August 14, 2024 - No. 33 In This Issue : Sikorsky cautions S-92 operators about autopilot as Norway investigation continues : Starliner issues throw a wrench in NASA’s crew rotation plans : Airbus celebrates 500th aircraft manufactured in the U.S. : China’s new wing design with holes could tackle sonic booms, boost aviation : Winglets Evolve To Boost Efficiency Across Aircraft Spectrum : VIH Aviation fields world’s first firefighting S-92 : One Man’s Quest to Restore the First-Ever Air Force One : NASA says New Orleans workforce a reason for issues with Boeing's Artemis rocket program : DeltaHawk disrupts the GA engine world : This Bonkers Experimental Helicopter Can Soar at More Than 260 MPH Sikorsky cautions S-92 operators about autopilot as Norway investigation continues By Ben Forrest | August 12, 2024 A leaked document indicates Sikorsky has released additional guidance for all S-92 operators after an initial report from Norwegian authorities found an autopilot system may have factored into the fatal crash of a Bristow S-92 over the North Sea. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) found the nose of the Bristow S-92A pitched up 30 degrees during a search-and-rescue (SAR) training exercise in February, beyond the typical pitch of 10 degrees, and entered rearward flight. This occurred after the co-pilot engaged the automatic flight control system (AFCS) for a hover maneuver near Løno island, per the report The aircraft commander then initiated a go-around by pulling the collective, but could not prevent the helicopter from falling to the sea, investigators said. One of the six occupants of the aircraft died in the incident. An investigation is still ongoing. “The pilots … had few external visual references due to the dark night conditions and were caught by surprise when the helicopter pitch continued to increase,” the NSIA said. “When they realized the unusual attitude, it was too late to recover.” Investigators said they found a fault in one of three circuit boards in the aircraft’s pitch trim servo that “appears to have a potential” of explaining helicopter movement observed in the flight’s recorded data. In the meantime, investigators put out a call to S-92 operators about a feature of the AFCS, which they said surfaced during the investigation but is not stated in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual Supplement detailing SAR modes. Sikorsky indicated during the investigation that the helicopter “should normally not exceed” 12- to 13-degree nose-up attitude when the AFCS mark-on-top (MOT) SAR mode is engaged, investigators said. MOT was engaged in the case of the North Sea crash, per their initial report. “This information … could help S-92 helicopter crews recognize AFCS anomalous behavior,” investigators said. In response, Sikorsky issued a three-page document, addressed to all operators of the type, as well as to all its service centers and field service representatives. The document has since been shared to social media, and outlines behavior and best practices when using coupled flight director (CFD) modes on the S-92A. “The CFD is designed to assist pilots in controlling the aircraft during particularly challenging operations and to relieve workload,” Sikorsky said in the document. “However, it is incumbent upon the crew to continually monitor the CFD for faults to ensure proper system performance throughout all phases of flight.” Aircraft attitude beyond 20 degrees in pitch or 30 degrees in roll is, “beyond the limits capable of being commanded by the AFCS,” the document said. “If these limits are being approached the pilots should take note and be prepared to take action. If these limits are exceeded, the pilot should manually take command of the flight controls (cyclic/collective/pedals) and deselect the coupled FD and recover from the maneuver.” The document also outlines training scenarios in a series of best practices, including using a simulator in visual meteorological conditions to “practice and develop proficiency” with CFD modes before using them in instrument meteorological conditions. Pilots are also directed to practice regaining control and manually flying away from CFD modes in case it becomes necessary. “The S-92A CFD and AFCS are extremely reliable and capable systems,” the document said. “However, as with any complex system, they have limitations and can display faults or failures. Pilots must monitor for both expected performance and degraded indications alike. Pilots must be prepared to take appropriate actions immediately if system performance deviates from what is expected.” The NSIA asked all S-92 operators to take immediate action to ensure crew training includes the “early awareness, relevant call outs and correct actions of a possible excessive pitch up attitude” when using the SAR AFCS. Further updates are expected as the investigation continues. Starliner issues throw a wrench in NASA’s crew rotation plans Seth Kurkowski | Aug 10 2024 - 3:05 pm PT 1 Comment Image: NASA NASA‘s mood toward’s the safety of returning Boeing‘s Crewed Flight Test crew back on Starliner has switched from steadfast support to plans to use SpaceX Dragon for a return flight. However, this has caused drastic changes to both SpaceX‘s and NASA’s launched schedules using its Crew Dragon spacecraft. For two months now NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both Space Shuttle veterans and currently on their third spaceflight, launched to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Since then teams at Boeing and NASA have been attempting to figure out what caused several thrusters to fail during docking. What started out as an extended stay before a guaranteed return on Starliner has now turned into a nearly 50/50 split if the two astronauts will return on Starliner or on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Most of this has come from new test results done by Boeing out at White Sands that showed that valve issues came down to either a teflon tape seal or poppet valve expanding or extruding, causing restricted propellent flow to the thrusters. If NASA decides to not return Wilmore and Williams on Starliner, the working plan will be to launch SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission with only two crew members. Packed with supplies and suits for their new crew mates, the four will stay on station until next February. What this means for the members of future crew rotations is unknown. NASA didn’t give any names for who would fly on the two person mission. In this scenario Starliner would return by itself, however, Boeing will need to update the mission parameters to allow that to happen. Even though Boeing docked and undocked Starliner uncrewed back in 2022, something in the current software suite will not allow that to happen now. Initially reported by Ars Technica, the update doesn’t sound to be trivial, like how we update our computers and phones, but it has been described as “significant.” NASA also announced a delay to Crew-9’s launch, all the way back to September 24 to allow for more time to troubleshoot Boeing’s problems. NASA states they will need to make a decision on which path to move down by mid-August. This also means Crew-8’s departure from the station will be moved to late-September or early-October. With Crew-9’s delay, that brings Polaris Dawn to be the next crewed flight by SpaceX, now scheduled for August 26. Polaris Dawn will fly Jared Issacman (who is funding the flight), Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon on a free-flying mission around Earth. Dawn will attempt to achieve two milestones, the highest orbital flight since the Apollo program and the first ever commercial spacewalk. Using specially designed SpaceX suits, the crew will be able to exit the spacecraft through its nose, which usually has a docking port attached. The last known launch date was a mid-August window and was expected to be delayed further to make way for Crew-9. Published 8/12/2024 Airbus celebrates 500th aircraft manufactured in the U.S. Airbus celebrates its 500th U.S.-built aircraft, a Delta Air Lines A321neo, highlighting its ongoing partnership with Delta Air Lines. Source | Airbus Airbus (Toulouse, France) celebrated its 500th U.S.-built aircraft at the company’s U.S. manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, where it has been producing aircraft since 2015. Airbus’ aircraft made in Mobile, a Delta Air Lines A321neo, marked the latest production milestone since the company announced it would build a second A320 Family final assembly line in the same location to increase Airbus’ global industrial capacity. The final assembly line is currently under construction and is entering into service next year. “This 500th aircraft milestone belongs to our Airbus employees. Their relentless passion and hard work made this achievement possible,” says Daryl Taylor, senior vice president of commercial aircraft operations for Airbus in the U.S. “Our journey has also been supported every step of the way by our community, and by our customers who have put their trust in Airbus. We look forward to continuing to build safe, quality aircraft for our customers in the U.S. and Latin America.” Since taking delivery of its first Mobile-produced A320 Family aircraft in 2016, Delta has added more than 130 U.S.-produced A320 and A220 Family aircraft to its fleet. “Delta has been a part of many milestones at Airbus in Mobile, including taking delivery of the site’s 15th and 100th produced A320 Family aircraft, and the first U.S.-built A220 aircraft. We are honored to welcome the 500th U.S.-built aircraft into the fleet,” says Kristen Bojko, vice president-fleet, Delta Air Lines. “We appreciate the ongoing partnership with Airbus and its team in Mobile who help us provide a premium travel experience on fuel-efficient aircraft assembled and delivered in the U.S.” Airbus delivered its first A320 aircraft from its U.S. facility in 2016. In 2020, the company inaugurated its A220 final assembly line and delivered its first A220 aircraft the same year. Airbus has more than 2,400 employees across its aircraft production, engineering and U.S. Space & Defense facilities in the Port City. To support the company’s growing industrial capacity, some Airbus suppliers have started operations in the region, adding to employment opportunities to strengthen the local economy. China’s new wing design with holes could tackle sonic booms, boost aviation The team’s solution involves holes in the wings that only open when the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Updated: Aug 10, 2024 01:23 PM EST Amal Jos Chacko The US military's F-35 stealth fighter faces limitations in sustained supersonic flight due to potential structural damage. Robert Michaud/ iStock Sonic booms, shockwaves— and the shattered windows they often cause— have been major obstacles preventing the return of supersonic aircraft. However, scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University in China have found a remarkable way to reduce the effects of these phenomena. Conventional aircraft wings follow design principles established by the Wright brothers and rely on Bernoulli’s principle. This dictates that faster airflow over the top of the wing results in lower pressure, while slower airflow underneath generates higher pressure, thus lifting the plane. However, as an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, shock waves come into existence, creating turbulence and drag. These reduce lift and cause damaging vibrations. The research team, led by Professor Gao Chao of the university’s School of Aeronautics, proposed that strategic holes in the wing could solve these ill effects. They employed computer simulations and wind tunnel experiments, which demonstrated that the holes in the wing disrupted shock waves and mitigated the ensuing vibrations. Remarkably, they also discovered a boost of over 10% in aerodynamic efficiency. A crucial moment in aircraft design Few countries are capable of producing supersonic jets today as these require specialized and expensive construction to withstand the forces encountered at supersonic speeds. Additionally, the resulting sonic booms led to restrictions on supersonic travel over populated areas and, most notably, contributed to the retirement of the Concorde in 2003. The team’s solution is simple, elegant, and effective. By covering the holes with a mechanism that opens only when the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, they can effectively manage the airflow around the wing. Within these holes is an air pump that adjusts the jet stream’s intensity, limiting turbulence towards the wing’s front. This reduces wing vibrations. Despite a slight loss in lift, the overall drag reduction results in a higher lift-to-drag ratio. Future prospects and global efforts While the team is now looking forward towards additional wind tunnel testing to refine their technology, other research teams around the world are seeking solutions to the challenges faced by supersonic flight, reports the South China Morning Post. These efforts include adding grooves or protrusions to wing surfaces, employing mechanical devices to suppress shock waves, and applying piezoelectric film coatings to control airflow. NASA, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, is expected to conduct the inaugural test flight of its experimental X-59 supersonic jet this year. This aircraft features an elongated nose and a cockpit without a forward-facing windscreen, designed to reduce the noise of supersonic flight significantly. Gao’s team, however, remains confident in their solution. “When using jet stream control to suppress shock wave buffeting, although there is a slight loss of lift, it can reduce overall drag, so the lift-to-drag ratio increases rather than decreases,” they noted in their report. The team’s findings were published in the Chinese aviation journal Acta Aerodynamica Sinica. Winglets Evolve To Boost Efficiency Across Aircraft Spectrum August 08, 2024 API has certified its split scimitar winglet on all models of the Boeing 737NG, including the Boeing Business Jet variant. Credit: Aviation Partners, Inc. Anyone who occupies a window seat with a clear line of sight over the wing might notice an upswept wingtip. These end-of-wing devices, known as winglets, were developed to reduce drag, improve fuel efficiency and extend range. As an aircraft flies, it creates a pressure differential between the lower- and higher-pressure air flows moving over the upper and lower surfaces of the wings, respectively. At the wingtip, the two airflows mix, producing drag-inducing vortices. Winglets essentially stop the mixing process, mitigating pressure differences and vortices, with less drag and greater fuel savings as the payoff. “What we typically call ‘winglets’ is most likely attributable to Richard Whitcomb, who pioneered the addition of near-vertical extensions to wing tips in a 1970s NASA study,” Aviation Partners Inc. (API) President Gary Dunn explains. Seattle-based API was formed in 1993. That same year, the company certified its first winglet retrofit for the Gulfstream II business jet using its own blended winglet design and proprietary technology. Blending seamlessly with the wing and characterized by a racy outward curve, Dunn reports the blended winglet is the most common type in use today on both business and commercial jets. API says its spiroid winglet, pictured here on a Falcon 50 business jet, has shown a 12% drag reduction benefit. Credit: Aviation Partners Inc. “The blended winglet was an improvement both aesthetically and in performance over previous, more angular transition winglets,” he notes. “API pioneered the blended winglet and the industry norm of retrofitting winglets to existing business and commercial aircraft.” Dunn adds that in 1999, a separate joint venture company, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), was created to make API’s proprietary technology available for line- and retrofit on a wide range of Boeing jets. To date, API’s blended winglet has been certified on all models of the 737 Classic, 737NG and 737-based Boeing Business Jet, as well as the 757-200, 757-300, 767-300ER and 767-300ERF. From Scimitars to Spiroids In addition to the conventional blended winglet, API designed an improved version for the Boeing 737NG. Called the split scimitar winglet, this design added a lower blade to the original blended winglet. A similar design is used on the 737 MAX, which was created by Boeing based on its ecoDemonstrator technology demonstration program (AW&ST May 7, 2012, p. 37). When Boeing was asked specific questions about the winglet’s technology, the OEM declined to respond. Dunn also says API has designed a novel spiroid winglet with a continuous loop in place of a wingtip. Proof-of-concept flight testing was first carried out on a Gulfstream II in 1993, with an improved version tested on a Dassault Falcon 50 in 2010. So far, API has yet to certify or even offer this design commercially for any aircraft type. Airbus has designed large, fully curved winglets for the A350 and A320neo and “sharklets” for the large planar winglets with curved wingtip-to-winglet junctions for the A320 and A321. Credit: Airbus “The spiroid winglet is considered an ongoing program,” says Dunn. However, he stresses API’s continuing emphasis on the blended winglet. “That shape has been optimized for reducing tip vortices and provides the greatest drag reduction of any basic winglet shape. Adding an additional blade, as with our split scimitar winglet, can increase the drag reduction achieved while also minimizing any impact to wing stresses.” According to Dunn, adding a scimitar tip to the blended winglet—effectively a raked extension to the end of the winglet—decreases the tip vortices coming off the winglet and further reduces drag. He reports that APB has certified the scimitar tip on the 757-200. “But the greatest efficiencies are achieved with our spiroid winglet device, as it essentially eliminates the wing tip,” he adds. Dunn reports that blended winglets typically reduce drag by approximately 7% at long-range cruise, which can increase range and fuel savings. At higher cruise speeds, the benefit is lower—for example, 5% at Mach .80 for the Falcon family, including the 50, 900 and 2000 variants on which the API winglets are certified. “This also means a corresponding reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” he says. The numbers are even better with the scimitar blade tip extension and split scimitar designs, says Dunn. “On the Hawker 800 and 800XP series, we added a revised tip to the top of the existing blended winglet, which resulted in an additional approximately 0.5% drag reduction compared to the original design,” he says. “For the split scimitar winglet, now flying on almost 2,000 Boeing 737NGs, the addition of both a revised scimitar tip on the upper winglet and a new lower blade projecting below the wing . . . have improved the drag reduction of the original blended winglet by up to 2%. The spiroid winglet design demonstrated a drag reduction of approximately 10% in our first testing in the early 1990s; the improved version flown in 2010 saw a 12% benefit. “Adding an additional blade, as with our split scimitar winglet, can increase the drag reduction achieved while also minimizing any impact to wing stresses,” he continues. “The addition of a scimitar tip to the blended winglet decreases the tip vortices coming off the winglet and results in yet more drag reduction. The greatest efficiencies are achieved with our spiroid winglet device, as it essentially eliminates the wing tip.” Dunn says API and APB continue to run as separate companies, although the former’s winglet designs are common to both. He adds that API has done preliminary studies for winglet turboprop applications but does not currently offer a turboprop winglet. Efficiency Gains Meanwhile, Airbus has developed large, fully curved winglets for the A350 and A330neo, says Simon Galpin, head of aerodynamics at the OEM. For the A220, A330 and A340, the design incorporates planar winglets, while winglets with curved junctions at the wingtip are on the A320/A321. Airbus parlance terms the A320/A321 winglets as “sharklets.” “In principle, all winglets are doing the same thing, which is providing an improved drag-to-weight balance for the overall aircraft,” Galpin says. “Each offers a slightly different balance according to the aircraft they are fitted to, its mission and other aerodynamic properties.” Galpin reports that, on average, these winglets provide a 4% fuel efficiency gain, reducing emissions during flight. Other benefits include increased range, payload and better takeoff performance. “Winglets are standard equipment on all new A320 family aircraft in the narrowbody sector, but also on our widebody family as a fully integrated design on the A350 and A330neo,” he says. Galpin says Airbus uses a range of metallic and composite technologies for its aerostructures, including the winglets. For example, he explains, the lighter-weight materials in Airbus-designed winglets include carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), which he says has “reached new proportions” on the A350. “With most of the A350 wing made from lightweight carbon composites, this contributes to less fuel burn, allowing airlines to fly further with less impact,” he says. Asked about weight savings, Galpin says more modern CFRP types of winglets offer about a 10-20% reduction each compared with older winglets. However, he cautions that the overall weight balance for a winglet implementation also depends on whether the addition requires reinforcement of the wing structure. “CFRP can offer a weight reduction opportunity compared to metallic structures,” he says. “Material choice is always a trade between performance, cost and other criteria. Further improved weight and new repair solutions are just two areas of interest as we investigate new materials alongside factors such as manufacturing process improvements.” Tamarack Aerospace’s active winglet is fully autonomous, reacting to turbulence to provide a smoother ride and enhance aircraft performance. A revolutionary approach to winglet technology is currently certified on Textron’s CitationJet (CE 525) family. According to Tamarack Aerospace President Jacob Klinginsmith, his company’s active winglet system could find applications in the near future on narrowbody commercial jets such as the A320. In fact, the company has contract work in progress with the U.S. Air Force for application to an undisclosed larger aircraft, as well as a memorandum of understanding with a regional airline for installation on a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400. “Our sustainability white paper states that if our active winglet technology were deployed on the commercial narrowbody jet fleet alone, 1.6 billion tons of CO2 would be saved by 2040, reducing the emissions gap by approximately 20%,” Klinginsmith says. Tamarack presented an active winglet solution for the A320 at the Colorado Cleantech Challenge in March. He is looking for partners to bring it to market. “This program aims to reduce airline emissions by 8–12%, saving about $1 million per year, per aircraft,” says Klinginsmith. As its name implies, the Tamarack active winglet moves, unlike traditional static winglets. In addition to the composite winglet, the installed package includes Tamarack’s proprietary Atlas load alleviation system and 20-in. per wing extension. However, the wingtip extension and design will be aircraft model-specific to maximize performance improvement. Klinginsmith says the wingspan increase improves climb performance and reduces drag, resulting in range increases, fuel savings and higher cruising altitudes. “Because these are active winglets, wing stresses are reduced, allowing us to certify an increased maximum zero fuel weight, which translates to higher payloads,” he says. “For example, on the Citation CE 525 Series, the upgrade has enabled an 800-lb. zero-fuel weight increase. At the same time, the active load alleviation component offers passengers a smoother ride because of active turbulence cancellation.” Klinginsmith says the winglet is a Tamarack-patented carbon-fiber composite structure, while all other components are aluminum. “The Tamarack active camber surface (TACS)—the active portion of the upgrade—is fully autonomous and is located on each of the horizontal wing extensions, and moves the winglet at approximately 20 deg. trailing edge up, and 10 deg. trailing edge down,” he explains. “Both the left and right TACS move the winglets in unison to reduce wing bending in turbulence or a maneuver condition. Near 1g, the TACS are held in a neutral position, similar to how the ailerons are held in straight and level flight.” Klinginsmith adds that through an algorithm that senses load factor on the aircraft, the TACS responds in less than 0.1 sec. to counteract increased wing loads using proprietary electric actuators. “This provides aerodynamic safety, stability and turbulence cancellation that passengers can actually feel,” he says. VIH Aviation fields world’s first firefighting S-92 By Lisa Gordon Published on: August 5, 2024 The Sikorsky S-92 is making its first appearance as a firefighting helicopter with VIH Aviation Group. British Columbia-based VIH Aviation Group has partnered with Milestone Aviation, a subsidiary of aviation leasing firm AerCap, to deploy the world’s first Sikorsky S-92 firefighting helicopter. Through its various subsidiaries, VIH has extensive experience operating, maintaining and modifying the 19-passenger S-92 in its traditional role as an offshore helicopter in the oil-and-gas industry. VIH received Transport Canada validation of the FAA-approved STC for the modifications to the S-92 in early August. Heath Moffatt Photo According to Jen Norie, chief operating officer of VIH Helicopters, the company believes there is an emerging market for ex-offshore S-92s to be reconfigured for utility roles, such as firefighting and construction. “We have a longstanding relationship with Milestone Aviation, and have partnered with Milestone to introduce the first ever utility-configured Sikorsky S-92A helicopter into the Canadian commercial market,” she said. “This aircraft is specifically intended to support government agencies in wildfire suppression.” The project has its roots in an earlier collaboration between Milestone and Australian firefighting equipment designer Helitak Firefighting Equipment. Milestone — as the owner of the world’s largest S-92A fleet — worked closely with Helitak to develop and certify the collapsible FT5000 belly-mounted tank. After earning an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemental type certificate (STC), an S-92A helicopter equipped with the tank was leased to VIH for additional testing. Transport Canada has issued an exemption to allow VIH to operate while it reviews the certification data. Initial testing has shown the aircraft to perform well in the role, said VIH, thanks to its speed, tank capacity and accuracy of drops. Heath Moffatt Photo Operating under a restricted flight permit, flight and tank testing was conducted in B.C., with the aircraft deployed to a fire near Victoria on July 28. Norie said trial results were positive. “Initial testing showed the aircraft performed well and the speed, tank capacity and accuracy of the drops make this aircraft a very attractive option for wildfire agencies,” she told Vertical. “This testing was near sea level, and at higher altitudes the anticipated performance numbers will far exceed existing aircraft of this weight class currently on the market.” • The cockpit of the modified S-92. Heath Moffatt Photo • A closer look at the controls for the 5,000-liter belly tank. Heath Moffatt Photo • A bubble or vertical reference window is among the modifications to the S-92. Heath Moffatt Photo • A pilot looks out the bubble window as the aircraft prepares for a water refill. Heath Moffatt Photo • The aircraft is equipped with a Helitak 5,000-liter (1,320-US gallon) FT5000 belly-mounted tank. Heath Moffatt Photo In addition to the 5,000-litre (1,320-US gallon) tank, modifications to the helicopter included installation of a vertical reference window, a digital FM radio, and a remote torque indicator. Some equipment was also removed, including rafts, floats, and navigation equipment not required for VFR flight. As of Aug. 2, VIH had received Transport Canada validation of the FAA-approved STC. Norie said the S-92A was fully serviceable and she expected it to be deployed as early as Aug. 3 to fight fires in the B.C. interior. Meanwhile, VIH plans to convert two more S-92s for the 2025 international fire season. One Man’s Quest to Restore the First-Ever Air Force One President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s plane is starting to look like itself again. by Eric J. Wallace August 1, 2024 Karl Stoltzfus decided to track down Eisenhower’s original Air Force One after happening upon a local news story about the neglected aircraft on a layover at Tucson International Airport. Staff Sgt. Andrew Lee/001 Images/Alamy It was 1953 and U.S. President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower sat at a big mahogany desk working on a plan to end the Korean War. A small team of elite Washington staffers lounged nearby on mid-century leather sofas or in custom bucket chairs, smoking over hand-carved wood tables. Eisenhower and his team weren’t at the White House, though, or even in D.C.: At that exact moment, they were soaring high over the Pacific Ocean in an overhauled 1948 Lockheed C-121 Constellation aircraft, the first-ever Air Force One. The 100-foot-long and 132-foot-wide, four-propeller plane could hold about 16 passengers, was piloted by a crew of five, and staffed with two or three attendants. Its elegantly tapered fuselage was shaped like a bottlenose dolphin and had thousands of mirror-polished aluminum panels in addition to the hand-painted word “Columbine” arched above a blossoming blue and white flower. “The Constellation was the most iconic of the 1950s airliners, and this one took things to a new level,” says military historian and writer Nicholas A. Veronico. “It was the first plane to go by the call sign, Air Force One, and was heralded as the star of the skies.” Yet, 60 years later, the plane, known as Columbine II, lay neglected and rusting in a field at a rural Arizona airport. That is until aeronautical entrepreneur and aviation history buff Karl Stoltzfus discovered its pedigree and took it upon himself to restore the first Air Force One. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s plane, Columbine II, was the first to use the Air Force One call sign. Dynamic Aviation Columbine II spent the first five years of its life as a military-issue V.I.P. transport before Eisenhower ordered comprehensive upgrades, named it after the flower of his wife’s home state of Colorado, and made it his presidential plane in 1953. The Federal Aviation Administration adopted the tagline Air Force One a year later after a near-catastrophic incident over Richmond International Airport. The plane’s numerical, military tagline 8610 was identical to that of a commercial airliner seeking to land and confusion among air traffic controllers nearly caused a midair collision. From then on, presidential planes were known as Air Force One. But Columbine II’s significance goes beyond being the first Air Force One: Eisenhower used the plane to usher in a new era of presidential diplomacy. While Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to have an official plane, he used it just three times. His successor, Harry Truman, was similarly avoidant. However, Eisenhower was a seasoned pilot and relied heavily on air travel to manage Allied campaigns during World War II. “He saw the potential of a presidential plane as a powerful tool for international and domestic relations,” says Veronico, author of Air Force One: The Aircraft of the Modern U.S. Presidency. Eisenhower traveled across the U.S. and the world to meet with leaders, logging more than 63,000 miles in the first two years of his presidency. He used Columbine II to end the Korean War and wrote his famed “Atoms for Peace” speech onboard. It helped Eisenhower “lay the foundation for how modern presidents conduct foreign diplomacy,” says Veronico. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, his son Major John Eisenhower, and his wife Barbara Eisenhower wave goodbye as they board Air Force One to Hawaii in 1960. Library of Congress/LC-DIG-ppmsca-83216 Columbine II was later repurposed as a V.I.P. transport for Vice President Richard Nixon and visiting dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth, and Eisenhower converted a newer, larger Lockheed Super Constellation into his next Air Force One in November 1954. Eisenhower flew on Columbine II for the last time in 1959. Then, after a brief stint as a commercial airliner, the plane was retired to an Arizona Air Force storage facility in 1968. How did Columbine II wind up abandoned in the desert? “The short answer is, it got lost,” says Veronico. By 1968, the plane’s presidential paint job and lux accouterments were long gone. That combined with what was likely a clerical error during inventory obscured its predigious pedigree. At a 1970 surplus auction, crop duster and fire bomber Mel Christler bought the former Air Force One in a package of five decommissioned C-121s. “When you find out [a plane] was Eisenhower’s, now you’re stuck with it.” “At that time very few people were thinking about the historical significance of these aircraft, much less how to preserve them,” says Veronico. Columbine II had slipped through the cracks: “By then it was just another number.” Christler pulled parts from the former Air Force One to service his fleet of Constellations until they were retired from use in 1978. He was about to scrap Columbine II when a Smithsonian researcher called with recently unearthed news of its presidential past. Christler—a former WWII pilot and flight instructor—spent the next decade struggling to restore the plane on a shoestring budget. “When you find out [a plane] was Eisenhower’s, now you’re stuck with it,” Christler’s son and business successor, Lockie Christler, told Airman Magazine in 2016. “You have a presidential plane you can’t melt up because people wouldn’t think very highly of you.” Mel Christler got Columbine II back to basic flying condition, hoping the progress would attract a private collector or nonprofit to buy the plane and take over the project. But that didn’t happen. It was parked in an open field at Arizona’s Marana Regional Airport in 2003. Christler died two years later. For years, the first Air Force One sat neglected and forgotten in an open field at Arizona’s Marana Regional Airport. Dynamic Aviation That’s where Karl Stoltzfus, then C.E.O. of the aircraft maintenance company Dynamic Aviation, found the plane 11 years later. He decided to track it down after reading a local news story on a layover at Tucson International Airport. “Storage fees were adding up and the owner threatened to scrap it,” says Stoltzfus. “It was unbearable to think that a priceless piece of American history might be turned into beer cans.” Columbine II was in a sorry state when he and lead mechanic Brian Miklos arrived in 2014 to look at the plane. The plane’s aluminum paneling was totally oxidized. Engine hoses and gaskets had corroded to dust. And the fuselage was infested with rodents, birds, and scorpions. The scope of repairs was so staggering, Miklos took one look and thought, “This is a lost cause, where the heck would you even start?” Then Stoltzfus asked if he could ready it for a cross-country flight to Dynamic’s Bridgewater, Virginia, headquarters. “And I honestly thought he’d gone insane,” says Miklos. But Stoltzfus was dead serious. He bought Columbine II for about $1.5 million in early 2015 and appointed Miklos to lead an onsite repair team in partnership with the Mid America Flight Museum. It took a year and 8,000 hours to get the first Air Force One flight worthy. The herculean effort included tearing down and rebuilding all the engines, replacing thousands of yards of electrical wiring, swapping out every rubber hose and gasket on the entire plane, replacing landing gear, and much more. Columbine II finally made what Miklos describes as a “somewhat scary and extremely precarious” 2,000-plus-mile journey to Bridgewater in 2016, where it would enter the next phase of restoration. It touched down to a crowd of more than 1,000 cheering spectators. In 2016, the plane made a “somewhat scary and extremely precarious” 2,000-plus-mile journey to Bridgewater, Virginia, to undergo a complete restoration. Dynamic Aviation “I admit it was an unconventional—if not impractical—approach,” said Stoltzfus, who flew behind Columbine II in a vintage chase plane. “But when a champion boxer loses a fight, which is more dignified: Getting carried out on a stretcher, or walking away on your own two legs?” Today, Columbine II sits in a cavernous hangar alongside other historic military aircraft in various stages of repair. A small team of dedicated volunteers and staffers has worked steadily on the restoration since 2016. Dynamic spends about $500,000 a year on the project—and created the nonprofit First Air Force One in 2022 to oversee its completion. “This is complicated, costly, and time-consuming work that requires tremendous expertise and ingenuity,” says First Air Force One executive director Phil Douglas, an aerospace engineer who inherited the project after Stoltzfus passed away unexpectedly in December 2020. A research team collected rare reference photographs, schematic drawings, and blueprints replete with color codes and information about original materials. Still, Lockheed built just 332 models of the C-121s and the plane is nearly 80 years old. Salvaged units are virtually nonexistent and there are no catalogs for ordering even basic parts. That means workers have to fabricate or modify new or salvaged components to look like originals. “It’s forced us to really think outside-the-box and get creative,” says the project’s lead mechanic Bill Borchers, who’s spent more than 15,000 hours on the plane so far. “I can tell you there’s a lot of custom machining going on around here.” Since 2016, a dedicated team of volunteers and staff have worked steadily on Columbine II’s restoration. Dynamic Aviation Then there were the safety upgrades. Every inch of the interior had to be dismantled to replace a skeleton of rotted wood paneling. Miles of old electrical wire were stripped out and upgraded. A hidden panel of contemporary flight gauges was added to the cockpit and an array of sensors was installed in the engines. Aesthetics were equally demanding. Thousands of oxidized aluminum panels were laboriously polished with special chemicals until they shined like mirrors. Borchers found new-old-stock paint for an artist to touch up hand-painted exterior art and lettering. Smaller than standard, wood-backed swivel chairs were sourced from a Dassault Falcon jet—and are slated to be reshaped and upholstered with vintage leather by a master craftsman. The latter will also build authentic replica furniture like side, buffet, and coffee tables, cabin molding, mid-century couches, fold-out beds, and Ike’s mahogany desk. “At this point, we’re close to moving out of the nuts-and-bolts phase and into the more exciting decorative stuff,” says Douglas, who estimates the project will cost another $12 million and, assuming that funding is secured, take about three years to complete. “When it’s all said and done, Columbine II will look exactly as it did during Eisenhower’s presidency.” Douglas hopes to partner with a major corporate sponsor to expedite completion and eventually fund appearances at air shows around the country and globe, where the plane will be open for public tours. “Karl believed Columbine II could serve as a powerful symbol that reached across generations and reminded us of where we came from and what we stand for,” says Douglas. “It was his dream to bring this plane back to life and we’re determined to make that happen.” Slowly but surely, the plane is starting to look like itself again. Dynamic Aviation NASA says New Orleans workforce a reason for issues with Boeing's Artemis rocket program NASA states a lack of quality control has led to 71 issues on the project that range from minor to potentially serious. NEW ORLEANS — A critical report issued by NASA's Office of Inspector General on Thursday regarding the 10-year Space Launch System Block 1B development for future Artemis astronaut missions to the Moon and Mars, pointed at least some fingers toward the "lack of a sufficient number of trained and experienced aerospace workers" at Boeing's Michoud Assembly Facility. WWL Louisiana media partner NOLA.com released the report on Friday. The report found that Boeing’s quality management system at Michoud does not adhere to these standards or NASA requirements. NASA states a lack of quality control has led to 71 issues on the project that range from minor to potentially serious. "According to NASA officials, the welding issues arose due to Boeing’s inexperienced technicians and inadequate work order planning and supervision," stated NASA's Inspector General. "The lack of a trained and qualified workforce increases the risk that Boeing will continue to manufacture parts and components that do not adhere to NASA requirements and industry standards." These issues are partly blamed for the Michoud-based project being currently projected $700 million over budget and delays of ups to 7 years, some of which are due to Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) funds to the core state during Artemis I production, changing Artemis mission assignments and maintaining an extended workforce seven years more than planned, manufacturing issues and supply chain challenges. President and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc Michael Hecht Disagrees with the report, saying Michoud has a solid track record. “It just doesn’t square to me that there’s an issue with hiring qualified workers when we’ve been doing it for so long and so successfully,” President and CEO of GNO Inc. Michael Hecht said. New Orleans City Councilmember Oliver Thomas described the report as unfair, claiming Boeing’s issues aren’t exclusive to New Orleans. “Maybe they should get to the bottom of their issues before they start disparaging American communities,” New Orleans City Councilmember Oliver Thomas said. According to NOLA.com reporter Stephanie Riegel, Boeing declined to comment on the report, while NASA has yet to respond to a request for comment. NASA did include a response to the findings in the report, which included a plan for improvement: "We recommended the Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) in conjunction with the Assistant Administrator for Procurement and the Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance: (1) coordinate with Boeing, the SLS Stages prime contractor, to develop a quality management system training program that is compliant with AS9100D and reviewed by the appropriate NASA officials and (2) institute financial penalties for Boeing’s noncompliance with quality control standards. To minimize the impact on the Artemis campaign’s timeline and achieve sustainability, we recommended the Associate Administrator for ESDMD: (3) perform a detailed cost overrun analysis on Boeing’s Stages contract for EUS development. To provide greater visibility into cost and schedule estimates for SLS upgrades, we recommended the Associate Administrator for ESDMD: (4) coordinate with DCMA to ensure contractual compliance with EVMS clauses." Read the complete NASA OIG report HERE. DeltaHawk disrupts the GA engine world By Frederick Johnsen · August 12, 2024 Design an inverted V-4 piston engine, run it on jet fuel as a diesel, and do your polite Wisconsin best to be a disruptor in the general aviation aircraft engine world. That might be the mission statement for DeltaHawk, builder of the FAA-certificated DHK180A4. As the piston-engine aircraft world grapples to embrace no-lead gasoline and phase out 100LL, the DeltaHawk approach, using lightweight diesel engines that do not burn gasoline, offers an intriguing alternative for some aircraft owners and manufacturers. During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024, DeltaHawk CEO Christopher Ruud revealed that the company is collaborating with Italian general aviation manufacturer Vulcanair to find ways to power Vulcanair’s airframes with DeltaHawk’s diesel engines. Officials from the two companies are working to put the DHK180 diesel in Vulcanair’s V1 aircraft design. The V1, looking very much like an Italian interpretation of a Cessna 172, currently uses a Lycoming IO-360 engine. Ruud touted the V1 for its record of no FAA Airworthiness Directives (ADs), and no landing gear incidents, something noteworthy for a training aircraft in which hard landings may be expected. Vulcanair revealed earlier this year that it is establishing a U.S. manufacturing facility for the V1.0 in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. The collaboration with Vulcanair follows other collaborations announced earlier this year, including one with Piper Aircraft to power Seminoles with the diesel engines, Van’s Aircraft and its RV-14, as well as Bearhawk, where the diesel DHK180 engine is expected to enhance altitude operation, range, and cost of operation. DeltaHawk Engines is developing a firewall-forward installation package for its DHK engine family to power the popular Van’s RV-14. (Photo by Christina Basken) According to Dennis Webb, DeltaHawk’s director of marketing and certification, the company is using new engine block technology that makes its diesels stronger, 70 pounds lighter, and easier to manufacture. Webb added the company makes firewall-forward packages that can be useful for experimental and production aircraft. Evolution of the design includes improved aerodynamics on the engine’s heat exchanger, he said. At DeltaHawk’s plant in Racine, Wisconsin, the company has an engine test stand that is sophisticated enough to run unattended, providing more test hours in less time on the calendar, according to Webb. He added that DeltaHawk’s survey of aircraft types people would like to see matched with the diesel engine has received more than 1,000 responses, with many naming classic general aviation models. Webb said possibilities exist to extend the range of electric aircraft with a hybrid diesel and electric arrangement. He also is enthusiastic about DeltaHawk’s powerplant growth. “We have more powerful engines coming,” he said. “It’s very scalable — four-cylinder, six-cylinder, eight-cylinder.” While the world grapples with how to get the lead out of aviation gasoline, DeltaHawk has its own answer — don’t use gasoline. For more information: DeltaHawk.com This Bonkers Experimental Helicopter Can Soar at More Than 260 MPH Daniel Cote August 8, 2024 Airbus Racer The Airbus Racer can fly 100 mph faster than most civilian helicopters. But its fuel efficiency and emissions reductions are what set the aircraft apart. Airbus’s high-speed helicopter demonstrator, the Racer, recently bested its own fast-speed cruise target over Marseille, France. Its test flight clocked 261 miles per hour, 11 mph faster than its target speed, and more than 100 mph faster than most helicopters, which typically fly between 110 and 150 mph. This mixed-design aircraft created its own record just two months after its first flight. In just seven flights and about nine hours of flight tests, it has nearly completed its flight envelope, which Airbus cites as a major milestone. The rear-facing propellers and wings allows it to fly like a fixed-wing aircraft. © Airbus The Racer is compilation of different avionics features. Looking like a helicopter with fixed wings, the Racer’s compound formula was designed to balance speed with cost-efficiency and mission performance. The patented, double-wing concept with flaps on the trailing edge is combined with a fully faired main rotor and two more lateral rotors in a pusher configuration. The wing provides 40 percent of the total lift, which takes the load off the rotor, thereby reducing dynamic loads and vibrations. Other features such as its asymmetric tail boom, asymmetric thrust, and a low-drag main rotor enhance the Racer’s fuel efficiency and performance. The next milestone in its flight tests will evaluate the aircraft’s eco-mode, using its hybrid-electrical propulsion system, developed with Safran Helicopter Engines, that allows the pilot to shut down one of the two Aneto-1X engines while in cruise. Operating with one engine during cruise reduces the aircraft’s speed slightly, while improving fuel efficiency, though the pilot can re-engage the second engine at any time during flight. Julien Guitton, a research program manager for Airbus Helicopters, says the goal is not only to build a fast helicopter, but “to enhance operational capabilities at the right price and for missions where speed can be an asset.” The flight path. © Airbus Introduced in 2017, the Racer was developed as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 project which, along with Airbus, involves 40 partner companies from 13 European countries. One main objective is to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 20 percent, compared to conventional aircraft with the same weight. The second goal: noise reduction. “By adjusting the distribution of power between the rotors, we can alter the position of the aircraft and carry out totally unprecedented low-noise approaches,” says Guitton. The Racer will have a range of 400 nautical miles, and, if certified, Airbus envisions using it for intercity shuttle services, emergency medical services, and search-and-rescue missions. Curt Lewis