Aviation Week reports, “Boeing has selected Safran to provide the electrical power generation system for the airframer’s X-66A aircraft which is in development as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. The Safran Electrical & Power system, consisting of a variable frequency generator and its associated control unit, will be adapted to integrate with the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan that has also been selected for the aircraft.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Safran
U.S. Coast Guard Re-ups Arriel Support Contract with Safran
Aviation International News reports, “Safran Helicopter Engines will continue to support its Arriel engines powering U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) MH-65 helicopters, following the renewal of its support-by-the-hour (SBH) contract. More than 240 Arriel engines are covered under the five-year renewal period. Engine support will be provided by Safran Helicopter Engines USA in Grand Prairie, Texas.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Volocopter to Partner with Safran on Next-Gen Electric Powertrain
Aviation Today reports that Volocopter “signed an agreement with Safran Electrical & Power last week that includes plans for developing a next-generation electric powertrain.” The powertrain will be “designed specifically for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft like those under development by Volocopter.” An announcement of the agreement stated, “The agreement covers the exploration of commercial and engineering partnerships, specifically around the entire electric powertrain ranging from the electrical propulsion system (EPS), battery units, and power distribution system to wider engineering services.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
Aerospace Supply Chain Seeing Long Climb Back to Health
FlightGlobal reports, “At first glance, the US commercial aerospace industry might seem to be enjoying a broad and rapid recovery from the lows seen at the height of the pandemic. But appearances can be deceiving. Yes, Boeing in 2022 managed to significantly ramp up aircraft deliveries, but many of those were jets from the airframer’s inventory – built months or years prior.” Boeing in 2022 “delivered 480 aircraft, up from 340 in 2021 thanks largely to a significant bump in 737 Max deliveries. The US manufacturer handed over 387 737s last year, up from 263 in 2021. Boeing also resumed 787 deliveries in August 2022 after a pause due to fuselage-quality issues that lasted most of 22 months. The company delivered only 31 of the widebodies last year, up from 14 in 2021. Those figures do indeed show improvement, but the US civil aerospace sector is actually recovering more slowly than deliveries suggest.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
Aerospace Industry Rebound Could be Harmed by Fragile Supply Chain
FlightGlobal reports that Safran Chief Executive Olivier Andries warned last week that the industry’s supply chain has been weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Andries noted “concerns about human resources” and “tensions in raw material availability” as notable factors. The Boeing Company Chief Executive David Calhoun said, “By the second half of next year, our industry will be supply constrained. Raw materials, logistics and labour availability will also be key watch items for future rate increases.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)