November 30, 2020 - No. 90 In This Issue : Israeli cabinet approves aviation, science cooperation deals with UAE : German cargo flight departs using sustainable aviation fuel : A New Partnership in the Horizon: UK Aerospace Giant and an Australian Defence Broker & Advanced Manufacturing Company : Reimagining Airport Safety With Emerging Technologies : Ericsson and Vodafone have tested ‘safe sky corridors for drones’ with telecom tech : These questions must be answered before the Boeing 737 MAX flies again : MC Solutions gears up for virtual Airport Show : Engine, design deficiencies — Third crash puts Russian MiG-29K back in focus : Space: Russian researchers improve 3D printing technology for aerospace composites using oil waste : RoyalJet and AMAC Aerospace sign a multi-million-dollar agreement for upgrade to its BBJ fleet : SpaceX Scheduled to Launch Falcon 9 Rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, December 5 Israeli cabinet approves aviation, science cooperation deals with UAE JERUSALEM, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel's cabinet ratified on Sunday two deals to promote aviation and science cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following a recently-signed normalization accord. The ministers voted in favor of an agreement to establish regular flights between Israel and the UAE, and another deal to promote advanced science and technology cooperation, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office. "This is another milestone in strengthening bilateral relations and we will continue to develop ties with the additional agreements that we will bring," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the ministers at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. The first commercial passenger flight from the UAE landed in Israel on Oct. 19, about a month after the two countries signed the U.S.-brokered normalization deal. Enditem http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-11/30/c_139551545.htm German cargo flight departs using sustainable aviation fuel A Lufthansa cargo aircraft took off using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the first time. The Boeing 777F departed from Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday and headed to Shanghai, China, laden with SAF. Peter Gerber, the CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, described the flight as a "milestone because it is the first flight of this kind that will have flown 100% CO2 neutral”. By using SAF, the fossil CO2 emissions of a flight with conventional kerosene are completely avoided. This means that SAFs’ overall GHG emissions are 65-95% lower than traditional fossil-kerosene fuels. The joint venture was organised by cargo transport and logistics firms DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo. The two organisations have signed a joint declaration of intent to work on a Zero Carbon Emission 2050 Strategy in the future. Last year, renewable fuel producer Neste strengthened its partnership with Lufthansa in the development of renewable aviation solutions. The airline said it will use Neste’s SAF blended with fossil jet fuel, on flights departing from Frankfurt in Germany. https://biofuels-news.com/news/german-cargo-flight-departs-using-sustainable-aviation-fuel/ A New Partnership in the Horizon: UK Aerospace Giant and an Australian Defence Broker & Advanced Manufacturing Company Glaive International Defence Pty. Ltd. and Marques Aviation Ltd. aerospace and defence companies announce an R&D, manufacturing and commercial partnership SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, November 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Glaive International Defence Pty. Ltd. (Sydney, Australia) and Marques Aviation Ltd. (London, UK) aerospace and defence companies are proud to announce an R&D, manufacturing and commercial partnership which will see Glaive International Defence manufacture advanced UAVs in Australia. This new partnership between Glaive International Defence and Marques Aviation is set to send some ripples among the Aerospace and Defence Industries, as it lays the foundation of new and upcoming innovations in this sector. Glaive International Defence Pty Ltd, a 100% Australian owned company and Defence Technology Broker licensed by the Australian Defence Department has evolved to manufacture high-end commercial and military unmanned aircraft. The new partnership with Marques Aviation represents a great example of Technology Transfer (TT) reinforced by excellent support from the Australian State & Federal Governments to develop manufacturing capability. Marques Aviation Ltd is a global aerospace company that provides innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned aircraft systems to governments and commercial clients worldwide. Its team has over 30 years experience in aircraft design and the development of innovative aerospace technologies. The philosophy underlying engineering practice at Marques Aviation Ltd emphasises innovation to develop advanced high-performance unmanned aircraft. The Marques Aviation Group incorporates the Oxford Aerospace Academy which hosts its Oxford Aerospace Research Centre (OARC-UK), a platform that coordinates international R&D consortia for the development of forward-thinking aerospace technologies. OARC-UK will provide R&D programs and education and training via Glaive International Defence’s facilities in Australia. This new venture will see the creation of Glaive’s new technological Defence Hub in regional Australia, including a new aircraft manufacturing plant and the creation of dozens of local jobs, therefore boosting the local economy. Glaive International Defence’s Founder & CEO, Vincent Marty, said “the collaboration responded to an increasing drive and demand for enterprises to reboot and reposition defence manufacturing in Australia. Acquiring advanced technology in the Defence Industry, manufacturing such high-performance UAVs in Australia, and helping reboot the local economy which has suffered due to Covid-19, falls in line with the Australian Government and the Australian Defence vision of restoring Australian manufacturing and defence sovereignty.” This technology partnership between Marques Aviation and Glaive International Defence epitomises the beginning of a new exciting era for both companies which will realise the production of innovative ecological unmanned aerial platforms of medium-size characterised by hybrid solar-hydrogen-battery energy systems, AI sensor fusion, AI swarming, smart multi-function materials, intelligent structures and health monitoring, digital cloud based Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM), and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) training underpinned by dedicated R&D programs. Dr Pascual Marques, president of Marques Aviation Ltd - UK, said “We hold ourselves to a high standard in the products we deliver and in the way we conduct ourselves throughout the entire client experience. Our mission is to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, delivering superior capability and maximised cost efficiency” - adding that “the new Glaive’s Technological Defence Hub in regional Australia will serve as a nucleus for the manufacturing of advanced aerospace technologies based on Industry 4.0 large-scale M2M, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) automated and self-monitoring manufacturing principles, high-level business deals facilitation, and training and education in the unmanned aerospace sector”. https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/531647783/a-new-partnership-in-the-horizon-uk-aerospace-giant-and-an-australian-defence-broker-advanced-manufacturing-company Reimagining Airport Safety With Emerging Technologies Technology is a double-edged sword. The same transportation technologies that improved travel efficiency, and brought the world closer, have ironically facilitated the record-breaking spread of COVID-19. In a way, driven people apart. In this modern-day, it is easy for a person to traverse multiple continents within 24 hours, mixing with thousands of passengers along the way, in airports, at stations, and during journeys. In hindsight, it is evident that disease prevention and pandemic management technologies were not developed considering the potential impacts that enclosed, heavily populated, and constrained transportation vehicles might have on disease communication. We are, in fact, still figuring this out. Traditionally, health science advocates and policymakers have rarely had a voice in the mass transportation field. Hence, it is difficult to address this as quickly as we wish we could. The call to take a holistic view of transportation systems worldwide and better account for traveler health has never been so urgent. Airports are the critical components of long-haul transportation systems and global connectivity; an enclosed space with high contact rates and innumerable hand-touch surfaces, where strangers from the world cross paths and transmit viruses novel or not, is a severe threat. Airports and planes have far too many spots that can be classified ‘high-transmission’ by their sheer nature. Due to the pandemic, air travel, while still risky, is necessary, with international travel essential to help global businesses survive. Recognizing this need, the aviation industry worldwide has had to rise to the occasion to win back travelers’ trust with safeguards that can be considered the future. In our view, AI, IoT, and robotics, woven together by Mobile Apps, will help reshape airports for better public health and improve security, passenger experience, and reduce the overall time from entry to boarding. In the below section, we talk about how passengers will be completing their entire journey virtually touch-free, from the time of entering the airport all the way through to claiming baggage at their destination. Touch-less fever detection and mask detection technology will become key safety measures at all entry points at the train stations. Combining thermal imaging with video analytics and AI techniques provide a robust system to identify individuals, their body temperature, and whether they are wearing masks. Skin temperature, as measured by thermal cameras, is not always an accurate indicator of body temperature. For example, passengers’ skin temperature alighting from air-conditioned shuttles or taxis is lower than their actual body temperature. Immediate temperature screening would result in inaccurate readings that may fail to identify a fever. To enhance fever detection, facial and skin temperature data are sent to AI models that track temperature information, and any anomaly with historical data is flagged. The majority of airports worldwide have deployed thermal scanners that could help them identify passengers who may have COVID-19 by detecting elevated temperatures. While thermal scanners may not be the ultimate defense, the screening is an essential step toward safety. Researchers are working on a breathalyzer test which can detect COVID-19 and other viruses. This has the potential of becoming a game-changer. Breathonix Pte Ltd, a spin-off company from Singapore NUS, has developed an easy-to-use breath test to detect COVID-19 within a minute. Speech recognition is another AI technology that can be extremely effective in infection control and improving efficiency. The boarding pass collection process could be transformed via a Speech-based Kiosk. Passengers would talk to the kiosk and communicate their flight details. The Kiosk in the background would utilize face recognition to validate the passenger details with their passport information. The kiosk functions to create and dispense boarding passes embedded with RFID chips. RFI- based boarding passes would support tracking the passenger journey through the airport and managing the social distancing aspects. The touch-based kiosks have been deployed by major airlines, which can be transformed into newer Speech-based kiosks. These kiosks will have been designed not just for boarding passes but also to handle other functions like PPE kits, which might become part of the travel mandate. Dubai Airport has PPE vending machines installed for its international passengers. With enough luggage to warrant the use of trolleys, passengers would think twice before laying their hands on the metal trolley handles, classified as high touch surfaces potentially harboring viruses. Similar to those at the Kempegowda International Airport at Bengaluru, India, UV-treated trolleys ensure complete disinfection. While security trays are sanitized after every use, all outbound passenger baggage is disinfected before being loaded into the aircraft to stop potential pathogens from being transported overseas. Airports considering silver nano-coating technology for high-use surfaces are on the right track toward long-term disinfection solutions. Almost every aspect of airport logistics needs to go digital, owing to the COVID-19 new normal. Automated Baggage check-in is one such aspect that can improve airport logistics and passenger experience. This transformation can be implemented using the highly accurate location tracking tag based on Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology and face recognition. Passengers at self-service check-in kiosks will scan their boarding passes, with the touchless screen displaying journey details just as their baggage is weighed and UWB tags produced. This process will associate the baggage tag with the boarding pass and facial information of the passenger. Delta Air Lines chose Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to debut its self-service check-in kiosks, to support self-service, and speed up passenger processing, even verifying customer identity by matching faces to passport photos. As passengers move through the security kiosk, the millimeter-wave scanner uses millimeter-wave advanced imaging technology and walk-through metal detectors to screen passengers. Such scanners safely and swiftly scan for possible threat without any physical contact before passengers proceed to immigration. The contactless immigration process in Singapore’s Changi Airport, has been tested for feasibility, efficiency, and accuracy even during high-travel seasons. This means no more handing over documents ― fully automated systems for a hands-free experience. With time to spare before boarding, passengers are notified of stores matching their shopping interests and guided by the airport app to their favorite brands, with notifications on discounts and offers. The Hamad International Airport in Doha takes passengers on a virtual street-view tour of the airport via the airport app and alerts them when the gate is open for boarding. Passengers are reassured with the efficient queue management and customer flow throughout the airport. It is a matter of time before humanoid robots are used for social distance violations, including passengers without masks. SoftBank Robotics’ six-year-old Pepper is already on a new assignment to connect public health with technology. While passengers can use the finding-the-way feature available in the airport app to head to the gate for boarding, the aircraft cabin is sanitized by cleaning bots using antimicrobial sprays that inhibit the growth of microbes. Airlines have started using the High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters to purify cabin air continuously and rid it of 99.9% of 0.3-micron particles for a clean in-flight experience. We believe that airports of the future undergoing a transformation for infection containment should think through this from a customer experience perspective and how the infection containment technologies can work towards total passenger management, enable personalization and empower operational efficiency for years to come. The goal of airports is to provide passengers an all-encompassing safe and user-friendly experience, with touchless and frictionless travel and higher passenger capacity reducing carbon emissions. With this goal in mind, they should utilize AI and IoT technologies to make the journey even more enjoyable, pain-free, and, more importantly, seamless and sustainable. The aviation industry has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. And though touchless travel has been around for a while, pandemic-specifics still need maturing. Getting old airport systems under the IoT umbrella can take time, just as any new technology can be complex to introduce. Clearly, more modern and more intuitive solutions are needed. With AI helping almost every aspect of air travel, face recognition and biometrics will be the passports of the future. Human errors would reduce significantly, and security breaches reduced. It could be a safety fuse that we are looking for to contain pandemics. https://www.cdotrends.com/story/15204/reimagining-airport-safety-emerging-technologies Ericsson and Vodafone have tested ‘safe sky corridors for drones’ with telecom tech Ericsson ERIC, +1.38% and Vodafone VOD, -0.19% said that they have successfully tested technology that uses mobile network data to facilitate flight corridors for drones, opening the door to safer and more accurate flights for commercial and emergency purposes. In a trial this month in Germany, the two European telecom giants used data from mobile networks to produce coverage maps to allow a drone to stay in areas with good signal up in the air. The technology allows drone operators, including emergency services, to deliver supplies quickly, while maintaining and optimizing the connection to the mobile network, which is crucial for flight. The trial also used another technology from Vodafone to collate anonymized and secured mobile user data on the ground, which allowed the drone to avoid heavily crowded areas. “The mobile network is a data-rich asset that can be responsibly and securely used to aid society,” said Vodafone’s chief technology officer, Johan Wibergh. Vodafone is able to provide both the coverage map data and collated user data to trusted third parties through an Application Programming Interface, which is a critical intermediary between applications that allows softwares to “talk” to each other. The companies said that using APIs to funnel data to drone operators would allow pilots to quickly and easily plot a predetermined path for the drone while maintaining contact with the control center, even when out of sight. “APIs will speed up the adoption of drones for commercial and public sector use,” Wibergh said, “bringing many benefits such as being able to assess fires, deliver medical supplies, and help businesses survey hazardous conditions like construction sites, power lines and our own mobile masts, quicker and more safely.” In a separate test simulation, in Spain, Vodafone used a 5G-enabled drone to fly a lightweight defibrillator to the scene of a patient experiencing cardiac arrest. The use of flying drones is viewed by many companies as the next frontier in last-mile distribution and immediate delivery. In August, the Federal Aviation Administration granted approval for e-commerce giant Amazon AMZN, +0.32% to deliver packages by drone, which the company has been testing. However, there are still many barriers to the widespread deployment of drones, including performance in adverse weather, battery range, and common obstacles such as power lines and trees — which Ericsson and Vodafone’s technology may be able to address. Public opinion is another hurdle to clear. In a population survey conducted earlier this year by the Berlin Institute of Technology and nonprofit Wissenschaft im Dialog (Science in Dialog), 41% of respondents said that drones should only be used for emergencies, such as the rapid delivery of medicine. Most respondents were opposed to the use of delivery drones. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ericsson-and-vodafone-have-tested-safe-sky-corridors-for-drones-with-telecom-tech-11606731152 These questions must be answered before the Boeing 737 MAX flies again "The most exciting thing about being a scientist," says theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss, "is not knowing and being proven wrong. This is exciting because there is a lot left to learn." Ideally, the best place to learn these exciting lessons is on the ground. This is one of the many reasons why aircraft certification is held to a very high standard. Have Boeing and the FAA learned from the deadly history of the 737 MAX? After two similar crashes, this aircraft — set to resume flying in America late next month — needs a clean bill of health. The manufacturer and our Department of Transportation should answer questions about the safety of this upgraded aircraft before it returns to the skies. In 2017, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certified the new Boeing 737 MAX. This decision, quickly embraced by regulators worldwide, was in retrospect, flawed, as evidenced by the fall 2018 Lion Air and spring 2019 Ethiopian Airlines MAX crashes, killing 346 people. Those parallel crashes had multiple causes. They were a result of the engineers assuming, first, that a MAX computer receiving faulty information would be a rare event, and second, that even if that did happen, pilots would be able to manage it using existing training. Both of these assumptions proved invalid. With the latest MAX changes, the faulty information issue is an even more unlikely event (but it appears still possible) and the training is better. Does that mean we have eliminated the risk? No, unfortunately, it does not. Is the risk at an acceptable level? Maybe, we don't have enough information to say. Shortly before the Nov. 18 ungrounding of the Boeing jet, we reached out to the FAA to ask a series of questions. Some were similar to those asked by Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee members Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and scientific experts. Since the eerily similar June 2009 computer crash of a state of the art French Airbus 330 in the South Atlantic, which some had represented as impossible to stall, we have agreed with many aviators and scientists that more events like the two MAX disasters, were inevitable. "The global aviation industry has not effectively applied what we have learned from the crash of Air France 447," said Captain Chesley Sullenberger in the Houston Chronicle. “Had they done so, the 737 Max crashes might have been avoided." Like Air France 447, which took the lives of 228 people, the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flight crews did not have the training necessary to effectively handle the collapse of what were believed to be highly reliable automated systems. The 20-month grounding of the worldwide MAX fleet is about much more than aviation safety. Putting this Boeing jet back in the air with an American Airlines flight from Miami to New York La Guardia on Dec. 29 is only a start for the FAA and the airlines. It certainly isn’t the end of the story. The aviation industry still has a lot left to learn. "Although computer hardware technology has advanced at an astounding rate," MIT Professor Nancy Leveson, creator of the field of software safety, said in an interview, "the development of software engineering has been slower than required for the complex systems we want to build, like a space station or automatically controlled nuclear power plants." From the self-driving car to robotic manufacturing systems in the energy and chemical industries, attempts to replace humans with machine intelligence can backfire in unimaginable ways. Boeing’s unfortunate insistence on not providing the pilots simulator and system training on aspects unique to the 737 MAX contributed to both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. Our questions to the FAA and Boeing should have been quickly answered before the plane was ungrounded. They focus on lessons learned from the MAX and other aviation disasters worldwide, such as failed probability estimates, common cause anomalies, radio frequency interference, radome damage (the shell protecting the radar antenna), the parameters of horizontal stabilizer testing, unusual events where the stabilizer is dangerously stuck and emergency procedures. Any of these issues could potentially be cause for concern with the recertified MAX. One reason the FAA refuses to answer these critical questions is that Boeing, like Airbus, is reluctant to share proprietary technical information due to legal concerns about patented technology subject to non-disclosure agreements. Another equally troubling possibility is that the MCAS software remains a work in progress. MCAS, or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, is additional software added to the 737 MAX flight control computers. It was designed to solve the problem created when Boeing designers added much larger and heavier engines pushed forward on the 737 airframe. MCAS performed exactly as designed, but that design did not consider the situations which led to the accidents. This new system, created to improve the way the airplane handled for the pilots, led to catastrophic events on both the Lion Air and Ethiopian jets. The MAX, pioneered during the Obama administration and cleared for takeoff during the administration of President Donald Trump, the former CEO of an eponymous airline that collapsed, enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress. Today, no one in our federal government can confidently predict the controversial jet’s future, absent clear answers to critical safety questions. Both U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s wife) and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson could be replaced soon by President-elect Joe Biden. That might lead to a closer look at the lame-duck decision to license the improved MAX at American, United, Southwest and Alaska airlines. While European regulators are mandating additional upgrades over the next two years, airline CEOs such as Southwest’s Gary Kelly and American’s Doug Parker are expected to build consumer confidence by flying the MAX with their own families. American is also offering demonstration flights for employees and key customers. This is all part of the industry response to marketing challenges identified by a June National Public Radio questionnaire. More than 1,000 of 1,600 potential passengers said they wouldn't fly on the 737 MAX even with FAA approval. One way the FAA can restore consumer confidence would be to answer the questions we, Sens. Markey and Blumenthal and others have posed about the ungrounded MAX. We’re eager to hear the FAA’s response — before MAX flights resume next month. https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2020/11/29/boeing-737-max-ungrounded/6411840002/ MC Solutions gears up for virtual Airport Show MC Solutions, an Italian airfield light monitoring and control supplier, is targeting the Gulf’s major airport operators ahead of the Airport Show next week, which takes place virtually on 7-9 December. You can register to attend the show virtually here. This digital-only event will keep the airport community connected, explore new market needs and support the industry towards forming a ‘new normal’. MC Solutions, which already works closely with the operator of Venice’s main airport, has seen an uptick in its fibre optic system in the wake of the pandemic. In fact, the company believes that now is a good time for airports to be investing in their infrastructures and long-term futures, while air traffic remains relatively slow. MC Solutions is grown on the footprint of an inventor, Umberto Cazzani. The company is now a go-to partner for RWY lights management, A-SMGCS and RWY Incursion prevention on fibre optic technology. Sending data via fibre optic is much safety, quicker and more efficient, MC Solutions says. The company believes the technology will soon become a necessity for airports. Global air traffic is still well below 2019 levels and with flight frequencies unlikely to increase greatly before the end of the year, airports have a rare chance to rehabilitate their airfield system, said Dr Debora Cazzani, marketing and export manager of the family firm. MC Solutions’ light monitoring and control system has been deployed in Europe but the company is now expanding into the Gulf region, where its product is also patented. “The optical fibre monitoring module (MCLO) has a consumption of 20 times less than actual monitoring systems so you do not have to add or calculate for new regulators,” said Dr Cazzai. “Being free from interferences it has no maintenance cost; you can interface the existing lights and CCRs; and you benefit as well in terms of infrastructure cost – there are no additional manholes and no dedicated cable conduits.” https://www.arabianindustry.com/aviation/news/2020/nov/30/mc-solutions-gears-up-for-virtual-airport-show-6466837/ Engine, design deficiencies — Third crash puts Russian MiG-29K back in focus New Delhi: The crash of the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K aircraft Thursday has yet again put the spotlight on the Russian fighter jet that has had a troubled history, both in India and in its home country. The navy’s MiG-29K was on disembarkation (flying back to its base, INS Hansa in Goa) from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. While one pilot was rescued Thursday, Commander Nishant Singh, a qualified flying instructor, remains missing. The navy has begun an inquiry into the aircraft crash, which is the third one to have been involved in an accident in the past year starting last November. Navy sources refused to get into the likely cause of the accident but added that no warning sign or alarm was raised by the pilots on board. India has imported 45 MiG-29K fighters jets from Russia, but operates less than two dozen of them — the rest are kept as war reserves and in other forms. Troubled past for MiG-29K On 23 February this year, a MiG-29K crashed after being hit by birds over Goa. The pilots managed to steer the jet away from habitation and ejected to safety. On 16 November last year, a MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed outside Verna village in South Goa district after both engines failed. Another aircraft was badly damaged after it had veered off the runway while taking off from INS Hansa in 2018. But the problem exists not just for India. In 2016, a Russian MiG-29K fighter jet had crashed into the Mediterranean Sea as it tried to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. It was reported that the aircraft appeared to have mechanical difficulties shortly after take-off. CAG had flagged faults The aircraft, which was inducted after an over $2 billion deal for these fighters in 2010, has seen multiple operational deficiencies in its engines, airframe and fly-by-wire system. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India had, in its 2016 report, observed that “the MiG-29K, which is a carrier-borne multi-role aircraft and the mainstay of integral fleet air defence, is riddled with problems relating to airframe, RD MK-33 engine and fly-by-wire system”. One of the main concerns was the aircraft’s engine, which navy sources insist has since been taken care of. The CAG audit observed that as of September 2014, a total of 65 engines (42 with 21 aircrafts and 23 spares) had been acquired. However, since its induction in February 2010, 40 engines (representing 62 per cent of 65 engines) had been withdrawn from service/rejected due to design related defects/deficiencies. “The issue has serious flight safety implications, since in-flight engine defects had led to ten cases of single engine landings,” the CAG report had noted in 2016. Navy says addressed issues but ‘problems persist’ In 2018, then Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba had said that issues related to maintenance and availability of spare parts for the MiG 29K fleet had been addressed. Navy sources, however, indicated that some of the problems still persist. They added that the aircraft faced engine issues mainly due to high salt and sand intake. Experts said that the cause of the accident cannot be determined until the inquiry is completed. “This accident took place soon after the successful high tempo operations during Malabar 2020,” former navy spokesperson Captain D. K. Sharma said. “And hence this kind of a mishap is baffling. More so, this involved a top notch pilot. It is a matter of serious concern about what has gone wrong.” INS Vikramaditya took part in the recently concluded Malabar naval exercise involving the Quad countries – India, Japan, the US and Australia. When asked about the lack of a Mayday call from the aircraft, Captain Sharma said, “We should leave it here as an abstract. Let the inquiry find out.” Aviation experts added that similar problems were faced by all navies across the world due to the metallurgy of the aircraft. “The aircraft has had issues and there is no doubt about it,” Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd) and Additional DG, Centre for Air Power Studies, a think-tank said. Asked about the constant engine issues due to sand and salt, Bahadur said it was a common problem due to the environment and exists for all aircrafts doing coastal and offshore flying. “It is a problem that will be faced by the American Navy and the Marines, and they conduct extensive over-sea operations,” he said. “This is where the aircraft design, metallurgy and engine technology come into play. These are crucial issues that determine reliability and availability of aircraft on the flight line.” https://theprint.in/defence/engine-design-deficiencies-third-crash-puts-russian-mig-29k-back-in-focus/553973/ Space: Russian researchers improve 3D printing technology for aerospace composites using oil waste Scientists from NUST MISIS have improved the technology of 3D printing from aluminum, having achieved an increase in the hardness of products by 1,5 times. The nanocarbon additive to aluminum powder, which they have developed, obtained from the products of processing associated petroleum gas, will improve the quality of 3D printed aerospace composites. The research results are published in the international scientific journal Composites Communications Today, the main field of application for aluminum 3D printing is the creation of high-tech parts for the aviation and space industries. The presence of even the slightest defects in printed structures is critical to the safety of the technology being created. According to NUST MISIS scientists, the main risk of such defects is the high porosity of the material, caused, among other reasons, by the qualities of the original aluminum powder. To ensure a uniform and dense microstructure of printed products, scientists from the MISIS Catalis Lab proposed adding carbon nanofibers to the aluminum powder. The use of this modifying additive makes it possible to ensure a low porosity of the material and an increase in its hardness by 1.5 times. “Changing the chemical and phase composition of the powder for printing by introducing additional components into the main matrix allows improving its properties. In particular, carbon nanofibers have high thermal conductivity, which helps to minimize temperature gradients between printed layers during product synthesis, at the stage of selective laser melting. Thanks to this, the microstructure of the material can be almost completely eliminated from inhomogeneities,” said the head of the laboratory, professor at NUST MISIS, Ph.D. Alexander Gromov. The technology for the synthesis of nanocarbon additives developed by the research team includes methods of chemical deposition, ultrasonic treatment, and IR heat treatment. The used carbon nanofibers must be a by-product of associated petroleum gas processing. During its catalytic decomposition, carbon accumulates in the form of nanofibers on dispersed metal particles of the catalyst. Usually, at present, associated gases are simply burned in the fields, which harms the environment. Therefore, the application of the new method also has a serious environmental significance, — said Professor Gromov. The study has been carried out jointly with specialists from the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS. In the future, the research team plans to determine the optimal conditions for selective laser melting of new composite powders, as well as to develop a technology for post-processing and industrial use of synthesized products. https://www.tunisiesoir.com/science/space-russian-scientists-improve-3d-printing-technology-for-aerospace-composites-using-oil-waste-25936-2020/ RoyalJet and AMAC Aerospace sign a multi-million-dollar agreement for upgrade to its BBJ fleet RoyalJet, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered, award-winning premium private aviation company, has recently signed a deal with Swiss-based AMAC Aerospace and Abu Dhabi based Slash Design in order to upgrade two of the most popular Boeing Business Jets in its fleet, aimed at delivering a fresh new look and an enhanced VVIP customer experience. AMAC, one of the world’s foremost experts in the maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and completion of VVIP aircraft, will be responsible for upgrading the connectivity in one of the RoyalJet aircraft and for upgrading the connectivity, cabin systems and all cabin furnishings in the other. The cabin refurbishment is based on an innovative design conceived by Slash, one of the leading providers of distinctive design concepts in the region, and utilizes only the highest quality materials offered by AMAC in order to reflect the new brand identity and the experience transformation Slash have been developing for RoyalJet. The first RoyalJet BBJ scheduled for this connectivity upgrade – its most recently refurbished aircraft – is already nearing completion at AMAC’s facility in Basel. The second is due to commence its upgrade along with its interior redesign and full refurbishment in the coming weeks. These aircraft will be the third and fourth BBJs in the RoyalJet fleet to provide customers with the highest speed of inflight connectivity available on the market. “We are delighted to have our long term partners AMAC Aerospace and Slash Design on board with us for this project, relentlessly supporting us in all our endeavors throughout our journey. This is yet another testament to our unwavering commitment to deliver excellence across our fleet.” said Rob DiCastri, CEO, RoyalJet. “The delivery of the newly refurbished BBJ will also provide us with the opportunity to showcase our new brand identity and begin to introduce our new customer experience, designed not only for our existing client base, but also for those in search of one of a kind travel solutions. This aircraft will further enable us to enhance our position as the global reference in premium private aviation via our ability to provide personalised delight to our guests,” he added. https://www.cbnme.com/logistics-news/royaljet-and-amac-aerospace-sign-a-multi-million-dollar-agreement-for-upgrade-to-its-bbj-fleet/ SpaceX Scheduled to Launch Falcon 9 Rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, December 5 BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA – SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on Saturday, December 5. Launch is targeted for 11:39 a.m. ET The mission will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft for its first resupply mission to the International Space Station. The flight is being operated by SpaceX, but is under Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Following first stage separation, SpaceX will attempt to recover the Falcon 9 first stage booster engine. Coverage of the launch can be seen Space Coast Daily TV. https://spacecoastdaily.com/2020/11/spacex-scheduled-to-launch-falcon-9-rocket-from-kennedy-space-center-on-saturday-december-5/ Curt Lewis