s only certified touchscreen primary flight displays at this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., July 20-26. The Pro Line Fusion advanced avionics system will be available for the public to see and touch aboard Rockwell Collins’ King Air 250, which will be on display in the company’s AirVenture exhibit.

Pro Line Fusion with touchscreen flight displays has been selected by Textron Aviation for new-production King Air turboprops with deliveries starting this year and is available as an upgrade for Pro Line II- and Pro Line 21-equipped King Airs.

Rockwell Collins says the Pro Line Fusion ushers in a new era for King Air owners with:

• Three 14-inch widescreen LCDs with advanced graphics, configurable windows, and touchscreen or point-and-click navigation
• Synthetic vision as a standard feature, including Rockwell Collins’ patented airport dome, and extended runway centerlines with mile markers to better orient the pilot from top of descent through final approach
• Touch-interactive maps with eyes-forward flight planning, high-resolution topography, real-time onboard weather radar overlays, obstacles, and special-use airspace and search patterns for expanded situational awareness and reduced workload
• A fully loaded package of baseline equipment for operation in modernizing global airspace: DO-260B compliant ADS-B, SBAS-capable GNSS, localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, radius-to-fix (RF) legs and more
• Baseline geo-referenced electronic navigation charts that display own-ship aircraft position for enhanced situational awareness during approaches
• Easy and fast database updates using a standard USB drive port on the front of the displays, or the optional Aircraft Information Manager wireless data loading service
• Selectable video windows on the displays for viewing inputs from Enhanced Vision System (EVS) or other external cameras.

Also, for the fifth consecutive year, Rockwell Collins is the sponsor of the EAA AirVenture daily air shows, including the widely popular Night Air Show, on both Wednesday, July 22 and Saturday, July 25. The Rockwell Collins Night Air Show is a one-of-kind signature event, bringing tens of thousands of people to the flight line to see some of the world’s best aerobatic artists performing in sync with pyrotechnics and music.

Pentastar Aviation has received Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) from the FAA for installation of the Satcom Direct Router (SDR^T) for Gulfstream GIV-X (G350/G450) and the Gulfstream GV-SP (G500/G550) aircraft.

The SDR is a smart router capable of managing all aircraft voice and data solutions. It allows simultaneous use of multiple satellite connections without additional wireless access points. The SDR automatically selects the best connection available and keeps it updated continuously. It compresses and caches data to give users maximum bandwidth for information transmission. When it senses an aircraft is on the ground, it switches from a satellite network to 3G service. The SDR’s intelligent routing capabilities are designed to enhance the passenger experience whether on the ground or in the air.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Satcom Direct to complete the STC’s for these aircraft,” said Greg Schmidt, Pentastar Aviation’s president and CEO. “The SDR product is the industry’s gold standard router, designed for aviation use by aviation experts, and our technical expertise with these aircraft models allowed us to obtain the STC’s on these modifications.”

Airbus Group’s E-Fan technology demonstrator recently became the world’s first all-electric two engine aircraft taking off by its own power to successfully cross the Channel, some 106 years after Louis Blériot’s epic flight. The E-Fan’s flight of 74 kilometers (46 miles) between Lydd, England, and Calais in France was completed in 36 minutes.

The E-Fan is powered by lithium-ion batteries, which offer an increased battery capacity of 60 percent compared to the aircraft’s original configuration. Flown by test pilot Didier Esteyne, the E-Fan weighs around 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) and travelled at a maximum altitude of about 1,000 meters (3,500 feet).

Louis Blériot was one of the most famous aviation pioneers of his time. He performed the Channel crossing on 25 July 1909 in his Blériot XI, an aircraft that not only became the record–breaking aeroplane of 1909 and 1910, but also the first aircraft to be put into mass production and launch France’s aviation industry. Bleriot’s company was based in Suresnes, near Paris, at the same site where part of the E-Fan team is now located.

“The E-Fan project historic Channel crossing shows that the pioneering spirit and ingenuity demonstrated by Louis Blériot and the other early aviators is still alive today. The 10th of July 2015 will now join the list of famous days in aviation history and I’m sure Blériot would be proud of this achievement,” said Jean Botti, Airbus CTO. “We continue to embody the spirit of innovation and tackle technical challenges which both advance aerospace as we know it today and pioneer the next generation of electric and hybrid flight,” added Botti.