Page 2 - Aerotech News and Review, March 19, 2021

AIAA hosts seminar on Reader’s

sustainable aerospace research Services

by Larry Grooms How to contact
special to Aerotech News Aerotech News and Review
• E-Mail: editor@aerotechnews.com
LOS ANGELES — An aviation industry that • Phone: (661) 945-5634
traditionally sought to fly higher, faster and far- • Fax: (661) 723-7757
ther in ever-larger airplanes, is now racing to find • Website: www.aerotechnews.com
the next big thing, which will likely be smaller
and greener, and fly lower and slower to closer
destinations. Advertising
The prize may likely go not to the swift, but to Corporate Headquarters:
the most “sustainable” — a catchword for changes (877) 247-9288
in propulsion, alternative fuels, design configura- Email: sbueltel@aerotechnews.com
tions and operations, all being driven in part by
pandemic fallout hitting airlines, as well as cli- Subscriber Services
mate change issues.
The question is, how, when and whether people Subscriptions to Aerotech News
and Review are $59 for six
who design, build and pilot airplanes can bring the months or $89 for one year. For
optimum mix of all these pieces together? Ideas more information, contact the
about how to do that work emerged from a week- subscription department at:
end virtual seminar of the Los Angeles-Las Vegas (661) 945-5634
Section of the American Institute for Aeronautics
and Astronautics.
Setting the stage for the sustainable aviation NASA Langley/Advanced Concepts Lab, AMA, Inc. image Story ideas, letters, editorials
conference was Dr. Marty Bradley, a retired An artists’ impression of the X-57 Maxwell. Please send all letters and editorials to
Boeing executive now consulting and teaching Stuart A. Ibberson, editor,
in projects related to electric and hybrid electric at editor@aerotechnews.com.
aircraft, advanced concepts and technologies, pro- ment roles in research, operations, and executive and product positions at Google and McKinsey
pulsion integration for advanced technologies, and leadership; working at NASA; experience in the & Company, and was a nuclear researcher at
aviation environmental life cycle analysis. He has commercial on-demand air carrier world and with Stanford Linear Accelerator. He holds a Ph.D. in
broad experience in a wide variety of applications aviation software startups. He also served on the Physics from Princeton University, a master’s in Web Site
including subsonic and supersonic aircraft, high- U.S. NextGen founding team, and most recently Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Access the Aerotech News web
speed missiles, hypersonic cruise vehicles, and air on an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eV- Technology, and was a two-time winner of Rus- site at www.aerotechnews.com
breathing space access vehicles. TOL) air vehicle. sian Nationwide Physics competitions. Submissions for upcoming events, air
Running down the list of subjects to be ad- In addition to his work in launching the first The bottom line from the conference for shows and museums
dressed, and commenting on expectations and hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric air mobil- America’s Aerospace Valley is that better times should be emailed to
limitations, Bradley started with noise reduction, ity vehicle, he is a senior advisor to SmartSky are expected and innovations are coming. NASA editor@aerotechnews.com.
a major headache for airport operations. He cau- Networks, supporting the launch of a unique 4G is seeking proposals for ground and flight dem-
tioned that even electrically powered aircraft will LTE aviation connectivity solution and apps de- onstrations of integrated megawatt-class pow- For questions concerning the web site,
contact the webmaster at
make noise. The question is what level of noise velopment platform, contributing to the Internet ertrain systems for subsonic aircraft. The deadline
will be acceptable to the neighbors? of Things that Fly. He serves on special groups for for proposals for this solicitation is 5 p.m., EST, webmaster@aerotechnews.com.
On greenhouse gas emissions, he said costs for the National Academy of Science, Engineering, April 20.
renewable energy fuels are coming down. Con- and Medicine, and the FAA Administrator’s Re- A NASA RFP said the demonstrations will help
trails and cirrus cloud formations, while a rela- search, Engineering, and Development Advisory rapidly mature and transition integrated Electri- Where you can get
tively small contributor to climate change, can Committee. fied Aircraft Propulsion technologies and associ- Aerotech News and Review
be reduced by flying jets at altitudes under about Holmes predicted the cost of hydrogen fuel will ated EAP vision systems for introduction into the For information on
35,000 feet. But he cautioned that any environ- be cut in half by 2030, pointed out that hydrogen global fleet by 2035. Aerotech distribution, call
mental benefit may be offset because lower flying power only emits water and heated air, and pro- NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Di- (661) 945-5634 or visit
planes burn more fuel on longer flights. vides two to three times greater power density rectorate has made a critical commitment to www.aerotechnews.com/distribution.
Airlines themselves might mitigate some CO2 than lithium-ion batteries. demonstrate practical vehicle-level integration
emissions concerns, in response to reduced pas- Expanding on the prediction of affordable hy- of megawatt-class EAP systems, leveraging ad-
senger demand brought on by the pandemic. Re- drogen fuel by 2030, Dr. Val Miftakhov, founder vanced airframe systems to reinvigorate the re- Aerotech News and Review is published
stricting larger jets to international routes, and us- and CEO of ZeroAvia, Inc., a California company, gional and emerging smaller aircraft markets, every other Friday, serving the
ing smaller, more thrifty aircraft with capacity of stated “a sustainable 100-seat Zero-Emission Jet and to strengthen the single-aisle aircraft market. aerospace and defense industry of
up to 100 passengers, could boost domestic traffic will be built by 2030,” and he challenged the in- The Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Southern California, Nevada and
and even extend service to smaller communities dustry to reduce emissions through existing solu- project directly supports retaining U.S. leadership Arizona. News and ad copy deadline
There is no shortage of options and possible tions. He said, “Incrementalism is not going to is noon on the Tuesday prior to
combinations that might be compatible, including get us here.” in the aerospace manufacturing sector, the largest publication. The publisher assumes no
net-exporter of all U.S. manufacturing sectors.
aircraft electrification, biofuels, hydrogen fuels, He said the first jet to roll out in 2030 will fly Already in the hangar at NASA Armstrong responsibility for error in ads other
fuel cells, batteries and turbines. And for every 500-mile short-haul trips at half of today’s costs, than space used. Your comments are
argument in favor, there is a counter-balancing creating a $100 billion market in faster, safer, and awaiting it first flight is the agency’s first all- welcomed and encouraged. Write to
downside to be weighed. Take biofuels, for in- cleaner, more convenient local travel. He said he electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell. High voltage the address below.
stance. As one speaker pointed out, a fuel created believes the resulting market disruption will cre- ground testing will include high-power operation
from plant-based materials is workable, but per- ate 100,000-plus unit demand in the next 10 years. and throttling up the first pair of electric cruise
haps not so sustainable if the demand cuts into the Miftakhov stated his company’s project is motors.
food supply or clear-cuts a rainforest. backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ven- The X-57 will help pave the way for certifica- • Publisher ....................Paul Kinison
• Business Manager ....... Lisa Kinison
Conference speaker Steve Csonka, president tures, the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, and Shell tion standards of future electric aircraft and will • Editor .................... Stuart Ibberson
of Csonka Aviation Consultancy, LLC, and ex- Ventures, all of which see the venture as the most be flown to validate and demonstrate the benefits • National Advertising
ecutive director of the public-private partnership economical, near-term solution for zero-emission that distributed electric propulsion may yield for Manager .....................Paul Kinison
Commercial Aviation Fuels Initiative, foresees flight. He added that most importantly, ZeroAvia’s the future of aviation.
biofuels as being among the key components in innovations will advance the aviation industry and The X-57 will undergo as many as three config-
the new generation of commercial aviation. This airline customers trying to achieve sustainability urations, with the final configuration to feature 14
view was shared by other speakers in the virtual goals for large-scale, decarbonized commercial electric motors and propellers (12 high-lift motors Aerotech News and Review
conference. jets. along the leading edge of the wing and two large e-mail: editor@aerotechnews.com
Another leading source for fueling the future A serial entrepreneur, Miftakhov’s previous wingtip cruise motors). The goal of the X-57 is to Visit our web site at
of flight is hydrogen gas power trains, discussed company, eMotorWerks, developed the world’s demonstrate a 500-percent increase in high-speed www.aerotechnews.com
in a presentation by Dr. Bruce J. Holmes, chief leading platform for EV battery aggregation to cruise efficiency, zero in-flight carbon emissions,
technology officer for Alakai Technologies Corp. provide grid services. The firm was acquired and flight that’s much quieter for the community
His background includes industry and govern- in 2017. Prior to that, Val held senior business on the ground.

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