Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 60)

FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 GKN Claims History of Continuous Innovation UK-based GKN Aerospace is celebrating its centenary at Farnborough, but next year brings a bigger event for parent company GKN Plc (the automotive giant)— it’s 250th birthday. Its history goes back to 1759, to the time of Mozart and the British Industrial Revolution. GKN Aerospace itself can trace its origins back to the early motorboats and flying boats of Sam Saunders and the Saunders-Roe company. “GKN Group has an amazing technological history,” says Frank Bamford, svp of business development and strategy for GKN Aerospace. “It was the first to produce steel wheels for transport, and made the very first railway lines. “Now GKN Aerospace is there again with the first composite wing spar, which is on the Airbus A400M military transport.” The company has facilities in the U.S. and is also involved with most of the newest military aircraft programs, including the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and upgrades to the CH-53K heavylift helicopter. The company’s composite research facility (on the UK’s Isle of Wight) was created four years ago, and is backed by the UK Government’s Regional Development Agency. “We are probably spending technology matters it does become between $10-$20 million per year a bit more sensitive.” As an example he gave Airbus’ just on what we’re doing today, but this does not include our recently recent large contract award to Spirit announced joint research venture for the A350XWB fuselage. “Spirit is still 80-90% Boewith Rolls-Royce into ing,” he emphasized. future composite fan blade “Boeing, Airbus and technology,” said GKN the other primes will Aerospace CEO Marcus continue to go where Bryson. “We’re involved they get the best in its ducted fan and open technologies, ecorotor engine (research) nomics and the best programs.” He says much exchange rate issues.” of this work will be pure Bamford says the research and will take his research programs total research budget through $30-$40 million GKN’s Marcus Bryson. w i l l p r e p a r e U K industry for technologies that will per year.” Last December Airbus announced be applied into future programs. that GKN Aerospace was the pre- “Clearly Airbus is a primary sponferred bidder for its Filton wing s o r i n t h e C o m p o s i t e Wi n g component and sub-assembly man- Program, but it’s all about how we ufacturing plant near Bristol. “It’s as a UK air industry get ourselves still ‘if and when’ but if it (the deal) ready to make sure we’ve got a good happens it could be announced just stake in any programs that use that before or during Farnborough,” said technology.” Bryson added that the UK GovBryson. “Negotiations have been ongoing with Airbus for six months. ernment had been very helpful It’s a very complex deal as many throughout the Filton site negothings are intertwined and we are tiations and well aware of the trying to separate them. The acqui- A350 XWB’s importance. “They sition would be good for us as it have been positive and supportive would balance up our business to and I think they recognize that if nearer 50:50 between civil and mil- they didn’t step up to the plate, itary aircraft programs. There is German and Spanish companies obvious concern over potential U.S. would …” Bryson told Show News that military expenditure cuts being brought in by the new administra- GKN is very keen to participate in spar technology on the Airbus tion next year.” B r y s o n s e e s h i s c o m p a n y ’s A350XWB, but more importantly involvement in the Airbus led Next he wants a bigger slice of the work Generation Composite Wing to include wing covers. “We do sigthree-year research program as vital nificant parts of the trailing-edge to its future and that of UK indus- assembly and details, but if we can try. It is aimed at the next generation manage to do covers then we will Airbus single-aisle narrow-body, pretty much be able to manufacture but Bryson sees it as even more in the UK all of the major complex, important than this, with his prime highly loaded composite structures objective focused on both Airbus that are embedded into a wing. I and Boeing next generation single- don’t think the industry thus far has derived all the benefits from comaisle aircraft. Is there likely to be a conflict of posites in terms of utilization and interests? asked Show News. “No not optimization of its strengths—the really,” said Bryson. “ We’ve got fac- majority of composite parts that are tories where we do Airbus work manufactured today more or less alongside Boeing, but to be fair, replicate current metal structures.” when you get near to leading-edge —Mike Vines UK Firefighters Employ a UAV The UK’s West Midlands Fire Service has been operating a state-ofthe-art UAV to tackle incidents across its region. The firefighters are the first in the country to adopt the Incident Support Imaging System (ISIS), which provides live video footage of incidents, and gathers vital information to aid emergency response. The craft is operated by nominated fire officers. The battery-powered ISIS is supplied by Staffordshire-based MWPower, and is a high endurance, four-rotor, remotely-operated VTOL machine. At the start of its 12-month trial, ISIS was fitted with a daylight or low-light digital video camera, as well as a high-resolution stills camera, but has recently been upgraded to fly a 25Hz military grade FLIR Photon Thermal Imaging camera supplied under license from Focus2000 Ltd, making it another UAV first for the WMFS and the UK Fire and Rescue Service. The 130-gram, 50 mm cube ‘Thermal’ contains an advanced digital detail enhancement video processing algorithm. This is a sharpening filter that improves image quality. It detects the heat from a person at approximately 310 meters and gives recognition at 80 meters ISIS has GPS capability, weighs just 900 grams, and can carry a 200-gram payload. Its battery gives approximately 20 minutes flying time, and a rapid battery-change system offers near-continuous flight. Deputy chief fire officer Vij Randeniya said, “This is fantastic new technology that provides real benefits when tackling a range of emergency situations. Being able to look down on the scene allows us to get a full picture of the incident and the surrounding environment, which aids incident commanders in making vital, potentially life-saving, decisions.” The ISIS images are also used for post emergency de-briefing and in fire and rescue —Mike Vines ISIS eyes in the sky. training. 60 July 14, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 Contents Thirty More Years CFM Reveals New Engine Boeing Reduces Forecast UAVs’ Quiet Revolution Finmeccanica: U.S. Success A Plethora of AESAs BAE North America Plus L-3 Becomes a Prime Better Late Than Never A Peek Behind the Curtain China’s J-10 Revealed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Breaking LM’s Hegemony

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

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