Paris Airshow News 06-17-15

Paris

PUBLICATIONS

Wednesday 6.17.15

Airshow News

TM

www.ainonline.com

MARK WAGNER

VOILA` PARIS!

Chalets, VIPs, blue skies and fluttering flags. All are capped by the most exciting airplanes in the world. The Paris Air Show is the only place to be.

Airbus Helicopters launches X6 heavy

by Thierry Dubois Airbus Helicopters on Tuesday unveiled the first artist rendering of the long-awaited X6 here at Paris 2015. The X6 is a new helicopter in the

heavy category that is now beginning a two-year “concept phase,” with the idea being for it to enter service in the next decade.

It will in particular target

the oil-and-gas market, with a 19-seat capacity, eventually replacing the H225 Super Puma.

Guillaume Faury, president and CEO, said the new twin helicopter will feature fly-by-wire controls. “It makes sense on a heavy helicopter, driving a lot of capabilities–it improves safety thanks to a reduced crew workload.

‘Judgment call’ kept F-35 home as Marines close in on its IOC

by Bill Carey

U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James offered a rationale for the absence of the F-35 Lightning II at the Paris Air Show this week, saying the program made a “judgment call” to hold back the fighter Continued on page 2 u as the U.S. Marine Corps moves closer

to declaring initial operating capability (IOC) of the F-35B. Speaking to an industry audience on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show’s U.S. Pavilion, James also outlined the coming Continued on page 2 u

Reconnaissance

Human Factors

Le Bourget Debuts

Langkawi Report

Regional’s Rebirth

Wi-Fi Link for Bolt-on Recce Pod

Brain Research Leads to Greater Safety

V-Tail Scorpion Packs a Sting

Fighters Flirting, Malaysia Teasing

Ruag to Restart Do 228 Production

Airborne Technologies is here with its Self-Contained Aerial Reconnaissance (SCAR) pod. With Wi-Fi links to onboard systems, it ranks as a fully self-contained unit. Page 19

In Toulouse, France, the ISAE Engineering school is making great strides in neuroergonomics for pilots. Interfacing the cockpit with the way pilots’ brains work is said to be a major safety advance. Page 20

Textron AirLand is here at the Paris show with its fully armed Scorpion light attack jet. Offering a $20 million price tag and low operating costs, Textron hopes to attract interest in the aircraft here. Page 24

Like a trio of suitors gathering at the door of a reluctant maiden, Europe’s three canard-fighter makers have lavished much expense trying to win a contract with Malaysia. Page 26

Fans of the Dornier 228 twin turboprop are celebrating the news that Swiss company Ruag announced plans to restart production of the 19-seat commuter stalwart. Page 29

Korean Air signed a memorandum of understanding to buy up to 50 A321neos at the Paris Air Show yesterday. The agreement, worth approximately $6.2 billion, includes 30 firm orders and 20 options.

The aircraft will be operated on routes across southeast Asia, capitalizing on its full-payload range of 3,000 nm.

“The A321 will bring new levels of efficiency, longer flying range and greater inflight comfort to our single aisle fleet, as well as reduced impact on the environment,” said Korean Air

chairman Cho Yang Ho. Meanwhile Japanese low-cost carrier Peach Aviation is buying three Airbus A320s. The $291 million deal is the airline’s first Airbus order, although it does currently operate 14 leased A320s. Its new aircraft will be powered by CFM engines.

Separately, Eva Air of Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding, valued at just over $1 billion, to buy A330-300s.

Like it’s existing A330s, the new twinjets will be powered by GE CF6-80 engines. o

DAVID McINTOSH

Airbus inked some neo deals as the A350XWB swooped overhead.

Airbus helicopters launches X6

tests on its Tech3000 demonstrator, in the 3,000 shp category, aimed at such 10-metric-tonplus helicopters.

Since January, the tests have taken place at both the component and module levels.

“We are especially assessing new materials for the combustor and high-pressure airfoils,” Philippe Couteaux, Turbomeca’s executive vice president for strategy and development, told AIN. The principle of a demonstrator is to bring these

by Gregory Polek Boeing fulfilled a longstanding ambition to add Irish leasing company AerCap to its 737 Max customer list here yesterday with a firm order for 100 Max 8s worth some $10.7 billion at list prices. It was the biggest order in a stack of new narrowbody business announced by the U.S. airframer on the second day of the Paris Air Show.

Including options, and based on list prices, the deals are valued at just over $20 billion.

The aircraft will be powered by CFM Leap-1B engines.

“This has been a deal that has been long in the making,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner during a morning press conference. “It’s something we wanted to get for quite some time and we were able to do it over the course of the last three months.”

China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing signed a memorandum of understanding, worth roughly $3 billion, to buy a mix of thirty 737 Next Generation and Max jets. The company, which is better known in the business aviation sector, entered

technologies to readiness level six, “to ensure we de-risk the next step–full-scale development,” he went on. uContinued from page 1 In addition to burning less fuel, Faury said the X6 will be “It [will] have very integrated able to fly longer distances than systems working together; and it the H225 and offer a more comwill enhance flight envelope profortable cabin. tection,” he said.

Customer input is being For its first civil rotorcraft with fly-by-wire controls, Airbus sought during the concept phase, Helicopters has learned lessons but some decisions have already been made, such as integrating from the military NH90 and sisfull deicing. ter company Airbus, which has such systems on all its fixedIn addition to offshore oilwing aircraft. and-gas operators, other prosFaury did not pects are expected to specify which tur­ be found in the searchbo­shaft engines the and-rescue, VIP and twin will use, but commercial air transhe hinted that port markets.

The X6 “will reach some are availthe market when the able–in the right H225 is still in producpower class–from tion,” Faury said. The both Pratt & development of a miliWhitney Canada tary version is forecast and Turbomeca. to be further away, so The latter comAirbus Helicopters’ X6 is primarily targeting the offshore oil-and-gas the H225M will conpany yesterday market with a 19-seat cabin. Turbomeca’s Tech3000 demonstrator tinue to be in demand, said it has been may be the basis for the X6’s engines. he noted. o running extensive

2 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

While Boeing’s 787-9 wowed spectators, the Max wowed Boeing’s accountants.

DAVID McINTOSH

by Charles Alcock

Lessors buy more of Max

the commercial airliner market in 2013 and now leases 30 airliners to 10 different operators around the world. The aircraft will be powered by a mix of CFM56-7B and Leap-1B turbofans.

Also from China, Ruili Airlines announced a commitment for 30 737 Maxs with the financial support of Avic International Leasing. The $3.2 billion deal is subject to approval by the Chinese government.

SMBC Aviation Capital announced an order for 10 737 Max 8s, worth around $1.1 billion. The aircraft

‘Judgment call’ kept F-35 home

will be powered by CFM’s Leap-1B engines.

Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air placed an order for a pair of 737900ERs, plus a letter of intent covering options for another 20.

The deal is worth up to $2.2 billion. They will be powered by CFM56-7B engines.

Finally, Day 2 ended with Korean Air signing a contract outlining an intent to purchase 30 Boeing 737 Max jets and two 777-300ERs. The deal also reserves options on another 20 of the new narrowbodies, increasing its potential value to $3.9 billion. o

away any of the aircraft that needed to continue that testing and training. But the F-35–it’s coming. I’m sorry it’s not here uContinued from page 1 this time.” long-range strike-bomber (LRSMeanwhile James, who was B) and T-X trainer replace- accompanied by USAF assisment programs. tant secretary for acquisition Bill The Marines expect to de- LaPlante, said the service expects clare IOC of the F-35B short to select a contractor in August takeoff, vertical landing variant or September for the LRS-B of the fighter this summer, hav- engineering and manufacturing ing recently completed a round development (EMD) phase.” of shipboard operational tests Northrop Grumman and aboard the USS the team of Boeing and Lockheed MarWasp amphibious tin are contending assault ship. for the LRS-B selecAsked why the tion. But there will fifth-generation be ample opportufighter, which fanity for subsystem mously missed last suppliers to paryear’s Farnborough ticipate in the proAirshow in the gram, James assured UK, is again a nothe audience. show, this time at The Air Force Le Bourget, James Secretary of the U.S. Air said, “We are close Force Deborah Lee James expects to release a to initial operating capabili- request for proposals (RFP) for ty for the Marines and not far the T-X trainer replacement profrom the initial operating capa- gram in the “late fall” of 2016, bility for the U.S. Air Force.

James said. The service should “The thought behind it was make a contract award within that we are kind of at the fin- eight to 12 months of issuing the ish line for the final testing RFP, LaPlante added.

It is also nearing a Milestone and training and getting all of those details in line before both A decision on the Joint Target the Marines and the Air Force Attack Radar System recapideclare IOC. It was a judgment talization program to replace call, and we decided to not take its Boeing 707-based E-8Cs. o BILL CAREY

Korean Air signs up for the A320neo club

Singapore picks France DAVID McINTOSH

by Gregory Polek

A BIG COMEBACK FOR K-MAX Launch customers for the newly reinstated Kaman K-MAX helicopter include Rotex Helicopter of Switzerland, led by CEO Rolf Spichtig, left. He is joined in celebrating the rebirth of Charles Kaman's groundbreaking helicopter design by Kaman group v-p of business development and marketing Gary Tenison, center, and K-MAX program business development director Terrence Fogarty.

France is to be the feature country for the 2016 Singapore Airshow, organizer Experia Events announced here at the Paris Air Show this week. The French pavilion for the event, which is to be staged from February 16-21 next year, will be in a prominent location in the exhibition hall. French exhibitors will have access to a dedicated “Deminar” area where they can

conduct demonstrations and seminars. They also will enjoy special access to VIP delegations.

Experia Events has sold 80 percent of its exhibit space for what will be the fifth Singapore show to be staged at the Changi Exhibition Center, boosting expectations that the size of the 2016 event will eclipse the record-setting attendance at 2014’s Singapore Airshow.

For 2016, Experia plans several new and improved exhibition zones and industry forums, including a broadened Training and Simulation Zone, which it said will address increasing demand for military training and simulation.

Another zone, dedicated to emerging technologies, offers a platform for exhibitors to showcase products and

MARK WAGNER

NEWEST AIRBUS ON THE SHOW CARPET Having made its first flight over the weekend, Airbus’s newest project, the H160, is attracting even more attention this week at the Paris Air Show. Seen here in mock-up form, it is one of the more popular displays at Le Bourget.

services in aerospace manufacturing and information technology.

Plans also call for the return of business forums, during which participants will get the chance to examine and deliberate on the latest developments and challenges in civil aviation, defense and technology.

The Aerospace Emerging Technologies Business Forum, the Training and Simulation Business Forum and the Asia Business Forum will all make their debut at next year’s show, said Experia. o

CEBU PACIFIC IS LAUNCH CUSTOMER FOR HIGH-DENSITY ATR

Above, Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Gokongwei, left, celebrates his ATR-72 order with ATR CEO Patrick de Castelbajac. Separately, the ATR CEO was joined by Per Braathens, chairman of Braathens Aviation, as they toasted yet another ATR-72 pact.

MARK WAGNER

Cebu Pacific Air of the Philippines became the launch customer for the new high-density cabin version of the ATR 72-600 yesterday with an order for 16 of the twin turboprops. In a Paris Air Show announcement, the European airframer (Chalet 343) said that the deal includes options for an additional 10 aircraft, which would take its value to $673 million.

The airline is replacing its existing fleet of ATR 72-500s, which are to be retired. The new aircraft will feature the high density Armonia cabin, with 78 slim-line seats and wider overhead bins that offer 30 percent more storage space.

Separately, Sweden-based Braathens Aviation signed a contract for 5 ATR 72-600s and options for 10 more, to replace its aging Saab 2000 fleet. Deliveries will start at the end of 2015. Finally, Air New Zealand, having received its 7th ATR-600 (pictured) here at the show yesterday, confirmed that it had ordered an additional ATR 72-600, taking its total order-tally for the type to 14.

–C.A.

www.ainonline.com • June 17, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 3

Hammer time for Hercules Sagem’s AASM (armament air-sol modulaire) rocket-boosted weapon family, also known as the Hammer, is being proposed as armament for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The weapon would be carried on a rack that fits under the wing pylon of the C-130 in a quick installation that requires no intrusive modifications.

Nor does it require integration with the aircraft’s navigation system.

Known as SSA-1101 Gerfaut, the rack system is the brainchild of the AA/ROK company, which specializes in developing advanced defense technologies. Pylon and weapons rack specialist Rafaut joined the team, supplying its AUF2 twinlauncher that is in routine use on the Mirage 2000. Sagem (Safran Group, Hall 2a 228 and 252) provides the AASM, which has been proven in combat and is a core Dassault/Rafale weapon.

SSA-1101 comprises two AUF2 racks mounted on a spar to allow the carriage of up to four Hammers on a pylon. The spar incorporates its own GPS and inertial systems to provide the necessary data to the

weapon without having to interface with the aircraft’s own systems. The only modifications required are the provision of power and a cable link to the control unit, which can be either in the cabin or flight deck.

Hammer is considered an ideal weapon for the Hercules, as the 190-knot launch speed does not provide sufficient standoff range for an unboosted weapon. The AASM has a range of around 19 miles when launched from 25,000 feet. The weapon has an accuracy of around 3.5 feet circular error probable.

Armed Hercs for Special Forces

The Gerfaut system is being considered for installation in the Armée de l’Air’s C-130s, which support special operations.

A go-ahead is expected in the next few weeks for a major refurbishment program of its 14-strong fleet, which is likely to add a fully integrated turreted electro-optical suite with laser designator. If greenlighted, this program will remove the need for any other designation device for using the laser version of Hammer, such as the Damoclès The electrically powered Skylark is launched by hand.

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

Seen in model form here at the Paris Air Show, Sagem’s Hammer rocket-boosted weapons family would be carried on wing-mounted racks under the wing pylons of a C-130 Hercules.

pod originally studied by AA/ROK. Arming the aircraft is a clearly stated wish of the special forces community, which originally favored the Raytheon Griffin munition. However, the SSA-1101/AASM combination is now also being examined.

Besides providing close air support (CAS) during special-forces operations, the system is envisioned as a means of providing emergency and temporary CAS capabilities. Current operations in Mali, where CAS is required infrequently, is a good example of where the Gerfaut-equipped C-130 could provide cover on the few

occasions when it is required, without the need to deploy fighters for long periods.

AA/ROK suggests that a formal request could be issued in about 12 months, leading to a decision to proceed around a year after that.

In the meantime, Sagem has just received an order from Egypt to provide all three AASM versions (GPS/INS, GPS/INS/imaging infrared and GPS/ INS/laser) for the 24 Rafale fighters under contract, with deliveries to start at the end of 2016. The weapon was also test-fired last year from an F-16. o

Saudi orders four C295Ws for ‘hot and severe’ climate Airbus Defence & Space (Hall Concorde 17, Static C4) announced an order from the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry for four of its C295W medium airlifters here yesterday. The Kingdom previously bought the smaller CN235 transport and A330MRTT tankers.

Airbus said the Saudi choice followed an open competition and was based on

“the aircraft’s excellent operational capabilities in hot and severe conditions, and its proven affordable maintenance and operational costs.”

The C295W version is an upgrade that Airbus announced in 2013, with optional winglets and performance upgrades to the Pratt & Whitney PW127G turboprops. –C.P.

Elbit Systems (Chalet 200) has launched a new version of its popular man-portable Skylark mini unmanned air system. The Skylark has become the standard battalion-level UAS for the Israeli Land Forces, and has accomplished many thousands of operational sorties. It has also been sold to more than 30 international customers, and has been the subject of a number of international contracts this year.

Drawing on technology developed for Elbit’s Hermes family of large UAVs, the new Skylark I-LEX introduces a number of major improvements over the current I-LE version. Air vehicle performance has been improved, and the safety features and airworthiness have been enhanced. New sensors are available and there is a secure, encrypted communication system.

Ground control has also been improved, and two Skylarks I-LEXs can be controlled simultaneously at a range of up to 25 miles. A new remote video terminal is available that provides payload control by forwarddeployed operators. Traditionally used in the “over the hill” spotting role, the Skylark can also be used for force protection, law enforcement and coastal patrol duties. Advanced algorithms derived from the Hermes family permit “fly-by-camera” and other advanced autonomous modes, in turn allowing the automatic tracking of targets. –D.D.

4 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

MARK WAGNER

Improved Skylark from Elbit draws on Hermes technology Saudi Arabia has ordered four C295W airlifters, similar to this C295 here at the Paris Air Show. The C295W features upgraded engines and winglets, the better to operate in the new customer’s severe climate.

TACTAIR WINS ARTEMIS AMERICA’S CUP RACING CONTRACT Tactair Fluid Controls has partnered with Artemis Racing to develop the hydraulic control systems for the team’s America’s Cup-class foiling AC catamaran. The New York-based company’s primary products are aircraft undercarriage controls for nosewheel steering, landing gear extension and retraction and hydromechanical brakes.

“With a solid wingsail and hydrofoils, the AC cats really blur the line between aircraft and watercraft, since the boats lift and sail above the water–effectively flying,” said team designer and sailing legend Loick Peyron. He will be speaking about Artemis Racing’s America’s Cup campaign and AC class development here at the show today at 10:30 a.m. in Hall 3 Stand A117. Peyron joined the Swedish team during the 34th America’s Cup campaign and continues in his role as a member of the design group.

–G.P.

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DAVID McINTOSH

A combination of low operating cost and ample external payload capability make the Iomax Archangel an effective armed ISR/border patrol platform. Based on an agricultural spraying aircraft, the dual-control Archangel has bolt-on armor plating for front and rear crewmembers.

UAE takes the first deliveries from Iomax Archangel order

by David Donald At the same time as the engineering development platform of the Iomax Archangel Block 3 is on display at the Paris Air Show (Static A5), the company is delivering the first production aircraft to the United Arab Emirates.

The Gulf nation has ordered 24 of the Block 3 armed ISR/border patrol aircraft (BPA), and delivery of the first of them is being undertaken on time–just seven months after contract signature.

The earlier Block 1/2 BPAs were based on the Air Tractor AT-802, but the Block 3 uses the Thrush S2R-T660 airframe, which has been modified to meet mission requirements. The production version of the Archangel differs in several key aspects from the prototype on show at Le Bourget.

The fuselage has been redesigned with a purpose-built fuel tank instead of the previous hopper-based unit, while the cockpit has been moved forward 43 inches and the nose re-profiled to create a larger windscreen, affording the pilot a much better view. The aft cockpit has been elevated to improve the view for the rear crew.

The cockpits, engine and fuel fuselage tanks can be protected with bolt-on armor plates, which can be installed or removed in a matter of minutes, while the self-sealing tanks offer Level 2 protection against ballistic threats.

Other changes include redesigned wingtips and an enlarged fin and rudder that provide greater directional stability.

The aircraft has a digital autopilot, and new throttle quadrants in both front and rear cockpits. Night vision goggle-compatible exterior lighting is fitted, including

landing/navigation lights that have an infrared capability for covert operations as well as visible light operation.

The Block 3 also has a new propeller, a scimitar-blade unit from MT-Propeller in Germany. These refinements have improved safety and reduced pilot workload as well as enhancing mission effectiveness.

Heavily Armed

Archangel is currently cleared to employ Hellfire missiles, Roketsan Cirit laser-guided rockets, and GBU-12 and GBU-58 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.

Iomax has a close relationship with the Turkish missile house, and this summer two further Roketsan weapons will be test-launched from the Archangel in the form of the UMTAS laser-guided antiarmor missile and the Teber GPS-guided bomb that was unveiled during the Paris show. Next summer Iomax plans to perform trials with the Thales FF-LMM

small precision-guided glide weapon.

In terms of sensors, Iomax has developed a multi-purpose pod that mounts an L-3 Wescam MX-15 electro-optical sensor turret, although other systems could be integrated if required. The company also plans to begin trials of a radar system soon.

The UAE was the launch customer for the first-generation Block 1/2 BPAs, and is replacing them on a one-forone basis with the Archangel Block 3.

Jordan operates six of the earlier aircraft.

Iomax’s president and CEO Ron Howard is excited about future prospects for the Archangel. “Border security has never been more important,” he said, later adding that, “We believe that there’s a greater demand than we could ever meet.”

With a low acquisition cost and a per-hour operating cost of “well below $1,000,” the Archangel BPA represents an attractive proposition for many air arms with border patrol, ISR, close support and counter-insurgency needs.

Howard noted that there were a number of requirements under consideration in which Iomax is involved, which might lead to further contracts. “Maybe before the end of the year there will be an announcement,” he added. o

Terma Selected for Archangel Terma Group has been selected by Iomax to provide its modular aircraft self-protection equipment (MASE) for the second-generation Archangel border patrol aircraft. Iomax is currently preparing the first of a new batch of Thrush-based aircraft for delivery to the United Arab Emirates.

Flight-testing of MASE is scheduled to begin this summer. Managed by Terma’s ALQ-213 electronic warfare management system, the MASE is a configurable pod that can be tailored to various mission requirements. For the UAE Archangels, the pod will house missile warning systems and countermeasures dispensers.

Meanwhile, Terma North America is welcoming a new chairman this week. On June 19, Bob Louthan will stand down due to age restrictions in the company bylaws. He is being replaced by Tom Burbage, a graduate of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School and former program manager for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. –D.D.

6 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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Specialty firm signed for Airship marketing

by Chris Pocock executive v-p Orlando Carvalho.

At a media briefing on Tuesday here at Le Bourget, Carvalho signed an agreement with Rob Binns, CEO of Hybrid Enterprises, a company created recently and staffed by veterans of the air

DAVID McINTOSH

Lockheed Martin now has an “exclusive reseller” to market its Hybrid Airship to commercial customers and has completed all the required planning for FAA certification for the aircraft, according to LM Aeronautics

Orlando Carvalho, left, executive v-p of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, has signed an agreement with Rob Binns, CEO of Hybrid Entenprises, to market Lockheed Martin’s Hybrid Airship to commercial customers. “We think it’s pretty cool,” said Binns.

cargo and logistics industries. But Carvalho confirmed to AIN that Lockheed will not build its first full-scale Hybrid Airship until a customer is secured.

“We’ve invested more than 20 years to develop the technology, prove the performance and ensure there are compelling economics for the Hybrid Airship,” Carvalho said. The work has been done at the Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, where Lockheed flew a one-thirdscale demonstrator in 2006. “We think it’s pretty cool,” said Binns.

“This is the most transforming product I have seen in all my 30 years aviation experience.”

He told AIN that the likely first customer would be an existing air cargo carrier, perhaps prompted by a requirement for remote access from the oil and gas exploration industry. But a leasing company or a start-up company might be willing to invest, he said.

The Hybrid Airship has been designed to haul 21-metric ton loads into hard-to-reach areas without any transport infrastructure. Hence the marketing tagline that Lockheed has adopted: “The Road Not Needed.”

The airship’s air cushion landing system (ACLS) is a key aspect of the Lockheed design, allowing the vehicle to land on water or unprepared fields, as well as be secured to the ground.

But it also has “the most sophisticated fly-by-wire and flight

HYBRID AIRSHIP STATISTICS Payload

21,000 kg / 47,000 lb or 19 passengers

Range

1,400 nm

Cruise speed

60 knots

Cargo bay

3 x 3 x 18 m / 10 x 10 x 60 ft

Fuel capacity

5,000 gal

Field requirements

730 m / 2,400 ft

“Green and sustainable” are qualities Lockheed Martin touts for its Hybrid Airship.

Support infrastructure is said to be stark, with no need for big investment in facilities.

control system seen on an airship to date,” Binns claimed. He also noted the modern avionics and navigation systems, adding, “It’s green and sustainable, and there’s no big investment needed in handling infrastructure. You can back a truck right up to it.”

During Lockheed’s long development journey on the Hybrid Airship, it was proposed more than once to meet

military transport and surveillance requirements. But Carvalho confirmed that Lockheed “is not currently focused” on defense applications.

The company could deliver a Hybrid Airship in 2018, he added.

AIN understands that Lockheed has calculated a cost of several hundred million dollars to build, certify and prepare the Hybrid Airship for production. o

TURKISH AEROSPACE PICKS LHTEC ENGINE FOR LIGHT UTILITY HELICOPTER Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has chosen the Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co. (LHTEC), a 50-50 partnership between Honeywell International and Rolls-Royce, to supply engines for the Turkish Light Utility Helicopter (TLUH) program.

TAI and LHTEC officials signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show and now plan further discussions around a contract for CTS800 engines for the aircraft.

Under the TLUH program, TAI will develop an indigenous five-ton, twin-engine utility helicopter, which the program partners would convert with mission equipment for Turkish military use after first gaining certification by EASA. The engine for TLUH will be the same model as those on the current T129 ATAK helicopters, with a commercialized version of the Fadec.

–G.P.

MALI SIGNS FOR SIX SUPER TUCANOS Embraer Defense and Security signed a contract here on Monday to supply six A-29 Super Tucano turboprops to the Mali air force.

Jackson Schneider, president and CEO, inked the deal with Tieman Coulibaly, Mali’s Minister of Defense. “We are adding another important customer in Africa, where several countries already operate the Super Tucano. This is a robust and versatile airplane, with proven experience in combat.” The aircraft is currently flown by ten air forces on three continents. Embraer has delivered more than 190 out of a total order book of more than 210.

–C.P.

8 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

LEASE OF FAITH Peter Barrett, left, CEO of aircraft leasing company SMBC Aviation, joins Jean-Paul Ebanga, CFM president and CEO, in celebrating a deal for $1.16 billion worth of CFM’s LEAP engines. SMBC ordered 60 Leap-1As along with an additional 20 Leap-1Bs for 10 Boeing 737 Max jetliners. The deal was announced here yesterday.

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C-130J training system has served the RAF well

by David Donald computer-based training tools.

Maintained by eight CAE staff, the system has proven to be very reliable, regularly achieving greater than 98-percent availability. Last year CAE introduced a major upgrade to the simulators using the latest Medallion-6000 visual package and common database suite that allows rapid updates and distributed training.

As operational burdens on the RAF’s C-130J fleet remain at a high level, training is increasingly being transferred into the simulator. All emergency training and check rides are carried in simulators, and various operational mission rehearsals are also undertaken in these devices.

NVG Training Capability

The simulator can be made to comply with “secret” security requirements, if required.

The system includes maritime reconnaissance and search and rescue modules, roles that are performed by the RAF’s Hercules fleet, especially in the Falkland Islands. It can be used for lowlevel NVG training as well.

Under current RAF plans, the service intends to rationalize its transport fleet to two types– the Airbus A400M and the Boeing C-17. However, it is possible that some of the 24-strong C-130J fleet may gain an extension to support special forces.

Above: CAE’s Medallion-6000 visual package draws on a common database to provide high-fidelity imagery.

Right: The C-130J Rear Cabin Trainer is a faithful reproduction of the cargo hold, complete with working systems.

In respect of the drawdown, starting in 2016 the RAF’s air mobility training and operational evaluation unit, No. 24 Squadron, will reduce its throughput of C-130J conversion training from the current output of around 12 crews per year. This will release simulator time that can be used for upgrading the ratings of current crews and can be offered for training overseas aircrew. Australian and Danish crews have already made use of the RAF’s simulators.

Currently, the squadron is organized into subordinate flights.

“A” Flight handles basic C-130J conversion, with around 90 percent performed in the simulator, while “B” Flight handles tactical air transport and special-forces training, with a 50-50 live/simulator split. “C” Flight is being established as the A400M training unit.

CAE Wins $90M In Airline Training Business CAE announced more than $90 million in new airline training contracts this week. The deals with some 30 global airlines encompasses everything from cadet pilot training to sales of flight simulators.

Multi-crew pilot training programs selected by easyJet, Air China and EVA Air will swell their first officer ranks by 120 over the next 12 months–30 each at easyJet and Air China and 60 at EVA. Under the agreements, CAE will select, assess and train the cadets at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in the UK. CAE (Chalet 56) also netted pilot type-rating agreements with Hong Kong Airlines (A320/330); Aero Contractors (Dash 8-300/400 and B737-400/500); West Atlantic (ATP, CRJ200, B737 and B767); and Braathens Regional Airlines (ATR, Avro, Saab 340 and 2000, A320 and Fokker F50).

In addition, CAE garnered four more full-flight simulator (FFS) sales. This includes three B737 FFSs to Hainan Airlines and one A350XWB FFS to an undisclosed airline.

CAE’s civil president Nick Leontidis told AIN that increasingly airlines are asking the company to establish “pilot creation programs” that deal with all aspects of flight crew training. An example of this is its “Cadet to Captain” programs.

Another trend is that CAE is establishing more joint venture training operations, such as the academy it runs with

China Eastern in Melbourne, Australia, and the simulator center it has with Japan Air Lines in Tokyo. “Joint ventures provide an anchor for the training center, because the airline has a vested interest in its success,” Leontidis commented.

“For the clients we bring operational efficiencies and best practices to the partnership.”

Here at the Paris Air Show, CAE is promoting its new 7000XR full flight simulator. “It has an enhanced lifecycle saving for customers, and is more reliable and less expensive to operate because the technology is very industrial and mainstream,” said Leontidis.

The 7000XR features an improved instructor training station, new interfaces including to mobile devices and it can be more easily adapted to specific training needs. The first unit was delivered to Middle East Airlines a few months ago and this year it will account for up to 70 percent of CAE simulator production this year.

Meanwhile, CAE promoted Dean Fisher to vice president of commercial training solutions and business development. He previously was vice president and general manager for global simulation products at the company. In his new role, Fisher is responsible for training solution sales to commercial aviation operators.

–C.T.

10 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

The RAF is creating an air mobility training center at Brize Norton, and the A400M facility has been planned to a large extent on that created for the C-130J. Hercules training is now conducted in a purpose-built building, the simulators having been transferred to Brize Norton from Lyneham in 2012 when the Hercules force moved base. For the time being, the RAF conducts C-17 maintenance training at Brize Norton, while aircrew receive simulator training with Boeing at Farnborough.

In the future it is hoped that all training will be performed at the RAF base, with C-17 training becoming “B” Flight of No. 24 Squadron. “A” Flight will then undertake all aspects of C-130J training, which will be primarily aimed at raising crew capabilities from Tier 4 (combatready strategic airlift), to Tier 3

(tactical air transport), and ultimately Tier 2+ (special forces).

As the A400M fleet builds up, the C-130J fleet will increasingly be tasked with tactical missions.

While the RAF may be running down its C-130J operations, the aircraft is still being sold around the world, and there remains an active market for simulators and training systems. As the only provider of simulators for the C-130J, CAE has supplied nearly 30 systems to date.

The bulk are in the U.S., where Air Mobility Command has nine, Air Combat/Special Operations Command has seven and the Marine Corps has four. Others have been supplied to Canada and the UK (two each), with single simulators sold to Australia, India, Italy and Kuwait. Qatar is expected to be a customer in the near future. o

DAVID McINTOSH

This year the Royal Air Force celebrated 15 years of operation of the Lockheed Martin C-130J total training system, with simulators and other tools supplied

by CAE (Chalet 56). The current contract for maintenance and support of the system ends on December 31, and CAE is currently negotiating a five-year extension that will take the system nearer to the C-130J’s planned out-of-service date of 2022.

In the meantime, the company continues to improve the system as part of its support contract, under which CAE acts as a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin (Chalet 316) as part of the overarching Hercules Integrated Operational Support program.

The RAF was the launch customer for the second-generation Hercules, receiving its first aircraft in November 1999. By that time LM’s C-130J training partner, BAE Systems (Reflectone), had already installed one dynamic mission simulator, and a second became operational a few months later. CAE acquired the BAE business in 2011.

In addition to the two linked dynamic simulators, the training system includes a fixed flight training device, a rear cabin trainer for loadmaster training and maintenance part-task trainers covering systems such as propulsion, APU and avionics. They are supported by a range of

POINT AND COUNTERPOINT If you don’t know, come to learn. If you do know, come to teach.

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IAI’s Heron now has M-19HD sensor option

HAPPY TAILS In the early days of flight, the physical shape of the vertical fin often carried the designer’s signature shape. With faster jets, that custom is long gone, but an aircraft’s tall tail is still a good place to make a distinctive mark.

by David Donald IAI is adding its high-end M-19HD payload to the options available to the Heron TP large medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV. Developed

by IAI’s Tamam division, the M-19HD is a multi-spectral, multi-sensor payload that provides day/night surveillance under all weather conditions. It offers long acquisition ranges thanks to a combination of

video tracker, and its embedded GPS/inertial measurement unit allows it to supply accurate geolocation capability.

IAI’s Heron TP has been in Israeli service for some time, known as the Eitan, and has been the subject of interest from several potential export customers. Powered by a 1,200-shp

DAVID McINTOSH

DREAM HIGH Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner, making its Paris Air Show debut this year, is showing the aerial display crowd what it’s made of. The largely composite airliner catapults into the sky with impressive ease and grace. Its flexing wings curve upward in flight. The Le Bourget show will not soon forget the 787-9’s first performance.

GE, LUFTHANSA SIGN MoU FOR NEW ENGINE-OVERHAUL JOINT VENTURE Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed Monday evening in Paris, Lufthansa Technik AG and GE Aviation agreed to create a new engine overhaul facility in Europe to service GEnx-2B and GE9X engines. Closing of the new joint venture, which is expected to be operational in 2018, is subject to “receipt of required regulatory approvals,” the companies said.

The new joint venture will be equipped to perform the full range of engine maintenance services for the GEnx-2B and the GE9X, powering the Boeing 747-8 and Boeing 777X, respectively. The partners will continue to collaborate on repair development and mobile support services.

–C.T.

Pictured signing a memorandum of understanding here in Paris are (left to right): GE Aviation Services president and CEO Kevin McAllister, GE Aviation president and CEO David Joyce, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohra and Lufthansa Technik chairman of the executive board Johannes Bussmann.

BrightNite gives utility ops an edge Elbit Systems (Chalet 200, Static A8) launched a new system that provides increased levels of situational awareness to helicopter crews flying in a degraded visual environment (DVE). Called BrightNite, the system is aimed primarily at utility transport helicopters to provide their crews with the kind of DVE-piloting capabilities that are enjoyed by crews of attack helicopters.

According to U.S. Army Aviation figures, around onefifth of Class A and B mishaps experienced in recent years have been attributable to spatial

disorientation or loss of situational awareness in a degraded visual environment. Flying helicopters tactically at low level is already a high-workload mission due to terrain, power lines and other obstructions, as well as hostile action.

Adding the dangers of DVE– complete darkness, poor weather, brown-out, white-out and sandstorms–dramatically increases that workload. Traditionally, the only aid available has been lightintensifying night vision goggles.

BrightNite is a lightweight and cost-effective system that aims to enable intuitive head-up,

12 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

eyes-out flight in pitch darkness and other DVE conditions.

It comprises non-gimballed

high-powered sensors, high levels of stabilization and image processing capabilities.

Measuring 27.3 inches in height and 22.6 inches in diameter, the M-19HD can accommodate up to seven sensors. Options include zoom and spotter high-definition day cameras, high-definition infared zoom camera, shortwave infrared camera and electron-multiplied charged couple device (EMCCD) camera.

Laser options include designator, range-finder, pointer and near-infrared illuminator.

Designed to operate in a range of severe environmental conditions, the M-19HD is applicable to a number of platforms, such as HALE/MALE UAVs, aerostats, helicopters and maritime vessels. It incorporates an automatic multi-mode un­ cooled FLIR and complementary metal-oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) sensors that provide a panoramic image that is projected on to an ANVIS/ HUD helmet-mounted display.

The large M-19HD turret can now be carried under the belly of the Heron TP. It increases the mission options of the UA to include all weather conditions.

Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67, the UAV can carry a number of sensors, typically including an electro-optical turret such as that on the M-19HD, synthetic aperture radar and signals/electronic intelligence systems. It offers a 36-hour endurance at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. o This image display is overlaid with a synthetic layer that follows terrain contours, and a third layer of 3-D conformal symbology that presents mission information, highlights hazards and provides tactical data with zero latency.

According to the company, multiple crewmembers can simultaneously scan the entire field of regard with the same system. Elbit claims that BrightNite will allow utility helicopter crews to fly in more than 90 percent of night conditions.

–D.D.

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Barco buy boosts CMC’s product line

by Curt Epstein Earlier this year, Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) bought the aerospace-and-defense division of fellow avionics system supplier Barco. Esterline is here in Paris to show off its full line of

products, which now includes the former Barco avionics displays as well as its training-and-simulation business. As part of the integration of the two companies, all display-related capabilities are

being consolidated into a display-solutions group, which will include engineering, product management and program management for all of Belgium-based Barco’s avionics products as well Esterline CMC Electronics provides the Cockpit 9000 system as an upgrade for C-130 military transport aircraft

as CMC’s own line of custom electronics displays and systems.

“CMC is now the number one independent supplier of highquality avionics displays,” said company president Greg Yeldon.

The new display-solutions group will offer modules and control assemblies, video displays and smart displays as well as avionics and associated software and application services for commercial and defense markets.

“We’re an avionics solutions provider and [with this acquisition] we have a more complete tool-kit to provide solutions and products to customers,” Yeldon told AIN. “We’ve also picked up a position in the market for training and simulation systems, which is a newer market for us. Overall, we have a very complementary customer base.”

C-130 Upgrades

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14 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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Here at the show, CMC is highlighting its Cockpit 9000 CNS/ATM (communication, navigation surveillance/air traffic management) upgrade for legacy C-130s and other transports.

According to the company, it can extend the life of a 20- to 40-year-old aircraft by another 30 years. Visitors to the company’s stand (Hall 5 D250), can see a mockup of the integrated, digital cockpit, which is built around the company’s latest-generation CMA-9000 Flight Management System combined with a highintegrity GPS landing system.

Cockpit 9000 will provide full compliance with published international CNS/ATM navigational mandates and also accommodate growth of future “NextGen” provisions such as: automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) out; elementary surveillance/enhanced surveillance (ELS/EHSD); precision area navigation (P-RNAV); required navigation performance (RNP) 0.3 and RNP-10; localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV); and also controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC or Data Comm) capabilities. o

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MORE TO BELIEVE IN

Airbus steps up its greening effort

by Caroline Bruneau Environmental issues such as reducing carbon emissions and preparing for air transport growth are a hot trend in the aviation industry, especially now, six months ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held here in Paris in December.

The main goal of the conference is to limit carbon emissions to neutral growth beginning in 2020, as well as to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005. Since 2009, the goal in aviation has been to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent a year, a rate that has been sustained, so far. Worldwide air traffic managed a 2.9-percent fuel efficiency improvement since 2009 despite slight growth in volume, according to Airbus.

New Airbus designs are all targeting eco-performance– which also translates to increased benefits for the airlines: the A350 XWB promises 25 percent less in emissions compared to the A340: and the A320neo should bring 20 percent CO2 savings per seat starting in 2020. Meanwhile, the A380 already burns 40 percent less fuel per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft.

In order to display its accomplishments and upcoming advancements, Airbus brought together airlines, suppliers and journalists in Toulouse on May 21 to celebrate its innovations in protecting the environment. The speakers conceded that reducing consumption and becoming environmentally conscious would not have come about so fast without the carbon tax and the Clean Sky project launched in 2008 by the European commission. But the first results are already bearing fruit. “We are the only industry to voluntarily

decide to reduce our emissions.

We are a global industry and need to act globally,” said Chris Buckley, Airbus executive v-p for customer affairs.

To reach that ambitious goal, Airbus has gathered small- and medium-size companies in the Aerospace Valley in the southwest of France to develop conjoined programs along with bigger suppliers, such as RollsRoyce. With customers British Airways, KLM and Cathay Pacific, who all came to Toulouse to present their own projects to help win the challenge, Airbus launched its Sustainable Aviation Program to help them work on CO2 and noise reductions.

Green Game Plan

From design to retirement, the life cycle of an airplane’s emissions is undergoing improvement.

Bob Lange, head of market and product strategy at Airbus, described the main focuses that should drive the industry forward: technological improvements, infrastructure and air traffic management, aircraft operations and sustainable fuels.

These subjects are also heavily researched by the airlines themselves.

If reducing CO2 emissions is the main quantifiable target, noise is second on the list.

Then there is reducing and reusing materials. Airbus spends €2 billion a year ($2.2 billion) in R&D–but there are also a lot of savings that result: for example, in order to reduce carbon emissions per passenger, it is easier (and more profitable) to put more seats in the cabin than to develop a new engine. This is the solution currently being tested with the new A350 and the new A380 11-seat-row configuration

presented by Airbus during the Aircraft Interiors exhibition in Hamburg last April.

The airlines have been trying to keep up with the trend. KLM is partnered with Airbus working on new ecological fuel within the ITAKA project. But biofuel must be shown not to negatively affect the earth and its food supply. It must also be shown to be sustainable.

British Airways is targeting the “perfect flight,” a more efficient way to fly en route and during the departure and approach phases, helping reduce fuel burn and noise. A new steeper arrival procedure of 3.2 degrees delivers a 1-dB benefit for residents who live near airports, while a more extreme 4-degree approach during the first segment of the approach offers up to a 3-dB noise reduction to airport neighbors. British Airways is also looking at biofuel and is the only airline that has published target numbers: BA aspires to 3 percent biofuel consumption in 2030 and 24 percent in 2050.

As for Cathay Pacific, its research is impacted by the special topography of the crowded Hong-Kong islands: real estate values versus airport expansion has provoked heavy debates between the needs of the airline, a huge factor of the local economy, and residents’ quality of life. Waste is also becoming a problem on the tiny piece of land, and Cathay is now trying to produce fuel from the waste while working on the noise footprint of its aircraft on the airport area.

Airbus executive v-p of engineering Charles Champion said the company is now focused on its new programs, but tries to anticipate future trends, one

of them being the incremental innovation from existing platforms, such as the A321neo, which should yield a 23 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

Airbus also is developing the eFan, an electric aircraft that could help it learn more about hybrid propulsion, which could help save up to 25 percent in fuel consumption.

Every Bit Helps

In the mid-term, Airbus plans to test a contrarotating open-rotor design together with Rolls-Royce, potentially offering a 20-percent fuel-burn reduction. A flight-test demonstrator should be available in 2020. Green taxiing, developed

by Safran and Honeywell, is already offering 4-percent fuelburn reduction and up to 75 percent CO2 and NOx reduction.

New designs will help too: riblets aid laminar flow, and will be implemented and tested this year. A full-scale demonstrator will be built starting in 2016.

Nanotechnologies are also being researched along with additive layer manufacturing, (3-D printing), which is already being used.

It reduces material waste from 95 percent to 5 percent and

TWO FRENCH ENGINEERING SCHOOLS ISAE SupAéro and ISAE Ensica, two well-known engineering schools in the French aerospace industry, are now completing a merger process.

Based at different places in Toulouse, they used to have different competitive exams. “The industry has told us there was no longer a case for two different syllabi or two campuses,” ISAE CEO Olivier Lesbre said.

Therefore, starting this year, a single exam will help choose a total of 180 students. The Ensica name and campus will disappear. The ISAESupAéro campus in Toulouse is thus being refurbished and expanded.

The ISAE group includes another three schools–Estaca, Ensma and Ecole de l’Air. Nowadays, SupAéro students are encouraged to choose subjects such as onboard systems and production, rather than aerodynamics. The industry is expected to need the systems skills over the coming years for upgrading existing models and increasing output.

Aerodynamics would be in demand if the airframers were planning to launch clean-sheet designs.

–T.D.

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weight up to 50 percent. Airbus A350 brackets are already being manufactured using this new technique.

Here at the Paris Air Show, Airbus is displaying three largescale demonstrators of the CleanSky2 project, built at a cost of €1.6 billion. The study, half funded by Europe, aims to explore engine and aircraft configuration, innovative physical integration and cabin structure, and the next generation of electric aircraft, cockpits and avionics. The idea is now to gather the whole industry to achieve its target of reducing aviation’s impact on environment.

But these very ambitious targets need to face the realities of flying. As experimental test pilot Franck Chapman said during the visit to see the new A350 cockpit at the Airbus factory, “The steeper approach [as studied by British Airways] is a way to manage the fuel issue, but it is very complicated.” The aircraft will arrive sooner, burning less fuel in the process, but if the airport is crowded, then a go-around is more likely with the steep approach. “To save 30 kilograms of fuel, we may burn a ton,” the pilot explained. o

Self-contained recce pod works with a Wi-Fi link

by Chris Pocock

PHOTOS: AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGIES

Hanging a new pod underneath a military aircraft is a favorite trick of exhibitors at shows like Paris. But they seldom explain that the pod is not yet integrated with the aircraft in question–a process that will be costly. However, at this Paris Air Show you may see the Airborne Technologies Self-Contained Aerial Reconnaissance (SCAR) pod beneath a variety of aircraft–ready to perform.

Airborne Technologies (Static B4) is a young, innovative Austrian company that is making a name as an integrator and turnkey provider of surveillance systems on low-cost platforms such as the Pilatus PC-6 and the Tecnam MultiMission Aircraft (MMA). It unveiled the SCAR pod at last year’s Singapore Air Show and has claimed three custom-

need for data cabling connections to the aircraft thanks to the secure Wi-Fi system. (Customers can alternatively run the pod from the aircraft’s power system, via a 28V DC connection.)

The onboard crew can even operate the sensor with a tablet or laptop, so that no console need be installed.

Alternatively, the sensor can be remotely controlled from a ground station via a high-definition line-of-sight data link. The ground station can be a van or pickup truck containing all the antennas and two workstations. There is also a satellite uplink option from the pod.

The SCAR pod is particularly suitable for helicopters and UAVs, where payload space is limited and weight or power supply can be critical, according to George DeCock, international sensors and missions manager for Airborne Technologies.

If the pod is not needed for certain missions, it can simply be removed, DeCock noted. Fitting or removal takes 15 minutes–compared to the 60 days’ downtime that an operator must allow for a typical fixed-sensor instalResponding to interest from Mil Mi-8/17 operators, Airborne lation. “We can install the Technologies has adapted its SCAR pod to fit the Russian common sensor fit and then ship to launchers on those rotary-wing types. The pod is powered by a battery the customer,” he added. pack and communicates with the host aircraft or helicopter by Wi-Fi. It He also described a miscan also be fitted to helicopters, such as this Gazelle, below. sion scenario for a small aircraft where two pods might be carried, one under each wing–one containing a video sensor and the other a radar.

Using Airborne Technologies’ own mission management system, sensor operators are presented with a moving map/augmented reality system that can be overlaid on the EO/ ers already, according to sales director IR video. “The operation is intuitive via Marcus Gurtner. “Thanks to the minia- touchscreen menus,” DeCock claimed. turization of sensors, the development The company is offering a detachable disof Wi-Fi technology and today’s battery play and control module for the Pilatus packs, the SCAR pod needs only a hard- PC-9/21 series that can be bolt-mountpoint. It is plug and fly–surveillance out ed over the instrument panel in the rear of the box,” he said. cockpit, leaving it undisturbed. The The pod is made of carbon fiber SCAR pod was recently fitted to a Sloand comes in two sizes to accommo- venian air force PC-9 and demonstrated date either 10-, 15-, or 20-inch EO/IR during the NATO Adriatic Strike closesensor gimbals. Up to 160 kilos of mis- air-support exercise. sion equipment can be fitted; other pos“I foresee that we have a three-tosible payloads include electronic warfare, five-year lead in the market, before our SIGINT or hyperspectral survey systems. solution becomes a standard for many The pod can be adapted to carry a ISR missions,” said Gurtner recently. small 360-degree surveillance radar, “By that time, we expect to have implesuch as the Thales I-Master. It really is mented more innovative ideas that we self-contained with the pod’s own bat- have on the drawing board at present,” tery pack lasting up to 10 hours, and no he added. o

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www.ainonline.com • June 17, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 19

Brain research is a key to safer future flight

by Thierry Dubois A research laboratory in Toulouse, part of the ISAE SupAéro engineering school, funded by insurance firm Axa, is making strides in neuroergonomics for pilots. As the word suggests, the goal is to adapt the flight deck to the way the human brain works best, using the latest in neuroscience.

“At stake is resolving the old debate about whether the crew or the aircraft’s design caused an accident. We know enough now to create strategies for the aircraft to help the pilot,” Godefroy Beauvallet, head of the Axa research fund, said when AIN visited the laboratory in March.

Axa has granted a chair to SupAéro’s professor Frédéric Dehais after his team won a tender. The investment so far amounts to €1 million and the team’s headcount is hoped to grow from 15 to 30, as the partnership extends over 20 years and funding increases.

At the center of the study are two categories of accidents– loss of control in flight (LOC-I) and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT)–where human factors account for 80 percent of the problem, according to Mickaël Causse, SupAéro associate professor.

In these instances, the crew persists in implementing an irrational decision despite alarms.

An example is the fatal Aeroperú crash in 1996, when an incomplete maintenance procedure left airspeed and static pressure probes blocked. After takeoff, the crew argued, focused on altitude and speed but never arrived at the right procedure.

Attention Tunneling

Lack of mental flexibility and attention tunneling can be found in the behavior of otherwiseproficient pilots. Such behavior, caused by intense stress, can be characterized as “pathologic” because brain lesions can have the same consequences, Dehais noted. Both stress and lesions can impair cognitive abilities.

Today’s flight decks cannot help the crew in such predicaments, but it is hoped that this will change. Dehais’s team is gathering the strengths of neuroscience, human-factors developments, signal processing and computer science to understand “neural mechanisms.”

The researchers measure how well or poorly pilots make decisions under stress in laboratories ranging from an fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)scanner, where exhaustive data can be collected, to a light aircraft cockpit in flight. The latter, while more realistic, has limited room for accommodating equipment. Occupying the middle ground is a full-motion simulator developed in-house.

Emotions vs Rational Thinking

Dehais is keen on researching how emotions, as opposed to rational thinking, influence decisionmaking. For instance, a pilot feels pressure not to abort an approach when so close to the destination. He might be under pressure, such as wanting to avoid a delay or having to face questioning if he goes around.

This is called “hot reasoning.”

Dehais and Causse have found a way to reproduce the negative emotional consequences associated with the go-around maneuver. Pilots in the simulator were hooked up to an fMRI scanner.

Their decisionmaking during a landing sequence had to take various risks into account. Pilots were offered a monetary incentive for every successful landing, while go-arounds were systematically punished with a financial penalty.

Most pilots clearly made conservative choices when the incentive was nil and riskier ones when it was significant. “Money creates a very basic emotion, comparable to an attraction to food or sex,” Dehais said. fMRI measurements showed higher pre-frontal cortex activity for the conservative courses of action but lower for the risky ones, attributed to being overwhelmed by emotion. The prefrontal cortex area of the brain is where rational decisionmaking takes place. In extreme–but real– instances of incapacitating stress, the pre-frontal area may virtually shut down, said Causse.

A mystery in a number or accidents has been how a crew could ignore an aural alarm.

When on final approach to Megève Airport, in the French Alps in 2009, a pilot and his instructor in a light piston single were preoccupied by runway traffic. They did not react to the alarm signaling their

20 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy enables a better understanding of brain activity. The pre-frontal cortex is where rational decisionmaking takes place and, now, researchers have linked brain-activity study to pilot tasks performed in a simulator.

landing gear was not extended.

They landed with the gear up despite the loud, intrusive alarm (this incident was recorded and can be viewed and heard on YouTube: (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=5McECUtM8fw).

Dehais re-created such “deafness” in an experiment on the ground. Again, pilots in the test had to make a decision about landing, with various levels of difficulty with the most difficult situation involving a strong crosswind. The researcher had an alarm sounding during the simulated approach. In 30 percent of the most difficult cases, the pilots did not hear the alarms.

Visual Trumps Aural

Looking for answers, the researchers used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure how active the brain’s area for aural stimuli had been. For those pilots who had not reacted to the alarm, it was inactive. “In 0.1 second, the visual channel can shut down the aural one,” Dehais commented.

What could be seen as an incomprehensible attitude is probably the legacy of a primitive predator/prey survival conduct. At least, researchers now understand that more elaborate alarms will not help. EEG equipment is planned to be

installed in a SupAéro-owned DR400 four-seat aircraft for further studies, once the researchers have solved the problem of electromagnetic interference.

Researchers also are considering several solutions to this situational deafness. One idea is to create an alarm that calls the pilot’s first name–the last remaining auditory stimulus the brain accepts before complete deafness. Another would be to remove the information the pilot is fixating on and replace it with more relevant guidance. This could happen when the flight computers perceive the pilot does not react to an alarm.

A very short video loop could pop up, with an avatar performing the required action. For example, in a stall, a pilot’s intuition can command him to pull back the stick, which has happened in some accidents, such as the AF447 (the Airbus A330 lost in the Atlantic). Of course, the correct reaction is to push. Seeing the avatar pushing the stick will activate the pilot’s “mirror neurons,” which tend to direct the person to imitate what his eyes are seeing. Tests have proven that a pilot’s reaction is faster when shown the avatar.

Awareness of the pilot’s mental workload is another important area for progress.

A wearable sensor allowed Dehais and his team to measure the amount of oxygen in the pre-frontal cortex. The technology–functional nearinfrared spectroscopy–yields a representation of the cortex’s activity. Computers in future cockpits could interface with the brain sensors. Aware of the pilot’s high mental workload, the computer could remove nonessential information from the panel displays.

In the event that cockpit designers want to avoid requiring the pilot to wear sensors, so they could rely on seat-integrated heart-beat sensing, at least to gauge emotional status. At times of high stress, the system would also use eye tracking to direct essential information to where the pilot is looking.

A lot of effort is going into alleviating the pilot workload.

However, the level of activity should not be too low either.

Tests have shown pilots can be easily distracted, especially via the aural channel, if his workload is too light. Ideally, the level of concentration required should be medium. o

A DIVERSE PAIR FROM AIRBUS

MARK WAGNER

Both are large, and both carry a lot. But the A350 widebody airliner in the foreground uses turbofan engines to transport people. The A400M military transport peeling skyward in the background is made for lifting heavy metal and fully equipped combat troops.

While most targeting systems use geographical coordinates, Rafael’s Pixel Revolution concept locates and designates targets with reference to the pixels on a display. The weapons then “see” and track the target.

Rafael Pixel Revolution tech ‘visually’ guides its weapons

by Chris Pocock

MARK WAGNER

Sensor-to-shooter is one of those buzz phrases that means different things to different people in the defense business. Here at the Paris Air Show, Rafael (Static A8) is offering a graphic demonstration of the concept as seen by the Israeli sensor and missile house. Leveraging its expertise in electro-optics (EO), the interactive 3-D display is labelled “The Pixel Revolution.”

“Usually, the sensor-to-shooter process is enabled by the transfer of geographic coordinates,” explained Oron Oriol, Raf­ ael’s executive vice president of marketing. “That can work–but not if your GPS is being jammed. Most of our weapons have an EO sensor, and we provide the most advanced technology for imaging the battlefield, through our Litening and

22 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Reccelite pods. “Through our advanced image processing, we locate and designate the target within individual pixels.

Our weapons then recognize the pixel and guide accordingly,” he told AIN. Rafael claims that the scene-matching algorithms within the memory of weapons are unique. The company has named its high-resolution common visual language “the Match Guide.”

It provides a common operational picture across command and control networks, sensors and shooters to within a few pixels. It ensures the fast and effective neutralization of time-critical targets, the company claims.

Visitors to the Rafael display will be able to identify targets on a touchscreen display built from Reccelite imagery. Then they can designate it for attack by an appropriate weapon from the company’s stable–likely a Spike missile or a Spice “smart” bomb.

At this year’s show, Rafael is unveiling new versions of the best-selling Litening navigation and targeting pod and the Reccelite reconnaissance sensor that is packaged in the same size pod.

Compared with the preceding Litening IV that the company first showed here in 2011, Litening V offers a new 1k infrared sensor plus a short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensor which, together, provide better resolution at longer range. Rafael has now produced more than 1,500 Litening pods and these have been fitted to more than 20 aircraft operated by nearly 30 countries.

Reccelite is now a four-waveband sensor in the latest XR version, with SWIR added to color, near IR and mediumwave IR. “We have also changed the optics to give the same quality of image at narrow fields of view, with good exposure,” explained Oriol.

This is the fourth version of this reconnaissance sensor, which has been sold to air forces in Europe, South America and India. It comes complete with its own image exploitation station on the ground, which is named Imilite. o

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The clean-sheet Scorpion is here at Paris, and Textron is “seeing interest” in the low-cost attack jet. The conforming prototype will have trailing-link landing gear and trimmable tail.

Textron AirLand’s Scorpion makes its Le Bourget debut

With an increasing accent on delivering effects with minimal collateral damage, and at lower acquisition and operational cost, interest is growing for ever-smaller precision weapons. One of the leaders in the field is the Weapon & Sensor Systems business of Textron Systems, which is developing two weapons that are expected to be the first members of a growing family.

The smallest of the two is the Fury glide weapon that weighs just 12.5 pounds, allowing its carriage by a range of unmanned aerial and manned aircraft.

It employs semi-active laser and selective availability anti-spoofing module GPS guidance, as well as tri-mode fusing that can be programmed to provide maximum effect against various target sets. At present, the fusing has to be programmed on the ground, but in the future a mid-air programming function is planned.

Three Fury weapons can be carried on a rack that fits on to a standard Hellfire launcher, allowing multiple weapons to be carried by platforms such as the Predator/Reaper and AT-6 Wolverine light attack platform. It has been successfully launched in demonstrations from the Shadow 200 and Shadow M2 UAVs, and

another demonstration will take place this summer against a moving target.

A larger weapon under development is the G-CLAW, which builds on the clean area weapon (CLAW) blast-fragmentation unitary area munition by adding guidance capability. The 50-pound weapon has a 20-pound warhead that packs a powerful punch after detonation by a height-of-burst fuse.

G-CLAW can be carried on racks for both internal and external carriage, such as a four-weapon rack under the wing of the Scorpion light jet. Alternatively, it is sized for the common launch tube (CLT) that has been adopted by U.S. Special Operations Command for a variety of platforms. The CLT allows munitions to be ejected into the airflow from within the aircraft or from a weapons bay.

In the CLT application the G-CLAW ejects backwards from the tube before righting itself and gliding to the target.

This has already been demonstrated with a drop from a Cessna Caravan. Rack launch has been performed from an AT-6.

These initial tests were performed with GPS guidance only, but later this summer G-CLAW will be demonstrated with the semi-active laser guidance as well. –D.D.

by Bill Carey The Scorpion light attack jet is making its Paris Air Show debut as manufacturer Textron AirLand further explores the European market for its clean-sheet design. Attendees can view the tandem cockpit twinjet in fully armed configuration at the A4 static display area.

Textron AirLand exhibited the Scorpion last summer at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford, UK, and at the Farnborough International Airshow. The jet arrived in Paris on June 9 after completing its second transatlantic flight since it first flew in December 2013.

It will be displayed at Le Bourget through Thursday, then make a second appearance at RIAT, which this year takes place from July 17 to 19.

The joint venture of Textron’s Cessna Aircraft subsidiary and AirLand Enterprises said it will demonstrate the Scorpion to “multiple European air forces,” which it declined to identify, while the twinjet r­ emains in Europe. It is emphasizing the Scorpion’s multi-mission

capabilities, ranging from strike to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as the $20 million acquisition price and $3,000 per hour operating costs.

“We’re seeing interest…on every continent,” Dale Tutt, Scorpion program chief engineer, told AIN. “The affordability and the hourly operating costs are an appealing value proposition.”

Textron AirLand is completing design work and planning to build a new production-conforming a­ ircraft at Textron’s “glasshouse” rapid prototyping facility in Wichita. The second prototype will incorporate modifications to the original Scorpion including a trailinglink main landing gear and fully trim­ mable horizontal tails.

The venture is pleased with its original choice of the Honeywell TFE731 turbofan and will stay with that engine, although the Scorpion is designed to accommodate others. “It would take a major issue, a major concern, at this point to move away from that [powerplant],”

G-CLAW (left) can be carried on four-round racks by the Textron AirLand Scorpion. Three Fury weapons can be carried on a rack that fits on a Hellfire launcher, as seen under the AT-6 Wolverine (right).

Tutt said. First flight of the productionconforming aircraft is planned in 2016.

Here at the Paris Air Show, the Scorpion on display is configured with nose and payload bay sensors and various weapons on all six wing stations to demonstrate its versatility. “We want to be able to show the fact that it’s multi-spectral, and also show the tactical interfaces to both pilots,” said Tutt.

Weapon systems on display will include

Raytheon AGM-176 Griffin, MBDA Brimstone and Lockheed Martin Hellfire and JAGM missiles; Raytheon’s Enhanced Paveway IV laser-guided bomb; plus Textron Systems’ G-CLAW guided glide munition and FN Herstal 50 caliber gun.

Sensors include the FLIR Systems Star Safire 380-HD and L-3 Wescam MX-15 imaging turrets, and Thales I-Master synthetic aperture radar and ground movingtarget indicator. o

NEWS NOTE The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified Sikorsky’s “Rig Approach” option for the S-92 medium twin helicopter, a system that enables automated approach to offshore oil platforms.

It is essentially a software upgrade, AIN understands, and can be retrofitted to in-service S-92s. Sikorsky thus hopes the functionality will be adopted in the North Sea. “We have used Rig Approach for offshore flights for more than a year and a half and we are seeing clear results; this is truly a breakthrough in offshore safety and reliability,” said PHI president and COO Lance Bosflug.

Sikorsky developed the option in collaboration with S-92 operator PHI and the FAA certified it in May 2013. At the time, Sikorsky said the workload is reduced from 17 pilot-initiated items to only seven. ­–T.D.

24 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

A MOSSIE FOR THE COMMON MAN A newly-restored, original de Havilland Mosquito just out of a year-long restoration in New Zealand is worth millions. But this 75-percentsize facsimile is arguably as much fun to fly­ –and far more affordable.

DAVID McINTOSH

PHOTOS: DAVID McINTOSH

PRECISION ATTACK GETS SMALLER, SMARTER AND PUNCHIER

TWIN OTTER

GUARDIAN 400

PHOTOS: CHRIS POCOCK

A French air force Rafale takes off to display at the Langkawi airshow in Malaysia last March, in support of a bid to sell the French jet there.

Fighters keep flirting; Malaysia keeps teasing

by Chris Pocock At the ILA Berlin Airshow three years ago, the head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) publicly bemoaned the fact that the continent’s prime aerospace companies were engaged in damaging and wasteful competition to export three rival fighters. That nothing has changed was quite evident at the recent Langkawi International Marine and Aerospace (LIMA) airshow and exhibition in Malaysia. Dassault, Eurofighter and Saab were again scrapping to secure an order–from a country that hasn’t even allocated funding for the purchase and could buy American or Russian warplanes if and when it does.

Malaysian officials have been talking about a new multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) for the past five years. The first priority of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) was supposedly to replace the MiG29s that were acquired 20 years ago. Based at Kuantan on the country’s east coast, 18 aircraft served in two squadrons originally, but two crashed and half of the remaining fleet has been grounded and cannibalized to keep the remainder flying.

The RMAF also operates one squadron of eight Boeing F/A-18D Hornets acquired in 1997, a squadron of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKMs acquired in 2007 and a squadron of 18 BAE Hawks that have a primary combat, rather than training, role. A squadron of elderly Northrop F-5E/Fs has been retired.

In March 2013, at considerable expense, the air forces of France, Sweden and the UK all dispatched operational versions of their respective Euro-canards to the LIMA show–the Rafale, Gripen and Typhoon. Boeing sponsored the appearance of two U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, and presumably also the cost of getting them there by refueling from an Omega Air KDC-10 tanker. Moscow sent the

Russian Knights aerobatic team of five Su-27 Flankers, eyeing the possibility that the RMAF might opt to buy more Su-30s to meet the MRCA requirement.

All this made for a great airshow on an otherwise sleepy island that was developed for tourism by Malaysia’s energetic former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed. But no choice of a new fighter was forthcoming.

The federal government in Kuala Lumpur allocates funding for big-ticket items in fiveyear development plans, and the MRCA was not in the current

plan. Moreover, some informed observers–and at least one senior RMAF officer that spoke to AIN–believe that the air force should prioritize spending on an airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and more maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). Besides, just how many different fighter types should a country like Malaysia seek to operate?

Crowded Field at LIMA 2015

Despite this, and attracted by a Malaysian request for information on possible lease options for the MRCA rather than a purchase, the fighter marketing circus returned to LIMA in March 2015. The French air force sent two Rafales from their now-permanent deployment at Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE. One of the French jets flew each day during the show.

Meanwhile, Saab arranged for the Thai air force to send one of its Gripens for the static park.

The U.S. Navy flew in Boeing two Super Hornets from its nearby aircraft carrier for static display. Eurofighter did not bring hardware, but the full-scale model was shipped in and reassembled in a prime position just outside the entrance to LIMA’s big exhibition hall. The Russians also didn’t send jets this time, but an RMAF Sukhoi Su-30 pilot put on a great display.

Top brass and government officials supported the marketers from the aerospace companies. For instance, the UK sent defense procurement minister Philip Dunne, Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshall Sir Andrew Pulford and Sir Glenn Torpy, one of Pulford’s predecessors as RAF chief and now the senior military advisor to BAE Systems.

The British company has the lead on marketing the four-nation Eurofighter in Malaysia.

French air force chief General Denis Mercier was also present.

Pulford, Mercier and other senior visiting airmen were obliged to sit through a long opening session of the Air Chiefs Conference put on by the show organizers.

Above: Malaysian show-goers inspect the cockpit of the full-scale Eurofighter model at the LIMA show. The big weapon in front is the Saab Rbs-15F anti-ship missile: Malaysia is reported to be particularly interested in that capability.

Above right: A model of the Super Hornet in RMAF markings on the Boeing stand at LIMA. Right: Saab encouraged the Thai air force to bring one of its Gripens to LIMA.

26 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Left: If and when Malaysia finally decides to buy a Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA), these will be the key decision-makers: Defense Minister Hishammuddin (left) and Air Force chief Gen Roslan (right).

Right: Top government officials turned out at LIMA to support rival candidates for the MRCA requirement. This is British defense procurement minister Philip Dunne being interviewed for a Malaysian television channel.

Meanwhile, Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein and RMAF commander General Roslan Saad toured the show, but made no commitments about the MRCA. In his public comments, Hishammuddin stressed the threat to Malaysia from terrorism and piracy–hardly the prime mission areas for a new combat aircraft.

Options Aplenty

Unlike his predecessor General Rodzali, General Roslan did not seem so insistent that the MiG-29s must be replaced.

He told AIN that they were still flying in one squadron and that, although spares were expensive, no out-of-service date had been fixed.

“We’re talking to RAC MiG about that,” Roslan added.

Indeed, the MiG company had a stand at LIMA 2015 where it was displaying a proposed service-life extension and upgrade to the RMAF’s MiG-29s.

To give them credit, Hishammuddin, Roslan and other top Malaysian officers and government officials spent the whole week at the show, even the public days, and must have made contact with most of the exhibitors.

Regarding the MRCA, they would not have lacked for advice.

“It’s important that air forces understand the cost of their desires,” Knut Ovrebo, Saab’s chief engineer for future air systems, told attendees at the Air Chiefs Conference. The Swedish company is proposing a package that would include the EriEye AEW/MPA system on a Saab 2000 turboprop twin, as well as the Gripen, thus meeting three RMAF requirements.

“We provided a similar package to Thailand, and they are very happy with it,” a Saab manager told AIN at LIMA. “That package included tactical datalinks and naval and land-based C4I, so the Thais now have some sophisticated data fusion. Not many nations have that,” he added.

“A new fighter is an acquisition for the next 30 years, and over that period sustainment will be 70 percent of the total outlay,” a Boeing official told AIN. He claimed that Boeing had a significant advantage here, with the F-18D already in the RMAF inventory. “There’s a common network of suppliers between the Hornet and the Super Hornet, common support equipment, as well as aircrew, training and maintenance synergies,” he added.

Sir Glenn Torpy described the Typhoon’s combat record over Libya and its role as the defender of British airspace.

He was also keen to stress the importance of factoring in the operating costs. “The RAF has achieved a 15-percent reduction with the Tornado through collaboration with industry, and we’re now seeing the same on Typhoon,” he added.

Glossy Brochure

Dassault Aviation was handing out a glossy six-page brochure that had been entirely translated into the Malay language by Rafale International, the marketing entity that also includes Snecma and Thales.

Complete with a long personal message from Dassault chief Eric Trappier, the brochure touted the Rafale’s sovereignty and maintainability, as well as its combat-proven record. As in other campaigns, such as Brazil, Rafale International also created a dedicated website that locals could access for data and photos of the French jet and videos that it produced at the LIMA show.

One of the EDA’s biggest concerns about the competition for exports between the European fighters is the stimulus that it generates for the giving-away of precious technology and production work as

offsets. And there was no shortage of such offers at LIMA. Rafale International promised “a key role” for several Malaysian aviation and defense companies, in partnerships that “will go beyond the Rafale program by offering other hightechnology cooperation.” BAE Systems said that “industrial partnerships form an important part of our strategy” and announced a new contract for Hawk pylons with local company SME Aerospace.

Education Is Key

Education is another key battleground. Both Rafale International and Saab have organized technology seminars open to hundred of students at Malaysian higher education institutes or universities. BAE Systems sponsors one-year engineering masters’ degree scholarships for Malaysian students at British universities. Boeing’s regional vice-president made a careers presentation at LIMA on “the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for Boeing and the aerospace industry.”

Since the LIMA show, the French have secured orders for the Rafale from Egypt and Qatar, and a renewed commitment from India. The Rafales from LIMA 2015 flew on to Jakarta for demonstration to the Indonesian air force.

But it’s not clear how much capacity remains in France to build more jets for a fourth or fifth customer. However, at his pre-Paris Air Show press conference two years ago, Dassault Aviation boss Eric Trappier said that Malaysia could have its own production line, if it wanted.

Meanwhile, Saab has progressed its big partnership with Brazil for the Gripen, and confirmed the Swedish order for the new-generation Gripen E/F. It could be that Boeing and Eurofighter are most in need of new export business right now.

Without it, both the Typhoon and the Super Hornet will be out of production by the end of the decade. Perhaps the sponsors of these jets had better reserve their exhibition space for LIMA 2017.

Or perhaps not. Two weeks ago, RMAF commander Gen Rosland told the Malaysian media that the MiG-29N fleet would be upgraded after all. He said, “Initially there were plans to phase out the aircraft and replace them with another multirole combat aircraft. However, we have decided to upgrade the aircraft to ensure it has similar capabilities with fighter jets owned by other countries.” o

Honeywell demos tech with 3-D virtual reality

by Matt Thurber Honeywell has figured out a new way to demonstrate its latest cockpit and cabin technology, using another type of high technology–the Oculus Rift 3-D virtual reality headset. Instead of building then shipping huge cockpit and cabin mockups to air shows or lugging complicated demonstration displays to customer sites, the Oculus Rift headset allows potential customers to experience the technology nearly first-hand in an environment that is much more immersive than the typical product video.

“Honeywell is a technology company, and this tool exemplifies that,” said Mike Beazley, vice president of global sales for Honeywell Business and General Aviation. In a typical tradeshow display, he explained, customers rarely stop to watch a video all the way through, either because they are distracted or worried about being pounced on by a salesperson.

With the Oculus Rift demonstrator, visitors are spending 10 to 15 minutes immersed in Honeywell’s virtual reality cockpit and cabin. “It’s created a lot of buzz,” he said. “You’re stepping into your own little world. This allows them to learn at their own pace.”

The first time Honeywell deployed the Oculus Rift demonstrator system was at last year’s MEBAA show in Dubai followed

by ABACE and EBACE this year. Here at Paris, Honeywell is inviting visitors to view the demonstration at its chalet (106).

To start the demonstration, the user dons the Oculus Rift headset while sitting in a comfortable chair. The 3-D scene opens with a view from outside a typical large-cabin business jet, facing the open door.

Entering the door, the user is offered a choice of turning left into the cockpit or right into the cabin. Selections are made by looking at a target hot spot with a head-up symbol embedded in the view.

In the cockpit, the demonstration highlights technologies such as Honeywell’s SmartView synthetic vision, SmartRunway, SmartLanding, FMS, satcom and cockpit displays. The synthetic vision demo takes advantage of the Rift’s capabilities by showing how the pilot’s view

outside the windows is of worsening weather while the flight display shows the synthetic view of a clear day. Some of the demos put the airplane in motion, too, which can be slightly disorienting but further highlights Honeywell’s technologies.

Moving back to the cabin, various hotspots are available for further exploration. The user can try out features of Honeywell’s

same level as having the aircraft in front of you.”

While the Oculus Rift demo currently doesn’t offer users the ability to manipulate anything in the 3-D world with their own hands, Honeywell is working on adding a special tactile glove to the system. “We’re looking at how we can continue to expand this experience,” he said.

Beazley also sees many other potential uses for the Oculus Rift, including avionics training.

But first the plan is to add more depth to the product demonstrations, including deeper menus so users can explore all of a product’s features. “I want the person to completely interact with the

Honeywell’s Oculus Rift 3-D virtual reality demonstration brings users into a virtual cockpit and cabin equipped with Honeywell technology.

Ovation Select cabin management system and even “see” a video playing on a cabin display.

“It’s very realistic,” said Beazley. Before trying the system for the first time, he added, “I was somewhat skeptical. I thought it would be a little gimmicky. But you really do feel like you’re in that airplane. When you’re sitting in the cabin, you can interact with it almost at the

system as if it were the real aircraft,” he said. “The technology is there to do that. It’s really just a question of time and resources to get that data in place.”

Meanwhile, show visitors can bring some of that Honeywell technology home, in the form of downloadable virtual reality videos of the product demonstrations on their mobile devices (iOS and Android). o

AIRCRAFT INTERIORS MIDDLE EAST TO RETURN IN 2016 Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME), dubbed as the Middle East’s only aircraft interiors event, will return to the Dubai World Trade Center in early February (3rd and 4th), show organizer F&E Aerospace announced this week. Two-thirds of the airlines that attended this year’s AIME said they planned to make a purchase from an AIME exhibitor within the next 12 months, while the remaining one-third said they would consider doing so, according to F&E. A total of 85 international airlines–including Gulf Air, Rwandair and Turkish Airlines–attended AIME 2015, while 95 percent of airline attendees that were surveyed admitted that they buy, approve or recommend purchases. More than half of them did not attend any other aircraft interiors event this year.

Almost 60 percent of this year’s exhibitors have re-booked for AIME 2016, said F&E. –G.P.

www.ainonline.com • June 17, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 27

Flaris selects Williams for LAR 1 powerplant specifications are mostly unchanged: 820-foot/250-meter takeoff distance from a grass field, 380-knot/700-km/h top cruise speed, 62-knot/115-km/h stall speed, 1,543-pound/700-kg empty weight and 3,300-pound/1,500-kg mtow. It has lowered the certified ceiling from 46,000 feet to 28,000 feet and bumped up the maximum range from 1,350 nm/2,500 km to 1,700 nm/3,200 km.

The $1.5 million (in 2013 dollars) all-composite jet sports several unique features: a nosemounted ballistic parachute; wide rear-opening pilot and copilot doors; detachable wings and horizontal stabilizers, for easier storage; a fuselage-mounted fuel tank, because no fuel can be held in the detachable wings; and electric deice system. It will also have a dual Garmin G600 avionics system.

Flaris said its parent company, Metal-Master, is self-funding the project using cash flow.

Metal-Master is an established company that makes assembly-line production tooling for

Poland’s Flaris very light jet (VLJ) will be powered by a 1,700-pound-thrust Williams FJ33-5A. The unique singleengine, five-seat VLJ made its world debut here in 2013.

truck manufacturers such as Scania, Volvo, Saab and Man. While it has extensive experience in working with metals, Flaris is Metal-Master’s first foray into composites.

After the Paris Air Show closes this week, Flaris plans to resume taxi tests using the new engine as it prepares for first flight by year-end. The company still expects to receive FAA and EASA type certification for the LAR 1 in 2016. o

MARK WAGNER

Podgórzyn, Poland-based Flaris (Static B6) has selected the Williams FJ33-5A to power its LAR 1 five-seat single-engine very light jet, the company announced this week here in Paris. The LAR 1 prototype, unveiled at Paris 2013, was originally fitted with a 1,460-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F, but project director Rafał Ładziński told AIN that the aircraft required an engine that could produce at least 1,506 pounds of thrust.

To meet this requirement, Flaris had been considering the P&WC PW615 and an engine from French firm Price Induction before settling on the Williams turbofan. The FJ33-5A was originally developed for the nowshelved Diamond D-Jet, also a single-engine jet design, and produces about 1,700 pounds of thrust, according to U.S.-based Williams International. Ładziński said engineers included provisions to accommodate other powerplants, making an engine switch “fairly easy.” With the new engine, target performance

DAVID McINTOSH

by Chad Trautvetter

Air-drop electric drone relieves surveillance craft

by Thierry Dubois Airborne Concept (Hall 4 A108) is here exhibiting the Drop ’n Drone, an air-droppable, electrically powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can carry a two-pound payload. “The idea is to relieve a surveillance aircraft, such as a special-mission military transport, and still keep a site under watch,” Airborne Concept president Arnaud Le Maout told AIN. He alluded to those missions when terrorists have to be kept under constant observation so as not to lose track of a hostage.

MARK WAGNER

VAPORIZER Paris Air Show attendees are getting their first look at Pakistan’s PAC/Chengdu JF-17 Thunder jet fighter in the skies over Le Bourget. The company reports a first export customer, but declined to name the country. The needs of export customers have driven development of a two-seat trainer version.

28 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

If, for example, a manned aircraft has to leave the site to refuel, the crew can drop the UAV from any opening. “A parachute deploys, the wing–previously aligned with the fuselage–rotates into position, then the parachute detaches and the UAV pulls out,” Le Maout explained.

At the end of its mission, the UAV can fly to a preprogrammed point, which also can be changed in flight. It can either open a second parachute for a smooth recovery or crash if the operator

does not want the enemy to use it.

A benefit of electric power is quietness. Terrorists know very well the sound of in-service piston-engine UAVs, Le Maout pointed out. Electric power is to be supported by a fuel cell, which is expected to push endurance to three to six hours.

The payload can use datalink, via ground networks or satellite, to transmit pictures, for example. Another application might be found in acting as a relay for telecommunications after a disaster such as a flood or an earthquake.

Airborne Concept hopes to sell 50 to 100 Drop ’n Drones in three years. The first flight was to take place on the eve of the show but had to be postponed due to the weather. o The wing of the electrically powered Drop ’n Drone rotates into position before the parachute detaches.

COUNTING NOSES

Do 228 gets fresh start as Ruag restarts production

The static aircraft display at the 2015 Paris Air Show has an even 100 aircraft. That doesn’t quite match up to previous shows’ total numbers on display at Le Bourget, but experts agree the overall currency value of this year’s exhibiting aircraft is higher than any other show in recent memory.

Ruag Aviation is restarting serial production of the Dornier 228 utility turboprop twin. “The move sends a clear signal to the market that Ruag is strongly committed to its Dornier 228 program and expects steady growth in this segment,” the company said here at the Paris Air Show.

The Swiss-based company plans to produce four aircraft per year starting in mid-2016, with this number set to increase along with demand. To meet this schedule, the final assembly line for the Do 228 has already been set up in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.

Ruag-Tata Partnership

Last year, Ruag Aviation (Chalet 120, Static A5 and Hall 4 B77) signed a partnership agreement with Indian airframe manufacturer Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture fuselages and wings for the turboprop.

Assembly of the first new Do 228 fuselage has already begun and the wing panels are currently being formed, Ruag said.

“The Dornier 228 is experiencing significant growth in demand for special missions, including maritime policing and border

control. In its special mission configuration, the twin turboprop offers numerous advantages, with on-station time of up to eight hours and easy installation of equipment,” said Volker Wallrodt, Ruag’s senior vice president for business jets, Do 228 and components. “As a commuter aircraft in places such as Venezuela, the Dornier 228 has proven its STOL and hot-and-high capabilities, as well as its ability to operate on unprepared runways.

The aircraft can also be reconfigured from passenger to cargo-transportation layout with minimum effort.”

Ruag believes that Do 228 demand will be strong is “key regions” of Asia and Africa, where the trend among operators is for 19-seat aircraft.

Ruag Aviation recently teamed with ENAER of Chile to cooperate in MRO, upgrades and lifecycle support. Ruag said that it will benefit from ENAER’s “close ties with the local market” while ENAER will benefit from the Swiss company’s “extensive network and international reach.”

The strategic alliance came into effect on May 19. o

Dornier 228 fans will enjoy the news that their aircraft is back in production.

IAI’s Ultra radar group shows flexibility of use Here at the Paris Air Show, IAI Elta (Chalet 210) unveiled its Ultra radar family and announced that it is now operational after five years of development. The system, which works in the UHF band for better small-target detection at long ranges, features advanced digitization for greater operational capability. The family is modular, allowing different systems to be built up to answer different requirements.

At the heart of the Ultra family is the ELM-2090U module, an array of UHF transmit-receive modules (TRM) in a single clustered unit that has

been designed so that modules can be easily swapped. Using UHF, rather than the higher frequency bands, has particular application at long ranges since it suffers from less signal loss in the atmosphere.

Digitization Up Front

A discriminating innovation of the ELM-2090U is the digitization of the signal at TRM level. In most electronically scanned radars, the digitization of the radar’s analog signals is performed further back in the radar. Conducting the process at TRM level allows more flexibility in beam-forming and shaping.

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

BOEING’S SINNETT ADDRESSES COST No one can know precisely what future technology will find its way onto a new airplane that might not appear in service until a decade from now. But Boeing vice president of product development Mike Sinnett seems to have a clear idea of what developmental “levers” the company might pull in its efforts to fill the market space between the 737 Max 9 and the 787-8. During a Paris Air Show briefing on Monday, Sinnett named fuel economy, maintenance costs and training costs as the top considerations.

“Fuel burn reduction is really important to us, and it always has been,” he said. “If you look at where we are today, we burn 70-percent less fuel than we did with our first-generation jet aircraft. The 737 has improved fuel burn by something like 1.4 percent per year for the last 40 years. So that’s a natural thing and that will go on forever.”

Meanwhile, said Sinnett, maintenance costs have become more important as airplane “functionality” improves and new systems work harder to burn less fuel due to their complexity. Technology enabling the diagnosis of the mechanical health of an airplane while airborne to help maintenance teams move parts before it lands show particular promise in the effort to lower those costs, he added. In terms of training costs, the most effective means to lower costs will likely continue to lie with systems and cockpit commonality between aircraft types.

“So much of the cost of the pilot has nothing to do with him flying the airplane on the day he flies it,” said Sinnett. “It’s in all the training that gets him capable of flying the airplane. Moving pilots from one airplane to another is a significant expense. The 787 and the 777 have a common type rating. We were told that would be impossible and we took it on as a challenge.”

–G.P.

In its basic form, the singlemodule ELM-2090U is being promoted as a mobile air surveillance radar with a range capability of up to 310 miles.

Known as the Ultra-C1, this radar can be mounted on a truck bed and has a fully rotating pedestal.

For long-range early warning with capability against satellites, aerial targets and ballistic missiles, including the accurate estimation of launch and predicted impact points, IAI is proposing the Ultra-C6, which has six clusters. And for very long-range detection, there is the 300-metric-ton Ultra-C22 array with 22 ELM2090U units.

Each radar can electronically steer its beam through +/-60 degrees in azimuth and across a 40-degree sector in elevation. In

all cases, the array can be mechanically tilted through 30 degrees in elevation to provide a total elevation coverage of 70 degrees. While the single-cluster Ultra-C1 is intended for

360-degree mechanical rotation, the larger arrays are mounted on a rail assembly that can be mechanically slewed through +/100 degrees to give 320-degree coverage.

–D.D.

The Elta radar works in the UHF band, enhancing small-target detection. It’s modular format enables users to tailor the system to their particular missions.

www.ainonline.com • June 17, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 29

ROLLS-ROYCE, LIEBHERR JOIN TO DEVELOP POWER GEARBOX

Grob will provide six of its G120 trainers as part of the new U.S. Air Force and Army training center being developed by CAE.

Grob assuming mentor role at U.S. Army training center

Rolls-Royce (Chalet 93) and Liebherr Aerospace (Chalet 279, Hall 2a A276) have agreed to establish a 50-50 joint venture to develop manufacturing capability for the power gearbox of Rolls-Royce’s new UltraFan engine. The UltraFan is a geared design based on technology that could be ready for service in 2025, the engine manufacturer said.

The power gearbox will enable the UltraFan to deliver efficient power over a range of takeoff thrusts for future high-bypass-ratio engines. Rolls-Royce said the engine will offer at least a 25-percent improvement in fuel burn compared with the first generation of its Trent engines.

The joint venture, located in Friedrichshafen, Germany, will provide production engineering for the power gear drivetrain components. Manufacturing will initially be done in existing Liebherr facilities. As production volume increases, “The joint venture will look for options for creating a standalone manufacturing infrastructure,” the companies said.

–B.C.

Grob’s G120TP aerobatic trainer has been selected as part of a new training system for the U.S. Army fixed-wing fleet, as well as for students destined for the U.S. Air Force King Air fleet. The system will allow the Army to train initial-entry fixed-wing students for the first time, and also provide fixed-wing conversion for rotary-wing pilots. Student throughput will be more than 600 each year.

CAE was awarded the contract for a company-owned and operated training center at Dothan Regional Airport in Alabama, close to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker. This is due to open in June 2016.

In addition to a suite of groundbased training tools, the school will conduct live training with six CAE-owned G 120TPs, along with a fleet of 10 C-12U King Airs that are owned and maintained by the Army but flown by CAE instructors. The value of the contract with Grob is $30 million.

Grob’s G 120TP offers fully certified aerobatic capability and a glass cockpit. The ability to undertake upset training (recovery from unusual attitudes) was an important criterion in the selection of the aircraft, as was the aircraft’s turbine powerplant. The Rolls-Royce M250-B17F turboprop develops 380 shp in maximum continuous power, but can develop 456 shp for up to five minutes.

The aircraft is stressed for +6g/-4g aerobatics, and has a top speed of 235 knots.

CAE is producing two G 120TP flight training devices to complement the live training aircraft, as well as a suite of desktop trainers. For King Air training, the company is initially supplying two 7000XR Series full flight simulators (FFS) and two integrated procedures trainers.

It is also developing two more FFSs that feature roll-on/roll-off cockpits that allow the simulators to accurately represent four different King Air variants in U.S. Army and Air Force service. o

L-3 extends beacon battery life; notes upcoming ADS-B needs

by Matt Thurber L-3 Aviation Products (Chalet 306) is exhibiting a variety of surveillance, navigation and safety products here at Le Bourget.

The company’s latest product is a new underwater locator beacon for L-3 cockpit voice and flight data recorders, extending the underwater beacon life to the new 90-day operational standard in Technical Standard Order C121b. While this is currently an FAA TSO standard, a European TSO is expected shortly.

Beacons manufactured after Dec. 1, 2015, must meet TSO-C121b, and the FAA will not grant TSOs for beacons manufactured to the earlier TSO-C121 or C121a after that date. The earlier TSO specified a 30-day underwater beacon standard.

“We expect the entire industry to move towards a 90-day underwater locator beacon standard,” said Ralph DeMarco, vice president of marketing and sales for L-3 Aviation Products. Operators will be able to upgrade their TSO-C121 or C121a 30-day beacons to the new C121b standard, he said.

According to L-3, “Retrofit kits are available for the 90-day beacon that allow operators to remain in factory component maintenance manual compliance as they upgrade their recorder products in the field.” L-3 will support the 30-day beacons with battery exchange kits and it also is offering a beacon test kit that works for both the 30-day and 90-day beacons.

L-3 Aviation Products has released a new 90-day underwater locator beacon for its cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

30 Paris Airshow News • June 17, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

MARK WAGNER

by David Donald

SCRUBBING THE SKY CLEAN Safran’s Snecma division is one of three participants in the Clean Sky 2 phase, targeting significant cuts in CO2 and NOx emissions and reductions in noise footprint. Snecma is building a ground-test version of a contra-rotating open rotor turboprop as part of the sustainable and green engine (SAGE) initiative. Here at Le Bourget, it's worth a look.

Meanwhile, over the next five years airlines and operators of business aircraft will need to upgrade transponders and GPS sensors to meet the 2020 ADS-B out mandate in the U.S. and Europe.

Many other countries already have implemented ADS-B out at higher altitudes.

The standard for ADS-B has shifted to the more stringent RTCA DO-260B, and all of the transponders made by ACSS, the L-3 Aviation Products/Thales joint venture, meet DO-260B requirements. This includes the new Lynx MultiLink Surveillance System for general aviation aircraft made

by L-3 Avionics. With the addition of the Lynx series, L-3 can now fill the needs for any size aircraft for ADS-B out, and it also offers ADS-B in features as well, although those aren’t part of any mandate.

“We have the only certified avionics available today with both ADS-B out and in solutions for air transport,” said DeMarco. Benefits of ADS-B in include providing pilots “with information to assist in things such as airport taxi, spacing cues for aircraft as they approach for landing, in-trail procedures over nonradar areas and overall providing greater situational awareness,” he added.

US Airways, which is now part of American Airlines, has equipped 20 Airbus A330s with ACSS’s SafeRoute ADS-B in software and is participating

in an FAA trial of ADS-B in capabilities. These include SafeRoute’s CDTI assisted visual separation and merging and spacing functions during operations at Philadelphia Airport and also in-trail procedures over the North Atlantic, according to L-3.

Other FAA trials with ADS-B out and in have taken place with UPS, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue. “A benefit report for using [CDTI assisted visual separation] is expected to be completed later this month, and a merging and spacing benefit report is due in November,” DeMarco said.

ACSS transponders already have been installed in several hundred airliners in the U.S., but many more aircraft need equipage to meet the 2020 deadline. L-3 expects the rate of installations to accelerate as the deadline approaches and also in concert with scheduled maintenance visits.

L-3 Aviation is also highlighting recent developments in India, with the opening in March of the company’s new Bengalaru MRO facility. In addition, Hindustan Aeronautics selected L-3’s TACAN+ tactical airborne navigation system for its new Light Utility Helicopter, L-3 said.

The TACAN+ is available for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, for both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations, and can track up to four ground stations simultaneously in range and two in bearing. o

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