Category: Air

Rolls-Royce is this year celebrating the achievements of an engine family that it says has transformed the way we travel.

Twenty-five years ago – on February 28, 1995 – the very first Trent engine powered the first Airbus A330 as it completed its delivery flight to Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.

Rolls-Royce say that those 25 years have seen the Trent family:

• Travel more than 145 million engine flying hours – the equivalent of 390 times to the sun and back
• Carry approximately 3.5 billion people on holidays, business and humanitarian missions
• Receive continued customer endorsement – there are now 132 Trent operators worldwide
• Transform Rolls-Royce from a business with single digit widebody market share to one that powers almost one in two widebody aircraft today
• Achieve a world record for time on wing – last year, an Aeroflot A330 powered by the Trent 700 reached 50,000 engine flying hours without requiring an overhaul

According to a news release from the firm:

“The seven-strong family is made up of the Trent 500, Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 900, Trent 1000, Trent XWB and Trent 7000. Each engine has been either the market leader on its designated aircraft, or first into service on that aircraft, and sometimes both. And while this month marks a celebration of 25 years since the first engine was delivered, it is actually not even half the eventual Trent story as engines continue to be produced to meet demand.

Ten years ago, 1,500 Trents were in service, today it is just over 4,000 and in ten years’ time it will be around 7,500. Trent engines being made today in the UK, Singapore and Germany will be in service for decades to come.”

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, said:

“I want to thank all of our customers and all of our partners who have taken the power of Trent engines and used it to support  a global aviation network. That network has offered passengers the opportunity to have incredible, life-enhancing journeys. We’ve had challenges along the way, and still do, and we are absolutely committed to dealing with any issues to ensure that the Trent family remains an outstanding product.

The Trent has been built on our relentless desire to be pioneers – to make our engines increasingly efficient, and by doing so find new ways to make flight ever more sustainable. And that spirit continues in our next-generation programmes, such as the UltraFan engine demonstrator and our electrification projects.”

Airbus Helicopters logged orders for 369 helicopters in 2019.

The company delivered 332 helicopters, including the landmark 1000th Super Puma, thus maintaining its lead in the civil & parapublic market with a 54% market share in terms of units.

According to a release from the company:

“On the civil side, the H125 and H145 remain best-sellers on the market with 130 and 91 bookings in 2019 respectively. Airbus Helicopters also reinforced its position in the military market thanks to key successes with international campaigns such as 23 NH90 for Spain and 25 H225M mainly for Hungary and Indonesia.

2019 saw Airbus Helicopters deploying its global support contracts on the military side with a key support contract for the NH90 in service in the German Army, the Tiger, Cougar and Caracal contracts in France, and a five-year extension of the through-life support contract for the Australian Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) Tiger. On the civil side, 250 additional helicopters were covered by global HCare contracts.”

“The increased contribution from support and services and key wins in the military sector in 2019 underlines the importance of our robust business model. The balance between our different revenue streams enables us to maintain our global leadership in a challenging civil and parapublic market” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO.

“Our customers place their trust in our solutions and our goal is keep providing them with improved products and services that keep them flying,” he added.

In 2018 the firm generated revenues of €64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000.

An Israeli based company has recently signed an agreement to partner up with Boeing.

The Israeli company, Tactical Robotics, has signed a partnership agreement with Boeing to study the development of ducted fan propulsion technology to be implemented in piloted and autonomous Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.

“The relationship between Boeing and Israel goes back about 70 years, and during that period Boeing has a long history of working in partnership with Israel’s technical and industrial sectors,” said Dennis D. Swanson, the VP of Boeing’s international sales.

“This MOU with Tactical Robotics builds on Boeing’s commitment to developing and investing in innovative technologies that lead to safe, reliable aircraft around the world.”

As part of the partnership, the two companies will explore and determine what are the opportunities that may come with developing, producing, and marketing VTOL “flying cars”, including the Israeli company’s Cormorant autonomous vehicle.

The Cormorant is an unmanned, single engine, VTOL aircraft that resembles a flying car in a way.

It is powered by internal lift rotors which allow the aircraft to fly, takeoff, and land in areas that other helicopters, tilt-rotors, and fixed wing aircraft cannot. Due to its relatively small size and ability to fly in mountainous, urban, and forested areas, the Cormorant may possibly revolutionize the way militaries deploy and rescue their troops.

The flying car has a high payload capacity and enough room on it to air lift up to two injured people. It can fly in most weather conditions and can have an optional rocket powered parachute system installed just in case an unlikely malfunction were to occur.

“Cormorant represents the first in a family of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can fly and land where no other aircraft can,” said the CEO of Tactical Robotic’ parent company, Urban Aeronautics.

“We can think of no better partner than Boeing to help us develop this product and utilize the Fancraft technology to its full potential.”

Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft from at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby were scrambled today to intercept Russian bombers as they entered the UK’s area of interest.

What is the difference between the UK area of interest and UK sovereign airspace?

Sovereign airspace is that airspace above the territory of a nation and the area of interest includes international airspace for which a country is responsible in some way, such as provision of air traffic control services.

The RAF routinely identify, intercept and escort Russian aircraft that transit international airspace within proximity to the UK’s area of interest.

The Typhoons were supported by Voyager tankers from RAF Brize Norton, Weapons Controllers from RAF Boulmer and Air Traffic Controllers from RAF Swanwick.

“At no point did these aircraft enter UK sovereign airspace. The Russian aircraft were shadowed by our Typhoons, along with QRA aircraft from our NATO partners in Norway and France.”

An RAF spokesperson said:

“This was a routine response to Russian aircraft approaching UK air space and was coordinated with several other NATO allies.”

RAF Personnel under the command of No. 8 RAF Force Protection Wing have arrived at Hindan Air Force base in India to take part in Exercise Indradhanush.

This exercise will see the Force Protection Force (RAF Police and RAF Regiment) working alongside Garud Regiment and Indian Air Force Police and Security personnel, say the RAF in a news release.

“Ex INDRADHANUSH is part of an ongoing bi-lateral UK/Indian Air Force exercise programme which commenced in 2013 with previous iterations involving fast jet, air transport and force protection personnel both in India and the UK.”

Wing Commander Lee Wales, Officer Commanding No. 8 RAF Force Protection Wing said:

“The FP Force are looking forward to training alongside the Garud Regiment and the IAF Police and Security; the training will strengthen relationships between both forces whilst exchanging Tactics, Techniques and Procedures and demonstrate FP Armoured Vehicle capability.”

The RAFP are deploying on Exercise INDRADHANUSH to demonstrate the crucial role they play in securing and enabling the delivery of Air Power through cross-domain Protective Security and Counter Intelligence.

The RAF Regiment will demonstrate the Complex Air Ground Environment (CAGE) – the environment in and around an operational airfield and how a specialist Force Protection Force ensure the Service’s capabilities and personnel are PROTECTED whilst enabling air operations.

The US State Department has approved a possible sale to Israel of up to eight KC-46 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today, this is displayed below.

“The Government of Israel has requested to buy up to eight (8) KC-46 aircraft; up to seventeen (17) PW4062 turbofan engines (16 installed, 1 spare); and up to eighteen (18) MAGR 2K-GPS SAASM receivers (16 installed, 2 spares). Also included are AN/ARC-210 U/VHF radios, APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe transponders, initial spares and repair parts, consumables, support equipment, technical data, engineering change proposals, publications, Field Service Representatives (FSRs), repair and return, depot maintenance, training and training equipment, contractor technical and logistics personnel services, U.S. Government and contractor representative support, Group A and B installation for subsystems, flight test and certification, other related elements of logistics support and training. The total estimated program cost is $2.4 billion.

The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.

The proposed sale further supports the foreign policy and national security of the United States by allowing Israel to provide a redundant capability to U.S. assets within the region, potentially freeing U.S. assets for use elsewhere during times of war. Aerial refueling and strategic airlift are consistently cited as significant shortfalls for our allies. In addition, the sale improves Israel’s national security posture as a key U.S. ally. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

The proposed sale comes despite delays in the programme. The main question is about the viability of its refueling function. The US Air Force has found significant problems with the KC-46’s remote vision system, essential in trying to line up and attach the refueling boom to the aircraft seeking to fill up its tanks.

The first KC-46 was delivered to the US Air Force a year ago and the service has ordered 179 of the planes. Israel is the second country to be approved for the KC-46 and Boeing is building two of the aircraft for Japan.