AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COMAPRIL 2015 |^05
Global briefing z
(^9) LCH FACING THE COLD
Cold weather trials of a light
combat helicopter (LCH) have
been carried out by
manufacturer HAL at Air Force
Station, Leh, India. “The trials
covered engine starts with
internal batteries after an
overnight cold soak at altitudes
of 3,000m and 4,100m,”
explained T Suvarna Raju,
chairman, HAL. The engine
starts were satisfactory in the
temperature of -18°C at
4,100m. The flights were also
carried out to assess high-
altitude performance.
Leh, India
(^10) CSERIES FLIGHT
Bombardier has conducted
the maiden flight of the CS
airliner. The CSeries aircraft
will provide a single-aisle
mainline jet specifically
designed for the 100- to
149-seat market segment.
“Results from testing [are]
as expected or better. The
CS300 airliner will now join
the five CS100 aircraft flight
test vehicles that have
amassed more than 1,
flight test hours to date,” said
Rob Dewar, vice president,
CSeries Program.
Montreal, Canada
(^11) 3D JET ENGINE
Researchers from Australia
are helping develop
3D-printed jet engines, with
great expectations for future
development. Engineers from
Monash University in Australia
and Amaero Engineering have
created the world’s first
3D-printed jet engine. The
proof of concept was
designed after a challenge
from Safran. Researchers
disassembled an old engine
and began manufacturing a
new one, which took about
one year to complete.
Victoria, Australia
(^12) A400M TRIAL REFUELS
TWO F/A-18S
SIMULTANEOUSLY
The Airbus A400M airlifter
has successfully
demonstrated simultaneous
air-to-air refueling (AAR) of
two F/A-18 fighters. Over the
course of four flights, the
A400M performed 74
contacts and dispensed 27.
metric tons of fuel to the
Spanish Air Force fighters.
The A400M has a basic fuel
capacity of 50.8 metric tons,
which can be increased by
the use of the cargo hold.
Seville, Spain
(^13) JAPANESE AEROSPACE
JOINT AGREEMENT
Two independent agencies, the
Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) and the Japan
Science and Technology
Agency (JST), concluded a
mutual cooperation agreement
on February 19, 2015, for
generating unique research
and development, accelerating
practical development, and
delivering results in an
effective way to ultimately
achieve a greater acceleration
of scientific and technological
innovation.
Tokyo, Japan
(^14) FLYING DONKEYS
FOR AFRICA
Afrotech, a technology
innovation project set up by
the École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne
(EPFL) in Switzerland, is
promoting a revolutionary
aerospace innovation to
improve Africa’s economy
and transport
infrastructure. Director
Jonathan Ledgard, a
former foreign
correspondent in Africa,
thinks next-generation
cargo drones will enable
the continent to leapfrog
traditional infrastructure
development and grow
faster economically. Next
year, through its spin-off
company Red/Blue,
Afrotech will begin testing
cargo drones capable of
carrying small packages
across distances of up to
80km (50 miles).
Across Africa
(^15) MRO AGREEMENT
FOR SINGAPORE
Airbus and SIA Engineering
Company (SIAEC) have
entered into an agreement
to provide maintenance
and engineering training
services for Airbus aircraft
in Singapore. Through the
collaboration, SIAEC, one
of the world’s leading
aircraft engineering and
maintenance groups, will
deploy Airbus standards,
dynamic tools and teaching
techniques to provide
aircraft manufacturer-
backed maintenance
training capabilities to its
personnel and to third-party
personnel in the region.
Singapore
(^16) RE-ENTER THE
DRAGON
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo
spacecraft splashed down
in the Pacific Ocean on
February 10, 2015, 259
miles southwest of Long
Beach, California, with
nearly 3,700 lb of NASA
cargo, science and first-of-
its-kind technology
demonstration samples
from the International
Space Station. The Dragon
spacecraft will be taken by
ship to Long Beach, where
some cargo will be
removed and returned to
NASA. Dragon will then be
prepared for a return trip to
SpaceX’s test facility in
Texas, for processing.
Pacific Ocean, nr California
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