September 20, 2021 - No. 73 In This Issue : The windowless cabin design that could be the future of air travel : Aerospace industry warns new green tech projects risk leaving UK : Shell announces ambition to produce 2 million tonnes of SAF a year : Neonode-Powered Smart Luggage Carrier by Shanghai Yihang Internet Technology Deployed at Beijing Daxing International Airport : Universal Hydrogen Announces New Engineering Development Center Located In Toulouse, France, the Heart of European Aviation : Flying Car Trade Secrets Dispute to Be Heard on the Merits : PRATT & WHITNEY AWARDED FUNDING BY FAA FOR $50M EFFORT TO FURTHER DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES : Boeing 'Stringray' refueler aircraft to be built in Mascoutah : Urban-Air Port announces development plan for 65 urban air mobility infrastructure hubs worldwide in partnership with Hyundai Motor Group : All eyes on Alice, the electric plane made in Arlington : Inspiration4’s successful splashdown is just the beginning of private spaceflight for SpaceX The windowless cabin design that could be the future of air travel (CNN) -- Looking out the cabin window and seeing cities and oceans from above is, for many of us, one of the joys of flying. But aviation innovators Rosen Aviation reckon this experience could be taken to the next level, rendering actual airplane windows obsolete. The American aviation company is touting its Maverick Project airplane cabin design as the next frontier of inflight experience. A key part of the package? Virtual windows. "The Maverick Project was born from trying to bring tomorrow's technology into tomorrow's plane," says Lee Clark, Rosen's senior VP for strategy. "Tomorrow's technology", according to Rosen, also means touchless controls, holograms and a sleek, futuristic aesthetic. Clark tells CNN Travel that while some of these features have become more common on the ground in recent years -- think smart homes -- airplane cabins haven't really caught up. "The Maverick Project originated because the industry at large is somewhat lagging behind the domestic, residential and automotive worlds," he says. Rosen, working in collaboration with KiPcreating and Sky-Style, wants to change this dynamic with the Maverick Project. But while the visual renderings look flashy, Clark says the goal isn't to go high tech simply for the sake of it. "The critical piece is it's about the passenger experience, it's not about the technology," says Clark. "One of the elements that is most critical for Rosen is the integration of technology seamlessly, that it's almost invisible technology." Rosen envisages the Maverick Project working in a private jet, but the company also plans to exhibit a commercial version at next year's Airport Interiors Expo, an annual industry event highlighting innovation in cabin design. "It completely fits into business, first class -- and I think some of those technologies can even trickle down to the coach environment," says Clark. Virtual windows Rosen's Maverick Project has made waves in the aviation world -- not long after the design premiered in 2020 it was nominated for an International Yacht & Aviation Award, and was also on the Judges' Choice shortlist at this year's Crystal Cabin Awards. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's the fake windows that have particularly turned heads. "It seems the virtual skylights and virtual windows are among the hottest of topics because they bring in that ability to incorporate augmented reality, some artificial intelligence, and they transform that little porthole window we've been living with for decades into something more immersive," says Clark. The idea is a virtual window could depict the world outside the airplane via an OLED screen overlaid with detail. If the airplane is flying over a mountain range, for example, the screen will flash up with information on the landmark. The result is the windows are less structural concepts, and more part of the inflight entertainment (IFE). The Maverick Project isn't the first windowless plane concept. A few years ago Dubai-based airline Emirates premiered a design for a "fully enclosed first class private suite" using real-time fibre-optic camera technology to create virtual windows. If you're even a little bit claustrophobic, the idea of being on a windowless plane might fill you with dread. Some aviation experts have also raised concerns about the logistics of windowless aviation in the past. Rosen recently completed a research project in partnership with the University of Colorado and Textron Aviation, examining people's response to virtual windows. Clark says he's not at liberty to disclose too much about the study's findings, but that the response among subjects was overwhelmingly positive. Clark adds there are other advantages to revolutionizing cabin windows. "From an engineering perspective, virtual windows bring many, many benefits from structural integrity, to lightweight to aerodynamics." But Clark emphasizes that the main aim of the Maverick Project's window design is to enhance the journey for travelers. Touchless technology Rosen's Maverick Project also uses touchless technology -- in the wake of Covid-19, more appealing than ever. "This was all developed and created well before Covid ever came along," says Clark. "It was just a natural and intuitive way to control things -- and it just happens to have the benefit that it's touchless and hygienic." But while the Maverick Project has attracted accolades and attention, the fact that the aviation world, as Clark puts it "lags significantly" behind technology on the ground, could pose a problem. Complying with regulations stipulated by the US Federal Aviation Administration and International Air Transport Association means airplane designers can't easily or quickly eradicate windows or upend cabins. "This not only adds to timelines and budgets, but also leads suppliers and manufacturers to operate very conservatively," says Clark, "It's really no fault of their own, but does have less than ideal consequences." Clark suggests "integrated partnerships" could be one way to circumvent this potential roadblock. Still, Clark says Rosen is also working "with a global leading major airline" on "how we elevate their IFE provision." While details of this collaboration are still under wraps, perhaps some modified aspects of the Maverick Project could become a reality on planes before long. https://www.cbs58.com/news/the-windowless-cabin-design-that-could-be-the-future-of-air-travel Aerospace industry warns new green tech projects risk leaving UK Aerospace industry executives have warned that cutting-edge new technologies could be developed overseas if the UK government does not step up its funding for research and development. The industry has been in discussions with ministers over ensuring state support for research into next-generation technologies such as electric aviation and hydrogen-powered aircraft, seen as vital if the UK is to reach its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Funding for this research has in the past been funnelled through the Aerospace Technology Institute. However concerns about the government’s commitment to the sector were fuelled in the spring when it emerged that the ATI had suspended funding for new research projects until next year. The timing of the move was greeted with dismay by the industry, given the government’s green agenda. The institute’s annual research budget of £300m is currently funded equally by industry and government. The industry is asking for the government’s total share to rise to about £3.8bn to 2030, which would be matched by industry, according to people with knowledge of the situation. This level of support would potentially unlock up to £27bn of investment from industry up to 2050. Senior industry executives attended a meeting with business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng earlier this month to discuss what the sector could achieve with more funding ahead of next month’s spending review, several people familiar with the situation confirmed. While the industry was ready to invest in the UK, companies needed to be sure of a long-term commitment from government, especially in the face of international competition, said one executive. The message, said the executive, was: “Please invest in the industry, there is money ready to go if the government steps up.” A second said: “You can’t play catch-up in this sector if this investment goes abroad.” Many have pointed to the much more generous levels of support provided to the sector by France and Germany during the pandemic, much of it tied to decarbonisation. The ATI, whose project partners include large players such as Airbus and Rolls-Royce as well as smaller companies, was created in 2013 as a collaboration between government and industry to set the sector’s technology strategy. About 80 per cent of its current research projects contribute in some way to lower emissions, according to the ATI. Informal feedback from its members received by ADS, the industry trade body, in the immediate aftermath of the decision to suspend funding found that about half said it would be difficult for their companies to invest in the UK if there was no government support, multiple people confirmed. The move, said one senior aerospace executive, was also “completely at odds with the government’s net zero commitment”. “At a point in time when next-generation technologies are being launched from a global aerospace industry, the view was that they don’t care about it,” they added. Relations between the industry and the UK’s business department have improved since the spring, said several executives. Kwarteng is seen as supportive of the sector but concerns remain about the level of monetary support for the ATI. Kevin Craven, chief executive of ADS, declined to comment on the recent meeting with Kwarteng, but said: “Cutting-edge R&D projects are ready for investment that could reach a peak annual level of up to £650m from ATI programmes in the years ahead, securing industry investment in the UK worth billions of pounds by 2050.” The industry and government, he added, were “working closely and constructively together to make sure aerospace R&D investment maximises the contribution to UK prosperity within the global market opportunity of developing next-generation aviation technology”. The department of business said the UK had a “clear strategy to ensure the aerospace industry in particular remains a global leader”. “Guided by the UK aerospace Technology Strategy, we are investing £1.95bn from 2013 to 2026 in aerospace research and development through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, making the total investment £3.9bn to 2026 when matched by industry.” https://www.ft.com/content/45f812eb-475f-484c-a9d6-b28a2d44bbd4 Shell announces ambition to produce 2 million tonnes of SAF a year Shell has announced its ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025. It also aims to have at least 10% of its global aviation fuel sales as SAF by 2030. This follows the oil and gas company’s revelation that it is to build a 820,000-tonnes-a-year biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park in Rotterdam. “Currently, sustainable aviation fuel accounts for less than 0.1% of the world’s use of aviation fuel. We want to help our customers use more SAF,” said Anna Mascolo, President of Shell Aviation. “With the right policies, investments and collaboration across the sector we can accelerate aviation’s progress towards net zero by 2050. “Last week we announced that we have taken a final investment decision for a new biofuels plant at our Rotterdam Energy and Chemicals Park. Shell also offers certified nature-based carbon credits to offset emissions, and we are exploring other ways to help aviation get to net zero, including hydrogen power.” The announcement came as Shell published two reports looking at how the aviation sector can accelerate its progress towards decarbonisation. Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off is a joint report by Shell and Deloitte, based on the views of more than 100 aviation industry executives and experts. It said that the current global industry targets were not ambitious enough, and that the aviation sector should aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The report outlines 15 ways to reduce emissions between now and 2030 that will help aviation to reach net zero by 2050. Shell’s companion report Decarbonising Aviation: Shell’s Flight Path outlined how Shell, as one of the world’s largest suppliers of aviation fuel and lubricants, could help its aviation customers decarbonise. Currently, Shell supplies SAF made by others. Achieving the new ambition would make Shell a leading global producer of SAF and support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector. https://biofuels-news.com/news/shell-announces-ambition-to-produce-2-million-tonnes-of-saf-a-year/ Neonode-Powered Smart Luggage Carrier by Shanghai Yihang Internet Technology Deployed at Beijing Daxing International Airport Neonode Inc., announces that Shanghai Yihang Internet Technology ("SYIT"), a Neonode customer in China, has been selected by Beijing Daxing International Airport to deploy their smart luggage carrier featuring Neonode touch sensor modules. The smart airport trolley developed by SYIT, called uGO, is a portable luggage carrier that is equipped with a touchscreen display to guide, inform, and entertain passengers with real-time departure and airport information in their native language. The uGO trolley is made for demanding public environments where durability, image quality and power consumption are key. The responsive touch screen display unit is powered by Neonode touch sensor modules. In August 2021, uGO started to be deployed at Beijing Daxing International Airport and the rollout will continue at other Chinese airports during Q4, 2021. "I am happy to have SYIT as a customer and look forward to the market adoption of their competitive product offering as a great addition to our already strong presence of contactless touch solutions in the airport domain," said Urban Forssell, CEO of Neonode Tyler Jin, CEO of SYIT, said: "We are impressed by the versatility and performance of the Neonode products and found it a perfect fit for the uGO airport trolleys. We are now eager to accelerate the rollout at airports." https://www.aviationpros.com/gse/baggage-cargo/press-release/21238957/neonodepowered-smart-luggage-carrier-by-shanghai-yihang-internet-technology-deployed-at-beijing-daxing-international-airport Universal Hydrogen Announces New Engineering Development Center Located In Toulouse, France, the Heart of European Aviation TOULOUSE, France & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Universal Hydrogen Co., the company leading the fight to decarbonize aviation through the adoption of hydrogen as a universal fuel, announced today after an extensive search process that it will locate its second engineering and design center in Toulouse, France, Europe’s leading city for aviation manufacturing and innovation. The company is leasing the historic Hangar B16 at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, and appointed Airbus veteran Pierre Farjounel as General Manager of its European operations. Farjounel most recently served as the Head of Digital Continuity & Information Systems for Airbus’ next generation of aircraft. The center will initially focus on the development of a liquid hydrogen capsule for Universal Hydrogen’s modular storage and logistics system. As it grows through the course of 2022, the engineering center will also support the development of conversion kits for retrofitting regional aircraft with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, as well as development of modular hydrogen storage technology for single aisle, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and other applications. “Decarbonizing aviation in a timeframe to meet Paris Agreement targets, the importance of which has been further underscored by the recent and devastating IPCC report, demands a global effort, including the best and brightest aviation has to offer,” said Farjounel. “We have come to Toulouse because its resources — its engineering talent, suppliers, and manufacturing base, as well as its spirit of innovation — are unparalleled.” “We warmly welcome the decision of Universal Hydrogen to set up an engineering and design center in Toulouse since it will contribute to the ongoing development of zero-carbon aviation and hydrogen energy production,” said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region. “The deployment of hydrogen is a priority for the Occitanie Region, which recently launched a green hydrogen development plan for the period 2019-2030 with a budget of €150M. Universal Hydrogen will benefit from a unique ecosystem in the Occitanie Region to further develop its expertise and become a key global player in the effort to decarbonise aviation.” “Universal Hydrogen’s decision to establish an engineering and design center at the airport is great news for Toulouse leadership,” said Philippe Crébassa, Chairman of the Board of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (ATB). “It strengthens ATB’s position at the forefront of innovation for carbon-free aviation. With the HyPort station, hydrogen will be real at Toulouse airport by the end of this year and we look forward to partnering with Universal Hydrogen to leverage exciting synergies.” Universal Hydrogen has deep connections to the Toulouse region. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Paul Eremenko, formerly served as Airbus’ Chief Technology Officer, leading a variety of electrification and decarbonization initiatives. Mark Cousin, Universal Hydrogen CTO, served as Technical Director for the Airbus Beluga XL program and subsequently as Senior Vice President for Flight Demonstrators. Tom Enders, former Airbus CEO, and John Leahy, former Airbus Chief Commercial Officer both serve on Universal Hydrogen’s Strategic Advisory Board. In addition to Toulouse, Universal Hydrogen continues to work with other regions in France, as well as Germany and the Netherlands, to further accelerate its engineering and manufacturing capabilities. In May 2021, the company was one of 11 winners of the Paris Region’s “H2 Hub Airport” competition, sponsored by Airbus, ADP Group, and Air France KLM, and is working to develop a full-scale hydrogen aviation demonstration, as well as a regional service center in the Paris Region by the end of next year. The company takes a unique approach by focusing on the entire value chain necessary to enable hydrogen-powered aviation, including providing hydrogen fuel services to airline customers, as well as introducing the first commercially-relevant hydrogen aircraft into passenger service in 2025 through the retrofit conversions of Dash-8 and ATR72 regional aircraft. Icelandair, Ravn Alaska, and Spain’s Air Nostrum have signed letters of intent with Universal Hydrogen to convert portions of their existing and future fleets to hydrogen power and to enter into long-term hydrogen fuel supply contracts using Universal Hydrogen’s modular fuel distribution network. The company completed its Series A investment round earlier in the year, led by prominent Silicon Valley venture fund, Playground Global, with an investor syndicate comprised of Airbus Ventures, Global Founders Capital, Plug Power, Fortescue Future Industries, Coatue, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Toyota Ventures, and Sojitz Corporation. For more information or to apply for open positions please visit https://boards.greenhouse.io/universalhydrogen. About Universal Hydrogen Universal Hydrogen is making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a near-term reality. The company takes a flexible, scalable, and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites to airports around the world. To accelerate market adoption, Universal Hydrogen is also developing a conversion kit to retrofit existing regional airplanes with a hydrogen-electric powertrain compatible with its modular capsule technology. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210919005046/en/Universal-Hydrogen-Announces-New-Engineering-Development-Center-Located-In-Toulouse-France-the-Heart-of-European-Aviation Flying Car Trade Secrets Dispute to Be Heard on the Merits As the sci-fi dream of commercialized flying cars seems close to landing in reality, the electronic vertical takeoff and landing (“eVTOL”) industry is heating up, spurring new bouts over trade secrets. Wisk Aero LLC (“Wisk”) is a veteran eVTOL company, and has been developing the technology for over a decade. The aircraft they manufacture are often described as “air taxis” or “flying cars.” The technology behind these aircraft is now at a sufficiently sophisticated stage that commercialized versions are imminent. Defendant Archer Aviation Inc. (“Archer”) is one of the companies seeking to capitalize on the budding market for these vehicles, and is a relative newcomer in the industry. In furtherance of its business, Archer hired numerous engineers away from Wisk. After discovering that some of those newly hired engineers had downloaded Wisk confidential documents before their departure to Archer, Wisk brought claims in the District Court for the Northern District of California under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”), 18 U.S.C. § 1836 et seq., and the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“CUTSA”), Cal. Civ. Code § 3426 et seq., alleging that Archer misappropriated numerous trade secrets in its quest to bring a viable aircraft to market on an accelerated timetable. Wisk ultimately filed an amended complaint, and sought a preliminary injunction to prevent Archer from using its allegedly misappropriated trade secrets. In turn, Archer moved to dismiss Wisk’s complaint. On August 24, 2021 Judge William Orrick denied both motions, as well as an additional motion to strike brought by Archer, and ruled that the case would have to be determined on the merits. See generally Wisk Aero LLC v. Archer Aviation Inc., No. 3:21-CV-02450-WHO, 2021 WL 4073760 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 24, 2021). In its motion to dismiss, Archer argued that Wisk failed to identify its trade secrets with reasonable particularity and failed to demonstrate that the trade secrets were in fact kept in secrecy, and held independent economic value as secrets, pursuant to CCP § 2019.210. The court held that 2019.210 does not require a plaintiff to “illustrate the measures taken to maintain the trade secrets’ secrecy and how they derive independent economic value from that secrecy” at the pleading stage. Wisk Aero, 2021 WL 4073760 at *13. In doing so, the judge corrected a statement he made in dicta in Openwave Messaging, Inc. v. Open-Xchange, Inc., No. 16-CV-00253, 2018 WL 2117424 (N.D. Cal. May 8, 2018), in which he wrote that these two elements needed to be included “to satisfy the Section 2019.210 disclosure requirement.” Id. The court also held that Wisk sufficiently alleged misappropriation based on allegations that Archer hired away numerous Wisk employees around the same time thousands of files, many allegedly containing trade secrets, were downloaded from Wisk drives. The court also pointed to a presentation by Archer on aircraft design containing hundreds of slides created by in a suspiciously short amount of time after the departure of many of the Wisk employees. Archer essentially argued that even if Wisk employees did take trade secrets, there was no allegation that Archer knew of these trade secrets. The court found this unavailing, writing, “At the very least, the allegedly implausible development timeline concurrent with the influx of former Wisk employees reasonably implies that Archer ‘had reason to know’ that the Maker was improperly derived in part from Wisk’s trade secrets.” Id. at *15. Despite ruling in Wisk’s favor on the Motion to Dismiss, the court rejected its Motion for Preliminary Injunction after concluding that Wisk was unlikely to succeed on the merits. Wisk pointed to several different technological systems within its eVTOL aircraft designs that it asserts were misappropriated by Archer, but third-party testimony proved fatal for Wisk. For example, Wisk provided a detailed argument that its Battery System Management Architecture (BSM) was misappropriated. However, a disinterested third party provided a declaration on Archer’s behalf that it had provided the BSM for the Maker, and that none of Wisk’s technology was involved. Another disinterested third party provided a declaration that for the Motor Control Algorithms and Architecture, the third party provided the motors requested by Archer and that the necessary configuration (including algorithms), and that it was not stolen from Wisk. The court also rejected Wisk’s argument that Archer hired one of its engineers to “recreate” a Motor Optimization Model, holding that the record evidence showed that the engineer was hired to design a model for the same purpose as the trade secret Wisk alleges was misappropriated. But the record did not show that the engineer was hired to, or in fact did, use Wisk’s trade secrets to recreate the very model developed by Wisk. Wisk’s other arguments also fell short. For example, Wisk alleged that other trade secrets had to be misappropriated based on the improbably short time it took Archer to model, simulate, and test the aerodynamics of the Maker, but the court held that although evidence of a fast timeline could be evidence of misappropriation, Wisk’s evidence and expert declarations failed to show that the Maker would have had to use Wisk’s technology, and not just similar technology. The court found no evidence to suggest that the technology used to develop the Maker had to come from Wisk. The court noted that there are many competitors in the eVTOL industry, and the technology could have come from a number of places. The court also acknowledged that thousands of documents downloaded by a former engineer, later hired by Archer, was suspicious, but noted that Wisk failed to discuss the specific contents of those documents, and was unable to tie those documents to the trade secrets it alleged were misappropriated or the technology used in the Maker. Wisk’s silence on what seemed to be marquee evidence, the court said, was “telling.” Id. at *24. The court considered the totality of the circumstances and concluded that, while Wisk had adequately pled misappropriation, the evidence did not demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits that Archer had misappropriated Wisk’s trade secrets. As air taxis or flying cars become commercially viable, the rush to market is likely to incite aggressive hiring of qualified engineers, and stoke suspicions of trade secret misappropriation within the industry. This case may prove to be a bellwether for similar disputes to come. https://www.crowelltradesecretstrends.com/2021/09/flying-car-trade-secrets-dispute-to-be-heard-on-the-merits/ PRATT & WHITNEY AWARDED FUNDING BY FAA FOR $50M EFFORT TO FURTHER DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES East Hartford, Conn., September 20, 2021 – Pratt & Whitney and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investing $50 million to develop an ultra-quiet engine fan and advanced combustion technology designed to reduce noise, emissions, and fuel consumption as part of the third phase of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN III) initiative. Pratt & Whitney has been an FAA partner since the program’s inception in 2010. Pratt & Whitney will match the FAA’s $25 million funding for the development of technologies that will continue to make jet engines more fuel efficient, leading to lower emissions, and helping make air travel more sustainable. Pratt & Whitney ushered in a new era of commercial propulsion with the introduction of the Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine for single-aisle aircraft in 2016. Since its introduction in 2016, the GTF family of engines has helped 54 operators save more than 500 million gallons of jet fuel and avoid 4.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 over 9.3 million flight hours. “We are honored to continue to partner with the FAA to explore advanced engine technologies and deliver additional significant fuel savings and environmental benefits. This third award is a result of our proven track record over the last 11 years, working on FAA CLEEN I and II strategies and deliverables,” said Frank Preli, vice president of propulsion and materials technologies at Pratt & Whitney. Previous CLEEN awards in 2010 and 2015 supported the development of an ultra-low fan pressure ratio engine coupled with a short inlet, as well as compressor and turbine technologies that build upon the company’s revolutionary geared engine architecture. Pratt & Whitney will use these advancements as a base to drive even higher efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions in its GTF engines. “Our GTF engines already offer the highest efficiency and lowest CO2 emissions for single-aisle aircraft – with a dramatically smaller noise footprint,” said Tom Pelland, senior vice president of GTF engines at Pratt & Whitney. “Today’s FAA CLEEN III award will help us build on that success and aligns with our focus on driving sustainable solutions for our customers and the industry.” https://www.aerialfiremag.com/pratt-whitney-awarded-funding-by-faa-for-50m-effort-to-further-develop-sustainable-propulsion-technologies/ Boeing 'Stringray' refueler aircraft to be built in Mascoutah A new high-tech Navy plane will be built in Illinois. Boeing has announced it will build the MQ-250 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler at a nearly 300,000 square foot facility at the MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah. It is the Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Construction of the facility is expected to begin later this year and be completed by 2024. As part of its agreement with the state, Boeing has committed to an initial investment of at least $200 million over 15 years. “Right here, MidAmerica Airport, it is a cornfield now, but it is going to be a field of dreams when it comes to aviation and protecting America,” said Senator Dick Durbin at Friday’s announcement. For two years, Boeing and the Navy have been flight testing the MQ-25 test asset from MidAmerica Airport, where in recent missions it has refueled a F/A-18 Super Hornet and an F35C Lightning II. The new production center is expected to create 150 initial jobs, including mechanics, engineers and support staff, but officials say employment could reach up to 300 with additional orders. “The team and state-of-the-art technology we’re bringing to the Navy’s MQ-25 program is unprecedented, and we’re incredibly proud to be expanding both as we build the future of autonomous systems in Illinois,” said Kristen Robertson, general manager of Autonomous Systems at Boeing Defense, Space and Security. The Navy intends to procure more than 70 Stingray aircraft and a majority of those will be built at the new facility. The new MQ-25 facility will be in addition to existing manufacturing operations at Boeing St. Clair, which produces components for the CH-47 Chinook, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and other defense projects. https://www.advantagenews.com/news/boeing-stringray-refueler-aircraft-to-be-built-in-mascoutah/article_c698c13a-1943-11ec-9af4-231db0e35e26.html Urban-Air Port announces development plan for 65 urban air mobility infrastructure hubs worldwide in partnership with Hyundai Motor Group UK start-up Urban-Air Port has announced plans with the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group to develop 65 electric urban-air ports worldwide to meet the growing demand for autonomous airborne drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles. The partnership aims to establish a global network of urban-air ports and provide the essential infrastructure to unlock clean urban air mobility worldwide. The partnership forms a key part of Urban-Air Port’s plan to build 200 sites globally in the next five years. Investment in the urban air mobility industry has exploded this year, with $4.7 billion announced to develop eVTOL vehicles. Companies including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium and Vertical Aerospace have all announced SPAC (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company) investments to bring eVTOLs to market within the decade. The industry is forecast to hit $1 trillion in the next 20 years. However, the lack of infrastructure to support these vehicles is a significant block on market growth. Experts at NASA say infrastructure constraints will create a substantial barrier to urban air mobility in the near term. Despite this, only three per cent of the investment so far this year ($150m) is in the physical infrastructure. Urban-Air Port is the only company solely focused on deploying the infrastructure technology essential for eVTOLs and delivery drones to operate. It plans to plug the infrastructure gap with more than 200 electric air mobility hubs worldwide to meet expected global demand in the next five years. The world’s first fully operational urban-air port – Air-One – will be unveiled early next year in Coventry, UK. Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, said: “The sector is soaring, and we know that a future with electric flying vehicles and drones in cities is going to be a reality soon. But it can’t happen if we don’t have the infrastructure on the ground and in the air to make it happen. Urban-Air Port will change the way we travel forever – unlocking clean urban air transport for everyone, improving connectivity in congested cities, cutting pollution and boosting productivity.” Urban-Air Port’s modular hubs are specifically designed for compact environments, supporting any eVTOL or drone vehicle, and with maintenance and charging able to take place on-site. The ultra-compact off-grid design enables urban-air ports to be located in dense urban areas and remote locations. It can be easily moved to alternative sites as the air-mobility sector develops. This design also means the sites are ideal for disaster emergency management, such as natural disasters. Urban-air ports can rapidly deploy drones and other eVTOL vehicles to collect and transport emergency supplies, equipment and people where needed. To support this future, Urban-Air Port today also announces a partnership with world-leading Hydrogen Fuel Cell pioneer AFC Energy PLC, to provide zero-emission off-grid power for future sites. The system will be deployed at Urban-Air Port’s Air One site in Coventry. Uniquely, Urban-Air Port is designed as an integrated hub for all sustainable transport, including drones, eVTOLs, electric vehicles (EVs), buses or scooters, ensuring an integrated approach to decarbonisation cities. Cargo and passengers can be safely and quickly loaded and unloaded, integrating seamlessly with onward transport. At the same time, EVs, buses and scooters can access on-site charging. Urban-Air Port is also developing a digital app-based platform to enable seamless door-to-door travel. Hyundai Motor Group will work with Urban-Air Port to develop 65 sites in key locations across the US, UK, EU and the Asia Pacific. The partnership represents a statement of confidence in the ability of the UK-based company to unlock the global market before 2030. It is an integral part of Hyundai Motor Group’s vision to provide smart mobility solutions for the changing world. The Group is developing its eVTOL vehicle, in tandem with helping create the supporting ecosystem, and plans to enter service in 2028. Pamela Cohn, Chief Operating Officer and US General Manager for the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group, said: “Urban Air Mobility will be integral to how we get from A to B this century. Hyundai Motor Group has a bold vision for future mobility and is committed to making the human and technological investments needed to usher in a new transport era. Urban-Air Port is key to opening up safe, affordable, zero-emission mobility, which will take urban air mobility from science fiction to tangible reality.” Sandhu added: “The deal with the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group is a massive step towards our vision of installing hundreds of urban-air ports worldwide to maintain our position at the forefront of this sector and support the rapid expansion of urban air mobility in this decade.” The UK government also supports Urban-Air Port via the Future Flight Challenge to develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles. Minister for Aerospace, Paul Scully, said: “The government-backed Urban-Air Port heralds a new, convenient and sustainable way to travel within the UK, improving connectivity between cities, whilst helping us to build back greener. “The UK is at the cutting-edge of new technologies in the pursuit of a net-zero economy by 2050. Making sure that the infrastructure exists for these new modes of transport is key to making zero-emission urban flight an everyday reality.” Gary Cutts, Future Flight Challenge Director at UKRI, said: “Urban-Air Port will revolutionise cities across the world, making them more connected, cleaner and accelerating our green economic recovery. This deal, with one of the world’s largest mobility companies, is a testament to what the Future Flight Challenge fund is all about – supporting world-leading innovation to grow globally and position the UK at the forefront of the green air mobility revolution.” Urban-Air Port is also in discussions with multiple potential partners and investors as part of its Series A funding round, closing Q4 this year, to support its rapid commercialisation and global growth. https://www.commercialdroneprofessional.com/urban-air-port-announces-development-plan-for-65-urban-air-mobility-infrastructure-hubs-worldwide-in-partnership-with-hyundai-motor-group/ All eyes on Alice, the electric plane made in Arlington ARLINGTON — It’s crunch time for Omer Bar-Yohay, CEO and co-founder of Eviation Aircraft, which is developing an all-electric airplane. Minutes count. In the conference room at the company’s Arlington headquarters where Bar-Yohay paused to describe the company’s next move, an enormous digital screen displayed the time in foot-high digits, counting down the minutes until his next appointment. Eviation plans to test fly its all-electric airplane this year. “Testing is going to plan. We will be flying the plane this year, weather permitting,” said Bar-Yohay, who co-founded the company six years ago in Israel. But before that can happen, dozens of tests must be completed. “Every system and subsystem of the aircraft from structures to electronic performance and the batteries, the motor — all are being tested separately and then they’re tested together for functionality,” said Bar-Yohay, who studied physics at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In July, Eviation unveiled its design for the production version of the fully electric, nine-passenger airplane, known as Alice. Named after the main character in Lewis Carroll’s book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the 57-foot commuter plane has a 63-foot wingspan, a targeted range of 500 miles and a top cruising speed of 287 mph. It seats two crew members. Two electric motors, designed and built by a sister company, Everett’s magniX, connect to the plane’s onboard lithium-ion batteries and power the aircraft. The two aerospace firms, both working to develop fully electric aircraft, moved to Snohomish County last year and have teamed up to design the new plane. Eviation occupies three hangars at the Arlington Municipal Airport. MagniX is housed in a 40,000 square-foot building in south Everett near Paine Field. Alice produces no carbon emissions and is expected to cost a fraction to operate per hour, the company advertises. Without ever having flown, Alice has already drawn considerable interest. In August, DHL Express, the global package delivery firm, ordered 12 of the planes, which will be configured to carry cargo and have a payload capacity of 2,600 pounds. To reduce weight, more than 90% of Alice’s airframe is made of composite materials, lighter and stronger than aluminum. Still, the airplane tips the scales at 16,500 pounds. Nearly half of that weight, 8,200 pounds, is taken up by two battery packs that are mounted flush with the fuselage on either side of the aircraft. Eviation says it has new and prior commitments from commercial passenger airlines, but declined to disclose details. In 2019, Eviation announced that Cape Air, which operates scheduled passenger flights in the Northeast, Midwest and other locations, had agreed to a purchase option for several planes. Electric aviation Battery-powered electric airplanes have been around since the 1970s, but so far haven’t proven practical as anything other than experimental aircraft. Despite advancements, lithium-ion batteries “remain both bulky and heavy,” Airways Magazine noted this month. Even short distance flights of 500 miles or less “require enough power to make current batteries impractical,” Airways said. But a less-than-rosy prognosis hasn’t discouraged hundreds of companies across the globe from pursuing longer range, all-electric flight. The focus ranges from fully electric lightweight sport airplanes, to commuter planes, to electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as eVTOL. Their innovations could help reduce the aviation industry’s growing carbon footprint. Aviation is responsible for 9% of transportation emissions in the United States and 3% of the nation’s greenhouse gas production, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Founded in 2015, Eviation set out to design and build a battery-powered commuter aircraft with an all-electric propulsion system. In 2019, the company unveiled “Alice”, a nine-seat prototype, at the Paris Air Show. A few months later, Eviation and Alice experienced a setback. In January 2020, the prototype caught fire after “a lithium battery used to power (the) experimental aircraft exploded during a ground test at Prescott Airport in Arizona,” according to a Federal Aviation Administration report. Bar-Yohay recently told The Times of Israel that the fire was caused by a “ground-based battery pack providing power for a systems test,” not the airplane’s lithium battery pack. “These batteries that caught fire were not the aircraft flight batteries — not even the same type of battery,” Bar-Yohay said. These days, the newest version of Alice sits at the center of an enormous, brightly lit hangar at the Arlington Municipal Airport. It is attended to by a score of technicians, surrounded by test equipment and serenaded by a playlist of upbeat, rock ‘n roll tunes. With a light, sleek wing and a flat underbelly intended to increase lift, Alice stands 13 feet tall. “To carry the weight and volume of the battery, we really needed to reinvent how the weight is distributed,” Bar-Yohay said of the fuselage’s unusual shape. Airplane passengers are expected to enjoy the views offered by a bank of oversized elliptical windows. When the maiden flight of the world’s first all-electric commuter aircraft takes place, the event is expected to draw scrutiny from aviation experts, federal regulators, airline executives and media from around the world. One person who will be paying particularly close attention will be Richard “‘Pat” Anderson, professor of aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Battery weight is a critical factor in the design of electric aircraft, Anderson said in an interview with The Daily Herald. To produce the energy equivalent of one pound of aviation fuel, “you need 27 pounds of batteries,” said Anderson, who also serves as director of the university’s Eagle Flight Research Center. The ratio imposes limits on how much a battery powered-electric airplane can weigh — and still get off the ground — and determines how far it can fly. Until battery technology improves, he foresees “a hybrid period for aviation” in which both batteries and conventional aviation fuel provide power. “I may come off sounding negative, but I am very pro-electric aviation,” Anderson said. “It’s greener. It promises lower emissions and lower noise emissions,” added Anderson, who eagerly awaits Alice’s first flight. “I just think we have to figure out the battery weight issue, and I think that will simply take some time.” Runway debut Both magniX and Eviation are subsidiaries of the Clermont Group, a private investment firm based in Singapore. Roei Ganzarski, the CEO of magniX is also the chairman of Eviation’s board of directors. Founded in 2009, magniX has already had considerable success with its electric propulsion systems. In 2019, the company partnered with Harbour Air, a commercial seaplane carrier based in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of Harbour Air’s seaplanes, a six-passenger, single-engine DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver, was retrofitted with a 750-horsepower magniX motor. In December 2019, the electric-powered seaplane completed a 15-minute test flight on the Fraser River in British Columbia, marking the first successful flight of a fully electric, commercial-sized airplane. Now it’s Alice’s turn. But unlike the seaplane, she’s no retrofit. Alice is a clean sheet design that has been specifically engineered to support a battery-powered electric propulsion system. And she’s about to make her runway debut, Bar-Yohay said. In a few weeks, onlookers may catch sight of the gleaming white plane as it emerges from the hangar to undergo ground and taxi tests at the Arlington airport, he said. Covering a lot of territory Alice’s target range, 500 miles, covers a lot of territory: 45% of all scheduled commercial flights are 500 miles or less, according to OAG, an aviation and travel data firm. The distance encompasses point-to-point travel in some of the nation’s major metropolitan clusters: New York-Philadelphia-Washington D.C; Seattle-Portland-Spokane; Dallas-Houston-Austin and Orlando-Miami-Nassau. Alice’s lithium batteries would require 30 minutes or less to charge per flight hour, the company said. Fuel costs are usually an airline’s largest expense — roughly half the cost of operating an airplane is related to fuel and engine maintenance, according to OAG. Eliminate even a modest percentage of that cost and you’ve got potential customers. In fact, airplane manufacturers regularly market new airplanes based on fuel savings of 15% to 20% compared to previous generation airplanes. “We estimate it will cost about $250 to $350 per flight hour to operate. A turboprop with similar performance costs between $1,200 and $2,000 per flight hour,” Bar-Yohay said. If Alice can do what its designers say it can do — operate at a fraction of the cost of a conventional airplane and achieve its target range — it will not only generate interest and awe but orders and revenue. In addition, its success could diversify Snohomish County’s and the region’s traditional aerospace industry. Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert said that Eviation has made a big effort to connect with local aerospace companies. “They asked for a complete list of Snohomish County aerospace suppliers when they were negotiating with us to move in,” Tolbert said. “They want to build a local supply chain for their product.” Eviation currently employs 120 people, but expects to see those numbers jump if it obtains federal regulators’ approval for Alice to enter service. The company is targeting 2024 for that approval. If that happens, the airplane would go into commercial production. The company plans to locate its production facilities in Arlington. When Eviation was scouting airports for the right location, it zeroed in on the Arlington airport. The airstrip largely serves the general aviation community, which doesn’t include scheduled commercial and cargo flights. That means the company’s operations wouldn’t conflict with commercial flights. Plus, there is room to spread out, said Jessica Pruss, Eviation’s vice president of sales. “As we scale and grow, we have room to build buildings on the the other side of the runway — that was a selling point,” Pruss said. “Five to 10 years from now we’ll have room to grow production.” Inside the Arlington hangar, the minutes are ticking down as Alice’s maiden flight draws closer. No date has been set, except for an end-of-the-year goal, Bar-Yohay said. “At a meeting the other night, I told everyone that the next couple of weeks are going to be a sprint,” Bar-Yohay said. The staff didn’t miss a beat, he recalled, and shot back, “It’s been a sprint for the last six years!” https://www.heraldnet.com/business/all-eyes-on-alice-the-electric-plane-made-in-arlington/ Inspiration4’s successful splashdown is just the beginning of private spaceflight for SpaceX Just like that, they came back. The Inspiration4 crew made a triumphant splashdown on Saturday evening off the east coast of Florida, marking the close of the first completely private, all-civilian space mission. SpaceX’s Go Searcher recovery ship hauled in the Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, a little less than an hour after splashdown. The crew was then ferried via helicopter to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where they received standard medical checks. The successful completion of the mission is a major triumph for Elon Musk and SpaceX (and, more peripherally, NASA, which funded the development of the tech), which conducted the entirety of the mission. It’s also perhaps our clearest signal that a new dawn of space travel is officially here. Benji Reed, SpaceX’s senior director for human-spaceflight programs, told reporters that the company is seeing an increased number of inquiries from potential customers for private missions. The company could fly “three, four, five, six times a year at least,” he said. Of course, mission commander Jared Isaacman is not the first billionaire to go to space. This summer, both Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos conducted their own orbital joy-rides in vehicles developed by their respective companies, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. But those trips were significantly shorter — Bezos and his three crewmates went to space and back in less than 15 minutes, essentially traveling in a long parabolic arc. In contrast, the Inspiration4 crew spent three days orbiting Earth at an altitude that went as high as 590 kilometers — that’s higher than the International Space Station, meaning they were the most “outer” of all the people in space. Over the course of their mission, they traveled around the Earth an average of 15 times per day. While in orbit, the crew conducted a handful of science experiments, mostly capturing data on themselves with the aim of furthering our understanding of the effects of spaceflight on the human body. The crew also spent some time in the large glass domed window, which SpaceX calls the “cupola,” snapping pictures of space. Other than Isaacman, who made his fortune from his payment processing company Shift4 payments, the crew included physician assistant and childhood cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux; geoscientist Sian Proctor; and Lockheed Martin engineer Chris Sembroski. Among the other firsts for the crew, Arceneaux is the youngest American to go to space and the first person with a prosthesis to go to space; Proctor is the first Black woman to pilot a space mission. The historic mission was paid for entirely by Isaacman, though both he and SpaceX are staying mum on how much it cost in total. Instead, the mission was being framed as a $200 million fundraiser for St. Jude Research Hospital, to which Isaacman donated $100 million and Musk donated $50 million. The fundraiser received an additional $60.2 million in public donations. This is the second time the Resilience spacecraft has safely carried humans to and from space. The first mission, Crew-1, carried four astronauts (three from NASA, one from the Japanese space agency) to the ISS and returned them to Earth in May. SpaceX will be conducting another handful of crewed missions over the next six months, including another mission to the ISS on behalf of NASA and the European Space Agency, as well as the private AX-1 mission on behalf of Axiom Space. “Thanks so much SpaceX, that was a heck of a ride for us,” Isaacman said moments after the capsule landed. “We’re just getting started.” Watch a full stream of the splashdown here: https://youtu.be/dpFKNNl47AM https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/20/inspiration4s-successful-splashdown-is-just-the-beginning-of-private-spaceflight-for-spacex/ Curt Lewis