The Blended Wing Body - a blueprint for future commercial aviation

The blended wing body (BWB), is a concept NASA and its industry partners have been working on as a potential application for future civil and military applications.

Wikimedia Commons

Developed decades ago, variations of it have been used in the famous B-2 bomber (a blended wing) and the lesser-known YB-49 (a pure flying wing from the 1940s). The BWB design uses composite materials that are stronger and lighter than conventional metal construction. The BWB also has several control surfaces on the trailing edge, like the B-2, instead of the conventional tail assembly.

Since it is a configuration that has only been used in military missions, NASA has been studying the flying characteristics of this design to answer several critical questions that must be addressed before a BWB can be commercially certified.

GTA5-Mods.com

NASA and industry studies suggest that a large commercial BWB aircraft could be developed. Because of its efficient configuration, the BWB would consume over 20% less fuel than a comparable conventional aircraft flying at high subsonic cruise speeds over a 7,000 nautical-mile range. An aircraft of this type would have a wingspan slightly greater than a Boeing 747 and could operate from existing airport terminals. The BWB would also weigh less, generate less noise and emissions, and cost less to operate than an equally advanced conventional transport aircraft.

At the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, researchers have tested five wind tunnel models of three versions of the BWB to evaluate the concept's aerodynamic, noise, stability and control, and spin and tumble characteristics. Data obtained during these tests were used to develop computer performance models and flight control laws.

Airbus reveals its blended wing aircraft demonstrator

Airbus blended wing aircraft demonstrator | Business Live

Airbus revealed "MAVERIC"- Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls, for the first time at the Singapore Air Show on 11 February 2020.

Tech and Specs

At 2 metres long and 3.2 metres wide, with a surface area of about 2.25m², MAVERIC  featured disruptive aircraft design with the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% compared to current single-aisle aircraft. The “blended wing body” configuration also opens up new possibilities for propulsion systems type and integration, as well as a versatile cabin for a totally new onboard passenger experience.

Blended Wing Body (BWB) cabin design insights

In terms of today’s technology, the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 represent the end of the line with regards to size and performance within currently applied fuselage/wing concepts. Any future aircraft will have to consider the demands of its passengers if it wishes to gain their acceptance, especially their comfort and security, as well as their entertainment, service and ability to communicate with the ground.

Coinciding with Zero Emissions Day 2020, September 21st saw Airbus unveil a portfolio of three proposed hydrogen-powered aircraft. Known as the ZEROe range, these emission-free designs would offer a 100% reduction, and they included a blended wing concept. This had the highest capacity of the three proposed aircraft, seating around 200 passengers.

TechEBlog

The below criteria is for a BWB cabin capable of housing up to 900 passengers:

Entrance and exit : In addition to including much wider main aisles and an additional eight emergency exits, the cabin layout would also have to address he requirement of a 90-second deboarding time during an emergency situation.Seat layout : Passenger behaviour and demands on a very long-distance flight require the cabin area and seating plan to include a high degree of modularity and flexibilityInflight Entertainment: Whether aircraft will include holographic multimedia cinemas or virtual reality booths remains to be seen, although the general trend is for more interactive, personalised services.Outside view : A BWB cabin layout will have a restricted exterior view owing to its sparsely separated windows.Twin decks : Typically a BWB aircraft would have a double-deck configuration. While the main deck could be featured as the ‘traditional’ passenger cabin', the lower deck could house restaurants, leisure and recreation areas, and business and entertainment zones.Luggage : Considering the fact that a BWB aircraft is unlikely to operate on regional routes popular with business travellers, luggage woes are less probable to crop up here although stowage concepts for carry-on-luggage is something that still would need to be worked on.

Airbus is leveraging emerging technologies to pioneer the future of flight. By testing disruptive aircraft configurations, Airbus is able to evaluate their potential as viable future products. Although there is no specific time line for entry-into-service, this technological demonstrator could be instrumental in bringing about change in commercial aircraft architectures for an environmentally sustainable future for the aviation industry.Jean-Brice Dumont, EVP Engineering, Airbus

Did you know? The BWB shape, called the "outer mould line", was developed by The Boeing Phantom Works of Huntington Beach, California.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: NASA

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) said on Tuesday, January 4 that it would defend itself legally after a Canadian court recently ordered that Devas Multimedia’s shareholders could seize its assets abroad as damages for India’s failure to honour several arbitral awards won by the satellite firm.

Shareholders of Devas Multimedia have said that they have been able to seize assets worth $30 million to date as part of the enforcement strategy after the Superior Court of Quebec granted them the right to legally seize property belonging to AAI held by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Montreal.

These assets include, among other things, air navigation charges and aerodrome charges collected on behalf of AAI. “AAI has not been served any order by the Quebec Court, Canada in this matter. However, IATA shared certain documents on AAI’s request for suspending the transfer of the amount collected on behalf of AAI,” a spokesperson for AAI said. “AAI is taking legal recourse to defend itself from the impugned order.”

AAI to sue Devas Multimedia for seizing assets in other countries.

ET reported on Jan 3 that the Canadian court’s directives were the first major victory for shareholders of the beleaguered satellite firm in enforcing several global arbitral awards won by them against India. The legal battle erupted after a satellite deal between Antrix Corp, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), and Devas Multimedia was cancelled by the government in 2011.

The three investors — CC/Devas Mauritius, Telcom Devas Mauritius and Devas Employees Mauritius Pvt Ltd – had moved the Montreal district court last year for the seizure of assets of the Indian government to enforce an October 13, 2020, order by the UN Commission on International Trade Law tribunal for Antrix Corporation (a commercial arm of ISRO) to pay $111 million as compensation for the cancellation of a Devas- Antrix satellite deal that was signed in 2005.

The Montreal court ordered the seizure of the AAI funds after preliminarily identifying it as an alter ego of the Government of India, which owns ISRO and Antrix. A formal judgment will be passed later on Devas investors’ efforts to collect the compensation award through assets linked to India.

This culminated in a $1.3 billion ($562 million-plus interest) arbitral award in favour of Devas by the International Chamber of Commerce in 2015. The Quebec court’s order, however, pertains to a ‘Quantum Award’ issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in October 2020, which awarded Devas’ shareholders $111 million-plus interest and costs as compensation for the expropriation of their 40% interest in the satellite business owned by Devas.

“Our action in Canada has resulted in millions of dollars garnished by Devas’ shareholders and represents the first fruits of a globally focused effort to be paid. Our enforcement in Canada reaffirms the fundamental legal principle accepted around the world that deadbeat debtors must pay what they owe."Matthew D McGill, Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and lead counsel for the shareholders

In September 2015, the arbitration tribunal asked the commercial arm of ISRO to pay USD 672 million.

In his order dated October 27, 2020, Judge Thomas S Zilly, US District Judge, Western District of Washington, Seattle, asked Antrix Corporation to pay a compensation of USD 562.5 million to Devas Multimedia Corporation and the related interest rate, amounting to a total of USD 1.2 billion.

Spicejet dropped 3.96% to Rs 69.05 after the company's consolidated net losses widened to INR 731.12 crore in Q1 June 2021 (Q1 FY22), higher than the net loss of INR 600.52 crore in Q1 June 2020 (Q1 FY21).

The net debt of SpiceJet was around 10.6 billion Indian rupees during the fiscal year 2020. This was among the lowest value over the seven financial years beginning from 2014.

With Covid dealing a severe blow to the entire aviation industry, many airlines were pushed to their financial limits, with little or no support from the government.

On a standalone basis, SpiceJet reported a net loss of INR 729 crore in the first quarter of FY2022 as against a net loss of INR 593 crore in the same quarter of the previous year as flight operations were severely impacted due to Covid-19 second wave.  However, SpiceXpress's revenue soared 285% to INR 473 crore for the reported quarter compared with INR 166 crore in the same quarter last year.

Economic Times

The last five quarters have been the most difficult phase ever for SpiceJet as aviation remained the worst?hit sector during the second wave as well. Q1 was severely impacted by the second wave as passenger traffic almost disappeared. While no one can predict the future, with vaccination numbers picking up and demand for air travel increasing steadily, we hope the trend reverses soon.Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director (MD), SpiceJet

Bloomberg Quint

Fast forward to December 2021, the Madras High Court asked the carrier to wind up its operations for non-payment of more than $24 million to Swiss company SR Technics, which is responsible for maintenance, repair and overhauling of aircraft engines, modules, components, assemblies and parts. Apparently, the two parties had entered into a supplemental agreement in August 2012 and should the airlines fail to pay its debt under the mentioned period, it would be deemed to be unable to pay its debts.

SpiceJet Group incurred a loss of INR 1,028.18 crore as of 31 March 2021. Including the previous losses, the total loss had reached INR 4,223.38 crore. The liabilities on the airline are INR 5,18,424.9 crore more than the current assets.

Employees say their salaries were cut and in some cases not paid. As of March 2021, the company had 14,810 employees, down from 16,280 last year. Reportedly, the company did not even have enough money left for the PF of the employees.

To make matters even worse for the airline, very recently, a SpiceJet passenger flight took off from Gujarat's Rajkot without the mandatory clearance from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC), following the which aviation regulator, DGCA, has ordered a probe into the incident.

Runway overshoots cancelled flights coupled with unresponsive customer support only added further woes to the already piling list of issues with the carrier.

Additionally, in the annual report for FY21, the independent auditors also pointed out that SpiceJet had defaulted on tax payments, GST payments and employee provident fund dues in FY21 totalling INR 90 crore and were doubtful of the airline's sustenance as its net worth has eroded.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: One Mile at a Time

A newborn baby, covered in blood-soaked toilet paper, was found abandoned in the trash bin of a plane's washroom and rescued by officials who were on an inspection round, said media reports.

A 20-year-old woman from Madagascar, suspected of having given birth on the Air Mauritius plane, which landed at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport on January 1, was arrested, reported the BBC. The baby is said to be doing well, the news report said.

Newborn baby, covered in blood-soaked toilet paper, was found abandoned in the trash bin of a plane's washroom. (Image Courtesy - BBC)

Airport officers spotted the child when they screened the plane for a routine customs check, reported Cities Newsroom. They noticed that there was blood-stained toilet paper, and rushed the baby to a public hospital for treatment, it said. 

The suspected mother, who initially denied the boy was hers, was made to undergo a medical examination which confirmed that she had just given birth, the BBC said in its report.

Airport officers spotted the child when they screened the plane for a routine customs check. (Image Courtesy - Insider)

The woman has been put under police surveillance at the hospital, it said. Both she and the baby are said to be doing well.

The Malagasy woman, who arrived in Mauritius on a two-year work permit, will be questioned after her release from the hospital and charged with abandoning a newborn.

Airbus provisionally exceeded its target of 600 jet deliveries in 2021, with final totals depending on a still incomplete audit, industry sources said on Monday, January 3.

Deliveries of aircraft went down to the wire, with several handovers completed on December 31, according to specialist website Hamburg Finkenwerder News and flight-tracking data.

Deliveries included a flurry of last-minute activity for A350 wide-bodied jets, for which demand has been slack as international travel remains dogged by the coronavirus crisis.

Airbus provisionally exceeded its target of 600 jet deliveries in 2021.

That brought December's tally for the long-haul jets to about a dozen, though almost half of those have yet to enter operational service, according to Flightradar24 tracking data.

Airbus deliveries frequently surge in the final month of the year, but supply chain problems have hampered deliveries of some medium-haul jets while the spread of Omicron has raised fresh doubts over the likelihood of an early rebound in long-haul travel.

Airbus raised the outlook for jet deliveries to 600 from a previous target of at least 566 in July after posting better than expected half-year results. 

Bloomberg News reported on December 22 that Airbus was on track to meet its annual delivery goal.

Boeing deliveries

Boeing last won the delivery battle in 2018. The Max was grounded worldwide early the following year after two crashes that killed 346 people. 

Sales and deliveries of the Chicago-based planemaker’s best-selling jet were frozen for the better part of two years, with customers cancelling hundreds of orders as Covid weakened their finances. 

The output of the 737 Max gained pace throughout 2021, but separate continued quality problems with its 787 Dreamliner has continued to hamper deliveries. 

While a sales comeback driven by pent-up demand for the 737 Max lifted Boeing to an order lead for most of 2021, Airbus managed to erase that advantage too. 

Boeing last won the delivery battle in 2018

Based on a Bloomberg calculation of announced sales, Airbus edged its U.S. rival by some 58 orders in 2021.

During the Dubai Airshow 2021, The French aerospace manufacturer had amassed 408 announced orders and commitments by the end of the show’s fourth day, while its American counterpart Boeing trailed with 101. Airbus and Boeing are the world’s two largest aerospace companies by revenue. 

The order numbers so far from the first major air show since the Covid-19 pandemic began are a positive sign for aviation and travel, which suffered devastating losses for much of the last 18 months.

(With Inputs from Reuters and Bloomberg)

The chief executives of AT&T and Verizon Communications rejected a request to delay the planned January 5 introduction of the new 5G wireless service over aviation safety concerns but offered to temporarily adopt new safeguards.

The U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson had asked AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg late Friday, December 31 for a commercial deployment delay of no more than two weeks.

AT&T

The wireless companies in a joint letter on Sunday, January 2 said they would not deploy 5G around airports for six months but rejected any broader limitation on using the C-Band spectrum. They said the Transportation Department proposal would be "an irresponsible abdication of the operating control required to deploy world-class and globally competitive communications networks."

The aviation industry and FAA have raised concerns about the potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters that could disrupt flights.

The exclusion zone AT&T and Verizon propose is currently in use in France, the carriers said, "with slight adaption" reflecting "modest technical differences in how C-band is being deployed."

"The laws of physics are the same in the United States and France," the CEOs wrote. "If U.S. airlines are permitted to operate flights every day in France, then the same operating conditions should allow them to do so in the United States."

Verizon

The FAA said in a statement on Sunday that it was "reviewing the latest letter from the wireless companies on how to mitigate interference from 5G C-band transmissions. U.S. aviation safety standards will guide our next actions."

FAA officials said France uses spectrum for 5G that sits further away from spectrum used for radio altimeters and uses lower power levels for 5G than those authorized in the United States.

Verizon said it will initially only use spectrum in the same range as used in France, adding it will be a couple of years before it uses additional spectrum. The larger U.S. exclusion zone around U.S. airports is "to make up for the slight difference in power levels between the two nations," Verizon added.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), representing 50,000 workers at 17 airlines, on Sunday, January 2 wrote on Twitter that pilots, airlines, manufacturers and others "have NO incentive to delay 5G, other than SAFETY. What do they think ... we're raising these issues over the holidays for, kicks?"

(Image Courtesy - New York Post)

The Air Line Pilots Association also backed the delay. Government and industry officials said the exclusion zones proposed by the wireless carriers are not as large as what has been sought by the FAA.

The FAA and Buttigieg on Friday, December 31 proposed identifying priority airports "where a buffer zone would permit aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA completes its assessments of the interference potential."

The wireless carriers, which won the C-Band spectrum in an $80 billion government auction, previously agreed to precautionary measures for six months to limit interference but say the upgrades are essential to compete with other countries like China and to enable remote working.

Trade group Airlines for America, representing American Airlines, FedEx and other carriers, on Thursday, December 30 asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt deployment around many airports, warning thousands of flights could be disrupted daily.

The airline group has said it may go to court Monday if the FCC does not act. The group urged the FCC and the telecom industry to work with the FAA and the aviation industry to "enable the rollout of 5G technology while prioritizing safety and avoiding any disruption to the aviation system."

An FCC spokesperson said Sunday the agency is "optimistic that by working together we can both advance the wireless economy and ensure aviation safety." Wireless industry group CTIA said 5G is safe and spectrum is being used in about 40 other countries.