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To ensure safe aircraft takeoffs and landings, one of the most vital areas to inspect for possible fatigue cracking and heat damage is the wheel bead seat. Comprehensive examination of this critical area, where the rubber edge of a tire contacts the wheel, requires having the right wheel inspection equipment on hand for the job – and not all maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities do.

US Army officials and engineers continue work to modernize the defense organization’s fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a more modern digital cockpit, conducting a Limited User Test with two prototype aircraft at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. They selected for a Limited User Evaluation (LUE) a Crew Mission Station (CMS) aligned with The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) technical standard that combines Core Avionics & Industrial Inc.’s (CoreAVI’s) compositor and graphics suite, Avalex smart display, Intel hardware, Wind River operating system, and Presagis server.

This critical milestone comes after a rigorous review, called “Key Decision Point-C (KDP-C),” that confirmed NASA’s continued support of the X-59 in terms of funding. It establishes an achievable development timeline for NASA’s first piloted full-size X-plane in more than three decades.

NASA officials and engineers are prepping to fly the agency’s F/A-18 research aircraft over Galveston, Texas, using a “quiet thump” technique designed to reduce loud sonic booms typically associated with supersonic flight. This week’s test flight sets off a series of quiet supersonic research flights off the coast of Texas to test ways to measure supersonic aircraft sound levels and the community’s response to the supersonic acoustic experience.

Officials at an as-yet-unnamed airline in the U.S. is assessing a new hydrophobic coating developed by GKN Aerospace materials science and engineering specialists in Garden Grove, Calif., for cockpit windows on its commercial passenger aircraft. GKN Aerospace debuted the new materials science technology, which Airbus engineers are also flight-trialing on the airframe manufacturer’s flight-test aircraft, during Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England, in July 2018.

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.

A team of engineers from NASA and Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. successfully completed the eighth and final test of the Orion spacecraft Capsule Parachute Assembly System at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Ariz.

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.

Aireon LLC, a global aircraft tracking and surveillance company in McLean, Va., is inviting aircraft operators, regulators, search-and-rescue organizations, and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) to pre-register for Aireon Aircraft Locating and Emergency Response Tracking (ALERT). Aireon ALERT, operated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), is being touted as the aviation industry’s first and only free, global, real-time emergency aircraft location service, which is slated to begin service in Q1 2019.

Although Northrop Grumman officials acknowledged during a post-test press conference that the incident needs to be “looked into,” they stated that the thrust profile could be “very normal, nominal.” A following statement labeled the test a success and announced that OmegA is on track for its first test launch in 2021 and operational service in 2022.

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.

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.

Lockheed Martin Corporation successfully completed development and testing for the heatshield that will protect NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars 2020 rover during its descent to the Martian surface. After completing the flight hardware structure, Lockheed Martin tested the heatshield’s physical integrity by exposing it to ‘flight-like’ thermal conditions.

According to Airbus, the CityAirbus UAM vehicle – or “air taxi” – will initially be operated by a pilot for certification and market entry purposes; however, the aircraft is designed for fully autonomous flight once regulations are established.

Stratos Aircraft in Redmond, Ore., is introducing the Stratos 716 model, an evolved version of its 714 proof of concept (PoC) aircraft. A multi-role very light jet (VLJ), the Stratos 716 is designed to seat six and support personal, business, and air taxi use.

Shape the future of flight while competing for a share of $1.8 million in prizes. SAE International, an organizational partner of the Boeing-sponsored GoFly Prize international competition, invites innovators to build a personal flying device with the potential to change the future of mobility.

GA-ASI plans to make the first-ever, trans-Atlantic flight of a MALE RPA with its company-owned MQ-9B SkyGuardian/MQ-9 Reaper from Grand Forks, N.D., to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England.

While the pandemic continues, aerospace companies are rising to embrace new and emerging challenges at a time when there’s so much innovation. This innovation can be seen in the emergence of urban air mobility (UAM), the rebirth of supersonic flight, the drive towards a “zero emission” aircraft, and the continued use of autonomous drones for delivery, freight, search & rescue, and defense. There are exciting new developments in space as companies are developing products for commercial exploration and space tourism, and new ways to launch satellites. A new generation of engineering is also emerging in the defense sector and its development of not only aircraft, but also ships, tankers, and even flight trainers.

Marvin Test Solutions Inc., a global provider of test solutions for aerospace, defense, and manufacturing organizations, in Irvine, California, is introducing its GX3800e High Performance PXI Express field-programmable gate array (FPGA) module, designed to offer engineers the flexibility to develop high-performance, customized digital and mixed signal instrumentation for specific applications without the use of external interface cards.

On Sept. 12, NASA will conduct the first test flight of its latest heatshield, the Adaptable Deployable Entry Placement Technology (ADEPT) mechanically deployable semi-rigid aeroshell entry system.