Paris Airshow News 06-18-15

Paris

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Thursday 6.18.15

Airshow News

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FUTURE ON THE WING

DAVID McINTOSH

Paris has always been the show to reveal the next cutting edge technology. From the earliest days of balloons and biplanes, what is shown on this airfield has led the way for everyone else.

ST Aero revives A320 freighter Indecision stymies Euro-MALE

by Gregory Polek

by Chris Pocock

Airbus and ST Aerospace have agreed to collaborate on a new passenger-tofreighter (P2F) conversion program for A320 and A321 narrowbodies. Under the

terms of the deal, Singapore-based ST Aerospace (Chalet 50) will increase its 35-percent stake in Elbe Flugzeugwerke

Continued on page 4 u

Continuing indecision by the governments of France, Germany and Italy over what type of Medium-Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned

aerial system (UAS) should be built by Europe is holding up signature of the long-awaited project definition (PD)

Continued on page 4 u

Drone Threat

Next-Gen Avionics

Developing Aircraft

Defense

Life Cycle Planning

Thales Gets Clever Busting UAVs

IS&S Helps Airlines Gear Up for Future

Boeing Says Its Projects Are On Time

Derby Gets Smarter, Flies Farther

Airbus Confident with Sales Trend

With close to 100 cases of illicit drone flights in France to date, Thales has adapted some of its existing detection technology to help counter the growing threat. Page 3

Innovative Solutions & Support has dedicated itself to helping airlines meet the sometimes daunting requirements for ADS-B integration.

It’s working with a launch customer’s Boeing 757 on approvals for solutions. Page 14

Boeing assured the Paris Air Show crowd that its new 737 Max, 787-10 and 777X are all progressing apace. The U.S airframer says it is on track to meet all projections and project timelines. Page 18

Missile maker Rafael’s Derby activeradar, air-to-air missile has received a significant upgrade. The I-Derby ER has improved seeker/guidance equipment and improved range. Page 20

Having gambled heavily with its A380 program, Airbus asserts it has been a sales success, with projections to meet or exceed the 400 aircraft sales it expected at the time of product launch. Page 22

LH Aviation is showing off the proof-of-concept vehicle of its LHD “optionally piloted” vehicle here at Le Bourget, having recently commenced flight trials. Although the Villarochebased company has not released any details, the LHD already has its first order and a preseries batch is under construction. LH Aviation (Static B4) has also signed a memorandum of understanding with OIS Aerospace covering potential licensed production in India.

Based on the LH-10 Ellipse light aircraft and trainer, which

has also spawned the manned Guardian civil security and Elfe close air support versions, the LHD can operate unmanned or with a pilot. In unmanned configuration, it has a standard endurance of eight hours, but a removable tank can be fitted in the aft cockpit bay to increase this to 24 hours.

Traditionally, UAVs with that endurance capability have featured very long wings and are slow. They can also be highly susceptible to crosswinds and turbulence, and require large hangars to accommodate them. But the

ORDER ROUNDUP VOLGA-DNEPR BOOSTS 747-8 WITH 20-SHIP FREIGHTER DEAL Boeing got a boost yesterday for its slow-selling 747-8 program, with a $7.4 billion memorandum of understanding being signed with Volga-Dnepr. The Russian air cargo group plans to expand its fleet with twenty freighter versions of the widebody.

The deal, signed on Wednesday at the Paris Air Show, also covers the availability of the operator’s Antonov An-124-100 aircraft to help Boeing transport sections of airliners. Volga-Dnepr will purchase or lease the 747-8s over the next seven years.

Meanwhile Ethiopian Airlines announced that it is buying six 787-8 Dreamliners that were previously assigned to an undisclosed customer in the Boeing order book. This will take the African carrier’s 787 fleet to 19.

ATR ADDS TO PARIS SALES TOTAL Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR announced contracts yesterday with two more airlines, led by an order for three ATR 42-600s and two ATR 72-600s placed by Bahamasair, which has not operated ATRs previously. Scheduled for delivery by the end of this year, the pair of 70-seat ATR 72s will complement Bahamasair’s Boeing 737s flying international routes, while the 50-seat ATR 42s will connect the islands within the Bahamas.

More business for ATR came from long-time ATR operator Air Madagascar, involving three ATR 72-600s. With the arrival of two more the airline plans to lease, the airplanes allow Air Madagascar to renew its current fleet, now consisting of one ATR 42-500 and a pair of ATR 72-500s, and significantly increase the number of seats available on its main domestic routes.

AIRBUS GETS 128 MORE NEOs ON THE BOARD On day three of the 2015 Paris Air Show, Airbus logged another 128 orders for its fast-selling A320neo program. In the largest of three deals collectively valued at around $13.6 billion, Synergy Aerospace Corporate, which is the largest shareholder in South American airline group Avianca, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) calling for 62 A320neos.

The twinjets will go to the group’s Brazilian subsidiary Avianca Brasil. Once the agreement is firmed up, it will take the number of Neos ordered in Latin America to 407, spread among seven carriers.

Separately, an undisclosed Asian airline signed an MoU for 60 A320neos. This agreement is worth $6.4 billion.

Vietnamese carrier VietJetAir placed a firm order for six additional A321ceos. The contact, worth approximately $682 million, was signed in Paris by the airline’s president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

2 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

station is operated by three personnel and can be housed in a standard KC20 container. The LHD itself can be disassembled

LH Aviation’s LHD prototype has recently flown. A front cockpit allows optionally-piloted operations and its performance is better than most such aircraft.

Sagem pitches Patroller for French Army duty

by Chris Pocock Sagem has listed the 25 companies that are enrolled in the “Patroller Cluster” and helping it to develop this tactical UAV. Frederic Mazzanti, executive vice president of the company’s Optronics and Defence division, said that nearly 90 percent of the Patroller is made in France and claimed that Sagem’s leadership will create “a competitive French drone industry.” The Safran subsidiary is in a closelyfought French Army competition for a new tactical UAV with Thales and Airbus D&S, with a decision expected by year end.

Speaking at a reception to mark Sagem’s 25th anniversary in the drone business here Tuesday, Mazzanti claimed that the Patroller is “the best solution in terms of operational efficiency and reduced cost of ownership.

for deployment in a KC20 container, which includes an integrated workshop for reassembly and maintenance. o

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

LHD’s small wings minimize these issues, and also increase speed of response, which is an increasingly common requirement for UAV customers.

The LHD can fly to the operational area at 165 knots, before loitering at very low throttle settings. Its small wings also minimize radar returns and the piston engine–either Rotax 912 or diesel powerplant–has an exhaust temperature of just 95 deg F/35 deg C. A range of sensors, including radar, can be fitted as part of the 550-pound/250-kg payload, and the LHD can be weaponized.

LH Aviation has partnered with Vestel Aerospace of Turkey, which has supplied the Karayel UAV to the Turkish armed forces, to produce a certified LHD that is fully NATOcompatible. The ground control

The Patroller airframe is based on an Ecarys (formerly Stemme) S15 motor-glider, and first flew in 2008. Mazzanti said that it has since flown “hundreds of times” in a completely self-funded development program. He noted that Sagem has been leading discussions with the French airworthiness agency DGAC on certification of the Patroller system so that it can fly in non-segregated airspace–the S15 platform itself is already certified to the EASA CS23 standard.

Sagem is stressing its long experience in building and supporting tactical UAVs as a unique qualifier to secure the French Army contract, and export business.

The company is best known for the rail-launched Sperwer UAV, which logged nine years of combat operations in Afghanistan

with the Canadian, Dutch and French armies. Mazzanti said the company had produced 25 Sperwer systems (150 aircraft) and that 18 of them remain operational with the French army today. He declined to say whether Sagem will continue to invest in the Patroller, in order to secure export contracts, if it loses the French Army competition.

The Patroller’s Euroflir fourth-generation high-definition electro-optical/infrared sensor is also a Sagem product, whereas its synthetic aperture/ ground moving target indicator radar is provided by Selex ES. Mazzanti revealed that the company will demonstrate to the French army next month, a “unique” capability of broadcasting both sensors at the same time. Sagem is also offering an option to replace the radar with a Comint sensor, and a maritime surveillance version with AIS and a 360-degree radar.

The endurance of the Patroller is 20 hours, and the ceiling is 20,000 feet. o Sagem expects its made-in-France Patroller to represent a vanguard in the nation’s industry.

MARK WAGNER

Optionally-piloted LHD shows impressive flexibility

Thales gets clever with tech to counter drones

With the threat of mini and small UAVs showing no signs of abating, news agency Aero3A flew this Quad Phantom drone to film above Le Bourget Airport.

There have now been 89 incidents recorded in France of mini- or micro-UAVs being deliberately flown over sensitive areas. In 27 cases, legal action is being taken against those alleged to be responsible.

So it’s not just an isolated problem, typified by the well-publicized flyovers of the Élysée Palace and French nuclear powerplants. Here at Paris in the Thales pavilion (Static B1), the French company is highlighting its approach to countering these malicious flights with four scenarios, and a movie.

“There’s no single solution, and the methods must not be expensive. We must be smart and capitalize on existing sensors, communications networks and effectors,” said Jean-Michel Negret, the company’s project officer for small UAS and C4I. Thales realizes that the threat is posed by a very diverse set of micro-UAS that are available. But they share one characteristic–very low signatures,

be it visual, thermal, acoustic or electromagnetic.

Furthermore, not all of the means available to counter this class of UAVs are usable.

“Neutralization is tricky, especially in an urban environment, and because political decisions are needed,” noted Pierreck Lerey, strategy and marketing director for UAS and ISR. Thales is part of a publicprivate partnership of seven French entities that are participating in an 18-month study, Project Angelas, on combating non-cooperative UAVs. Dominique Poulin, of the French aerospace laboratory ONERA, which is leading the project, said that potential endusers include the Gendarmerie Nationale and the Paris Police, as well as the armed forces.

Promise In Passive Radar

Poulin said passive radar is a promising detection technology, especially to discriminate against false targets such as a flock of

FRÉDÉRIC ARAGON

by Chris Pocock

birds. Then, for identification, 3-D laser imaging might be used.

Following this comes classification and neutralization.

Thales is also studying how its existing radar air defense radars such as the GroundMaster 200 might be adapted to the detection task by adjusting the software that previously rejected such small targets.

Lerey said that passive direction-finding could be used to find the “pilot” of the threatening mini-UAV–essentially by adapting GPS tracking techniques from the cellphone world.

Thales is developing a userfriendly C2 software for analysis named Clearland. There must always be an operator in the loop, he added. This is one of three work packages within Project Angelas that Thales is leading. The others are the used of electromagnetic sensors for neutralization. Poulin said that jamming had been proven recently, but using lasers to shoot down the errant UAVs might be unacceptable.

Jean-Philippe Hardange, working on strategy and operations at the Thales air defense

radar site at Limours, agreed with Poulin that passive radar techniques are now mature enough to aid the task. The company took out its first patent on exploiting FM signals as long ago as 1995, and has since enjoyed funding by the EU and the French MoD to develop prototypes for civil and defense applications using digital TV signals. A new ground-surveillance radar developed at Limours, named Squire, would be a good candidate as a detection system, because it is low-cost.

As for neutralization, Hardange showed eight options, some of them more relevant to larger UAVs. They include conventional anti-aircraft guns, lasers, GPS jamming, directed energy and hijacking of the UAV’s command and control datalink. The platform for some of these effectors might be airborne–perhaps a “blue force” UAV defending the required area. Prediction of the debris field resulting from a UAV kill is just as important, especially in urban areas, he added.

“Essentially, we’re talking about the same functions and constraints as in the conventional air defense mission,” Hardange continued, “but we must now adapt and fill the gaps.” o

Lasers can safely down drones Last month, MBDA Deutschland used a laser effector to shoot down a free-flying mini-drone, the first test of its kind anywhere. Conducted at the company’s Schrobenhausen, Germany range, the drone was engaged while maneuvering at a range of about 1,600 feet/500 meters. The drone was acquired, tracked and defeated in a matter of seconds.

A dramatic rise in small drones for civilian use has also introduced a new threat to political and other public figures, as well as strategic installations. This was evidenced

MBDA Deutschland has demonstrated end-toend laser acquisition, tracking and engagement.

by a 2013 incident in which one crashed just feet away from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and by cases this year when drones have been flown in the vicinity of the White House. More than 60 overflights of strategically significant locations have been recorded in France since October.

Defeating such threats with traditional ballistics brings unacceptable complications, but the laser effectively reduces the chances of collateral damage to that caused by the falling vehicle and its components. Precise and scalable laser systems could be permanently deployed to protect high-value locations or temporarily placed for event protection.

From a technology point of view, MBDA’s system employs a multi-stage tracking procedure and a laser effector that combines numerous laser sources into a single beam using geometric coupling.

In 2012, MBDA Deutschland first demonstrated end-to-end laser acquisition, tracking and engagement against an aerial target by defeating dummy mortar rounds at ranges of up to 1.5 miles/2.5 km. The company has been studying laser systems for both maritime and land-based use to provide protection against both military UAVs as well as rocket and mortar threats. The demonstration and expansion of capability against a small, agile civilian UAV was an obvious step. ­ o

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

VIKING SIGNS PARTNER TO EXPAND CHINA MARKET Viking Air president and CEO David Curtis, right, celebrates signing a strategic partnership with Reignwood Aviation Group’s Christopher Wang. With the recent approval of Viking’s Series 400 Twin Otter by the Civil Aviation Authority of China, Viking and Reignwood will be exploring ways to leverage the market in China. The agreement includes a commercial commitment to buy up to 50 aircraft to be delivered to China over the next five years.

www.ainonline.com • June 18, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 3

DESERT REHEAT The Dassault Rafale performing in the aerial displays over Le Bourget is from 1/7 Provence Squadron of the French Armée de l’Air, based at France’s St. Dizier airbase. The pilot, callsign “Tao,” is an active combat veteran, having flown missions in the Middle East and Africa. He flies a demanding routine in the skies above the Paris Air Show, demonstrating the extreme maneuvers of the high performance fighter. The Rafale has had a breakthrough year, with orders from Egypt, Qatar and India.

FIRST VIP ORDER FOR BOEING MAX 9 Boeing Business Jets announced the sale of the first BBJ Max 9–to an undisclosed European customer–on Wednesday here at the Paris Air Show. The announcement comes a year after Boeing launched the BBJ Max as the newest edition to its VIP product line. Its first order, received in April 2014, was for a BBJ Max 8.

“We are thrilled to announce that the BBJ Max 9 program is officially launched with our first BBJ Max 9 order,” said David Longridge, president of Boeing Business Jets. “While maintaining the unmatched cabin comfort of today’s BBJ, the BBJ Max’s lower fuel use, increased range capability, updated flight deck, lower noise and reduced emissions enable the airplane to better meet the diverse needs of our VIP customers.”

The BBJ Max 9 sale marks the fifth BBJ Max order. All previous orders are for the BBJ Max 8. The first will be delivered in 2018. –C.T.

ROLLS-ROYCE ANNOUNCES PARTNERS FOR TRENT 7000 ENGINE Rolls-Royce has welcomed Industria de Turbo Propulsores (ITP) of Spain, Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines (MHIAEL) as risk and revenue sharing partners on the Trent 7000, the exclusive engine for the Airbus A330neo.

A joint venture between Rolls-Royce (46.9 percent) and Sener’s aerospace division (53.1 percent), ITP has taken responsibility for the design, assembly and the majority of manufacturing of the low pressure turbine (LPT) module. The company has participated on all seven Trent engine –G.P. programs as a risk- and revenue-sharing partner since 1992.

MARK WAGNER

Indecision stymies Euro-MALE uContinued from page 1

PW1900G TESTING STARTS AT P&W Pratt & Whitney (Chalet 338, Static C2) has completed assembly and started testing of the first PW1900G test engine at its East Hartford, Connecticut facility. The new engine is a deri­vative of its PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan (GTF) engine, designed for installation on the new Embraer E190-E2 and E195-E2 airliners.

The first PW1900G engine will initially conduct ground performance and operability testing before being installed on Pratt & Whitney’s Boeing 747SP flying testbed at Mirabel, Canada. Embraer announced this week that it has started assembling the E190-E2 at its factory in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The airframer expects to begin delivering E-Jet E2s in 2018.

During a briefing on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show, Pratt & Whitney president Paul Adams said, “We’re entering a very substantial growth phase from the V2500 to the geared turbofan, where our installed base will grow dramatically.” –B.C.

New A320 freighter uContinued from page 1

GmbH (EFW) to 55 percent, making Airbus the minority shareholder in the aerostructures and P2F joint venture.

Second Attempt

The deal marks Airbus’s second attempt at an Airbus narrowbody freighter program.

An earlier effort to collaborate with Russia’s United Aircraft Corp and Irkut in 2008 collapsed after Airbus deemed it ill-timed and too expensive.

“Sadly, no one was going to buy it for what it would have cost for us to make it,” Airbus COO Tom Williams told a Paris press conference yesterday.

For this effort, Airbus has decided to take a somewhat less ambitious and pragmatic approach, added Williams, centered on only “critical” aspects of performance.

Specifications call for the A320P2F, with eleven maindeck container positions, to carry 21 metric tons of payload over 2,100 nm, while the A321P2F, with 14 main-deck positions, will haul up to 27 metric tons over 1,900 nm. The partners plan to deliver the

4 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

first airplane in 2018.

Appearing with Williams were Airbus CFO Harald Wilhelm and EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl, and ST Aerospace president Serh Ghee Lim. The latter called the A321P2F a perfect replacement for the conversion of aging Boeing 757s and forecast demand for more than 600 of the passenger-to-freighter conversions in the 10- to 30-metric-ton capacity range.

“The rule of thumb says the right age for aircraft conversions is between 15 and 20 years of age,” explained Sperl. “I can tell you, in 2018, which is the year we want to enter this market, we will have more than 550 A320s and almost 200 A321s within that conversion window. So, I can tell you we feel the market is ready for this program.”

Lim added that ST Aero­ space expects to perform the conversions, “depending on customer preference,” in any of its four conversion centers in Singapore, Dresden, the U.S. and China.

The first prototype will take some nine months to complete, he added, and production examples will take roughly three months. o

contract. Meanwhile, the maker of the Reaper UAS that already serves with three European air forces has again questioned why European industry seeks to build a Euro-MALE that will essentially be “a me-too” version of the American drone. And, not coincidentally, that company– General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)–issued a statement here Monday that described its progress towards a “certifiable Reaper.”

When the French, German and Italian defense ministers declared their intent last month to fund the PD study, some observers expected them to ink the deal with a flourish here at the show. The reality is they have not yet provided enough definition of the Euro-MALE requirement to allow the industrial team led by Airbus Defence & Space, Dassault Aviation and Finmeccania to proceed.

“They haven’t decided whether it should be armed or not; fly slow or fast; and operate only independently or be capable of joining a combat aircraft formation,” an informed industrial source told AIN. He said that arming a Euro-MALE was a particularly sensitive issue for Germany. The PD study could provide options, he added, but industry needed more clarity on the basics.

Meanwhile, GA-ASI said it had just successfully completed an internal Phase 1 Critical Design Review (CDR) of a Reaper that would be certified for flight “according to the NATO Airworthiness Standards.” The company said it would conduct flight tests next year, leading to the first flight of a certifiable production aircraft in 2017.

AIN understands that GA-ASI is spending $160 to 200 million of its own money on this effort.

Speaking to AIN here at the show, Frank Pace, president of GA-ASI, questioned the need for a Euro-MALE when the air forces of France, Italy and the UK were all “doing well” with their Reapers, and two more European countries might soon join them. They are the Netherlands and Spain, with the latter likely to choose between the Reaper and an Israeli UAS by the end of this month.

Incidentally, the two unspecified European countries that were described in a GA-ASI statement as “prospective customers” for the certifiable Reaper, and that have participated in its CDR, are not the Netherlands and Spain.

AIN understands that they are Germany and the UK. The latter country is not a surprise, since the UK has declined to join the Euro-MALE study.

But given the German government’s commitment to the study, it is hard to understand why it is also considering a Reaper purchase. o

The difference is monumental.

We’re beating our commitment on improved fuel burn efficiency, now exceeding 16%. Just the kind of ongoing improvement we told you to expect from our PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engine architecture. Learn more at PurePowerEngines.com.

PurePower Geared Turbofan Engines Paris Air Show: C2

GP7200 upgrades could be in the works

MARK WAGNER

by Charles Alcock

DASSAULT’S EARLY POST-WAR PRODUCT Liberated from a German concentration camp after World War II, France’s Marcel Dassault wasted no time getting back to work designing airplanes. His first effort was the MD311 Flamant used for training bombardiers, powered by a pair of Renault-Argus piston engines.

by Gregory Polek track to deliver between 750 and 755 airplanes, a new industry record.”

Separately, Connor conceded yesterday that the economic situation in Russia has become a concern given recent revelations that Aeroflot is “reviewing” its order for

endurance cycles at temperatures that will simulate 3,500 cycles. The tests will also feature a dust rig to analyze how the turbofan handles dust ingestion–a significant concern for operators based in the Middle East.

“We have achieved world class reliability with the engine since it entered service in 2008, but we are still maturing the product” said Athans.

“For specifications such as engine weight and fuel burn we are better than expected and we have saved operators millions [of dollars] in fuel burn compared with the competitor [Rolls-Royce Trent 900].”

However, previous upgrades introduced on the GP7200 did increase the main-tenance burden for the engine and since 2014 Engine Alliance (Hall 5 D232) has been working on a plan to reduce this. “We’re not where we want to be on the fleetwide maintenance burden but we established a baseline [for what it should be] and we are committed to meeting that,” concluded Athans. o

twenty-two 787 Dreamliners. However, said Conner, Boeing hasn’t yet felt the effects to the point where it has had to halt deliveries to its wider Russian customer base.

“The situation there is very difficult,” he said. “But we’ve delivered most all of airplanes to the Russian customers over the course of the last year. We’ll just have to deal with that with Aeroflot. They’re in a little bit of a unique situation. That’s a tough market right now.” o

‘SMART GLASSES’ SAVE AIRBUS TIME, ELIMINATE ERRORS

MARK WAGNER

Here at the Paris Air Show yesterday Boeing committed to rolling out the 737 Max by the end of the year, and to flying it for the first time early next year.

Speaking at a “state of the industry” briefing, Boeing CEO Ray Conner also reported that the Max continues to meet all its performance expectations. Boeing expects to airplane to burn 20-percent less fuel than the current-generation 737.

It was the first time Boeing has said it will roll-out the new 737 variant during 2015. Conner added that the 777X remains on schedule to reach firm configuration this year. Schedules call for the start of final assembly in 2018 and first delivery in 2020.

Meanwhile, Boeing plans to increase production rates for the 787 from 10 of 12 airplanes per month in 2016 and 14 per month by the end of the decade. It expects first delivery of the 787-10 in 2018.

“We’ve increased airplane production by more than 60 percent over the past five years by building our products on a lean and responsive production system,” said Conner. “Our focus is on executing our production rates and getting airplanes into the hands of our customers. We remain on

Accenture is showing proof-of-concept “smart glasses” it has developed for Airbus to help reduce the complexity and decrease the time associated with assembling cabin seats.

Using contextual marking instructions, the smart glasses display all required information for an operator to help mark the floor faster and eliminate errors.

Using the technology, mechanics can mark and check for accuracy all the aircraft’s seat locations to the last millimeter. Accenture (VIP Chalet 33) says the method cuts the time spent on each aircraft by a factor of six and reduces error rates to zero.

Accenture launched the program in January 2015 and completed the first prototype a month later. To accelerate the timeline, Airbus and Accenture worked in “start-up” mode, which allowed for rapid iterations by both companies’ engineers.

The partners plan to “industrialize” the technology first for A330 cabin furnishing. They expect Airbus’s other final assembly lines to quickly follow along with other Airbus divisions.

–G.P.

6 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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Engine Alliance is building the case for introducing further improvements to its GP7200 engine, which powers around half the Airbus A380 fleet, with the main aim being to improve mission fuel burn.

Among the items that could form part of an upgrade kit are an active clearance control system and a high-pressure turbine durability upgrade. If confirmed, they would be available both for new production and for aftermarket upgrade.

“We’re looking at lots of ideas for things such as optimizing the shroud grinds and improved cooling air flow,” Engine Alliance president Dean Athans told AIN. He indicated that the company, a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, and might be ready to introduce the upgrade kit this coming fall.

The U.S.-based group’s engineering team has built a GP7200 engine with the new high-pressure turbine configuration and in May started testing for 2,500

Boeing Max rollout by 2016

Paris

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To find out ho w the Twin Otter Se ries 400 can help you re final destinati ach your on, us today or sto contact p aircraft static by our display Exhibit B6.

z India’s M2K Sees Opportunities for Martin Jetpack Christchurch, New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Co. (Hall 5 G249) has signed a joint venture (JV) with India’s M2K Aviation for its flagship Martin Jetpack, a product that promises to turn science fiction into reality. The first phase of the venture will focus on marketing the Jetpack for the Indian market, followed by manu­ facturing and buy-back, M2K president Deepak Singhal told AIN. After China, India is the next biggest market for Martin, he noted. Hong-Kong based Kuangchi Science owns a 52-percent stake in the company, which has been listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in Sydney since February.

“The challenge will be that the civil regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation will need to create guidelines and certification requirements,” Singhal said. “That could take up to six months.”

A Class 1 microlight, the Jetpack has a maximum takeoff weight of 320 kg/705 pounds, a 200-hp low-vibration gasoline engine and 45-liter/11.9-gallon fuel Martin has new Jetpack JV. capacity. With a 3,000-foot ceiling, it offers a range up to 50 km/27 nm at a cruise speed of 56 kmh/30 knots. The Jetpack, which received certification to fly in New Zealand, has an endurance flight time of 30 minutes. Martin Aircraft expects to target first sales for Q3 2016 at a retail price of $200,000.

z Dart Jet Introduces Modular Trainer Dart Jet has unveiled a new training aircraft concept that it believes answers the needs of future military pilot training but at reduced development and maintenance cost, and with increased export potential compared with current designs. The company is now seeking investment and partners.

Developed by Tristan Crawford with input from RAF pilots, UK Trade & Investment and Fielding Aerospace Consultants, the Dart is a modular system that employs a core common fuselage and center wing box, to which can be added wings, cockpit, engine, empennage and landing gear applicable to the intended role and customer requirements. The single-engine Dart can be powered by a range of widely available engines in the 3,500- to 6,200-pound-thrust range.

z Alenia Pitches M-345 as French Basic Trainer France’s DGA defense procurement agency has called for expressions of interest in supplying a new basic trainer to the French air force. Some 20 to 25 aircraft may be acquired.

The plan is to replace some existing Alpha Jets that were not upgraded for continued service as an advanced jet trainer. Alenia Aermacchi told AIN that its M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) would be the ideal candidate. The single-turbofan jet would offer a long-term solution, including an Embedded Tactical Training Simulation (ETTS) suite and a comprehensive Ground Based Training System (GBTS) package, according to the Italian company.

Other potential candidates are the Aero Vodochody L39NG jet and the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop. The latter was reportedly favoured by French air force chief Gen Denis Mercier.

8 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

by Gregory Polek U.S. modification specialist Commuter Air Technology (CAT) has signed a contract with Finnoff Aviation Products to provide five-blade MT composite propellers for Beech King Air 90s, 200s and 300s, the companies announced in Paris this week. Terms of the agreement grant CAT exclusive rights to sell MT Propellers to U.S. Department of Defense customers and to customers of foreign governments for which the U.S. serves as the contracting and/or financing agent.

MT’s composite airfoils feature a smaller propeller diameter and thus shorter blade size, which reduces noise due to slower tip speeds and increases the margin of safety between the blade tip and ground. The additional surface area of a five-blade propeller along with the slower tip speeds help to maintain smooth airflow over

the blades and result in greater thrust for takeoff and climb.

The composite propellers are 16-percent lighter than aluminium systems, translating into more useful load and lower engine stress and starting temperatures.

CAT is part of the Acorn Growth Companies, which is exhibiting here at the state of Oklahoma exhibit (Hall 3 Stand E311). The private equity group also includes AeroComposites, which develops new applications for composite materials, such as replacing metal weapon pylons on U.S. Army MH-60M helicopters to reduce weight.

Acorn president and CEO Rick Nagel told AIN that he is about to launch a new fundraising effort to support further planned acquisitions.

The U.S. group has a total of 15 aviation businesses, including three UK-based firms. o

The 2016 Farnborough International Airshow is already looking strong, with exhibit space sales already up by double digits and the Lockheed Martin F-35 and Comac C919 are expected to make their European debuts at the biennial event, show organizer Farnborough International said on Wednesday at the Paris Air Show. Farnborough 2016 will be held next July 11 to 17.

With more than a year remaining, the UK airshow is already 44 percent sold–a 20-percent increase over the same period in the previous show cycle. The organizer hopes to reach 50 percent before the Le Bourget show closes on Sunday.

Farnborough International (Hall 2b F146) also announced here in Paris that Lockheed Martin signed a memorandum of understanding for a new permanent structure at the airshow site. Located in Chalet Row D, Lockheed’s new corporate hospitality building will be linked by a footbridge to its adjacent current permanent facility.

Construction is expected to be n completed by next July.

AIRBUS UNVEILS E-FAN ‘CONNECTED’ COCKPIT Airbus Group unveiled a “connected cockpit” for the E-Fan electric two-seater here at the show yesterday. It has been designed to “de-stress” the student pilot, said Jean Botti, the company’s chief technology officer. Airbus expects the main user of the E-Fan, from its entry into service in 2017, will be flying schools.

The two cockpit displays are detachable tablets. The instructor can use one to prepare the flight with the student while the latter will be able to anticipate what to display to the pilot, depending on the phase of flight. For example, the flight pattern can be displayed graphically in advance, with all waypoints clearly associated with the main pilot inputs.

Once on board, checklists are displayed one step at a time– again, to de-stress the pilot. In flight, in case of a low-battery situation, computers can suggest the best flight path option, factoring in the distance to the closest alternate airfields, the remaining energy and the wind. After the flight, the tablet can be detached for the debriefing.

The E-Fan is scheduled to make a crossing of the English Channel (“La Manche”) on July 10. –T.D.

MARK WAGNER

NH Industries here on Monday presented an award to general Olivier Gourlez de la Motte, commander of the French Army’s aviation arm (Alat), in recognition of “the first operational deployment of a NH90 TTH Caïman overseas.”

Two Caïmans, as they are called in the French forces, have been based in Mali as part of the Barkhane operation. A third and a fourth one are expected to join them “quite soon,” according to de la Motte.

NH Industries (Static C2) hopes to receive an order for a further six NH90 TTHs from France this year. The ministry of defense plans to transfer all H225M Caracals to the armée de l’Air air force, according to a military source. The special forces will thus eventually operate only NH90s, as will Alat.

DAVID McINTOSH

z NH Industries Lauds French Army Aviation Head

CAT unit now marketing MT Propellers products

DAVID McINTOSH

NEWS CLIPS

FARNBOROUGH 2016 LOOKING STRONG

Airbus’s unmanned version of the E-Fan is on display here in Paris.

The E-Fan’s cockpit is designed to “de-stress” the student pilot. Two touchscreen tablets provide everything they need.

The most current iteration of the E-Fan touches down at Le Bourget.

Tested for years.

Confidence from day one.

Just off the coast in Massa, Italy, we put the GE9X compressor through extensive tests in a custom-built rig to ensure it can deliver on its promises. It’s an unprecedented level of testing, but then again, so is the compressor’s 27:1 pressure ratio – the highest ever produced in the history of commercial aviation.

See how GE is maturing the technologies that will make tomorrow fly at geaviation.com/GE9X.

NEWS CLIPS

In business class, wood wall coverings create a warm ambiance and reading lamps are designed to bring “something intellectual.”

Canadian aerospace and defense supplier Meloche Group signed a 10-year agreement potentially worth $30 million with Pratt & Whitney to supply oil nozzles and pump plates for the PurePower PW1000G engine family.

Under the agreement, Meloche will begin shipping the parts in about six months. Designed for use in the PW1500G for the Bombardier CSeries, PW1100G-JM for the Airbus A320neo and PW1200G for the Mitsubishi MRJ, the parts will come from two of the company’s four plants, located in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Bromont, Quebec.

The agreement also includes United Technologies’ “One Company” terms and conditions, which provides for a common contracting approach between UTC and its suppliers.

MARK WAGNER

z Meloche Group Wins $30M Supply Contract

Boeing shows 777-300ER courtesy of China Airlines

z UK Company Developing A330neo Engine Pylon

by Thierry Dubois

The UK’s Gardner Aerospace is hoping to tap into “Airbus’s plans to dramatically increase the amount of work it sources in India over the next 10 years,” as the company put it, and has already invested £1 million ($1.5 million) into its Bengaluru factory. This will triple the plant’s size with “further expansion planned throughout 2016 and 2017.”

Gardner Aerospace (Hall 2b E140) claims the facility is the only one in India with Airbus A350 manufacturing approvals.

Meanwhile, Gardner’s Tczew, Poland factory is to expand by 1,100 sq m (12,000 sq ft) to include a new surface treatment line.

Derby, UK-headquartered Gardner has this month reported an increase in annual sales of 8 percent, to $185 million, notably thanks to new Airbus orders. It has just announced it has been assigned the industrial development of the A330neo’s engine pylon. The first sections of the pylon are pegged for delivery in the third quarter of this year.

China Airlines has its soon-tobe-delivered Boeing 777-300ER here on the Paris Air Show static display, thus giving those visitors who see the cabin a flavor of Taiwanese culture. Designer Ray Chen has created an interior where passengers will “feel, see, smell, hear, taste and eventually love Taiwan,” the carrier’s chairman, Sun Huang-hsiang, said.

The widebody aircraft is to be

handed over this month, joining the other five 777-300ERs that China Airlines operates.

Chen said he was inspired by “the sophisticated minimalism” of the Song dynasty in the Middle Age. “They would show their richness in a humble way,” he said. Four design drivers–culture, commitment, nature and technology–have been translated into one color each. In economy

class, a few red seats have a pattern Chen characterized as reminiscent of a Chinese red seal, often found in calligraphy.

In business class, wood wall coverings create a warmer ambiance. “Reading lamps are there to remind you of something very intellectual, like in a bookstore,” Chen went on. The entrance area has been laid out to look like a hotel lobby and a lounge, as opposed to a kitchen.

China Airlines’ in-service 777-3000ERs are flying to Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Frankfurt is next in line, and is scheduled to be served from November 1.

Asked about premium economy, Sun said he is hoping to increase the load factor from 65 to 80 percent. In economy, China Airlines is the second carrier to offer a “family couch,” a row of three seats that can convert into a bed–a product targeted at one parent with a child. o

Set to be delivered shortly after the Paris Air Show, this China Airlines Boeing 777-300ER is here to give visitors a sample of the airline’s best interior amenities.

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (Hall 2B, G188) of Birmingham, UK, will provide tires for the MA700 regional turboprop being developed by the Xi’an branch of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic).

The 70-seat Modern Ark 700 is due to make its first flight in 2017, followed by entry into service in 2019 with launch customers Okay Airways and Joy Air. Each of the turboprops will require two nosewheel and four main wheel tires for a projected 800-aircraft production run.

“Not only will Dunlop be a key partner during the development of the aircraft, but once the MA700 is in service the company’s ability to retread tires in China, as well as in Europe and the Americas, will mean that we can jointly serve the needs of our global customer base,” said Wang Bing, Avic Xi’an branch director of program management.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Dunlop Will Supply Tires for Avic’s New MA700

z The West Depends on Russian Titanium For now, the significant volumes of titanium alloys supplied

by Russia’s VSMPO-Avisma group remain untouched by Western economic sanctions against the country. Should that situation change–in the face of mounting tensions over the military conflict in eastern Ukraine–Airbus, which gets as much as 60 percent of its titanium from the company, and Boeing (40 percent) could face a significant challenge.

Boeing’s new 787 widebody includes around 60 items made from Russian titanium, some of which are made by the U.S. airframer’s joint venture with VSMPO-Avisma, Ural Boeing Manufacturing. The partners are now trying to decide whether to start the second phase of an expansion plan. Now VSMPOAvisma is getting into the aircraft leasing business, having recently acquired a 27-percent stake in AviaCapital-Service, which does a lot of business with Boeing.

U.S. metals group Alcoa also has a joint venture with VSMPO-Avisma (Hall 2b Stand B197), which it says is “progressing as normal.” This is preparing to operate a large forging press at Samara that will focus on making larger components such as landing gear beams and wing pylons.

10 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Satair aims to lead in spares supply by integrating customers’ logistics

by Charles Alcock Civil aircraft parts inventory management specialist Satair confidently predicts it will be the market leader by 2017. According to group CEO Mikkel Bardram, the key to achieving this goal is providing a fully integrated approach to aftermarket service for both operators and the suppliers it represents.

“We are integrated into the customer’s operation as much as possible, taking care of all aspects of logistics and warehousing for them,” he explained.

“This involves setting up inventory at the customer’s site and replenishing that inventory as needed so that they don’t even have to think about it.”

Significantly, Satair owns the warehoused inventory until it is actually used by the customer.

The next step for the Denmark-based group will be to ensure that there is a completely seamless IT link with operators to that ensure that there is complete transparency over spares requirements

and how they are being met. “We’re not completely seamless yet, but that is where we need to go and it’s a big challenge,” Bardram said.

Through its Integrated Purchasing Programme (IPP), Satair (Hall 4 Stand F192) handles all aspects of distribution for suppliers. This year it is aiming to boost the number of U.S. suppliers it represents and in the process it expects to include more content for Boeing aircraft. Despite the fact that Airbus is a leading shareholder in Satair, about a quarter of its business already involves Boeing parts.

The other side of IPP, according to Bardram, is that operators who are having trouble dealing with suppliers–perhaps because they only buy spares a couple of times per year–can depend on Satair to improve the availability of stock. This is especially helpful in the case of smaller suppliers. o

The architecture of reliability Our next-generation LEAP engine is built on solid foundations.

Drawing on the legendary architecture of the CFM56, we have expanded our technology and innovation even further. Delivering a new standard in fuel efficiency for CFM customers worldwide. cfmaeroengines.com/paris CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.

PERFORMANCE | EXECUTION | TECHNOLOGY

MORE TO BELIEVE IN

NEWS CLIPS

CLEOPATRA TO ADD G600 TO ITS FLEET

z TRU Training Center Gains FAA Certificate

Starting as a ceramics company in 1983, Egypt’s Cleopatra Group has since excelled in several fields, including media, tourism and aviation. Chairman Mohamed M. Abou El Enein, right, signed a deal with Gulfstream senior v-p Scott Neal, adding a G600 to Cleopatra’s existing fleet of five Gulfstream business jets. “They connect us with customers and business opportunities around the world,” said El Enein.

DAVID McINTOSH

TRU Simulation and Training has gained Part 142 certification from the U.S. FAA for its new ProFlight satellite pilot training center in Lutz near Tampa, Florida. Plans call for the new center to offer training for the Cessna Citation CJ1/2/3-series business jets. The company also said it wants to expand training to include nine more Cessna and Beechcraft models.

Meanwhile, German training organization Star Wings is in the final stages of installing its TRU-built Cessna Citation CJ3 full-flight simulator (FFS). The device will be qualified to EASA level-D standards and is expected to be ready within the coming weeks.

Separately at the show, TRU announced that it has signed a contract to produce an A350 FFS X level-D full-motion flight simulator for Lufthansa Flight Training. The deal marks TRU’s first venture into the widebody training business.

Schedules call for the machine to be ready for training in either of Lufthansa’s flight training centers in Munich and Frankfurt in August 2016.

z Aircelle Offers Luminescent Markings Aircelle (Hall 2a A228) has just flight-tested new electroluminescent markings that can display logos and advertising messages virtually anywhere on an aircraft. The trial took place on the No. 1 nacelle of an Airbus A380 on June 8.

It demonstrated the high levels of brightness, clarity and readability, according to Aircelle.

The “Illuminate the Sky by Aircelle” product is suitable for airliners and business jets. It can easily be modified and reprogrammed. It can show graphics, patterns and animations, with placement from the fuselage to the engine nacelles and tail.

Using onboard electrical power, the electroluminescent markings were developed by Aircelle’s nacelle and engine integration center in Colomiers, France– located adjacent to the Airbus final assembly lines near Toulouse Blagnac Airport.

Aircelle’s luminescent markings accent company logos and messages.

z Three Airlines Pick GE Fuel-saving Solutions This summer, GE (Chalet 142) will start implementing a fuel management solution with airline Swiss that will include “the analysis of flight and operational data to identify and prioritize fuel-saving opportunities.” Swiss, EVA Airways and Zhejiang Loong Airlines all have new or ongoing contracts with GE Aviation’s Flight Efficiency Services for analytics aimed at saving fuel.

The service will allow the airlines to generate synergies with their flight safety and technical divisions since these areas will also benefit from the enhanced data analysis capabilities, according to Swiss COO Rainer Hiltebrand.

Applying such flight data analytics, Taiwan-based EVA Airways is already seeing reduced fuel use in its 70-strong fleet, according to GE. “EVA has realized more than a half million dollars in savings in about 10 months of implementation,” Alan Caslavka, president of Avionics & Digital Systems for GE Aviation, said. The two companies aim to implement five flight efficiency initiatives this year.

China’s Zhejiang Loong Airlines has also selected GE’s service to cut the fuel consumption and carbon emissions of its A320 fleet.

IS&S helps airlines with Next-Gen gear-up

by Matt Thurber Many airlines are struggling with the need to upgrade relatively old flight management systems (FMS) to meet new NextGen capabilities such as ADS-B out and required navigation performance (RNP) procedures. These capabilities can shave minutes from a typical flight and enable arrivals in weather that earlier systems aren’t made to accommodate.

Innovative Solutions and Support (IS&S) has devised a simple solution that allows airlines to keep existing FMSs and gain the benefits of NextGen technology without expensive FMS and multi-mode receiver (MMR) upgrades. The solution is also available for business jets.

The IS&S solution simply builds RNP capability into displays that are easily retrofitted in the instrument panel. This includes an IS&S Beta 3 GPS sensor and RNP/LPV navigation capability. IS&S also offers this solution in its smaller and easy-to-install standby display for operators that don’t want or need a primary display upgrade.

The Beta 3 GPS adds another benefit; it meets the position-accuracy requirements for ADS-B out and thus can be

wired to an ADS-B-compliant transponder to meet the upcoming 2020 ADS-B out mandate.

IS&S is certifying the new RNP solution in a launch customer’s Boeing 757, and FAA approval is expected in about six months, according to IS&S president Shahram Askarpour.

EASA certification should occur about three months later.

RNP 1.0 Accuracy

Another benefit of this solution is that the Beta 3 GPS can deliver accurate position information to the FMS to provide RNP 1.0 accuracy for the entire flight. Older FMSs that use inertial reference unit and DME/ DME for position can’t meet that level of RNP accuracy, Askarpour explained. “You can improve the performance of the existing FMS and don’t have to do an MMR upgrade.”

Older FMSs also have limited database sizes because of the types of processors and smaller amounts of memory found in these units. But newer types of RNP and LPV instrument approaches take up more space, and in any case some of these older FMSs didn’t contain approaches in their databases. “This essentially

This CRJ-900 is equipped with an IS&S Next-Gen-compatible cockpit avionics suite.

14 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

solves all the known issues with these FMSs,” he said.

The accuracy of the IS&S system can be better than RNP 0.1, but this could be limited by the capabilities of the systems in the airplane. “It’s question of whether the airplane and existing autopilot can deliver performance lower than RNP 0.3,” he explained. “Those are evaluated from airplane-to-airplane type.

But the position accuracy of our system is less than 10 feet.” o

FLIR JOINS WITH AIRBUS HELICOPTERS Flir Systems and Airbus Helicopters Deutschland have formed a partnership to offer so-called enhanced availability electro-optical systems for the German police helicopter market. Under the terms of the deal, Flir Systems (Chalet 373) provides Star Safire 380HD systems combined with a new service support package exclusive to German police operators buying new aircraft.

Flir has a committed base dedicated to spare Star Safire systems in Germany to support the effort. The BadenWurttemberg police depart­ ment expects to serve as launch customer in Germany, followed by the Niedersachsen and Nordrhein Westfalen police forces.

Used in search and rescue operations, law enforcement, military and border surveillance missions around the world, the Star Safire 380-HD contains advanced payload configuration with multiple high-definition sensors, including a full native HD –G.P. infrared camera.

Simulation Is Big Business, and It’s Getting Bigger

Having acquired a Netherlands-based flight simulator company, Lockheed Martin is making a play for what it sees as a lucrative civil training market. Acknowledging that the field is already well populated, Lockheed counts on its critical mass in military circles to translate into success on the civil side.

For Lockheed Martin sim biz, parent’s clout is key to success

Faux flying is big business. Simulator training has become the mainstay for initial and recurrent training for airlines around the world, and as air traffic mushrooms, so too does the requirement for keeping pilots proficient and safe. London-based industry analyst Visiongain pegs the overall flight simulator market at $6.16 billion this year.

And just as the airline industry is bouncing in the turbulence of economic change, the way training and simulation is conducted is also evolving. No longer do airlines buy and operate their very own fleets of simulators as a matter of course. Increasingly, it makes more sense for airlines to outsource the simulator training, and the resulting line-up of providers is growing in size and variety. And for simulator manufacturers, industry insiders speculate that there is room for only two or three viable players. –M.P. For a detailed look at the changes in flight training and simulation, scan the accompanying QR code to the AIN website for a full article by Rick Adams.

by Rick Adams The Netherlands-based business formerly known as Sim-Industries is hoping the management muscle and historical prowess of parent company Lockheed Martin (Chalet 316) will elevate it into the top echelons of the commercial flight simulation and training services sector.

“We want to harness the power of the military side of Lockheed Martin into the commercial side, especially in flight and aerospace activities,” Neal Tomblyn told AIN on a recent visit to Lockheed’s new Commercial Flight Training (CFT) headquarters in Sassenheim, near Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Tomblyn is the new director of business development and strategy for CFT. A wholly owned LM subsidiary, CFT resides within the training and logistics solutions section of Lockheed Martin’s Missions Systems and Training group, one of its five business “pillars.” Tomblyn said Lockheed Martin is investing heavily to counterbalance its U.S.-focused military business with more commercial and international presence.

“We want to become a global company, not just a U.S. company that does business internationally,” he said.

“And we want to transition our military

technology into commercial markets.”

The CFT engineering team currently has a surfeit of challenges: its first level-D fullflight simulators for the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 models are in development for FedEx, Lufthansa and Aeromexico, respectively.

Program excellence manager Allyson Kukel said the three widebody projects have limited the company’s recent simulator output. This reached a peak of 14 devices in 2013 but tapered to just two last year, according to simulator census lists.

A total of 43 level-D sims are credited to Sim-Industries and Lockheed Martin to date, or an average of about 10 per year deployed since 2010.

Well Positioned

Nonetheless, Kukel thinks Lockheed Martin CFT is positioning to challenge commercial airline simulator front-runner CAE (Chalet 56), which sold 41 simulators last year and an industryrecord 48 the year before, and other wellfunded competitors such as Textron’s TRU Simulation + Training (Static A4), Rockwell Collins (Chalet 21, Hall 2b D108) and L-3 Link (Chalet 306).

“There was a monopoly in the simulator business, and the market wanted to

see different players,” Kukel said. “SimIndustries was not a big player, but now as part of Lockheed Martin we’re recognized as a very strong competitor.”

Following the Lockheed Martin takeover in 2011, CFT landed deals with Lufthansa and FedEx and in May the company added low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines of Denver, Colorado to their roster for an A320 simulator.

Lockheed Martin’s foremost customer is Pan Am International Flight Academy, which has three 737-800 devices at its Miami center, a fourth in Las Vegas and an A320-200 installed last year in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Sassenheim building might also

house a flight training center, Kukel indicated. Lockheed Martin already provides commercial airline training services in São Paulo (four 737-800 simulators) in collaboration with Brazilian airline GOL, and at Incheon airport in Seoul, Korea (an A320 and two 737-800 sims).

Tomblyn said CFT is mulling its next strategic moves, which include more training centers and possibly entry into the ab initio training sector. “Nothing is out of the question. Expansion within our training centers, expansion with airlines around the world, services as standalone, services in partnership. Buying a simulator is not necessarily the only business model,” he said. o

SICHUAN AIRSHOW READY FOR TAKEOFF IN 2017 The Sichuan International Airshow, which will focus on commercial and civil aviation, was officially launched during a signing here in Paris on Tuesday morning. According to airshow organizer Farnborough International (Hall 2b F146), the inaugural event will be held in the third week of September 2017 at Guanhang Airport in Deyang City, China, and will feature three trade and two public days.

Daily flying displays lasting two-to-three hours will distinguish the Sichuan International Airshow from other aviation/aerospace events in China, said Farnborough International CEO Shaun Ormrod. Organizers hope to sign 300 to 400 exhibitors, ideally split 50-50 between Chinese and international companies, and have 60 aircraft on static display for the 2017 show.

Signing the 10-year deal covering four of the biennial airshows were (l-r) Dong Xiaogang, Deyang Municipal People’s Government vice secretary-general; Segree Dai, EU Project Innovation Centre chief executive; and Paul Everitt, chairman of Farnborough International.

–C.T.

16 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

BEWARE OF SPINNING BLADES NH Industries’ NH90 medium twin helicopter passes in front of Airbus’s A400M four-turboprop transport.

Seldom will you see as much rotating machinery in one photo frame at one time. Both aircraft participate in the flying display here at Le Bourget.

Three future Boeings are meeting deadlines

MARK WAGNER

MARK WAGNER

by Thierry Dubois

FALCON OF MERCY

ROCKWELL COLLINS PAVES THE WAY

Olivier Villa, left, Dassault Falcon senior v-p of civil aircraft, swaps national flags with Libing Li, hospital director for Beijing Red Cross Emergency Medical Center, which has selected a specially outfitted Falcon 2000LX for its air ambulance service.

787-10’s Critical Review

MARK WAGNER

The Middle East’s largest aircraft leasing company, Aviation Lease and Finance Co. (Alafco), has selected the full suite of Rockwell Collins avionics, including MultiScan Threat Track, weather radar and Multi Mode Receiver (MMR), for the 85 Airbus A320neos it has on order.

In addition, Alafco will install Paves, Rockwell Collins’ overhead broadcast and wireless content distribution inflight entertainment systems (IFE), across its A320 fleet. Deliveries will begin in 2017.

Claude Alber, Rockwell Collins’ vice president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, claims that the system will accommodate an aircraft full of passengers. “Customers that opt to take advantage of our wireless and IFE systems will have access to faster onboard connectivity due to the wireless system’s ability to accommodate more than 200 passengers, as well as a variety of entertainment and information options,” he said.

Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines has also opted for Paves and Rockwell Collins’ Airshow moving map for 15 new Boeing 737s. Deliveries are expected to begin by year-end.

This is the latest in a series of selections by China Eastern of Rockwell Collins systems. Earlier this year, the airline selected the company’s Head-up Guidance System and MMR for 20 new aircraft.

–L.M.

All three of Boeing’s indevelopment commercial aircraft are on track to meet performance guarantees and schedule timelines, according to Scott Fancher, senior vice president and general manager for airplane development.

On the 737 Max, 90 percent of the design release has been completed ahead of schedule. “This means we can move deeply into manufacturing with confidence– the engineers won’t change the design,” Fancher explained.

The initial flight envelope of the narrowbody’s CFM Leap-1B has been cleared. The engine is “doing exactly what we need it to do, maybe even a bit better,” Fancher said, thus negating recent rumors about its performance.

Wing assembly has started, as workers on May 29 loaded the initial parts of the first spars into automated spar assembly machines. The final assembly line will be ready this summer. First flight thus remains planned for 2016 and the first delivery for 2017.

On the 787-10–a stretched, shorter-range version of the Dreamliner–Fancher said a critical design review will take place this summer. He then expects 90 percent of the design release to be completed by year-end.

Development of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-TEN engine is said to be progressing as planned.

At Boeing’s North Charleston, S.C. factory, maximizing commonality with other 787 variants has been a major focus. “Manufacturing the -10 on a line where workers don’t care

FROM CADET TO CAPTAIN TRAINING CAE’s programs span the entire career lifecycle of a professional pilot.

about what model they are building will bring better productivity,” Fancher said. The first prototype will be rolled out in 2017 and the first production aircraft will be delivered in 2018.

Meanwhile, the 777X’s “preliminary designs” have been validated and a “firm configuration” will be issued in the third quarter.

“We want systems to be designed earlier in the process for better reliability,” Fancher added.

He clarified that the difference in cabin altitude between the 777X and 787 will be “negligible,” while the humidity level will be “somewhere in between” those of the 777 and the 787. The 777X’s windows will be larger than those of the 777, but not as large as those of the 787.

Nevertheless, thanks to a narrower space between the inner and outer windows, the overall amount of light that enters the cabin will be greater, according to Fancher. Boeing engineers “sculpted the frame into a larger interior,” he said, because they “understand the structural margins and know where to beef up, for a modest investment.”

The composite wing center in Everett will be completed next May. Production of the 777X will begin in 2017, Fancher said, aiming at flight-testing the first prototype in 2019. The first delivery is slated for 2020. o

Fokker, Comac team on a VIP ARJ21-700

by Chad Trautvetter Bombardier CRJ700. “Such conversions fit extremely well with Fokker’s aircraft expertise, which involves more than interior conversion alone,” the companies said. Fokker Services (Hall 2b G91) also performs VIP completions for Airbus corporate jetliners and Boeing Business Jets.

“We are proud of our strategic relationship with Comac, whom we have been co-operating with intensely for the last few years,” said Fokker Services president Peter Somers. “We are especially excited to be involved in the conversion of the first Chinese-built business jet. We feel that together we are entering a new stage in aviation.” o

NRC’s cushion undergoes tests in the council’s shaker facility.

DREAMING HIGHER 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.

Growing Aero Sekur adds helicopter flotation system

by Charles Alcock

High-tech helicopter seat cuts down vibration fatigue

Safety equipment specialist Aero Sekur has expanded its facilities on both sides of the Atlantic. The Italy-based group also reported successful completion of testing for a new family of flotation devices developed for AgustaWestland’s AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters.

Initial ground testing of the flotation system was conducted on an AW139 aircraft, and Aero Sekur (Hall 1 Stand F297) is now pressing ahead with full certification of the equipment.

The company specializes in making and supporting lightweight emergency rotorcraft

flotation systems that can incorporate life rafts.

“The design philosophy [developed] by Aero Sekur is in-tended to ensure that commonalities are widely adopted by the company’s external life raft and flotation system products. This reduces the development and qualification timeline, associated costs and parts count,” said Aero Sekur’s head of strategic marketing Roberto Simonetti. “Lower life-cycle costs are also brought about by the new design, thanks to the same maintenance policy and tools.”

Aero Sekur recently opened a new U.S. aftermarket support facility in Pensacola, Florida. The

site is stocked with spare parts available for same-day dispatch.

The new operation also will provide training and maintenance services. Military customers for its maintenance shelters and environmental conditioning units will get support for maintenance, repair and overhaul, training and spares.

At the end of 2014, Aero Sekur opened a new inflatable shelter manufacturing plant in the Camania region of Italy. The new factory works in tandem with the company’s Sekur Sistemi location in Genoa, Italy, which designs and manufactures environmental control systems. The inflatable shelters can be provided for both fixedwing aircraft and helicopters.

Aero Sekur also makes products such as lightweight, crashworthy fuel tanks, valve/inflation systems and parachutes. It is involved in a variety of aviation, defense and space programs. o

by David Donald Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) laboratory has developed a new seat cushion that mitigates the effects of vibration on helicopter crews. Repeated whole-body vibration can have serious health and safety effects on crews, including fatigue, back pain, neck strain and, in extreme cases, permanent disability.

Canada’s Department of National Defence has been working in this broad area for more than 10 years, led by the Directorate of Technical Airworthiness and Engineering Support (DTAES-DND), which selected the NRC to undertake a research and technology development project.

The new cushion is the

outcome of that project. It integrates traditional foam with energy-absorbing materials in a hexagonal cell pattern that interconnects with air vents to dissipate vibration energy.

The cushion meets full airworthiness and crashworthiness requirements.

Testing has been performed in NRC’s human-rated shaker device before flight tests in NRC’s Bell 412 testbed. The plan is to install the new cushion in the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CH146 Griffon (Bell 412) fleet.

NRC has also signed an agreement with Hawkesbury, Ontariobased Dart Aerospace to transfer the technology for commercial helicopter applications. o

Aero Sekur has successfully tested a new flotation and life raft system for the AgustaWestland AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters.

www.ainonline.com • June 18, 2015 • Paris Airshow News 19

DAVID McINTOSH

Fokker Services has signed a contract with Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac to convert the ARJ21-700 regional jet into a VIP-configured business jet.

Comac last year announced the first customer for the business jet variant of its recently certified 90-seat airliner.

The conversion will be jointly developed by Fokker and Comac in the Netherlands, while the final aircraft outfitting activities and deliveries will be done in Shanghai at Comac’s Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. division.

Fokker brings its expertise in similar bizliner conversions with jets such as the Fokker F28 and F70, as well as the

Alcoa invests $22M in new tech

by Charles Alcock Lightweight metals specialist Alcoa is expanding its capabilities for producing larger components with a sizeable investment in its Whitehall, Michigan facility announced earlier this month. The company is spending $22 million to install hot isostatic pressing equipment, which strengthens the metallic structure of titanium, nickel and 3D-printed aero engine parts.

Here at the Paris Air Show, Alcoa (Chalet 49, Hall 5 F210) is highlighting what it describes as cutting-edge innovation based on its ability to work in multiple materials and to produce a wide variety of products for the aerospace sector. “All structures are hybrids now since they are made of multiple materials,” Alcoa COO Eric Roegner told AIN. “We are uniquely positioned to discuss with manufacturers when it makes sense to use any particular material and how to use it.”

One manufacturer that has turned to Alcoa for help is Pratt & Whitney, which last year

chose it to make the first aluminum forging for the hybrid metallic fan blade for the PurePower engines of the Airbus A320neo narrowbody.

These are made from a mix of aluminum and aluminum-lithium, unlike most fan blades that are made from titanium and carbon fiber.

According to Alcoa, its blades will outperform traditional equipment and also cost less.

In addition, Alcoa has expertise in additive manufacturing. The Whitehall facility, for example, is using resins to produce complicated parts. This cuts the development time in half. It also has expanded into using metals for making tooling and preformed parts. “We can use higher-value nickels and titanium for additive manufacturing, and these tend to be used for complex parts that are load-bearing or moving,” said Roegner.

These days, Alcoa’s aerospace business is evenly split between engines, fastenings and aerostructures. Last year, its aerospace revenues stood at around $5.6 billion. o

Derby gets smarter, flies farther

MARK WAGNER

‘THANKS, AEROSPACE’ First was the Segway, now people are getting around the Paris Air Show site on self-balancing unicycles, developed thanks to inertial gyrostabilization technology pioneered by the aerospace industry.

TURKISH PRIDE Here at the Paris Air Show, U.S.-based Sierra Nevada Corp. announced the formation of a wholly owned subsidiary, TRJet, to be based in Ankara, Turkey. TRJet is dedicated to developing the country’s regional aircraft industry. The first step will be to produce the TRJ328, an updated version of the Dornier 328JET. Dave Jackson, left, managing partner of 328 SSG, met with Cem Ugar of TRJet to discuss future programs and products.

20 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Rafael’s Derby active-radar air-to-air missile has been in service since 1998 and is in operational service with six customers. To keep the missile capable of meeting current and future threats, the Israeli company has undertaken two major upgrades that not only improve seeker performance, but greatly increased range capability.

As a first step Rafael (Static A8) developed the I-Derby with an all-new seeker head and guidance package. The package is more flexible than the previous unit, with a better ability to control the waveform. Its electronic counter-countermeasures performance is improved, a necessary step to match and stay ahead of advances in electronic warfare systems. At the same time, the seeker retains the “lock-on before launch” function that gives the Derby a shortrange “fire and forget” capability, in which the missile’s seeker-head can be slaved to the pilot’s helmet display for close-in dogfighting.

I-Derby’s seeker/guidance package employs solid-state technology so that physical size and weight has been reduced. At the same time Rafael replaced the large proximity fuse fitted to the original missile with a much smaller RF-based fuse located at the base of the seeker’s radome.

Taken together, these enhancements have freed up considerable volume internally for the fitment of a larger propulsion system, resulting in the I-Derby ER. Rather than just increasing the amount of propellant carried, Rafael opted for a dual-pulse motor. The initial launch pulse is similar to that of the original Derby, but a second pulse can now be fired at a time dictated by the missile’s flight control system, to detect when the weapon is running out of energy.

Firing the second pulse is normally undertaken shortly before intercept, greatly increasing the missile’s maneuvering energy in the end-game as a means of expanding its no-escape zone.

At the same time, the I-Derby ER’s range is increased to more than 60 miles, placing it into the long-range category and allowing it to better

MARK WAGNER

by David Donald

Rafael’s I-Derby ER is an extended-range version of the air-to-air it has missile on display here at Le Bourget.

exploit the greater capabilities being introduced by modern fighter radars. The missile is also completely interchangeable with the Derby used in Rafael’s Spyder-SR ground-based air defense system. Theoretically, I-Derby ER could also be adapted with a booster motor as used by the current Spyder-MR system, although Rafael sees little operational need for such a long-range system.

I-Derby ER was first unveiled at Aero India in February. Rafael is switching production over to the new version and, while the company remains coy about development status, insists that it will be available to customers within a typical missile order-to-delivery period of around two years. The company has identified at least five potential customers who are looking for a 60-mile long-range air-to-air missile. o

Airbus expresses confidence that sales will continue apace Airbus sales gurus are betting that forecasts of continued world population growth are correct, allowing them to keep order acitivity at a sustainable levels over the coming years and decades. In particular, this will help the A380 find new opportunities, they claim.

For the first four months of this year, Airbus is claiming a 62-percent market share in units, or 53 percent in revenues, compared with Boeing. The backlog was steady from one year before, at 6,399 aircraft.

For the decades ahead, Airbus COO, customers John Leahy explained airliner sales have a strong base, thanks to air traffic growth, itself fueled by the way the world’s population is evolving. He sees air traffic continuing to double every 15 years in terms of revenue passenger miles. In Leahy’s view, the past 10 years has been the decade of the emerging countries, and that movement will carry on.

In 2013, some 22 percent of the populations of emerging countries took a trip.

This proportion is planned to increase to 66 percent in 2033, according to Airbus statistics. Meanwhile, there are 12.5 aircraft per million inhabitants in the U.S., but only 1.6 in China. So there is still a lot of capacity to fulfill, Leahy said.

Another trend has been confirmed.

The share of business- and first-class tickets sold globally has not caught up to rates that prevailed before the 2009

downturn, when they fell from about 9.7 to 8.2 percent. As a result, airlines are exploring how to make their economy classes more cost effective.

One efficiency move might be to transition to larger aircraft in the single-aisle category. For example, market share of the A321 has grown dramatically in recent years at the expense of A319 sales.

This year, their deliveries will be 38 and five percent, respectively.

Seating more passengers in the same cabin remains the Holy Grail, and Airbus and its equipment manufacturers are finding ways to move in that direction. The “Smart-Lav” is a lavatory that “gives the same space feeling within a smaller footprint,” according to Kiran Rao, executive v-p, strategy and marketing. Also, since most airlines don’t need all the galley space currently offered on the A320, the “SpaceFlex” configuration includes a second aft lavatory. “About 70-80 percent of airlines choose it, although we had expected that to be closer to 30 percent,” Rao said.

More Seats Squeezed In

Thanks to a new regulation on emergency exits, maximum seating in Airbus’s single-aisle family has been increased.

These are now 160 seats on the A319 (+4), 189 seats on the A320 (+9) and 240 seats on the A321 (+20). “EASA has certified the A320 to 195 seats, but we do not

DAVID McINTOSH

by Thierry Dubois

The life cycle of the A380 is at a turning point. Airbus remains confident it will play out as expected, meeting or exceeding the 400 copies forecast at project launch.

promote it,” Leahy promised.

Airbus officials are keen on advertising “personal space” for each passenger, especially the A320’s 18-inch seat width. But they are paradoxically marketing an 18-inch economy seat on the A380 as “progress,” whereas seats on the superjumbo are currently wider, such as Singapore Airlines’ 19 inches in its 10-abreast configuration.

An A380 in an 11-abreast layout would still offer 18-inch seats, wider than the seats in a typical 10-abreast Boeing 777X, Leahy emphasized. It would create a middle seat in the center but “families like it,” Leahy asserted in a U-turn from his earlier statements.

Airbus’s main point is about the trend toward adding a premium economy class.

“If we are moving toward four classes, the A380 becomes more comfortable and more cost effective,” Leahy asserted.

Premium economy is or will soon be offered by five A380 operators. Typical

width and pitch are 19 inches an 38 inches.

Rao believes the A380 will come into its own in the next decade, partly thanks to the four-class trend. “You need the space,” he said. Moreover, a 777 or 777X cannot accommodate a super-first class, such as Etihad’s Residence. Further advocating the A380’s business case, Rao said he is “not too worried” by sales, as the forecast for the current model was initially 400, and Airbus has received orders for 317 so far, 10 years after the first flight. A freighter, a longer-range version and at least one stretch may still be derived from the existing design, as anticipated in the initial forecast, he said.

“The A380 is the only way to handle a doubling in traffic in the future,” Leahy went on. In 2023, the world’s 71 megacities will garner a predicted 90 percent of the long-haul traffic (for those routes above 10,000 passengers per day). “We therefore have a trend to larger aircraft,” Leahy argued. o

DAVID McINTOSH

DISRUPTING ELECTRONIC WARFARE CONVENTIONS

PIAGGIO INKS A PAIR OF EVO DEALS Carlo Logli, right, Piaggio CEO, signs a deal for one Evo twin turboprop with London Biggin Hill-based Zenith Aviation, represented by managing director Stuart Mulholland. Zenith holds options on seven more Evos. Piaggio also closed a deal to supply Evos to Malaysia’s Rozmey Air, the second Malaysian operator to choose the speedy Italian twin.

22 Paris Airshow News • June 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

A little over two weeks ago, Harris Corp. completed the acquisition of electronic warfare (EW) expert Exelis and with it gained a next-generation system that is in development to provide a smart capability to meet increasingly complex EW environments. Known as Disruptor SRx, the system has reduced SWaP (size, weight and power) requirements to meet the needs of unmanned platforms.

Whereas traditional EW systems have used a series of different modules, each configured for one particular purpose, Disruptor SRx can be programmed to perform a wide variety of missions using the same hardware modules. The system can be used for electronic protection, intelligence, support missions and attack functions, as well as for communications jamming and cognitive EW. Using the same hardware for many missions has numerous advantages, not least of which is the reduction in lifecycle costs by eliminating the need for multiple spares supply chains. The modular, open-architecture nature of Disruptor SRx allows multiple units to

be combined into large EW systems that can perform a range of functions simultaneously–there are interfaces to link the EW system into mission computers that fuse data from various sensor groups into a larger situational picture.

Customers can reprogram the system in a matter of minutes to tailor the platform to perform the mission of the moment. Once installed in the platform, the system can be reconfigured for different EW functions simply by reprogramming, without having to remove and replace modules.

Harris reports that the Disruptor SRx is currently at technology readiness level (TRL) five, with capability developed to a point where it can be demonstrated. These demonstrations have already garnered significant interest from a number of customers.

The company is working hard to increase the TRL and expects to undertake flight qualification tests in the near future. A second phase of development will center around the ability to reconfigure the system mid-mission to perform different EW functions.

–D.D.

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