1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN DECEMBER 2023 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION REVIEW ISSUE SPONSOR 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN JANUARY 2023 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES UNLOCKING A GREENER FUTURE Page 12 THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN FEBRUARY 2023 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES WE’RE HERE TO TRANSFORM AIR TRAVEL Page 9 THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN APRIL 2023 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES COLLABORATE TO INNOVATE Page 10 THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY SHOW PREVIEW PAGE 36 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN MAY 2023 MATERIALS A MODEL APPROACH TO ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Page 20 THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY PARIS AIRSHOW PREVIEW P.12 64 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN JUNE 2023 PARIS AIRSHOW SPECIAL EDITION 54th INTERNATIONAL PARIS AIR SHOW LE BOURGET JUNE 19-25, 2023 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN JULY 2023 TAKING A LOAD OFF YOUR MIND Page 10 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN SEPTEMBER 2023 EVENTS PREVIEW DSEI 2023: ACHIEVING AN INTEGRATED FORCE Page 30 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN OCTOBER 2023 SPACE PROGRAMMES SPACE SECTOR FACES RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES Page 15 SHOW PREVIEW Page 10 1 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN NOVEMBER 2023 ADVANCED MATERIALS SCULPTING NEW POSSIBILITIES Page 10
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Here, now – and tomorrow Editor | Mike Richardson | newsdesk@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825709 Deputy Editor | Ed Hill | ehill@mitpublishing.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825705 Digital content coordinator | Michael Tyrrell | mtyrrell@mitpublishing.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825713 Sales Manager | David McCauley dmc@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0)7557 308369 Sales Director | Andy Morley amorley@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825701 Art Editor | Sarah Blake sarahblake@sablemedia.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1233 770781 Production Coordinator| Ewa Hodden ehodden@mitpublishing.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825703 Circulation, Subscriptions and Database Research | Perception SAS aero@mitpublishing.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1825 701520 Financial Controller | Valerie Prentice | accounts@mitpublishing.co.uk Publisher | Liam McCauley Director | David Rose Published by | MIT Publishing Limited | Featherstone House | 375 High Street | Rochester | Kent ME1 1DA | United Kingdom | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 830566 Published 10 times a year, Aerospace Manufacturing is distributed free of charge to applicants in the UK and certain other countries who meet the publishers criteria. Subscriptions are also available at £150 per annum which represents a 40% saving on the single issue price. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publishers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions, no matter how they may arise. Authors opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the consent of the publisher. Copyright: MIT Publishing Ltd 2023 Printed by: Pureprint Group 4 NEWS AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES 8 Location, location, location – Civil 9 Behind the scenes at the Airbus FCAS Lab – Military 12 Taking a load off your mind – Military 14 Collaborate to innovate – Helicopters 16 We’re here to transform air travel – Electric aircraft TECHNOLOGY FEATURE 20 Making an impression in aircraft seating – Interiors ADVANCED MATERIALS 22 United in additive innovation – Additive manufacturing 24 The environmental benefits of AM – Additive manufacturing 26 Sustainability with a big ‘S’ – Composites SPECIAL REPORT 28 Automate to innovate – Automation 30 Unlocking a greener future – Sustainability DIGITAL MANUFACTURING 32 The steps toward digital transformation – Digital twin INDUSTRY REVIEW 34 Change we must – Neil Calder, director of Engineered Capabilities Next issue: Events: Southern Manufacturing, Civil aircraft, Technology feature: Engines, Materials: Composites, Machining techniques: Machine tools, Special report: Automation, Supply chain: Partnerships, Digital manufacturing: Industry 4.0, Final approach Hello and welcome to our first International Innovation Review special edition of Aerospace Manufacturing. This digital-only publication looks back at the most interesting stories we’ve published throughout 2023 – groundbreaking feats of engineering that highlight the most cutting-edge technological innovations within our industry. The latest advanced materials, increasing use of automation and digitalisation, sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen power and environmental initiatives means technology breakthroughs happen nearly as regularly as flights in and out of our busiest airports. It continues to demonstrate that the industry is a hotbed for continually evolving innovative product designs, full of creative people thinking not only of the here and now, but of the aircraft of tomorrow. I’m always impressed by the way our industry strives to preserve something it’s worked so hard to create, namely the aerospace supply chain. Meanwhile, Government efforts to boost business investment is always welcome. The Chancellor of the Exchequer recently confirmed the allocation of £975 million to long-term aerospace as part of a wider package of support for advanced manufacturing. Yes, there is a growing concern that a gap is slowly emerging between traditional engineering skills and those needed to support burgeoning new technologies. So, how can we bridge this gap? The major aerospace OEMs don’t have all the answers so our supply chains need to come forward with new skills that will help them reduce cost. This all depends on whether the supply chain can satisfy the demand for re-skilling and support future innovative technologies. It’s clear that an overhaul of the aerospace supply chain is required to re-educate and reskill our industry’s workforce. There are always concerns that finance will be a major issue among SMEs, but it’s worth remembering that if you think that the cost of change is expensive - try the cost of ignorance. Mike Richardson, editor ISSN 2056-3434 www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 3 COMMENT & CONTENTS Volume 18 Issue 172 ISSUE SPONSOR
4 October 2013 www.aeromag.com Xxxxxxxx 2014 www.aeromag.com NEWS A new concept assembly process has been developed by AMRC Cymru for Collins Aerospace for its actuation systems site in Wolverhampton. AMRC Cymru, part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), was tasked with developing a Smart Assembly and Inspection Demonstrator (SAID) for Collins Aerospace’s factory in Wolverhampton. Having been given a deadline of just ten weeks, AMRC Cymru, based in Broughton, North Wales, successfully achieved its objective, utilising and uniting CAD with existing technological systems such as the LightGuide Smart Workbench – including projector, monitor and camera - and DIOTA augmented reality software. The result was a hi-tech Smart Workstation which can operate in any language, enabling workers of all experience and abilities to assemble a gearbox via a much simpler, paperless method. Collins Aerospace implemented a demonstration station at its Midlands site, housed in its technology development area, and hosted a number of sessions with people throughout the organisation. Gareth Towlson, senior manufacturing research engineer at AMRC Cymru, led the team at the Broughton facility to ensure the workstation has the capacity to be tailored to a variety of requirements. “To see the Smart Workstation already in development at Wolverhampton is fantastic,” said Towlson. “It’s testament to how hard we have worked in partnership to find a solution, within budget and deadline.” www.amrc.co.uk/cymru AMRC develops new assembly process Safran Seats has launched a second programme to help engineers return to work after a career break following the success of a pilot scheme last year. The programme is run in partnership with return-to-work specialists STEM Returners. Roles will include in-service solution design engineers, project engineers and programme quality engineers, and be based at the Safran Seats offices near Newport and Cardiff. The STEM Returners programme acts as a ‘returnship’, transferring experienced engineers back into industry following a career break, allowing them to be reintegrated into an inclusive environment. STEM Returners will source the candidates and offer them mentoring throughout the recruitment process. Natalie Desty, director of STEM Returners, said: “We know that people on a career break face an uphill battle when trying to return. And we know that the engineering industry faces a significant skills shortage. Only by working together, can we improve recruitment practices and enable skilled returners back to work.” www.stemreturners.com/placements Safran launches return to work scheme December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com Partners to enhance UK launch capability Skyrora and Spirit AeroSystems have announced a collaboration on orbital launch capability. The companies celebrated the announcement on the conference’s opening day in Belfast, home to Spirit’s largest UK manufacturing facility. UK-based, launch-vehicle manufacturer, Skyrora is developing an agile, end-toend, launch service to provide access to space for small satellites globally. Having conducted a test launch of the suborbital Skylark L vehicle in October 2022, as part of the company’s incremental learning approach to launch, Skyrora is well on track to become the first UK company to vertically launch satellites from the UK, expecting to conduct up to 16 launches per year once operating at scale. Spirit’s presence in UK space is growing. Its broad offering of highly adaptive manufacturing and testing solutions in metallics and composites, at both its Scotland and Northern Ireland facilities, brings significant industrial capacity to Skyrora’s launch proposition. Leveraging Spirit’s aerostructures expertise, the companies will explore opportunities to transition Skyrora’s orbital launch vehicles from development to full-scale production. www.skyrora.com www.spiritaero.com ISSUE SPONSOR
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6 October 2013 www.aeromag.com December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com NEWS Smiths Interconnect has received £1,907,065 in funding from the UK Space Agency through its Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF). The funding will be used by Smiths Interconnect to enhance its Space Qualification Laboratory, a cutting-edge facility in Dundee that simulates the extreme conditions of space – one of the harshest environments known to humankind – to assure the quality and durability of space components. From simulating the extreme vibration and shock environment of launch to surviving the extreme temperature swings experienced during space flight, the lab has a full range of capabilities in which it will be investing substantially through the SCIF grant. Julian Fagge, president of Smiths Interconnect, said: “Our work in Dundee aims to create unrivalled design, prototyping and manufacturing capacity coupled with an open-innovation space qualification testing lab, serving a key market need and strengthening our national space capabilities further. We are grateful to the UK Space Agency for supporting us in our mission.” www.smiths.com Eve Air Mobility has achieved a key milestone in the progression of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) through a collaborative partnership with global private aviation leader Flexjet. Together, the companies have conducted an initial software simulation of Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management (Urban ATM) solution. The initiative validated and refined the software through user testing and feedback on its interface and industry value. With London being one of the world’s foremost helicopter markets and a key focus for future eVTOL operations, the simulation took place over four days this month at Flexjet’s Tactical Control Centre at Farnborough Airport and saw Eve’s Urban ATM software shadowing live helicopter flights operated by Flexjet’s UK helicopter division, performing the kind of services that will be essential to enabling future UAM operations. “This collaboration with Flexjet represents a significant step forward in our efforts to advance urban air mobility,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “We are committed to exploring innovative solutions that will enhance current operations and contribute to the future of urban flights.” www.eveairmobility.com Eve partners with Flexjet to advance UAM Smiths awarded UK Space Agency funding MACH 2024 unveils show core theme Reversing UK manufacturing’s poor record for adopting new technology will be tackled head on at MACH 2024. The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has made it its mission to spearhead growth by using its flagship event to launch its new Knowledge Hubs initiative. The programme showcases the latest technology to exhibitors, helping manufacturers learn more about the potential offered by such technology, as well as when to adopt it and how to implement it to best effect. The MTA, which organises the MACH event, has been campaigning for greater adoption of new technology for some time. It will expand upon this at MACH 2024, which opens its doors at the NEC in Birmingham on 15th April, by explaining that implementing latest techniques in manufacturing processes is the fastest way to boost the UK’s output. The focus for this will be a series of new Knowledge Hubs which will have dedicated stands within the various exhibition zones: Automation and Robotics; Data and Artificial Intelligence; Energy Efficiency; Additive Manufacturing; Tooling. www.machexhibition.com ISSUE SPONSOR
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 7 Boeing and Zero Petroleum have announced a collaboration for testing and analysing the next generation of technologies to accelerate the supply of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). For Boeing, this represents another investment in developing SAF globally to reduce aviation’s lifecycle emissions and support the commercial aviation industry’s goal of net zero by 2050. Zero’s technology produces SAF from air and water. The hydrocarbon fuel obtains carbon from direct air capture and hydrogen from water electrolysis. This power-to-liquid process has the potential to significantly reduce emissions across the lifecycle, provided there is an abundance of renewable electricity. Under the agreement, Boeing will jointly establish a testing programme for Zero’s SAF at the University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) and its SAF research facility. “SAF is our industry’s biggest lever in reducing emissions today and into the future, but we need more of it now to enable those reductions,” said Sheila Remes, Boeing vice-president of environmental sustainability. “Working with innovators around the world such as Zero is crucial as we collaborate to develop new, sustainable pathways to produce and scale-up SAF.” The Oxfordshire, UK-based energy company will benefit from Boeing’s initiative to help innovative fuel producers test, mature and scale SAF utilising its collaboration with the EIC and Boeing’s global SAF and aerospace expertise. www.boeing.com Boeing signs SAF deal The Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) members and board directors have re-elected Stephen Molloy, aerospace, defence and industrials director, for quality management service provider, G&P, to its board for a third term. The appointment will see Molloy continue to help guide the organisation’s strategy and shape the support on offer to its members. “The Midlands Aerospace Alliance continues to go from strength to strength so I’m incredibly proud to be re-elected to the board for a third term,” said Molloy. “The organisation represents one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world, so it’s an honour that coming from a service organisation, I can offer a valued insight and an alternative perspective, and I look forward to making further positive contributions.” www.gpqm.com Molloy re-elected to MAA board x The Sustainable Skies World Summit, organised by Farnborough International in collaboration with Sustainable Aviation, is returning to the aerospace industry’s calendar 15-16 May 2024. Building on the success of the last edition, Sustainable Skies World Summit 2024 will see representation from the global aerospace, energy, manufacturing, finance and investment sectors, alongside regulators, academia and government departments, come together for two days of networking, demonstrations and insight sharing. Bringing regulators and policymakers together to accelerate global standards from all corners of the world, the programme has been designed to stimulate collaboration and enable industry pioneers to leave with tangible outcomes to reach net zero targets by focusing on five key topics: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), carbon removal, zero emissions, operation efficiency and future of flight. The conference and technology showcase, being staged at Farnborough’s international exhibition centre, will display the latest developments in sustainable aviation technology and provide a forum to discuss how the industry is moving in earnest from goal setting to implementation of its net-zero strategies. www.farnboroughinternational.org Sustainability summit returns in 2024 ISSUE SPONSOR
14 October 2013 www.aeromag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: CIVIL AIRCRAFT 8 December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com oeing’s Sheffield factory celebrated its fifth anniversary this year, marking a significant milestone for the company’s presence in South Yorkshire. The £40 million factory opened in 2018 to manufacture components for trailing edge actuator systems for aircraft. Since then, the factory has shipped more than 13,500 of these parts for the 737. Boeing’s ties to South Yorkshire stretch back even further to 2001, when it co-founded the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with the University of Sheffield. The research and innovation campus was launched to unite academia and industry and has played a central role in creating the region’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem - making South Yorkshire a natural choice for Boeing to open its first European manufacturing site. “Having the opportunity to prototype, develop, experience and do the research and development collaboration with partners such as the ones we have here in Sheffield, through the AMRC, is a powerful differentiator and one we’re very proud of,” said Maria Laine, president of Boeing in the UK, Ireland and Nordic region. “We have a long history with the local community, more than 20 years of great work, culminating with the construction of the Boeing Sheffield factory, and we are now looking to the next generation of technology and digital engineering methods, assessing not only what we produce but how we produce it.” Driving UK economic growth Boeing Sheffield employs more than 100 people, and the team continues to grow. The company is committed to supporting and growing its UK supply chain, particularly SMEs, and all suppliers to the factory are based within 100 miles of Sheffield. The site also offers apprenticeships and training opportunities, with 30 apprentices trained so far in partnership with the AMRC Training Centre and another cohort recently launched. During the apprenticeship they are trained in all disciplines of machining, including milling and turning along with general hand fitting skills. A range of cutting-edge equipment is used to produce parts, including operating complex machinery. “When we look at where we want to be located and where the Boeing company wants to grow, it’s important to have that ecosystem to tap into - and that’s what we’ve found with Sheffield,” added Laine. In terms of manufacturing innovation, the Sheffield factory is a prime example of how Boeing is embracing multiple advanced manufacturing techniques to strengthen production systems and deliver on commitments to product quality and safety. The factory uses digitally-enabled devices to create a safe work environment and achieve high-quality work, and was the first Boeing facility to use an operations management system that reduces touch time and complexity for operators while providing live machine performance data to industrial engineering. The site is also the UK home for Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T), which works closely with the University of Sheffield on various projects, including novel additive manufacturing, which aims to increase efficiency throughout the aerospace supply chain. Moreover, Boeing has continued to expand its presence in the area, becoming the founding member of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) to help produce and scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Boeing’s fifth anniversary in Sheffield marked a significant milestone for the company’s presence in South Yorkshire. The factory has not only contributed to the local economy but also offered training and apprenticeships for young people while driving research and development in the aerospace industry. www.boeing.com Helping drive the UK aerospace sector’s economic growth and innovation, Boeing featured in our June Paris Airshow edition to reflect on its Sheffield factory’s five years being based in South Yorkshire. B LOCATION, LOCATION, Boeing’s Sheffield factory offers training and apprenticeships for young people (above) Scan here for more Boeing articles Location ISSUE SPONSOR
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 9 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY arl climbs into his cockpit. His mission today is to assess new functionalities and technologies for use in a next generation fighter jet. These include: a touchscreen humanmachine interface that allows him to assign tasks to a swarm of drones, or remote carriers as they are known in the military, and an augmented reality system that displays information such as reconnaissance and other mission participant’s data as well as the status of the remote carriers - all of which his jet is connected to via a data cloud called the ‘Combat Cloud’. What sounds like science fiction today will be reality in 2040. This is because such technologies will be flying in the Future Combat Air System, or FCAS for short, which will by then be operational in France, Germany and Spain and will gradually replace existing combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter or the Rafale. FCAS will be In our June edition, we heard from Airbus and how the OEM and its partners are working to ensure that the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) will be operational by 2040. BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE AIRBUS The FCAS Lab team uses simulators to fly virtual missions (below) FCAS Lab K ISSUE SPONSOR
10 October 2013 www.aeromag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com centred around a core Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS). In this ‘system of systems’, a New Generation Fighter (NGF) will work together with remote carriers (RC) and be connected to other systems in space, in the air, on the ground, at sea and in cyberspace via a data link and mission service cloud. Karl, a former German Air Force weapon system officer, is part of a Franco-German-Spanish team at Airbus testing how it all works at the company’s FCAS Prototyping Laboratory (FPL) in Manching, near Munich. Karl is not actually sitting in a real jet, but flying virtual missions in a simulator. “We research and work on solutions that don’t exist yet, but will be required in the future,” he explained. Johannes Horn, chief engineer FCAS simulation and virtualisation added: “Through these virtual missions, we gain ‘hands-on experience’ that helps us refine and assess new technologies and concepts as well as identify their technical, operational and integrational readiness. This eventually allows us to integrate the best solutions into the design and development of FCAS.” First flight deadline The clock is ticking, and Demonstrator Phase 1B is now in full swing: by 2025 the FCAS flight demonstrators will have been further developed. Demo Phase 2 will then see them take off for the first time: the remote carrier demonstrator in 2028 and the New Generation Fighter demonstrator in 2029. The production phase is scheduled to begin in the 2030s. Including the FPL team, Airbus currently has 250 people working on the FCAS and plans to have 800 doing so by the end of 2023. “We want to fill the new positions with both internal and external candidates,” said Bruno Fichefeux, head of FCAS programme at Airbus, adding that 80% of them will work in Engineering. “Working on FCAS is rewarding, both for experienced and new talents. After all, it’s not too often that you get the opportunity to work on the most important European defence project of the next decades.” On the Airbus side, this will take place mainly in four plateaus or integrated work areas: in Manching, with a focus on the New Generation Fighter, Remote Carriers and stealth technologies; in Getafe near Madrid, where work is being done on the New Generation Fighter and stealth technologies; in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, where work is being done on the combat cloud and remote carriers; and in Elancourt near Paris, where teams are working on the overall system of systems and the combat cloud. But how is collaboration with external partners set up? In the Phase 1B demonstration, it is divided into individual pillars, each of which has a leading company with partners, according to the ‘best athlete’ principle. Airbus, for example, is responsible for the remote carriers, combat cloud and stealth technologies. There will also be a plateau in Saint-Cloud, France, where Dassault Aviation will notably lead the New Generation Fighter pillar together with Airbus as a main partner. In the FCAS Demonstrator Phase 1B, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined: For each pillar, there is a leader, a so-called ‘prime’, and ‘main partners’ who are involved in the developments. Airbus, for example, is responsible for the remote carriers, combat cloud and stealth technologies. “As a European player in aerospace, collaboration is our daily business,” Fichefeux explained. After all, Airbus was founded on the very idea of working together to achieve what is impossible alone. “Of course, cooperation is not always easy, but ultimately, we strive with our partners to achieve a common goal: to provide our customers with the best possible equipment to fulfil their military missions to protect and defend our democracies.” Europe gains autonomy But why does Europe need its own system to do this, why not just buy an existing one off the shelf, for example in the US? “Firstly, there is no system yet that meets all the requirements,” stated Fichefeux. “Second, it’s about nothing less than European autonomy. Our air forces need to be able to operate where and when they think it’s strategically important, without black boxes in between. Not having that capability would be a tremendous loss of sovereignty.” The FCAS Lab team uses simulators to fly virtual missions. The aim is to research and work on solutions that don’t exist today, but will be needed in the future. Future requirements Back at the FPL, in their touchscreen simulators with virtual head-up display cockpits, Karl and his colleagues are about to take out an enemy’s ground based air defence system supported by unmanned assets and smart algorithms. They are not flying the mission alone, but in a team with colleagues in other simulators at the FCAS Lab and at Airbus’ Spanish site in Getafe near Madrid, all networked together. Blue (allies) versus red (threat) is the name of these exercises, which are designed to clarify the requirements that the future air combat system will have to meet. Conducting these exercises is no easy feat. They involve virtual cockpits built by Airbus Human Factors Engineering experts based on decades of experience. Added to that are virtual hostile forces challenging every carefully prepared mission plan, the simulation operators who closely evaluate whether their simulations behave correctly, and other experts who closely monitor the performance of their sub-systems and data to further mature their operational value and readiness. “Each exercise generates new ideas, matures concepts and provides handson experience of what a future digital engineering process might look like to maximise the system,” explained Horn. Meanwhile, Karl and his colleagues at the FCAS Lab in Manching are carrying out their mission with aplomb. This time, Blue is winning, not least because in the simulation FCAS already has everything that it needs: plenty of speed, an extensive sensor grid and the collaborative firepower of all the networked systems involved. www.airbus.com Photos Copyright Airbus Defence and Space 2023 Airbus currently has 250 people working on the FCAS (above) Scan here for more Airbus articles ISSUE SPONSOR
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12 October 2013 www.aeromag.com December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY AE Systems delivers a broad range of solutions and services enabling its customers to successfully carry out missions. The company has a long legacy of providing large-scale systems in engineering, integration, and sustainment services across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Working alongside academic and industrial leaders it develops emerging and game-changing technologies to ensure it continues to provide the world’s most advanced, technologyled defence, aerospace, and security solutions. What was the thinking behind developing systems that can help with pilot cognitive overload? Fighter pilots operate in a complex environment; they are exposed to extreme G-forces, engine noises, changing light levels, and visual instruments, all while performing fast jet operational manoeuvres – making cognitive overload a likely outcome. This can have dire consequences, especially when compounded by stressful situations like system failures or combat operations. At BAE Systems we have been measuring cognitive loads on pilots for many years and wanted to explore ways to give pilots more room to think, with the goal of alleviating the physical demands and mental workload of a cockpit environment. Can you tell us more about the haptic vests that you are developing? Why are these better than visual interfaces with the aircraft? We have been focusing on the best ways to draw the pilot’s attention to a particular issue when they are fully engaged with other operational tasks. We took a commercial off-the-shelf ‘haptic’ gaming vest, more commonly used to simulate the feel of action in virtual reality video games, and used it to create vibration alerts across a pilot’s chest and back. In airborne trials, the initial feedback has been incredibly positive, as vibration uses an entirely different part of the brain to the audiovisual cortex, which means it can be consciously registered more easily, especially in stressful situations. We have done multiple tests on pilots, comparing reaction times between visual and haptic vest cues. We have increased their cognitive load by giving pilots tasks to do on a computer tablet, simulating their attention being diverted elsewhere when the cue arrives. These trials showed the pilots were much more responsive to cues from the haptic vest, as they reacted more quickly and intuitively in comparison to other cues. Following positive trials of this technology in Back in July, Ed Hill caught up with BAE Systems’ Dr Jacob Greene and Chris Forrest to hear about the development of so called ‘haptic’ or tactile technology which improves prompts for pilots during complex and stressful combat situations to mitigate cognitive overload. B TAKING A LOAD OFF YOUR BAE Systems has caried out research into haptic feedback for pilots using its active stick technology (right) Mind Dr Jacob Greene, senior human factors engineer, BAE Systems (below) Chris Forrest, innovation and growth engineer, BAE Systems (bottom) ISSUE SPONSOR
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 13 small commercial aircraft, our next step is to progress it with military customers and sophisticated combat aircraft, as well as rolling it out in a training environment. Tell us more about the automation of aircraft management systems and evading missile attacks, etc.? Our new aircraft management system helps pilots under attack in the air by automatically tracking missile threats, and giving the pilot a haptic signal to help avoid them, mitigating the risk of cognitive overload. In the event of an inbound missile accelerating towards the aircraft, the haptic signal would move the flight stick just at the right time to take evasive action. We have been testing the technology at our simulator facility in Rochester to improve pilot performance and aircraft safety through threat warnings. In one scenario, we simulated very difficult flying environments for pilots, including reduced visibility and enemy attacks. We tested the impact of various inputs, including haptic feedback from the active flight stick, as well as 3D audio and visual cues through augmented reality glasses. Our tests aimed to determine what information we can efficiently deliver to the pilot when they are under a high cognitive load, in order to ensure that they perform to their maximum potential. Like the haptic vest trials, haptic cues via the active stick were the most effective medium in these high-stress environments. In fact, it was able to give more than one cue at a time! The flight stick technology has been adapted for both military aircraft, such as the F-35 and commercial jets such as the Gulfstream G500/600. Will there be a role for AI in the development of these systems? AI will undoubtedly play an increasingly significant role in the development of these systems as we create ever more realistic and complete synthetic environments to test and refine the capabilities that bring the most operational benefit. As an example, AI could generate the flight path and behaviour of airborne drone swarms in response to a variety of tactical situations, to test how our systems could assist a pilot interacting and managing those assets. As AI expert systems become more capable, and most importantly more reliable, we expect to see their staged deployment into these intelligent systems. Such a capability would be able to monitor both aircraft situation and pilot awareness in order to, for Scan here for more BAE Systems articles example, provide priority information to the pilot. Eventually we will see such systems able to respond to priority threats, be it through launching of defensive countermeasures, or actively controlling the aircraft to avoid an immediate threat such as an incoming missile, or collision hazard during low level manoeuvres. We are already seeing the significant benefit of employing this technology, particularly in terms of driving critical pace and efficiency across our programmes. This is allowing us to break the rising time and cost cycle of our ever more complex work. In partnership with academic and industrial leaders, for example, we are using data from the complex systems used in fast jets or gathered at our testing facilities to create simulations and prototypes more quickly and effectively than ever before. These can be used to test things like platform aerodynamics, real-time aircraft radar object recognition and stealth capability. Can this technology be retrofitted to aircraft and how will it develop from concept to being manufactured at scale? Our systems are constantly being refined in terms of their size, weight, and power footprint, and as such can be retrofitted to a range of aircraft, from lightweight two-seater propeller driven platforms, to future fast jet platforms. Design for manufacture is always a primary consideration in the development of our systems so they are manufacturable at scale and can be maintained and supported through life. We have a good track record of adapting our new technology to replace and enhance existing legacy capabilities, such as the digital LiteHUD retrofit replacing cathode-ray tubebased head-up displays. Will this research and technology contribute to the Tempest/FCAS programme? Absolutely, the capabilities required by Tempest in the future will be fulfilled through research and development projects such as this taking place today. With so much research going into automating various aspects of flying and deploying weapons, would it not be easier to develop more sophisticated UAVs? We are very clear that there are significant benefits to unmanned systems, an area we have been working in for many years, but there should always be a human ‘in the loop’ when it comes to key decisions. This technology instead brings mission benefits of freeing up the pilot to focus on higher order tasks, such as commanding assets and collaborating with multi-domain forces, while the lower order tasks are handled automatically and safely by the onboard systems. www.baesystems.com Haptic feedback research is likely to be part of the development of the sixth generation fighter Tempest (above) ISSUE SPONSOR
14 October 2013 www.aeromag.com December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: HELICOPTERS ill Helicopter’s founder, chairman and chief engineer, Jason Hill says he has always been fascinated by helicopters, particularly the freedom and the access to the lifestyle they offer. He is exactly the kind of person who should be buying a helicopter, but in his eyes there isn’t really anything on the market that meets his needs in terms of recreational flying. This is why his company is building the HX50 helicopter. Hill Helicopters is the first truly private luxury helicopter manufacturer based in the UK. Jason is a firm believer in the importance of manufacturing parts in-house. Traditionally, aircraft manufacturers have subcontracted much of the high-value components out to the aerospace supply chain. However, the costs can often ratchet up. Hill Helicopters uses a traditional model of what Jason describes as vertical integration, so if it is an expensive or important part of the helicopter, then it is made in-house at Hill Helicopters. Vertical integration within the aerospace industry is a simple idea: purchase the highest quality raw materials, add the maximum value to those materials in-house and then ship premium products out of the factory. Every business must go on its journey to get to this point. Over the last few months, Hill Helicopters has procured the necessary equipment required in terms of CNC machines, its composite materials manufacturing capability, its metrology equipment, and its castings facility to do everything in-house. The first wave of Hill Helicopters equipment has been installed, commissioned and as of now, can produce precision aerospace-grade components to the highest standards faster and at the lowest possible price point. It really forms the template for everything Hill Helicopters is doing across the entire programme. A precision decision According to Jason, it has never been easier to make precision parts with relatively small amounts of capital expenditure. Modern CNC machinery enables companies like Hill Helicopters to make precisionmachined components with a very small number of flexible machine tools that can scale very well – and these same machine tools can produce much of the tooling needed to make low-cost composite pattern & mould tooling too. Back in April, editor, Mike Richardson spoke to Hill Helicopters to hear why the company chose to invest in Okuma’s range of CNC machine tools supplied by UK agents, NCMT for the precision machining of its engine compressors. H COLLABORATE TO INNOVATE Hill Helicopters: the first UK-based private luxury helicopter manufacturer (above) Jason Hill, founder, chairman and chief engineer of Hill Helicopters (below) ISSUE SPONSOR
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 15 Pretty much everything required to make an aircraft, such as a composite fuselage, a rotor system - and even a gas turbine engine, can be done with modern CNC machinery. Hill Helicopters’ development centre – a smaller version of what will be in its full production facility - brings all of this capability in-house. The company has invested in its people, its machinery - and in ensuring it has the knowledge to produce precision aerospace parts. In a nutshell, this underpins the company’s take on vertical integration for helicopter production. “We perform in-house manufacturing of what will probably end up being the single most expensive part of our GT50 gas turbine engine that powers the helicopter,” Jason begins. “The compressor is an extremely challenging component to manufacture. It is incredibly ‘5-axis’ in that it is curved in every direction! We manufacture the thicknesses of the blades to very thin wall dimensions, plus there are tiny radii on the leading edges and tip clearances between the blades. The shrouds that the compressor sits in are tiny and are important to overall performance. The quality of surface finish is also key, and because it operates at close to 400˚C, the high grade titanium we use can be very difficult to machine. “Combine all these factors and it ends up being the most expensive part of the engine. Manufacturing this part in-house allows us to make it as costeffectively as possible. In addition, it gives us complete flexibility as we go through prototyping and development to make small design changes as we see fit - without having to contact a Scan here for more NCMT articles subcontract supplier and renegotiate another round of new developments. So, it is vital that we can make these parts ourselves.” A perfect balance NCMT recently exhibited Hill Helicopters’ HX50 turbine compressor wheel at the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics show held in Farnborough as part of a competition on its stand. As the UK agent for Japanese CNC machine tool builder Okuma, NCMT was chosen by Hill Helicopters as its equipment supplier for the manufacture of components currently being produced on the Okuma CNC machines at its facility - in particular, an Okuma GENOS 460V-5AX 5-axis vertical machining centre. “The Okuma GENOS range sits within a niche where they are very high quality machines, they are proven, have a great reputation in the aerospace sector, are very accurate and they are reliable in terms of delivering what we need,” explains Jason. “They are also cost-effective enough that when we put these machines to work - and they are producing compressors across two shifts every day - the contribution of the capital and the running costs of the machines to that part price is as efficient as it can be. These machines provide a perfect balance for a precision aerospace application at quality and cost. “We need to deliver a helicopter at the same price as a supercar, so the capital cost of our equipment against the performance it delivers - plus the machine tools’ productivity, is really important and very sensitive to us. Working with NCMT has been great. When we started with three empty factories, we needed to develop all the capabilities required to build all the parts of the helicopter engine, the gearboxes, and the drive train from scratch. It was vital to have the support of a very experienced partner in NCMT, a company that is completely up to speed, took onboard the real requirements, was able to point us in the right direction of the correct equipment in the range – and reassure us that this was the right combination between price point and performance for our application. Beyond that, the installation, support, and the after-sales care has been brilliant. We have brought our own capability in the company up to the level where it is today - and where we can produce these aerospace-grade components daily. “So, I would recommend NCMT to anyone. The goal that we are now working to is complete a first flight by the end of 2023 and then into production by the end of the following year. We’re going through planning permission for a factory large enough to support the incredible demand we have created for the product and there is still a great deal of engineering left to do. These are the targets we are currently aiming for and thanks to NCMT’s help, we are on track.” Proof, if proof were needed, that the true spirit of collaboration will always lead to truly inspired innovation. www.hillhelicopters.com www.ncmt.co.uk Editor’s note: At the time of writing, the first public unveiling of the HX50 in person is on December 7, 2023, at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire. An Okuma GENOS 460V-5AX 5-axis VMC supplied by NCMT (above) The HX50’s cabin delivers a complete rethink of helicopter flight (below) ISSUE SPONSOR
volito supplies high-performance, low-weight axialflux motors and controllers that are said to be smaller, lighter and with a higher safety factor than any other competing electric propulsion technology. Evolito’s products enable a range of new electric propulsion applications, helping to accelerate the aerospace industry’s move towards net zero. Firstly, tell me about your background and role at Evolito. When I joined YASA back in 2011, I didn’t anticipate the automotive sector being the lead opportunity for our technology. We knew the benefits that attracted automotive OEMs - YASA’s world-beating power to weight ratio - would be even more valuable in aerospace applications. Prior to the acquisition of YASA by Mercedes-Benz, we spun out YASA’s aerospace division as a new company - Evolito. I want to be clear: this isn’t about transplanting automotive technology into aerospace: we’re leveraging our experience of automotive electrification and series production and a technology that’s already robust and designed for scale. It’s a very disruptive and innovative approach for aerospace. We aim to provide best-in-class products that meet all the aerospace safety and regulatory requirements, but at the cost and scale required by the automotive industry. I see my role as developing the strategy, the technology and the team to meet aerospace’s emerging electrification market’s requirements. This isn’t set in stone; it’s in constant flux, so being agile is the key. My goal is to deliver the propulsion solutions OEMs and airframers need and being In a Q&A session back in February 2023, Evolito’s CEO, Chris Harris explained how Evolito is making all-electric flight a reality by offering both geared and direct-drive electric propulsion and battery solutions. E WE’RE HERE TO TRANSFORM AIR TRAVEL Evolito’s revolutionary electric motor technology is set to transform the way we fly (above) 16 October 2013 www.aeromag.com December 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT ISSUE SPONSOR
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing December 2023 17 able to scale to volume when the market requires. How far along the path are you in making electric aircraft a reality? In terms of the path to mainstream commercialisation of electric flight, we see an emerging market for both hybrid and pure electric aircraft, but we believe they will grow at different rates. There are several challenges to overcome before the eVTOL market can become mainstream. The barriers to entry for hybrid aircraft are lower than for eVTOL. As a result, we’re developing products to meet both hybrid and pure electric aircraft markets. The core products we’re developing are e-motors based on our proprietary axial flux motor technology and motor control units (MCUs) - the power electronics that sit between the energy source and our e-motor. We’re also developing integrated propulsion solutions incorporating our e-motors and MCUs. We’re taking the learning from YASA in terms of design for volume manufacture and combining this with the aerospace experience grown within the Evolito team to deliver e-motors and MCUs that meet all the necessary aerospace requirements and can scale to volume quickly when we see the market demand growing. We have access to all YASA’s manufacturing IP, patents, processes and know-how which enables us to install a production line for our e-motors that can deliver quantity at the necessary quality levels to meet aerospace requirements repeatedly in production. We’re also putting in place the necessary design and production organisation to enable certification of our products and we have strong and growing commercial relationships with general aviation OEMs, airframers and emerging eVTOL companies. We anticipate delivering first samples of both our next generation axial flux e-motors and MCUs later this year which will be used for internal testing at Evolito and testing at customer sites. We also anticipate seeing our e-motors and MCUs in experimental aircraft within the next two years. We’re approaching the market in a similar way to the path I previously took through automotive electrification at YASA. Tell me about your acquisition of Electroflight at the end of last year? We acquired Electroflight because it gives Evolito the capability to understand and address our customers’ challenges from a complete system level, including motor, MCU and battery. There are several challenges that need to be overcome from a battery perspective to enable growth of the all-electric aircraft market. This isn’t just about cell technology - there’s an infrastructure challenge and an ecosystem challenge that need to be solved too. Following this acquisition, our vision is to deliver complete propulsion systems. We know battery systems are going to strongly influence market adoption of electrification in the aerospace sector. Electroflight gives us the ability to address some fundamental industry challenges. What kinds of motor and battery power performance demands are placed on you by today’s airframers? Safety and the power to weight ratio of the electric propulsion unit (EPU) are the biggest drivers of demand from customers. Best-in-class competitor power-to-weight ratios right now seem to be around 7kW/Kg, whereas we’re aiming to deliver 13kW/Kg with our first products. Our axial-flux technology has a clear roadmap to even greater power to weight ratios in the future. The ability to deliver best-in-class performance at a systems level at the same time as meeting aerospace safety and quality standards at competitive pricing will be critical to enable the Electric propulsion solutions for fixedwing and eVTOL applications (below) Evolito’s CEO, Chris Harris (above) ISSUE SPONSOR
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