Air Force begins 'rapid research' to combat commercial drones used by adversaries

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Information Directorate, in Rome, N.Y., has a requirement to provide a focused yet flexible, rapid, agile contracting vehicle between the AFRL, its products centers, and the operational community to support rapid research, development, prototyping, demonstration, evaluation, and transition of Counter small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) capabilities.

“These capabilities are to be used in combating Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) small Unmanned Aircraft Systems—and others leveraging COTS technology—presently being used by our adversaries in asymmetric warfare against U.S. military personnel and materiel,” the Air Force said in contract documents released in December. “Emphasis will be placed on: a) development of technology capability solutions that address specific user requirements; b) delivery of prototype technologies for evaluation and feedback in the context of the user’s operational environment; c) provision of a mechanism for user acquisition of limited product quantities required for operational introduction of technologies. Anticipated deliverables include software, hardware, technical documentation and technical reports.”

The government anticipates a single award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity research and development contract with Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Completion Task Orders, an ordering period of 72 months, and a maximum ordering amount of approximately $490 million.

“In order to meet the users’ critical schedule to combat the UAS threat, and due to the required synchronicity and top level systems engineering between both the new capabilities to be developed and changes to fielded software baseline, this IDIQ is intended to be a single award,” the Air Force said in response to questions from contractors interested in bidding on the contract. The government anticipates a contract award in September.

Otto Aviation officially introduces the Celera 500L passenger aircraft

Otto Aviation is pleased to officially introduce the Celera 500L, the most fuel-efficient commercially viable passenger aircraft in the world. The full-scale prototype has completed 31 successful test flights that validate its operating performance goals. Otto Aviation currently holds seven patents, further contributing to the credibility and potential of the aircraft.

The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 450 miles per hour, a range of over 4,500 miles, a large stand-up cabin and an astounding fuel economy of only 18 to 25 miles per gallon. The dramatic reduction in fuel consumption makes the Celera 500L the most environmentally friendly airplane in its class and presents a major leap forward in the effort to develop a zero-emission air transportation system.

The manufacturing detail delivers cruise efficiencies unmatched by conventional aircraft while offering a clean-sheet design that will completely alter the way people and parcels travel.

“Our goal was to create a private aircraft that would allow for direct flights between any city pair in the U.S. at speeds and cost comparable to commercial air travel,” said William Otto Sr., chairman and chief scientist of Otto Aviation.

The Celera 500L offers a spacious stand-up cabin with six first-class seats and lavatory.

Otto adds, “Since the results from our prototype test flights have been so promising, we’re ready to bring the Celera 500L to market.”

Textron delivers King Air 350ER aircraft to Victoria Police

Textron Aviation announced Tuesday it delivered a Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft to Australian aviation service company Skytraders, which will operate and maintain the aircraft on behalf of Victoria Police.

The Beechcraft King Air 350ER is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc.

The King Air 350ER will primarily support Victoria Police Air Wing and its team of Tactical Flight Officers, who lead airborne law enforcement, training, search and rescue, and extended offshore marine safety missions throughout the state of Victoria, Australia.

“By integrating the King Air 350ER into their fleet, Victoria Police Air Wing greatly enhances the capabilities of the professionals who respond to more than 5,000 taskings every year,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales for Textron Aviation.

The custom-configured mission package for Victoria Police includes advanced mission management system, ground moving target indicator object detection, Tactical Flight Officer workstations, tactical radios, satellite communications and a data downlink. The extended range King Air is also fitted with optional factory installed Pratt and Whitney PT6A-67A engines.

What happens when a drone gets ingested by an aircraft engine, FAA ready to conduct live test

The inclusion of large numbers of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) may pose unique hazards to other aircraft sharing the airspace. It is necessary to determine the potential severity of sUAS mid-air collisions with aircraft in order to define an Equivalent Level of Safety to manned aviation.

Through H.R. 636 – FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, Section 2212, Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Manned Aircraft Collision Research, Congress mandated UAS research to determine the impact severity of ground and airborne collisions. The latest engine ingestion request from Congress came in September 2019 and aligns with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) readiness to conduct the final research phase.

The project is titled, “High-Bypass Turbofan UAS Engine Ingestion Test,” according to contract documents released Friday. This project encompasses the final research phase which is a live engine ingestion test.

“Understanding the severity of the ingestion event is critical to be able to estimate the extent of damage encountered in a typical incident/accident,” the FAA said in a Performance Work Statement released Friday. “To aid in the longevity of the information gathered during this effort, high fidelity data gathering, instrumentation, and model validation is crucial for future FAA regulatory and policy development surrounding safe UAS integration (here throughout to include sUAS) into the NAS.”

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 states that “in continuation of ongoing work, shall coordinate a program to conduct comprehensive testing or modeling of unmanned aircraft systems colliding with various sized aircraft in various operational settings, as considered appropriate by the FAA, including subpart (4)(D) Collisions between unmanned aircraft systems and various parts of an aircraft, including an engine.” Congressional Mandate, H. R. 636 – FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, Section 2212 states, “in testing and providing a final report detailing the overall risks associated with, and the underlying data and analysis for an actual UAS ingestion into a representative mid- to high-bypass gas turbofan engine of current commercial airliners.”

As sUAS become more prevalent in the NAS, proper integration is necessary to help prevent collisions between both unmanned and manned aircraft. In the final phase of this research, this work effort is intended to provide high-fidelity data from the actual ingestion of a market-representative sUAS into a commercial airline mid- to high-bypass gas turbofan engine, with a diameter of approximately 62 inches.

As sUAS operations become closer in proximity to manned aviation operations, specifically around airports, this effort will investigate the ingestion event representative of incidents occurring during the landing and takeoff phases of flight for a commercial airliner. This work effort is intended to identify the risks and recommend manufacturing best-practices for sUAS manufacturers, and inform the FAA on the potential outcome of an ingestion event.

This work effort is intended to identify risks and recommend solutions, or recommendations on the risks associated with UAS operating near commercial airliner engines, to the FAA that enable sUAS operations. This work effort will help the FAA by providing justification for operational limitations that can be used as inputs to FAA guidance and industry consensus standards relating to the use of sUAS near manned aircraft operations, specifically commercial airliner operations at airports. The work effort will also be immediately helpful for providing direction to FAA approvers for approving operations of sUAS that will take place near manned aircraft operations. sUAS operations need to have adequate standoff distances from flight obstacles and also avoid conflicts and collisions with manned aircraft (e.g. commercial airliners), specifically those sUAS that operate in the vicinity of an airport for operations such as runway inspections.

The FAA is working on a timeline to award contracts and move forward with the live ingestion test.

Bureau of Land Management announces flight service contract in Alaska

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, has a requirement for one contractor operated and maintained airplane for exclusive use utility flight services in support of fire and natural resource management activities and other government work, to include, but not limited to, aerial observation and passenger and cargo transport. All operations will be based at Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska.

The aircraft shall be a single engine or multi-engine, turbine powered fixed wing aircraft. Additionally, aircraft must have Instrument File Rules/Visual Flight Rules capabilities, capacity to seat a minimum of five passengers with removable seats, have a payload of at least 1,000 pounds with 375 nautical-mile range and endurance of four hours, and have an airspeed of 160 knots true airspeed at 10 degrees Celsius at 5,000 feet, which are all minimum aircraft standards stated in the solicitation.

Environmental conditions during the exclusive use period will vary with snow packed, gravel and other prepared and unprepared runways.

The government anticipates awarding one Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity firm fixed unit price contract. The contract will have an estimated five-year ordering period from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026. Once evaluations are complete, the exclusive use period for each year is estimated to occur on or around April 19th for 120 calendar days. The anticipated issue date of the solicitation is Sept. 4 with a projected closing date of Oct. 6.

Suburban Air Express, Inc., is currently providing services under contract D17PC00290. The existing contract is valued at $3 million.

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AS2 supersonic business jet to be built at new Florida research park

Space Florida is pleased to announce it has finalized a multi-million-dollar investment in Aerion Supersonic to accelerate the hiring of employees and development of the company's new state-of-the-art campus – Aerion Park – in Melbourne, Fla.

A new development which will be powered by clean energy, Aerion Park will incorporate a new global headquarters and integrated campus for research, design, production and support of the company's supersonic aircraft. The new project represents a multi-year investment that is expected to generate at least 675 jobs in Florida by 2026.

"Florida has a rich history in the aviation industry from the first commercial air passenger service and it will now host production of the world's first commercial supersonic business jet,” said Frank DiBello, president and CEO of Space Florida.

Aerion will break ground on the new campus later this year and once complete, Aerion Park is expected to attract key aerospace suppliers within the supersonic technology ecosystem to bring business to Florida, creating additional roles for scientists, designers, engineers and aircraft builders.

"We are excited to partner with the State of Florida, Space Florida, Brevard County and the local Melbourne community to create a sustainable supersonic future," said Aerion Chairman, President & CEO, Tom Vice. “Backed by an excellent education system, a significant engineering and manufacturing talent pool, the right business climate with global access and the unique attributes of Orlando Melbourne International Airport, this is the ideal location for Aerion to continue our mission to build the global transportation networks of the future."

The AS2 supersonic business jet will be the first aircraft to be designed, built, and tested at Aerion Park. Designed to be inherently environmentally responsible from first flight, the AS2 is the first supersonic aircraft designed to be powered by 100% synthetic fuel and reach supersonic speeds without the need for an afterburner. Manufacturing is scheduled to commence in 2023.