FLOODS, ICE, BIRDS? aN >—_ SHETLAND =e [0 SPACE ~~ BLEASTIOFF _ ATSCOM J ENGINES) | : aan SPECIAL —— SIXTH-GEN FIGHTER PRO GRAMMES FAC UKRAINE PRIVATE SATELLITES JOIN THE = geaviation.com/XA100 WELCOME ith front pages dominated by photos of passenger queues snaking around airport terminals and social media abuzz with complaints about cancelled flights, it’s easy to forget that people are still flying — and in increasing numbers. This month we analyse the key European carriers (page 56) and take an in-depth look at the lengths that manufacturers are taking to ensure their aircraft fly safely when faced with climatic extremes, whether it be ice, flooding or volcanic ash (page 44). With rotary-loving readers in mind, A/R International recently visited the Netherlands’ Police Air Support Unit — on page 80 we look at its history, fleet and growing importance to this heavily populated nation. It is now more than 100 days since Moscow mounted its invasion of Ukraine, the grim milestone being marked each step of the way by a level of destruction and suffering not seen in Europe for decades. However, one notable development brought about by the war is the emerging role that private satellite service operators can provide, with Kyiv reliant on the sector for a significant proportion of its communications and imagery needs (page 64). Elsewhere, we look at Europe’s competing sixth-generation fighter programmes ahead of the airshow season (page 36), as well as exploring the role that uncrewed combat autonomous vehicles, also known as UCAVs, will play in the air forces of tomorrow (page 86). As ever, we hope you enjoy the issue. Tara Craig, AIR International AIRFORCES Monthly AIRLINER World Editor, AIR Intemational _ June/July 2022 July visits the Royal July investigates covers everything Netherlands Air the transformation from the UK’s first Force’s only fully of Royal Jordanian commercial vertical- operational fighter J and, ahead of _ launch space base unit, and reports Farnborough to the competition to on airpower’s role Airshow’s return, find Europe’s sixth- in the battle for previews the key generation fighter eastern Ukraine aerospace trends June 2022 AIR International | 3 ACTIVE AND ALERT Active electronically scanned array radar is improving aircraft intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Tim Fish investigates DAWN OF AN ERA Europe’s aerospace industry is split between two emerging sixth-generation fighter programmes. Peter Felstead explores the progress made to date FAIR WEATHER AND FOUL Aircraft and engine manufacturers travel the world seeking exactly the conditions they need for essential weather and environmental testing, as Paul E Eden reports ADAPT AND OVERCOME Deep into a bid to provide a new generation of engines for current and future fighters, the USAF is committed to its Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), writes Tim Fish PRIVATE MILSATCOM The Ukraine war has seen private companies providing satellite communications for Kyiv’s forces, potentially changing the paradigm of state-on-state conflict, reports Richard Thomas 0 a NEW LEASE OF LIFE It’s been a turbulent couple of years for aviation. Tom Batchelor explores how the aircraft leasing sector has weathered the storm, from the COVID-19 pandemic to war in Europe FUEL FOR THOUGHT Sustainability needs to be more than just a buzz word. Tom Batchelor looks at engine makers’ efforts to adopt the use of clean fuels THIS COMMERCIAL NEWS ATR unveils plans for EVO, its next-gen turboprop family, easyJet joins hydrogen research, and Textron Aviation delivers its first Cessna SkyCourier BUSINESS AS USUAL Bombardier launches its Global 8000, Gulfstream reveals that the prototype G800 will fly “very shortly”, and Dassault’s Falcon 6X makes its public debut 10 MILITARY NEWS Tyndall AFB contract is awarded, UK issues RFI for a New Medium Helicopter, and Schiebel refutes Russian S-100 use claims MONTH 12 FACE TO FACE H2FLY CEO Josef Kallo talks to AIR Intemational about the challenges of developing and commercialising hydrogen- powered flight 16 NUTS & BOLTS Hill Helicopters explains the benefits of making composites in-house, not least retaining control of the production costs and timescales LAUNCH PAD Orbex lightweight satellite launcher is readied, and Boeing CST-100 Starliner undertakes the second uncrewed ISS mission June 2022 AIR International | 5 Po COMMERCIALWEBSTORIES 1 WIZZ AIR PLANS TO FORM NEW AIRLINE 2 BRITISH AIRWAYS OWNER IAG SEALS DEAL FOR UP TO 150 MAXS 3 ON BOARD WORLD'S LONGEST SCHEDULED A220 FLIGHT 4 FAILURE TO MONITOR SPEED PROMPTS 'AGGRESSIVE' 757 MOVES 5 IAS FIRMS UP HISTORIC BOEING ORDER WWW.KEY.AERO ATR PLANS to bring the next generation of its turboprop airliner family to market by 2030. The manufacturer announced the ATR EVO in May 2022, promising “advanced design features and a new powerplant with hybrid capability” on the new aircraft. Although it will retain the ATR’s characteristic platform, the EVO will also offer “significant improvements in performance, economics and sustainability”, the company said, with new engines, propellers and systems/cabin improvements slated for inclusion. The aircraft has 20% improvements in fuel burn, emissions and maintenance costs compared to the current-production ATR 42/72-600 series, the company added. The EVO will offer 100% compatibility with sustainable aviation fuels and 50% less CO2 emissions compared to a current-generation regional jet. These improvements will enable airlines to serve thin routes more profitably, according to ATR. Stéphane Viala, SVP engineering at the Blagnac, Toulouse firm, said: “We have issued a request for information to the main engine manufacturers for the development of the new powerplant that will combine existing and future generation engine technology. “The ATR EVO will feature improved performance in terms of time to climb and an enhanced cabin, with increased use of lighter bio-sourced materials. Recyclability will also be at the heart of our new design.” ATR said it will now be consulting with airlines, engine manufacturers and systems providers and it aims to officially launch the EVO programme “by 2023”. The EVO’s emergence is set to further reinvigorate the turboprop airliner market. De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has yet to outline any future developments for its Dash DHG-8, the ATR’s head-to-head competitor for the past 20 years, but Embraer Commercial Airplanes CEO Arjan Meijer told the May 2022 Airline Economics conference that the Brazilian company is targeting 2023 as the launch date for its proposed new turboprop airliner, which could enter service in 2027/2028. ATR is working on a next-generation turboprop with its EVO project ATR EasyJet H2 research EASYJET HAS joined GKN Aerospace’s Hydrogen Combustion (H2JET) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell (H2GEAR) projects that are exploring how zero-carbon emissions technologies can be used in new commercial aircraft. H2GEAR is what GKN calls a “ground-breaking UK collaboration” to develop a liquid hydrogen propulsion system for ‘sub-regional’ aircraft. Liquid hydrogen will be converted to electricity within a fuel cell system. H2JET is a Swedish collaborative two-year programme led by GKN to advance the development key subsystems for gas turbine-based hydrogen propulsion of medium range civil aircraft. Low-cost carrier easyJet is supporting both projects with insights into operational requirements and economics. The airline’s director of flight operations, David Morgan, said: “Cross-industry partnerships are key to developing these promising new technologies and we look forward to collaborating with GKN Aerospace to support bringing this technology to maturity as early as possible.” EasyJet is also involved in projects with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Albany-based Wright Electric and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, which specialises in rapid prototyping of new aerospace concepts, in researching how to accelerate the development of zero-carbon emission technologies and supporting infrastructure to decarbonise aviation. BY MARK BROADBENT SkyCourier for FedEx | a1 TEXTRON AVIATION delivered the initial customer Cessna SkyCourier to FedEx Express at its Wichita, Kansas facility in May 2022. The logistics company will receive 50 examples of the twin utility turboprop, having signed options for 50 more. FedEx participated in Textron Aviation’s Customer Advisory Board to help shape the aircraft’s design and features. A 19-passenger variant of the aircraft is also available. Both freighter and passenger configurations offer single-point pressure refuelling to enable faster turnarounds. The SkyCourier features a large door and a flat floor cabin, with the freighter able to carry up to three LD-3 freight containers and offering 6,000Ib of payload capability. Powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprops fitted with McCauley Propeller C779 aluminium four-blade propellers with reversible pitch, its maximum cruise speed exceeds 200kts and it offers 900nm range. It is equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics. IAG HAS confirmed a three-year-old tentative order for the Boeing 737 MAX, ordering 25 MAX 8-200s and 25 MAX 10s and signing options for 100 more. The aircraft, to be delivered between 2023 and 2027, “can be used by any group airline for fleet replacement”, the company said. SMBC AVIATION Capital is to purchase fellow lessor Goshawk Aviation, creating the second-largest aircraft lessor by aircraft numbers. The $6.7bn deal will increase SMBC’s in-service assets to 709. The company will also take over Goshawk’s new-aircraft orders, giving it 800 Airbus and Boeing jets. DELTA AIR Lines introduced the A321neo to its fleet on May 20, 2022. Boston/Logan-San Francisco was the initial sector. In the coming weeks, Delta will introduce A321neos to its San Diego, Seattle, and Denver routes. It has ordered 155 examples, all to be delivered by 2027. June 2022 AIR International | 7 Gulfstream progresses G800 and G700 SPEAKING AT EBACE on May 25, Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream Aerospace, announced the prototype Gulfstream G800 will fly “very shortly”. The company has already built the first example for the flight test campaign. The 8,000nm G800 will replace the 7,500nm G650 in the company’s portfolio, although Burns stated the planned production of the earlier design has been extended because of customer demand. The rate of production for the G650 has been increased for 2022 and will remain at the higher rate at least into 2024, to cope with exceptional demand — described by Burns as “phenomenal” —in the last five quarters. Gulfstream had a set date in mind for the end of G650 production when it launched the G800 in October 2021, but thanks to the surge in orders, largely created by the COVID-19 pandemic, this was abandoned and today the company has no definitive deadline for when the last G650 will roll-out of the factory at Savannah, Georgia. The G800 is expected to enter service in 2023. Burns also revealed that manufacture of the first G400 has begun. The aircraft will be the company’s new model at the ‘smaller’ end of its portfolio, currently occupied by the G280. Gulfstream expects the new aircraft will enter service in 2025. Making its debut at EBACE in the static display at Geneva Airport was the G700, represented by the sixth aircraft, N706GD (c/n 87006) — the first fully outfitted production test airframe. Its flight test fleet has completed more than 3,000 hours in the air, with the aircraft demonstrating performance beyond that originally promised to customers, Gulfstream said. The aircraft set its seventh city pair record between Savannah and Geneva, recording a flight of 7 hours and 37 minutes on May 20, on its way to EBACE, at an average speed of Mach 0.90. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification is expected either this year or next. Burns puts the uncertainty, with a potential three- to six-month slip from the target of late 2022, down to FAA regulatory issues. Green light for Global 8000 y Po Prominent on Bombardier’s stand at Geneva was a model of the Global 8000, launched on the first day of EBACE David Willis Delay and display for Falcon 6X DASSAULT HAS revealed a six-month delay to the certification of the Falcon 6X. Originally expected at the end of this year, the aircraft is now due to be available or delivery to customers by the middle of 2023. The slip was announced by Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier at EBACE in Geneva on May 22. The company blamed the delay on the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively affected supply chains across the manufacturing sector, plus he war in Ukraine, which has caused rising energy prices and shortages. The three Falcon 6Xs employed in the flight test campaign have accumulated more than 850 flight hours since the prototype first flew on March 10 last year. They have covered the expansion of the flight envelope and most of the developmental phases, although contaminated runway and natural icing trials are still to be completed. On display in the static park at Geneva Airport was Falcon 6X F-WZOA (c/n 4), the fourth of the type completed and the first fitted with a full interior, making the 5,500nm-range business jet’s public debut. Since making its first flight in the first quarter of this year, after having its cabin installed at Bordeaux-Mérignac, the aircraft has been used for cabin design verification and to demonstrate the maturity of the design. In June, it was expected to embark on an around-the- world tour, to validate the aircraft's reliability in real world conditions prior to service entry. The tour wi incorporate 40 stops, and the aircraft is expected to accumulate 150 flight hours with a full crew of pilots and attendants, plus engineers and interior specialists. During the most intensive phases of the journey, the Falcon 6X will conduct seven flights in a single day, while a range of different climates, airfield elevations, runway lengths, trip distances and speed ranges will be experienced. The fifth aircraft (F-WZOC, c/n 5) is already at Little Rock, Arkansas, for installation of interior furnishings and will be the first example delivered to a customer. At the end of May, it was expected to be joined at the completion centre by the sixth aircraft. A further nine Falcon 6Xs are currently undergoing final assembly at Dassault’s factory at Bordeaux-Meérignac. The G700 made its public debut at EBACE this May. The sixth aircraft, with a representative interior, was on static display at Geneva Airport David Willis SPECULATION ON Bombardier’s intent to proceed with the Global 8000 was brought to an end on May 23 when the company held a launch event for the long-range business jet. On the opening day of EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland, Bombardier president and chief operating officer Eric Martel stated the green light had been given for the aircraft, reportedly after customer engagement. According to Martel, although satisfied with the Global 7500, customers want greater range and higher speeds. The Global 8000 will be able to fly 8,000nm non- stop with NBAA IFR reserves at Mach 0.85, with eight passengers and a crew of four, and it will have a maximum speed of Mach 0.94. The 8000 was revealed in October 2010 — alongside the Global 7000, re-designated the 7500 in May 2018 — as a shorter-fuselage sibling with three cabin zones. Since then, Bombardier’s intent to proceed with the jet has been questioned by industry observers. Service entry was expected one year after the 7500 but Bombardier later declined Heading the line-up of Falcons at Geneva Airport during EBACE was Falcon 6X F-WZOA David Willis to commit to a revised timetable for the jet. The Global 8000 was initially announced with a range of up to 7,900nm carrying eight passengers and a crew of four, 600nm more than the 7500 with the same numbers on board. The difference in range between the two was eroded by successive increases in that of the Global 7500 to just 200nm. The announcement at EBACE of greater range and the rise in the speed to Mach 0.90 at high cruise, an ‘ultra-high’ cruise of 0.92 and maximum (limiting) Mach number of 0.94, provides a worthwhile increase in performance over the Global 7500. Instead of offering the two aircraft in parallel, however, Bombardier is to replace the 7500 in its product line with the 8000, although both will be available for a short period during production ramp-up. The company aims to have the Global 8000 in service by 2025, at a list price of $78m, some $3m above that of the 7500. The Global 8000 will have the same fuselage as the 7500, enabling the new business jet to retain a four-zone cabin. a bes a i —_ - Corporate shuttle conversion announced FLYING COLOURS Corporation revealed on May 22 that it had received an order from a new, undisclosed customer, for the conversion of a CRJ 200 to corporate shuttle configuration. The work will be completed at the company’s facilities at St Louis, Missouri, and Peterborough in Ontario, Canada. The aircraft has been ordered by a charter operator, which expects to use it to cater for rising charter demand from corporate customers, sports teams and music group tours, and to strengthen its fleet portfolio. It will be configured with six business seats and a divan at the front of the cabin, with airline-style seating for an additional 20 passengers in the rear. Connectivity will be provided by Gogo AVANCE, possibly indicating it will be based in North America. The aircraft will also feature storage areas in the cabin for small suitcases and other carry-on items, as well as additional storage for small items, including briefcases, bags, and laptops in the side ledges and aft, plus a galley in the front and lavatory at the rear. A new fuselage paint scheme will be applied at the Flying Colours paint shop in Peterborough. Each conversion undertaken by Flying Colours is delivered with a two-year warranty, and maintenance performed by the company as and when required. Flying Colours has previously converted 30 former CRJ 200 regional jets, plus 15 new airframes in VIP configurations — the last was in 2015. Interest in such conversions has grown sharply in recent months, as waiting times for new business aircraft have lengthened and pre- owned aircraft become scarce and generally sell quickly, while large numbers of surplus regional jets are available as potential candidates for conversion. Eric Gillespie, executive vice- president of Flying Colours, said: “We have seen more inquiries in the last six months than the last few years.” In addition to the recent firm order, negotiations with the same customer for a pair of ExecLiner VIP conversions are reported to be nearing fruition, while interest from other concerns is also high. June 2022 AIR International | 9 from the wreckage TOPS MILITARYWEBSTORIES 1 WHAT AIRCRAFT FLEW IN THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE FLYPAST? 2 FRENCH RAFALES INVOLVE MID-AIR COLLISION DURING AR SHOW 3 NEW RAF TYPHOON RADAR STILL PLANNED FOR 2030 INTRODUCTION 4 ROMANIAN MIG-21 FLEET GAINS ONE-YEAR LEASE OF LIFE 5 RAF cit Sy RESERVE VOYAGERS INTO SERVI WWW.KEY.AERO THE US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded a $532m contract to US construction contractor Hensel Phelps covering “11 projects that directly support flightline operations” for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida, the US Air Force (USAF) has announced. “Accounting for contingencies and contract oversight, this represents a $604m investment... and is the single largest military construction contract on record in the air force database, which dates to 2008,” the USAF said on May 14. F-35 operations out of Tyndall AFB are due to begin in September 2023 with delivery of the first aircraft and the first of three F-35A squadrons to be based there is expected to reach full mission capability in 2025, a USAF spokesperson confirmed to A/R International. With each squadron comprising 24 F-35As, there will ultimately be 72 of the type at Tyndall assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing. The US Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division, part of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center enterprise, is leading the rebuild at Tyndall, partnering with USACE. The record construction contract for the base is a product of both its various past iterations combined with damage caused by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. “On October 10, 2018, Tyndall AFB sustained a direct hit from Category 5 storm Hurricane Michael — the strongest sustained-wind speed hurricane to hit the continental US in over 25 years. The eye of Hurricane Michael travelled directly over Tyndall,” the spokesperson added. “Every building on the installation, some old and some new, sustained some degree of damage. A total of 484 buildings were damaged by Hurricane Michael; some were too damaged to repair.” However, that damage has provided the USAF with a much cleaner slate on which to develop an F-35 base. “It was soon realised we had an opportunity to ‘build the base we need, and not the base that we had’,” the spokesman said. Peter Felstead