Wencor Group has announced that Shawn Trogdon has been promoted to chief executive officer. Trogdon succeeds Chris Curtis, who is stepping down as CEO on August 31 to retire.
Trogdon joined Wencor in 2014 as global controller and has held the CFO position at the company since 2016. He brings more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the aerospace industry, having consistently demonstrated an ability to build, grow and enable high-performing teams and businesses. Prior to Wencor, Trogdon held senior finance positions at Wesco Aircraft Holdings, an aircraft parts distributor, Landmark Aerospace, an aviation services company and Grant Thornton, an independent audit, tax and advisory firm.
“As the aerospace industry navigates a complex and rapidly evolving environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that Wencor has the unique opportunity to not only adapt and recover, but also emerge stronger and more resilient. Wencor remains committed to providing world-class customer excellence and innovative solutions to the aerospace aftermarket,” said Trogdon. “I also want to thank Chris for his leadership of our company over the past four years and wish him the best in his retirement.”
Curtis joined Wencor in 2016 as CEO, during which time he helped the Company grow its strategic customer relationships through Wencor’s Total Material Solutions programs, expand and deepen Wencor’s OEM supplier relationships, and improve the operational delivery and product development functions to deliver industry leading responsiveness, customer service, and economic value to Wencor’s airline and MRO customers.
“It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Wencor for the last four years, and I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished,” Curtis said. “Now is a natural time to transition leadership as Wencor enters its next chapter and Shawn is the ideal person to continue to grow Wencor’s business lines and deliver long-term value.“
“We thank Chris for his contributions to the company and dedication to developing Wencor into a market leading aftermarket components and repair platform,” said Dan Zamlong, managing director at Warburg Pincus. “We are excited to continue to partner with Shawn for the next phase of the company’s growth. Shawn’s deep understanding of the industry and business will ensure Wencor’s continued execution on its mission to provide innovative solutions, particularly in the post-Covid world, that enable airlines and MRO providers to maintain aircraft with maximum reliability, availability and cost efficiency.”
AAR, an aviation services provider to commercial and government customers, MROs and OEMs worldwide, has been named a 2021 Military Friendly Employer by VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned company. VIQTORY screened more than 8,800 employers nationwide and selected only 92 companies for the prestigious award. Military Friendly Employers are recognized as role model organizations committed to creating meaningful improvements in their veterans’ work lives.
“We are honored to be recognized as a 2021 Military Friendly Employer,” said Nicholas Gross, AAR senior vice president of Integrated Solutions. “Our veterans are a significant and vital part of our workforce. Veterans have a unique understanding of our government customers’ needs and bring a mission-oriented focus to our solutions. This group has been an important part of AAR´s success and we remain committed to working with our veterans to continue to grow our business.”
The Measuring Division of Kaman Precision Products announced the KD-5100+, an upgraded higher reliability version of Kaman’s legacy KD-5100 measuring system. The KD-5100+ retains the proven performance of the KD-5100 system while incorporating upgrades to the circuit layout, ground connections, and sensor connectors. The upgraded system also features higher reliability diodes and capacitors.
The KD-5100+ is the ideal choice for laser communications, satellite and ground station applications, as well as directed energy (ground, shipboard, and airborne), and image stabilization systems.
Two matched sensors of a measuring channel are positioned opposite each other on the back of a fast steering mirror (FSM) in two axes at 90 degrees to each other. As the FSM actuators drive the mirror about the center flexure, the mirror moves away from one sensor of an axis and toward the other sensor an equal amount. The KD-5100+ output signal is used to actively control mirror position.
The upgraded KD-5100+ has a Mil-PRF-38534 Class H proprietary hybrid microcircuit. The system also features dual channel signal conditioner with two precisely matched sensors per channel.
Designed for thermal and long term stability, radiation tolerant, and suitable for vacuum applications, the KD-5100+ offers a small package size and low power consumption. It features isolated signal and chassis grounds and low outgassing components.
Signal conditioning electronics are available in the identical low profile enclosure as the KD-5100. Enclosure finish can be either black paint for low reflectivity or bright nickel finish for lower outgassing. Sensor and signal conditioner packaging can be customized for unique requirements.
Aerospace manufacturing firm RHH Franks is celebrating its 60th trading year, and has relaunched with a new brand and long-term strategy of continual improvement.
In line with its commitment to the highest levels of quality, on-time-delivery and manufacturing technology, managing director Elsa Hogan has introduced plans to revol
Elsa Hogan RHH Franks Managing Director
utionize the Hampshire-based business that requires a brand that will reflect its values and objectives in the 21st century.
“As we enter our 60th year, it was important to build on our long-standing history of success and sustainable growth by revolutionizing our strategy with reignited ambition,” Hogan says. “This rebrand marks a significant turning point for the business, which is now focused on reinvesting in our people, software, machinery and facilities, along with improving efficiency to meet the increasing demands of the supply chains we serve.
“RHH Franks strives to be at the forefront of manufacturing innovation, constantly improving our processes and capabilities with the aim of passing the benefits onto our customers. It was therefore fitting to take the opportunity this year to announce our revised strategy and unveil a new look that our employees can be proud to work for and our clients can be proud to work with.”
The schedule of improvement at RHH Franks began two years ago and has already involved an extensive factory expansion, significant investment in new machinery, state-of-the-art CAD software and an Enterprise Resource Planning system.
Founded in 1961 by Ronald Henry Herman Franks and Basil James, RHH Franks was first tasked with manufacturing parts for the BAC111 short haul jet airlines being constructed at Bournemouth Airport.
Since then, the firm has grown from a modest sheet metal workshop to a sizeable end-to-end subcontract manufacturer providing a complete range of services from CNC milling and turning to fabrication and Nadcap-accredited welding, chemical processing, heat treatment and dip and torch brazing.
Over the decades, it has delivered parts, components and assemblies for some of the world’s most advanced aircraft of the time, including the Twin Store Carrier for the Tornado GR4, Concorde, Augusta Westland 159, Hawk, Eurofighter Typhoon and Apache AH64.
Clients include Leonardo Helicopters, Eton Aerospace, Cobham, SEA Ltd and QinetiQ. Honeywell is one of its longest standing clients, having worked with RHH Franks since 1967.
“Our relationship with RHH Franks dates back to when we were trading as Normalair Garrett more than 50 years ago,” Michal Pis, commodity manager for Honeywell Aerospace, said. “During this time, RHH Franks has worked closely with us to manufacture components for some of the most impressive new, existing and legacy aircraft, supplying tens of thousands of parts. The fact they remain a manufacturing partner today is testament to their ongoing commitment to quality, high service levels and on-time-delivery. Their engineering excellence aligns perfectly with our unmatched heritage of innovative aerospace design.”
Today, RHH Franks operates from its recently expanded 30,000 sq ft premises on the Gore Road Industrial Estate, New Milton, UK and its team of more than 40 skilled engineers manufacture more than 13,000 components each year for a variety of sectors.
It serves the defense, nuclear and marine industries as well as global aerospace.
As a family-run business, the company says it is proud of the loyal and dedicated team, many of whom have been employed there for most of their working life.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 60 years in business. Not only is this a great achievement on its own, but to be marking it with some of our very first clients and employees who have descended from former employees is quite something,” Hogan adds. “Looking forward, we will be following up on the rebrand by continuing to improve our internal processes to increase efficiency, focus on quality and helping more of our customers understand how they can improve their supply chain with our end-to-end support.”
The business has also enrolled in the Fit for Nuclear program and is working towards achieving SC21 silver supply chain certification after achieving a bronze award in September 2019 and again in November 2020.
RHH Franks says p
art of their vision for the future is to inspire the next generation of engineers too. In 2018 its launched its apprenticeship scheme and regularly welcomes local students for work experience, aware that combining decades of experience in an environment where fresh perspectives are welcomed will encourage as many people as possible into the exciting and rewarding world of engineering.
GROB Systems announced the availability of its new universal machining center, the G150, rounding out the company’s universal machining center range of products. The modular G-series system has continually set the bar for productivity and process safety.
The G150 is positioned for the precision engineering, medical technology, mold and die, mechanical engineering and aerospace industries as the only horizontal 5-axis machining center in its class, the company says. During the development of the G150, particular emphasis was placed on spatial accuracy to achieve excellent surface finishes and the highest form and position tolerances. In addition, accuracy for machining complex, high-precision components was also a main focus.
As part of the G-series, the G150 features a rigid 5-axis horizontal design with capabilities to invert the table and machine upside down for optimal chip evacuation. The unique ergonomic design is suited for shops and automation integration with easy access to the work area. New additions to the modular options system are the HSK E40 spindle with up to 42,000 rpm and a compact table with central clamping. This makes the G150 particularly attractive for application areas such as medical technologies, with smaller parts and smaller tools.
According to a Reuters report, Montana Aerospace, a maker of aircraft parts headquartered in Austria and Switzerland is getting ready for a close to $1.8 billion stock market listing. Consolidation is occurring as a result of the impact of the coronavirus on aviation and the company said in a statement, “We regularly review what growth financing options are available in order to be able to take advantage of market opportunities.”
The company describes itself as “an industrial group that focuses on key parts and technologies in the aerospace market with a global operations footprint. Montana Aerospace manufactures state-of-the-art components through its multi-material capabilities and outstanding engineering competence for the aerospace industry.”
Siemens announced the U.S. Air Force has selected Teamcenter software as the foundational system of record to support its digital acquisition and sustainment strategy for critical systems and technologies across the service. The selection of Teamcenter as the Air Force enterprise standard follows a 2019 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for $24.6 million to Siemens for licensing, maintenance and support.
Teamcenter, part of the Xcelerator portfolio from Siemens Digital Industries Software, is a modern, open and adaptable product lifecycle management (PLM) solution that can help connect people and processes across functional silos by providing a digital thread for innovation.By leveraging Xcelerator, Siemens’ comprehensive, integrated portfolio of software, services and application development platform, the Department of Defense and the aerospace and defense industry have the ability to integrate disparate repositories of program data and effectively share product performance details at any time, from any location.
“We are incredibly proud to support the Air Force with a tool set that supports their digital journey and fundamentally enhances the way they can field capability with greater speed and agility,” said Tina Dolph, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies. “By providing the Air Force and other defense agencies with a robust enterprise PLM solution, time-sensitive and actionable data can be accessed across the earliest phases of a system lifecycle, resulting in lower operational costs, fewer down times, and overall improved readiness
GDP Space Systems will be providing ground equipment to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in support of the upcoming Psyche mission. Originally purchased to support previous successful Mars programs, GDP’s telemetry receivers have now been repurposed to test the RF transmitter for the Psyche mission; a journey to a unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
By spring of 2022, the spacecraft will be fully assembled and ready to ship to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it will launch in August 2022. Psyche will fly by Mars for a gravity assist in May 2023 and in early 2026, it will slip into orbit around the asteroid, where it will spend 21 months gathering data for analysis. The Psyche spacecraft’s target is a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, which orbits the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists think that, unlike rocky or icy asteroids, Psyche is largely iron and nickel and could be the heart of an early planet that lost its outer layers. Exploring the asteroid Psyche (about 140 miles, or 226 kilometers, wide) could lend valuable insight into how Earth and other planets formed.
These critical JPL missions presented a unique and difficult task for the Model 4426 Telemetry Receivers; to support extremely low bit rates and poor signal to noise ratio, down to 10 bits per second with convolutional encoding. For testing the Psyche transmitter, the receiver is now processing a QPSK signal at 1.08Mbps and is capable of operation up to 40Mbps. The 3rd generation telemetry receiver design provides comprehensive multi-link support for satellite and flight test ground station applications in a fully integrated package. In addition to the exclusive 4-Input Diversity Combiner Function and our Ethernet Outputs supporting IRIG 218-20, IRIG 106 Chapter 7 / Chapter 10, and IRIG 106-17 Appendix 2G Best Source Selection (DQE), the Model 4426 product line features an internal 70MHz Test Modulator Output function making it ideal for ground telemetry missions.
“Our receiver product line offers unmatched performance, features, and functionality in a cost-effective solution” stated Gary Thom, President of GDP Space Systems. “We are very excited to be a part of this historic mission to understand the origins of our planet.” GDP Space System’s telemetry receivers were also selected for use in the successful mission that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars for remote exploration and for the Perseverance rover, which is scheduled to arrive on Mars in February 2021.
The U.S. Navy completed the successful first flight of the TCTS Inc. II Air Combat Training program on an operational F/A-18E/F Hornet in early February. Developed and built by Collins Aerospace Systems and teammate Leonardo DRS, TCTS Inc. II is a scalable and flexible open architecture system that enables highly secure air combat between Department of the Navy and Air Force aircraft, both 4th and 5th generation platforms. The company says it is also designed to encompass multiple functions that make more efficient use of size, weight, and power while bringing new operational capabilities to the given platform.
Designed to allow pilots to ‘train as they fight,’ TCTS II securely connects the aircraft to the training space (other aircraft, ground, sensors, and threats) for a realistic training experience. This capability significantly improves training realism in simulated, highly contested combat environments. TCTS II also features Synthetic Inject to Live (SITL) capabilities which connects the live aircraft with synthetic sensors and threats to training in a more realistic environment. TCTS II also collects relevant data to rapidly develop new tactics, techniques, and procedures within a matter of weeks instead of months or years. With the ability to host operational capabilities, it can help connect the battlespace with the ability to run training and tactical waveforms.
“TCTS Inc. II is a massive leap in technology and training realism, and the first flight we witnessed at Pax River brings this program to life,” said Heather Robertson, vice president, and general manager, Integrated Solutions for Collins Aerospace. “US Navy and US Air Force pilots will be able to train as they’ve never been able to train before with secure cross-service air combat training and joint Live, Virtual, and Constructive-enabled capabilities. When it comes to redefining the future of training, this program certainly delivers, and I can’t wait to see its full potential realized.”
This flight, which is part of the developmental test phase, helps pave the way for the production decision – Milestone C — for the program, anticipated in 2021.
Safe Flight Instrument of White Plains, NY announced that L3Harris has selected their Auto Throttle Performance System for their RC-135 aircraft refresh program.
Safe Flight’s Auto Throttle Performance System (ATPS) consists of two Enhanced Aircraft Performance Computers (EAPC) and four independent Synthetic Clutch Servomotors (SCS). The EAPC will host Safe Flight’s pioneered Autothrottle, Angle-of-Attack (AoA), SCAT and Wind Shear systems as well as Runway Rotation Guidance and Speed Deviation functionality as required by the Integrated Mission Systems Team at L3Harris.
“Safe Flight has been a valued partner on the RC-135 for over a quarter century and we look forward to developing the next generation of equipment to support the fleet horizon through 2050. Both the Enhanced Aircraft Performance Computers and the Synthetic Clutch Servomotors will add operational functionality while significantly removing weight and increasing reliability and maintenance objectives,” said Matt Greene, president of Safe Flight Instrument.
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