Model Airplanes

The day is almost here! Large corporations in the aerospace and defense industry are building real airplane parts that are fully functional.

The aerospace industry is gravitating towards 3D printing not only because of the associated government funding, but because of the immense design benefits that come with it. Re-engineered parts of new design can significantly improve performance, efficiency, and greatly reduce the weight of components.

Furthermore, parts with complex geometries and components that were previously disparate can be fabricated without the additional cost. Not just that, corporations that use 3D printing in aerospace are also testing out the feasibility of 3D printed rocket components.

The following organizations are getting one step closer to fully 3D printed aerospace vehicles and planes:

1. Orbital ATK: Recently, Orbital ATK has announced that they have successfully tested their 3D printed hypersonic engine combustor. Conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center, the testing was done in twenty days, exposing the apparatus to hypersonic, high temperature flight conditions. This also recorded the longest propulsion wind tunnel tests ever. This hypersonic engine combustor was printed using power bed fusion, which is an advanced technology in the arena of additive manufacturing and multi-metal 3D printing.

2. Boeing: Already one of the leaders in 3D printing, aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing has patented a bizarre new technology that will drive the industry further. It is actually a technology that is capable of 3D printing objects while they are floating midair. This technology is going to print objects while they levitate. It utilizes several 3D

Article source: http://www.pddnet.com/article/2016/04/flying-high-3d-printed-parts-real-planes

At a time when much of the talk about business aviation growth in China has focused on larger, long-range jets, Textron Aviation’s greatest sales success has come from smaller jets and, even more so, from its turboprop-powered Cessna Caravan and Beechcraft King Air families.

Over the past five years, the U.S. manufacturer has increased sales of Caravan turboprop singles in the country by approximately 200 percent, to around 78 aircraft as of the end of 2015, and the number of King Airs has grown by 110 percent to 38. During the same period, the number of Cessna Citations in China increased by 21 percent to 24, with the XLS+ being the most popular model.

These three aircraft will take center stage in Textron’s exhibit here at ABACE 2016, with a Grand Caravan, King Air 350i and an XLS+ on the static display. Meanwhile, the company has high hopes for its three new jet models: the Latitude, for which the first delivery in China is expected in the fourth quarter; the in-development Longitude; and further down the line the Hemisphere.

According to Bill Schultz, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president for business development in China, one factor in the popularity of the Caravan, King Airs and Citation XLS+ in the country is a more pragmatic approach to business aviation among customers. This has resulted in a greater interest for utility roles for aircraft in China.

“The latest [Chinese government] five-year [economic] forecast focuses on developing economic belts or zones across the country and recognizes

Article source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-04-11/utility-aircraft-role-expansion-drives-china-growth-textron

Iranian airlines have some 60 Boeing airplanes in service, but most were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamists to power.

Out of Iran’s 250 commercial planes, about 150 are flying while the rest are grounded due to lack of spare parts. The country’s air-safety record remains spotty, as parts and servicing remained nearly impossible to get while the world sanctioned Iran over its contested nuclear program.

Now though, with the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran in place, airline manufacturers can re-enter the market, though Boeing has been more hesitant than its European competitor Airbus.

“The Boeing delegation assured Iranian airlines that it will provide all said support after signing an agreement,” IRNA quoted Samani as saying. “Boeing’s cooperation in supporting the current airplanes of Iran and its loyalty to its commitments will contribute to decisions by the airlines for purchasing airplanes from Boeing.”

John Dern, a Boeing spokesman, declined to offer specifics about the negotiations, but said the company discussed the “capabilities of Boeing airplanes, along with the support the company provides.” Previously, Boeing said that its license from the U.S. Treasury Department only allowed it to offer “commercial passenger aircraft fleet planning.”

“The meetings, which were closely coordinated with the U.S. government, enabled us to better understand the status of their current fleets, their route structures and their plans for future operations,” Dern said in an email. “Should any agreements be reached at some future point, they

Article source: http://www.sltrib.com/home/3766711-155/iran-boeing-offers-new-aircraft-in

You’re landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on the “expressway” approach – so called because you come in low enough to buzz the Grand Central Parkway and Mets’ Citi Field before quickly dropping down on a runway perched over a bay. It’s already one of the nation’s more jarring landings.

What, then, would happen if a drone suddenly appeared in the flight path?

The threat in recent years of pilots blinded by high-powered lasers may soon be superseded by this potentially more fearsome prospect: drones finding their way into restricted airspace around airports. Each month, pilots and air traffic controllers report more than 100 drone “sightings” to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has begun compiling and releasing periodic reports on these encounters.

The FAA says such reports have surged since 2014, with more than 1,200 incidents nationwide last year. Over the latest reporting period, from August 2015 through January, the New York metro area led the nation in drone sightings by airline pilots with 43. The Los Angeles area was next, with 25, according to an analysis of FAA data released March 25. The Dallas area was third, with 18.

Article source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-drones-airline-safety-20160404-story.html

By chance last week I tuned in to a TV newscast as the announcer said, “A study has concluded 30 per cent of MRIs contribute nothing to the treatment of a patient.” I was stunned.

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed three-dimensional images of the organs and tissues within your body. The patient lies on a table which then moves forward into an enclosed cavern resembling an oversized laundry dryer. A computer reveals the images to a radiologist who interprets them for the attending physician as a guide to the patient’s treatment.

Besides the substantial cost of the MRI machine itself, each exam involves the time of highly qualified medical staff. Then to learn 30 per cent of the time the “work” this machine and staff are doing is of no benefit to the patient is somewhat startling.

The reasons for ordering an MRI (or other tests) that may contribute little if anything to a patient’s care are many, including to do a complete workup while the patient is in the hospital anyway, to fish

Article source: http://www.terracestandard.com/opinion/375146141.html