Boeing shared their highlights from Day 3:

Eurocopter shared this video of their EC175 helicopter flight display:

Airbus had a few things to share as well. Like their own Day 3 highlights:

Sharklets and the A320 NEO:

Alternative fuel efforts:

And this one is interesting, IMHO. Airbus and the low-cost airline EasyJet are working together on a new sensor, dubbed AVOID, designed to allow airliners to sense and, well, avoid volcanic ash clouds. You may recall that not long ago air travel in Europe was royally snarled by a volcanic ash cloud from an Icelandic eruption. Since there is no good way to detect the actual cloud and avoid it, and volcanic ash can do serious damage to an airliner (from stripping paint to sandblasting the windscreen opaque to filling the engines with glass and shutting them down), today authorities are forced to use conservative computer models of where the ash might be and shut down large swaths of airspace. If aircraft could sense and avoid the ash on their own the impact of eruptions on air travel could be greatly reduced, as not as much airspace would need to be closed to traffic. It is still early days of course, so this may not pan out. (I do like the way the test rig has been mounted – through the window openings.)

UPDATE: Coming a little late Lockheed Martin share this video from the show with three of the F-35 test pilots describing their perspective on the aircraft:

You might think that modern aircraft design is all CAD and computational fluid dynamics, but wind tunnel testing still plays a vital role in developing new designs. Data from tunnel testing helps validate the computational models, and it can uncover unexpected results. Computer simulations are only as good as the expectations that go into programming them. They’re constantly refined based on real world testing. More and more work is done in the virtual world of simulations, but nothing beats real world verification.

First and foremost is this one, from the opening of the show. The sole flying AVRO Vulcan, XH588, flying in formation with the UK’s Red Arrow demonstration team. Just awesome, nothing else looks like the Vulcan. I think it is similar to the SR-71 Blackbird in that it just looks like something out of time, completely radical for its day.

And since EADS is good enough to sponsor XH588, I’ll give them the next spot. Besides, this is kind of interesting – Additive Layer Manufacturing. Which is basically a kind of 3D printing on industrial scale. ALM, and other such techniques, have the potential to radically alter manufacturing. Eventually ALM or some form of 3D printing will probably be in most homes, but first it will bring big changes to industrial processes.

I posted a couple of GE’s videos in my last post, on the CFMI CFM56 & LEAP-X, since they directly related to the LEAP-X, but they also touted the success of their new GEnx engine, powering the B787 & B747-8.

Bell Helicopter has this short video promoting the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. I basically never get tired of watching it do its thing.

Airbus shared their highlights from the first two days of the show:

And if you thought the seeing the giant A380 yanked around the sky in that last clip was impressive, check out the full uncut version:

I found this one interesting. Heeding the call of nature on a flight last week, and noticing for the nth time how small aircraft lavatories are (I’m 6’6″ and generally a big guy), I found myself wondering just how the disabled passengers, or what it seems the industry refers to as Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM), deal with it. Not very well I’d expect. But Airbus has an interesting new A320 lavatory design called Space-Flex PRM which will help. Basically there are two adjoining lavatories at the rear, as there generally are, but the walls are moving partitions. The flight crew can reconfigure them into one larger lavatory, which can accommodate a passenger in a wheelchair (presumably one of those narrow aircraft-aisle compatible ones). I think that’s an interesting concept, but we’ll see how many airlines adopt it. TAM Airlines is the first.

Boeing also has their highlights from the first day – they posted one for the second day, but for some reason it is private now they’ve reposted day 2:

They’re also touting their environmental designs:

Lockheed Martin jumped into the video fray as well:

They also released this look back at past LockMart Farnborough flight demos – not enough this year perhaps:

There will probably be more videos to come as the show continues. I’ll sort through them, so you don’t have to.

The CFM56 dates back to 1974 and evolved from technology developed for GE’s F101 power plant for the B-1 bomber. The world’s most successful engine was almost stillborn, as it struggled to find customers until the USAF selected it to re-engine a large portion of the KC-135 fleet. With that foundation the CFM56 was used extensively to re-engine commercial B707 and DC-8 commercial aircraft, as well as on other military C-135/B707 variants.

But the big breakthrough came when Boeing decided to re-engine the B737, replacing the old Pratt & Whitney JT8D of the B737-100/200. The CFM56-3 was selected as the exclusive engine for the B737-300/400/500 family, now called the B737 Classic, and after that the sky was the limit. It has powered every B737 since, with the current B737NG family, the -600/700/800/900, powered by the CFM56-7B. Over 6,000 CFM56-powered B737s have been delivered, with over 2,000 currently on order – and counting.

That alone would be an astonishing record, but the B737′s main competitor, the Airbus A320 family, is also powered by the CFM56-5B. Unlike the B737, it isn’t an exclusive arrangement. The A318 is available with the P&W PW6000 and the A319/A320/A321 are available with the International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500, but the CFM56 has a strong market share in the family. This means the CFM56 powers the two most successful airliner families of all time – the B737 & A320. And the A320 isn’t its only Airbus win; the CFM56-5C exclusively powers the four-engine A340-200/300 widebody as well.

What this all means is that if you’ve flown much at all in your life, you’ve probably flown on an aircraft powered by the CFM56. I did just this past week, as I flew on multiple B737s on a trip out to California.

I’ve been an aviation geek most of my life. Way back in seventh grade, which must’ve been 1983 or so, I did an independent study project on gas turbine engines. I got to visit the maintenance facility at the local Air National Guard base, the 109th Tactical Airlift Group in Schenectady, NY, and poke around in the innards of the Allison T56 turboprops from their C-130s. It was awesome, which just shows you I was a tech geek back then. I collected all kinds of diagrams, illustrations, etc., to use in the presentation, but the teenage me would’ve killed to have these videos. These are exactly the kind of thing I was picturing in my head and struggling to illustrate. And yeah, this whole post is just an excuse to post these.

First is the CFM56-7B, which exclusively powers the Boeing 737NG family:

Next, in a very similiar video, is the CFM56-5B, which powers the Airbus A320 family:

So how do you follow up the world’s most successful jet engine, which has been evolving for over three decades? You take a huge LEAP. Where LEAP stands for Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion, of course.

More specifically, the LEAP-X, CFMI’s new engine being developed to power the A320 NEO (LEAP-X1A), B737 MAX (LEAP-X1B), and China’s new COMAC C919 (LEAP-X1C). The LEAP-X is a major, er, leap forward from the CFM56. A design can only be evolved so far before it is time to start with a clean sheet and create a new design incorporating the latest and greatest technologies, which is exactly what CFMI have done. The LEAP-X will provide much greater fuel economy while at the same time being quieter, producing fewer emissions, and requiring less maintenance than older engines. It is poised to be as great of a success, if not greater, than its older sibling. And being the exclusive power plant for the next generation of the world’s most successful airliner, the B737 MAX, and one of the two options for the second most successful family, the A320, is a good start.

First up is the SpaceX Dragon, which is arguably the front runner in the CCP given it’s successful unmanned cargo mission to the ISS. The Dragon, of course, is designed to launch atop SpaceX’s own Falcon 9.

Next up is SNC’s Dream Chaser lifting body design. SNC isn’t producing a booster, the Dream Chaser is intended to launch atop a ULA Atlas V, though it could possibly be lofted by other man-rated boosters as well.

Next is the Boeing CST-100. While Boeing does have their own booster, the Delta IV (currently produced via the ULA joint venture with Lockheed Martin), there are currently no plans to man-rate it. At this time the CST-100 is planned to launch atop the Atlas V, though it may also use the Falcon 9.

Next is ULA with the Atlas V. Now, the Atlas V is an established launch platform for satellites and unmanned probes, but the CCP work will involve man-rating the launcher so that it can carry vehicles such as the Dream Chaser and CST-100 safely.

And lastly we have the ATK Liberty. Liberty looks an awful lot like the Ares I from NASA’s now-defunct Constellation program, and with good reason. ATK was developing the first stage of the Ares I, which was basically going to be a five segment evolution of the four segment Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster. When the Constellation program was cancelled, ATK was well along in the design and testing of their first stage, so they decided to go forward with the work on their own. As NASA was going to develop the second stage of the Ares I they needed to replace it. Rather than design something from scratch they turned to an existing design, the European Ariane 5. The second stage of Liberty is the core first stage of the Ariane 5, with modifications of course.

ATK has also decided to develop their own crew capsule, rather than using Boeing’s CST-100 or the NASA/Lockheed Martin Orion. ATK’s capsule will be based on a composite demonstrator they produced for NASA as part of the Orion project during Constellation. While it was decided not to use a composite structure for Orion, ATK has decided to use their experience building the demonstrator to produce their own capsule. So they’re looking to produce a complete end-to-end system, like SpaceX with the Falcon 9 and Dragon.

There is another participant that doesn’t seem to have a video, yet anyway, and that’s Blue Origin. They’re working on yet another capsule design, this one with a unique biconic shape, which they’re simply calling Space Vehicle. It will initially launch atop the Atlas V, but Blue Origin plans to produce their own Reusable Booster System in the future.

The X-37B rides an Atlas V to orbit but returns like the Space Shuttle, gliding to a horizontal landing. The key difference, of course, is that the X-37B is unmanned. It had been previously stated that the X-37B was designed to remain in orbit for “up to 270 days”, so this latest mission indicates that either the design has been revised, or that those statements were deliberately understating the capabilities of the system. Either is plausible, given the classified nature of the program under the USAF. Boeing floated the possibility of a larger, astronaut-carrying X-37C last year, but not much is known.

Of course, there are several videos of the events. The press briefing before the unberthing:

The unberthing itself. Watch closely at the 5:40 mark and you can see the Draco thrusters fire in the first departure burn. It is just a small bright spot in the thruster bell.

The descent and splashdown video is fairly poor, but I still think it is interesting:

And last, but not least, a press briefing to wrap everything up:

While these unmanned cargo flights are certainly a major achievement, the next big step for Dragon is manned flight. SpaceX is working on the systems necessary to enable the Dragon to conduct manned flights, with an eye toward NASA’s Commercial Crew effort. With this successful flight Dragon is certainly the odds on favorite to be selected to carry crew to the ISS. But SpaceX isn’t the only company working on manned orbital vehicles.

Boeing is working on their CST-100, a manned capsule similar in concept to Dragon. The CST-100 is being designed for operations to the ISS, as well as the commercial stations planned by Bigelow Aerospace. They’ve been conducting drop tests of a boilerplate capsule (which means it is just representative of the shape and weight distribution, and is not the actual capsule design) to verify the parachute and airbag landing system:

Also in the hunt is Sierra Nevada Corporation with their Dream Chaser lifting body. The Dream Chaser looks more like a vehicle of the future than the capsule designs, something more appropriate for Buck Rogers or John Crichton. The basic shape is similar to NASA’s HL-20 concept from the 90s, and reaches back to the lifting body research programs of the 60s and 70s such as the HL-10, M2, and X-24. I have to say I’d really love to see the Dream Chaser become operational, if only because it looks like the future. SNC has been conducting captive carry tests of a test article in preparation for drop testing:

The vehicle builders aren’t the only ones working on future systems, NASA is preparing as well. The giant Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), constructed for the Saturn V program and used for the Shuttle, is being thoroughly modernized to be ready for the next generation of rockets. Not only is it being redesigned to handle NASA’s own planned Space Launch System, but commercial rockets and spacecraft as well:

To wrap it all up, a recent episode of This Week At NASA included segments on SpaceX Dragon, Orbital Sciences Corporations Cygnus capsule (a competitor to Dragon for commercial cargo delivery to ISS, but not intended for crew), the Boeing CST-100, SNC Dream Chaser, NASA Space Launch System, and more:

With that endurance at high altitude the Phantom Eye can provide persistent surveillance of an area – for disaster recovery, military operations, environmental monitoring, etc. It can also operate as a communications relay, a pseudolite or virtual cell tower to provide communications in an area where it is otherwise lacking. For example, it could handle cell phone communications in a disaster area where the cell phone towers have been knocked out, until normal coverage can be restored. With a payload of 2,000 pounds the production model will be a versatile craft.

I don’t think the Sharklets really look very much like a shark’s fin either. Consider these grabs from Airbus’s own video:


I suppose the leading edge profile is somewhat similar – of course that’s a CG fin which I’m sure was designed to match the Sharklet design. OK, enough harping on the name. It just makes me cringe each time I see it.

So anyway, they’re launching these new wing… er, Sharklets, with the first new build A320 produced with them. They’ve released a couple of videos to coincide with the launch.

But Airbus isn’t the only vendor unveiling a new winglet design, Boeing has unveiled their new ‘dual-feather’ winglet design for the B737 MAX which they’re calling MAX AT (for Advanced Technology) winglets. It’s a fairly different take in winglet design, with two pieces – one up-swept like a traditional winglet, and a second angled downward. It looks a bit like the Blended Split-Tip Scimitar Winglet concept unveiled by Aviation Partners last year, but only superficially. Boeing’s design seems to be a blend of a raked wingtip, as used on the B737-based P-8A Poseidon, with significant added anhedral, and the blended winglet they’ve been using.

They’ve released a video showing the updated B737 MAX design:

The video features the dual-feather winglets, but also reveals a few other details of the evolving design. The fan size of the CFMI LEAP-X1B has been increased, which has necessitated lengthening the nose gear to maintain ground clearance. The longer nose gear wouldn’t fit in the existing nose gear bay and rather than make extensive engineering changes to the nose section they’ve added a small ‘blister’ to enclose the longer gear. The solution is similar to what Airbus did on the A330F, as it required a longer nose gear to level the load floor. The B737 MAX also features a revised tailcone for reduced drag and a number of other detail changes.

Also in Dreamliner news, on April 27th the first B787 from the secondary production line in Charleston, South Carolina was rolled out. The principal production line is in Everett, WA, but to meet production goals Boeing needs multiple lines. The current plan is to increase production to ten units per month, with seven coming from WA and three from SC.

Most new engines are flight tested by hanging them under the wing of an aircraft in place of one of the normal engines. P&W has a Boeing 747SP flying testbed that is used in just this way, with test engines carried in the #2 position (inboard on the left wing). Since the B747 is a four engine aircraft it still has three standard engines to rely on. There are other aircraft used in the same way, including Airbus A340 & A380 flying testbeds. Pratt’s B747SP replaced their earlier B720 testbed. (The Boeing 720 was a variant of the B707.) The B747 is extremely popular as a flying testbed as it is large, providing adequate ground clearance under the wing for larger turbofans, and four engined, allowing for safe flight while testing the new engine – which requires in-flight shut down and restarts, icing tests, etc.

But the testbed being used for the PW1217G, while also a B747SP, is different. See for yourself:

Yes, they’ve mounted a stub wing to the upper deck of the B747 to carry the test engine, instead of mounting it under the wing. It makes the testbed look quite strange, but it gets the job done. This isn’t the first time something like this has been done. Way back the B707 prototype, the 367-80 aka Dash 80, tested tail mounted engines for the B727 development program. And Honeywell has a B757 flying testbed for their small jet engines with a similar stub wing.

Still, it is quite an unusual site. I think the asymmetry is what really makes it look strange. We’re used to aircraft being symmetrical, and this looks like it either has something missing on the other side, or the stub wing is the result of some mishap. But it makes sense for what it does. When testing smaller engines, the under wing mount just isn’t appropriate. Form definitely follows function here.

The new design looks a bit different from today’s airliners. It is still a tube-and-wing design, but the wing is high-mounted and has a very high aspect ratio – it is very long and thin. Because it is so long and thin it is also strut-braced – something you really only see today on high-wing light aircraft and a handful of smaller transport aircraft. Using struts allows you to avoid beefing up the primary structure to carry its own load, which can add a great deal of weight. It is a trade off between the added aerodynamic drag and structural complexity of the strut vs. the added weight of a pure cantilever design. And some designs may not be feasible without the added support of a strut.

Another unique feature is that the wing is designed to fold to allow the use of today’s airport gates. That may sounds a bit crazy, but it isn’t the first time Boeing has designed such a thing. The B777 was originally designed with the option for folding outer wing panels to allow it to use the same gate spacing as the smaller B767. This was done mainly for American Airlines – who then went on to not order the B777 for a while, and when they did never opted for the folding wings. But Boeing designed, tested, and certified a wing fold mechanism for the B777, so they have experience doing this for a commercial aircraft.

While they first unveiled the SUGAR Volt concept back in 2010, they’ve continued to refine it and just published the following video to YouTube:

Personally I really like Boeing’s more recent SUGAR Freeze concept, an N+4 concept for the 2045 timeframe. It evolves the SUGAR High & SUGAR Volt concepts by utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel cells to generate power. In either case, LNG is a cheaper & cleaner alternative to Jet-A, but it adds the complexity of needing to be stored cryogenically under high pressure.

I’m still partial to the blended wing body concepts myself, just because they are so radically different from today’s wing-and-tube designs. But I know in the end there are many factors that will determine future designs – materials, propulsion, aerodynamics, maintenance, ground handling, passenger preferences, etc.

The engines aren’t the only thing the B747-8 gets from its little brother, it also uses B787-derived avionics and some cabin features such as LED lighting. The B747-8 may no longer be the largest airliner flying, that honor now belongs to the A380, but it is the longest – taking that crown from the A340-600. And it remains to be seen if the A380 has as long and illustrious a career as the B747 has had, and continues to enjoy. Even if you’ve never flown on one you’ve probably benefited from it – over half of the world’s airfreight is carried by a B747 Freighter.

The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.” The list of Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation, as many of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight.

Boeing has released two videos in celebration of the award. The first video examines the B787′s journey to winning the trophy. The second video is a look back at Boeing’s rich history of Collier Trophy awards, both within Boeing itself and in the ‘legacy companies’ they’ve acquired, such as McDonnell Douglas.

The GE90-115 engines on the -300ER are the most powerful turbine engines in use, rated at 115,540 pounds of thrust each, though they hold the Guinness Record at 127,900 pounds of thrust. As a mark of how far we’ve come, note that Boeing’s first jet airliner, the B707, was initially powered by engines producing 13,000 pounds of thrust. A single engine on today’s B777 produces twice as much thrust as all four engines on the first B707s, while being vastly more reliable, fuel efficient, and quieter.

The B777 is a remarkable aircraft, I can’t wait to see what’s next with the planned -8X/-9X models.

Oh, and the bit in the subject about the ‘Big EGO’ – if you watched the video you might’ve noticed the tail number is A6-EGO.

EDIT: Boeing released an HD version of the ‘Precision Craftsmanship’ video: