Page 24 - World Airnews Magazine March 2020 Edition

NEWS AVIONICS

BOOM INTRODUCES INTRODUCING THE SPIDER X

VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

he next-generation Spider hardware is here. It wasn’t
By Woodrow Bellamy III Tmuch more than a decade ago when aircraft tracking was
feasible only for the top tier of the industry. Innovation in the

engineers working on it with 286 partners Boom. FRI will support XB-1 flight testing by sector typically followed a traditional pathway of heavy boxes

and suppliers that have produced 1,229 providing a T-38 Talon two-seat twin engine that required integration into aircraft systems, and the cost and

oom Supersonic is anticipating the approved drawings of the design. Through supersonic jet trainer that will also serve as complexity of these precluded mainstream adoption.

Then Spidertracks came to market with fresh thinking and a

Brollout of its supersonic demon- the end of January, the team has assembled a chase aircraft during flight testing. simple product philosophy that broke down those barriers, and

strator aircraft, XB-1, by the summer, and 3,488 unique parts on the aircraft. “We specifically selected the T-38 for our revolutionised the sector. Aircraft tracking today has industry-wide

has started 2020 by adding a former Lock- Prior to releasing the virtual tour of XB-1, flight test program because of its similar adoption - and the results of this are an increase in safety and

flight characteristics and ability to chase
heed Martin chief technology officer to its Boom took another step toward bringing su- XB-1 through low speed supersonic flight. operational efficiencies.

personic commercial air travel back by adding

advisory board, establishing a new flight Ray Johnson to its advisory board. Johnson This is an exciting time at Boom and we’re Ten years later, the company has taken this to a whole new level, CEO Spidertracks Dave Blackwell at the HAI Heli-Expo 2020

testing partnership and releasing a 3D previously served as senior vice president and glad to have a partner in FRI to help us get with the release of Virtual FDR - an adaptive sampling algorithm

simulation of the demonstrator to provide chief technology officer of Lockheed Martin, to the finish line,” Blake Scholl, founder and on the Spider that provides an accurate, high-resolution represen-

an online virtual tour. where he directed engineering, technology, CEO of Boom said of the FRI partnership. tation of an aircraft’s actual flight path and movements in (near) the ideal development and integration platform.

XB-1 is Boom’s sub scale prototype and production operations and program manage- During a September 2019 interview with real-ti me. Building on the advanced functionality of its predecessors, the

supersonic demonstrator aircraft, that the ment for one of the world’s largest aerospace Avionics, Chris “Duff” Guarente, a test pilot As a trusted provider of aviation safety services, the company Spider X will make flight data monitoring (FDM) accessible for the

company is developing at its Denver, Colo- and defense contractors. for Boom, explained how they’re also using has a dedicated Iridium channel for all mission-critical data, giving general aviation industry as a simple, easy to install, lightweight,

rado hangar and plans to use for supersonic “As part of Boom’s advisory board, Dr. a full flight simulator to help with the devel- customers the assurance of receiving high-quality data, on-time and affordable solution.

flight testing prior to eventually producing Johnson will be supporting the continued opment of XB-1’s pilot interface. every-time, without reliance on cellular availability or retrieving an Spidertracks’s mission is to make the aviation community a safer

its Overture airliner that is expected to be development of Boom's organizational After rolling the XB-1 out of the hangar SD card. place to live and operate in. The company challenges the status

ready to enter into service by 2025. Like structure, manufacturing processes, and this summer, Boom expects to begin flight Spider X now expands on the power of Virtual FDR with the quo by carving out a unique opportunity for a digital transforma-

Overture, XB-1 will fly at Mach 2.2 using the leadership framework,” a representative testing later this year. Boom’s first-genera- introduction of an attitude and heading reference system. AHRS tion in a traditionally analogue industry, to deliver more usable

same aerodynamic design, materials and for Boom told Avionics International in an tion airliner, Overture, will have maximum data is transmitted over the air, allowing simple and easy access insights and gain better understanding.

avionics systems as Overture. emailed statement. seating capacity for 50 passengers at ticket to information about the aircraft’s orientation and position. This “We’re breaking down the barriers of traditional flight data record-

Ahead of the completion of XB-1, Boom is A strategic partnership has also been prices that are comparable to the cost of a innovative piece of hardware was built and developed in-house ing by digitising the analogue and unlocking significant value for you

providing a three-dimensional virtual tour established between Boom and Flight Re- roundtrip business-class commercial airline by and packed with forward-thinking tech such as WiFi, cellular, to better operate, analyse, and optimise your business processes

of the aircraft, as shown here. https://sk�. search Inc. in an effort to bring flight testing ticket today. Q Bluetooth, USB-C, and serial port interface capability, to provide and operations,” said Dave Blackwell, CEO of Spidertracks. Q

ly/6PXEE of XB-1 to a “supersonic corridor” stretch- Article courtesy of https://www.

According to Boom, XB-1 has a team of 86 ing across the Mojave Desert, according to aviationtoday.com/

Unlock a new horizon of aircraft data insights,
connectivity, safety, and efficiency.
EAA
Introducing the Spider X
TWO MILLION KIDS FLOWN
More than 50,000 EAA-member pilots It also set the stage for last year’s inau-

have donated their time, aircraft, and gural group of Ray Aviation Scholarship

he biggest youth aviation edu- fuel to fly kids over the past 27 years, recipients, as more than 100 young peo-

Tcati on programme ever created with an equal number of ground volun- ple earned full flight training scholarships

reached another milestone this week, as teers assisting the program. in conjunction with local EAA chapters.
Dozens of aviation companies also sup-

the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Flights have taken place on every con- port Young Eagles, including Phillips 66, the

Young Eagles programme surpassed 2.2 tinent except Antarctica, and in aircraft programme’s presenting sponsor. Other
ranging from hot air balloons to corpo-

million kids flown since the first pro- rate jets. Young Eagles began in 1992 in supporting sponsors include Garmin, Light-

gramme’s flights took place at the 1992 response to a survey of EAA members speed, WACO Aircraft, the Academy of

EAA Fly-In Convention at Oshkosh. who overwhelmingly replied that getting Model Aeronautics, and Global Aerospace,

“As we reach each of these milestones, young people involved in aviation was the as well as Young Eagles Flight Plan sponsors Packed with forward-thinking technology, the Spider X expands the power

it’s a further credit to the dedication of the most important issue to ensure the future Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and of Virtual FDR™️ by delivering even more data with the introduction of AHRS,

EAA-member pilots and volunteers who have of recreational flight. Sporty’s Pilot Shop.

committed their time and aircraft to bringing Young Eagles has also been the foun- “To every pilot and ground volunteer providing the clearest picture of your aircraft’s flight path and movements.

young people into aviation,” said Jack Pelton, dation of EAA’s more recent efforts to who has been part of Young Eagles, the avi-

EAA CEO and chairman of the board. encourage and engage young people ation community thanks you,” Pelton said.

“The success of Young Eagles means in aviation. That includes the Sporty’s “If you haven’t flown a Young Eagle yet,

thousands of today’s under-40 pilots can online Learn to fly course, available to we enthusiastically invite you to do so. You

trace their personal journeys back to that all Young Eagles and now approaching will have a more impactful influence on the Contact Pieter Cronje today to find out more.

first flight with a Young Eagles pilot.” 75,000 enrolees. future of flight than you’ll ever know.” Q +27 66 203 6205 | pieter.cronje@spidertracks.com

World Airnews | March 2020 World Airnews | March 2020
— 22 — — 23 —