Flight International, 23Sep2019

17-23 September 2019 I flightglobal.com

delivery

Azul powers into E2 era Brazilian carrier welcomes its first new-generation E-Jet to fleet

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 ÂŁ3.90 3 8

9

770015 371310

Ciao Tempest

SpaceJet soars

Rome joins formation with UK for future fighter project 13

Mitsubishi Aircraft gets boost, as Mesa picks former MRJ 17

THERE IS NO COMPARISON. NO EQUAL. THERE IS ONLY ONE. THE COMMERCIAL JET ENGINE IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN. Powered by an industry-first geared architecture — and more than 40 other groundbreaking innovations — the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ is unlike any engine that’s come before it.

EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT AT PW.UTC.COM

contents

volume 196 number 5703

Leonardo Helicopters

17-23 September 2019

AW139 technical description and cutaway drawing P36

Gary He/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

next week digital As grounding of 737 Max reaches the six-month mark, we calculate cost to airlines through the loss of capacity

REgulars 7 Comment 43 Straight & Level 44 Letters 46 Classified 48 Jobs 51 Working Week

news this week 8 Root cause of fatal H225 failure found 9 EASA scrutiny threatens Max timeline 10 Lancer extends weapons bay to join the ‘hypersonic game’ 11 Scale of Havana crash errors revealed dsei show report 12 AW149 campaign takes off for Yeovil 13 Tempest grows via Italian involvement 14 RAF Shadows to evade missile threat AIR TRANSPORT 16 Deferred defect led to electrical failure 17 Airbus reaches 500-delivery mark despite August holiday 18 Leap output jumps, but profits still lag.

Antonov washes hands of An-124 revamp work 19 Emirates starts reshaping A380 fleet.

Volotea offers to help evolve regional hybrid DEFENCE 20 Industry consulted over Black Hawk successor.

Rafale hits new high as Qatar orders dominate 21 Kuala Lumpur eyes Su-30 replacement NEWS FOCUS 22 Airbus maintains belief in Super Puma BUSINESS AVIATION 24 Jetcopter seeks lift from $6m funding 25 Falcon flies against market headwinds

Cover story 9 Azul proud to put first E195-E2 into ‘Brazilian skies’ Initial example of largest aircraft in Embraer’s re-engined and re-winged E-Jet E2 family is delivered to domestic carrier

17-23 September 2019 I flightglobal.com

delIvery

Azul powers into e2 era Brazilian carrier welcomes its first new-generation E-Jet to fleet

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 3 8

9

770015 371310

FIN_170919_301.indd 1

Ciao Tempest

SpaceJet soars

Rome joins formation with UK for future fighter project 13

Mitsubishi Aircraft gets boost, as Mesa picks former MRJ 17

Embraer

BEHIND THE HEADLINES Craig Hoyle covered the DSEI show in London, compiling our report (P12).

And Marignane beckoned Dominic Perry, who saw the 1,000th Super Puma helicopter delivered (P22)

12/09/2019 09:38

features 28 Making a killing in the target game Drones have featured in air combat training for decades, but today’s jet-powered versions are so sophisticated that their successors may soon also have active roles on the front line 32 Covering all bases For the first time since the Soviet Union’s demise, US military facilities are at risk of attack by Chinese long-range missiles 34 Hard hitter shows simplicity is best The USA’s long-serving B-52 bomber has endured because of its no-frills design – with an upgrade programme set to keep it flying for 30 more years 36 Leonardo’s big achiever Delivery of 1,000th AW139 underscores sales success that helped lift airframer to industry’s top table 42 Flight goes global The 1980s were a period of international expansion for the magazine, but were also tinged with tragedy

Download the new Engines Directory Download theCommercial 2019 Commercial Engines Report

Download The Engine Directory.

now with updated data and in-depth market analysis ow with enhanced dataenhanced and in-depth market analysis

flightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory flightglobal.com/commengines flightglobal.com/commengines13 CFM 2017 strip ad.indd 1

flightglobal.com

30/05/2019 08:37

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 3 19/07/2012 17:51

contents

Image of the week

SAC Chris Thompson-Watts/Crown Copyright

A timely submission for the Peoples Choice category of the Royal Air Force’s annual photographic contest, this pair of BAE Systems Hawk T2s feature the liveries of IV(R) and XXV(F) Squadrons, the latter of which has just been stood up to support fast-jet training activities at RAF Valley in North Wales View more great aviation shots online and in our weekly tablet edition: flightglobal.com/ flight-international

The week in numbers

Question of the week

4.1%

Last week, we asked: OEM sloppiness?

You said: Cirium Dashboard

Total votes:

Jetstar Japan profit dropped to $8.5m as rising fuel costs and natural disasters wiped out a 6.2% gain in operating revenue

£42.1m

1,071

22% Cirium Dashboard

66%

For 2018, British Airways’ regional BA CityFlyer operation doubled pre-tax profit on revenue, up nearly a fifth to £278m

14

Cirium Dashboard

The number of potential buyers who have expressed interest in all or part of now defunct French budget airline Aigle Azur

12%

Heed Emirates’ warning 702 votes Teething troubles will ease 237 votes Carry on regardless 132 votes

This week, we ask: Italy joins Tempest programme ❑ Three partners perfect ❑ More will follow ❑ Too many cooks Vote at flightglobal.com

Cirium’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard

Download the Military Simulator Census online now.

CAE – Your worldwide training partner of choice

4 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

www.flightglobal.com/milisim flightglobal.com

Total Air and Missile Defense

Full Spectrum of Integrated, Networked Air and Missile Defense Solutions to Defeat Threats at Any Range and Altitude IAI offers a comprehensive range of Air and Missile Defense Systems for land and naval applications. From VSHORAD to long-range, to theater and exo-atmospheric systems against ballistic missiles. Our unique solutions, based on lessons derived from vast operational experience, incorporate state-of-the-art technology and full networking for the most effective System of Systems. The result: IAI’s solutions. www.iai.co.il • info.matah@iai.co.il

comment

Italian job

Greetings from Vietnam

Time lord Conceived as Cold War tension gripped US military planning, Boeing’s B-52 is set to remain relevant – and potent – into the middle of the 21st Century

S

econd World War dust was still settling when, in late 1945, the US Air Force (USAF) called for a new strategic bomber.

Many design iterations followed, reflecting the rapid ratcheting up of range and speed expectations at the dawn of the jet age. But the ultimate result, Boeing’s B-52 Stratofortress, has been the most enduring – if not iconic – military aircraft ever. Think Cold War and the Strategic Air Command, the ­annihilation air power doctrine of General Curtis LeMay, endless tonnes of conventional explosives p ­ ummelling Vietnam and, in a chilling, thrilling moment of art mocking life, the end-of-the-world as delivered by Dr Strangelove.

The USAF is preparing another round of upgrades to its fleet of B-52Hs – the last of which was delivered in October 1962 as the Cuban missile crisis unfolded – to keep them thundering into the 2050s. But in this age of long-range missiles, hypersonic speeds and stealth technology, is the B-52 still relevant?

The simple answer is yes. In terms of range and payload, the B-52 is in a class of its own. It has also proved immensely versatile over time. And, critically in combat, the B-52 is robust; when called upon to fly a mission, the aircraft is ready to go. Stealth jets cannot boast such reliability – and, anyway, anti-stealth technologies are increasingly neutering their signature capability.

The big, lumbering B-52 will ultimately outlive much sexier platforms such as the fast Boeing B-1 and stealthy Northrop Grumman flightglobal.com

B-2, both of which are to be replaced by the Northrop B-21 Raider – though whether that fast and stealthy platform, expected by around 2025, outlives the B-52 remains, of course, to be seen.

The B-2, which in external profile resembles the B-21, has seen barely 20 years’ service. If the B-21 reaches that milestone, the B-52 will be approaching its centenary and, as plans stand, still be flying.

Another round of upgrades will keep aircraft built in time for the Cuban missile crisis flying into the 2050s In one sense, the story of the B-52 draws an arc from the earliest days of military ­aviation to Armageddon. From observation duties and then bomb-dropping, to delivering weapons of increasingly destructive power via B-17s, B-24s and B-29s – the first nuclear bomber – to the B-52s that are still with us today, along with a whole arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons that promise mutually assured destruction.

With any luck, we will pop corks to mark the 2052 service centenary of this remarkable aircraft. The alternative is that the B-52 will have been put to its original purpose. ■ See Feature P34

his year’s DSEI brought further good news for the UK’s Tempest programme, with the Italian government and leading industry players signalling their intention to work in partnership on a next-generation fighter.

Rome’s commitment came less than 15 months after Team Tempest’s project was launched at the Farnborough air show, and barely eight weeks after Sweden signed a memorandum of understanding to explore future synergies with the UK. Is three the magic number needed to give Tempest the critical mass, industrial know-how and crucial funding stream required to bring a future combat air system into use around two decades from now?

Or does each new addition increase the risk of over-complication, excessive national manufacturing demands, cost ­ escalation and delay?

The likelihood is that there is still room for additional nations to join formation, with the Team Tempest partners having until the end of 2020 to more tightly define their proposal to one day replace the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoons.

Whether the UK will ultimately advance to full development and production with its current two allies remains to be seen, but in Italy it has found a logical partner. Their current co-operation on the Typhoon followed earlier experience with the Panavia Tornado, and both are users of the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Industrial links are also healthy, with pan-European firms Leonardo and MBDA having firm roots in each nation, and Avio Aero and Elettronica firmly aboard the Eurofighter venture.

But perhaps the biggest risk to the pair advancing with what could be a major future success in the combat air sector is the threat of protracted political turmoil in Italy and the UK. ■ See Show Report P13

Aviation Photocrew/Eurofighter

Nick Ut/AP/Shutterstock

T

Storming pedigree

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 7

This week

briefing

K-Max order takes relaunch tally to 12 rotorcraft Kaman Aerospace has secured an order for a single K-Max helicopter – its 12th since relaunching production at its Bloomfield, Connecticut factory in early 2017 after a ­14-year hiatus. Rotex Helicopter of Liechtenstein has operated the type for 22 years and will use its fourth for logging and aerial lift work. Kaman built 38 K-Max, with their distinctive intermeshing and contra-rotating dual main rotors, over a 10-year production run; 33 remain in service according to Cirium fleets data.

safety No lids and wrong-sized cups have been blamed for a cockpit coffee spill that damaged radio electronics, forcing a Condor Airlines Airbus A330-200 (G-TCCF) en route from Frankfurt to Cancun to divert on 6 February. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch cited a reluctance to use the cockpit cup holders, contrary to Airbus advice, because Condor’s cups were difficult to remove. Control panel smoke left the flight crew wearing oxygen masks. Condor now ­mandates lids and is sourcing “appropriately sized” cups.

freighter in flames after toledo crash accident A Convair 440 freighter that crashed outside Toledo Express airport in Ohio on 12 September is believed to have been consumed by fire after striking trucks at a vehicle repair ­facility some 1,000m (3,280ft) from runway 25. Details still emerging as Flight International closed for press did not indicate the fate of the crew, but suggest the aircraft, provisionally identified as N24DR and privately owned, was carrying automotive parts and had flown from Millington, near Memphis.

a350 trials flying internet of things connectivity Airbus has started flight tests with an ­ 350-900 featuring its Airspace cabin configured to trial an A open-software “Internet of Things backbone” platform. The manufacturer foresees connected interiors allowing more ­personalised services – for example customised onboard ­catering and IFE content. Assessments with airline representatives are planned around the end of the year.

boeing feels no pressure from 777x issue testing Boeing has played down the impact of a test failure on the 777X programme. The test, says Boeing, involved bending the wings “up to a level far beyond anything expected in commercial service” and applying pressure to the fuselage and wing skins. A failure occurred during the final minutes of the test, when loads were at about 99%. This “involved a depressurisation of the aft fuselage”, thought to relate to a cargo door.

wow vows october return airline Wow Air, the Icelandic ultra-low-cost carrier that ceased operations in March, is planning to return in October with flights between Washington Dulles and Reykjavik’s Keflavik airports. Buyer USAerospace has not disclosed the purchase price but says it has committed $85 million to restart operations. The plan is to start “carefully” with two aircraft,­ rising to four for the summer 2020 season – the old Wow had 20 Airbus A320s, A321s and A330s at the end of 2018 – and build eventually to 10 or 12.

8 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

SHT

wrong coffee cups ground Condor jet Main rotor separated from helicopter in 2016 accident that killed 13 investigation dominic perry Marignane

Root cause of fatal H225 failure found Airbus Helicopters says it has identified and reproduced trigger event in gearbox that led to crash of heavy-twin

A

irbus Helicopters is confident that it has identified the root cause of the main gearbox (MGB) failure behind the fatal 2016 crash of an H225 in Norway.

All 13 occupants of the heavytwin (LN-OJF) died in the ­incident after the main rotor separated from the aircraft at 2,000ft as it approached Bergen on the country’s west coast.

In its final report in July 2018, Norwegian investigators determined that a second-stage planet gear in the MGB’s epicyclic module had failed due to subsurface cracking and fracture of a bearing race. However, they were unable to say what had triggered the event.

But the airframer has continued its own analysis of the event, says H225 programme director Michel Macia, leading to identification of the root cause and a successful replication of the failure in testing. That work has been externally validated, he says.

Findings from that effort were subsequently shared with Norway’s SHT accident investigation body, regulators including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and other manufacturers, says Macia.

“Everyone now knows that the root cause is understood and has been reproduced,” says Macia.

Although he declines to immediately detail the failure, he says the safety barriers put in place to enable the H225 to return to service deal with the underlying issue.

These measures include a heightened inspection regime, shorter life limits on components and – significantly – the exclusion of one of the two different bearing designs used on the helicopter.

The H225 and the related AS332 L2 were grounded for six months following the crash, and although both are now cleared for service, they have yet to be brought back to operation in the North Sea region for offshore transport.

While that is largely due to overcapacity in the sector, there remains opposition from the oil and gas workforce to the H225.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority says its position on the H225 has not changed and it has yet to receive an application from any operator to resume H225 passenger flights in the country. ■ See News Focus P22 flightglobal.com

This week

Scale of Havana crash errors revealed This Week P11 timeline Jon Hemmerdinger boston & Lewis Harper london

EASA scrutiny threatens Max timeline Although airframer sees re-engined 737 resuming US flights early in fourth quarter, other regulators may take longer oeing has acknowledged that some non-US regulators will want to conduct their own reviews of the 737 Max, potentially threatening the company’s timeline for service return.

Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg, speaking on 11 September, said the airframer continues “targeting” the aircraft to receive regulatory clearance to fly “early in the fourth quarter”.

But he concedes “alignment” among regulators worldwide, notably in Europe, could make that target difficult to achieve on a global basis.

He notes the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) “has brought up some questions… we are working our way through,” including queries about the 737 Max’s angle-of-attack system.

“It creates timeline uncertainty,” Muilenburg adds. “A phased ungrounding of the airplane among regulators around the world is a possibility.”

On 3 September, Patrick Ky, EASA executive director, confirmed the agency would make its own judgement on whether the 737 Max was safe to fly again.

It is still awaiting satisfactory answers about safety-critical parts not limited to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System.

Although progress has been made since EASA raised those concerns with Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July, “there are aspects on which we’re happy with the solutions proposed by Boeing, others on which we need to discuss more, and others on which there is still a lot of work that needs to be performed”, Ky says.

The agency says it will want to conduct its own flight tests, using its own pilots, separate from those performed by the FAA. EASA informed Boeing on 1 April that it would only clear the Max for a return to service if four conditions were met, which has yet to happen, says Ky. The criteria are: all design changes must be approved by EASA; a broader review of all safety-critical systems must be carried out; the agency is satisfied the two fatal crashes involving the type are “sufficiently understood”; and 737 Max flightcrews must be “adequately

trained” in respect of changes to the aircraft.

Ky says the Max systems EASA has focused on comprise “displays, alerting systems, autopilot and air data systems” and the agency has decided to recertify those “safety-critical” parts.

It communicated “70 test points” on 22 May, covering normal and abnormal operating conditions, and simulator evaluations were completed in June and July.

“On our findings, we found significant technical issues [with the 737 Max],” Ky says. These included “a lack of exhaustive monitoring of the system failures,

resulting in stabiliser runaway; too high forces needed to move the manual trim wheel in case of a stabiliser runaway; too late disconnection of autopilot near stall speed (in specific conditions); and too high crew workload in some failure cases”.

EASA’s findings were communicated to Boeing and the FAA in July. Of the solutions proposed

by Boeing, EASA notes good progress on changes to the flight-control computer architecture; some progress on the simplification of crew procedures and training; and “no appropriate response to angleof-attack integrity issues”. ■

Elaine Thompson/AP/Shutterstock

B

European body will require own test sorties to approve safety case

COVER STORY dominic perry london

Azul proud to put first E195-E2 into ‘Brazilian skies’ E

engined and rewinged jet is the first of an eventual 57 examples for Azul: six via lessors and 51 directly ordered.

“Today’s delivery is a momentous occasion,” says John Slattery, chief executive of Embraer Com-

Embraer

mbraer has handed over the second of its E-Jet E2 variants: an E195-E2 for Brazilian ­carrier Azul via lessor AerCap. Formally delivered during a ceremony at the airframer’s Sao Jose dos Campos facility, the re-

Carrier will eventually operate a 57-strong fleet of the re-engined jet flightglobal.com

mercial Aviation. “It’s the largest commercial aircraft Embraer has ever built. Passengers are going to love the new interior and airlines are going to love the extraordinary operating economics.”

The E195-E2 is 41.5m (136ft) long, with a 35m wingspan and accommodates up to 146 passengers in a high-density layout.

Powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW1900G geared turbofans, the E195-E2 boasts a range of 2,600nm (4,820km).

As of 30 June, Embraer had a firm backlog of 124 of the type, with the largest customers Azul

(51) and AerCap (45). Other clients include Air Castle (13), Air Peace (10) and Binter Canarias (5).

Overall, the 124 orders account for 76.5% of the total backlog for the second-generation regional jet family, while the remainder is comprised of 38 E190-E2 orders.

“We could not be more proud to bring this Brazilian aircraft, built with Brazilian technology and innovation to the Brazilian skies,” says David Neeleman, Azul’s founder and chairman.

Embraer delivered the first E2 – an E190-E2 – to Norwegian carrier Wideroe in early 2018. ■

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 9

This week

aquisition Garrett Reim Los Angeles

US government approves F-35A sale to Warsaw

Bomber’s internal capacity has been increased by moving key bulkhead

he US Department of State has approved the potential sale of 32 ­Lockheed Martin F-35As to Poland as part of a package worth a total of $6.5 billion.

NATO member Poland wants the stealth aircraft as a counterweight to Russia, a country ­Warsaw views as increasingly aggressive, following its invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

Warsaw’s planned refleeting will see the F-35s replace the Polish air force’s Russian-built RAC MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-22 fleet, says an 11 September US Department of State notification.

The deal has not yet been finalised, however.

To be acquired via the US Foreign Military Sales process, ­ the order includes service and support for the aircraft.

No industrial offsets are incorporated, although Poland is championing a presence in the F-35’s supply chain. “Any offset agreements will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor,” says the notice.

The potential sale also incorporates 33 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines and a range of other equipment and systems.

Additionally, the deal will also include a performancebased logistics contract, and ­software development and integration work. ■

US Air Force

T

enhancement Garrett Reim Los Angeles

Lancer extends weapons bay to join the ‘hypersonic game’ Changes will allow B-1B to carry larger munitions, including next-generation missiles

M

odifications have been ­carried out by the US Air Force (USAF) to enable a Boeing B-1B Lancer to carry larger and heavier weapons, including hypersonic missiles.

Showcased to industry partners in late August by the service’s 412th Test Wing at ­Edwards AFB in California, the improved configuration uses two methods to increase capacity: external carriage; and a lengthened bomb bay.

Following the modification, the aircraft would be able to carry either larger weapons like hypersonic missiles, or an increased number of smaller munitions.

“The purpose of the demonstration was to show that we’re still able to move the bulkhead

from the forward intermediate bay to the forward location,” says Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Ross, B-1B programme element monitor with the Air Force Global Strike Command.

That change increases the intermediate bay’s length from 4.8m (15ft) to 6.8m.

“Additionally, we demonstrated that we can still carry weapons externally on six of the eight hard points, which increases our overall carriage capacity,” Ross adds.

The bomber will continue to carry only conventional weapons in order to remain within the bounds of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with ­Russia, he says.

“Currently we can carry 24 weapons internally. Now it can be

increased to potentially 40, based on what type of pylon we create,” Ross says. “This [also] gets the B-1 into the larger weapons, the 5,000-pounders. It gets it into the hypersonics game as well.”

The demonstration showed a hypersonic missile mock-up attached to a rotary launcher inside the B-1B’s bomb bay. This launcher is the same type that has been used to increase the precision weapons capacity of the Boeing B-52H. Ross says he and fellow B-1B crewmembers came up with the idea and designs for modifying the bomber’s carriage capacity.

The alteration can be performed quickly, over the course of several work shifts, and is not permanent, the USAF says. ■ See Feature P34

fleet

Fiji Airways’ initial Airbus A350-900 has emerged from painting, ahead of delivery in November. A second example will follow a month later. Service entry is set for January 2020, operating routes to Sydney and Los Angeles. Both aircraft are leased from DAE Capital and join a fleet of six A330s. The Rolls-Royce Trent ­XWB-powered A350s will have 33 Collins Aerospace Super Diamond lie-flat business-class seats, and 301 Recaro CL3710 economy seats. The jets will also feature Thales’ Avant in-flight ­entertainment system and wi-fi connectivity.

10 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

Airbus

First A350-900 for Fiji breaks cover

flightglobal.com

This week

AW149 campaign takes off for Yeovil Show Report P12 inquiry David Kaminski-Morrow london

Scale of Havana crash errors revealed Global Air 737-200 stalled seconds after take-off as weight and balance miscalculations contributed to control issues uban investigators have ­detailed the gross errors in weight and balance that preceded the departure of a Boeing 737-200, which subsequently ­ stalled as it attempted to climb away from Havana.

As the Global Air aircraft, operating a domestic service to ­Holguin, lifted off from runway 06 its crew struggled to stabilise instability in the roll axis. The aircraft pitched nose-up and its airspeed bled away, before it crashed just 40s after becoming airborne.

Four of the 113 occupants – 107 passengers and six crew – were initially found alive in the wreckage by firefighters but three of them subsequently succumbed to injuries in hospital, leaving just a single survivor.

While Cuban regulator IACC revealed earlier this year that balance miscalculations had led to the 18 May 2018 accident, investigation authority CEIAA has detailed the extent of the errors in an analysis released in August.

Global Air had subcontracted to a company called Eagle Aviation the preparation of a preliminary load and balance sheet, which would then undergo final amendments by the captain before approval. But CEIAA says that “large errors” in this case were “not corrected by the crew”, and nor were last-minute changes relating to luggage and passengers taken into consideration.

CEIAA says the number of passengers in the forward cabin was given as 62 when it had capacity for 54, and the weight in the cargo compartments was “incorrect”. The fuel weight at take-off exceeded that calculated by some 2,270kg (5,000lb).

The load sheet presented to the crew put the take-off weight at 45.3t, but recalculation by investigators produced a figure of just over 47.1t – while the zerofuel weight was wrong because the weight of luggage was lower than planned. flightglobal.com

Xinhua/Shutterstock

C

There was just one survivor from the 18 May 2018 accident, which killed 112 people including six crew Crucially, the centre-of-gravity was listed as 17.4% of mean aerodynamic chord – but the recalculation put it much higher, at 28.5%. The inquiry says this put it “very close” to the permissible operating limit of 29%, while the stabiliser trim setting was off by more than two units.

“Unplanned transfer of control always has some negative influence on piloting” CEIAA

Although the weight and centre-of-gravity were technically within the aircraft’s capabilities, the inquiry says the balance miscalculation and the position of the trim “undoubtedly caused unstable behaviour” from the aircraft and made piloting “difficult”.

Immediately after rotation and lift-off the aircraft started banking excessively to the right, reaching 33.5°, and there was a marked increase in pitch even while the control column was being pushed forward.

Bank angle warnings sounded and the stick-shaker activated

and, 11s after becoming airborne, the captain took control of the jet from the first officer.

“It is the captain’s prerogative to assume the controls at any time in order to preserve safety,” says the inquiry. “But this unplanned transfer always has some negative influence on the piloting of the aircraft.”

As the jet reached a height of 85ft, travelling at 139kt (257km/h), its pitch had increased to 27.2°. The pilots tried to counter the right bank by rotating the control wheel to the left, applying 117lb of force, and pushing the left rudder pedal to level the wings, and they were briefly successful in neutralising the roll.

But flight-data recorder information shows the right-bank ­tendency persisted, and it rolled again to 23.6°, before the pilots’ efforts pulled it into an opposite left bank of 13.6°.

This correction and the moderation of pitch to 16.5° allowed the aircraft to approach an “acceptable” condition to continue flight, says the inquiry, but it then banked a third time to the right, reaching 28.6°, and the airspeed declined from 130kt to 122kt owing to the high nose-up attitude and “probable uncoordinated actions” on the flight controls.

While the captain managed to reduce the right bank to 9.3°, this was only because of the significant left-rudder input and the loss of aileron authority owing to the reduced airspeed.

The aircraft’s pitch rose to 20.5° and the 737 entered a fourth right bank, of nearly 30°, before pitching up to more than 25° and stalling.

rapid oscillation

Oscillation of the aircraft became more rapid, with the jet rolling rapidly to either side, ­culminating in a right bank of more than 72°.

Some 13s before impact the crew issued a distress call, declaring an emergency. The aircraft’s airspeed had fallen to 116kt and the inquiry says the low height offered little margin to lower the nose sufficiently to recover from the stall.

It descended in a sharp right bank and struck the ground close to the entrance road to one of ­Havana airport’s terminals.

CEIAA says that a “chain of errors” led to the loss of control, with a preponderance of those involving human factors.

Global Air is a Mexican-based charter carrier also known as ­Damohj Airlines. ■

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 11

SHOW REPORT DSEI 2019

Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock

The UK’s biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) show took place in London’s Docklands from 10-13 September, with this year’s iteration marking the event’s 20th anniversary. While its global feel was underscored by 44 national pavilions and 1,700 exhibiting companies, domestic programmes dominated, including the Tempest next-generation fighter, which gained Italy as a new partner. Rotorcraft, surveillance aircraft and futuristic weapon developments were also on the agenda. Show report by Craig Hoyle rotorcraft

AW149 campaign takes off for Yeovil Manufacturer promotes multirole type as legacy platform replacement, with eye to UK Puma successor requirement eonardo has launched a new effort to pitch its AW149 medium-twin to military customers, displaying the type at the heart of its exhibit.

Describing the rotorcraft as “an ideal candidate to replace legacy platforms”, Leonardo says it could be applied across a variety of roles, including troop transport, combat search and rescue and medical evacuation, and used in support of special forces operations.

The aircraft on display was in a representative battlefield utility configuration capable of carrying up to 16 fully equipped troops or 19 passengers. Leonardo-supplied systems include an Osprey active electronically scanned array radar and an integrated defensive aids suite featuring its Multiple Aperture Infra-Red missile warning

Leonardo

L

Example on display was configured as battlefield troop transport system, and Sage electronic support measures sensors.

Suggested weapons include ­anti-tank missiles, rockets and gun pods, along with door-mounted machine guns.

“Multiple international delegations” viewed the type at DSEI, says Leonardo Helicopters UK managing director Geoff Munday. In a bid to further boost interest in the design, the company

will base an AW149 at its Yeovil production site in Somerset, and host flight demonstrations for potential future buyers.

It is promoting the model “to customers around the world which are considering replacing their fleets of ageing multi-mission helicopters”, and adds that “it could be an ideal solution for the UK”. A future requirement exists to acquire a successor for the Royal Air Force’s upgraded Airbus Helicopters Puma HC2 transports.

Leonardo notes that a baseline military version of the commercial AW189-derived AW149 has already secured certification from Italy’s Armaero armaments directorate. Cirium fleets data records the Royal Thai Army as being the model’s only current user, having received five examples. ■

unmanned systems

PHASA-35 stuns BAE into Prismatic acquisition B

AE Systems expects to flight test a prototype solar-powered high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle for the first time early next year, under a newly strengthened relationship with UK technology company Prismatic.

A scale-model of the 35m (115ft)-wingspan Persistent

High-Altitude Solar Aircraft, or PHASA-35, was displayed on BAE’s stand at the show, where the company announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire development partner ­ Prismatic.

The pair have collaborated on the PHASA-35 since May 2018.

Two full-scale prototypes have

12 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

been delivered to BAE’s Warton site in Lancashire, where they are undergoing integration testing before flight trials due in early 2020. The partners have also explored payload options for the currently 150kg (340lb) design, which can carry equipment totalling 15kg.

With a carbonfibre structure,

“ultra-lightweight” solar cells and “long-life battery technology”, the PHASA-35 is projected to be able to sustain flight at 65,000ft for up to a year. Potential roles include performing surveillance and border protection tasks, and supporting ­disaster relief operations, its developers say. ■ flightglobal.com

DSEI 2019

RAF Shadows to evade missile threat Show Report P14

Show report

initiative

Tempest grows via Italian involvement Companies including Avio Aero, Elettronica and Leonardo set to partner UK industry on future fighter programme ess than 15 months after unveiling its long-term air combat strategy and next-generation Tempest concept, the UK has added a second international partner to the latter activity, with Italy signing a statement of intent to work on the project.

The international armament directors of the UK and Italy signed an agreement at the show on 10 September, followed by a similar pact the next day between their defence industries.

Joint feasibility study work has been conducted since July 2018, with this also exploring the potential for “closer alignment on future enhancements” to the Eurofighter Typhoon and on operating the Lockheed Martin F-35; types employed by both nations.

“The UK and Italy are natural combat air partners,” the UK Ministry of Defence says. “Both governments confirmed a common desire for a strong industrial base to develop key capabilities and boost prosperity in both nations.”

BAE Systems

L

Sweden has also previously joined formation on next-generation type Italian companies supporting the initiative are Avio Aero, Elettronica, Leonardo and MBDA Italy; the last two of which are already involved in the Team ­

Tempest industrial grouping via their UK arms.

BAE Systems says the new agreement with Italy “will see the parties work together to define an

innovative concept and partnership model which will include knowledge sharing, product definition and technology development for the joint development of future combat air systems.”

“Our record of successful collaboration with Italian industry makes us certain that this partnership is a strong fit for Tempest,” says BAE chief executive Charles Woodburn.

“We believe that working together on Tempest will further strengthen each nation’s technological, industrial and skills base to ensure prosperity for decades to come,” says Leonardo chief executive Alessandro Profumo.

Rome follows Sweden in signalling its intention to work with the UK on the Tempest project.

Stockholm in July 2019 committed to a one-year study phase supported by Saab, which is intended to determine whether its future combat aircraft requirements and schedule align with those of its potential partner. ■

munitions

UK goes on the offensive with Spear-EW weapon M

lion ($12 million) technology demonstration deal signed on 10 September, the work will integrate Leonardo-developed electronic warfare (EW) equipment on the lightweight weapon, which is slated for integration on

MBDA

BDA and Leonardo have been contracted to test an electronic-attack development of the former’s Spear air-to-surface missile for the UK Ministry of ­Defence.

To be advanced via a £10 mil-

Adapted missile would serve as stand-in jammer for strike formation flightglobal.com

the UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35Bs and Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons.

Leonardo UK managing director Norman Bone says the company will provide its “cuttingedge miniaturised EW payloads” for the weapon, “which will act as a stand-in jammer to protect RAF aircraft and suppress enemy air defences”.

MBDA describes the turbojetpowered Spear-EW as a longrange, high subsonic speed system capable of “false target decoying and obscuration jamming”. Release weight will be less than 100kg (225lb). A baseline version has already undergone fit-checks on a Typhoon using a three-store launcher.

Referring to the demonstrator activity, RAF chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston describes Spear-EW as an “example of our collective determination to spirally develop existing capabilities and minimise costs, while maximising the operational benefit to the front line”.

MBDA also displayed several other new weapon concepts alongside a full-scale model of the UK’s Tempest concept at the show. These included withinvisual-range air-to-air missiles developed from its current ASRAAM product, suitable for ejection release from an internal weapons bay and including an increased calibre version with a radar seeker. ■

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 13

DSEI 2019 Show report countermeasures

RAF Shadows to evade missile threat Defensive system supplied by Leonardo and Thales will boost self-protection, with initial operating capability in 2021 he Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Shadow R1 fleet of intelligence-gathering aircraft is to receive a major self-protection upgrade, intended to safeguard the Beechcraft King Air 350CERbased type against attack using infrared-guided missiles.

Announced on 11 September, the defensive aids system (DAS) enhancement will be delivered by an industry team involving Leonardo UK and Thales UK, which have worked with the nation’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory during previous trials.

The Shadow’s new DAS configuration will incorporate Leonardo Miysis directional infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) turrets providing 360° spherical coverage, Thales Elix-IR threat warning sensors and the same company’s Vicon countermeasures dispensing equipment. A controller developed by Leonardo – which will serve as prime contractor – will manage operations.

“The dual-head fit of the Miysis DIRCM provides the ability to defeat multiple threats simultane-

Crown Copyright

T

Twin-turboprop faces growing threat from infrared-guided missiles 14 Sqn, home based at the service’s Waddington intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) hub in Lincolnshire, with a further two to be introduced.

“Initial operating capability is targeted for early 2021,” the Leonardo/Thales team says of the new self-protection equipment’s addition.

Meanwhile, Roland Howell, Raytheon UK’s director airborne ISR, says a Mark 2 upgrade ­activity for the Shadow fleet remains on schedule for completion

ously by accurately directing a jamming laser onto the missile’s seeker,” the companies note. The equipment can be integrated with the twin-turboprop as a result of it being “smaller, lighter and drawing less power than other DIRCM systems on the market”, they add.

Integration work will be conducted by Raytheon UK at the company’s Broughton site in Wales, in its role as prime contractor and support provider for the Shadow fleet. Six aircraft are currently operated by the RAF’s

­ uring 2023. “We are working a d number of options in terms of what configuration it is, and the route to those,” he says.

Separately, Howell says a Ministry of Defence-funded 10-year Ccheck activity being performed on a stored Sentinel R1 battlefield surveillance aircraft should be complete in December or January 2020.

The RAF’s four active Bombardier Global Express-based Sentinels are scheduled to be retired in March 2021, when the service’s support arrangement with Raytheon expires. However, Howell says: “We are very optimistic about the extension of Sentinel.

It’s a great platform, it’s doing a fantastic job and its output is in high demand across the coalition.

“We are in discussions with the MoD about what those future support arrangements might look like, and what activities are required in order to underpin the ability for the platform to continue delivering,” he says. “We are having no discussions at the moment about disposal or alternative arrangements.” ■

unmanned systems

Test phase lift supports UK Protector certification G

UK Royal Air Force (RAF).

“This contract will see General Atomics test the aircraft to its limit and report back on its ­performance in advance of the aircraft’s introduction to the ­ front line in 2024,” the UK

Crown Copyright

eneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded a roughly £100 million ($123 million) contract to complete test and evaluation-phase activities on the Protector RG1 remotely piloted air system on order for the

RG1’s performance will be fully assessed under £100m allocation 14 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

­Ministry of Defence says.

The US airframer, which says it has already performed more than 100 qualification test flights using a pair of SkyGuardian development vehicles, says the new award will enable it to complete certification activities on its Protector configuration for the UK, including for routine flights in non-segregated airspace.

Its allocation also covers verification of the type’s X-band satellite communications equipment, along with training system development and logistics planning tasks.

A first Protector delivery is scheduled for October 2021, with operations of the type to be

­ erformed from RAF Waddington p in Lincolnshire. Sixteen examples are on order for the service, along with seven ground control stations.

Development activities are being performed in the USA by General Atomics in partnership with a combined test team also including RAF personnel.

To be armed with MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missiles and Raytheon UK Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, the new type will replace the service’s General Atomics Reaper fleet, due to be withdrawn in 2024. “The aircraft’s design enables almost unlimited payload options in the future,” the MoD notes. ■ flightglobal.com

INDUSTRY SHAPERS FLY E2 CONGRATULATIONS AZUL BRAZILIAN AIRLINES ON BECOMING THE GLOBAL LAUNCH OPERATOR OF THE E195-E2.

Voted among the top 10 airlines in the world* and the fastest growing airline in the region, Azul’s journey of expansion continues with the introduction of the E195-E2. The most efficient aircraft in single-aisle and like Azul, an industry-leading performer.

embraercommercialaviation.com #FlyAzul #E2ProfitHunter

*TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards

AIR TRANSPORT

inquiry David Kaminski-Morrow London

Deferred defect led to electrical failure Incorrect racking of generator control unit on West Atlantic 737-400 allowed disconnection some 60nm from destination

F

AirTeamImages

reight operator West Atlantic is overhauling its approach to deferred defects after a serious incident in which a Boeing 737-400 suffered substantial electrical failure and the loss or degradation of several systems.

UK investigators traced the failures to the incorrect racking of the right-hand engine’s generator control unit, which shifted during flight, resulting in the total disconnection of electrical connectors.

“The aircraft was not designed to operate with the [control unit] disconnected and the crew were presented with a situation that was not covered in the [quick-reference handbook],” says the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

It states that the aircraft had ­departed Leipzig for Amsterdam with an inoperative left enginedriven generator – an acceptable deferred defect.

This meant the auxiliary power unit was instead used to drive the number 1 electrical system while the right engine-driven generator powered the number 2 system.

But when the aircraft arrived in Amsterdam, the first officer’s instruments – which use the

Carrier says it will change approach to maintenance and monitoring number 2 electrical system – intermittently blanked. The crew could not determine the reason but believed the right generator had failed.

Maintenance personnel reset a circuit-breaker and, after a successful right-hand engine run, the generator and the number 2 electrical system were considered to be functioning correctly.

The aircraft departed Amsterdam for East Midlands but, some 60nm (111km) from the destination, the first officer’s flight instruments failed and the captain took manual control.

Numerous lights on both the overhead panel and annunciation

panels illuminated and flashed, and multiple aural warnings were generated by the terrain-avoidance system. Although the aircraft controls, flaps and landing-gear functioned normally the crew had to cope with “distracting” visual and aural warnings throughout the approach, says the inquiry.

As the aircraft landed, several systems – including the autobrakes, half the exterior lights, and the captain’s speed indications – failed. No electrical power was available to the cargo door, cargo bay and multiple items on the flightdeck.

Examination of the aircraft at East Midlands found that the

right-hand engine generator control unit had been incorrectly racked, allowing it to move forward. It was found to be protruding from the equipment shelf by just 3cm (1in), but this was sufficient for the contacts at the rear of the unit to disconnect from those on the shelf – which would have resulted in the loss of several AC and DC electrical buses.

After the unit was re-racked the generator was tested and found to be functioning normally.

Neither of the two pilots, the only occupants of the jet (G-JMCR), were injured during the incident on 12 October last year.

West Atlantic told the inquiry it would rethink its approach to maintenance, allocating each aircraft to a specific servicing base depending on the route flown.

Acceptable deferred defects will be monitored daily with the intention of rectifying them within 48h, and internal investigations will probe the reasons for failing to meet this time limit. The airline will also carry out a risk assessment prior to deferral of a defect, based on the type of fault and the possible operational impact. ■

dispute David Kaminski-Morrow London

Pilots condemn dismissal of Airbus AF447 charges

Sipa/Shutterstock

F

Crew’s response to high-altitude stall was blamed for the accident

rench pilot representatives are to appeal a decision to dismiss charges against Airbus over the fatal Air France A330 accident in the South Atlantic in 2009.

The aircraft, operating flight AF447 on the Rio de Janeiro-Paris route, crashed after its crew, reacting to unreliable airspeed indications after sensor icing, failed to recover from a high-altitude stall.

Loss of the aircraft has been the subject of a long-running ­dispute after the crew’s improper handling, rather than the aircraft design, was largely blamed for the accident.

16 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

Pilots union SNPL is expressing “indignation” at the judicial decision to drop charges against Airbus, and Air France, describing the move as “scandalous”.

Vice-president Vincent Gilles says the union intends to appeal the ruling.

A previous legal recommendation focused on indicting only Air France, rather than Airbus, which also drew ire from the union.

Victims association FENVAC also says the decision to “exonerate” Airbus was “incomprehensible and unacceptable”. The dropping of charges against both the

airline and the airframer, it says, means “depriving” those affected of any sort of trial which would have determined responsibility.

The reasoning behind the dismissal, says the association, is that the accident resulted from the conjunction of several elements that could not have been previously perceived and did not characterise improper action by Airbus or Air France.

FENVAC scorns this decision, arguing that this reasoning ignores technical evidence, and accuses judicial authorities of failing to exercise independence. ■ flightglobal.com

AIR TRANSPORT

Leap output jumps, but profits still lag Air Transport P18

commitment Jon Hemmerdinger Boston

SpaceJet M100 takes giant leap with Mesa deal

U Airbus

Kuwait Airways recently received first A320neo analysis David Kaminski-Morrow London

Airbus reaches 500-delivery mark despite August holiday Output for airframer over first eight months of year beats total from same period in 2018

A

irbus reached exactly 500 deliveries over the first eight months of 2019, an increase of 66 on the same point last year.

It handed over 42 aircraft in August – usually regarded as a ­ holiday period for the company.

Its 500 deliveries comprised 400 single-aisle aircraft – including 26 A220s, as well as the first A320neo for Kuwait Airways – plus 100 twin-aisle types, among them 30 A330s, 65 A350s and five A380s.

Twenty-three of the A330s were the re-engined Neo version.

The A350 deliveries included 13 of the larger A350-1000.

Airbus’s backlog figures to the end of August show that it se-

cured orders for 15 A321neos from an unidentified customer, all the new extra-long-range A321XLR variant, while Comlux is taking a single VIP ACJ320neo.

These agreements took Airbus net orders to 95 aircraft – and gross orders to 262 – for the first two-thirds of the year.

Meanwhile, KLM has formally transferred an order for seven A350-900s to sister carrier Air France. Airbus’s latest official orders data, covering the period to 31 August, shows that the seven A350s have been removed from the Dutch airline’s backlog.

Air France’s orders for the twinjet have correspondingly risen from 21 to 28; it is set to take

delivery of its first A350 in the last week of September.

Analysis of the Airbus backlog data also shows that US lessor GECAS has increased its commitment to the A321neo by converting orders for 45 A320neo jets.

GECAS’s orders for the largest variant of the family have increased from 59 to 104 aircraft, while the A320neo commitment falls to 116 aircraft – of which 35 have been delivered – from the previous 161. GECAS has also received 13 A321neos.

The lessor had expressed interest in the longer-range A321XLR, but there is no indication that the swap includes any commitment to that variant. ■

S regional carrier Mesa ­Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding for up to 100 of Mitsubishi Aircraft’s 76seat SpaceJet M100 regional jets.

The tentative commitment from Mesa, announced during the Regional Airline Association’s annual event in Nashville, is a major show of confidence in the SpaceJet M100, a derivative of the aircraft formerly known as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, development of which was disclosed in ­mid-2019.

Mesa will place 50 firm orders and take purchase rights on another 50 aircraft; deliveries are to begin in 2024. The type is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1200G geared turbofans.

Unveiling the new SpaceJet brand and M100 proposal, Mitsubishi Aircraft also cancelled the 70-seat MRJ70.

With 76 seats, the M100 fits snugly within the confines of major US airline “scope” clauses.

Those restrictions in US airline pilot contracts specify the size and seat count of the regional aircraft feeding major airlines.

While scope-clause compliant, the MRJ70’s lower seat count than rival aircraft meant it was less competitive. ■

manufacturing Alfred Chua Singapore

A

irbus is to deepen its co-operation with Chinese airframer AVIC for its single-aisle aircraft production.

The agreement, signed during a visit by German chancellor Angela ­Merkel to Beijing, will see upgrades to A319 and A320 fuselageequipping works at Tianjin.

Airbus states that the first ­Chinese-equipped A320-family fuselage will be delivered in the second quarter of 2021. flightglobal.com

The partnership with AVIC dates back to 1985, when the ­Chinese firm manufactured and assembled access doors for A300 and A310 aircraft.

Apart from Tianjin, Airbus has A320-family final assembly lines in Toulouse, Hamburg and Mobile, Alabama.

In 2015, Airbus committed to keep the Tianjin line open until 2025. The facility also contains an A330 completion centre. ■

Airbus

AVIC wins more A320 fuselage work at Tianjin site

Joint assembly plant is fourth facility for Airbus single-aisle production 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 17

Airbus

AIR TRANSPORT

programme tom zaitsev moscow

Antonov washes hands of An-124 revamp work A

delivery

First African A220 goes to EgyptAir EgyptAir has received its first Airbus A220 from the programme’s assembly line in Mirabel, near Montreal. The carrier has ordered 12 A220-300s and will start operating the aircraft on routes from its Cairo hub shortly. EgyptAir has configured the aircraft with 15 premium-economy and 125 standard seats. Noting the airline’s role as the first A220 operator in the Middle East and North Africa, EgyptAir chief executive Ahmed Adel states that the ­twinjet is an “integral” part of the carrier’s Horizon 2025 business ­development strategy and fleet optimisation plan.

ntonov has objected against any use of its brand to designate a revamped variant of the An-124 heavy transport that is being developed by Ilyushin.

While Antonov acknowledges the need for continued modernisation of the outsize freighter to prolong its service life – and pays tribute to its Russian peer for conducting the work on its own – the Ukrainian design house warns the changes will not be simple.

Antonov asserts that “selection and installation of the equipment

by Ilyushin will cause grave changes in the aircraft performance compared to the baseline model”.

Having had no hand in the revamp, Antonov says it will not be responsible for the freighter’s

safety and argues that the aircraft should bear a different designation without reference to its own long-established brand name.

The type was initially intended for military operations and validated for civilian use between 1990 and 1992.

Afterwards, four civil versions of the baseline An-124 were certificated until the type’s production was halted in 2003.

In response to a request from the Russian government, Ilyushin two years ago began working on development of an extensively modified An-124-100M variant based solely on domestically produced components and, potentially, to be equipped with new Aviadvigatel high-thrust PD-35 engines. ■

propulsion david kaminski-morrow london

Leap output jumps, but profits still lag Non-recurring costs offset strong first-half deliveries, while CFM56 transition should drive higher income by year-end roduction of CFM International Leap engines has far overtaken that of CFM56s but the transition to the new powerplant family has yet to make up for the loss of profitability as CFM56 output ramps down.

CFM partner Safran states that the transition to the Leap engine – which powers the Boeing 737 Max and is an option on the Airbus A320neo – is “well on track”, despite the “uncertain context”, and it expects to manufacture 1,800 of the powerplants in 2019.

It nearly doubled Leap deliveries, to 861 engines, over the first six months of the year, more than offsetting the declining volume of CFM56s.

But Safran acknowledges that while CFM56 deliveries are generating a profitable contribution, the negative margins and non-recurring costs of Leap production resulted in a €107 million ($118 mil-

Elaine Thompson/AP/Shutterstock

P

Safran argues Max grounding’s revenue impact is a ‘timing issue’ lion) negative impact on r­ ecurring operating income in the first half.

Safran expects this impact from the transition to become positive in the second half, owing to lower costs.

First-half propulsion revenues were up by 23% to €5.9 billion,

18 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

which the company attributes partly to higher single-aisle engine sales – a total of 1,119 ­ powerplants, which included 258 CFM56 deliveries. Recurring ­operating income rose by 34% to €1.2 billion.

Safran says it is adapting its

delivery plan for Leap-1B engines for the 737 Max, depending on Boeing orders.

The company has raised its overall revenues and operating income forecast for the full year, based on the strong first-half performance, although the figures depend on the date of resumption of 737 Max deliveries.

Safran says adjusted revenues will grow by 15%, rather than its previous estimate of 7-9%, while free cash flow will be around 5055% of adjusted recurring operating income, assuming the 737 Max returns to service in the fourth quarter.

Chief executive Philippe Petitcolin says the impact of the 737 Max grounding on Safran’s free cash flow is a “timing issue” which “should reverse in the following quarters”. The company says it amounts to a “deferral of cash collection”. ■ flightglobal.com

AIR TRANSPORT

US Army consults industry in Black Hawk successor search Defence P20 operations MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON

Emirates starts reshaping A380 fleet E

mirates is implementing its Airbus A380 retirement plan, which will see its fleet size peak shortly before declining to around 90-100 of the type by the mid-2020s.

The airline, which took delivery of its first A380 in 2008, is to cut its orders for the doubledecker from 162 to 123 in the wake of Airbus’s decision to axe the programme in 2020. Cirium data shows that the current fleet stands at 112 A380s.

“You’ll start seeing A380s coming out of our fleet for various reasons, and we’ve always said this,” says Emirates Airline president Tim Clark. “These are being dealt with on a tail-by-tail, month-by-month basis under a retirement [schedule] that is well planned already.”

Emirates operates A380s on a mix of operating and financial leases, says Clark. “We have air-

craft coming out as their [operating] leases end, or when their financial leases end if they are wholly owned.”

A pair of A380s has been withdrawn from service at Dubai World Central airport and will be used as a spares source for the operational fleet, says Clark.

“We are in the process of [starting A380 retirements]. Two have been deactivated. They are under retirement because we’ve got a major overhaul coming up and it’s best to take the old aircraft out – they’re all written down – and take the gear off them rather than buy a $25 million main landing gear. I need two, possibly three, to meet that [overhaul] requirement.”

Clark emphasises the A380 will remain part of the Emirates fleet for many years, although he expects the inventory to gradually start to decline: “This aircraft will still be flying in Emirates in

AirTeamImages

Retirements will see numbers reach 90-100 by mid-2020s, with wholly owned examples earmarked for spares supply

Carrier envisages superjumbo staying in service until at least 2035 2035. The fleet will stabilise at about 115… and then probably go down to about 90-100 by the middle of the next decade. So, the A380 will remain a major component of our fleet mix for the next 15 years at least.

“Clearly, the demand in the secondhand market isn’t there.

So when we’ve got the life out of the aircraft that we had planned

– in fact we’re extending them by a couple of years – we’re indifferent to what happens to them in the sense that we don’t have any value left in them and we don’t have to take any write-downs.”

Clark specifies that the Emirates-owned airframes can be used for spares support of its operational fleet. “What the lessors do [with their aircraft] is up to them.” ■

development david kaminski-morrow london

Volotea volunteers to help evolve regional hybrid S

Madrid, says Volotea will help to “define the specifications” of a future commuter aircraft.

It is already working on a 19seat regional aircraft, designated the DAX-19, which will have a range of 400nm (740km).

Images released by the company show the commuter aircraft powered by two large wing-tip-

Dante Aeronautical

panish carrier Volotea is to cooperate in the development of a hybrid-electric aircraft for regional transport, a project that will involve newly established specialist Dante Aeronautical.

Volotea says it will assist with refining the concept by providing market and technical data.

Dante Aeronautical, founded in

Commuter aircraft could feature system of distributed propellers flightglobal.com

mounted propellers, backed up by four smaller motors on each wing.

But Dante indicates that its design could ultimately accommodate 35 passengers, with thrust generated by batteries for energy storage and an internal combustion “turbo generator” to extend range.

While the company ideally wants to develop an all-electric aircraft, it says a hybrid design is “realistic” for achieving reduced emissions in the short term.

The company is working with engineering organisations including Altran and universities in Adelaide and Sydney in Australia to validate the concept in order to support an eventual flight test.

Dante says a “scaled prototype” will be trialled before “full industrialisation and future commercialisation”, and that the hy-

brid aircraft being developed with Volotea’s assistance will be a “commercial reality” by the middle of the next decade.

Use of highly efficient aircraft will enable links to “underserved” tourism destinations, says Volotea, or connections between small and medium-sized communities that would otherwise prove unprofitable with conventional types.

“Volotea engineers and commercial specialists have been appointed and made available to validate this market opportunity and provide technical support as well,” says the carrier’s chief executive Carlos Munoz.

Dante co-founder Miguel Madinabeitia says the hybrid design will open a “new market for door-todoor regional air transport” with competitive cost structures. ■

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 19

DEFENCE

ROTORCRAFT GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

COmPeTition GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES

M

Service seeks significant uplift in performance, with introduction expected from 2030

anila looks set to receive two donated Bell AH-1 attack helicopters from Jordan in early 2020.

Deliveries had initially been planned for this month, but crew training activities have delayed this schedule, according to the government-owned Philippines News Agency.

A deal for the AH-1Fs was sealed between Amman and Manila in September 2018, with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte having indicated that a third example could also be received.

Manila has been looking to strengthen its military capabilities, amid a simmering insurgency on Mindanao in the south, and in the face of Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. The Philippine air force inventory includes 12 Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50s, 25 MD Helicopters MD500s – which Cirium fleets data shows are an average of almost 28 years old – and eight Leonardo Helicopters AW109s.

In 2017, Manila placed an order for six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano close air-support aircraft, for delivery from later this year. ■

US Army consults industry in Black Hawk successor search T

he US Army is soliciting conceptual designs for its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), opening the competition to replace Sikorsky’s UH-60 Black Hawk.

During the first phase of the competitive demonstration and risk-reduction process, industry participants are asked to submit an initial aircraft conceptual design. Responses should include “technical documentation to support the design, requirements decompositions, trade studies, and requirements feasibility”, it says.

In an effort to speed up FLRAA development and delivery efforts, the army will use its other transaction authority (OTA) approval to conduct the competition through the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium. The body is managed by Advanced Technology International, a private organisation specialising in industry-government collaborations.

According to the consortium, benefits of the OTA process include a faster prototype-acquisition process, and the ability to en-

Sikorsky-Boeing

Donated AH-1s moving towards Manila delivery

Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant made its flight debut in March 2019 gage a diverse range of suppliers. “[OTA]-based collaborations are not subject to some of the regulations that apply to Federal Acquisition Regulation-based [programmes],” it says.

The army believes that bypassing regulations should allow it to field a new rotorcraft in a decade.

“We are committed to equipping the army’s first unit with the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft no later than 2030,” says Colonel David Phillips, the service’s project manager for FLRAA. The army wants its next utility

rotorcraft to have better performance than its current UH-60. Desired specifications outlined in April 2019 include a maximum cruise speed of 280kt (519km/h), a combat radius of 300nm (556km) without refuelling, and a one-way range of at least 2,440nm.

Two leading contenders have already developed technology demonstrators. Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor has been in flight-testing since December 2017, while the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant compound helicopter made its debut in March 2019. ■

results GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

D

assault delivered 10 Rafales to export customers in the first half of 2019, marking a steep increase from the two domestic examples handed over in the same period a year earlier. Work on the fighter’s advanced F4 standard also began during the period.

All of the Rafales handed over to the end of June were from Qatar’s 36-unit order and Dassault says five more were delivered to the same customer in August. Expected total deliveries for 2019 remain at 26 units.

At the end of June, the compa-

ny’s backlog included 91 Rafales, with 63 of these intended for India and Qatar, and the remainder for the French military.

While it did not receive any new production contracts in the first half of the year, Dassault was awarded almost €2.1 billion ($2.3 billion) in relation to a throughlife operational condition maintenance programme supporting French air force and navy Rafales.

Dassault in July delivered its last of 24 Rafales to Egypt, while new Delhi is set to receive its first of 36 of the type later this year. ■

20 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

Anthony Pecchi/Dassault

Rafale hits new high as Qatar business dominates

Doha had received 10 examples from 36-unit order by end of June flightglobal.com

DEFENCE

Airbus maintains belief in Super Puma News Focus P22 Modernisation BARTOSZ GLOWACKI KIELCE

Country currently operates 18 examples of Russian-produced type requirement GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

Studies launched as Kuala Lumpur eyes Su-30 replacement Malaysia seeking cost-effective path to renewing fighters, as defence minister favours another deal with Moscow

P

lans to renew Malaysia’s Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter fleet are in progress, with local media quoting defence minister Mohamad Sabu as saying the government is considering Russian-produced replacements. He has not mentioned specific types, however.

Cost will be a key consideration, with prime minister Mahathir Mohamad having recently said Malaysia needs to be mindful of its budget when considering buying new combat aircraft.

The Su-30MKM represents the core of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, with Cirium fleets data showing that it operates 18 examples, aged 11 years on average.

While Malaysia’s Su-30MKM fleet is relatively young, there are questions about its sustainment.

In August 2017, Sabu told parliament that only four of the type were in flying condition. Several examples appeared in the flying

display at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace show in March.

Malaysia’s fighter renewal ambitions have been moribund for several years. Its previous multirole combat aircraft programme to replace a retired fleet of 13 RAC MiG-29s failed to progress, despite interest from Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter and Saab.

Earlier this year, Kuala Lumpur issued a request for information for a light combat aircraft capability. This attracted interest from diverse candidates including the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17, Hindustan Aeronautics Tejas, Irkut-built Yakovlev Yak-130 and the Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50.

BAE Systems has proposed an alternative upgrade, which would update the air force’s in-service fleet of 13 single-seat Hawk 208 ground-attack aircraft. ■

D

etails have emerged of a locally developed modernisation package being offered for the Polish land forces’ Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters, with key updates to include replacement avionics and new weapons.

An integrated avionics system would incorporate new head-up and multi-function displays, and the update’s developers are also proposing the installation of a Rafael Toplite electro-optical/infrared sensor turret.

Proposed weapons include Rafael Spike-family air-to-surface missiles, Poland’s Piorun air-to-air missile, NLPR-70 and WW-15 rocket launchers and 12.7mm machine guns. NATOstandard munitions are also offered as an option.

In addition, a new self-protection system with missile warning receivers and infrared countermeasures equipment would be installed.

Under the proposal, Mi-24 crews would also gain the ability to conduct co-operative missions involving the Polish military’s unmanned air vehicles, providing a command-and-control function.

Speaking at the MSPO show in Kielce in early September, industry officials noted that there will be a gap of between seven and 10 years between Warsaw selecting a new attack helicopter via its Kruk competition and the type being introduced.

A first flying prototype of an updated Mi-24D/V could be handed over to the army within three years of a contract being signed, helping to fill this gap, they indicate.

The same package of enhancements will also be offered to other Mi-24 operators, mainly in Africa, and as a potential update for Poland’s Mi-8/17 transports and PZL Swidnik W-3 Sokol utility helicopters. ■

Jakob Ratz/Pacific Press via Zuma Wire/Shutterstock

AirTeamImages

Mi-24 upgrade proposal detailed for Polish forces

Proposed updates include new weapons and avionics equipment

Download the 2019 Wo r l d A i r Fo r c e s R e p o r t

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

w w w. f l i g h t g l o b a l . c o m / w a f Ruag 2017 strip ad.indd 1

flightglobal.com

04/12/2018 08:57

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 21

NEWS FOCUS

programme dominic perry Marignane

Airbus maintains belief in Super Puma Despite its tribulations, heavy-twin helicopter family remains key part of airframer’s range as it marks 1,000th delivery peaking to employees gathered in a delivery hangar at its Marignane site, Airbus Helicopters chief executive ­ Bruno Even laid out the importance of the Super Puma family to the airframer.

Over its 41-year history – first flight of the original AS332 took place in September 1978 – the Super Puma has made Airbus Helicopters “stronger, more humble and more demanding”, Even said.

Although there are new and sleeker helicopters in its range, the H225 and the smaller H215 remain the largest aircraft produced by the manufacturer.

And the bigger the aircraft, the more impact success or failure has on a company’s bottom line.

No-one would argue that the Super Puma family is not ­successful: Even’s speech came at a 6 September event to mark the 1,000th d ­ elivery – an H215 for Germany’s federal police – and the airframer has amassed 100 customers in more than 60 countries.

But in recent years that success has undoubtedly been qualified.

After all, it is hard to write about the Super Puma, particularly the H225, without mentioning a 2016 crash in Turoy, Norway, in which all 13 passengers and crew on board were killed. Investigators also noted a striking similarity between that accident and another in 2009 involving an AS332 L2 in which 16 died.

The immediate upshot of the Turoy tragedy was the grounding of the H225 and AS332 L2 ­(although not the H215, which has a different gearbox design).

That flight ban persisted for around six months, until Airbus Helicopters was able to institute safety measures on the type, including the eventual replacement of one of two bearing designs in the helicopter’s main gearbox.

But the H225’s release to service, initially by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in

Airbus Helicopters

S

Milestone rotorcraft – an H215 – was handed to Germany’s Bundespolizei at 6 September ceremony October 2016, followed by Norwegian and UK regulators around nine months later, coincided with a crisis in the oil and gas sector, one of the principal markets for the heavy-twin.

Offshore overcapacity and residual workforce safety concerns have combined to leave 130 H225s idled across the globe, with minimal prospects of a rapid return in their oil and gas guise.

military sales

Despite this, the Super Puma has managed something of a fightback. Military sales have remained notably brisk: customers including Hungary, Kuwait and Singapore have all placed substantial orders for the H225M since the Turoy crash.

Civil operators have committed too, including the Japan Coast Guard, which last year placed an order for five examples to be delivered by the end of 2021.

Overall, the combined backlog for the H215 and H225 now stands at 100 units, says programme manager Michel Macia; 80 of these are due for delivery by the end of 2021.

The airframer has also had some success in returning the idled fleet to service, through “repurposing” offshore aircraft to utility helicopters.

So far, 51 examples are under

22 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

contract to major customers including the Ukrainian ­government and private US operator Air Center Helicopters; another 40 aircraft are “in plan”, says Macia.

“It is showing that this aircraft, even if initially focused on oil and gas missions, can be repurposed to other markets,” he says.

The interest in second-hand H225s has been stoked by a sharp fall in the platform’s residual value and the keen price for which a used example can be acquired.

Consultancy Ascend puts the half-life value of an average H225 at $3.4 million, well below the pre-accident figure. That number has remained constant since Ascend resumed valuations of ­ the type one year ago.

However, Macia maintains it is the platform’s “versatility” that is the driving factor, “not so much the cost of the aircraft”.

He insists that the reconfiguration work, which is overseen by Airbus Helicopters, is not ­designed to “make money”, or create a new revenue stream, “but not to have 130 aircraft on the ground, which is not good for a company”.

Airbus Helicopters has also continued to make improvements to Super Pumas rolling off the line. A new glass cockpit featuring large 8in x 10in displays –

providing 40% more surface area than the current iteration – will debut on the H225M shortly, with an option to introduce this into the civil market if there is customer interest. First deliveries of the HForce weapons system on the heavy-twin are due in 2020 to an undisclosed country.

landing system

Other upgrades include the 2016 addition of the Rig’N Fly ­automatic approach system, and work to develop the Eye for Autonomous ­ Guidance in Landing Extension system to ­ make landings safer in challenging conditions.

Meanwhile, Airbus Helicopters has also modified its ­Marignane final assembly facility for Super Pumas to cope with rising demand. This will see a third takt line added, as well as changes to the industrial model underpinning production. However, plans for a new facility in Romania to build H215s have yet to come to fruition.

But despite its recent tribulations, Even is clear that the Super Puma family will remain a core part of its range for another ­decade at least.

“As long as we see it being competitive in the market, we will continue to produce it – at minimum beyond 2030,” he says. ■ flightglobal.com

Advanced Lighted Pushbutton Switches and Indicators

There’s Never Been a Better Time to Make the Switch Internal NEXSYS Component Options

Internal NEXSYS Component Options

VIVISUN® has set the standard in ruggedized MIL-SPEC avionics switches and indicators for more than 50 years. With advanced internal NEXSYS® component options, our products simply outperform the competition.

If you’re looking for personal customer service, worldwide factory support and the industry’s fastest delivery, it’s time that you make the switch to VIVISUN, manufactured by Applied Avionics.

Speaking of making the switch, our easy-to-use Part Configurator allows you to design a switch and get a complete part number 24/7 as part of our online paperless ordering process.

Ready to make the switch? Visit our website at:

www.AppliedAvionics.com/ VIVISUN Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Sales and Support: +1 (888) 848-4786 ©2019. VIVISUN® and NEXSYS® are registered trademarks of Applied Avionics, Inc. All rights reserved.

BUSINESS AVIATION

technology kate sarsfield london

Jetcopter seeks lift from $6m funding Would-be manufacturer hopes for backing to accelerate development of novel vertical take-off and landing aircraft ithuanian start-up Jetcopter is seeking investment of around $60 million to bring to market a six-seat vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which it ­describes as a low-cost alternative to medium-class rotary- and fixed-wing types.

Called the Jetcopter, it will be powered by two 665shp (495kW) all-aluminium, twin-turbocharged automotive engines.

These will drive a tail-mounted ducted fan for forward flight and a pair of centrifugal counter-rotating fans – located above the fuselage – designed to draw air into the system, before it is blown out of swivelling wing-tip ducts to provide vertical lift.

The design features an emergency parachute, while range of around 540nm (1,000km) is projected, along with a top speed of 160kt (300km/h).

A hybrid-electric version is also proposed, with four 335shp electric motors, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, replacing the automotive engines during the VTOL phases of flight, says Jetcopter.

Jetcopter

L

Lithuanian firm will keep all-carbonfibre design’s price competitive through use of modified auto engines operate, purchase and maintain than aero engines,” Skulskis says.

That keeps the price tag for the carbonfibre Jetcopter to around $600,000, he says.

The company tested several designs before settling on the current configuration.

“We evaluated many smallscale versions of the Jetcopter with four, three, two and even one-rotor layouts, and this is the optimum design,” says Skulskis.

The platform is aimed at air

Headquartered in Siauliai, in central Lithuania, Jetcopter is the brainchild of engineer Donatas Skulskis. He also is the founder and chief executive of automotive parts supplier PB Group, which has funded the project to date.

His experience in this sector persuaded Skulskis to use converted auto engines rather than traditional aircraft powerplants.

“Light and powerful automotive piston engines are widely available and so much cheaper to

ambulance, cargo and passenger transport markets, as well as the urban air mobility sector.

Jetcopter is initially seeking $6 million to build a first prototype and launch the flight-test campaign. “We are in talks with potential investors,” says Skulskis.

“Once we have the money, we can build the aircraft quickly and start flying. The rest of the funding should follow once the programme has reached significant development milestones.” ■

order david kaminski-morrow london

Comlux raises ACJ320neo commitment to four S

The aircraft will be outfitted by Comlux’s US completions division in Indianapolis, says Airbus.

Comlux’s ACJ320neos are powered by CFM International

Comlux

wiss business aviation services company Comlux has ordered another Airbus ACJ320neo, taking its orders for the re-engined ­narrowbody to four.

Delivery of Swiss group’s first re-engined VIP jet is due in early 2020 24 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

Leap-1A engines. The company has ordered a total of 20 corporate aircraft from the European airframer to date. Its first ACJ320neo (9HNEW) was handed over to Comlux Completions in March for redelivery in early 2020.

Airbus’s backlog figures to 31 August show firm private and government orders for eight ACJ320neos and four ACJ319neos.

The airframer says total corporate commitments for the ACJ320neo family amount to 15 aircraft, with the first example scheduled to enter service at the end of the year with luxury charter operator Acropolis Aviation.

The Farnborough, UK-based company ordered its ACJ320neo in 2015, and the aircraft was handed over in January to AMAC Aerospace’s completion centre in Basel. The airliner will replace Acropolis’s VIP-configured A319 (G-NOAH), which has been in service with the company since 2010.

Airbus delivered the first ACJ319neo to German operator K5 Aviation in August. The charter and management company has appointed Dutch maintenance, repair and overhaul firm Fokker Techniek to outfit the aircraft on behalf of its unnamed owner. ■ flightglobal.com

BUSINESS AVIATION Keeping its edge Special Report P27 COLLABORATION Kate Sarsfield London

S

outh African firm Pegasus Universal Aerospace has appointed UK engineering consultancy Callen-Lenz to assist with the design and development of the flight-control systems for its Pegasus One vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) business jet.

The partnership comes as the Pretoria-based start-up prepares to open a public funding round to raise capital to build the first fullscale test aircraft.

A bespoke flight-control system is “integral” to supporting aircraft operations in all phases of flight, including transition from VTOL mode and hover to forward flight, says Pegasus. “The merging of these functions, into

one unique system, will be a key technology,” it says.

Company founder and chairman Reza Mia describes the aircraft as “a light business jet with the take-off and landing performance of a helicopter”. It is projected to have a range of around 2,380nm (4,400km) from a standard runway take-off or 1,150nm in VTOL mode, with a cruise speed of 430kt (800km/h).

Pegasus will launch a public share sale round on 23 September, which Mia hopes will raise about half of the $2 million needed to build the first full-scale test aircraft. The remainder will be funded by other private sources, including Mia himself.

Pegasus Universal Aerospace

Callen-Lenz wins control of Pegasus flight systems

Projected range of concept is 2,380nm “This model will be a low-level demonstrator, largely used for hover testing and evaluating the control systems,” says Mia.

Assembly will start in early 2020, with a view to beginning testing in the second half of that year, he says. ■

results Kate Sarsfield London

Falcon flies against market headwinds Weak demand saw orders for Dassault jets slump in first half, but summer sales flurry helped to revitalise its backlog rexit uncertainty coupled with low demand from the traditionally strong markets of Europe and China contributed to a slump of more than 60% in orders for Dassault Falcon ­ ­business jets in the first half of 2019, dropping from 18 to just seven aircraft.

But bumper sales of 19 Falcons in July and August, along with a growing pipeline of prospective customers, have restored the backlog to 56 units and put the French airframer on a more confident footing.

Speaking in Paris on 4 September, Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier expressed his concerns at the company’s first-half figures. He says the firm was at a “pretty low ebb, in spite of the fact that the pre-owned aircraft [market] got off to a pretty good start”.

Trappier says if he had been talking on 1 July about the company’s six-month performance, “I might have been a bit more worried.” But some customers were flightglobal.com

“pretty active” over the summer, he says, with the North American market a significant contributor.

“The US economy is fairly buoyant and active,” he says, with interest across the Falcon range.

There has been “a dip” in Europe, particularly the southern part of the continent, Trappier notes, attributing the slide in part to uncertainty over Brexit.

Trade tensions between the USA and China have also caused

some “disquiet”, hitting sales in what was previously one of ­Dassault’s strongest markets for Falcon jets.

China is “flat”, says Trappier, “but you’ve got to be patient”. He points out, however, that customers in the country are “not buying from ourselves or from our competitors at the moment”.

Dassault has invested heavily in China, and Trappier says its proximity to the market will

Dassault

B

PW812D-powered, super-wide 6X is scheduled for 2022 service entry

eventually pay off when the economy bounces back: “You’ve just got to bide your time.”

Meanwhile, work is progressing on the first flight-test article for the in-development 6X, which is scheduled for service entry in 2022. “We’re really ­impatient to see this airplane,” says Trappier.

Construction has started on wing subassemblies for the superwide business jet, while four Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D engines are undergoing testing, with more than 1,000h accrued to date – including 150h on a ­Boeing 747 flying testbed.

Early development work on the “future Falcon” programme is also advancing, but the details remain confidential, says Trappier.

For the six months ended 30 June, Dassault delivered a total of 17 Falcons – comprising the 8X, 7X, 900LX and 2000LXS – compared with 15 in the first half of 2018; it is maintaining its delivery guidance of 45 Falcons in 2019, level with 2018’s figure. ■

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 25

Airlines A future strategy for the UK aviation sector London 17 October 2019 Airlines 2050 is a landmark event bringing together leading industry and government figures to share unique insights on Boosting competitiveness in the UK airline sector Futureproofing the UK’s position as a global aviation hub Achieving a more diverse, inclusive and resilient industry How best to capitalise on innovation to drive a sustainable future Speakers include Shai Weiss Chief Executive Officer Virgin Atlantic

Alex Cruz Chairman and CEO British Airways

Baroness Vere UK Aviation Minister UK Government

Sir Tim Clark President Emirates Airline

Learn more: flightglobal.com/airlines2050

Hosted by

Richard Moriarty Chief Executive Officer UK Civil Aviation Authority

US AIR FORCE

Special report

keeping its edge

Contents

28 Drones Not just dumb targets 32 Bases China threat means rethink 34 B-52 Burly beast, long lifetime

US Air Force

The US Air Force may have a sense of invincibility, but with Beijing rising as a potential peer adversary the service is eyeing technology like loyal wingman aircraft, reviewing deployment strategies and upgrading veteran bombers

US Air Force

Forward operations are challenging stealth

Boeing got it right in designing the B-52 – a strategic asset that will mark nearly a century in service before H-model’s retirement flightglobal.com

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 27

US AIR FORCE

Making a killing in the target game Drones have featured in air combat training for decades, but today’s jet-powered versions are so sophisticated that their successors may soon also have active roles on the front line Garrett Reim Los Angeles

T

hese days, a fighter pilot with an airto-air kill is a rare specimen. Yet, despite living in a world with few air battles, aviators still need to know what it is like to shoot down another aircraft. For a lucky few, that can mean firing on disposable jet-powered target drones.

Many of those subscale target aircraft are built by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions.

In July, the company gave FlightGlobal a tour of its Sacramento, California manufac-

turing plant where it makes the BQM-167A, the only subscale aerial target platform operated by the US Air Force (USAF), and the BQM-177A, the subsonic aerial target designed to mimic sea-skimming cruise missiles and used by the US Navy (USN).

Kratos’s work building target drones is growing. It has also heavily influenced the USAF’s work developing tactical jet-powered unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) – novel aircraft designs that some military thinkers believe could be the next big thing in air combat.

While the practice of shooting down target

drones for training goes back to the Second World War, today it is somewhat rare for UAVs to be destroyed in training. Only about one in five target drone flights carried out by the USAF, USN and US Army are kill missions.

Smaller military budgets mean international customers shoot down even fewer of the aircraft: less than one in 20 fights are kill missions.

“It’s a happy day at the office when one of those pilots gets to shoot one down,” says Steve Fendley, president of the unmanned systems division at Kratos Defense. “They start calling themselves an ace.”

US Air Force

Two XQ-58A Valkyries have already been delivered, with production ramping up

28 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

flightglobal.com

Kratos delivers roughly 100 UAVs to the USAF, USN and US Army each year. About 20 to 50 examples each year go to international customers such as Australia, France, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK. To make the most of their limited supply of target drones, militaries often find clever ways to simulate kills. Perhaps the most unusual means is the tow target method, in which a target drone drags another, smaller target drone through the air, sometimes using more than 2 miles (3.5km) of cable.

“A tow target effectively looks like a missile body. We will deploy that out to that long distance and then the customers shoot at the tow target,” says Fendley. “A lot of times they do it because they want to be able to distinguish between the two.”

For example, an air force might want a weapons systems operator to be able to differentiate between a threatening aircraft and a friendly one on a radar screen. Tow targets can be given a radar signature that looks like a particular aircraft, such as an RAC MiG-35, using a radar reflector, a small device that mimics the radar cross section of particular aircraft. Radar reflectors are also used on Raytheon’s Miniature Air-Launched Decoy missiles to deceive or confuse enemy sensors.

“For international customers, 90% of the time they are using tow targets,” says Fendley. “For the USA less than a third of the time will they use a tow target.”

DELIBERATE MISSES

Another way to prolong the life of a target drone is to program an offset into a missile shot at the vehicle; militaries credit a kill when the missile flies within a certain range of the target UAV. “The airplane has a scoring system on it and the missile has a scoring system on it,” says Fendley. “Because you can measure that distance, you know if you had taken out the offset you would have killed the airplane – but it didn’t cost you anything because you still have the airplane and you didn’t waste a warhead.”

Alternatives aside, there is nothing like getting a hard kill after dogfighting with a target drone, says Fendley. But at a size that is smaller than a light fighter and with the ability to manoeuvre with turns up to 12g – far ­beyond what a human pilot could withstand – it is no small feat to down a target drone.

“The threat needs to be more capable than the fighter that needs to go after it, so that you know that you are really offering a challenge,” says Fendley.

Kratos’s target drones are able to withstand high g forces due to their almost entirely carbon composite structures, says Fendley. Target aircraft are built using a proprietary epoxy with carbon that is primarily supplied by Park Electrochemical. The company uses little flightglobal.com

US Air Force

TACTICAL DRONES

US Air Force personnel retrieve a BQM-167A following live-fire exercise off Florida foam core to strengthen its aircraft, but instead relies on a wing with a monocoque structure, reinforced with zig-zag composite material ribbing. The ribbing adds strength, but also allows for more spare fuel volume.

The UAVs are powered by jet turbines made by Jetcat or Safran’s Microturbo. The latter’s Microturbo TRI 60, which produces about 1,000lb (4.45kN)-thrust, powers Kratos’s BQM-167A and BQM-177A targets.

Drones are recovered with the aid of a parachute and may land on a crushable cone in their nose or at sea. The smaller MQM-178 Firejet is launched via a pneumatic-powered launcher rail, while the larger BQM-167A and BQM-177A use rocket-assisted take-off.

“They are subjected to up to 30g at launch and about 25g on landing,” says Fendley. “So they are extremely survivable.”

Each target drone is optimised for certain missions. “The 167 is the air force workhorse,” says Fendley. “The air force application is optimised for air-to-air, to look like and act like a fighter jet.” The UAV’s maximum speed is 586kt (1,085km/h) and it has a maximum operating altitude of 50,000ft. For the USN, Kratos’s BQM-177A is optimised to mimic a cruise missile – flying as low as 6-9ft above the surface at speeds of up to Mach 0.95.

The smallest and lowest-cost target system is the Firejet. Built for the US Army, it is 3.3m (10ft) in length and has a 1.9m wingspan. It is

now being built at Kratos’s new facility in Oklahoma City and has a maximum speed of 435kt and a maximum operating altitude of 35,000ft. Fendley describes is as high-g, highspeed and high-utility, but “very low cost, on the order of one-third the cost” of a large system like the BQM-167A.

evolving requirement

Many of the design characteristics that give Kratos’s target drones high-g, high-speed, long-endurance capabilities have found their way into the USAF’s emerging tactical UAV concepts. The idea dates to 2010, when ­Kratos noticed a capability gap with existing UAVs, as outlined within the Department of Defense (DoD) Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap: FY2011-2036 document. Fendley says the company thought its existing line of jet-powered target drones could be modified to fill that gap – and now, after two successful test flights of the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the service is considering buying up to 30 examples, p ­ ossibly by the end of 2019, for ­further experimentation.

Following Pentagon confirmation that it was indeed interested in fast-moving, jet-powered drones, Kratos spent some of its own internal research and development money to convert its BQM-167A into the UTAP-22 Mako tactical UAV. From there, the company developed the clean-sheet XQ-58A Valkyrie design using ❯❯ 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 29

US AIR FORCE

❯❯ ­internal funding and money from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Production is now primed to ramp up. To support that effort, Kratos has ordered six Williams International FJ33 turbofan engines, with options for up to 30 more. Two Valkyries have been delivered and a third is in final assembly. Kratos believes the aircraft could be operationally capable by 2022 or 2023.

“The air force application is optimised for air-to-air, to look like and act like a fighter jet” Steve Fendley President, unmanned systems, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

9.1m

3.3m

MQM-178 Firejet

BQM-177A SSAT

BQM-167A AFSAT

UTAP-22 Mako

wave of thousands of tactical UAV purchases by the Pentagon and allied militaries.

Kratos says it is playing a major role in 11 UAVs under development for the USA including the XQ-58A. Also in the works are the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Gremlins programme, the DoD Defense Innovation Unit’s UTAP-22 Mako, and projects with names such as Apollo, Athena, Program F, Spartan and Thanatos for undisclosed and classified customers.

KEEN INTEREST

In one instance, Program F, the company believes it could receive an order in the next couple of years for 1,000 examples to be produced and delivered over a three-year period after demonstration flights are complete.

In reaction, other manufacturers and militaries are ramping up their efforts. In just the last 12 months, Airbus Defence & Space, Boeing Australia, Bombardier Aerospace’s ­ Belfast unit, Blue Bear Systems Research,

US DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit worked with Kratos on the UTAP-22 Mako project 30 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

XQ-58A Valkyrie

Source: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Such aircraft could have a wide variety of roles. A so-called “loyal wingman” UAV is designed to fly in co-ordination with a manned fighter, but the USAF believes tactical jet-powered UAVs could also conduct independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions – and even work as part of a swarm to overwhelm a target during an air-to-ground attack.

Low-cost tactical UAVs promise to amplify the abilities of an air force. Kratos claims it could build the first 99 XQ-58As at a unit cost of $3 million or less, a price that would fall to $2 million for purchases of 100 units or greater.

The XQ-58A can carry 272kg (600lb) of ­ordinance in its weapons bay and 272kg on its wings, enough for four small-diameter bombs, says Kratos. It launches without a runway and parachute-lands on its belly using an airbag cushion.

In fact, the USAF’s impending Valkyrie purchase could be the leading edge of an incoming

Kratos target drones – current range

Dassault Aviation, Northrop Grumman UK and RAC MiG have announced tactical UAV development efforts.

The USAF expanded its efforts in 2019 to integrate loyal wingman aircraft into its squadrons. The service is funding the Lockheed Martin F-35’s Block 4 upgrade and Technology Refresh 3, which will include a command, control and communications capability for unmanned-manned teaming with drone systems.

The AFRL in March 2019 announced that it was developing artificial intelligence (AI) software to control a prototype tactical UAV. The organisation wants an early operational capability AI prototype fielded by the end of calendar year 2023.

Off-the-wall ideas for tactical, jet-powered UAV applications are also emerging. For instance, DARPA’s Gremlins programme envisions launching groups of small, jet-powered UAVs from bombers, fighters or transport aircraft from beyond the range of an adversary’s defences. The Gremlins would carry out an ISR mission before flying back to a loitering Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft, which would grab them out of the air with a sort of skyhook.

Dynetics is the prime contractor on Gremlins, with Kratos subcontracted to build the aircraft fuselage. The composite-constructed Gremlin UAV weighs 363kg and has a pivoting wing. The Dynetics-Kratos team has delivered two aircraft so far, with units three and four in production. DARPA expects demonstration flights before the end of 2019 or early in 2020.

Separately, Kratos and AeroVironment, a manufacturer of small, propeller-driven ISR drones, announced in May that they are experimenting with launching loitering munitions from tactical UAVs, starting with a demonstration using the Firejet. Fendley says trials likely to begin by year-end could see AeroVironment’s Switchblade weapon launched off the wing of a Firejet – adding 200nm (370km) to the flying munition’s 5.4nm range. ■ flightglobal.com

Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2019

2019. 10. 15 ~ 20 (Tue ~ Sun)

Seoul Airport

US AIR FORCE

Covering all bases

US Air Force

F-22s overflying Wake island; stealth fighters suffer maintenance limits at remote sites

For the first time since the Soviet Union’s demise, US military facilities are at risk of attack,

by Chinese long-range missiles posing a growing threat to operations in the Western Pacific Garrett Reim Los Angeles

T

o gain the upper hand in air combat, it is often better to focus on the ground. That was the opinion of one early air power theorist; as General Giulio Douhet of the Italian army noted in 1921: “It is easier and more effective to destroy the enemy’s aerial power by destroying his nests and eggs on the ground than to hunt his flying birds in the air.” And for the better part of the past century, Douhet’s maxim has shaped US Air Force (USAF) strategy, as its commanders have sought to make their air bases fortified and resilient against attack.

That philosophy prevailed until threats to US air bases all but disappeared with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Over the past three decades, the service has focused on seeking efficiencies through consolidating operations to fewer, larger airfields.

But the era of efficiencies might now be over.

As China buys and builds new long-range fighters, bombers, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles – as well as far-sighted satellites and surveillance aircraft – the USA is revisiting the idea of the vulnerable air base. Allied facilities in the Western Pacific, including locations 32 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

such as Andersen AFB in Guam are now viewed as exposed to potential attack.

According to an August 2019 report by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia: “This growing arsenal of accurate long-range missiles poses a major threat to almost all American, allied and partner bases, airstrips, ports and military installations in the Western Pacific.

“As these facilities could be rendered useless by precision strikes in the opening hours of a conflict, the [Chinese] missile threat challenges America’s ability to freely operate its forces from forward locations throughout the region.”

In response, the USAF is considering a new strategy known as distributed operations, which calls for the service to operate from a greater number of more spread out air bases, of sizes small and large, so as to increase the number of targets an adversary would need to attack.

BETTER ODDS

The distributed operations concept increases the odds of aircraft surviving or avoiding being attacked, according to a USAF-commissioned study by the RAND Corporation, which was released to the public in July 2019.

“It’s tough to defend, to defeat a… precision

cruise missile with a big warhead,” says RAND Corporation senior political scientist Alan Vick, one of the study’s co-authors. “But then, it’s very costly for them to have a weapon of that size and quality against every aircraft [and] location.”

Distributed operations would also be costly for the USA, however. More bases means more resources: anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition depots, communications equipment, fuel storage, hangars, maintenance personnel, soldiers to defend the airfield perimeter and headquarters staff. It could also mean a decentralised command structure, which could be complex and reliant on communications that are vulnerable to cyberattack.

To make such a strategy work, the USAF could use a mixture of three types of air bases: stay-and-fight bases, drop-in facilities and fighter forward arming and refuelling points (FARP), says the RAND Corporation. Each would have different strengths and weaknesses for various missions, given the available geography and resources the service has.

A stay-and-fight base would likely be the furthest from combat zones and the most heavily fortified with active and passive defences.

Active defences might include Patriot missiles flightglobal.com

SURVIVABLE DEPLOYMENT

for air defence and a THAAD high-altitude anti-ballistic missile defence system. Passive defence could include camouflage and concrete aircraft hangars, as well as dispersal of aircraft, fuel, and payloads across the airfield.

Drop-in and FARP facilities would have fewer defences. The former would only have enough strength to recover from an attack to evacuate aircraft. The latter would only be used for a few hours, enough time for a fighter to receive quick maintenance, fuel and ammunition, before an adversary would detect its location and launch an attack.

Beyond the extra personnel, equipment and infrastructure needed to support distributed operations, the RAND report says the USAF would take on the cost of crew retraining and regular practice exercises. The USA might also have to return to a system of pre-positioning equipment at remote bases like it did during the Cold War in Europe. This strategy not only requires spending more on equipment but

flightglobal.com

­creates difficult logistical and training headaches as hardware can become mismatched across the service’s inventory, says Vick.

“A lot of money is invested in what from an efficiency perspective looks duplicative. But it’s not,” he says: “It’s essential if you want to prevail.” More money might also have to be spent hiring USAF security personnel, known as defenders, to protect the perimeters of air bases in East Asia, which can be nearly 12 miles (20km) in length.

The USAF has been thinking about some of these problems and practising distributed operations for about a decade. Since 2009, it has practised the FARP basing concept through exercises, including “Rapid Raptor”, where the service lands at least four Lockheed Martin F-22s and a Boeing C-17 strategic transport loaded with support personnel, fuel and munitions on a remote airfield.

For take-off, an F-22 loaded with fuel and weapons needs a runway at least 1,830m

(6,000ft) long. There are 258 such airstrips in the Western Pacific, according to a 2014 report published in Air & Space Power Journal, but such exercises are reliant on the USAF’s limited airlift capacity, notes Vick.

MAINTENANCE demands

It is unclear how well FARP bases, exemplified by the Rapid Raptor concept, or even drop-in bases, would work on a large scale during long periods of combat. High-end stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and Lockheed F-35 Lightning II require a lot of maintenance to be ready for combat, especially to maintain stealth coatings. Such repairs to the F-22 have to be carried out in temperature- and humiditycontrolled ­hangars.

Even now, in peace time and at USAF air bases with dedicated resources, F-22 availability is sub standard. The aircraft will fail to meet the Pentagon’s goal of an 80% mission capability rate by this month, said US defense secretary Mark Esper at his confirmation hearing with the US Senate Armed Services Committee in July 2019. “The F-22 fleet is still challenged by the lack of low-observable maintenance capacity, exacerbated by the extreme damage at Tyndall AFB [Florida] from the effects of Hurricane Michael,” he says. F-22s were damaged during the October 2018 hurricane because existing repair issues did not allow them to be flown away.

The F-35 will also fail to meet its 80% mission capability rate by the same deadline because of transparent canopy supply shortages, Esper adds.

To meet maintenance demands in distributed operations, Lockheed and the USAF are experimenting with ways to train maintenance personnel across a large number of F-35 subsystems, allowing each crewmember to do a greater variety of work. Lockheed’s “Nose-to-Tail” initiative “has reduced the dedicated maintenance team to less than five personnel per aircraft, per shift – down from about 12,” the company told FlightGlobal in May 2019. The USAF is running a similar programme called Blended Operational Lightning Technician.

Still, the need for such resource-intensive maintenance, such as stealth coating repair, might mean that fifth-generation fighters have to be constantly rotated away from the front lines, a complex juggling act, says Miranda Priebe, a RAND Corporation political scientist and another one of the report’s co-authors.

“You probably have a concept where fighters are moving forward into these distributed bases, and then probably have to go back further in the rear for certain kinds of maintenance,” she says. “So, it is a more complicated problem and certainly different than the way we do things now. You’re probably going to be accepting more risk in some of your maintenance decisions just to keep things moving.” ■ 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 33

US AIR FORCE

Hard hitter shows simplicity is best The USA’s long-serving B-52 strategic bomber has endured because of its no-frills design and multirole capabilities – with an upgrade programme set to keep it flying for 30 more years Garrett Reim Los Angeles

A 56.4m wingspan and 31,500kg payload provides flexibility over weapons selection

US Air Force

W

34 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

hen Michael Riggs started work on the Boeing B-52 programme almost 20 years ago, the newly hired engineer expected his employment on the Stratofortress would soon come to an end. “I thought it was going to be kind of a short stint, because it was an old aircraft. I thought it was an old aircraft because my dad flew it in Vietnam, so I thought: ‘Hey, I’ll spend a little time on here and I’m going to need to look for another platform to be working on,’” he says.

Two decades later, Riggs is Boeing’s B-52 programme manager for radar modernisation.

“It kind of looks like I’ll be able to spend my entire career on the B-52,” he says.

Riggs will probably not be the last Boeing employee to be outlasted by the strategic bomber, which was introduced into service in 1955: the US Air Force (USAF) now expects it to fly beyond 2050.

Boeing built 744 B-52s in Seattle, Washington and Wichita, Kansas. Production started in 1952 and the last bomber, an “H” model, was delivered in 1962. Today, only the H model remains in the service’s inventory, assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command.

In fact, the B-52 will serve longer than the USAF’s two other current bomber aircraft, which were both introduced into service decades after the heavy bomber, and are scheduled for retirement relatively soon. The Boeing B-1 Lancer was introduced into service in 1986 and the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit followed in 1997. Both are to be retired and replaced by the USAF’s next-generation bomber, the Northrop B-21 Raider, in the coming decade.

According to Boeing employees who maintain, service and upgrade the USAF’s fleet of 76 B-52Hs, there is no single factor that has allowed the B-52 to fly for so long. But two characteristics stand out – its ruggedness and its simplicity. flightglobal.com

The B-52H derives some of its strength from a structure that is over-engineered compared with modern aircraft, which have been able to save space and become lighter by removing superfluous weight via tighter design tolerances.

“The era in which the B-52 was designed we had a far less sophisticated engineering toolset, in terms of the ability to get to nth percentage point accuracy on engineering calculations,” says James Kroening, Boeing’s B-52 modernisation programme manager. “And so, inherently, there’s more design margin in it.”

The aircraft is also simpler and more generic than its modern contemporaries, which were designed for highly specific missions.

The B-1 was designed to fly at high speeds at low altitudes below the Soviet Union’s radar coverage, while the B-2 was designed to avoid Soviet detection with stealth technology.

Although the B-52 was initially intended as a high-altitude bomber, its has proved to be more versatile. “There is a simplicity to the overall design of the B-52 that allows it to take on multiple roles and be reconfigurable over time without an overwhelming amount of effort. It can continue to evolve with its missions,” says Kroening. “The B-52, in the minds of some – and it’s mostly a reality – is a pretty big truck that is capable of lots of different things.”

The USAF says the B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons of any aircraft in its inventory, including gravity bombs, cluster bombs, sea mines, cruise missiles and joint direct attack munitions. With a 31,500kg (70,000lb) payload, those weapons can be arranged inside the aircraft’s spacious bomb bay or across its 56.4m (185ft) wingspan. The B-52H can carry and launch up to 20 cruise missiles.

“New engines… should cut fuel costs as well as allow for longer mission endurance” James Kroening Manager, B-52 modernisation programme, Boeing

The aircraft has also dropped non-lethal payloads, including experimental aircraft such as the air-launched rocket-powered North American X-15 – which first flew in 1959 – and the scramjet-powered Boeing X-51 (2010).

The B-52 clearly cannot penetrate defended airspace like stealth aircraft such as the B-2 or the retired Lockheed F-117, but once air superiority has been achieved the bomber has proven to be a workhorse. According to the USAF, during the first Gulf War, B-52s delivered 40% of all weapons dropped by coalition forces.

Still, as a bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the USAF’s B-52Hs have spent much of their working lives flying strategic flightglobal.com

US Air Force

B-52 STRATOFORTRESS

Replacing TF33-P-3 turbofans could boost type’s 7,650nm unrefuelled range by 20-40% missions. Historically, the bomber has spent only about 250h per year in the air, mostly on non-combat missions, says Kroening. “The B-52H model, which is what remains today, is the set of jets that was doing more nuclearalert type roles, back when that role was still active,” he says. “And so they were relatively low flight hours.”

Those lower annual flight hours have allowed the B-52s to last longer.

FUTURE proofing

In order to operate for 30 more years, the USAF and Boeing have incrementally been upgrading the B-52H with new hardware.

Most recently, in July 2019, Boeing announced Raytheon as its selection to design, develop and produce a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the bomber based on its APG-79/82 system.

The new AESA radar should improve the B-52H’s navigational reliability, weather detection and ground mapping, as well as target detection ranges and the number of targets that can be attacked simultaneously, Boeing says.

Next on the to-do list is replacement of the B-52H’s eight Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofans. The USAF is aiming to reduce aircraft downtime and maintenance costs, while gaining more electrical power from the new engines. “The air force isn’t really looking to necessarily gain anything performance-wise out of new engines,” says Kroening. “New engines are far more fuel efficient, and should cut fuel costs as well as allow for longer mission endurance.”

The B-52H has an unrefuelled range of

7,650nm (14,200km). Depending on the engine selected, that range could be increased by 20-40%, says Kroening. GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce are expected to bid for the engine replacement contract; Boeing believes a USAF decision will be at least 15 months away.

The strategic bombers also received Conventional Rotary Launchers in 2016, which gave the aircraft the ability to drop eight joint direct attack munitions or several Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles from its belly. However, that system was limited to supplying power to only four munitions at a time, which slowed the rate at which bombardiers could drop weapons, possibly forcing the aircraft to make multiple passes over a target. Recently, in February 2019, Boeing started testing an upgraded rotary launcher that is designed to power up more munitions at a time, giving crews the ability to quickly select from a greater variety of smart weapons at short notice.

Boeing and the USAF also believe the B-52H may be able to fly with a smaller crew.

The bomber currently operates with five crew members: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radar navigator and electronic warfare officer.

“A significant cockpit upgrade, beyond what we’re doing with the new engine programme and the radar modernisation programme, could potentially enable [the USAF] to scale back to a four-person crew, which could provide cost saving and more efficiency for the air force,” says Kroening. “It will be kind of combining the electronic warfare officer duties with [the navigator, radar ­ ­navigator] duties.” ■ 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 35

technical description

Dominic Perry Cascina Costa cutaway by Tim hall

N

ot too many years ago, the European helicopter industry was dominated

by Franco-German giant Eurocopter. Agusta, certainly up until its 2000 merger with the UK’s Westland, was an underdog – possibly not playing the same game, let alone in the same league.

But the story of the AW139 is tightly bound to the story of how Agusta, then AgustaWestland – and now Leonardo’s helicopter division – came of age.

“At that time Agusta was considered a second-tier OEM,” says Roberto Garavaglia, Leonardo’s senior vice-president of strategy and technology, who joined the rotorcraft manufacturer in 1998 to work on the sales and marketing team for the intermediatetwin. “I think the AW139 changed the company. Adapting to the 139 was really the driver for change.”

While the AW139 is undoubtedly a success in its own right – the 1,000th delivery was due to take place in September – the structures and systems that were formed around it, as well as the lessons learned from its development, also turned Leonardo into the tier one manufacturer it is today.

Garavaglia describes the helicopter as an aircraft which is perfectly sized for the market – neither too big nor too small – and became a product on which the company’s success has been built.

Prior to embarking on the AW139, the Italian firm was perhaps best known for ­ ­licence-building US helicopter designs domestically, such as the Agusta-Bell AB212 and AB412. Yes, there was the twin-engined A109, with the upgraded Power variant having arrived in 1996, but most of the market was left to others.

And even the 139, to start with, was part of a joint venture – the Bell-Agusta Aerospace Company – which was set up specifically to develop the AB139 and BA609 – the order of the initials in the designations reflecting the lead on each programme.

Designed not as a direct replacement for the Bell 412 – the US firm had its own strategy there – but as a more modern alternative, the AW139 was initially envisaged as a 6t maximum take-off weight (MTOW) do-it-all utility helicopter.

But, says Emanuele Bufano, who was project engineer on the programme during the early stages of production, and later rose to the position of chief project engineer (and is currently the manufacturer’s head of airworthiness) it quickly became apparent that the proposed maximum take-off weight could easily be increased. At certification, it was a 6.4t helicopter, later rising to 6.8t and then 7t in 2015.

36 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

Leonardo’s big achiever Delivery of the 1,000th AW139 is a significant milestone for the intermediate-twin, but sales success also underpins a revolution that helped lift airframer to industry’s top table “At 6.4t it’s superb, at 6.8t it’s brilliant, and at 7t it’s a normal utility helicopter. It’s like a lift, an elevator, at 6.4t,” says Bufano.

The multiple increases in MTOW, says Bufano, were enabled by the whole transmission system, including the powerful engines – twin 1,700shp (1,270kW)-rated Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67Cs – five-blade main rotor and a

new main gearbox (MGB).

Based on its experience from the 412, Leonardo Helicopters relocated the MGB above the passenger cabin, freeing up valuable internal space. However, this produced its own design challenges. The location of the engines, MGB and associated structural reinforcement raised the centre of gravity and pushed it flightglobal.com

LEONARDO HELICOPTERS AW139

added five years ago allowing operators to extend that to 60min with a minor modification to the transmission.

But, says Bufano, there was, at the beginning at least, little clamour for that longer rundry capability. “Even though it was on the table, the reply we received from our customers was that ‘we trust your transmission, we don’t need [the extension]’.

“But now there is interest from the VIP and SAR markets, and the [oil and gas producers] are pushing their operators to install it.”

Type has found success in military guise, including with Italian air force

Leonardo Helicopters

slightly further forward versus the 412.

To compensate, the rear landing-gears were moved to outboard sponsons, creating a wider footprint and improving on-ground stability.

The five-blade main rotor was selected for passenger comfort and for the design’s “fluidity” under high engine power, says Bufano. In addition, the four-blade tail rotor is tilted at 15° to improve lift, although the fin itself remains vertical.

Another consequence of the powerful PT6 engines was the need to redesign the horizontal stabiliser, Bufano says.

“To start with, it was in the same position as on AW109 – but during flight testing we found that the engine exhaust was so powerful that it was hitting the stabiliser and stressing the part,” he says. “We were obliged to reinforce the stabiliser to guarantee the required structural strength and to improve controllability.”

It also did not initially have an upturned tip; this was added later to further mitigate the effects of the exhaust flow, he says.

The AW139’s MGB is certificated for 30min run-dry capability, with an option flightglobal.com

Another key selling point of the AW139 was the inclusion of a Honeywell Primus Epic glass cockpit, one of the few helicopters at the time to feature such a modern flightdeck.

“The challenge at the beginning was to adapt an avionics system designed for a fixedwing aircraft onto a helicopter,” Bufano says.

First flight of the AW139 took place on 3 February 2001 – a Saturday, and a “typically grey” Lombardy winter’s day, remembers Garavaglia: “It was a low-key day, as we would typically do for something so new; it was very unremarkable.”

There was no indication of the success to come. While not at the controls for the first flight – that honour went to Bruno Bellucci – Leonardo test pilot Marco Feller began flying the AW139 in 2004: “My first impression was the amount of power compared to other helicopters. Normally you climb at 1,000-1,200ft/ min, but you climb with this one at more than 2,000ft/min.

“We had something that was like a space shuttle compared to a fixed-wing – it was really unbelievable.”

The other leap forward for the AW139 was its glass cockpit. “If you were going from the 412 to the AW139, it was really a turning point,” says Feller.

“It took us about an entire year to fully develop that autopilot. This year we are going to reach 1,000 machines [delivered] and unless you have something that works really, really well, you don’t make that number.”

And, says Feller, despite the weight increases, little has changed from the crew’s perspective. “As a test pilot, the amazing thing about the AW139 is that there is not a decrease in performance between the 6.4, the 6.8 and the 7t versions,” he says.

“It just shows that when they first looked at a 6t helicopter in the early days, they realised they had something unique.”

Garavaglia had joined Agusta a few years earlier following a stint selling ATR twin-­ turboprop airliners, and his experience of commercial aviation helped him see the AW139 in a different light, he says.

“I understood immediately that, differently from the 109 – which was essentially a VIP

Leonardo Helicopters

glass cockpit

Phase 8 avionics add optional rig approach capability alongside synthetic vision system helicopter that could also be used for other applications – the 139 had characteristics and was in a category offering a much broader spectrum, which could open up other markets for us,” he says.

“The company had never thought about large operators before – we needed to innovate to find a way to sell to them.”

These companies, notably those in the offshore market, operate passenger transport businesses that have more in common with airlines than other utility helicopter firms. As such, performance metrics like cost-per-seat and payload-range are key.

critical perspective

Garavaglia says his understanding of the airline industry helped to shape his view of the AW139 and what it could be, particularly if MTOW was set at 6.4t. At this higher weight, better productivity was achieved as all 12 seats could be filled without limiting range.

“The early approach helped me a lot in understanding how it could be put into operation as an aircraft to help operators to hit their business goals,” he says.

While not everything was faultless from day one – at service entry, the offshore transport variant had not been certificated, for example – there was enough potential to interest the market.

“Initially there were a number of things that needed to be improved, but the design of the AW139 has always been able to grow. Not everything was perfect – but what was perfect was the idea of the 139 and the original ­concept,” says Garavaglia. ❯❯ 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 37

Leonardo Helicopters

technical description

Progressive enhancements have enabled maximum take-off weight increase to 7t His view is borne out by Paul de Jonge ❯❯ van Ellemeet. Although now marketing vicepresident at Leonardo Helicopters, he was formerly on the operational side of the fence, working for Schreiner Aviation Group, a Dutch offshore specialist bought by CHC Helicopter in 2004.

Schreiner acquired some of the earliest AW139s, pitching two alongside a pair of Eurocopter EC155s (now the Airbus Helicopters H155) for an oil and gas support contract in the North Sea, replacing older Sikorsky S-61s and S-76s.

Despite the lack of operational data on the new platform, Schreiner and its customer took the plunge. However, service entry was partly underwhelming, says de Jonge van Ellemeet, as some of the required modifications, such as the weather radar, were not certificated. That meant aircraft had to be pulled from service for retrofit work.

But de Jonge van Ellemeet says that even from the earliest days, the performance of the basic helicopter fulfilled its promise.

“From day one, this helicopter did better than the EC155 and the S-76. But introducing from scratch an aircraft that nobody knows is a big ask.”

And, he points out, those early airframes are still going strong: Schreiner’s first AW139 (MSN31030/PH-SHK) is fleet leader, and has accumulated close to 16,000h since it entered service in 2005.

Nowhere is the idea that the AW139 shaped the company more clearly seen than in Leonardo’s training and support organisation.

Located in a former SIAI Marchetti factory in the lakeside town of Sesto Calende, the op38 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

eration is headed by Paolo Petrosso.

He remembers the days before the AW139, when the business had “14 instructors and two people in support roles”.

“Then all of a sudden the AW139 came in and in a very, very short time we were transforming ourselves from an OEM that was driven very much by its own domestic markets to a global OEM with global headaches.”

“In a very, very short time we were transforming ourselves from an OEM that was driven very much by its own domestic markets to a global OEM” Paolo Petrosso Vice-president simulation and training, Leonardo Helicopters

The breadth of its customer base is clear from the clientele at a nearby hotel, where accents from Australia, Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa mix over breakfast in a multilingual hubbub.

As the AW139 fleet grew, a frequent question from clients emerged, says Petrosso: “Customers were starting to ask – ‘are you having a simulator?’”

An initial level D device was built in partnership with simulator specialist CAE, and located in Sesto Calende. In 2007, its first year of operation, the simulator provided 100h of training. By the following year, that had exceeded 3,000h. A second unit was added in

the eastern USA at the end of 2008 to cope with projected growth.

“We thought we were ahead of the market with two flight simulators – but by the end of 2010 both were fully booked,” says Petrosso.

More company-owned devices were added – in Sesto Callende and Malaysia – but demand was so great that customers began to purchase their own simulators as well, at a rate of about one per year.

Leonardo delivered some 22,000h of simulator training in 2018, plus 3,500h of live flight time. “We don’t have accurate numbers for everyone, but from what we see, we think the operation out there exceeds 40,000h every year,” says Petrosso.

The number of instructors has similarly increased, he adds, rising from an initial group of three to 67 in Italy alone.

“I have to say that around 2010-2011 we were really, to use a strong word, shocked about the training demand. There were markets that we didn’t know before the AW139 like oil and gas or search and rescue,” Petrosso says.

“We started with the 139 – we learned, we made mistakes and then we adapted and then we used that approach for the rest of our products. Even the most recent military products have training and support solutions based on those we developed originally for the 139.”

The support offering has also expanded to round-the-clock provision from three sites across the globe, plus an associated network of engineers and warehouses.

“Fifteen years ago we had one guy answering the phone and that was it. But nowadays we can even go to some operators with realtime HUMS [health and usage monitoring system] data.”

data proliferation

Live HUMS is deployed across less than 10% of the fleet, with most in the hands of two or three large operators. However, more widespread take-up is “really around the corner – in two or three years it will be more than 60%”, says Petrosso.

Just as the systems underpinning the AW139 have changed over time, the helicopter has also developed. For example, says Bufano, there have been six iterations of the aluminium/titanium/composite tail boom over the programme’s duration, introduced for reasons of performance, simplified production or to accommodate the defensive aids required on the military variant.

The nose has also been lengthened over time – the initial modification came in 2007 in parallel with an increase in MTOW – plus assorted other improvements to the transmission and systems, which arrived as the AW139 Enhanced and Enhanced+ in 2012 and 2015, respectively. The later change also introduced the 7t MTOW alongside a 300kg flightglobal.com

LEONARDO HELICOPTERS AW139

AW139 deliveries and fleet In service

Deliveries

1,000

125

800

100

600

75

400

50

200

25

0

0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019* Source: Cirium fleets data Note: *year-to-date figures

Annual deliveries

Total in service

bly lines. Tact time on the line is eight to 10 days, depending on customer requirements; it takes around 48 days to build each helicopter, says Vergiate’s plant manager Alessio Antonini, although he points out that more complex configurations can take anywhere up to 60 days. The military AW139M also takes around 20% more time than the basic utility variant, he says.

rate expectations

Fuselage structures are mainly manufactured in-house, either in Brindisi or at PZL Swidnik’s plant in Poland, with Leonardo-made electrical harnesses added in Vergiate.

Output could go higher than 55 aircraft per

Leonardo Helicopters

(660lb) payload boost, which was enabled by a 100kg reduction in empty weight. That figure now stands at 4,300kg for a typical utility configuration.

Additionally, the avionics have steadily improved. Currently at the Phase 7 standard, certification of the Phase 8 upgrade should be achieved by early next year. This will add a synthetic vision system, required navigation performance and an optional rig approach system, which will allow a completely automated approach until 60m (200ft) from a platform.

“The privilege of working on the AW139 is that we have a lot of customers to gain feedback from,” says Bufano, referring to the around 2 million flight hours amassed over 12 years. “That’s a huge database from the inservice fleet and is even more valuable as we approach 2.5 million flight hours.”

Production of the AW139 takes place predominantly at two locations: Vergiate, in Italy, and Philadelphia in the USA. Some helicopters for the Russian market have also been built at HeliVert, Leonardo’s Moscow-based venture with Russian Helicopters.

Under the BAAC partnership, US final assembly activities were to take place at Bell’s factory in Fort Worth – but when the Texas manufacturer exited from the programme in 2005, that switched to the current Pennsylvania site. That plant will also build up to 84 Boeing MH-139s for the US Air Force, replacing a fleet of Bell UH-1Ns. Vergiate is currently producing 55 aircraft per year across two parallel six-stage assem-

Spacious cabin and smooth ride from five-blade main rotor add appeal for VIP market flightglobal.com

year through the addition of a third shift, for example, says Antonini. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is building 20 AW139s per year.

“Continued industrial process enhancements have allowed us to halve the AW139 final assembly lead time over the 15 years we have been manufacturing the type. In 2013 we reached the highest yearly production rate with almost 80 assembled,” says Antonini.

The AW139’s success is partly down to the basic design, which laid the foundations for a powerful and rugged utility helicopter.

However, another reason for its success was that the helicopter could seamlessly occupy a part of the market vacated by others: production of the S-76C++ wound down before the D-model successor arrived, and the EC155 failed to live up to the success of its AS365 predecessor.

Those aircraft were clearly the AW139’s first scalps – by accident or design – but the question is, how does Leonardo avoid its nearly 15-year-old helicopter becoming a victim itself?

An ambitious Airbus Helicopters clearly has designs on the intermediate-twin’s market share with its new H160, which when launched was billed as the “AW139 killer”.

Garavaglia says that the airframer knows “to watch the competition carefully” and to “always respect our competitors”. That said, he feels that at 6.05t MTOW “we don’t ­consider [the H160] as a practical challenger when it comes to intensive payload-range ­operations.”

For Bufano, the challenge from Airbus Helicopters is a spur to further progress, noting the number of major improvements to the AW139 over its lifespan, and the potential for future growth to meet evolving requirements.

“We are always looking for improvements – we have some ideas. It is a very live programme – we don’t see any specific killers,” he says. ■ 17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 39

30 April-6 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

12-18 March 2019 I flightglobal.com

110 years of aviation coverage

21-27 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

ProgrAMMe

Blue skies for Lightning

PRoPuLsIon

Balance of power

As F-35 gives US naval aviation a lift, why Lockheed’s fighter is on the rise

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 8

9

770015 371310

After Dreamliner, will Boeing offer engine choice for NMA?

Pitch battle

Widebody winners

While Max faces scrutiny, how Airbus averted loss of control 14

Big-twins stole March with bumper end to first quarter 22

TECHNOLOGY

Getting in formation Why Australia is teaming up with Boeing for loyal wingman project

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 1

SP AIR EC IA BU LS S UP AT PL 5 EM 0 EN T

9

770015 371310

Powering ahead

Blown away

Comac outlines plan to double strength of C919 test fleet 11

UK waves off Tornados, as its last GR4s enter retirement 26

28 May-3 June 2019 I flightglobal.com

INVESTIGATION

Sheremetyevo hard landing

9-15 April 2019 I flightglobal.com ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 2 1

9

770015 371310

Lisbon lift

Rising fortunes

Embraer confident Portugal will bolster its KC-390 backlog 19

XTI on a high, as innovative TriFan testbed gets aloft 22

Details emerge of stricken Superjet’s final seconds before tragic blaze

19-25 March 2019 I flightglobal.com

PRODUCTION

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 2 2

9

Brisk business

All the news from corporate aviation’s EBACE gathering 10

The Neo normal

Swiss pleas

Bern allocates almost €6bn for fighter replacement effort 23

Airbus powers up its delivery ambitions for re-engined A330

770015 371310

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 5

9

770015 371310

Sitting pretty

Ankara’s away

Get comfortable with our plush Aircraft Interiors coverage 14

Will Washington eject Turkish suppliers from F-35 project? 25

SAFETY

Scrutinised to the Max All eyes on newest 737s after Ethiopian tragedy

26 March-1 April 2019 I flightglobal.com

7-13 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

Throughout 110 years of continuous aviation coverage from Flight International, its readers have been there and read it all: • The first international airline flight in 1919 • First ever flight of a jet airliner, the Comet, in 1949 • Man’s first footsteps on the moon, and Concorde’s first flight in 1969 • The formation of Airbus and Embraer in 1969 • The first flights of Boeing 777 and Eurofighter in 1994 • The first flights of the Airbus A400M and Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2009

GroundInG

Facing close inspection Certification process in spotlight as regulators assess 737 Max safety

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 3

9

770015 371310

Superjumbo slip

Good Atmosphere

Have A380 operations peaked, with 2019 total to decline? 15

Why Bombardier’s new CRJ900 interior is breath of fresh air 30

Widebody winners

Lightning strike

Lufthansa picks A350, Dreamliner for its long-haul fleet renewal

F-35 could take Pole position in Harpia fighter contest

16-22 April 2019 I flightglobal.com

ProductIon

cloudy outlook Max grounding forces 737 rate reduction, as Boeing counts cost of narrowbody’s troubles

flIght test

Brave Neo world

We put re-engined A330 through its paces – but can Airbus widebody better the Dreamliner?

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 9

9

770015 371310

Under pressure

AtAK minded

Boeing boss faces shareholders as 737 Max disquiet mounts 9

Turkish Aerospace unveils future combat helicopter concept 24

26 February-4 March 2019 I flightglobal com

CUTAWAY

Better by design

5-11 March 2019 I flightglobal.com ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 6

9

770015 371310

Electric dream

Splashing out

How Collins investment will charge hybrid propulsion 15

Polish navy makes waves with AW101 helicopter selection 16

Why Aero Vodochody’s new L-39NG is heading for success

ANNIVERSARY

Supersonic champion Fifty years since its debut – why Concorde remains unrivalled icon

14-20 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

FLIGHT TEST

What will tomorrow bring?

You can keep up with all the latest stories, analysis and insight into today’s aviation industry with Flight International.

Alpine wonder We find out if PC-24 is a true all-rounder

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 0 9

9

770015 371310

Bye, BMI

Down wonder

As another UK regional operator goes under, what prompted carrier’s demise? 16

Royal Australian Air Force transformation gathers pace with F-35 introduction 30

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 1 0

9

770015 371310

Command fail

Power battle

How unqualified pilot’s actions doomed Aeromexico E-Jet 9

GE, Rolls-Royce vie for CR929 widebody engine selection 10

4-10 June 2019 I flightglobal.com ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0 £3.90 2 0

9

SAVE 30% ON YOUR READERSHIP

Subscribe now and save 30% off your next one year subscription.

Superjet disaster

Aeroflot tragedy leaves Russia facing questions over safety 9

Cold comfort

Icelandair could ditch Max plan and move to all-Airbus fleet 15

770015 371310

PROGRAMME

Ready to deliver Will LM-100J certification lift Lockheed sales prospects?

Lauda lessons

How racing legend changed course of 767 safety checks

Fast mover

Paris ups the pace as armed H160M heads for Le Bourget

flightglobal.com/110fn

AW139 cutaway

This issue should hold a cutaway poster of the AW139. If yours is missing or damaged please contact: Gillian Cumming FlightGlobal 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, UK gillian.cumming@flightglobal.com flightglobal.com

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 41

flight at 110

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

Flight goes global The 1980s heralded a period of international expansion, but were also tinged with tragedy max kingsley-jones LONDON

F

or its eighth decade, the magazine continued on its mission to establish its international credentials, and by the end of the 1980s, Flight’s “flannel panel” would include staff correspondents based in Washington DC and Los ­Angeles.

Mike Ramsden, or JMR, who had been the editor since 1964, remained on the staff throughout the 1980s but was succeeded as editor in May 1981 by David Mason. Ramsden was promoted to editor-in-chief, a post where he would remain up until the end of the decade.

At the end of 1980, Flight moved from its central London offices to what would be its home for the next four decades – Quadrant House, in the suburb of Sutton.

The magazine suffered a terrible tragedy in May 1984, when general aviation editor Cliff Barnett and staff photographer Stephen Piercey died after the Piper Aztec they were flying in was involved in a mid-air collision

1985

1986

42 | Flight International | 17-23 September 2019

with a Beech 1900C during a photo shoot at the Hanover air show.

Flight expanded its publishing portfolio during the 1980s, launching Flight Daily News at the Farnborough and Paris air shows early in the decade.

In 1985, a sister monthly magazine was launched. Named simply Airline Business, the magazine quickly established a solid reputation for delivering strategic insight for airline boardrooms worldwide.

The following year, Flight established its first overseas editorial office when our technical editor Julian Moxon crossed the Atlantic to take up his new post as Washington correspondent.

Allan Winn, who replaced Mason as

1987

Flight’s editor in January 1989, continued the push to drive Flight’s global agenda. He recalled for our centenary issue in 2009: ­ “Making a magazine truly international in an age of ever-faster-moving information ­involves much more than just appointing a few foreign correspondents. Stories… [were] selected on their international importance and merit and written to be relevant to a worldwide audience. The reader was no longer assumed to be British by default.”

Winn says that when he was appointed, 65% of our circulation was in UK. When he left around 15 years later, 65% was overseas. ■ Read more about Flight’s history and our celebration of 11 decades in print at: flightglobal.com/Flight110

1988

1989 flightglobal.com

STRAIGHT&LEVEL From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com

Up in the air The latest Parliamentary shenanigans over Brexit were unfolding as the inaugural Global Urban Air Systems conference at Farnborough was taking place, prompting one speaker to speculate as to what would come first: certificated, electric air taxis flying around cities Jetsons-style, or the UK’s departure from the EU.

Going nowhere Almost inevitably, a joint Brussels press briefing between pan-European air navigation organisation Eurocontrol and

In spite of the handicaps caused by the Peace conditions, German firms are losing no time in getting going on their post-War commercial aeroplanes. Since the conclusion of hostilities several firms have started construction of large multiengined passenger carriers.`

The R.A.F. said “give us the tools”, and the response of the Air Transport Auxiliary has never failed.

R.A.F. pilots on many occasions declare publicly that they owe everything to the skill of the ground crews who keep their aircraft flying.

Teething problems forced the prime minister to rethink his radical plans for a rapid urban air transport system

747 performance

the airline lobby group A4E, which was intended to discuss the flight delay situation over the peak summer period, has been cancelled “due to unforeseen circumstances”.

‘London might be ambitious’

Bad directions

Out of range

A certain show daily reports that the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth to carry out operational trials off the US East Coast under the headline: “Sailing east”.

Reports have been strenuously denied that one Captain Chris Columbus is in command.

Qantas posts an inspiring video on Project Sunrise, its quest to find an airliner able to “link each side of the globe in a single hop”. It shows pilots in a simulator. The training device is a De Havilland Dash 8 Q300 – about as far from an ultra-longrange jet as it is possible to get.

Brooklands Museum

Class warrior

Hurricane heroes and heroines: the team behind the restoration flightglobal.com

No time to waste

Tools for the job

Qantas

A 21-year restoration by volunteers on Brooklands Museum’s 1940 Hawker Hurricane MkIIA (Z2389) was marked on 3 September – the 80th anniversary of Britain’s declaration of war on Germany in 1939 – by a ceremony during which members of the team were awarded certificates.

Z2389 was flown by British, US and Russian pilots before being shot down near Murmansk in 1942 and repatriated in 1997. Over 60,000h of work have gone into the UK Heritage Lottery-funded project, which stands as a fitting memorial to the workers who assembled over 3,000 Hurricanes at Brooklands, and those who flew them.

Chris White/Shutterstock

Back to life at Brooklands

United Airlines responded to an economy passenger who complained on Twitter that cabin crew had banned him from moving to an empty row of economy plus seats: “The customers who pay for economy plus are then afforded that extra space. If you were to purchase a Toyota, you would not be able to drive off with a Lexus because it was empty.”

Initial Boeing 747s will be delivered with Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds that do not meet performance estimates. Fuel consumption is 5 per cent higher than expected and guaranteed maximum thrust is only available in “standard” conditions.

Helicopters for all

Sikorsky Aircraft president Gene Buckley used Farnborough to launch an initiative to promote the use of helicopters for mass transit. He plans to canvas political support for the concept in a bid to stimulate market demand for the company’s planned S-92 19seat commercial helicopter.

100-year archive Every issue of Flight from 1909 onwards can be viewed online at flightglobal.com/archive

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 43

letters

flight.international@flightglobal.com

The opinions on this page do not necessarily represent those of the editor.

Letters without a full postal address supplied may not be published. Letters may also be published on flightglobal.com and must be no longer than 250 words.

A bygone era of passenger travel The Straight & Level article “Back to the future?” (Flight ­International, 20 August-2 ­September) makes reference to the “saddle-style” seats proposed for low-cost carriers, “to squeeze

RISK

Too many eggs in one basket Hindsight is wonderful.

If any lessons are to be learned from the unfortunate grounding of the Boeing 737 Max with no apparent return to service due, it is by those airlines themselves who ordered so Airlines need to think long term many of that type.

Witness Norwegian, Ryanair, Southwest Airlines and others.

I understand that huge orders of a single type mean a ­discounted price, but my philosophy is: don’t put all your eggs in one basket because, as has been shown, this will backfire.

Major alterations need to be made by procuring other aircraft and suitably qualified pilots, which invariably impacts the ­bottom line.

Airlines that accommodate a diversity of experienced ­pilots and equipment do not run the risk of a grounding ­cancelling their services and reducing profits.

And yes, this means a review of their operations. But isn’t that better in the long run?

Peter Carey Portchester, Hampshire, UK

Matt Hartman/AP/REX/Shutterstock

We welcome your letters on any aspect of the aerospace industry.

Please write to: The Editor, Flight International, 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, UK Or email: flight.international@flightglobal.com

in yet more long-suffering selfloading cargo”.

This piece coincided with an article in The Times (24 August) from its archives.

The item described the ­inaugural services by Handley Page Transport between London and Paris, commencing on 1 ­September 1919.

Seating arrangements on the Handley Page 0/7 passenger ­conversion of the 0/400 twin-­ engined biplane bomber were proposed as follows: “Each ­machine has seating accommodation for 14 inside and two outside, but in order to have a big margin for any kind of weather the actual load will be 10 passengers.”

At least it saved the prospect of two passengers getting very cold and wet.

An internal saddle would have been luxury indeed!

David Ray Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, UK

Let your recruitment drive take flight

Reach our worldwide community of over 700,000 aerospace and aviation professionals

Start attracting the right talent. Speak to the experienced Flight Jobs team about our bespoke recruitment solutions.

44 Flight International 17-23 September 2019 flightglobal.com/jobs +44 (0)208 652 4900 |

|

flightglobal.com

reader services EVENTS

editorial, advertising, production & reader contacts Editorial 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, UK flight.international@flightglobal.com Editor Craig Hoyle +44 20 8652 3834 craig.hoyle@flightglobal.com Deputy Editor Dominic Perry +44 20 8652 3206 dominic.perry@flightglobal.com Head of Strategic Content Murdo Morrison FRAeS +44 20 8652 4395 murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com Features Editor Dan Thisdell +44 20 8652 4491 dan.thisdell@flightglobal.com Business & General Aviation Editor Kate Sarsfield +44 20 8652 3885 kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com Consulting Editor David Learmount +44 7785 901787 david.learmount@ntlworld.com Magazine Enquiries flight.international@flightglobal.com air transport team Executive Editor Graham Dunn +44 20 8322 6858 graham.dunn@flightglobal.com Managing Editor – Airline Business Lewis Harper +44 20 7911 3105 lewis.harper@flightglobal.com Air Transport Editor David Kaminski-Morrow +44 20 8652 3909 david.kaminski-morrow@flightglobal.com Americas Americas Aerospace Editor Jon Hemmerdinger +1 617 397 2809 jon.hemmerdinger@flightglobal.com Aviation Reporter Garrett Reim +1 571 216 5327 garrett.reim@flightglobal.com Asia/Pacific Asia Editor Greg Waldron +65 6780 4314 greg.waldron@flightglobal.com Reporter Alfred Chua +65 6780 4309 alfred.chua@flightglobal.com CIRIUM DASHBOARD EDITORIAL Michael Gubisch, Firdaus Hashim, SiMin Ngai, Niall O’Keeffe, Thomas Risen, Jonathan Robins, Sophie Segal, Ellis Taylor

Sales Support Gillian Cumming +44 20 8652 8837 North & South America Vice-President, North & South America Rob Hancock +1 703 795 5155 robert.hancock@flightglobal.com Regional Sales Director Warren McEwan +1 703 836 3719 warren.mcewan@flightglobal.com Italy Sales Manager Riccardo Laureri +39 (02) 236 2500 media@laureriassociates.it Laureri Associates SRL, Via Vallazze 43, 20131 Milano, Italy Israel Sales Executive Asa Talbar +972 77 562 1900 Fax: +972 77 562 1903 talbar@talbar.co.il Talbar Media, 41 HaGiva’a St, PO Box 3184, Givat Ada 37808, Israel Asia/Australasia Key Account Manager Jay Ee +65 9173 3502 jay.ee@flightglobal.com DVV Media International (Asia) Pte. Ltd. 15 Beach Road, 2nd Floor, Singapore 189677 Russia & CIS Director Arkady Komarov Tel/Fax: +7 (495) 987 3800 komarov@worldbusinessmedia.ru World Business Media, Leningradsky Prospekt, 80, Korpus G, Office 807, Moscow 125190, Russia Recruitment Head of Sales Sophie Wild +44 20 8652 4239 sophie.wild@flightglobal.com Business Development Manager Katie Mann +44 20 8652 3074 katie.mann@flightglobal.com Business Development Manager Lauren Cooper +44 20 8652 4985 lauren.cooper@DVVmediainternational.com Business Development Manager Nathan Dillon +44 20 8652 4236 nathan.dillon@flightglobal.com

FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM Online Content Manager Amber Elias +44 20 8652 3835 amber.elias@flightglobal.com

CLASSIFIED Key Account Manager Jay Ee +65 9173 3502 jay.ee@flightglobal.com

Editorial Production Chief Copy Editor, FlightGlobal Dan Bloch Layout Copy Editor Tim Norman Deputy Global Production Editor Rachel Warner Deputy Global Digital Producer Andrew Costerton Consulting Technical Artist Tim Hall

Advertisement Production Production Manager Sean Behan +44 20 8652 8232

Display Advertisement Sales 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, UK eUROPE Key Account Manager Richard Perry +44 20 8652 8798 richard.perry@flightglobal.com

flightglobal.com

Marketing Group Marketing Manager Jo Goodwin +44 20 7911 1366 jo.goodwin@flightglobal.com DATA Data cited in Flight International is sourced from Cirium, a data and analytics company in the wider travel industry. For Cirium’s data team, please contact: Trevor Mountford trevor.mountford@flightglobal.com

Publishing Management Managing Director Andy Salter VP, FG Connect and Conferences Mark Pilling mark.pilling@flightglobal.com Executive Director Content Max Kingsley-Jones max.kingsley.jones@flightglobal.com Commercial Director Publishing Stuart Burgess stuart.burgess@flightglobal.com Reader Services Subscriptions Jenny Smith Flight International Subscriptions, DVV Media International, PO Box 302, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3DH, UK

15-20 October Seoul ADEX Seoul, South Korea seouladex.com

17 October

Airlines 2050 London, UK flightglobal.com/airlines2050

5-7 November

Vertical Flight Expo Farnborough, UK verticalflightexpo.com

17-21 November Dubai Air Show Dubai, UAE dubaiairshow.aero

Subscription Enquiries From UK: 0330 333 9533 From overseas: +44 1444 475 682 Fax +44 1444 445301 flightinternational.subs@quadrantsubs.com

4-5 December

Subscription Rates 1 Year: £145/$229/€179 2 Years: £246/$389/€304 3 Years: £348/$549/€429 Only paid subscriptions available. Cheques payable to Flight International

Aerospace Big Data Barcelona Barcelona, Spain flightglobal.com/bigdata

Flight International is one of FlightGlobal’s (publishing, events and FlightJobs) products and services.

Mexico’s Aerospace Summit Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico mexicoaerospacesummit.com

5-6 December

10-12 December

Gulf Defense & Aerospace Kuwait City, Kuwait gulfdefense.com

28-30 January 2020 HAI Heli-Expo Anaheim, California, USA rotor.org/home/heli-expo

FlightGlobal uses data and analytics sourced from Cirium. www.cirium.com Flight International welcomes unsolicited contributions from readers but cannot guarantee to return photographs safely. © and Database Rights 2019 DVV Media International Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publishers.

Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper.

Published by DVV Media International Ltd, 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, UK. Newstrade distributed by Marketforce (UK), 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU, UK. Tel: +44 20 3787 9001.

Classified advertising prepress by CCM. Printed in Great Britain by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd Flight International published weekly 49 issues per year.

This periodical is sold subject to the following conditions: namely that it is not, without the written consent of the publishers first given, lent, re-sold, hired out or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade, or affixed to, or as part of, any publication of advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. No part of the content may be stored electronically, or reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

ISSN 0015-3710 (Print) ISSN 2059-3864 (Online)

4-6 February

Routes Americas Indianapolis, Indiana, USA routesonline.com

11-16 February

Singapore Air Show Singapore singaporeairshow.com

25-28 February

Aerospace Europe Conference Bordeaux, France ceas.org/aerospaceeurope2020

30 March-4 April

Global Aerospace Summit Abu Dhabi, UAE aerospacesummit.com

31 March-5 April

FIDAE International Air & Space Santiago, Chile fidae.cl

22-26 April

Eurasia Air Show Antalya, Turkey eurasiaairshow.com

2-3 May

Wings over Illawarra Wollongong NSW, Australia www.wingsoverillawarra.com.au

13-17 May

ILA Berlin Air Show Berlin, Germany ila-berlin.de

For a full list of events see flightglobal.com/events

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 45

WORKING WEEK WORK EXPERIENCE MARTIN ASTON

Solutions for the world’s challenges What sparked your interest in aviation?

My father was always interested in aircraft (even though he worked in the car industry) and frequently took us to air shows when I was a child. I wanted to become a pilot, but my eyesight prevented this. So, I thought if I couldn’t fly aircraft, the next best thing would be to design them.

How has your career progressed?

I went straight into the aerospace industry from school. My physics teacher encouraged us to get involved in engineering and I joined British Aerospace as an undergraduate apprentice in 1980. My first year was spent on the shop floor, learning how aircraft are built. It taught me much about the complexity of aircraft, but also about the strengths of the people that build them. After graduating from the University of Southampton, I went to work in the windtunnel, initially testing the airflow around oil rigs as in the post-Concorde era, the work on new aircraft was limited.

Luckily, the A320 programme arrived, soon followed by the A330/ A340. I’ve been fortunate to carry out a number of different roles within what is now Airbus. Much of my career was spent within the testing organisation, but 15 years ago, I was given the opportunity to lead a large programme to develop the future concept of “digitally enabled engineering”. This culminated with a secondment for four years to set up and run the CFMS (Centre for Modelling and Simulation) organisation, which

flightglobal.com

Airbus

Martin Aston is a senior manager with Airbus UK, where he helps to co-ordinate and deliver advances in engineering – and has a focus on developing and encouraging the nation’s next generation of talent

Aston transmits the transformational importance of his profession is still a key player in the delivery of digital engineering capability.

Supporting development of the future of engineering has been the core of what I’ve done since returning to Airbus in 2012.

What is your current role and what are your responsibilities?

My current role involves leading a number of projects delivering advances in engineering capability. Increasingly, this requires collaboration with other industrial organisations and universities and a large part of my role is building the consortia to deliver such projects. The Aerospace Technology Institute has played a key role in raising the profile of aerospace research in the UK and having their support has made establishing collaborative research projects more straightforward.

What are you working on?

For the past two years I’ve led the Brunel Challenge proposal. This is a national initiative aiming to deliver a transformational change in UK engineering capability. The cost of product development and complexities with assurance of novel technologies risks holding back progress. A “re-engineering of engineering” is needed to unlock innovation. The Brunel Challenge is bringing together a range of industrial sectors, all facing similar issues, and is aiming to provide the framework to make this transition a reality.

What are you passionate about?

I find it frustrating that engineering is largely undervalued in society at present. If you Google “engineer” you will see dozens of images of people in hard hats

and high-vis jackets. This gives a very false impression of what engineering actually involves. Engineering delivers solutions to solve the world’s challenges and changes people’s lives. I feel strongly that the importance of engineering – and engineers – needs far greater recognition. ­Engineers are like bees – you won’t realise how much you need them until they have gone.

How do you see technology and aircraft designs advancing over the next decade?

Within aviation we have lived through an era of discovery.

We’ve made long-distance travel a reality for most people and overnight parcel delivery is the norm. But we now need to move forward into an age of responsibility. We need to use innovation and technology to find ways to allow people to enjoy the benefits that have improved the quality of life for many, but deliver this in such a way that we don’t harm the environment. This is probably the greatest challenge that the ­aerospace industry has ever faced. There is no simple solution – if there was, we’d have done it by now. n Looking for a job in aerospace?

Check out our listings online at flightglobal.com/jobs

If you would like to feature in Working Week, or you know someone who would, email your pitch to kate.sarsfield@ flightglobal.com

17-23 September 2019 | Flight International | 51

PERFORMANCE BEYOND THE PLATFORM

FULL-SPECTRUM AIR DOMINANCE Combat-proven. Platform-agnostic. Game-changing. Raytheon’s suite of full-spectrum air dominance solutions is transforming today’s aircraft into tomorrow’s advantage, delivering success across every phase of the mission – from readiness to combat to safe return.

RAYTHEON.COM/AIRDOMINANCE © 2019 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.