Pratt and Whitney conducts a successful engine test on 100% sustainable aviation fuel

In what can be described as a critical element of an extensive development program for the unveiling of the "GTF Advantage" engine, Pratt and Whitney have performed a successful test on the engine on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

Representative | Pratt and Whitney

We’re thrilled to have successfully tested the GTF Advantage engine on unblended SAF. The GTF Advantage represents the greenest, lowest emission engine in the industry, and it is now demonstrating full operational capability for the greenest aviation fuels of today and tomorrow. Operation on 100 percent SAF is a key component of the industry’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the completion of these tests get us closer to that goal.Graham Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pratt & Whitney

PRATT & WHITNEY GTF ADVANTAGE™ ENGINE

Since entering service in early 2016, GTF engines have saved operators more than 600 million gallons (more than two billion litres) of fuel and avoided more than six million metric tonnes of carbon emissions. With more than 1,100 aircraft, 58 airlines and three aircraft families – Airbus A320neo, Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jets E2 – GTF engines have also reduced noise footprint by 75% and regulated emissions by 50% to the CAEP/6 regulatory standard.

Representative | Avimeter

Specifically designed for the A320 neo family, it boasts of:

Enhanced sustainability:

Up to 17% lower CO2?emissions vs. prior generation engines like V2500Compatible with 100% SAF?

2. Improved operating costs

Sea level takeoff thrust up to 34,000 pounds per engine?Significant improvements in high altitude take-off thrust?

3. Enhanced reliability:

Builds on mature dispatch reliability of 99.97%?Delivers more thrust at lower temperaturesExtensive endurance testing for high durability?

4. Ease of airline operations:

new model engines can replace base model engines, and vice versa, giving airlines ultimate?flexibility?in their operations.?aircraft will be able to operate one of each configuration. Advanced software will make this invisible to the pilots, delivering maximum efficiency no matter the pairing.?

This new configuration delivers higher thrust, both at sea level and for "hot and high" airports, thereby making it the most powerful engine for the A320neo family.

Representative | SP's Airbuzz

Sustainable aviation fuels are central to the challenge of decarbonizing aviation and reaching our industry’s net zero goal. Validating and certifying the GTF Advantage engine on 100 percent SAF will ensure this engine’s ability to deliver sustainable propulsion to our customers over many decades of service. We remain dedicated to working with the industry on creating a viable path for SAF development, production and distributionSean Bradshaw, technical fellow for sustainable propulsion at Pratt & Whitney said

Reportedly, the SAF used by the company is 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosine (HEFA-SPK) fuel acquired from World Energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lzscd4GNzo

Pratt and Whitney | Youtube

HEFA-SPK is a specific type of hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel used in aviation and is considered a leading alternative replacement for conventional jet fuel by CAAFI due to the sustainability of its feedstock

Touted to extend its lead as the most efficient and most powerful engine choice for the A320neo family, the engine is slated for a 2024 entry into service.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Asian Aviation

Using In-House developed Hybrid Technology, which will be used as Research & Development (R&D) facilities for the development of India's indigenous fifth-generation fighter craft- the AMCA, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has built a 7-storey building in Bangalore, in a record 45 days.

Tribune | DRDO |

Hybrid Technology features column and beam elements built with steel plates while the columns are of hollow steel tubular section. These columns are concrete-filled steel hollow cross-sections. The slabs are partially precast and all these structural members are assembled at the site.

The DRDO has completed the construction of a multi-storey infrastructure for flight control system at ADE Bengaluru with hybrid technology consisting of conventional, pre-engineered and precast methodology in record 45 days.DRDO

https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1504407868908670976

The facility, inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is a Flight Control System at Aeronautical Development Establishment, comprising of a plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh | The Hindu

India has been working diligently on its ambitious 5th generation stealth fighter program - Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which would feature advanced stealth properties, thereby significantly boosting its aerial prowess in the years to come.

A static model of AMCA on display | Representative | Twitter

It is a unique record of completing a permanent building of seven stories with Hybrid construction technology that too in ready to move condition for the first time ever in the history of the construction industry in the country.DRDO officials

The foundation stone for the project was laid on November 22, 2021, while the actual construction commenced on February 1.

Reportedly, the building architecture inculcates design check and technical support provided by teams from IIT-Madras and IIT-Roorkee, and features air-conditioning, electrical and fire protection systems as per standard design norms and IS codes.

India Today

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy were also present at the inauguration.

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COVER: Hindustan Times

Back in the mid-90s, Russia had little or no need for new interceptors. If we go back in history, Mikoyan Gurevich - the Russian military aircraft design bureau, had been designing the MiG-25 and the MiG-31- both of which are capable of speeds of over Mach 3.2 and 2.83 respectively.

Come 2010, the former Soviet Union once again started investing heavily into its defence industry- owing to the changing global scenario. It wasn't long before rumours of a "superfast interceptor" being built by MiG, started doing the rounds.

Representative | Source

To grab a better perspective, let's fly back in history a little bit.

The Mikoyan Interceptor series

MiG-25 Foxbat – The legend

An Indian Air Force MiG-25R Foxbat | The Better India

With a service ceiling of 20,700 meters, the Foxbat was designed to intercept missiles and high-speed American aircraft-such as the SR-71, BlackBird. In comparison to the SR-71, the Foxbat was not only a surveillance aircraft but also carried four air-to-air missiles, making it a deadly weapon. A total of over 1100 units of the bird were built, thereby cementing its success for future variants.

The Foxbat could be equipped with:

GUNSNONEMISSILES2x R-40R (AA-6 „Acrid“)2x R-40T missilesmigflux.com

MiG 31 – the successor of the MiG-25

MiG-31 | Wikipedia

Yet another interceptor built to take out hostiles at any altitude, the MiG-31, NATO reporting name Foxhound- had a top speed of 2.83 Mach and a service ceiling almost as high as the MiG-25. The Foxhound featured an upgraded weapons system as compared to its predecessor and could be equipped with :

GUNS1x Gsh-6-23 cannon4× R-33 (AA-9 ‚Amos’6× R-37 (AA-X-13 ‚Arrow’6× R-37 long-range missiles4× R-33 long-range missile4× R-60 (AA-8 ‚Aphid‘)4× R-73 (AA-11 ‚Archer‘)MISSILES4× R-77 (AA-12 ‚Adder(only some aircraft) Kh-31P (AS-17 ‚Krypton)migflug.com

MiG-41- will it ever take to the skies?

In a technical world, the term "vaporware" refers to any product which is in its infancy and is unavailable yet. The success rates of "vaporware(s)" are reportedly low and most of them fail to even make it to the market.

If reports are anything to go by,  Russia’s fifth-generation plus or even sixth-generation Mikoyan MiG-41 stealth interceptor-being developed under the PAK DP program seems to fall into the category of "military vaporware".

The Mikoyan PAK DP is a Russian programme to develop a stealth interceptor aircraft/heavy fighter under development by Mikoyan to replace the MiG-31 in the Russian Air Force by the mid-2030s.

The first mention of the creation of a new interceptor fighter appeared at the beginning of 2014. Then there were reports about the possibility of a supernova interceptor. It was only during the end of 2017, that Russian media came out with authentic news on the creation of a new generation high-altitude interceptor.

Although not much is known about this fighter, as is with any top military project(s), what we do know, is the fact that it would feature a ramjet or turboramjet engine and would utilize stealth technology and be capable of reaching a speed of Mach 4 to 4.3. Apparently, there are also reports claiming it would be capable of carrying anti-satellite missiles and operating in near-space environments.

Some have even gone as far as to claim it could also down a hypersonic missile.

The deadlines set for the eventual release of the fighter also seem to be unrealistic at best.

By 2028, the fighter-interceptor MiG-31 will cease to exist… We have the time to create a new aircraft as a replacementMiG chief Sergey Korotkov commented during an event in South America in 2016

It is also worth noting that in many of the articles written between 2013 and 2020 about the unrealized project, no mention has been made with regards to its manufacture or its hypersonic capabilities.

Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the MiG-41 will take to the skies by 2025 as previously expected and even more unlikely that it would replace the MiG-31 by the end of this decade.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Defence View

In what can be termed as a landmark achievement, India has announced the development of a 5.5 Generation fighter aircraft- which would soon be synonymous with the Indian Air Force's display of aerial prowess in the years to come.

Representative | Twitter

DRDO's ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) in collaboration with HAL, announced the commencement of the manufacturing process of India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) prototype-India’s futuristic fighter jet.

https://twitter.com/DRDO_India/status/1501612421869277188

In what has been termed as the proverbial ‘metal cutting’ for the first prototype, the AMCA is projected to be a modern fighter aircraft with superior stealth features.

In February of 2021, HAL had announced plans of the company employing a special purpose vehicle (SPV) model with private players, which would, in turn, be used in the production of the next generation AMCA and Indian Multi-Role helicopter.

Reportedly, commercial defence entities might also join the production process of the AMCA, although the design and development will be majorly spearheaded by DRDO and HAL.

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)-Tech and specs

Designed to penetrate deep into enemy territory and annihilate hostile defences and critical targets, the AMCA is touted to feature advanced avionics, suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), diverter-less supersonic intakes and artificial intelligence (AI) as well.

Representative | India Today

It will be a twin-engine, single-seat fighter craft incorporating stealth features to replace the main strike fighters of IAF- the Mirage 2000 and the SEPECAT Jaguar.

An Indian Air Force SEPECAT Jaguar | Airforce Technology

It will have the capacity to carry 1.5 tons of ordnance in its internal weapons bays and would weigh around 20 tons in a baseline stealth configuration.

Furthermore, the fighter craft will be able to mount a 23-millimetre cannon and an extra 5 tons of fuel and weapons on 14 external hardpoints.

The AMCA is designed with a very small radar cross-section to attain stealth properties and for this, it features “S-shaped” air-intakes to reduce radar exposure to the fan blade, thereby magnifying stealth.

UTTAM Aesa Radar on LCA Tejas | Representative | Indian Defence News

It will be manufactured in two variants- AMCA Mk1-which will feature an existing GE414 afterburning turbofan and AMCA Mk2- which is projected to house an even more powerful engine that would be manufactured in collaboration with a foreign entity.

Reportedly, India and France are close to signing a contract for the joint development of a 125kN engine for the AMCA.

CREW 1 or 2FUEL CAPACITY 6,500 kgPAYLOAD 6,500 kg COMBAT RANGE 1,620 kmSERVICE CEILING 20,000 m (65,000 ft)GUNS 23 mm GSh-23 cannonROCKETS S-8 rocket pods (expected)AVIONICS A larger variant of LRDE Uttam AESA RadarWikipedia

23 mm GSh-23 cannon | Representative | Weaponsystems.net

The first flight is expected to be by 2024-25 and serial production is scheduled to begin by 2030 (tentative).

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Defence Aviation Post

Hundreds of people jet around the globe every year just to have a glimpse at this behemoth of engineering marvel. What's even more fascinating, is the fact that it isn't any off-the-hook, experimental program or any next-generation stealth fighter-not even close.

This is the world's largest cargo aircraft and the only one of its kind to have been ever built to date.

The AN-225 MRIYA - which translates to ''dream" or ''inspiration" in Ukrainian, was a strategic airlift freighter craft designed in the 1980s by the Antonov Design Bureau in Soviet Ukraine.

The Mriya has always been notorious for transporting "off-beat" cargo like an entire locomotive, giant turbines, massive generators and sometimes even ready-to-eat meals for an entire army.

A Challenger 604 being transported via Mriya | Representative | The Loadstar

It is also worth noting that the mighty Mriya only made 2 flights per year.

The bigger question though, was why would the world need an aircraft as monstrous as the AN-225?

Travelling back in history just might give us an insight.

How it all began..

In the early 1980s, Soviet engineers began scouting for ways to transport the Buran Space shuttle and Energia super rocket. Apparently, the existing infrastructure at the time proved to be no match in handling the massive size of the new space hardware.

Buran Space Shuttle loaded atop Mriya | Representative | Wikipedia

Interestingly, no Soviet aircraft at the time could handle such a payload. The Mi-26 chopper, with its capacity to lift to 26 tons, was no match for the massive payload either. So, what could the engineers do then?

Indian Air Force Mi-26 Chopper | Representative | Source

Initially, the An-124 Ruslan was chosen for the task but further tests quickly showed that even a partially assembled Buran and components of its rocket carried on its back would mess up the airflow around the plane’s giant vertical stabilizer. A 7-meter extension of Ruslan's fuselage was proposed although the idea was squashed again.

An-124 Ruslan | Aero Corner

With no plans of giving up, Moscow now began focussing on an even bigger plane- which led to the birth of the project known by the codename ‘Article-400,’- that metamorphosed into what we now popularly know as the An-225.

The birth of the beast

The lead designer of the An-225 and the An-124 was Viktor Tolmachev. The design of Antonov An-225 Mriya had been selected on basis of heavy transport aircraft- the An-124 Ruslan.

The An-225 had fuselage barrel extensions added to the fore and aft of the wings. The centre section of the Ruslan’s wing was re-engineered to accommodate three engines, as opposed to two. The number of landing gear assemblies on the sides of the fuselage was increased from 10 to 14, and the three last rows of wheels were steerable so the giant plane could make a turn on a runway.

Ivchenko Progress D-18T engines featured on Mriya

The forward section of the Ruslan was stretched by 8 meters while the aft section was reduced by 1 meter to compensate for the plane’s heavy dual stabilizer.

An increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels was designed, some of which are steerable, enabling the aircraft to turn within a 60-metre-wide (200 ft) runway. Furthermore, the An-225 had a nose gear designed to "kneel" so that cargo could be more easily loaded and unloaded.

Antonov's Main Landing Gear | Wikipedia

Unlike the An-124, the An-225 was not intended for tactical airlifting and was not designed for short-field operations.

The full-scale development of Antonov An-225 Mriya took about three and a half years, almost more than twice the time it was initially set to take. The final aircraft weighed about 640 tons in fully loaded conditions and stood so massively tall that it had to be placed diagonally inside its final assembly hall.

On December 21, 1988, test pilot Aleksandr Galunenko lifted Mriya off Gostomel airfield near Kyiv for the first time.

At the time of its debut, the An-225 was christened "MRIYA"- “dream” in Ukrainian, and this was perhaps the first time that a Soviet aircraft received a Ukrainian name.

A second An-225, with a slightly different configuration, was partially built during the late 1980s for the Soviet space program. A lack of funding and interest initially stalled the program mid-way although it was restored by 60–70% later on.

Hidden twin of the mighty Mriya | Daily Mail

Shattering records

Mriya holds the absolute world record for an airlifted single-item payload of 189,980 kg and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kg.

loveEXPLORING

On 11 August 2009, a generator for a gas power plant in Armenia along with its loading frame was loaded onto the An-225-the heaviest single cargo item ever sent by air freight.

On 11 June 2010, the An-225 carried the world's longest piece of air cargo-two 42.1 m test wind turbine blades from China to Denmark.

The cargo area of the Antonov 225 is 141-ft long, 21-ft wide, and 14-ft, 5-1/4 in. tall, enough to accommodate the two turbine blades | windpowerengineering.com

Facts and figures

The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of An-225 is 640 tons, which is about 80 tons more than the MTOW of an Airbus A380.

Representative | Reddit

The Mriya celebrated its 25th anniversary on the 21st of December 2013, while it received its type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register (IAC AR) on 23rd May, 2001.

It was assigned resources and a lifetime of 20,000 flight hours, 4000 flights translating to 45 years of operation at the time.

However, sadly enough, there have been reports of the An-225 being damaged amidst the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Pictures that surfaced showing Mriya as a burnt wreck | The Sun

Regardless, the Ukrainian government has stated that it would re-build the iconic aircraft and this time, at the Russian's expense.

The restoration is estimated to take over 3 billion USD and over five years. Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine's aviation and the air cargo sector a press release by Ukroboronprom-(Antonov's parent organisation), on 27 February 2022

Over the entire period of operation since 1992 aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya was carried about 20 500 tons of cargo including more than 2500 tons in 2013.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: AeroTime Hub

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), is a European combat "system of systems", under development by Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra Sistemas and Thales. The consortium aims at developing Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) as well as other air assets for the future operational battlespace.

Royal United Services Institute

The NGWS's components will apparently integrate remote carrier vehicles and a New Generation Fighter (NGF) which is touted to replace the French "Rafale", German "Typhoon" and Spanish "EF-18 Hornets" by 2040.

Reportedly, a deal worth €150 million was signed in February of 2020 to kick-start the developmental programme. With each country assigning a national coordinator-Airbus for Germany, Indra for Spain and Dassault for Spain, the FCAS concept was developed in the frame of the ETAP European Technology Acquisition Programme that started in 2001. 

Possible hurdles in the FCAS fighter program

In 2017, France and Germany jointly announced plans of building the FCAS revolving around the NGF concept. Eventually, Spain joined the bandwagon too and it now appears that all these major European aviation stalwarts are at loggerheads with each other as to who should lead the fighter program.

A full-scale model of Europe's 6th Generation fighter craft

In what can be described as an escalation of the stand-off between the two defence contractors, Dassault wouldn't want to play the second-best given its recent success with the manufacture and export of Rafale jets. Airbus, on the other hand, is looking for a more equitable position in a successor aircraft while forming a new partnership.

We still have difficulties with Airbus. It’s not always easy to negotiate with the Germans.Dassault Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier noted at a news briefing in Paris on January 26

Dassault Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier | Dassault Aviation

He further went on to state that talks between Dassault and Airbus and Spanish arms led to no fruitful results and an agreement regarding moving on was yet to be made.

If the collaboration on FCAS was to fail, Trappier said that Dassault had a backup plan and also ruled out possibilities of future collaborations on European fighter jets.

A custom-painted Rafale | Rafale B Nato Tiger Meet 2013 | Representative | Pinterest

Reportedly, the aerospace giants battling for dominance doesn't come as a surprise as history shows France and Germany have been at odds with each other in certain areas of cooperation.

The two countries have expressed their contention over intellectual property rights with France alleging that Germany’s defence industry seeks access to French technology, which Germany vehemently rejects. Additionally, both the countries are also split overpayments, the precise description of the fighter and with France even going further to mention Germany's absence from international combat missions.

A Franco-German fighter isn’t just a bad idea because of asymmetric weapons export policies. The industrial arrangements themselves are problematic. Ostensibly, the FCAS is a joint program, but the partners have agreed to make Dassault prime contractor on the aircraft, and there are few doubts that Safran will be the prime contractor on the engine and the French company Thales on the radar and electronic warfare systemsargues Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, in his article

Eric Trappier further suggests that Germany's possible acquisition of nuclear-capable US fighter jets as part of a long-standing NATO pact could also impact the FCAS project majorly.

A Dassault exit would be a major blow for a project hailed as a beacon of European Union unity at a time when the continent is engulfed in conflictBloomberg Quint

A test flight of a demonstrator is expected around 2027 and entry into service around 2040

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdo5EKlcfYc

Airbus Defense and Space | Youtube

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Popular Mechanics