Aviation Week reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences on Oct. 8 unveiled new details of a notional operational variant of the fan-in-wing concept it is proposing for a high-speed, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) X-Plane. The operational version of the Boeing-owned company’s candidate for a DARPA demonstrator program would boast nearly the same wingspan and payload weight of a Lockheed Martin C-130J, yet fly up to 90 kt. faster and be able to take off and land vertically like a helicopter.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: vertical lift
DND: Cracking Issue Prompts Repairs to at Least 19 of 23 RCAF CH-148 Cyclones
Aviation Week reports that Canada’s Department of National Defense (DND) said that a “cracking issue has required repairs to at least 19 of the 23 Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopters in the Royal Canadian Air Force fleet.” Vertical Magazine reports that on November 26, “cracks were found on the tail of one of the helicopters undergoing a routine maintenance inspection. After the initial cracks were found, other aircraft at that squadron were inspected for the same problem and cracks were found on three other Cyclones.” According to the Canadian Armed Forces, the “same cracking issue was eventually found on 19 of 23 CH-148s.” The remaining two CH-148 Cyclones “are in longer-term maintenance and will be inspected at a later date.”
Full Story (Aviation Week) More Info (Vertical Magazine)
Volocopter, NEOM Form Joint Venture to Create First Custom Public Vertical Mobility System
Aviation Today reports that Volocopter “announced a new joint venture company this week with NEOM, an enterprise that is developing a ‘smart city’ on the coast of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea.” The joint venture company “was formed to design and operate what could be the world’s first customized public vertical mobility system.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
H145 to Attain MUM-T Capability
FlightGlobal reports that Airbus Helicopters “will offer H145 light-twins in future with manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability following a successful trial of the technology.” Aviation Week reports Airbus Helicopters “is offering its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) kit for international sale as live testing enters its second phase.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal); More Info (Aviation Week)