On A320's 25th birthday, where does automation go next?

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Jon Ostrower

on February 22, 2012 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

February 22, 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Airbus A320-100, an aircraft type that has surpassed 5,000 deliveries since its 1987 first flight from the European airframer's Toulouse, France base.

In addition to firmly establishing Airbus in the commercial marketplace, the single biggest contribution of the A320 to commercial aerospace is its digital fly-by-wire flight control system. The Airbus and Boeing philosophies for pilot control have been the centerpiece of a technology debate that has raged for a quarter century now. While the philisophical debate has diverged among airframers, the value of digital fly-by-wire implementation is settled law.

At today's Aeronautics and Space Engineering board meeting at The National Academy of Sciences, in Washington, DC, Dale Klapmeier, founder of Cirrus Aircraft, spoke of the flat safety record for general aviation which has matched the growth in the industry. In short, general aviation, unlike commercial aviation, has not gotten any safer as technology has evolved.

Cirrus was at the forefront of increasing the automation in its single-engine general aviation aircraft with the introduction of the Avidyne Entegra in 2003 aboard its four-seat SR22 aircraft. The airframer, based in Duluth, Minnesota, and now owned by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has evolved its glass avionics features to include expansive "highway in the sky" synthetic vision and enhanced vision systems, as well as a "LVL" or level button to return the aircraft to straight and level flight if a bank does not exceed 75° and the pitch does not exceed 50°.

With the technology developed by Cirrus and other general aviation airframers, Klapmeier says that a Cirrus pilot will fly for roughly 45 seconds, just after takeoff and just after landing.

"There is very little airmanship left in aviation," he says.

That figure nearly mirrors that of a commercial airline pilot, though an SR22 pilot has access to virtually the same, if not more advanced avionics than those available in the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, but the difference in pilot training and experience are stark.

Klapmeier is of the opinion that training regimes that have always emphasized aviate, navigate, communicate as the tenets of flying need to add "automate" as one of its characteristics to safely bring the technology to bear to enhance the other three priorities.

On the flipside, there is a 'self-driving car' model for safety; just remove the pilot from the loop. Klapmeier suggested on Tuesday: "If you want to design an aircraft tomorrow that prevents today's accidents, put the pilot's seat backwards."

With the ubiquity of fly-by-wire on new clean sheet commercial and large business aircraft, both segments of the industry that continue to improve their respective safety records, is there a place in general aviation for hard envelope protections provided by fly-by-wire?

Photo Credit Jonathan Grondin

Southwest's first 737-800 goes from green to Canyon Blue

Jon Ostrower

on February 21, 2012 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

After its 11 day trip down the 737's moving final assembly, Southwest Airlines' first 737-800, the company's first new 737 variant since 1997, is out in the open on the flight line at Renton Municipal Airport wearing the airline's signature Canyon Blue colors.

This aircraft, wearing registration N8301J and extended operations (ETOPS) tags, left the paint hangar about four days ago and will be the first of 33 delivered to the largest 737 customer in 2012. MORE PHOTOS

Along with the Boeing Sky Interior, the aircraft will also feature the airline's new Evolve interior. For an airline known for its incremental DNA, the name Southwest has given to its new interior is quite fitting.

APEX magazine editor-in-chief Mary Kirby explains the biggest small change:

However, the most profound changes have been reserved for Southwest's seats. The carrier is retaining the B/E Aerospace-manufactured 'Innovator II' seat frames on its Southwest 737-700s, but will add fixed wing head rests; new, thinner, more durable foam fill; and lightweight E-Leather synthetic leather seat covers. It is also removing the under-seat floatation device - and instead adding life vest pouches - to create a lower profile seat, which in turn creates weight savings of nearly six pounds per seat.

While the change will also accompany a 1in reduction in seat pitch from 32in to 31in, Southwest says it preserves the same amount of body space for each seat. More importantly, that single-inch change allows for an extra six seats per 737-700.

Because each seat is made lighter by nearly six pounds, Southwest shaves 635 pounds per aircraft (even with the extra row) and is expected to result in more than $10 million in ongoing annual cost savings.

It is estimated that for every 500lbs of empty weight removed from a 100 to 200 seat aircraft equates to a roughly a 1% improvement in fuel burn. In this case, the 635lb savings in empty weight is traded by making room for six more 200lb paying passengers.

As near-term delivery slots are scarce with the added worldwide demand for narrowbody aircraft set to reach 84 deliveries per month split between Boeing and Airbus in 2013, Southwest is focusing its attention over the next two years to building its 737-800 fleet.

All of Southwest's 2012 and 2013 deliveries from Boeing are for the larger 175-seat -800, a total of 74, though by the end of 2013, the airline will add the equivalent of 16 new 143-seat 737-700s during this same period without a single new -700 joining its fleet. Same 737-700 fleet, 2,300 more seats to sell.

The price tag for these 16 737-700s? A $60 million up front investment in Evolve, approximately the cost of two 737s (after discounts*).

Photo Credit Drew Ramsey

*According to Southwest's most recent SEC 10K filing, the $2.14 billion investment in 74 737-800s delivered in 2012 and 2013 will cost the airline an average of $28.9 million each.

A350's Trent XWB engine makes maiden flight aboard A380

Jon Ostrower

on February 19, 2012 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

On Saturday, Airbus's A380 flying test bed made its maiden flight with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB flying in the number two position under the superjumbo's wing. The milestone flight for the A350 XWB's powerplant also marked a first for the A380, which flew for the first time with different engine types.

The contrast between the A380's Trent 900 and A350's Trent XWB isn't nearly as stark as the Trent 900 under the wing of the A340-300 that served as test bed for the superjumbo's first powerplant back in June 2004. The comparatively oversized higher-bypass Trent 900, one of two engine options on the A380 along with the Engine Alliance GP7200, dwarfed the CFM56-5C engines.

The A380's Trent 900 first flight on the A340 came approximately ten months before the A380 first flew in April 2005. As a point of comparison, the A350-900 is expected to fly in early 2013, per Airbus's revised November 2011 schedule that pushed the type's service entry to the first half of 2014.

There's a great deal of speculation as to whether the higher-thrust 84,000lb Trent XWB could ever serve as a possible successor for the Trent 900 to power the larger 1000-seat A380-900 should it ever come to be. The possible groundwork may potentially be laid during this flight test program, as Airbus has already developed a prototype pylon that has a natural A380 wing interface and an A350 Trent XWB engine mounting.

Airbus flight engineering Pascal Verneau, who was interviewed last November in Toulouse demonstrating the Trent XWB flight deck interface, is shown in the video above and was part of the A380's flight this past weekend. Verneau joined pilots Terry Lutz and Frank Chapman, experimental test flight engineer and flight test engineers Emanuele Costanzo and Tuan Do for the 5h flight.

My complete set of photos of the A380 test bed and the Trent XWB are below the fold and include and up-close look under the engine's nacelle and flight test instrumentation.

Continue reading A350's Trent XWB engine makes maiden flight aboard A380.

President Obama visits Boeing's 787 final assembly line

Jon Ostrower

on February 17, 2012 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

Kangaroo-buster 777-8LX concept being studied by Boeing

Jon Ostrower

on February 13, 2012 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

Anyone that has ever flown between the United Kingdom and Australia knows about the kangaroo bounce.

The "bounce", the stop in Asia, often Singapore, is part of the famous Kangaroo Route used to transit between the two nations separated by three continents and 9,188nm. Even with today's ultra long-range jetliners in service, the Airbus A340-500 and Boeing 777-200LR, the fierce headwinds on the westbound route robs airlines of carrying enough passengers and cargo to make money.

Connecting the London and Sydney has long been seen as a Holy Grail of aviation. As part of its next generation 777X studies, Boeing is exploring an ultra long-range 777-8LX, with nearly 9,500nm range. FULL STORY

Likely to be the last of three members of a conceptual 777X family, the -8LX could potentially have a service entry in the 2020s, providing a mission range of 17,550km (9,480nm), industry sources tell Flightglobal, which is 85nm longer than the 17,395km (9,395nm) offered by the 777-200LR.

The 777-8LX's fuselage would match that of a proposed -8X, now seen as a three-class 353-seat 4.46m (14ft 7in) stretch of the 777-200ER.

With common structural elements, the -8LX and the larger -9X would share a 344t (760,000lb) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), allowing the smaller jet to carry additional fuel for the extended missions, with a common fuel tank capacity across the conceptual family.

Both the 777-8X and -9X concepts currently aim for an 14,800km (8,000nm) design range.

With a common engine to the 777-9X, the -8LX is conceptually powered by the General Electric GE9X with a 99,500lb thrust rating, while the -8X is understood to be significantly derated off the engine's baseline design with its lower MTOW.

Boeing cautions no decisions have been made and that the company continues to explore a myriad of different options with respect to the future of the 777 family, ranging from a composite wing all the way up to a full clean-sheet replacement of the type, which first entered service in 1995.

The conceptual 777-8LX joins the 777-9X, 2.13m (7ft) longer than the 777-300ER, which would lead the conceptual family late in the decade, and 777-8X, which are both understood to have a baseline composite wing of 233ft 5in (71.1m).

The 233ft wing design, which features an 11ft raked tip, is being explored along with 213 ft 3in (65m) and 225ft (68.6m) spans wings with blended winglets. The massive 233ft 5in wing also is being studied with a folding 11ft outer tip, reviving a design originally envisaged for the 777-200.

The design of the conceptual 407-seat 777-9X in particular is expected to create significant improvements in per seat fuel burn, with internal estimates of the company's conceptual designs now pointing toward an approximately 20% improvement over today's 777-300ER, achieved through incremental technology updates to the 777 platform.

Movie Monday - February 13 - Harrier, A Love Story

Jon Ostrower

on February 13, 2012 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

With tomorrow's Valentine's Day holiday, I felt it important to find an aircraft we could all fawn over. Today's Movie Monday takes you inside the development of the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Harrier, from its earliest concept as the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 to the Harrier GR.1 and US Marine Corps AV-8A, the type's engagement in the Falklands War in 1982 and evolution to the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II.

The documentary, which runs a little over 53min, is British, incredibly dry and absolutely fantastic. It's lack of music is made up for with ample jet noise, which the Harrier supplies in spades. Enjoy.

Boeing brands the sky with 787 test flight (Update1)

Jon Ostrower

on February 9, 2012 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

UPDATE 2/10 9:46 AM ET: Thirteen hours later, Airplane 35 is still flying. The aircraft is heading back for Seattle and, when complete, will likely mark the longest 787 flight to date, exceeding 19h.

SEA J12 EPH GEG 4733N 11706W 4236N 11831W 4450N 11752W 4414N 11230W 4710N 11126W 4714N 11125W 4730N 11443W 4214N 11629W 4140N 11325W 4714N 11126W 4645N 10711W 4105N 11056W 4405N 10902W CZI KD81U KD72W 4148N 10335W HANKI YANKI ONL 4201N 9830W KP72C CVA 4148N 9034W GIZCY FOD KP81C KP87A ONL ATY 4523N 9711W KP12C 4743N 9843W 4845N 9655W 4755N 9857W KP15A KP06Y 4248N 10523W MBW ALPOE 4026N 10616W KD60U 3947N 10516W DVV KD60W BENNZ KD63W 4027N 10500W 4040N 10510W 4131N 10501W GYZ KD81W 4728N 9907W 4610N 9804W AMMAJ SOBME 4400N 9820W 4324N 9850W ADEDY ANW 4203N 10104W ALU KD75W 4245N 10424W 4333N 10518W 4404N 10552W 4437N 10558W MARLS YAFLU KU15W POVNY KP18Y 4746N 10000W 4742N 9930W 4753N 9901W MIB JINUK LAMBE 4711N 10515W MLS 4603N 10613W FOURS CZI 4406N 10900W 4643N 10703W 4734N 11444W 4439N 11546W MADPE 4733N 11701W SEA

Boeing brands the sky with 787 test flight, originally uploaded by flightblogger.

I'm sitting at gate C34 at Houston Intercontinental Airport waiting for my flight to DCA and was tipped to 787 ZA236's flight plan (BOE236) for its systems functionality and reliability tests today. The aircraft is in the last stages of flying certification flights for the 787 airframe pairing with the General Electric GEnx-1B engine. Today's flight path, like the creative skywriting we've seen before from the 747-8, traces 787 and The Boeing Company logo from Washington State to Iowa.

Graphics Credit FlightAware

Photos of Note: Lufthansa's first 747-8 takes flight

Jon Ostrower

on February 8, 2012 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

EVERETT -- Sometimes running late pays off.

I was zipping out the door this morning for the last day of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance conference in Lynnwood and running a few minutes late (as those who know me I am sometimes prone to be) when Lufthansa's first 747-8 taxied into position on Runway 16R at Paine Field.

RC022 operating at Boeing 22, registered D-ABYA, did a quick rejected takeoff test turned around at the end of 16R and departed to the north a few minutes before 9 AM PT.

The aircraft is expected to be handed over to Lufthansa in March.

The full set of photos of D-ABYA's first takeoff, which were shot through a barely cracked window of my hotel room, are below the fold.

Continue reading Photos of Note: Lufthansa's first 747-8 takes flight.

Movie Tuesday - February 7 - Three Approaches, Three Perspectives

Jon Ostrower

on February 7, 2012 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

SEATTLE -- Movie Monday comes a day later than usual today and gives a unique look at some of the worlds most interesting approaches.

The first video puts you in the flight deck of an A320 on approach to Paro, Bhutan's capital city and widely believed to be the most difficult approach in the world. The runway, which sits at 7,300ft, is surrounded by 12,000ft peaks.

The second video, which I shot in November, was filmed on the upper deck of an Air France A380. While it's not a flight deck point of view, the IFE onboard allows multiple external views. I took advantage of both and tuned one screen to a forward view from the A380's tail and the other to a straight-down view at the ground below.

After our turn final it became clear that there was a significant crosswind, and the superjumbo would crab into the wind. On the straight-down camera view, notice the offset angle of the markings on the runway as the A380 compensated for the perpendicular wind component.

The third video, I shot from the jumpseat of an Embraer Lineage 1000 while on approach to Santos Dumont Airport in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The views out the front of the modified Embraer 190 provided a look at the amazing terrain that defines Rio, including the city's iconic Sugarloaf.

The Jeppesen charts for the Bhutan and Santos Dumont arrival, which should under no circumstance be used for actual flying, are available after the jump.

All told, these three videos run about 17min. Enjoy!

Continue reading Movie Tuesday - February 7 - Three Approaches, Three Perspectives.

Airbus looks to offer 20in aisle seats for A320 family

Jon Ostrower

on February 7, 2012 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

SEATTLE -- There was a collective "why didn't I think of that?" realization that dawned on the crowd at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance conference in Lynnwood, Washington this afternoon when Airbus said it was offering a 20in aisle seat to airlines for the A320 family.

The goal is to use the 20in-wide seat as additional ancillary revenue opportunity (aka charge more) for the aisle seat in a six-abreast configuration. Some airlines charge for the aisle seat today, though the difference is that there's no major product differentiation with the middle and window seats. Airbus said the width of the A320's cabin allows for the 3in flexibility in the aisle seat in comparison to the other four seats at 17in.

Varying the width of certain seats isn't new for commercial cabins, Bombardier offers a ~~1in~~ .5in wider middle seat on the CSeries to make the five-abreast 3-2 configuration more attractive to the 20% of customers who will end up in that seat.

No word yet if any airlines have selected this for its A320 family aircraft.

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