The race to zero-emission air travel has a new player on the block

In what can be termed a further boost to ever-expanding technology in sustainable zero-emission air travel, Hydroplane Ltd. has announced that it is working on a powertrain which is based on hydrogen fuel cell technology. According to the company, the powertrain can be easily retrofitted on existing general aviation aircraft.

Representative I Eurocontrol

We are completely decarbonizing air travelsaid Hydroplane CEO and founder Anita Sengupta

Tech and specs

The modular Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant being developed by the company can be used for General Aviation, Urban Air Mobility and on Vertical Lift platforms.

The technology which features an H2 ion battery will split the gas to create hydrogen ions that flow through a battery system to generate around 200 kilowatts of energy, resulting in water being the only by-product of the process. According to the company, their unique design also addresses PEM thermal management, durability, and cost for the aircraft owner/operator.

Representative I Bloomberg

Batteries and other forms of power storage are generally huge and it can be difficult to use substantial energy storage on aircraft. Moreover, battery-powered aircraft have limited range, a low payload fraction and reduced operational efficiency due to charge time. This design reportedly mitigates all of these operational hurdles.

The key to decarbonizing aircraft is energy storage. Conventional lithium-ion batteries only last about an hour in flying time, which means you can only fly about 100 miles or so. Hydrogen fuel cells have 10 times the energy storage for the same amount of mass, which allows you to fly for much longer times and therefore cover much longer distancessaid Sengupta

Protium technical specifications

Hydroplane

Range1000 kmCruising speed200 kphAircraft TypeSingle-engine landMissionRegional air-taxi/ UAMPayload4 CrewPilotCommercial SELFlight control2 Axis auto pilotPower systemH2 Fuel Cell electric propulsionHydroplane

Plans are underway to subject the hydrogen fuel cell technology to rigorous testing processes. With an eventual goal of obtaining a certification for the company’s hydrogen fuel cell technology for use in existing general aviation aircraft, Dr. Sengupta plans to hold the first heavy flight testing using the H2 Tech in Piper Aircraft Inc. general aviation planes at some point in 2023.

Piper I Representative I Aviation International News

Key features of this technology include:

Electric Aviation with Regional Range and No Charging of BatteriesOperational performance similar to AV GasAutomotive Tech Synergy in Electric Motor and Power Distribution ComponentsModularity enables up to 1MW PowerCan be certified under FAA part 23Zero carbon emissionsReduced noise signatureLonger flight time/further range than battery-powered engines

According to Sengupta, Hydroplane’s technology extends the maximum range to 600 miles, which is a perfect fit for the company’s 200- to the 500-mile range for the majority of general aviation travel.

Hydroplane is on track to fly its demonstrator aircraft in 2023.

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

Representative

About Hydroplane

Hydroplane Ltd. is a minority woman-owned small business with a mission to make aviation carbon emission-free, founded by former NASA propulsion systems engineer Dr. Anita Sengupta. Following a short time as a Virgin Hyperloop senior vice president of systems engineering. Sengupta moved on from the magnetic levitation train developer to work on her projects, launching Hydroplane in early 2020.

Dr Anita Sengupta

Hydroplane’s 200 kW modular solution is designed to replace existing combustion powerplants in today’s existing single-engine and urban air mobility platforms, while simultaneously delivering a significant improvement in range, endurance, and payload over the battery-powered equivalent.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: The Manufacturer

The head of Qatar Airways on Tuesday, June 21 accused plane-maker Airbus of acting like a "bully" as their billion-dollar dispute over peeling paint looked no closer to a resolution.

The airline and leading plane-maker have been fighting in the British courts for months over the paint problem that's seen on Qatar Airways ground 23 A350 jets.

"If things were settled, we wouldn't be still waiting for the trial to happen next year," Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Doha.

Qatar Airways accuses Airbus of acting like a "bully" over ‘peeling paint’; files USD 1 billion lawsuit

"A manufacturer must never be allowed to use their market dominance to bully their long-standing customer."

Both sides said they hoped to reach a negotiated settlement after their latest hearing in May when a London high court judge agreed to a speeded-up trial schedule.

Qatar Airways is demanding about USD 1 billion in damages over the peeling paintwork, which it says is a threat to the A350's lightning conductor. In 2021, the airline grounded part of its fleet of A350s and demanded USD 200,000 in damages per day for each plane out of action.

ALSO READ - Airbus responds to Qatar Airways’s A350 dispute by cancelling A321 Order

Qatar Airways is demanding about USD 1 billion in damages over the peeling paintwork, which it says is a threat to the A350's lightning conductor.

Airbus responded by cancelling an order worth more than USD 6 billion for 50 A321s from Qatar Airways, the Middle East's second-biggest carrier and one of its biggest clients.

ALSO READ - Airbus cancels more A350 orders of Qatar Airways

When asked for a reaction to Baker's comments, Airbus told AFP: "The best solution is a negotiated one and this is what Airbus is seeking."

"Airbus was in discussions all the time with Qatar Airways. We have this situation to resolve and it takes time. It takes time and sweat, and I'm very frustrated to be in this situation.I don't like to be in this situation with customers, that's very clear, that's why we're trying to work out a solution moving forward. But it's difficult."Guillaume Faury, CEO, Airbus

ALSO READ - Qatar Airways takes Airbus to London High Court over A350 skin damage

Other airlines continue to fly the A350 after European regulators declared it safe, with several carriers recently acknowledging surface issues while calling them "cosmetic".

Reuters was granted rare first-hand access after requesting the visit on the sidelines of an airline industry meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha.

The paint on the tail of one of the A350s emblazoned with Qatar Airways' maroon Arabian Oryx emblem was pockmarked by cracked and missing paint that exposed the dull carbon beneath.

Sporadic surface flaws on the A350s viewed by Reuters included an elongated stretch of blistered and cracked or missing paint along the roof or crown of the jets.

In some areas including on the curved wingtips, the protective lightning mesh that sits between the hull and the paint appeared exposed and corroded. In other parts it appeared to be missing, leaving areas of the composite hull exposed.

The paint on the tail of one of the A350s emblazoned with Qatar Airways' maroon Arabian Oryx emblem was pockmarked by cracked and missing paint that exposed the dull carbon beneath.

Sporadic surface flaws on the A350s viewed by Reuters included an elongated stretch of blistered and cracked or missing paint along the roof or crown of the jets.

Reuters saw small areas of what appeared to be fraying or delaminated carbon threads on the hull and so-called 'rivet rash' or lost paint from fastener heads on the main wing areas.

Airbus acknowledges quality flaws on the A350s but denies they pose any safety risk because of the number of backup systems and tolerance built into the design.

Qatar Airways has argued this can't be known until further analysis and is refusing to take more of the planes.

Airbus has argued that some paint erosion is a feature of the carbon-composite technology used to build all modern long-haul jets - a necessary trade-off for weight savings.

Airbus acknowledges quality flaws on the A350s but denies they pose any safety risk because of the number of backup systems and tolerance built into the design.

It says the cracks are caused by the way paint, anti-lightning material called ECF and the composite structure interact. The tail does not all contain the ECF foil, prompting a debate over whether damage there comes from the same problem.

Qatar Airways has questioned Airbus' explanation, telling a UK court its similar Boeing 787s do not have the same problems.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which oversees the design of the jet, said the degradation is seen in the surface protection "does not constitute an unsafe condition".

"EASA’s sole interest in this matter is aviation safety," a spokesperson said. Qatar's aviation regulator has declined to comment since the dispute began.

It says the cracks are caused by the way paint, anti-lightning material called ECF and the composite structure interact.

Amid hundreds of pages of conflicting technical court filings presented by both sides, Reuters has not been able to verify independently the cause of the damage.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker and Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury had the opportunity to mingle during the three-day industry gathering in Qatar at IATA AGM.

Asked whether the relationship had improved after the event, which included the two men seated next to each other over dinner, Al Baker suggested the two sides remain far apart.

Asked whether the relationship had improved after the event, which included the two men seated next to each other over dinner, Al Baker suggested the two sides remain far apart.

"On a personal level I am friends with everyone but when it comes to an issue with my company, then it's a different story. If things were settled, we would not be still waiting for a trial to happen next year," he told a news conference.

Faury said this week he was in discussion with the airline and reported "progress in the sense that we are communicating".

ALSO READ - Qatar Airways prepared to take the Airbus legal dispute to trial

The registration mark on all the Indian aircraft starts with the call sign VT, which stands for "Victorian Territory and Viceroy Territory," a relic of the British Raj.

The prefix VT, which is the nationality code that each aircraft registered in India is required to carry is generally seen just before the rear exit door and above the windows. All the domestic airlines have the prefix, which is followed by unique alphabets that define the aircraft and who it belongs to.

The registration of the aircraft is required to appear in its Certificate of Registration, and an aircraft can only have one registration in one jurisdiction.

The prefix marks that the aircraft has been registered in the country.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a BJP leader and attorney who filed the PIL, claiming that because India is a "Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic," the Call Sign "VT" violates the Rule of Law, the Right to Freedom, and the Right to Dignity of Persons guaranteed by Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.

VT code is a reflection of colonial rule, as claimed by the petitioner, who stated that the registration number of Indian aircraft marks the legacy of 'The British Raj'. The use of the VT symbol denotes us still being Victorian Territory and Viceroy Territory, which is true.

The prefix mark is mandatory in all countries.

“The code is generally seen just before the rear exit door and above the windows. All the domestic airlines have the prefix, which is followed by unique alphabets that define the aircraft and who it belongs to. For example, on Indigo flights the registration VT is followed by IDV, that is, VT-IDV, for Jet, it is VT-JMV,” the petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said.

In 2004, the aviation ministry approached the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to change the code, but no decision has been taken so far. It is a code given to us in 1929 by British rulers, denoting us as British territory. India, even after 75 years of Independence, retains the symbol of slavery 'VT'.

In 2016, BJP leader Tarun Vijay raised the issue in Rajya Sabha of changing the registration mark on Indian Airplanes stating it was a reflection of colonial rule.

"Hindustan cannot be a territory of the Viceroy.... Why is India continuing with the VT code?... VT should be changed right away."Tarun Vijay, BJP leader.

The call sign VT was assigned to India during the International Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington, 1927 signed at Washington on 25th November 1927.

Also invoking the provisions of the Constitution, the PIL states that the words "sovereignty and integrity of India" found in the Indian Constitution denote the "wholeness of the country". It is for this sovereignty and integrity that the symbol of British legacy needs to be changed, the petitioner's case essentially is.

A similar plea by different petitioners which sought a change in the call sign from "VT" was dismissed by the Bombay High Court in 2021.

PIL filed in Delhi HC to change call sign "VT" on Indian aircraft as it's a ‘symbol of slavery’

The Bombay High Court noted that while the government had attempted to get the call sign changed and approached the ICAO for the same, there was no statutory duty for the government to do it. As such, a petition for directions for the government to undertake this exercise could not be entertained.

ALSO READ - Centre says ‘VT’ call sign on Indian aircraft doesn’t stand for “Viceroy Territory”

The petition sought to direct the Centre to change the call sign ‘VT’ on Indian aircraft to secure the Sovereignty of India as well as rule of law, right to freedom, and right to dignity of Indians guaranteed under the Constitution, saying countries like China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka had changed the call signs of their aircraft immediately after the independence.

The petitioner submitted that the call sign 'VT' was assigned to India during the International Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington, signed at Washington on November 27, 1927. Like India, every country has a one-or-two-character alphanumeric code for the identity of aircraft. Like the US has 'N', the UK has 'G', UAE has 'A6', Singapore has '9V', and so on.

An online petition was also started a few months back by Mr. Amit Singh, an aviation Safety & Training expert with over 35 years of airline experience. Amit is the founder of an NGO, Safety Matters Foundation which is dedicated to establishing a generative safety culture in aviation.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Rolls Royce has now announced the development of turbogenerator technology, which includes a new small engine designed for hybrid-electric applications. Touted to expand the range of low-emission aircraft on sustainable aviation fuels, the system will be an on-board power source with scalable power offerings and will complement the Rolls-Royce Electrical propulsion portfolio.

World's fastest all-electric aircraft-" Spirit of Innovation" | Representative | bbc.co.uk

How is it different from current battery technology?

 By developing turbogenerator technology, that will be scaled to serve a power range between 500 kW and 1200 kW, the company hopes of opening up new longer routes in comparison to current battery technology that enables only short eVTOL and fixed-wing commuter aircraft in and between cities and island-hopping in locations like Norway and the Scottish Isles.

Rolls Royce

Partly funded by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the research and development team based in Germany, Norway and Hungary are developing the turbogenerator design and working on its system integration while at the same time focussing on ensuring smart power distribution during flight.

Rolls-Royce will be the leading provider of all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for Advanced Air Mobility and will scale this technology over time to larger platforms. I would like to thank the German Government for their support. As part of our strategy, we are looking at offering the complete sustainable solution for our customers. This means extending routes that electric flight can support through our turbogenerator technology. This will advance hybrid-electric flight and mean more passengers will be able to travel further on low to net zero emissions aircraftRob Watson, President – Rolls Royce Electrical, said

https://vimeo.com/722622606

The batteries will be recharged by the turbogenerator after take-off or power propellers directly, enabling aircraft to switch between power sources in flight.

Earlier this year, Rolls Royce collaborated with Roland Burger to release a market study into the potential of the AAM market for the APAC region- consisting of Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand.

Rolls-Royce is also set to build on our existing network to offer maintenance services for electrical systems. Furthermore, Rolls-Royce Power Systems is able to offer mtu microgrid solutions to support fast-charging of electric aircraft and deliver reliable, cost-effective, climate friendly and sustainable power to vertiportsRob Watson

Reportedly, Rolls Royce had also said it would team up with Luxaviation Group on the development of a planned network of vertiports. The company has also committed to ensuring all new products will be compatible with net-zero emissions operation by 2030, and the entire range of products will be compatible with net-zero by 2050.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: FlightGlobal

Tata Group-owned Air India has offered to re-hire pilots post their retirement for five years as the airline looks for stability in operations amid talk of acquiring 300 single-aisle planes, according to internal communication. Air India is considering re-hiring these pilots as commanders.

ALSO READ - Air India prepares to add more than 200 aircraft; the most significant order in a long time

Tata Group took control of Air India on January 27 this year

The retirement age for pilots in Air India is 58 like all other employees of the airline. Before the pandemic, Air India used to re-hire its retired pilots on contract but the practice was discontinued after late March 2020.

The contracts of such pilots were also terminated to partially offset the impact of the pandemic. However, pilots at other private airlines fly until they reach the age of 65 years.

"We are pleased to inform you are being considered for post-retirement contract as commander in Air India for a period of 5 years or till you attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier, during the period of post retirement contract, you will be paid the remuneration and flying allowances, as admissible, as per policy of Air India to such appointments."Vikas Gupta, Air India Deputy General Manager for Personnel

Pilots are the most expensive asset for an airline and get paid the highest compared to other key roles such as cabin crew and aircraft maintenance engineers.

Moreover, the shortage of adequately trained pilots in the domestic aviation industry has always been an issue.

Interested pilots have been told to submit their details along with written consent by June 23.

With Indian aviation set to grow exponentially, there are plenty of opportunities in the market. And COVID-19 pandemic no longer poses any significant threats to global aviation, the industry has embarked on an upward recovery trajectory.

Naturally, all Indian airlines will be willing to fight hard to get the biggest possible slice of the ever-increasing pile. To be able to meet the increased demand, they will need more manpower, manpower that most airlines laid off during the pandemic in a bid to keep costs low. As a result, several carriers are scrambling to hire talent before the competition.

In a most important boost to the Make in India initiative, the Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to construct around one hundred advanced fighter jets in India, for which it has begun talks with the international plane manufacturers.

The Aatmanirbhar push will, for the first time, see Indian foreign money being used to make payments for nearly 70% cost of the project.

The Indian Air Force has plans of acquiring 114 Multirole Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) under the 'Buy Global and Make in India' scheme under which Indian companies would be allowed to partner with a foreign vendor. 

Recently, the Indian Air Force held meetings with foreign vendors and asked them about the way they would carry out the Make in India project.

The Indian Air Force to build around 100 advanced fighter jets in India 

As per the plan, after the initial 18 aircraft are imported, the next 36 aircraft would be manufactured within the country and the payments would be made partially in foreign currency and Indian currency.

The last 60 aircraft would be the main responsibility of the Indian partner and the government would make payments only in Indian currency. The payment in Indian currency would help the vendors to achieve the over 60% 'Make-in-India' content in the project.

The Indian Air Force has to rely heavily on these 114 fighter jets for maintaining its superiority over the neighbouring rivals Pakistan and China. 

The 36 Rafale aircraft procured under emergency orders helped immensely in maintaining an edge over the Chinese during the Ladakh crisis which started in 2020 but the numbers are not enough and more such capability would be required by it. 

The IAF has plans of buying 114 planes, which would be used for augmenting its fight competencies and changing its outgoing fleet of MiG series planes.

The force has already placed orders for 83 of the LCA Mk 1A aircraft but it still requires a higher number of capable aircraft as a large number of MiG series planes have either been phased out or are on their last legs. 

The IAF is also looking for a cost-effective solution for its fighter jet requirement as it wants a plane that is low on operational cost and gives more capability to the service.

The IAF is highly satisfied with the operational availability of the Rafale fighter jets and wants similar capability in its future aircraft.