aviation. – Leonardo Times

22Apr

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, Featured

Higher, Faster, Further

The history of Aéro-Club de France Authors: Marcos Talocchi and Tuomas Simula, Editors Leonardo Times The 14-bis of Santos-Dumont in flight. The Aéro-Club de France was one of the first aeronautical associations in the world, having been founded over a hundred years ago. We explore its history and contributions to aviation, while diving deeper into the life of one of its founding members. CREATION OF THE CLUB Near the end of the 19th century, there were first hints of aviation becoming a feasible means of transport. The first powered and controllable airships were developed, and the first heavier-than-air flights were done using gliders. In Paris, a collective of inventors, industrialists and early aviation enthusiasts saw the need for an organization developing and promoti...

Boeing shows UAV which can Refuel Fighter Jets in Mid-Air

21Dec

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, Manufacturing, Uncategorized

Boeing shows UAV which can Refuel Fighter Jets in Mid-Air

Past Tuesday, Boeing Phantom Works, Boeing's secretive design department, announced a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Its function is to refuel jets mid-air in order to enlarge the range of combat aircraft of the US Navy. One picture was presented of Boeings MQ-25, showing a slightly blended wing-fuselage design, probably to contain as much fuel as possible. Its V-tail stands out as well suggested to satisfy with the little space available on a carrier deck. While engines are being tested right now, flight testing will be done early 2018. Boeing’s MQ-25 design is their submission for a competition from the U.S. Navy to design a UAV which can refuel fighter jets in mid-air, in particular, to refuel the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35, which are already used in the U.S. ...

World’s First Mixed Reality Trainer Developed by Airbus

4Dec

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

News, Operations, Uncategorized

World’s First Mixed Reality Trainer Developed by Airbus

The unlikely partnership between Airbus and the Microsoft Hololens has led to the development of the world’s first mixed reality trainer for aviation applications. In cooperation with Japan Airlines(JAL), Airbus has developed a prototype for training the mechanics and crew of A35 XWB using the ‘Hololens’ technology and immersive headsets. A considerable amount of resources is focused on training the crew to develop skills required for the operation of the aircraft. This new technology will provide a cost-effective and safer alternative to the traditional training methods. The headsets enable the user to train on an interactive, virtual 3D system while being aware of their surroundings and coworkers. Trainees can access the aircraft digital data which can be viewed from any angle to vir...

China’s C919 Completes Its Maiden Flight

5May

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, News, Operations

China’s C919 Completes Its Maiden Flight

Today, China’s C919 completed its maiden flight, bringing China one step closer to realising their long-standing dreams of having their own home-grown commercial aircraft. The narrow-body aircraft was in the air for 90 minutes before it returned safely to the Pudong airport in Shanghai. Prior to the flight, state television announced that it would be flown at an altitude of 3000 meters and achieve a speed of 300kmph. The flight was cheered on by thousands including dignitaries and enthusiasts. China has hoped to build its own commercial airplanes since the 1970s when Chairman Mao Zedong’s wife, Jiang Qing, backed a project. The C919 was announced by China nearly a decade ago in May 2008, when they set up the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). It was initially in...

25Mar

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, News, Operations

Maiden flight 787-10 scheduled

Boeing has announced the date of the 787-10 Dreamliner maiden flight to be March 31st. Its public roll-out on February 17th took place at its exclusive building site in North Charleston, South Carolina. The event was celebrated by thousands of employees along with U.S. President Donald Trump and the Governor of South Carolina. https://twitter.com/BoeingAirplanes/status/844595295367385090 As of February 2017 over 1200 orders have been placed for the entire 787 family, of which 149 for the 787-10 variant. Its prime customers include Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways, both having ordered 30 aircraft. First delivery is planned for 2018. Boeing shall be broadcasting the first flight of the newest member of the 787 family, subject to weather and other factors, live online here.

19Mar

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, News, Operations

Endless runways: The future?

If you think that everything you can think of has already been invented, you are wrong. Recently BBC News posted a film [1] presenting the idea of circular runways. The Endless Runway is a project run by the NLR in the Netherlands. The principle of The Endless Runway is that aircraft take-off and land on a circular runway. The circular runway will allow aircraft to take-off in any direction and land in any direction, making it possible for the aircraft to always land and take-off in the most desirable direction with respect to the wind: headwind. The possibility for aircraft to land and take-off without experiencing crosswind at all times is not the only advantage to the concept of circular runways. In low wind conditions, it would be possible to shorten the landing and take-off intervals....

19Aug

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation

Swiss Air Force: An Inside Look

To be able to fly a military aircraft, aspirants have to go through a tough selection process. Eventually only a fraction of the applicants will be able to call themselves pilots. One of these people is Sebastian Blanke, Lieutenant of the Swiss Army, currently an aspirant to becoming a pilot. He shares his experiences exclusively with Leonardo Times. As a child, many people have the dream of becoming a pilot. I wasn’t any different. Huge, complex, and fast technical systems like airplanes always fascinated me. As I grew older, the dream grew with me. Finally, at the age of seventeen, I decided to pursue my dream and try to become a pilot of the Swiss Air Force (SAF). The very first step on the journey to the cockpit is SPHAIR. It is the platform of the SAF, which offers every Swiss cit...

Supersonic Commercial Travel: the Past, the Present, and the Future

7Jun

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, Operations, Specials, Time Flies

Supersonic Commercial Travel: the Past, the Present, and the Future

The Concorde is a widely recognized plane, perhaps even more than the Boeing 747. To this day, it remains the only supersonic plane that operated commercial flights, despite a disastrous attempt from Tupolev to imitate the Anglo-French plane. Since its last flight in 2003, no commercial passenger has flown past the speed of sound. This could all be changing in the coming years as more and more private companies are investing in supersonic private jets, along with NASA’s recent announcement. Gone are the days where any passenger could travel from Paris or London to New York in a little over three hours. These days, any traveler will have to take anywhere between five and a half and over nine hours. Whether you blame it on FAA noise regulations or the economy, the final outcome re...

Airbus Pushes Towards High-Speed Compound Helicopter

6Jun

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, News, Operations, Propulsion

Airbus Pushes Towards High-Speed Compound Helicopter

Helicopters are fantastic. They can easily access remote areas, and are capable of vertical takeoff and landing. However, what they seem to be lacking is speed when in forward flight. A few aerospace companies have taken to combining the VTOL capabilities of rotary aircraft, with the the forward speed that turboprop airplanes offer. Although there are many challenges, one of the biggest is keeping the price down . Three years after ending flight tests of its X3 high-speed demonstrator, Airbus Helicopters has been putting the final touches on a new compound helicopter design that could pave the way for a high-speed rotary-wing aircraft product in the 2020s. The company has completed wind-tunnel tests on the compound helicopter architecture, developed as part of the company’s contribution...

30May

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, News, Operations

Embraer’s E190-E2 Takes to the Skies

Last week, Embraer’s E190-E2 took to the skies several months ahead of the internal schedule, making it the only new airplane program in recent history to be significantly ahead. The E2 is Embraer’s entry into the next phase of the E-Jet development being powered by Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines. A gearbox located within the shaft of the engine permits the compressor to run at a different regime than the fan. Conventional turbofans have both components attached to each other, and hence, running at the same velocity. The GTF engine allows for them to be dissociated and operate at their optimal speeds. Consequently, the turbofan consumes 15% less fuel, pollutes less, and is 75% quieter. In addition to its propulsion system, the airplane has new wings, a new empennage, enclosed main gear,...