FlightGlobal reports that on November 14, the Netherlands “received its 20th and final Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopter.” The Boeing Company “said it had delivered the final Chinook airframe to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), marking the conclusion of Amsterdam’s fleet upgrade programme.” Boeing H-47 program manager Ken Eland said, “These state-of-the art aircraft will significantly improve their defence and humanitarian assistance capabilities.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Tag: aeronautical engineering
Amazon’s New Delivery Drone
CNBC reported that Amazon’s new delivery drone, the MK27-2, will begin making deliveries in two markets in California and Texas by the end of this year. The drone will drop packages from 12 feet in the air on delivery. “It can only carry packages weighing less than five pounds, and deliveries must fit in one box about the size of a shoe box.”
Full Story (CNBC)
XQ-58A Valkyrie Test Flight Successful
Unmanned Systems Technology reports Kratos Defense & Security Solutions “recently completed a successful flight of its production XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft for the Block 2 Valkyrie Maturation Program.” During a test flight performed at Yuma Proving Ground, the XQ-58A flew “longer, higher, at a heavier mission weight, and at a longer range than the platform has previously been approved for” and demonstrated. The flight also “demonstrated encrypted communications with redundant radios/communications” and “key autonomous capability for the end of mission phase of flight and recovery of the aircraft without RF comms.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Despite Jammed Solar Panel, Cygnus Capsule Docks with ISS
AP reports, “A Northrop Grumman capsule delivered several tons of supplies to the International Space Station on Wednesday despite a jammed solar panel.” After liftoff, only one of the craft’s two solar panels opened. Despite controllers’ best attempts to open the stuck panel, the rocket still drew enough power with the functioning solar panel.
Full Story (Associated Press)
Boeing Recommends Air Taxi Safety Standards Mirror Those for Commercial Jets
Reuters reported that The Boeing Company “urged regulators on Tuesday to subject a new generation of air taxis to the same strict safety standards as commercial jets, saying the aircraft designed for short flights on demand should not be judged on a par with small planes.” Federal regulators are innovating design and operational requirements for the eVTOL air taxis, which would allow airline passengers to bypass street traffic. “Analysts say certification standards that air taxis must meet will be make-or-break for many of the new projects vying for investment.”
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Air Taxi Business May Get Early Business from Airline Alliance
Aerospace America reports that electric air taxi aircraft are seeing early customers in the form of the major airlines of American, United, and Delta. Examples include Delta’s $60 million investment in Joby Aviation, American placing a large pre-order with Vertical Aerospace, and United pledging to buy from Archer Aviation and Eve Air Mobility.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Parker Sees Rapid Technology Development in New Electric Aircraft
Aviation International News reports that Parker Aerospace sees utilization of electric aircraft as the company’s future. “One of its first declared partners in the AAM space is Eviation, which last month made its first flight with its Alice nine-passenger, all-electric aircraft. Parker is providing electro-mechanical actuators for the fixed-wing model’s secondary flap systems.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Canadian Authorities Review Safety Case for Challenger Jet
FlightGlobal reports that “Canadian authorities are reviewing the safety case for the Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet, after an uncommanded flap-extension incident highlighted a potential increase in the risk of a serious accident.” The incident happened aboard a Challenger 604, which experienced the uncommanded flap-extension deployment on August 10 departing Farnborough airport in the UK. “It was travelling at 296kt as the flaps extended to 20° – some 65kt above the maximum speed limit for the configuration – and, as the aircraft decelerated to 234kt, the flaps continued to extend to 45°, for which the speed limit was 189kt.” The flight crew were able to return to Farnborough and landed the aircraft safely. The flight-data recorder showed the flaps had been retracting at half the normal speed on each wing. Officials haven’t yet figured out the reason for the uncommanded flap extension.
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription publication)
Eviation Alice Performs First Flight
The AP reports that Eviation’s prototype electric aircraft took its first flight Tuesday. Aviation Week reports that the Alice prototype made its first flight from Moses Lake, Washington, “marking a major milestone on the road towards the fielding of a new generation of sustainable air vehicles.”
Full Story (Associated Press)
More Info (Aviation Week)
US Army Returns 59.5% of its Chinook Helicopter Fleet to Service Following Grounding
The Hill reports that US Army spokesman Jason Waggoner said that the service now has 59.5 percent of its Chinook helicopter fleet available to support missions and training after grounding the fleet late last month due to fuel leaks. Waggoner said that “though the number could fluctuate day to day, this number continues to increase daily with ongoing logbook records review and a standard leak-check maintenance procedure outlined in an Aviation Safety Action Message published” September 2.
Full Story (The Hill)