Bell, an innovative aircraft manufacturer, is keen to remain at the forefront of the aviation industry. That’s why it came as no surprise when, in 2017, they announced that they’d be using augmented reality to develop a concept helicopter. Now, three years later, Bell Helicopter has brought their vision to life. Levi Bilbrey and Cameron Ayres, two members of Bell’s team, stated that the technology they employed ushered in the notion of “3D space.”
Ayres and Bilbrey were also eager to mention how much these digital advancements promoted productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Best of all, with virtual reality, Bell’s team could tweak their designs using real-time human feedback. From altering dimensions to enhancing the aesthetic, Bell’s design and engineering experts could make an assortment of changes rapidly. Moreover, they discovered that a pilot could communicate directly with a designer from inside the aircraft using a VR device and camera.
Bilbrey was particularly impressed by how seamless it was to access the physical space and make modifications from within. In the past, Bilbrey maintains that the design process was cumbersome, requiring a physical model to be built from cardboard or foam before advancing. Thanks to virtual reality, Bell managed to swiftly improve the design without hindering progress. Most notably, Bilbrey claims that the technology they used fostered greater collaboration.
With VR at their disposal, Bell was able to coordinate design aspects with engineering elements effortlessly. In essence, communicating with the other party became simpler, which proved advantageous to both sides. Bilbrey states that the meshing of the two created a “holistic brain.” While the design team was typically more focused on using the right side of the brain, the engineering squad often harnessed the left. With virtual reality, their expertise harmoniously intertwined, giving rise to a modern aircraft that impressed the masses.
While Bell was grateful for the increase in production and speed that VR promised, what they found even more rewarding was the opportunity it provided to create a user-friendly aircraft. The ability to receive prompt responses from the public enabled Bell to develop a more intuitive aircraft. It also made consumer engagement more “immediate and compelling.” With that said, Bell reaped the benefits of having such accessible feedback while crafting their concept helicopter. However, there were some obstacles that VR presented.
According to Bilbrey, virtual reality made it difficult for them to switch from traditional engineering to more progressive methods. In the hopes of making the transition more manageable, Bell formed an interactive council. Their duties consisted of promoting best practices, sharing information, and offering lessons on navigating VR software.
Given Bell’s success in developing an ultramodern helicopter, they’ve demonstrated how augmented reality can be a critical asset to airframe design and development going forward.
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After over a decade of extensive R&D, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have succeeded in producing a cutting-edge rocket engine series which will be used to power the core stage of the H3 launch vehicle.
Dubbed LE-9, the engine class’s design process emphasized reliability through simplification while also reducing program and unit construction costs.
Reliability Through Innovation
Two novel approaches in the LE-9’s design and function lend themselves to greater degrees of operational reliability and functional simplicity.
The first approach utilized in the design and function of the engine is a simplified engine cycle. The move away from more complex burner systems has an added benefit in that production costs are also reduced as engine production is scaled.
The second innovation sees the replacement of high-pressure gas-actuated valves with electronic drive valves (EDVs). EDV actuation generally reduces or completely precludes gas leaks, which contributes to increased reliability across the engine as a whole. The shift to EDVs did necessitate changes to the electrical architecture of the LE-9, however. EDVs require a lot of power to operate, and that power is provided by a high-voltage motor which incidentally produces a good deal of electromagnetic (EM) ‘noise’. That EM ‘noise’ interfered with the operation of various engine sensors and required extensive rewiring of grounding to reduce EM interference to acceptable levels.
Cost Reduction Through Additive Manufacturing
One of the most exciting facets of the LE-9 program, in our humble opinion, is the use of additive manufacturing – 3D printing – in the production and assembly of the engine to reduce manufacturing costs over the unit run. In years past, it would have been unheard of to utilize 3D printing technology to produce components such as complex piping. As additive manufacturing technique and technology advances, companies far and wide, including MHI, are incorporating the practice into their production lines. In the case of LE-9 production, 3D printed components have not only reduced unit cost, but actually contribute to shortening unit build time as well.
How Aerospace Manufacturing (AMI) Contributed to the LE-9 Project
Aerospace Manufacturing (AMI) is currently producing a line of MS9578 series fasteners for the LE-9 engine program. We are tremendously excited to be involved in such a cutting-edge space program. MHI’s H3 launch vehicle is slated to conduct its first flight towards the tail end of 2020.
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In South Korea, an exciting private-public partnership is now underway between Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI) and Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). KAI is an esteemed aerospace company, one that’s built numerous aircraft and satellites. For its part, KARI is a government space agency. KARI has explored the moon, collected information from satellites, and designed various space-related technologies. These organizations have teamed up to engineer, build, and launch three satellites into orbit by the year 2025.
As a critical component supplier for the production of these remote-sensing satellites, we at AMI are doubly excited to follow their respective launches and mission profiles. This won’t be the first fastener of ours to end up in space – far from it – but we still get a fuzzy feeling knowing things we make are floating in low-Earth orbit.
What’s special about these satellites?
These satellites will have remote sensing capabilities. As such, they’ll warn officials of approaching natural disasters. They’ll also help government agencies manage resources and disaster relief efforts. Moreover, Earth scientists ought to learn a great deal from the data these satellites collect. The Korean National Research Foundation is financing these satellites, and they should cost about 180 billion won (or $156 million in U.S. currency). Established in 2009, the Korean National Research Foundation is financed by the South Korean government, and its researchers delve into a wide range of subjects pertaining to science and the arts.
These remote sensing satellites from KAI and KARI are part of a larger project, one that will entail the construction of five satellites. The other two satellites have already been designed and developed, and their construction is ongoing. According to KAI, two of the three KAI/KARI satellites will be completed by 2023, and the third will be ready for launch by 2025. Let’s now take a closer look at these three satellites and their unique functions and features.
The first satellite, which should go into space by 2023, will cost about 117 billion won (around $100 million). And it will boast an advanced electro-optical camera. This camera will be able to take pictures across a distance of 120 kilometers, and its images will be five-meter resolution. The Korea Forest Service and the South Korean Rural Development Administration will utilize this camera to observe ecosystems throughout the country. Plus, this satellite’s images will help those agencies manage and allocate their limited resources in more effective ways.
KAI and KARI will start building the second of their remote sensing satellites in 2021 at an approximate cost of 47 billion won ($40.5 million). Slated to be finished in 2023, this satellite will focus not on the Earth but on the stars. KAI and KARI haven’t yet released specific information about this satellite’s mission, but it will collect data that should prove valuable to astronomers and others who study space. The Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) II will launch it into orbit. By contrast, a domestic or a foreign launching company will send up the other two KAI/KARI satellites.
Finally, the third KAI/KARI remote sensing satellite will be another powerful tool for observing and examining our planet’s many diverse environments. To be built at a cost of about 143 billion won (approximately $123.4 million), this ultra-sophisticated satellite will contain a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), one with a 10-meter resolution. A synthetic aperture radar can supply detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of terrain. Its antennae move around, and the resulting pictures depict highly accurate spatial relationships. Once this satellite is launched, it will warn scientists and government officials whenever an environmental disaster is looming. And those alerts will come in as early as possible. Such crises could include floods, droughts, oil spills, other pollution-related catastrophes, and red tides. (A red tide is a vast growth of sea algae, and it can release toxic chemicals.) KAI and KARI will start building this satellite in 2022, and it should be ready for 2025.
As the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT has observed, these three remote sensing satellites should boost the proficiency and potential of the country’s private sector, its technology sector in particular. Not to mention, in the future, the nation will be better equipped to compete on the global stage when it comes to building satellites. On top of that, all three of these satellites will help the country conserve and administer its natural resources as efficiently as could be. Finally, they’ll likewise help South Korea reduce the negative effects of climate change by providing reams of environmental data and early disaster warnings. Yes, a few satellites can provide countless benefits.
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NASA comes up with many innovations as they develop their spacecraft, and many of these novel technologies and paradigms ultimately find their way into civilian applications.
Winglets are devices used on many types of aircraft to improve fuel-efficiency, and they are one of the most prominent and successful examples of NASA ingenuity being used for civilian applications.
What are winglets, anyway?
Winglets are the vertical extensions you often see attached to the ends of aircraft wings. They look cool, but their purpose is to help the plane use its fuel more efficiently, and this not only saves money on the cost of fuel, it helps the plane fly farther than it would have been able to otherwise. They are used on virtually all types of aircraft, from ultralight fliers to jumbo jets.
Essentially, wingtips reduce drag that this is pushing down on the ends of the wings (this type of drag, in particular, is called wingtip vortex, and is interesting in its own regard). The sizes and shapes of wingtips differ according to the wings they are mounted on, but they all have essentially the same design. In general, they improve the fuel mileage of an aircraft by around seven percent.
They can also increase the speed an aircraft is able to cruise at, help it ascend faster, and allow planes to reach higher altitudes. Additionally, they reduce both takeoff and landing speeds, which represents an enormous safety advantage. There are even studies that indicate that the use of winglets reduces roll rates (this translates to stability in flight).
Winglets were first used commercially on corporate-sized Lear jets, and when pilots and engineers saw how effective they were, their use became more widespread. Today, they are even used on hang gliders.
Today, winglets are frequently part of the design of new aircraft. For example, they are built into Gulfstream jets. However, winglets don’t have to be original to the construction of an aircraft. They can be retrofitted, and some companies specialize in doing this. Retrofitting is a fast-growing market because the savings in fuel costs are immediate and very noticeable.
The Testing Program
The original testing of winglets was done in the late 1970s by NASA, and this followed several years of development and wind-tunnel studies. Dr. Richard Whitcomb, who worked out of NASA Langley in Virginia, was the main developer, and his initial inspiration was a concept conceived of by a British scientist in the late 1800s.
As it became apparent how effective winglets would be, the United States Air Force and commercial airline company Boeing began working with NASA to develop them. The Air Force used a KC-135 test plane equipped with sensors and other measuring equipment to get an accurate sense of what the winglets were doing.
The results were significant. Based on drag-reduction data, the researchers concluded that winglets measurably improved the fuel economy of the aircraft they were tested on by between four and seven percent – with variance due to individual wingtip design and airframe design.
What does that mean in real life?
To put that fuel-savings into perspective, consider that your typical Boeing 737 burns about 20,000 liters of fuel over the course of a seven-hour flight (that’s a stretch for a 737, but let’s run with this example). Even a 5% reduction in fuel consumption represents a savings of 1000 liters of Jet A, which is a huge economic boon for commercial airlines as well as your own wallet, and makes flight that much kinder to the environment.
AMI’s Role in Winglet Production
We’re always happy to plug the innovative and high-caliber work our customers do, and the products they design, produce, deliver, and maintain.
One of our longstanding customers, Aviation Partners, Inc. is one of the global market leaders in the design and production of some truly ground-breaking advanced winglet systems. Providing both original equipment and retrofit options, the company estimates it has saved over 11 billion gallons of fuel, cumulatively, across the airframes fitted with the company’s Blended Wingtip assemblies.
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In the skies above Northeast Colorado, coordinated flights of numerous drones have been a nightly occurrence. Approximately 17 drones have flown over Phillips County and near Yuma County in grid patterns. These drones have wings spanning six feet and fly several hundred feet in the air, baffling residents.
The drones have been reported by the Denver Post, and the Army, Air Force, DEA, FAA, and local law enforcement all have said that they do not know who is flying these drones or what they are being used for. According to the Denver Post, the sheriff’s department says that the size and number of the drones mean that it is unlikely that hobbyists are flying them. One drone hovered over Paoli, Colorado without moving all night one night while eight others flew over the town of Haxton.
The undersheriff estimated that the drones were flying between 30 and 40 miles per hour. The drones themselves cannot be seen from the ground because of their flight level (altitude), but they have strobing red, white, blue, and green lights that are visible from the ground.
The drones are not being flown in violation of Colorado law. However, the FAA requires that people fly drones during the daytime and within the pilot’s sight. Pilots can receive waivers of these requirements, however. These requirements may not apply to the drones that have been spotted since the regulations apply to drones that weigh less than 55 pounds. For larger aircraft, drone operators must fly commercially and must be actual pilots.
Law enforcement officials state that they are very aware of the presence of the drones and have asked residents to make reports if they see one of them land. At the same time, officials have reminded residents that it is illegal to shoot, or attempt to shoot, the craft down.
The description of the drones and their flight patterns makes it sound as if someone is conducting a test of surveillance capabilities over a broad area with autonomous drones. Flying a group of inexpensive drones in a grid pattern could allow them to cover a large area instead of using more expensive aircraft that could take a longer period. By using multiple drones in a grid pattern, mapping, search-and-rescue efforts, and general gathering of intelligence could be faster.
The area where the drones are flying is sparsely populated, flat, and desolate. The terrain is ideal for line-of-sight control, but the flights are suspicious since they are not happening legally. Since the flights are happening at night, the timing makes it apparent that the responsible parties understand that they are operating outside of the FAA’s regulations.
Finding where the drones are being launched and are landing would be difficult. The lights could be turned off when they take off and land. Since there is little ambient light in the area, it would be difficult for people to see them at night during takeoff and landing. These drones could also take off from small areas and do not require a runway. Any individual or small group that has sufficient resources could be behind the drone flights.
The reports of the grid patterned-flights and the potential autonomous navigation from far away are troubling. The attack on Saudi oil facilities that happened in Sept. 2019 used similar operational concepts. Drones that are similarly sized could carry explosives instead of surveillance gear. With 17 drones, they could hit multiple targets simultaneously or swarm a single target from many directions. While this might seem to be an outlandish idea, similar attacks have been carried out in other countries. Small drones could be used for nefarious reasons in the U.S. just as they have been used for such reasons in other countries.
Regardless of the reasons why the drones are being flown and who might be behind the flights, their nightly presence has become a real mystery in Colorado. As long as the flights continue, the mystery and reports will keep coming in.
In the meantime, we’ll be waiting for the day these overflights are featured on another one of Netflix’s ‘mystery’ specials.
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China has Successfully Tested the World’s Largest Seaplane
The Chinese recently oversaw the first successful waterborne takeoff of the country’s AG600, also known as “Kunlong” – now the largest seaplane in production on the planet. The test run took place in the Yellow Sea. Chinese state-run media released a video of the massive plane taking off from, and landing on, the water. The plane was airborne for about a half an hour.
China’s first seaplane
The AG600 is just one part of a larger effort on the part of the Chinese to ramp up the production of various types of jet aircraft. The country has dramatically expanded the scale and scope of both its commercial and military aircraft production. The effort to develop the Kunlong, in particular, began in 2009, and the fully developed plane first flew (from a land-based airstrip) in 2017.
An enormous plane
The AG600 is roughly the same size as a Boeing 737, has a wingspan of 128 feet and is 121 feet long. It can carry 50 civilian passengers or troops up to 2,7000 miles, and it is almost 40 feet tall. It can be loaded to a weight of up to 53.5 tons and still be able to take off from water.
Non-military and military applications
While the Chinese state-run media has emphasized the Kunlong’s non-military applications, such as being used in rescue situations involving civilian aircraft, it will most likely be used for military purposes as well. When it comes to civilian applications, it can be used to fight fires, and it has the capacity of collecting 20 tons of water in only 12 seconds.
The AG600 will likely be used by the military to fly from the Chinese mainland to the country’s island bases in the South China Sea. The airframe is already capable of operating ISR missions as well as waterborne and island-based troop transport work.
While the AG600 is currently unarmed, this could also change in the future. The plane could be utilized for anti-submarine warfare by first dropping sonobuoys into the water to detect enemy subs followed by depth charges if contact is registered. Finally, with its robust carrying capacity, the AG600 could also be used very effectively to mine harbors.
The plane will be useful to the Chinese military as it seeks to expand its influence in both the Indian and Pacific oceans. While the Chinese military has traditionally emphasized the development of its land-based forces, in recent years it has turned their attention to improving and expanding its Naval forces.
Seaplanes in warfare
While seaplanes were used effectively in the Second World War by a number of major military powers, they became less popular with air forces during the Cold War, and their role was largely taken over by a combination of land-based aircraft and helicopters. The United States military does not currently use seaplanes, and some argue that it should resume doing so once again. They point out that, during the Second World War, not only were seaplanes used for rescue and convoy work, they sometimes flew attack missions as well.
A small group of nations
China now joins Canada, Russia, and Japan as the only countries that produce seaplanes. Canada produces the Viking seaplane, Russia makes the Beriev Be-200 and Japan has the US-2.
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During a time when grim news is seemingly only accompanied by more grim news, we caught a break when word spread that the Antonov An-225, a strategic cargo airplane, was back in action. Following an 18-month hiatus, many were left wondering if Antonov’s massive aircraft would ever grace the skies again. When an alert from Flightradar24 announced that the Antonov An-225 was coming out of retirement, aviation enthusiasts everywhere were elated.
In October of 2018, this 600,000-pound cargo craft underwent an arduous maintenance and upgrade program. While little news was released during its downtime, many quickly spread the good word when the Antonov An-225 dusted off its 290-foot wings. Aptly nicknamed Mriya, which translates to dream, the Antonov An-225 boasts impressive dimensions and capabilities. Over the last 30 years, Mriya has taken audiences by storm with its outlandish lifting capabilities and thoughtfully designed shape.
As the heaviest aircraft in the world, it comes as no surprise that the An-225 can lift up to 550,000 pounds. To date, the largest item that it’s transported is a generator, which came in at a whopping 417,000 pounds. Due to its unprecedented abilities, Antonov’s groundbreaking innovation is highly sought-after by heavy industries, governments, and even the U.S. military. Given its unparalleled performance, aviation lovers and laymen alike are keen to understand how this aircraft does what it does.
Expertly crafted with a vertical stabilizer, slouching wings, turbofan engines, a fly-by-wire control system, 32 wheels, and hydraulics, the An-225 is fully equipped to bear heavy cargo. To assist with loading items, the nose can also lower. All of these attentive details and features contribute to Mriya’s excellence. Ironically, the An-225 doesn’t have rear cargo access, which is typical of most planes. Even still, this magnificent specimen is in a league of its own. It’s for this reason why March was an exciting time for An-225 fanatics.
On March 25, the Antonov An-225 lifted off from Kyiv, The Ukraine, which is where its home airport is based. It’s presumed that this was a test flight to ensure that the aircraft was primed to return to service. The duration of the trip was two hours. During this time, Mriya completed two laps above the Ukrainian countryside, subsequently returning to the airport. Unfortunately, it’ll always be a waiting game when it comes to tracking the aircraft.
Since Antonov doesn’t publish its schedule, An-225 trackers are left to their own devices. In most cases, this involves relying on aircraft flight tracking information to relay the news. The Antonov An-225, specifically, is notorious for popping up in lesser-known locations, including pockets of West Africa, remote corners of South America, and the vast interior of Australia. This makes it even more difficult for people to get a live viewing of the show. Fortunately, the An-225 does travel to more accessible areas, ranging from popular European destinations to famous American cities.
While many are thrilled that Mriya is back up and running, the reasons for which are rather dreadful. The current economic and health crisis has led to an increased demand for emergency supplies. The An-225 is often enlisted during natural disasters, so it only makes sense that it’s being called on during a global pandemic. Experts anticipate the An-225 seeing a lot of action in the coming months. To see Mriya work her magic, check the status using real-time flight trackers like Flightradar24 or FlightView.
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Passenger Flight Could Soon Look Dramatically Different
Change is constant, and nowhere is this more true than in air travel. Over the course of your life, you have probably seen security amp up in airports while legroom and comfort on most flights have decreased. COVID-19 has served as a new impetus to exciting changes in the industry as many airlines have noted the changing needs of their customers.
HAECO Cabin Solutions has jumped on board recently, seeking to solve the problem of limited cargo space. With fewer people flying, there is more room than ever in the passenger section of most airplanes. On the other hand, the need for increased cargo space has risen dramatically as many are seeking ways to carry medical supplies and cargo on their flights. Thanks to HAECO, airlines can soon turn some of their overwhelming passenger space into cargo space using safe solutions.
HAECO Cabin Solutions is a part of the HAECO Group headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. While the group has focused on passenger seats, lavatories, and similar products in the past, they have now turned their attention to increased cargo stowage. With the launch of their new solutions, airlines can now safely combine cargo and passengers in the main cabin.
There are now four unique stowage solutions available from HAECO depending on the way that the airline wants to make use of extra space. The smallest solutions can hold up to 240 pounds while the larger solutions can take on up to 1,000 pounds. The solutions are also designed to work around the products already installed in the plane. One makes use of extra floor space for pallet-style stowage while others stow cargo on top of or in front of aircraft seats.
The great news is that these solutions from HAECO will soon be certified through a Supplemental Type Certificate, most likely in less than a month, so that airlines can safely fly both passengers and in-cabin cargo on the same flight. Plus, the weight will be optimally balanced throughout the flight to meet current aircraft requirements. Once the certification process is complete, airlines will be able to get and install these cargo solutions in approximately four to six weeks.
Thanks to this newer, safer way of transporting all types of cargo directly in the passenger cabin, all types of planes, including narrow-body aircraft, can reap the rewards of meeting their customers’ needs more fully. There is already some interest in certain airlines for this concept, and there is sure to be more over the coming months.
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The MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’ is one of the most absurd, deeply flawed, tremendously interesting airframes designed and produced during the 20th century, and we can’t get enough of it. While it served as an adversarial airframe during the Cold War, its recent retirement is bittersweet.
A Brief History…
The MiG-25 “Foxbat,” one of the fastest Soviet military aircraft of the Cold-War era, has gone from endangered species to extinct. The Ukrainians stopped using their MiG-25 aircraft years ago. The Russian Air Force recently stopped using theirs recently because of safety issues and the sheer volume of fuel the Foxbat consumes, and quasi-nation state operators like Syria can barely afford the fuel to get their fleet off the ground.
The Soviets began development on the MiG-25 in the early 1960s, and its design was an extreme case of form following function. Mikoyan-Gurevich was tasked with designing an airframe that was fast enough to intercept the American XB-70 Valkyrie: a nuclear-armed, deep-penetration strategic bomber program which reflected USAF Strategic Air Command’s emphasis on utilizing speed and altitude to penetrate Soviet airspace.
However, while the Valkyrie program was eventually shuttered in favor of a low-altitude, supersonic heavy bomber (the B-1B Lancer), the MiG 25 did make it to production in 1970, and continued to serve operators ranging from the Ukraine, to the Sovie Union, to India, and even Syria.
What makes the Foxbat a Rat Rod?
The definition of a rat rod, in automotive terms, is a vehicle that looks old, beat up – never meant to be pretty – but one that goes like stink. And the Foxbat fits that bill to the letter.
The Foxbat is – let’s be charitable – a bit harsh on the eyes. Because speed was the paramount concern in the design of the Foxbat, the entire airframe was built around two powerful Tumansky engines; the plane’s fuselage, cockpit, wings, weapons, and avionics systems were designed to be packaged around and within the turbojets and massive air intakes. To describe it as a flying hypodermic needle strapped to two massive turbojet would not be hyperbole.
The Soviet Union was often plagued with constant material shortages and the plane itself presented unique challenges, so the result was absolutely incredible. Its very assembly was odd; contrary to aerodynamic best practices, the airframe featured exposed rivet heads.
Now, this single-minded determination to produce a fast plane was successful, but at steep cost. Firstly, owing to the nature and focus of its mission, the Foxbat airframe was not as maneuverable as, say, an F-15. Secondly, the plane would consume fuel at a rate that would make a tank look like a Prius, comparatively, which compromised the aircraft’s range. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, those same Tumansky engines that endowed the aircraft with such immense speed also paradoxically limited top speed to Mach 2.8. So powerful were these turbojets, that, at a bit above Mach 2.8, they functionally became ramjets; the vacuum at the point of air intake would literally begin to suck in and cannibalize adjacent aircraft components. This in turn would require the complete engine-out replacement of both turbojets.
Museum Pieces
Though the reason d’etre for the Foxbat – the XB-70 Valkyrie project – never came to full fruition – the Foxbat saw near-continuous usage and deployment by operators the world over. For many, its speed and mechanical ethos lent the aircraft a legendary reputation – Saddam Hussein even had his fleet of MiG-25s buried in a bid to prevent them from falling into US hands during the 2003 Iraq invasion, so prized they were. To others, its idiosyncrasies and absurdities, immense capabilities, and weaknesses make this plane a fascinating page in 20th-century aviation history.
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We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
Cutting-edge airplanes with state-of-the-art technology make headlines and attract attention in aviation and aerospace news. However, many planes from the past are still in service and performing noteworthy feats.
Provided that older planes receive regular ongoing maintenance to remain airworthy and compliant with FAA flight regulations, they are highly reliable. As such, they can still play an important role in modern aviation.
One-of-a-kind airframes otherwise considered obsolete are in the air delivering critical services like fighting fires. Alaskan bush pilots are famous for maintaining medevac airplanes that are over 50 years old.
Flying Boats Take to the Skies
Coulson Aircrane Ltd. purchased the Hawaii and Philippine Mars airframes to increase its firefighting fleet. It has since made a name for itself as the only worldwide operator of Sikorsky S61 Type 1 helicopters as well as the largest water bombers on the globe.
After acquiring the Mars water bombers, Coulson applied significant upgrades to the Hawaii Mars. These upgrades brought the airplane into compliance with the high aviation and safety standards required for state-of-the-art firefighting. The upgraded Hawaii Mars boasts “an EFIS Glass Cockpit and the ability to stream live data from certain key on-board, indication systems.”
Additional data from the plane includes “Flight Tracking, Load Data measuring, Aircraft Performance statistics, Atmospheric Condition at Drop readings, and Accurate Drop Location reporting” in real-time.
Coulson takes pride in maintaining the high standards of safety and accountability required to provide firefighters with a world-class experience.
Aerospace Obsolete Retrofit Support from AMI
Aerospace Manufacturing is proud to have played a role in a recent success story by providing aerospace obsolete retrofit support for KF Aerospace.
KF Aerospace Engineering is the certificate holder for Convair airlines. As such, it is tasked with maintaining the Convair world fleet. KF Aerospace’s work includes “AOG repair support, part manufacturing and maintenance of the required technical documents for continued airworthiness.”
This aircraft company has been maintaining Convair products for over 10 years. The company has developed a high degree of proficiency in working with older and out-of-production airlines.
KF approached us with an impending need for maintenance components. In this case, it was fasteners for obsolete retrofit to be used for Convair airframes. These planes are used in aerial firefighting and in wildfire control.
AMI was able to produce, ship and deliver the needed items in 10 weeks. Delivery was just in time for the firefighting season.
Custom Manufacturing
AMI is a distinguished provider of aerospace obsolete retrofit fastener components. We can meet any customized or specialized requirements including “metric standards, customer-supplied prints, and special part numbers.”
How We Work
All of our customers are important. Whether your company is large or small, you’ll receive the same degree of service excellence. We pride ourselves on being able to meet the unique needs of every client.
AMI’s commitment to you is demonstrated in our approach to custom manufacturing. We offer a multi-pronged approach that includes a team of high-level engineers and a customer care staff that’s focused on you.
Our highly trained technicians will partner with you to develop the most applicable solution for your particular needs. Our engineers can also recommend existing fasteners that fit your requirements.
Procure Aerospace Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials.
Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
