Aerospace and Defense Review : News

With the development and certification of a stability augmentation system (or autopilot device) for light helicopters, the flight stability will increase, and pilots will be able to mitigate the loss of control issues Helicopters are one of the most comfortably accessible aerial vehicles. They are used across a variety of missions by military departments and even by emergency services. The ability to take off and land without a runway makes it possible for them to access the most remote and interior areas, sometimes inaccessible by road. Helicopters are also widely used by high profile politicians on official travels. The tourism industry also leverages these aerial vehicles, packaging them as helicopter tours around cities. However, helicopters are also highly prone to accidents. In most cases, the structure of the vehicle and lack of adequate safety features leads to fatalities of passengers and pilots in the case of a crash. After analyzing multiple accidents and crash reports, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has come up with four flight technologies that can be implemented to reduce the crash cases among helicopters. Autopilot for Light Helicopters At present, helicopters under the lightweight segment have unstable characteristics that can prove to be challenging and demanding for a pilot. With the development and certification of a stability augmentation system (or autopilot device) for light helicopters, the flight stability will increase, and pilots will be able to mitigate the loss of control issues. The equipment currently used in the aviation industry can be altered to make it compatible with light helicopters and can act as an effective safety tool during low visibility, low ceiling and unintended IMC conditions. Flight Data Monitoring Equipment The different devices used for monitoring helicopter flight data, including audio/video recording devices, have the ability to collect data on regular and atypical operations. Since 2009, the majority of fatal accidents had insufficient data surrounding details of the state of the helicopter at the time of the event. Due to the lack of adequate information, proactive interventions cannot be put in place before an incident occurs. With flight data monitoring information in place, hazardous behaviour can be identified, and there is an opportunity to break the accident chain before it results in fatalities. Full Authority Idle Protection Devices The full authority idle control devices equip a helicopter with significant safety features. This technology reduces the risk of engine failure in a piston helicopter. The device ensures that the engine keeps running at a nominal throttle position even when the pilot rapidly decelerates the chopper. The existing technology can be adapted for the development of this device. Enhanced Vision Technology Night vision goggles, synthetic vision systems, and combined vision systems are technologies that are readily available today. These enable pilots to see clearly when the vision is poor. It helps them in recognizing and preventing unplanned flight into degraded visibility conditions due to weather. Night vision goggles also provide added safety during night flight times. With these advanced tools, pilots will be able to make more informed and proactive decisions related to visibility. However, it must be kept in mind that these enhanced vision technologies should not be used to encourage pilots to fly during poor visibility and adverse weather conditions as it may lead to undesired events. Check This Out:- Top Aerospace Solution Companies ...Read more

Despite scoring exceptionally well in the labor sector, the poor infrastructure and geopolitical risk involved, could impact future investments. Over the last few years, the aviation and aerospace industry has seen through a period of turbulence. The skyrocketing fuel prices and growing competition forced many companies to reduce their profit margins A recent report that assesses the attractiveness of aerospace manufacturing investments by nations ranked the U.K. in 4th place, making it the only European country among the top five. The U.S. topped the list, followed by Canada, and Singapore. Australia finished 5th on the list. The list critically analyzes multiple factors like cost, labor, infrastructure, industry, geopolitical risk, economy, and tax policy . [vendor_logo_first] Despite scoring exceptionally well in the labor sector, the poor infrastructure and geopolitical risk involved could impact the future investments. Over the last few years, the aviation and aerospace industry has seen through a period of turbulence. The skyrocketing fuel prices and growing competition forced many companies to reduce their profit margins. The fall in oil prices and increasing demands from emerging markets aided the aerospace industry to return to normalcy. Lower commodity prices made flying cheaper than ever before; something consumers subsequently benefitted from. The U.K. government seized on this opportunity and introduced multiple schemes and policies to promote investments in the aerospace sector. The government backed the new Future Flight Challenge initiative with a funding of USD 160 million. The initiative was directed towards the development of new technologies such as drones and urban vehicles . Despite the sustained economic and political turmoil that Britain has undergone, these initiatives played a significant role in establishing the U.K. as a major aerospace manufacturing nation. Currently, the U.K. has one of the most strong aerospace and defense industries in the world. With annual revenue of nearly USD 46 billion, the U.K. aerospace industry stands above the rest of Europe. Recently, the U.K. Defense Ministry announced a USD 2.5 billion funding through 2025, for the next generation of British fighter jets, the Tempest. Britain is also looking for other partners to invest in this project, which would further strengthen the aviation and aerospace industry. Britain's ability to access skilled labor, well-maintained infrastructure, and a developed and mature overall A&D industry places them over the other European countries. Both the U.S and Canada are geopolitically stable, and Singapore has one of the lowest tax rates, putting them ahead of the U.K. Unlike the other nations, Britain's aviation and aerospace industry is an export centric one. Unfortunately, Brexit is likely to affect the industry in the future adversely. Check out:  Top Aerospace Manufacturing Companies ...Read more

Aerojet will be providing support in the development across multiple areas of the launch vehicle, one being additive manufacturing. The head end of the Reaver engine that shall power the first stage of the Alpha rocket is a machined and welded structure that can be challenging to build Small launch vehicle company Firefly Aerospace and jet propulsion company Aerojet Rocketdyne entered into a partnership in which Firefly will make use of Aerojet's AR1 engine to propel Firefly's Beta medium-class rocket. The AR1 engine was initially designed for potential use by United Launch Alliance's next-generation Vulcan Vehicle. The companies will also collaborate on the development of Firefly's Alpha Launch Vehicle, set to make its first flight in early 2020. Aerojet will be providing support in the development across multiple areas of the launch vehicle, one being additive manufacturing . The head end of the Reaver engine that shall power the first stage of the Alpha rocket is a machined and welded structure that can be challenging to build. Aerojet will assist in the manufacturing of this part using additive manufacturing . “Right now, Aerojet is helping us with that. They are printing the entire head end of the Reaver rocket engine,” said Tom Markusic, chief executive of Firefly. "That's going to make it lighter weight, simpler, lower-cost to build. As we speak today, parts are rolling out as part of this collaboration." Currently, under development, the Alpha first stage will use four Reaver engines. The company is moving towards the qualification tests of the stage for all four engines and is scheduled to conduct tests in mid-November. The company expects to make its first orbital launch attempt by February or March next year, from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Firefly is also looking to make use of Aerojet's expertise in propulsion techniques. Firefly has been developing an Orbital Transfer Vehicle to enable small-satellites launched on Alpha to reach higher orbits. “Aerojet Rocketdyne has a whole corral of amazing in-space propulsion options, including both chemical thrusters and Hall thrusters for electric propulsion. That could be utilized on our OTV,” Markusic said. However, both companies have made it clear that the centrepiece of the agreement will remain the AR1 engine for the Firefly Beta rocket. Check out:  Top Aerospace Manufacturing Companies ...Read more