Iconic A5 aircraft successfully tests for FAA clearence

 ICON Aircraft is a consumer sport plane manufacturer founded in response to the sport flying category created by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2004. ICON’s first plane is the A5, an amphibious sport aircraft that fuses outstanding aeronautical engineering with world-class product design. It has won some of the world’s most prestigious design awards and has inspired a global following..

 

Structural testing of the ICON A5’s airframe is one of the final steps toward FAA approval and the culmination of years of design, engineering, and testing. Following months of preparation, these tests successfully confirmed that the A5’s airframe can sustain G-force loads well beyond those encountered within the normal flight envelope.

The A5 is supported in a fixture while the aft fuselage/tailboom and horizontal tail structures are being stress tested.

Research, design, and validation of new aircraft structures requires a variety of tests, and one of the last milestones on our way to FAA approval is airframe static-load testing. During static testing, the measured strength of the structure is compared to simulations and design specifications to validate a safe design. Ultimate static strength tests play a critical role in ensuring a structure like the A5 wing can withstand extreme loads caused by nature, such as wind shear or other large transient forces. Although these tests are an essential part of the testing phase, it is rare that a structure ever encounters stresses of this magnitude in the real world.

 The tests require strict adherence to the standards established by ASTM International, using detailed data acquisition and analysis models to evaluate how the A5’s carbon fiber structure responds to simulated flight loads. Based on those standards, weight was applied to the wings and horizontal tail of ESN-2 (Engineering Serial Number 2) while it was held in upright and inverted positions. The exercise simulated up to 4 Gs (limit load, the maximum the aircraft will experience during flight), and 6 Gs (ultimate load, which is 150% of limit load). The ultimate-load test involved applying enough weight to deflect the wingtips more than 18 inches.

ICON’s tests also confirmed that the A5’s flaps, aileron, and control linkages are able to operate freely with a full range of motion, ensuring there is no binding or jamming so the pilot can maintain full and safe control of the aircraft under high G loads.

The data produced by the testing successfully validated the A5’s structural integrity and will be used as reference materials in the FAA audit that confirms the A5’s airworthiness and clears it for serial production.The company has received more than 1,800 order deposits and was delivered the first production aircraft i

LCA-TEJAS MARK-II TO BE INDUCTED IN IAF FLEET

 The IAF wants the existing Tejas to have Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, new electronic warfare suite and an array of beyond visual range missiles; all the features that were planned to be part of Tejas Mk II, A fresh agreement, setting the LCA programme on a new course, was signed on September 23 by all the stakeholders, including Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, AeronauticalThe IAF wants the existing Tejas to have Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, new electronic warfare suite and an array of beyond visual range missiles.

The Indian Air Force will now induct 120 home-grown LCA instead of the 40 planned earlier.But an order jump, based on a complete rethink on the enormously delayed programme, rides on expectation that the current version of Tejas in the making, which lacks key features of a fourth generation fighter jet, will be packed with a power punch to overcome its outdatedness.Sources said the F-414 engines, which were to be used in Tejas Mk II replacing F404, can be used for the naval variant of Tejas which anyway requires a bigger power plant for carrier operations.

Having settled the problem of potency of the aircraft, the delivery continues to remain a major challenge.

HAL at the moment can produce only ght aircraft in a year. To fulfil IAF's new order it will have to double its capacity which will require herculean effort.

 The IAF hopes to have its maiden Tejas squadron with four aircraft by March 2016 while gradually incorporating the improvements.With a limited endurance and range of only 300 km, Tejas was conceived for operations only on the western border. But the whole orientation changed after 2009 when capacity building for a two front war scenario started.Officials hope that with the proposed additions, the existing version will be comparable to one of the best fighters in the world in its category.

The government feels that instead of concentrating on Tejas Mk II, all the energies for design and development could be focused on the indigenous fifth generation fighter Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). It has been proposed that a foreign consultant is hired on the AMCA project right from the beginning to avoid glitches later in the development programme. The feasibility report on AMCA is going to be finalised soon, said sources.

The Next Big Thing : Blended Wing Aircraft

Next up is a slightly more long-term prospect for cutting fuel use. Blended wing concepts have gained a lot of attention over the years, from the SAX 40 Silent Aircraft Initiative, which claims efficiency improvements of 35% while also reducing noise significantly. Meanwhile NASA and Boeing have flown some test flights with a remote piloted X-48B blended wing, closely resembles a flying wing though it differs in having its wing blend into a flat, tailless fuselage. This allows the aircraft to gain additional left with less drag — which leads to reduced fuel usage at ideal cruise conditions.which achieved fuel efficiency reductions of around 27%. But even when we do finally see commercially viable blended wings gracing our skies, they are not without their own drawbacks - in particular, critics have raised concerns about passenger comfort when banking if seated out on the extremities of the 'wing'

Ten Greatest Aviation Innovations in the World

1.  Cabin pressurization — The average passenger doesn’t think about cabin pressurization until their yellow safety masks fall from the ceiling, but the reality is that if the technology hadn’t been developed during WWII, we wouldn’t be able to fly much above 10,000 feet.

2. Black Box — The black box was invented in the mid-1950s, and not only helps investigators learn why a plane crashed, but how that information can be applied to other aircraft to prevent a repeat.

3. The Concorde — It never delivered on its commercial promise, and it was an environmental bad boy, but who can deny that breaking the sound barrier aboard a commercial aircraft is cool. And have you ever seen a more beautiful plane?

4. Radar — Sure, the airlines are dying to replace it with GPS technology, but for decades it’s been radar that helps air traffic controllers locate and track planes up to 200 miles away. Would our modern air traffic infrastructure exist without it? Probably not.

5. The jumbo jet — Whether you think they’re graceful or ungainly, you can’t deny that jumbo jets have changed the face of commercial aviation. The economies of scale provided by a 400-seat airliner meant airlines could offer cheap tickets that made it possible for the masses to fly.

6. The hub and spoke system — People hate, hate, hate having to make stopovers at jam packed airports controlled by a single airline. Yeah, they’re expensive to fly into and delay prone, but hub airports are a big part of the reason that you have 20 flights a day to choose from when flying between most large American cities.

7. The Very Light Jet (VLJ) — It’s been a tough road for the VLJ, with manufacturers suffering production problems and customers going out of business, but that doesn’t diminish the allure of a 37 foot, 3,500 pound plane designed to carry four to six passengers on short hops that would otherwise require a car ride.

8. Winglets — Here’s another one that most of us don’t think about. The small upward-pointing extensions at the tips of aircraft wings reduce drag, improve climb performance, increase range, and make flight more fuel efficient. With oil at over $100 a barrel, no wonder most airlines have added winglets across their fleets.

9. The flying wing — Yves Rossy keeps breaking records and defying expectations with his 8-foot-diameter, carbon composite flying wing. Last week he made a successful 13 minute, 125 mph trip across the English Channel.

10. Stealth aircraft — What’s cooler than a plane that can outsmart radar? Because the surfaces of a stealth are designed to absorb radio waves or reflect them away from the receiver, stealth planes can sneak in and sneak out undetected. 

Development of Unmanned Carrier Aircraft by US Navy

                                        

                                  

                                        

The US Navy is developing designs to compete for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Air Vehicle.The preliminary design review assessment is to support 

UCLASS, a system “to enhance aircraft carrier/air wing operations by providing a responsive, world-wide presence via an organic, sea-based unmanned aerial system, with persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting, and strike capabilities

UCLASS is to be an operational, jet-powered aircraft, able to carry out persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and engage in strike missions at ranges up to 2,000 nautical miles.

The basic technology for a carrier-based, unmanned jet aircraft has been proven by Northrop Grumman’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, which produced two test aircraft. The first carrier launch of the aircraft took place May 14, and the first landings were performed on July 10, successfully completing the test program requirements.

With the UCAS-D test program complete, Navy officials, had declared their intention to dispose of the two X-47Bs next year, probably to museums. However, on Aug. 13 NAVAIR officials modified that plan and announced the aircraft would continue to be used in testing programs.

Navy aviation officials are planning for the UCLASS to become operational with the fleet by 2020.

70-90 SEATER TURBO-PROP AIRCRAFTS ARE BACK

The turboprop is coming  back after five decades when  the jets  wiped out large Western propeller airliners..Pressure is building to expand the turboprop in the role that it has held since then as a fuel-efficient, short-haul passenger aircraft.ATR is now straining to meet demand for the 70-seat ATR 72, which, more than its high-performance competitor, the Bombardier Q400, is optimized for fuel economy. And, amid a general upward drift in airliner sizes, ATR's engineering team is one of five that are looking closely at building turboprops with at least 90 seats. The Franco-Italian company reckons the world will buy 1,340 such aircraft over the coming 20 years and says all its major customers want 90-seaters.

Despite the general similarity in appearance of turboprop airliners, at least four of the designs have crucial differences in cross-section, power and multi-version seating. Whichever of the five proposed types go to market—and it is unlikely that all will—they should be well-differentiated products, supporting the manufacturers' pricing power.

The proposals also vary in timing and probability of launch. Ranked roughly by those criteria, the five projects are the Avic MA700; the Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) of India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and the National Aerospace Laboratories; an aircraft from ATR; a possible stretch of the Bombardier Q400; and, least defined, the Korea Aerospace Industries DRA, backed by parts of the South Korean government.

Avic Aircraft's MA700 is due to go into service in 2018, but so far only with 78 seats. A longer version, the exact size of which is not yet fixed, will probably follow in the early-to-mid-2020s, if development is smooth. China's record in developing commercial aircraft is not reassuring. The ARJ21 regional jet by Avic spin-off Comac is seven years behind schedule, and the timetable for the successor C919 is close to missing its delivery target. But, having built the Antonov An-24 under license and then updated it twice as the MA60 and MA600, the Avic engineers have learned to crawl and walk before trying to run.

India's RTA is due for program launch in September, but it also would compete with current aircraft at first, beginning with a 70-seat version planned to enter service in 2020. The first stretch version is set to have 90 seats and, again, would probably not appear until well into the 2020s, even if the 70-seater is delivered on time. Seven years is a generous schedule, but the Indian team has less experience than the Chinese in commercial aircraft and Indian aircraft programs tend to be late. The development budget is 43.55 billion rupees ($726 million).

However well the products fit the market and the development programs are executed, the newcomers will lack the reputation and established customer base of ATR and Bombardier. Avic is ahead of its Asian competitors, since it has been selling the MA60 and MA600, though not to customers that demand certification recognized by Western authorities. Avic will probably also have the advantage of a protected home market. Not only does the Chinese government impose a hefty import tax on regional aircraft, it can also lean on state airlines to buy Avic's products and on state banks to finance them.

Proposed 90-Seat Turboprops

	MA700	RTA	ATR 90-seater	Q400 stretch	DRA
Seating, initial	78	70	90	90-100	72
Seating, stretch	About 90	90		N.A.	88
Fuselage width, meters (ft.)	3.0 (10)*	2.8 (9.2)	3.4 (11.2)*	2.7 (8.9)	3.0 (10)*
Fuselage height, meters (ft.)	3.0 (10)*	3.3 (10.8)	3.4 (11.2)*	2.7 (8.9)	3.0 (10)*
Under-floor cargo	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Max cruise, kph (kt.)	650 (351)	550 (300)	550 (300)*		680 (367)**
Status	Launched. EIS 2018	Launch imminent. EIS 2020	Ready for launch but under study pending approval.	Under study.	Under study. Partner sought.

HondaJet test aircraft lifts-off

The First ever commercial aircraft of HONDA , appropriately named the HondaJet, follows in the footsteps of the company's ground-breaking CB750 motorcycle and S600 sports car by aiming to provide superior performance and value - this time in the light business jet market. Continuing an intensive flight test regime to meet U.S. Federal Aviation Authority approval that began one year ago, the latest FAA-conforming test aircraft known as F2 has now begun flight testing out of the company's headquarters at Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport.

HONDA JET F2 made its maiden flight on November 18, 2011, performing a variety of checks during takeoff, climb and cruising phases. These included landing gear operation, flap operations, aircraft handling and air data system checks, followed by an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach and landing.

"The first flight of a flight test aircraft is an important milestone for an aircraft certification program, and the fact that we achieved F2's first flight shortly after receiving its engines illustrates our team's preparation and readiness," said Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, and the man responsible for the distinctive over-the-wing (rather than under-wing or fuselage-mounted) engine-mount design which goes back to 1997.

The first FAA-conforming HondaJet, the F1, which flew for the first time on December 20, 2010, has already achieved key benchmarks that meet or exceed the aircraft's designed performance goals. In March, Honda Aircraft reported the aircraft achieved a maximum speed of 425 KTAS (True Air Speed in Knots - 489 mph) at 30,000 feet, surpassing the company's performance commitment of 420 KTAS. The aircraft has since achieved a climb rate of 4,000 feet per minute, beating its target of 3,990 FPM, and a maximum operating altitude of 43,000 feet.

After nearly fifteen years in development, HondaJet is still claimed to be the most advanced light business jet aircraft, offering advantages in performance, comfort, quality and efficiency. Technological innovations, such as the unique over-the-wing engine-mount configuration for the two GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engines are claimed to improve performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. At the same time, this airframe design reduces noise inside the cabin and on the ground, as well as providing a roomier cabin with greater cargo space compared to a fuselage-mounted engine configuration. The flight deck is also leading edge with the Garmin G3000 next-generation all-glass avionics system, three 14-inch displays and dual touch-screen controllers.