In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Apr. 12, 2022
April 12, 2022
U.S. Army May Revive 5GAT Target Program
The U.S. Army may seek to revive a program canceled two years ago and produce a stealthy aerial target to be used for testing and training. A new sources sought notice published by Army Contracting Command names the Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) as a candidate for a contract expected to be awarded in fiscal 2023. Credit: Sierra Technical Services
Airbus Invests In Natural-Fiber Composites Producer
Bcomp, a Swiss startup producing composites using natural fibers, has received an investment from Airbus Ventures as part of a CHF34 million ($35 million) Series B financing round led by BMW i Ventures. Traditional carbon- and glass-fiber-reinforced composites are energy-intensive to produce and hard to separate and recycle at end of life. Credit: Bcomp
Cyclorotor Propulsion Enables Urban Package Deliveries
Austrian startup CycloTech and Japanese package carrier Yamato have completed a study into the feasibility of developing an uncrewed cargo aircraft using thrust-vectoring cyclorotor propulsion to operate in confined urban areas, even in high winds. Yamato has conducted multiple research-and-development efforts exploring the concept of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo system. Credit: CycloTech
Brussels Waves Through Parker-Meggitt Merger With Conditions
Parker Hannifin has committed to divest its aircraft wheels and brakes business to secure European Commission (EC) approvals for its acquisition of UK-based aerospace supplier Meggitt. The EC’s antitrust investigation found that the takeover would reduce the number of suppliers for wheels and brakes for aircraft, but did not find competition concerns in other aerospace component markets. Credit: LeeYiuTung/Getty Images
Wisk Partners With Skyports On Vertiports, Autonomous eVTOL
At first, advanced air mobility (AAM) flights will be piloted. But the industry widely agrees its aircraft must become autonomous at some point if operations are to scale up to hoped-for high volumes. Rather than if, the debate centers largely on when. Wisk Aero is unusual among electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startups in developing an aircraft designed from the outset for autonomous operation.
LaunchPoint Introduces Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Family
A hybrid-electric power system designed for applications ranging from drones to uncrewed cargo aircraft and passenger air taxis has been unveiled by startup LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions. The Hybrid Power System (HPS) product range consists of electric motors, generators, drives, controllers and power management units for power generation as well as fully electric and hybrid electric propulsion, supporting both parallel and series hybrids. Credit: LaunchPoint Electric
Sea-Skimming Regional Transports On Track For Maritime Certification
With testing of a subscale uncrewed demonstrator underway in waters off Tampa, Florida, Regent has solidified its maritime certification path with confirmations from U.S. and European aviation regulators that its planned wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) regional transports are not considered aircraft. The determination keeps the U.S. startup on track for a WIG classification this summer with maritime certification specialist Bureau Veritas and a design basis agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard this fall. Credit: Regent
China, Russia Want Space Superiority With Anti-Satellite System, DIA Says
Chinese and Russian capabilities in space grew 70% between 2019 and 2021, as both countries are seeking to establish superiority on orbit and beyond, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency warns in a new report. The DIA published an unclassified assessment on April 12, highlighting the rapid growth, especially from Beijing, while the two countries also are developing advanced anti-satellite weapons. Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Office/TASS
USAF Confirms Multiple B-21s Included In Fiscal 2023 Request
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed its fiscal 2023 budget request includes funding for multiple Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers in the first annual lot of low-rate initial production. Congress appropriated $108 million in advanced procurement for long-lead items for Lot 1 aircraft in the fiscal 2022 budget. Credit: Northrop Grumman
Lilium Takes Next Step Toward eVTOL Certification
Germany’s Lilium has taken another step in the type certification process for its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, submitting its means of compliance to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The means of compliance (MOC) specify the analysis and testing that the startup must perform to validate that its seven-seat Lilium Jet meets EASA’s special condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) airworthiness requirements. Credit: Lilium
Germany Studies AAM For Offshore Wind Turbine Maintenance
German energy company EnBW and aerospace research agency DLR have launched a three-year project to explore the use of cargo and passenger drones to support the maintenance of offshore wind farms. Using cargo drones to transport tools and materials directly to the top of 100-m-tall (330-ft.) wind turbines would eliminate the need for cranes. Credit: EnBW
EHang Targets Asia For AAM Expansion
Benefiting perhaps from steadily improving relations between China and Indonesia, EHang has secured its largest commitment to date from an Asian customer with preorders for 100 EH216 autonomous air taxis from Prestige Aviation, an Indonesian aircraft sales and management company. Part of Indonesia’s Prestige holding company, which includes mobility service Otomo, Prestige Aviation previously purchased one EH216 from EHang, which the two companies used to conduct a demonstration of aerial sightseeing in Bali in 2021. Credit: EHang
Boeing Awards Pylons, Nacelles For B-52 Re-engining
Spirit AeroSystems will supply pylons and nacelles for the initial phase of a program to re-engine the Boeing B-52H fleet, the Wichita-based aerostructures company said on April 12. The contract award will support the engineering and manufacturing development phase of a program that will replace eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines on each B-52H with the same number of Rolls-Royce F130 engines. Credit: Rolls-Royce
U.S. Army May Revive 5GAT Target Program
The U.S. Army may seek to revive a program canceled two years ago and produce a stealthy aerial target to be used for testing and training. A new sources sought notice published by Army Contracting Command names the Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) as a candidate for a contract expected to be awarded in fiscal 2023. Credit: Sierra Technical Services
Airbus Invests In Natural-Fiber Composites Producer
Bcomp, a Swiss startup producing composites using natural fibers, has received an investment from Airbus Ventures as part of a CHF34 million ($35 million) Series B financing round led by BMW i Ventures. Traditional carbon- and glass-fiber-reinforced composites are energy-intensive to produce and hard to separate and recycle at end of life. Credit: Bcomp
Cyclorotor Propulsion Enables Urban Package Deliveries
Austrian startup CycloTech and Japanese package carrier Yamato have completed a study into the feasibility of developing an uncrewed cargo aircraft using thrust-vectoring cyclorotor propulsion to operate in confined urban areas, even in high winds. Yamato has conducted multiple research-and-development efforts exploring the concept of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo system. Credit: CycloTech
Brussels Waves Through Parker-Meggitt Merger With Conditions
Parker Hannifin has committed to divest its aircraft wheels and brakes business to secure European Commission (EC) approvals for its acquisition of UK-based aerospace supplier Meggitt. The EC’s antitrust investigation found that the takeover would reduce the number of suppliers for wheels and brakes for aircraft, but did not find competition concerns in other aerospace component markets. Credit: LeeYiuTung/Getty Images
Wisk Partners With Skyports On Vertiports, Autonomous eVTOL
At first, advanced air mobility (AAM) flights will be piloted. But the industry widely agrees its aircraft must become autonomous at some point if operations are to scale up to hoped-for high volumes. Rather than if, the debate centers largely on when. Wisk Aero is unusual among electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startups in developing an aircraft designed from the outset for autonomous operation.
LaunchPoint Introduces Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Family
A hybrid-electric power system designed for applications ranging from drones to uncrewed cargo aircraft and passenger air taxis has been unveiled by startup LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions. The Hybrid Power System (HPS) product range consists of electric motors, generators, drives, controllers and power management units for power generation as well as fully electric and hybrid electric propulsion, supporting both parallel and series hybrids. Credit: LaunchPoint Electric
Sea-Skimming Regional Transports On Track For Maritime Certification
With testing of a subscale uncrewed demonstrator underway in waters off Tampa, Florida, Regent has solidified its maritime certification path with confirmations from U.S. and European aviation regulators that its planned wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) regional transports are not considered aircraft. The determination keeps the U.S. startup on track for a WIG classification this summer with maritime certification specialist Bureau Veritas and a design basis agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard this fall. Credit: Regent
China, Russia Want Space Superiority With Anti-Satellite System, DIA Says
Chinese and Russian capabilities in space grew 70% between 2019 and 2021, as both countries are seeking to establish superiority on orbit and beyond, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency warns in a new report. The DIA published an unclassified assessment on April 12, highlighting the rapid growth, especially from Beijing, while the two countries also are developing advanced anti-satellite weapons. Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Office/TASS
USAF Confirms Multiple B-21s Included In Fiscal 2023 Request
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed its fiscal 2023 budget request includes funding for multiple Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers in the first annual lot of low-rate initial production. Congress appropriated $108 million in advanced procurement for long-lead items for Lot 1 aircraft in the fiscal 2022 budget. Credit: Northrop Grumman
Lilium Takes Next Step Toward eVTOL Certification
Germany’s Lilium has taken another step in the type certification process for its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, submitting its means of compliance to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The means of compliance (MOC) specify the analysis and testing that the startup must perform to validate that its seven-seat Lilium Jet meets EASA’s special condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) airworthiness requirements. Credit: Lilium
Germany Studies AAM For Offshore Wind Turbine Maintenance
German energy company EnBW and aerospace research agency DLR have launched a three-year project to explore the use of cargo and passenger drones to support the maintenance of offshore wind farms. Using cargo drones to transport tools and materials directly to the top of 100-m-tall (330-ft.) wind turbines would eliminate the need for cranes. Credit: EnBW
EHang Targets Asia For AAM Expansion
Benefiting perhaps from steadily improving relations between China and Indonesia, EHang has secured its largest commitment to date from an Asian customer with preorders for 100 EH216 autonomous air taxis from Prestige Aviation, an Indonesian aircraft sales and management company. Part of Indonesia’s Prestige holding company, which includes mobility service Otomo, Prestige Aviation previously purchased one EH216 from EHang, which the two companies used to conduct a demonstration of aerial sightseeing in Bali in 2021. Credit: EHang
Boeing Awards Pylons, Nacelles For B-52 Re-engining
Spirit AeroSystems will supply pylons and nacelles for the initial phase of a program to re-engine the Boeing B-52H fleet, the Wichita-based aerostructures company said on April 12. The contract award will support the engineering and manufacturing development phase of a program that will replace eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines on each B-52H with the same number of Rolls-Royce F130 engines. Credit: Rolls-Royce
U.S. Army May Revive 5GAT Target Program
The U.S. Army may seek to revive a program canceled two years ago and produce a stealthy aerial target to be used for testing and training. A new sources sought notice published by Army Contracting Command names the Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) as a candidate for a contract expected to be awarded in fiscal 2023. Credit: Sierra Technical Services
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From Airbus investing in natural-fiber composites producer to cyclorotor propulsion enables urban package deliveries. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.
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