AIR TRANSPORT
Vertical Aerospace | March 16, 2023
Vertical Aerospace, an aerospace and technology company innovating zero-emissions aviation, recently announced the opening of the Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) in Bristol, considered the UK's most advanced aerospace battery facility. The Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) will help develop, test, and commercialize Vertical's custom-made battery pack for its VX4 aircraft.
The multimillion-pound, cutting-edge, 15,000-square-foot facility is one of the most reliable aerospace battery facilities in the United Kingdom. It is home to Vertical's current 50-person battery team, comprised of experts from McLaren, the European Space Agency, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, and Dyson, who develop battery technology that enables greater power-to-weight ratios for eVTOL flight. It is expected that cutting-edge technologies will transform the capabilities of battery technology to date.
Vertical's battery systems have experienced a wide range of testing, including vibration, conducted emissions, temperature, thermal durability and characterization, propagation and drop testing at the VEC. It has made significant progress with battery tests in the past, having conducted crash and thermal runaway testing under the supervision of European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Vertical's Head of Powertrain, Dr. Limhi Somerville, leads the eVTOL EuroCAE electrical certification group, defining the battery standards for electric aviation with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
In addition, Vertical has developed substantial intellectual property around battery design, including cooling, cell packaging, and electronic battery management systems to deliver high-power, improved-performance battery packs capable of powering eVTOL aircraft. With its goal of entering into service with a 220Wh/kg battery system, developed intellectual property will allow Vertical's VX4 to conduct back-to-back missions, having fast-charging cycles in between, and minimize the impact on the packs' cycle life.
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is one of the leaders in the creation of electric aviation. Stephen Fitzpatrick, a leading energy and technology group and Europe's largest independent energy retailer, an established entrepreneur, and the founder of the Ovo Group, founded Vertical Aerospace in 2016. The company has concentrated on assembling the most seasoned and senior team in the eVTOL industry, whose members are certified and support over 30 distinct civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems. Vertical's VX4 eVTOL is anticipated to be competent to transport a pilot and up to four passengers over distances of up to 100 miles, at a cruise speed of 150 miles per hour, with minimal noise and zero operating emissions.
Read More
DEFENSE AND SPACE
Aireon LLC | March 13, 2023
Corporación Centroamericana de Servicios de Navegación Aérea (COCESNA), a Central American air navigation service provider (ANSP), has recently signed a contract for three years with Aireon for its top space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, validating the region's exceptional operational and safety advantages.
For COCESNA, which has been evaluating Aireon's data for the last 18 months, the Aireon data will allow the regional ANSP to gain complete situational awareness of its air traffic over the Pacific Oceanic airspace in real time. In addition, it aims to utilize the data to offer more efficient routes to airspace operators, including reduced separation minima.
COCESNA's region incorporates over 2.6 million square kilometers of terrestrial airspace and broad oceanic areas in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, spanning the Central American flight information region (FIR). It also provides air traffic surveillance services to Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. COCESNA is the major air traffic control provider at the crossroads of the Caribbean, South, North, and Central America due to its central location in the Americas.
Vice President of Customer Affairs at Aireon, Peter Cabooter, said,"As the aviation community emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Aireon are seeing more and more ANSPs look to data solutions to safely and efficiently manage the next phase of air traffic growth." He added, "We are looking forward to continuing the great relationship with COCESNA to support their operational and safety goals."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Aireon LLC
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Aireon, an air traffic management provider, has deployed a worldwide space-based air traffic surveillance system for aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). As a result, the company is leveraging ground-based, next-generation aviation surveillance technologies and, for the first time, expanding its global reach to significantly improve safety and efficiency, reduce emissions, and provide cost savings to all stakeholders. Space-based ADS-B surveillance extends to oceanic, polar, and remote regions, complementing ground-based systems limited to terrestrial airspace.
Read More
BUSINESS AVIATION
Universal Avionics | March 14, 2023
Universal Avionics, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems company, has recently announced the addition of repair services for the Dassault FalconEye product line at its Part 145 Repair Station in Tucson, Arizona. The added repair facility offers improved customer support and enables rapid turn times on Enhanced Vision Systems. Universal Avionics' global services on enhanced vision systems are supplemented by the advanced system's established repair capabilities. In addition, customers in North America will now have access to comprehensive local support for these cutting-edge technologies as Dassault continues to ramp up the production of its aircraft with FalconEye. The FalconEye Combined Vision System (CVS) utilizes a sophisticated database-driven terrain mapping synthetic and multi-sensor camera inputs to provide pilots with enhanced situational awareness through a heads-up display. These cutting-edge technologies facilitate safer approaches during inclement weather and challenging terrain conditions. With FalconEye, you can approach each mission with greater confidence and assurance. Chief Executive Officer at Universal Avionics, Dror Yahav, said, "The FalconEye camera is one of the most sophisticated electrical-optical systems available for commercial aviation. The implementation of repair services in North America for Dassault FalconEye guarantees customers will have first-rate service of the system." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Universal Avionics Founded in 1981, Universal Avionics, an Elbit Systems Company, is one of the top manufacturers of innovative avionics systems with forward fit and retrofit solutions currently installed on over 35,000 airplanes and helicopters. The company ensures the safety of pilots and passengers around the world. It offers solutions for navigation, electronic display, terrain awareness, recorders, and enhanced flight vision systems. It is based in Tucson, Arizona, guides pilots and their passengers worldwide and provides solutions for the industry's most extensive diversification of aircraft types.
Read More