Model Airplanes

REDMOND, Wash. — An electric-propulsion company called MagniX shifted its headquarters from Australia to Redmond just a few months ago — but it’s already revving up for takeoff.

The venture, owned by Singapore-based Clermont Group, is on track to conduct its first flight tests with an all-electric motor installed in a converted plane by the end of the year, CEO Roei Ganzarski told GeekWire this week during a tour of MagniX’s digs.

The two-story office space in Redmond already houses more than 15 employees, and Ganzarski plans to hire 20 more in the next three months, mostly in engineering. Roughly 50 more employees are working at MagniX’s engineering facility in Arundel, about 40 miles south of Brisbane on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Ganzarski, a Boeing veteran, said the company moved its global headquarters to Redmond to take advantage of the Seattle area’s engineering talent and its aerospace ecosystem. “You can’t be a world leader in aerospace from Australia. … We decided that the most logical place for us would be Seattle, Washington,” he said.

MagniX’s baby sits on a test stand in the Redmond facility’s lab: a round electric motor that weighs about 110 pounds and is small enough to fit inside a carry-on bag. Looks can be deceiving, however: That drum-sized Magni 250 motor can churn

Article source: https://www.geekwire.com/2019/magnix-revs-electric-motors-tesla-like-move-aviation-industry/

The Max amps up the Southwest model by extending the range the airline can fly its planes and by boosting efficiency. In its announcement of Southwest’s order of the new Max 7, Boeing said the plane is “part of Southwest’s ongoing effort to improve fuel efficiency and profitability.” Southwest has grounded its 34 737 Max 8 airplanes, which the airline said represented less than 5 percent of daily flights.  

Southwest planned to use the 737 Max on its new route to Hawaii. If, however, the Max requires special pilot certification, Southwest may have to rethink some of its decisions. For example, will Southwest have to ensure that all of its pilots are certified to fly the Max as well as other 737s in order to maintain its pool of pilots who can fly any plane in the fleet? If the airline opts not to put the Max back into service, will it be able to maintain its projected profitability for its Hawaii route?

Southwest declined to answer our questions and has referred journalists to an online statement. 

The route is an example of how airplane technology drives the aviation industry, and why Southwest historically has worked closely to advise Boeing on upgrades that would be most helpful. Only a few years ago, the idea of Southwest flying across an ocean was a dream, because the 737 was not certified for that type of flight. Now, Boeing is producing 737s that can handle long overseas flights. 

Of course, Boeing sells other airliners that make such flights. Fort

Article source: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2019/03/15/could-737-max-compel-southwest-change-business-strategies