Second Cessna SkyCourier Completes First Flight

A second Cessna SkyCourier 408 flight-test aircraft, P1, yesterday completed its first flight, some 2.5 months after the initial flight of the prototype on May 17. Piloted by Peter Gracey and Todd Dafforn, the first conforming production flight test airplane flew for one hour and 35 minutes, reaching an altitude of 14,200 feet at a speed of 210 ktas.

“This flight is another important step for the Cessna SkyCourier program as it will be used primarily for testing aircraft systems such as avionics, environmental control, and anti-icing,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of engineering and programs Chris Hearne. “Since the debut flight for the prototype aircraft, the team has rapidly moved through testing and has accomplished its goals of initial envelope expansion and handling, including stalls. When you consider they have achieved all these milestones despite the many disruptions caused by a global pandemic, it’s quite remarkable. The Cessna SkyCourier program is heading through the second half of 2020 with a great deal of momentum.”

P1 is the first airframe configured as a freighter and will be used primarily for systems—propulsion, environmental, and avionics—testing. It joins the prototype, which has completed 38 flights and logged more than 76 flight hours. The high-wing, twin-turboprop SkyCourier will be offered as a freighter, a 19-seat passenger version, and as a combination freighter/passenger airplane.

Astronics Antenna Performs in LuxStream Test Flight

New York-based aviation technology manufacturer Astronics announced that its Ku-band tail-mounted antenna technology exceeded all key performance indicators in a recent flight test of the Collins Aerospace KuSAT-2000 satcom terminal used in Collins's new LuxStream business jet connectivity solution.

The KuSAT-2000 tail-mounted antenna has achieved download service speeds of up to 25 Mbps in the U.S. and 15 Mbps globally using SES satellites. During the test flight, evaluators transferred roughly 12 GB of data on as many as seven devices streaming high-definition content from a selection of video streaming services. At the same time, the crew made multiple voice and video calls on a range of communication platforms, providing confidence in system performance as the rollout of the LuxStream solution continues.

“Collins Aerospace is excited to work with Astronics to bring LuxStream’s unmatched connectivity speeds to business jets around the world,” said Bruce Quade, Collins senior program manager of connectivity, adding that he was able to videoconference with his counterpart at Astronics during the flight. “This experience highlights how LuxStream provides the fastest broadband speeds available, with unmatched worldwide coverage.” Collins serves as the primary contact point for all sales and support of the system.

NY North Shore Helo Route Extended to 2022

The FAA has extended the expiration date to Aug. 5, 2022, for the rule requiring pilots operating civil helicopters under visual flight rules to use the New York North Shore helicopter route when flying in that area of Long Island, New York. The rule, which regulators extended several times and was most recently scheduled to expire on August 6, took effect in 2012 to further decrease noise levels achieved voluntarily.

Following a 2018 request for comments ranging from revising the route to extending or eliminating it, the FAA decided to maintain the status quo. “We could not reach a consensus after reviewing the comments, so the program is extended with no changes to provide time to access route modification suggestions,” the agency said.

The route has drawn controversy because it is over water, imposes the same eastbound and westbound floor of 2,500 feet, and is near flight training airspace. Additionally, the vast majority of comments complained about increased noise since the rule’s inception. “Without additional data and analysis, however, it is difficult to determine whether an increase in the level of activity or the rule is the greatest contributing factor to the increase in noise complaints,” the FAA said.

MBAA Calls For Removal of Logan Ramp Limitations

The Massachusetts Business Aviation Association (MBAA) has worked over the last eight months to reopen full access for business and general aviation operators at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in the wake of general aviation ramp space and operational restrictions resulting from a major capital improvement project underway on Terminal E.

As part of the project, Signature Flight Support’s ramp space would be reduced by half for at least 12 months to excavate the surface for resurfacing multiple taxi-lanes and installing a new fuel pipeline. In addition, a reservation slot scheme to obtain prior permission to use the ramp at Signature has been in effect since October.

“The Covid pandemic has significantly decreased the project scope,” the MBAA said. While ramp space remains restricted by the prior permission requirement, the association is “ardently advocating for its revocation upon completion of some of the aforementioned fuel pipeline work,” estimated to be finished in October or November.

Meanwhile, the MBAA “has begun exploring what reparations, mitigations, and future collaborations we can utilize to secure our future” use of BOS.

FAA Upholds Airport Funds Use for HTO Lawsuits

The FAA recently upheld an earlier agency determination that the town of East Hampton, New York can use airport funds to pay for legal fees associated with its attempt to restrict access to East Hampton Airport (HTO). NBAA, joining local aviation businesses and other aviation advocates, had appealed the 2018 determination, calling such use of airport money a “misappropriation of funds.”

But in a decision released last month, the FAA said the previous determination was supported by law and precedent. In the 2018 determination, the agency had found that “nothing exists in FAA policy to restrict a sponsor from using airport revenue to pay for legal obligations, activities, and costs, and further…nothing in law specifically requires a ‘benefit to an airport or its users’ test to be applied when evaluating airport revenue spent on legal services.”

“We are disappointed with the FAA's decision,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Operators at HTO were effectively double-charged in the fight for their right to use the airport. The town of East Hampton significantly raised the landing fees at HTO to generate additional revenue, at the same time that it was incurring the legal expenses associated with defending the unauthorized restrictions.”

East Hampton has attempted a range of restrictions at HTO, including bans and limits on “noisy aircraft.” However, these efforts were blocked in federal court.

Vertical Aerospace Set To Unveil Fixed-wing eVTOL

Vertical Aerospace appears to be preparing to fly, or at least unveil publicly, the first full-scale prototype of its planned eVTOL aircraft. On August 10, the UK startup briefly unveiled an animated presentation of what appears to be the fixed-wing aircraft it discussed with media and prospective investors when it completed the preliminary design review in early January.

The fixed-wing design seen on social media and at the company’s website appears to have four propellers that look to be in a tilt-wing configuration. To the rear of the fuselage, there seems to be a v-shaped tail, but no other details of the design can be easily discerned.

In January, Vertical Aerospace COO Michael Cervenka (who has since been made CEO) confirmed that the new eVTOL design would make a significant departure from the multi-rotor Seraph technology demonstrator that had already been extensively flown at a test site in North Wales. He indicated that the new design could be ready to begin flight testing in the second half of 2020.

The as-yet-unnamed eVTOL aircraft is expected to deliver range of almost 100 miles and a cruise speed of around 150 mph.

This story comes from the new FutureFlight.aero resource developed by AIN to provide objective, independent coverage, and analysis of new aviation technology, including electric aircraft developments.

Cabinet Finishes, Graphics Focus of Duncan Webinar

MRO provider Duncan Aviation plans to host a thorough discussion on cabinet finishes and graphic options and how they can reduce downtime and cost for its August webinar. Duncan will hold the free webinar, which requires registration, at 11 a.m. U.S. central time on August 26.

Marketing specialist Harrison Duncan, completions and modifications sales representative Matt Spain, and finish shop team lead Chris Nelson will participate in the discussion. They will discuss different options available for cabinet finishes and interior solutions including hydrographics, vinyl wrap, unique interior solutions, and their benefits. Duncan will hold an open question and answer period during the webinar.

With primary maintenance facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah, Duncan performs major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major cabin and cockpit retrofits, full paint and interior services, and preowned aircraft sales and acquisitions.

Bell Opens New Manufacturing Tech Center in Texas

Bell unveiled its new 140,000-sq-ft manufacturing technology center (MTC) in Fort Worth, Texas, yesterday. While the immediate plan of the MTC is to show the U.S. Army that Bell is capable of economically building future rotorcraft at scale and rate, company executives said the facility would also be used to transform manufacturing throughout the organization. 

“The MTC is the next step in successfully deploying new manufacturing technologies and processes into Bell’s future factories,” said Bell v-p of rapid prototyping and manufacturing innovation Glenn Isbell. “These future factories, working together with our teammates and suppliers, will be designed to enable high-quality, high-rate production” of future models, including the V-280 tiltrotor and Invictus 360, should Bell win Army programs to build those aircraft.

Bell will use the MTC to test and refine technologies and processes required to build and support those and other aircraft, including the Nexus urban air mobility vehicle, according to the company. Facility capabilities span core manufacturing of rotor and drive systems, infrastructure, and final assembly. By deploying a networked software infrastructure, the MTC will produce a digital twin of itself that gives everyone a common operating picture of the building, equipment, and processes. The facility will be monitored and controlled by network IT, internet of things, and cybersecurity systems that manage factory material flow and activity.