In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Mar 09, 2022

March 09, 2022

Robinson Offers ‘Perfect Platform’ For Electric Helicopter

Credit: Robinson Helicopter


Robinson Helicopter says it will switch to electric power for its light helicopters when it “makes sense” and is closely watching progress being made by California-based Tier 1 Engineering on a battery-powered R44 conversion program.

Lack Of eVTOL Performance Data Makes Designing Vertiports Difficult

Credit: Volocopter


With limited electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft flight-test data available, the Federal Aviation Administration is limited in its ability to provide guidance as to how vertiports should be safely built.

UAM Aims To Avoid Public Pitfalls Known To Helicopter Industry

Credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images


The budding urban air mobility (UAM) sector is attempting to avoid the local political clashes that have plagued the helicopter industry by conducting careful consultations with the public.

Bell, Sikorsky Face Engine Schedule Pressure For U.S. FARA Tender

GE Aviation
T901

French Navy Integrating More UAS, Looks Ahead To FCAS

Credit: French Ministry of Defense


The French Navy is completing the test phases for two small unmanned air systems (UAS) and mulling the integration of more complex ones onto its future aircraft carrier. The Schiebel Camcopter S-100, a light rotary-wing drone for observation missions, is at the final qualification stage on additional ships.

JPO: F-35 Costs Likely To Rise, Engine ‘Crisis’ Improving

Credit: Lockheed Martin


The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) is expecting a cost-per-tail increase on the aircraft as negotiations with prime contractor Lockheed Martin continue beyond initial expected deadlines, and a full-rate production decision could slip to fiscal 2024 as the required Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) delay continues.

Ingenuity Drone Helicopter Stars On Mars As Reconnaissance Asset

Credit: NASA


Developed initially for a handful of test flights at its Gale Crater landing site on Mars, NASA’s small, solar-powered Ingenuity drone helicopter has logged 20 flights as it has graduated to become a reconnaissance asset for the Perseverance rover, which landed at what is believed to be an ancient and potentially habitable environment on the red planet.

U.S. General: Russia Not Adhering To Its Doctrine In Ukraine

Credit: Alamy stock photo


Russia has not been able to establish air superiority in Ukraine despite a greater number of aircraft and a broad array of air-defense systems, and a senior U.S. Air Force leader said this struggle shows Russian forces are not operating in accordance with their own doctrine. The Pentagon said again March 9 the airspace above Ukraine is contested nearly two weeks after the invasion began, and Ukraine is still able to fly aircraft and operate air defenses.

U.S. Army Anticipating Budget Relief As FVL Spending Ramps Up

Credit: U.S. Army


The U.S. Army expects its costs for Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programs to rise substantially over the next several years as the service down-selects its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and moves into testing.

Ukraine, Pacific, Space Are Priorities In 2022 Defense Spending Bill

Credit: Alamy stock photo


The U.S. Congress is moving forward with a government-wide spending bill that would provide $728.5 billion for the Defense Department in fiscal 2022, placing a priority on protection of the Indo-Pacific region, space capabilities and assistance for Ukraine. The government has been funded at fiscal 2021 levels since the start of this fiscal year in October.

Omnibus Spending Bill Allots $24 Billion For NASA

Credit: NASA


Omnibus spending bill approved by U.S. House and Senate appropriations committees on March 9 allocates $24 billion to NASA for fiscal 2022, a $770 million increase over its 2021 budget, but $760 million short of the Biden administration’s request for the year that began Oct. 1, 2021. If approved, the budget earmarks $7.6 billion for NASA’s science programs, including $2.1 billion for Earth science projects—a 4.3% increase over 2021 spending levels—largely to emphasize climate research.

Spirit AeroSystems To Make eVTOL CityAirbus’ Wings

Credit: Airbus


Airbus is continuing to build the industrial team for the CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft by partnering with Spirit AeroSystems to design and manufacture the multi-copter’s wings. Airbus, which revealed the updated CityAirbus design in September 2021, is targeting first flight in 2023 and certification by 2025.

Space Force Bumps USSF-12 Two-Spacecraft GEO Mission Payload

Millennium Space Systems
WFOV

SpaceX Maintains Regular Starlink Satellite Launch Cadence

Credit: SpaceX


SpaceX on March 9 completed its 10th orbital launch in as many weeks, an unprecedented cadence the company intends to maintain throughout the year. Seven of the 10 Falcon 9 launches conducted since January have delivered batches of SpaceX Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

H2Fly Preparing To Fly Liquid-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Propulsion

Credit: H2Fly


With 15 years of experience with hydrogen propulsion over six generations of fuel-cell powertrain, Germany’s H2Fly is preparing to take the next steps: flying on liquid hydrogen and moving up to a 40-seat regional airliner.

CPI Aerostructures CEO Out After Financial Restatement Imbroglio

Photo: Dorith Hakim


CPI Aerostructures CEO and President Douglas McCrosson is leaving, the embattled Tier 1-2 defense supplier announced March 9, and outside industry veteran Dorith Hakim has been hired as successor CEO.

FARA Contenders Face Engine Schedule Pressure

Credit: Bellflight.com


Bell and Sikorsky both have passed the 85% assembly mark of their respective prototypes for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition, but are facing increasing schedule pressure due to the expected delayed delivery of T901 engines from General Electric.

USAF Selects Blue Force To Develop Adversary Air Training Jet

Credit: Blue Force Technologies


The U.S. Air Force has selected a small company to develop an unmanned, fighter-like aircraft that can be used for training combat pilots. AFWERX, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) venture capital organization, has awarded a $9 million contract to North Carolina-based Blue Force Technologies to start designing and building four unmanned jets called Bandits.

From Robinson Helicopters switching to electric power for its light helicopters to designing vertiports. Take a look at the daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.

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