Aerospace Manufacturing manufactures a specialized NAS9921 fastener for the KC-46 Pegasus tanker, the USAF’s next-generation military aerial refueling aircraft that is replacing an aging fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers.
The USAF has been putting the KC-46 through comprehensive testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California to certify aerial refueling between the tanker and no fewer than 22 different kinds of aircraft, including, significantly, the largest aircraft in the USAF’s inventory, the C-5M Super Galaxy.
The Super Galaxy is huge. With five sets of landing gear, 28 wheels and a load capacity of 281,001 pounds, it can carry two M1 Abrams tanks, or six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, or 15 Humvees — you get the idea.
Photo credit BlueBarronPhoto / Shutterstock.com
Fully loaded, the C-5M Super Galaxy can fly 2,150 nautical miles, unload, and fly to a second base 500 nautical miles away. That’s without aerial refueling from the KC-46. With aerial refueling, its range will only be limited by the crew’s endurance.
Maj. Drew Bateman, a C-5M pilot and the chief of the 22nd Airlift Squadron’s standardization and evaluation command, said of the April 29 sortie, when the KC-46 and the C-5M first made contact in the skies above Edwards, “That was awesome to be a part of. You have a few pinch me moments in life and this was one of them for me.”
To refuel the Super Galaxy, boom operators rely on a series of cameras that project a 3-D image onto a screen, which the operators use to position the aircraft. Once Boeing and the USAF complete the testing phase, the next step is to obtain all operational clearances needed to pair the KC-46s and C-5M on missions.
Stay tuned!
Procure from Aerospace Manufacturing
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace bolts, screws, pins, studs, threaded rods and built-to-print specials.
If Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fighter needed a proof of concept, it got one in July 2018 when three Israeli F-35s flew to Tehran and back from an airbase near Tel Aviv undetected.
When it learned of the stealth mission, Iran’s military leadership panicked and did everything in its power to keep the information from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. When Khamenei did find out, he fired Iran’s air force chief and the long-serving commander of Iran’s prestigious Revolutionary Guard Corps
As the most the most expensive defense project in U.S. history, the story couldn’t have come out soon enough for Lockheed Martin, whose shares have risen 75% since the story’s publication.
About the F-35
The F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine, multi-role fighter stealth fighter jet that can fly undetected by radar for hundreds of miles.
It has been described as not an airplane, but three airplanes in one. F-35 pilots have compared the difference between an F-35 and an F-15 to the difference between an iPhone and a corded phone mounted on the wall.
Shortly after receiving their first order of F-35s, Israeli engineers managed to double the jet’s flight and stealth capacity.
Israel was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic customers for the F-35, purchasing 33 for a cool $5.5 billion with plans to increase the number to 50.
Procure from Aerospace Manufacturing
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace bolts, screws, pins, studs, threaded rods and built-to-print specials.
Whew! Now that we’ve been back from Paris Air Show 2019 for a week, we’ve had time to decompress.
The show managed to exceed our expectations in almost every way. The food options were phenomenal. Being in the company of so many fellow aerospace aficionados was a dream.
Most importantly, we had the opportunity to engage with new and old AMI – Aerospace Manufacturing customers and forge new partnerships with suppliers.
We want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth to talk to us and everyone who booked appointments with us ahead of time!
Again, we would also like to thank the Small Business Association and the State of New Jersey for awarding us a grant to exhibit, and we would like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth.
Check out some pictures from the show below!
About Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners.that’s trusted by OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier and General Electric.
Our strategic location next to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) means same-day shipment is available on stock items and very short lead-times of one to four weeks can be met on most fasteners.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether our customers need a prototype or large runs for their assembly line, they know they can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
When Airbus was looking to increase their production capacity for their A320 final assembly line (FAL) in a new 4th line in Hamburg, they couldn’t simply replicate the system already in place at their other aircraft assembly site in Hamburg — or at those in Mobile, Tianjin and Toulouse.
Why?
For one, the new FAL needed to be up and running quickly. It also had to fit into a hangar that was divided in half by a giant partition wall, each side of which was just wide enough to pass a fuselage through.
While these constraints may seem like a burden — Airbus treated them like an opportunity.
A320 FAL had been basically unchanged since the 1980s. It necessitated heavy foundations and hard iron jigs that simply could not keep up with modern production rates. Now, at the new FAL, there was a chance to significantly reduce the moving and positioning of parts — an incredibly time-consuming aspect of aircraft assembly.
Eckart Frankenberger, vice-president of manufacturing strategy at Airbus, compared the new approach to the ergonomic work environment of a surgeon: Every tool, every piece of material, every consumable and every aircraft part, is delivered straight to the point of use in a 3 meter radius of the operator when they need it.
By getting the positioning of everything right the first time around, the need for manual adjustments and rework down the line are greatly reduced. In short, the new approach provides a vast improvement over the trial-and-error, test-and-adjust methodology that has defined aircraft assembly from the beginning.
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners that’s trusted by OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier and General Electric.
Our strategic location next to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) means same-day shipment is available on stock items and very short lead-times of one to four weeks can be met on most fasteners.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether our customers need a prototype or large runs for their assembly line, they know they can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
The Paris Air Show is the largest event of its kind. It’s the place to see the most beautiful aircraft and the newest, most high-tech innovations in the industry. But it’s also where the biggest aerospace deals in the world get done.
Here are the most important industry developments from PAS 2019.
Boeing
Things started slowly for Boeing, which made its first sale since March — twenty 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners — to Korean Air on the second day of the Paris Air Show.
Boeing’s big moment came when IAG, owner of British Airways, agreed to buy 200 737 Max planes, likely at a discount due to its current safety concerns.
Other deals included:
– China Airlines and Qatar Airways each bought several 777 freighter models
– GECAS placed an order for ten 737-800 converted freighters
– Air Lease Corporation committed to purchase 5 wide body 787 Dreamliners
Airbus
To kick of the show, Airbus announced the launch of the A321XLR, a widely anticipated single-aisle plane that will allow airlines to serve long distances between smaller cities.
Airbus sold 27 XLRs to Air Lease Corporation, 50 to American Airlines and 32 to Indigo Partners, as well as smaller orders to four smaller airliners.
With the 14 wide-body A330neos sold to Virgin Atlantic, Airbus cashed in for an estimated $35 billion in total sales.
Embraer
Brazilian firm Embraer reached a deal with Dutch airline KLM to sell 15 of its E195 E2 regional jets. KLM will use the plans on its sister airline KLM Cityhopper, and has the option to buy 20 more jets.
Embraer cleaned up quite nicely at the Paris Air Show, taking orders for 78 planes worth $4.6 billion.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation revealed that it was in talks with an unnamed U.S. airline over the sale of its SpaceJet M100, a narrow-body regional jet that will be ready for market in 2023.
As a smaller, U.S. clause compliant version of Mitsubishi’s MRJ90 regional jet, the M100 is tailored specifically for the U.S. market and designed to help Mitsubishi compete with Embraer as the dominant supplier to regional airlines like JetBlue and SkyWest.
The SpaceJet M100 cabin — which comes in a 65-76 seat, three-class cabin configuration or with 88 seats in a single class — was presented on the exhibition floor at the Paris Air Show.
About Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners that’s trusted by OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier and General Electric.
Our strategic location next to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) means same-day shipment is available on stock items and very short lead-times of one to four weeks can be met on most fasteners.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether our customers need a prototype or large runs for their assembly line, they know they can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
AMI just returned from two conferences held just outside Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois:
SUR/FIN
SUR/FIN, the industry event where “surface technology companies connect, collaborate and contribute,” was important for AMI to attend as we continuously invest in our plating facility.
We had the opportunity to view the latest and next-generation equipment, including some new technologies that are reducing environmental impact.
We met with some incredibly smart people who provided us with insights on where this industry is headed and which new technologies would meet our needs.
Fastener Tech
Fastener Tech is “The All-Fastener-Industry Event” of the year, and it was both fun and informational to attend.
We loved walking around and speaking with clients and potential clients and learning about the challenges they are having procuring fasteners. We hope those conversations can help us forge closer ties going forward!
About Aerospace Manufacturing
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners.
As you may have heard — we’re exhibiting at the Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions from June 17 to 23.
We’re SUPER excited for the opportunity, and would love if you’d stop by Hall 6, Booth N°C73 for a free notebook, pen, tote bag and microfiber glasses cleaner.
Aerospace Manufacturing is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners.
Since 1986, we have forged partnerships, created value, delivered quality, and built trust by understanding and meeting the needs of our clientele, which includes industry leading OEMS like Lockheed Martin, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier, General Electric and Boeing.
No visit to Paris would be complete without stopping into an authentic Parisian cafe. That’s why we’ve scoured the guidebooks to find a few options you can get to from the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget with little hassle.
Don’t forget to stop by Hall 6, Booth N°C73 for a free notebook, pen, tote bag and microfiber glasses cleaner at the AMI booth — or pick a time and day that works for you here: Répondez s’il vous plaît (RSVP).
Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole
With a colorful terrace and walls covered with winding wisteria, this cafe is one of the most visited in Paris. Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole is easy to get to and right around the corner from Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.
To get there, take the RER B rapid transit train from the nearby Le Bourget station (a quick bus ride or 30 minute walk from Parc des Expositions) to the Saint-Michel Notre-Dame stop. It’s a 3 minute walk from there, and the famous Notre Dame Cathedral is right around the corner.
La Maison Rose
Located at 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre, La Maison Rose is the quintessential Paris cafe. It’s a favorite among tourists and locals alike for its charming setting and traditional French food.
To get there, take the 350 Bus right outside the Parc des Expositions to the Porte de la Chapelle transit station and take the Paris Métro Line 12 four stops to Lamarck – Caulaincourt. It’s a 5 minute walk from there.
Le Consulat
As long as you’re in Montmartre, don’t miss Le Consulat at 18 Rue Norvins, a 2 minute walk from La Maison Rose. Among the most photographed cafes in Paris, Le Consulat is known for its reasonably priced local fare.
To get there, take the 350 Bus right outside the Parc des Expositions to the Porte de la Chapelle transit station and take the Paris Métro Line 12 four stops to Lamarck – Caulaincourt. It’s a 5 minute walk from there.
L’Atmosph’Air
If you’re crunched for time or need a convenient meeting spot near the show, look no further than L’Atmosph’Air, a panoramic rooftop bar just down the street at the AC Hotel Paris Le Bourget Airport where you can see the sunset over Paris and the Eiffel Tower!
Aerospace Manufacturing is excited to be exhibiting at the Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions from 17 to 23 June 2019.
We would like to thank the Small Business Association and the State of New Jersey for awarding us a grant to exhibit.
If you are exhibiting or attending the show and would like to meet with us at the show, pick a time to talk!
Why We’re Excited to Go
As the aviation and space industry’s largest dedicated show, the Paris Air Show draws 142,000 trade visitors and features 140 aircraft flying displays and exhibitions.
The Paris Air Show is where aerospace companies and systems developers present their latest innovations to the world.
If you’re attending the Paris Air Show, you’re probably starting to think about what you’ll need to pack. One thing you definitely don’t want to forget? A travel adapter and/or voltage converter!
They will cost you a small a fortune at the airport, and can be VERY tough to find overseas (they sell them, but they are to convert to our sockets/voltage).
That’s why we wanted to remind you what kind you need so you can order one in time for Paris. We hope it saves you time and money!
Don’t forget to stop by Hall 6, Booth N°C73 for a free notebook, pen, tote bag and microfiber glasses cleaner at the AMI booth — or pick a time and day that works for you here: Répondez s’il vous plaît (RSVP)
Travel Adapter
Outlet sockets have a different shape in Europe than the United States and Canada. To plug your devices into the wall, you’ll need a travel adapter, like this one.
Please note that a travel adapter does not convert voltage. It will only work with dual voltage products, like your computer and phone.
To charge things like a CPAP machine, curling iron, or any other specialized equipment you need for your booth, you’ll likely need a voltage converter.
Voltage Converter
American appliances run on 110 volts. European appliances run on 220 volts.
To charge anything that’s not dual voltage, you’ll need a voltage converter, like this one, to step the power down from 220 to 110.
