quarta-feira, 26 de maio de 2021
segunda-feira, 24 de maio de 2021
Tanking goes automatic Airbus A330 MRTT auto refuelling system completes development phase
In-flight refuelling operations are among the most demanding missions. Both the tanker and receiver pilots need to operate in close formation, flying aircraft with different flight envelopes and ranging speeds, in day-and-night and all weather conditions, and above the battlefield…. There are many factors that are unpredictable and could put the missions at risk.
The Airbus A330MRTT has a solid track record providing safe operational services to its customer base and other allies like the USAF. The Airbus aircraft gained its reputation as a tanker after seeing action in the Middle East supporting coalition war fighters during Operation Shader and Okra against Daesh, with interoperability, mission success and availability rates as a highlight of its performance.
But for Airbus’ engineers, the road to success does not end here. They envisaged a new chapter where, under the name of SMART MRTT, the multirole tanker gained a new set of game-changing capabilities including enhanced maintenance solutions and the ability to carry out fully automated aerial refuelling operations.
The automatic refuelling system was called A3R and the idea behind it was clear: reduce air refuelling operator (ARO) workload, improve safety and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) transfer in operational conditions to maximise aerial superiority. Everything at the ‘simple’ push of a bottom.
Revealed to the public in 2018, the A3R has met every milestone, including several aeronautic ‘world firsts’ such as the first automated contacts. In a joint operation with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) an Airbus’ A310 company development tanker performed seven automatic contacts with a RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport. More recently, in 2020, Airbus announced the first ever fully automatic refuelling operation with a boom system. The flight test campaign involved an Airbus A310 tanker testbed aircraft with an F-16 fighter aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force acting as a receiver.
2020 also saw the announcement by Airbus to collaborate with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to develop the A330 SMART MRTT programme. Singapore became a key partner for the new automated aerial refuelling capabilities and under the agreement, an RSAF A330 MRTT took part in the development, flight test campaign and final certification programme.
Two RSAF A330MRTTs during trials in Singapore - Copyright MINDEF
Successful trials in Singapore
Now the A3R has taken another important leap towards certification with the completion of the development phase after a successful flight test campaign.
The trials, performed with the RSAF and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), took place in Singapore in early 2021. It marked participation of an A3R-equipped RSAF A330 MRTT acting as tanker and several receivers from the RSAF, including another A330 MRTT and fighter aircraft like the F-16 and F-15SG.
During the trial, a total of 88 fully automated dry and wet contacts and transfers of nearly 30 tonnes of fuel were successfully executed, including the first fully automated operations with another A330 MRTT and RSAF F-16D/F-16D+ receivers.
All tests required for A3R Data Gathering with the F-15SG, including operational flights to demonstrate the A3R performances in a mission representative scenario were also completed.
Luis Miguel Hernández, Airbus SMART MRTT Manager, said: ‘We had the opportunity to test our system with different receiver types ensuring the right fit of our systems, while gathering extensive data key to completing the A3R development. The team were able to test the limits of the system successfully, verifying its robustness and ability to automatically track receivers with varying configurations’.
Key to the mission success was the excellent cooperation with the RSAF and DSTA. ‘We have built an extraordinary relationship based on mutual trust. Teams from all sides worked as a single unit during the test campaign and it is always a pleasure to fly with such a professional crew. They are the first partner nation involved in the development of the SMART MRTT, and we are honoured to have them on board’, added Hernandez.
A330 SMART MRTT Infographic
Now the A3R has taken another important leap towards certification with the completion of the development phase after a successful flight test campaign.
The trials, performed with the RSAF and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), took place in Singapore in early 2021. It marked participation of an A3R-equipped RSAF A330 MRTT acting as tanker and several receivers from the RSAF, including another A330 MRTT and fighter aircraft like the F-16 and F-15SG.
During the trial, a total of 88 fully automated dry and wet contacts and transfers of nearly 30 tonnes of fuel were successfully executed, including the first fully automated operations with another A330 MRTT and RSAF F-16D/F-16D+ receivers.
All tests required for A3R Data Gathering with the F-15SG, including operational flights to demonstrate the A3R performances in a mission representative scenario were also completed.
Luis Miguel Hernández, Airbus SMART MRTT Manager, said: ‘We had the opportunity to test our system with different receiver types ensuring the right fit of our systems, while gathering extensive data key to completing the A3R development. The team were able to test the limits of the system successfully, verifying its robustness and ability to automatically track receivers with varying configurations’.
Key to the mission success was the excellent cooperation with the RSAF and DSTA. ‘We have built an extraordinary relationship based on mutual trust. Teams from all sides worked as a single unit during the test campaign and it is always a pleasure to fly with such a professional crew. They are the first partner nation involved in the development of the SMART MRTT, and we are honoured to have them on board’, added Hernandez.
A330 SMART MRTT Infographic
Trapped with Filomena
The latest set of tests were not ‘challenge-free’. In addition to the complex technical organization inherent to a development of this magnitude and the omnipresent COVID context, the teams were faced with yet another challenge: storm ‘Filomena’, an unexpected and historic snow storm that blasted Madrid, Airbus Getafe facilities included, days before the departure of the team to Singapore.
‘With tons of snow blocking every inch of Madrid forcing the closure of Airbus facilities, a tremendous collective effort, racing against the clock was required to ensure the teams were able to take off and reach Singapore on time to start the campaign’, said Luis Miguel Hernández.
Aerial view of Airbus Getafe site during storm Filomena - Copyright Airbus
Road to certification
After the successful campaign and with having gathered all critical data, the teams are now gearing up for the next phase, including readiness of the final A3R version and preparation for a very demanding roadmap that will lead to certification by the end of 2021.
The latest set of tests were not ‘challenge-free’. In addition to the complex technical organization inherent to a development of this magnitude and the omnipresent COVID context, the teams were faced with yet another challenge: storm ‘Filomena’, an unexpected and historic snow storm that blasted Madrid, Airbus Getafe facilities included, days before the departure of the team to Singapore.
‘With tons of snow blocking every inch of Madrid forcing the closure of Airbus facilities, a tremendous collective effort, racing against the clock was required to ensure the teams were able to take off and reach Singapore on time to start the campaign’, said Luis Miguel Hernández.
Aerial view of Airbus Getafe site during storm Filomena - Copyright Airbus
Road to certification
After the successful campaign and with having gathered all critical data, the teams are now gearing up for the next phase, including readiness of the final A3R version and preparation for a very demanding roadmap that will lead to certification by the end of 2021.
GlobalX signs for another 5 A321P2Fs
ST Engineering has announced that its leasing subsidiary, Aviation Asset Management, has signed an agreement with GlobalX for five additional A321P2Fs. Conversion of the aircraft is due to start early next year and delivery should also take place in 2022.
The five are, according to CH-Aviation, on top of the ten A321P2Fs GlobalX previously announced it has agreed on with lessor Vallair. This means the airline now has a total of fifteen A321P2Fs on order, the first of which are due later this year.
Global Crossing Airlines as it's officially called, is currently in the process of obtaining its AOC and has so far taken delivery of an A320 and an A321 (both in passenger-configuration). The airline is planning to offer ACMI-flights as well as charter flights with a focus on destinations in Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America out of its base at Miami-International (FL).
Next to the fifteen A321P2Fs, GlobalX is planning to grow its passenger-fleet from two to five (all A320/A321s) and eventually add the A330 as well.
Illustration by GlobalX.
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Spirit promotes Spirit
Spirit has unveiled a special themed aircraft, promoting the new Dreamwork animation movie "Spirit Untamed" which will air in theaters on 4 June. The aircraft involved is A320neo N932NK (10008).
The airline deployed the aircraft for the first time on 20 May, when it flew from Tampa (FL) to Detroit (MI) as NK215.
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Atran to double B737-800(BCF) fleet
Atran (V8, Moscow Vnukovo) has dry-leased two more B737-800(BCF)s from GECAS, adding the pair already delivered to the Russian cargo specialist in 2018 and 2019.
VQ-BFR (msn 33548), the first of the two newly contracted jets, underwent conversion at Jinan before heading to Ostrava for pre-delivery repainting over the course of May 9-10, 2021. It was subsequently delivered to Moscow Vnukovo on May 20, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The other aircraft, VQ-BFX (msn 33717), remains at Jinan airport and will be delivered to Atran by month-end, GECAS said.
Both aircraft are over 18 years old and operated for Ryanair (FR, Dublin Int'l) in a passenger configuration until 2020 when they were retired ahead of P2F conversion, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows.
Besides the other two B737-800(BCF)s, also on lease from GECAS, Atran also operates three B737-400(F)s (two leased from Vx Capital Partners and one from SberLeasing). The airline is a narrowbody subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group, a holding which also owns three widebody freighter operators (AirBridgeCargo, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and CargoLogicAir), as well as a German narrowbody unit CargoLogic Germany.
Atran specialises in short- and medium-haul routes linking Europe, China, Russia, and the CIS.
ch aviation
Abuja moots Nigeria Air debut in late 1Q22
The launch of Nigeria Air (Lagos), the nation’s new national carrier, has been postponed to the first quarter of 2022 following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja following a meeting of the country’s Federal Executive Council (FEC), he said the government was committed to establishing a national carrier, but that initial plans for a 2021 debut had been delayed by the health crisis.
However, he said, the project was “still in top gear” and more information would be available in the next few weeks.
“We are coming back to the council, hopefully in the next two weeks, to present the memo on the national carrier. We went to the council to approve the outline business case for the carrier; then, the council raised some questions and asked us to go and look at the memo again and bring it back. So, once it comes back and the outline business case is approved by the council, we will go to the full business case which is now going to the market and establishing the national carrier,” he was cited by This Day and Vanguard newspapers. He said updates on the progress would be provided after the next presentation to the FEC.
Sirika expressed optimism that prospects for the airline would be better in 2022 due to greater market recovery, adding that Nigeria had the market size to sustain a national airline, also keeping in mind the populations in West and Central Africa, which it would serve.
As previously reported, the government is looking for a private/public sector partnership to establish the airline, first mooted in 2018. Private investors will drive the project by raising USD250 million, while the government will retain no more than a 5% shareholding.
The document confirmed Sirika's comments, indicating that the business case outline of the project had been completed, with the procurement phase slated as the next step.
According to initial information, the new flag carrier would start with a domestic and regional airline service with a narrow-body fleet and early-on add international services to Europe and the US with B787s or A350s.
ch aviation
Emirates considers downsizing B777-9 order
The chairman of Emirates has said to journalists during the opening of the Arabian Travel Market that the airline is actively evaluating its future fleet needs and is considering downsizing its B777-9 order and swap them for the smaller B787.
The rationale behind such a move is the frustration of the airline in the delays of the B777-9 programme, which is now running more than three years behind schedule, and as well the lower worldwide demand due to the Corona-pandemic. Originally, Emirates had planned to take delivery of its first B777-9 last year, but this now seems to become 2024 or even later.
During the Dubai Air Show of 2013, Emirates ordered 35 B777-8s and 115 B777-9s. In November 2019, Boeing and Emirates announced an adjustment to the orderbook, driven by a delay of the programme and the indefinite postponement of the B777-8. Emirates swapped orders for 24 B777-8s to 30 B787-9s but as the B777-8 is deferred, this effectively means the airline "only" has 115 B777Xs remaining on order.
It's not clear with how many aircraft Emirates is considering downsizing its order. According to various sources it could be as low as 30 but as high as 60. A timeline is also unclear but the chairman did say that they are in discussion with Boeing "now" about the order.
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Illustration by Boeing.
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