The search for ever-lower emission technology for future generations of aircraft engines is actively progressing on both sides of the Atlantic. Tucked away on a modest-size stand at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow was a highly varied collection of unconventional engine technology displays – a clear indication of radical innovation already being investigated as a part of Ultimate, the European Horizon 2020 research and innovation project.
In part two of a two-part series, Richard Gardner discusses various aerospace propulsion innovations and continued work by aerospace engineers and scientists to advance aircraft engine technologies to increase efficiency and lower emissions.
MRO providers are discovering ways to innovate their procedures while remaining viable and profitable through the current downturn in government spending.
The demand for innovative manufacturing technology that produces lighter parts with stronger material grows each day in the competitive aerospace industry. 3-D printing, also known as “additive manufacturing,” is at the center of this innovation.
Aerospace manufacturers and operators—large and small—require solutions that shorten product development; maintenance, repair, and overhaul cycles; and lower fuel costs through lightweighting.
Additive manufacturing is making significant headway in aerospace production programs, as evidenced by recent announcements that Airbus and rocket manufacturer United Launch Alliance both are—or soon will be—flying aircraft that incorporate 3D-printed parts enabled by Stratasys.
Tern continues to undergo progress toward creating a new class of unmanned air systems combining shipboard takeoff and landing capabilities, enhanced speed and endurance, and supervised autonomy.
Aerospace and defense companies that provide maintenance repair and overhaul services increasingly find themselves out of their comfort zone as the recent appetite for new airplanes, especially in emerging markets, spurs dramatic shifts in their business.
On Sept. 12, NASA will conduct the first test flight of its latest heatshield, the Adaptable Deployable Entry Placement Technology (ADEPT) mechanically deployable semi-rigid aeroshell entry system.