Category: PRs

Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering zero-emissions aviation, has achieved another significant milestone. Its latest VX4 has completed the first phase of its piloted flight test program at the VerticalFlight Test Center.

During Phase 1, the VX4 prototype conducted multiple piloted tethered flights and ground runs, across 20 piloted test sorties, completing a total of 70 individual test points. Together, these tests simulated various aspects of flight and operational situations needed to validate the prototype’s safety in real-world flight scenarios, including those outside of its expected operating conditions. By intentionally testing the aircraft’s ability to handle failures, Vertical demonstrated the underlying safety of its design.

One of the most important tests successfully carried out included simulating the failure of one Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) – inoperative testing – while in piloted tethered flight, to ensure the aircraft responds correctly and continues to be safe while in flight conditions.

These tests have enabled Vertical engineers to collect and measure 35,000 flight and system parameters and verify that all systems are operating correctly and safely in different conditions ahead of further expanding the flight test envelope to piloted thrustborne flight.

Alongside Phase 1 testing, Vertical’s engineers also completed more advanced low and high-speed taxi tests, including deliberately failing EPUs at high taxi speeds to confirm controllability and safety. This verified ground handling characteristics throughout the taxi envelope, as well as aerodynamic characteristics for increasing speed, while in a safe, ground test environment.

Vertical is continuing to work closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on expanding its Permit to Fly as it prepares for Phase 2 of testing which will see the VX4 prototype undergo piloted thrustborne flight tests.

Vertical is currently developing an identical full-scale prototype which will accelerate the VX4’s flight test program and demonstration capability. The company will take flight test learnings from both prototypes into the design and development of the certified VX4 model.

“It took us just one week to go from our first ground test to our chief test pilot flying the VX4, and we have been making outstanding progress since then,” said CEO of Vertical Aerospace, Stuart Simpson. “We continue to prove the safety and performance of our design and technology, which we believe to be market leading. Completing this first phase of testing is a significant feat for any eVTOL company and shows the strength of our aircraft, team, and our partners as we progress through our flight test programme and head towards our goal of creating a better way to travel.”

Phase 1 of testing included:

• Piloted tethered flight: performed using closed loop flight control to ensure the aircraft’s stability and safety in a controlled environment.Also included simulated failure testing to validate one EPU deliberately failing and assessing automatic aircraft response to bring other engines to maximum power output while in tethered flight.
• Ground vibration testing (GVT): Working with specialists from world leading ATA Engineering – who performed GVT testing on the $10 billion James Webb telescope – eight heavy duty shakers were installed on the VX4 while it was suspended in the air to stress test the aircraft in different situations when flying, such as turbulence. 350 accelerometers – devices that measure the aircraft’s movements and vibrations during testing – were installed on the inside and outside of the aircraft to collect the data.
• Powertrain testing: Understanding how the powertrain is operating and evaluating all the components that generate and deliver power to the propellors. This includes a High Voltage (HV) ripple test to measure and analyse voltage fluctuations (ripple) generated on the powertrain and ensuring the battery can handle it, even at low charge, while providing a stable power supply. This is carried out while the aircraft is tethered in hover.
• Dynamic testing: Ensuring all systems are functioning correctly before they are put into use in flight in real-life conditions – such as powering up, checking the parts are installed and connected correctly and the systems and components work.
• Propellor testing: Propeller balancing and spinning tests to measure weight distribution of each propeller blade to ensure vibrations are minimised for smooth, stable flying.
• Taxi testing: VX4 is piloted at low and high speeds on the ground to test the aircraft can move forwards and backwards effectively, testing brake performance and direction of control using differential thrust.

Thomas Global Systems today announced its TFD-4100 drop-in CRT-to-LCD flight display upgrade for Collins Aerospace Pro Line 4 flight decks has received Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Bombardier Challenger 604, Gulfstream G100/G200, Dassault Falcon 2000/2000EX/50EX and Saab 2000 aircraft. Owners and operators can now eliminate Pro Line 4 EFD-4077 CRT display obsolescence risk, and benefit from the latest high-performance LCD technology, without the need for an expensive full cockpit retrofit and extensive aircraft downtime.

“FAA certification of the TFD-4100 display solution is a key advance in Thomas Global Systems’ commitment to the long-term support of Pro Line 4 flight decks,” said David Barnes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Avionics & Mission Electronics at Thomas Global Systems. “With EFD-4077 production and OEM support coming to an end, business jet and regional customers with the TFD-4100 display solution can continue operating their current Pro Line 4 configuration with improved reliability and efficiency, and without impacting flight crew operations,” Mr. Barnes said.

Thomas Global Systems has worked closely with the Saab 2000 and business jet community to develop and certify the TFD-4100 as a practical and efficient solution that is aligned with the needs of Pro Line 4 avionics users.

“Certification of Thomas Global’s TFD-4100 is important to the future of our Saab 2000 fleet,” said Stuart Klaskin, CEO & principal at Jetstream Aviation Capital. “The TFD-4100 resolves the critical obsolescence of our EFD-4077 CRT displays and provides us with the benefits of modern LCD technology. The TFD-4100 allows us to get the most from our Collins Pro Line 4 flight deck investment, without major modifications to our flight decks, aircraft downtime or crew retraining. We are excited to be introducing the TFD-4100 to our fleet.”

John Holland, Vice President & General Manager of Trimec Aviation, Inc., a major MRO supporting a wide range of business aircraft, including Gulfstream G100s, G200s, Falcon 2000, and Challenger 604s said: “We welcome FAA certification of the TFD-4100 LCD display. Owners and operators of Pro Line 4 avionics have been calling out for this practical, drop-in solution to EFD-4077 CRT display obsolescence. Our industry appreciates that Thomas Global Systems has stepped forward to extend the life of the proven and capable Pro Line 4 system, through the development of the TFD-4100 LCD upgrade. Trimec Aviation looks forward to working together with Thomas Global Systems to deploy the TFD-4100 upgrade to our customers.”

FAA STC approval for the TFD-4100 follows certification of the TFD-4000 drop-in LCD flight display upgrade for MHI CRJ Series aircraft. Additional TFD-4000/4100 certifications, including Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are targeted by the end of the year.

The TFD-4100 replaces the EFD-4077’s highest failure rate components and incorporates high-performance AMLCD technology with a proven analog-to-digital (A-D) software core design. Integrating seamlessly into the existing Pro Line 4 architecture and Built-In Test Equipment (BITE), the TFD-4100 is interchangeable and intermixable with legacy EFD-4077 CRT displays without impacting OEM display software Service Bulletins.

The TFD-4100 leverages Thomas Global Systems’ proven technology currently operating across Boeing 767/757/737-C, MHI CRJ Series, ATR 42/72, Dash 8, Saab 340, EMB120 and other regional and business airframes.

Hong Kong Air Cargo, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, has signed for a NAVBLUE suite of solutions to enhance its flight operations. NAVBLUE says Hong Kong Air Cargo will benefit from NAVBLUE’s state-of-the-art solutions, to improve its operational efficiency, through seamlessly integrated digital solutions.

The suite selected by Hong Kong Air Cargo includes five complementary solutions in addition to
the already selected N-Ops & Crew (N-OC), a solution designed to handle all aspects of Network
Scheduling, Operations Control, Crew Planning, Crew Management, and day-of-ops Crew
Scheduling in a single Flight Operations system:

• N-Flight Planning, which will help the airline optimize their flight operations by allowing them to
rapidly compute flight plans, factoring payload, aircraft performance, current weather and air-traffic
constraints. N-Flight Planning will also bring added-value to the airline, minimizing flight time, fuel
burn or total cost;

• N-Tracking, which will empower Hong Kong Air Cargo with operation situational awareness, with aircraft position reports and alerting; With Navigation+, Hong Kong Air Cargo will benefit from the most relevant aeronautical navigation information including en route, airport and procedures, both for worldwide and regional coverage;

• Mission+ is NAVBLUE’s Electronic Flight Assistant, gathering all the information pilots needs in one single application on a globe-centric display, reducing pilot workload by streamlining the flow of information between ground and onboard systems. This solution integrates mission management data and documentation, cockpit checklist, navigation charts and airport maps, real time weather conditions, aircraft performance data – which are usually only available to pilots via multiple sources;

• With Mission+ FLIGHT, the Hong Kong Air Cargo pilots’ journey will be optimized from preparation to closure of a flight, and efficiency will be increased by the reduction of manual entries and therefore risks of errors. In addition, pilots will also be using Mission+ MAPS -the charting module of Mission+ that contains all the NAVBLUE aeronautical data for Enroute, Terminal charts and Supplement information.

Hong Kong Air Cargo will now have a full suite of NAVBLUE products.
“We are proud to support Hong Kong Air Cargo with our solutions, aimed at enhancing airlines operational efficiency. Thanks to our innovative and integrated solutions, Hong Kong Air Cargo can now benefit from state-of-the-art solutions to help streamline pilots’ workload and increase the airline’s benefits,” said Marc Lemeilleur, CEO of NAVBLUE.

Capt. Yang Yang, vice pPesident operations of Hong Kong Air Cargo, added, “Hong Kong Air Cargo
will increase its operational workflow through integration and automation, reducing manual work
for our teams. With this NAVBLUE integrated suite of solutions and its reliable aeronautical
database, we will enhance our Operational Safety and Efficiency.”

Hong Kong Air Cargo is an all-cargo airline rooted in Hong Kong since 2017, providing charter and
scheduled flight services to Hong Kong, Asia and other regions and flexibly customizing various
products and services to meet the multiple needs of different customers.

Krayden, Inc., a leading distributor of specialty chemicals to the aerospace, electronics, transportation and industrial sectors, announced the acquisition of Aerospheres (UK) by Krayden Holdings. This acquisition will combine the Aerospace MRO experience of Aerospheres, with the supplier focused partnerships and technical OEM support of Krayden’s distribution business. The companies say the strategic acquisition will strengthen both companies’ places in the aerospace market and expand their global reach.

“We truly admire Aerospheres, and plan to leverage their expertise in the MRO side of the aerospace market,” said Ashok Kalyana, CEO of Krayden. “They are a perfect complement to our own company culture and approach to business.”

Paul Thompson, CEO of Aerospheres added, “Krayden is a great fit with their 18 global facilities and 60+ outside technical sales representatives. They have a stronger relationship with top tier suppliers and a fantastic reputation for providing technical service and assistance. Our customers will continue to receive a high level of service and have access to a much broader product line.”

Customers will benefit by an expanded offering of local stock for Aerospheres customers in Southeast Asia, U.S., and Mexico. The same can be said for Krayden customers in Europe. Both will be global companies serving both the OEM and aerospace MRO markets.

Boeing reached a tentative agreement on a historic contract offer with IAM Districts 751 & W24, which represent 33,000+ Boeing employees. See www.boeing.com/IAM2024 for details.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope shared the following in a video message to employees:

“We’ve heard what’s important to you for the new contract. And we have reached a tentative agreement with the union on a historic offer that takes care of you and your family. The contract offer provides the largest-ever general wage increase, lower medical cost share to make healthcare more affordable, greater company contributions toward your retirement, and improvements for a better work-life balance.

Just as important, this contract deepens our commitment to the Pacific Northwest. Boeing’s roots are here in Washington. It is where generations of workers have built incredible airplanes that connect the world. And it’s why we’re excited that, as part of the contract, our team in the Puget Sound region will build Boeing’s next new airplane. This would go along with our other flagship models, meaning job security for generations to come. It’s a big commitment to you and to our community.”

About Boeing’s IAM 751 & W24 workforce:

• More than 33,000 employees are represented by IAM 751 primarily in Washington and W24 in Portland, Ore. There is also a small group of employees in California.
• While primarily supporting airplane production for Commercial Airplanes and Defense, Space & Security (737 MAX, 767, 777/777X, P-8, KC-46A Tanker, E-7 Wedgetail), the bargaining unit also includes employees in Global Services and Corporate functions.
• This is the first full negotiation between Boeing and IAM 751 & W24 in 16 years. After ratification of a new contract in 2008, employees approved two contract extensions in 2011 and 2014. The current 8-year extension began in 2016.

StandardAero marked the 50^th anniversary of its Augusta, Georgia service center in August at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS). The company celebrated the milestone by hosting a special event for employees, guests, and airport staff on Thursday, Aug. 29. 

The company says the event highlighted StandardAero’s growth in the region and commitment to serving business aviation operators at the Augusta site, including the expansion of StandardAero’s Augusta Center of Excellence, of which adds a new 80,500 sq. ft. building that is expected to be completed in 2025. 

“Reaching such a milestone underscores our dedication to the aviation industry, and to our customers,” said Tony Brancato, president of StandardAero Business Aviation. 

Since its establishment in 1974, the service center has supported thousands of airframes, engines and APUs, providing critical support for many business aviation operators. 

“Celebrating 50 years is a tremendous achievement, and it speaks volumes about the commitment and expertise of our team,” said Chris Bodine, vice president and general manager of StandardAero’s Augusta service center. “We are honored by the trust our customers have placed in us over the decades, and we remain steadfast in our mission to deliver the highest level of service excellence.”

StandardAero’s Center of Excellence in Augusta provides maintenance and repair support for select business aviation aircraft, including Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Embraer, Gulfstream and Hawker, and engine and APU models including Honeywell CFE738, HTF7000, TFE731 and 36 APU. 

“Our team is excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead as the aviation industry continues to grow,” Bodine added. “We are deeply thankful for the aviation community we serve, and we look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence in airframe and engine support for many more years to come.”

Viasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, recently announced the integration of its Velaris L-band satellite terminal into a multi-link communications systems with Avionics Networks, a company developing innovative communication systems for Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

This relationship and the capabilities it offers to customers around the world exemplifies Viasat’s commitment to continue to evolve and develop the Velaris technology to ensure it remains at the forefront of BVLOS connectivity solutions for decades to come. Powered by Viasat Velaris – a dedicated beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) satcom service for UAVs and Advanced Air Mobility aircraft – Avionics Networks’ LECO-SOLARIS connectivity solution brings a new standard of bandwidth to customers across industries, delivering trusted connectivity when it matters most. The multi-link connectivity solution will enable improved capabilities including satellite connectivity, cellular 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, and embedded video processing and compression capabilities.

This technology will support multiple mission-critical use cases, including drones will that enable swift and secure transportation of life-saving medical supplies and organs, and uncrewed search and rescue UAVs with consistent ‘always connected’ communications to maximize the potential of mission success. There are also multiple applications in the agriculture industry, as well as for safety scanning on oil rigs, and the technology has a significant application in aircraft battling wildfires.

Following the strategic alliance between the companies, the LECO-SOLARIS solution is currently undergoing DO-160 certification and supplemental type certification on aircraft. For businesses set to benefit from this innovation, LECO-SOLARIS is available to order today, with deliveries commencing later in the year.

“We’re excited to embark on this new relationship with Viasat, a company with a consistently robust satellite network, to power our next-generation multi-link LECO-SOLARIS solution,” said Gilson Motta, president and CEO at Avionics Network. “Together, our high performance, small and light communications solutions will increase the critical uses of uncrewed vehicles for safety, surveillance, search and rescue, and more. We’re excited to be working with Viasat to unlock new opportunities for the industry.”

Joel Klooster, SVP Flight Safety and Advanced Air Mobility at Viasat, said: “We’re excited to welcome Avionics Networks as our latest Velaris alliance member, to support our mission to drive innovation through connectivity in the AAM industry. This relationship demonstrates the ever-developing capabilities of the Velaris network and prioritizes certification – as well as showcases the revolutionary capabilities of commercial UAVs through safe, reliable, connectivity. We’re looking forward to expanding this impact as this technology achieves certification and becomes globally available, and to enabling yet more innovation in the AAM industry.”

In a ceremony held on August 27, 2024, representatives of the Mexican government and the aviation supplier Diehl Aviation laid the cornerstone for Diehl Aviation’s new site in Mexico. This marks the official start of the construction work and the company getting closer to its American customers. Numerous government representatives from Mexico took part in the festivities. By participating in person, Francisco José Quiroga Fernández (Mexican ambassador in Germany), Genaro Montes Díaz (Undersecretary of Sustainable Development of the State of Querétaro in representation of Governor Mauricio Kuri González), Alejandro Rolland (Querétaro´s Director of Industrial Development) and Claudia Martínez Guevara (Mayor of El Marqués) acknowledged this important milestone for the region.

The new site in the PyMe Industrial Park is near Santiago de Querétaro, the federal capital, and will initially encompass over 8,200 square meters of production and office space. An expansion by an additional 4,000 to 6,000 square meters is planned for a second phase. The construction project will mainly be planned and carried out by the company Grupo Chufani. The start of production is envisaged for 2025. At first, around 30 employees will be working at the new site. This will be increased to around 500 employees over the medium term. The first product that Diehl Aviation will produce in Mexico is extra-spacious luggage compartments for the Airbus A220. The A220 is assembled in Mirabel, Québec and Mobile, Alabama, USA.

The new location in Mexico will help Diehl Aviation strengthen its cooperation with important customers like Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, and large local air carriers. America is a significant growth market for the company. Closer proximity to its customers makes collaboration more effective and means shorter travel and transport routes. And this increased responsiveness and local presence will improve Diehl Aviation’s competitiveness. Finally, the location in Mexico not only offers economic potential and enables an improvement of product costs but also creates the conditions for establishing a local supply chain. And the company gains access to talented, qualified employees.

Querétaro boasts a central location, excellent infrastructure, and proximity to Querétaro International Airport. Querétaro is also an innovative industrial location focusing on car manufacturing and the aerospace industry and represents well-known companies such as Bombardier, Airbus, Safran, and Delta Airlines.

“Laying the cornerstone for our new site in Querétaro is a pioneering, strategic step for Diehl Aviation,” said CEO Jörg Schuler. “It allows us to emphasize our commitment to being closer to our important customers in North and Latin America and further strengthening our market position in the region. The new location not only expands our production capacities but also improves our ability to work efficiently and sustainably. We’re looking forward to contributing to the local economy with our Mexican plant and further expanding the close partnership with our customers.”

In the late 19th century, Gaspar Felix Tournachon patented the concept of using aerial photographs to compile maps. Since then, aerial imagery has proven a more effective method to mapmaking than time-consuming ground surveys. With advances in imaging technology and aeronautics, aerial photography is today widely used by mapmakers, as well as surveyors, geologists, urban planners and military strategists.

QUALITY IS KEY

Whether video is taken from an aircraft, helicopter or drone, camera quality is critical to capturing images suitable to extrapolate spatially accurate data. An aerial camera is a highly-specialized instrument that requires large pixel counts combined with a highly optimized lens to achieve low-noise, high-contrast and distortion-free images. The quality of the global shutter will also determine the usability of aerial photographs.

RUGGED & LIGHTWEGHT

Along with superior imaging, aerial cameras must be built extremely rugged. Aerial cameras are routinely exposed to severe mechanical load stress and turbulence-induced vibrations that can damage internal components or misalign optics. In the case of drones, the imaging system also needs to be very compact and lightweight to meet performance requirements for the drone’s flight range and duration.

SVS-VISTEK CAMERAS

With a diverse and easy-to-integrate line of products, SVS-Vistek has several standout cameras purpose-built for aerial imagery. At the forefront of the SVS-Vistek portfolio is the SHR Series Series of cameras with resolution options from 101.8 to 151 megapixels. Large sensors ensure a homogeneous image, while the camera’s shading correction and user-defined defect pixel correction provide outstanding linearity, consistency and low noise. Many SHR cameras feature Sony CMOS sensors with global shutters. A global shutter exposes all pixels on a sensor simultaneously. This is unlike a standard rolling shutter, which scans the sensor line by line, causing the image to change slightly as it moves.

Available with either a 10GigE and CoaXPress (CXP6 and CXP12) high-speed interface, SHR cameras are engineered for simple integration in planes, helicopters and drones with one of the smallest footprints in its class at 80 x 80 x 83 millimeters and weighing just 580 grams. To endure harsh environmental factors during flight, its rugged metal housing is built to the IP30 protection class rating. High structural precision in the housing maintains a secure hold on the camera mount, adapter and lenses during flight when subjected to heavy vibrations.

SVS-Vistek GmbH | Ferdinand-Porsche-Str. 3 | Gilching, 82205 DE

CAPTION: This drone was developed by Evolonic using a SVS-Vistek camera to detect forest fires in early stages, thus avoiding ecological and economic damage (Courtesy of Evolonic)