Aviation – Leonardo Times

Amelia: A Look Back at the Pioneering Aviator.

31Jan

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation

Amelia: A Look Back at the Pioneering Aviator.

Author : Katharina Ertman, Editor Leonardo Times On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart, in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, disappeared mysteriously into the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Somewhere en route from Lae, Papua New Guinea, and Howland Island, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, lost communications with those on the ground. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance have been the subject of years of speculation and fruitless efforts to determine Earhart and Noonan’s fate. Numerous theories, from sensational rumors, claiming Earhart was a spy for the US government or even she was working for the Japanese government, to more technical speculation, such as the crash-and-sink theory or that she landed on a different island, continue to fuel curiosity. However, the stor...

25Dec

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Aviation, Manufacturing, News, Operations, Propulsion

B-52 Re-engine program

The iconic Cold-war era Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber is getting its 1960s-vintage Pratt & Whitney TF33-103 engines replaced by more-efficient commercial replacements. The re-engine program will keep the colossal aircraft operational until 2050 and meet the high-power demands for next-generation weapons, a fire control radar, and other electrical systems. The B-52 is the most combat capable bomber in the U.S. inventory with 76 units completely operational. Due to its high mission-capable rate, large payload, long range, persistence and ability to employ both nuclear and conventional precision standoff weapons. The B-52s has eight engines in four pods, two under each wing. the Air Force overhauls each TF33 every 6,000 flight hours, as a rule, a process that costs $2 million per ...

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. ...

Drone Collisions More Damaging Than Birdstrikes

12Dec

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Aviation

Drone Collisions More Damaging Than Birdstrikes

Author: Maurits Rietveld, Editor Leonardo Times Birdstrikes have already been an important topic in aviation's safety for a long time. Considering the global rise of drones, collisions between drones and aircraft are starting to play a role in aviation safety as well. New studies have shed light on this issue. A study carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that small drones are more damaging to planes than birds. Simulations reinforced by physical material tests were done on aircrafts colliding with drones, varying in weight from 1.2 to 3.6 kilograms. The wing's leading edge, windshield and horizontal and vertical stabilizers were investigated as critical locations. Results showed that the horizontal stabilizer suffered most of the damage and the cockpit’s winds...

7Dec

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

News, Operations, Propulsion, Space engineering, Space flight, Uncategorized

Revival of Voyager 1 after 37 years

The backup thrusters on the Voyager 1 spacecraft fired up after staggering 37 years. It took 19h and 35 min through space for the signal to reach an antenna in Goldstone, California, US, which is a part of NASA’s Deep Space Network. Voyager 1 was launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. Both these spacecraft are a part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System. On August 25, 2012, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to cross the heliosphere and thereby making it the farthest a man-made object has ever traveled. Voyager 1 traveling past the edge of the Solar System. Source: https://www.nasa.gov/ After staying in dormant for 13 billion miles, on November 28, the spacecraft’s four backup Trajectory Course Manoeuvring thrusters were...

World’s First Mixed Reality Trainer Developed by Airbus

4Dec

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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...

31May

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Aerodynamics and wind energy, Aviation

Active flow control for boundary layers

Author: Henry Tol, PhD Candidate Aerospace Engineering, TU Delft Article published in Leonardo Times Magazine, Edition of January 2017. Turbulence and the transition to turbulence are recognized as unsolved problems in physics. Likewise, control theorists have hardly ever come across a problem this challenging. The goal of active flow control is to cross these interdisciplinary boundaries by considering the relevant flow physics when designing the control algorithms. Motivation The ability to control fluid flows to any desired state has great consequences for many applications. Imagine future aircraft where the traditional control surfaces (elevator, rudder, etc.) are replaced with flow control devices, which can accelerate the flow over the wings to generate lift and control m...

China’s C919 Completes Its Maiden Flight

5May

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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...

1May

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Aviation, News, Operations, Propulsion

Aurora unveils eVTOL aircraft

Uber has declared that by 2020 they plan to have a network of ‘flying cars’ in Dallas and Dubai. The new service will be called Uber Air. With Uber Air people will be able to order flying taxis in the same way users of the current Uber app can order car rides. This sounds fantastic and happening so soon! However, during the Uber Elevate summit of April 25-27 2017 in Texas Uber’s chief product officer Jeff Holden admitted that Uber is rushing the Uber Air initiative. Uber Air will consist of electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Although these eVTOL aircraft seem to be a promising concept, the technologies needed are not yet fully developed. The eVTOL aircraft are envisioned to be fully electric with zero-emissions, autonomous and near-silent. It looks like this vision...

Printed titanium parts to reduce costs on the Dreamliner

13Apr

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Aviation, Manufacturing, News

Printed titanium parts to reduce costs on the Dreamliner

Norsk Titanium AS, a Norwegian 3D printing company, has been hired by Boeing Co. to 3D print structural titanium parts for its Dreamliner. Titanium parts alone cost about $17 million out of the total $265 million cost of the plane. This is due to the 787’s carbon fiber fuselage and wings and result in a higher titanium requirement. This is obviously a sizeable portion of the costs and Boeing has been looking for ways to reduce these costs. Norsk Titanium Vice President, Chip Yates, claims that by 3D printing these, as opposed to manufacturing them the traditional way (with forging and machining), they will be able to cut down the costs of each 787 Dreamliner by around $2-3 million. Considering that Boeing produces around 144 Dreamliners each year on average, this will lead to a sizeable...