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GKN Aerospace in Trollhättan, Sweden, are developing and manufacturing the first additive-manufactured, or 3D-printed, rocket engine turbines in Europe, officials say. The tier 1 aerospace supplier is harnessing cutting-edge additive manufacturing (AM) technology to produce two full-scale turbines for the Prometheus reusable rocket engine demonstrator on liquid oxygen and methane propellants, while reducing the number of parts from more than 100 to 2 and cutting costs by 90 percent.

Together, the companies will develop customized lightweight material systems and advanced manufacturing processes, such as metal additive manufacturing – also known as 3D printing – to advance current and next-generation aerospace and defense solutions, including new structures and systems not currently in existence.

A cowling, or engine cover, is a critical airframe component that reduces drag and directing airflow into the engine. For the E-8C JSTARS, an aircraft with four massive Pratt and Whitney JT3D-based TF33-102C turbofan engines, each set of engine cowling components can cost up to $80,000 per set. Even a slightly warped cowling renders the entire housing unsafe and unserviceable.

Engineers at AeroMobil in Slovakia have developed a special edition of the company’s personal aerial vehicles targeted exclusively at the rapidly growing personal air transportation market in China. AeroMobil has unveiled two Sky Dragon roadable aircraft or flying car concepts, specifically designed for China, based on the AeroMobil 4.0 short takeoff and landing (STOL) and 5.0 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

SAE International, a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for mobility engineering, is bringing together subject-matter experts from across the globe for the first SAE International Aerospace Japan Symposium, held November 29 and 30 in conjunction with Japan International Aerospace Exhibition 2018 at Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Tokyo.

Hundreds of flight simulation experts from aerospace organizations worldwide – including airframe manufacturers, training device manufacturers (TDM), airlines, operators, and suppliers – will convene at RSi Visual Systems in Coppell, Texas, in September for the 2018 Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference (FSEMC). Virtual reality (VR), motion cueing, ADS-B, pilot training for NextGen and SESAR, flight simulation training device (FSTD) technology insertion, and the pros and cons of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components top the list of discussion points for the annual conference.

Boeing officials are expanding the company’s use of Siemens’ Mentor Graphics software as part of its Second Century Enterprise Systems (2CES) initiative, an effort to transform the company and aerospace industry to meet future challenges and achieve maximum value from end-to-end integration of supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, product support, and more. Boeing is harnessing a set of Siemens technologies to enable the next generation of design and manufacturing through increased automation and digitalization.

SAE International in Warrendale, Pa., has published AS13006: Process Control Methods, a new standard with guidance material to support specific aerospace engine applications, with a focus on the practical application of control methods for many different situations, to improve process control, process capability, and product quality, benefiting both the organization applying it and its customers.

Parker Aerospace and GKN Aerospace sign development agreement for integrated thermal management technologies in next-generation aircraft engines.

Continental Aerospace Technologies is partnering with Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH of Austria to provide a new powerplant for the DA50 general aviation aircraft. Continental also recently expanded its portfolio with a “cash and in-kind contribution” investment in Ampaire Inc., an electric aircraft and propulsion company.

To better inform and equip mobility engineers dealing with these challenges, SAE International has released a new book series from Juan R. Pimentel that explores automated vehicle safety concepts and technologies.

A growing number of organizations, including leading aerospace and defense (A&D) companies, are implementing model-based systems engineering (MBSE), a practice developing and exploiting a set of related system models that help define, design, and document a system under development – and reaping the benefits of not only increased productivity, agility, and efficiency, but also time and cost savings.

Software has transformed every operational asset of everything in life; artificial intelligence (AI) will have as big an impact on life, predicts Mark Roboff, vice president, aerospace and automotive at SparkCognition during the 2018 SAE Aerospace Standards Summit at LMI in McLean, Va.

AKG of America’s research and development center at its Mebane, North Carolina, facility hosted a grand opening in February that features a new water/glycol thermal shock test stand for product validation.

Officials at SAE International in Warrendale, Pa., and Airlines for America (A4A) in Washington are recognizing Karsten Kaiser of Lufthansa Technik and Michael Ernst of subsidiary 3D.aero for furthering the science and efficacy of nondestructive testing (NDT), having presented them with the 16th annual Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Innovation Award at A4A’s annual NDT Forum last week in Seattle.

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) use is up across the aerospace market, and among the fastest-growing trends in the global aviation industry. CMC material and component use in aircraft engines, specifically, is projected to double over the next five years, according to a new report from analysts at Stratview Research in Telibandha, India.

Demand for high-performance plastics (HPPs) is up across the aerospace industry, driven by such key trends as growing performance requirements, increased use of additive manufacturing or 3D printing, supply chain globalization, and tightening environmental regulations. Growing passenger traffic coupled with the need to reduce emissions – being accomplished through lightweighting, engine downsizing, and vehicle electrification – present opportunities for HPPs, research analysts at Frost & Sullivan in San Antonio, Texas, explain.

The ability to control unmanned systems from the cockpit of a manned tactical aircraft is coming closer to reality. Textron Systems and Textron Aviation have demonstrated manned-unmanned teaming – specifically the command and control (C2) of multiple unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, from a single manned military aircraft.