Farnborough Air Show 2024 Day One

TIM ROBINSON FRAeS, STEPHEN BRIDGEWATER, BELLA RICHARDS, KATIE PRESTON and JACK RICHARDSON report on some of the most exciting news and highlights of the first trade day at the Farnborough Air Show 2024.

GCAP still 'important', says PM in show opening

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opens the Farnborough International Airshow. (Number 10/Flickr)

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opened the 2024 Farnborough International Air Show but was followed by speculation about the status of the GCAP project. Addressing reporters, the PM described GCAP as “important” but, stopped short of offering a cast-iron guarantee it would go ahead. However, in a clear sign of support, the Prime Minister headed for the GCAP exhibit immediately after opening the show.

While the GCAP partners unveiled a new rendering of the aircraft, Defence Secretary John Healey used the air show to stress the importance of the aerospace and defence industry to the country’s economy. He announced a new £6.5bn, ten-year partnership with MBDA to enable ‘always-on’ manufacturing to ensure the UK’s defence industry is always ready to supply munitions at an acceptable cost. 

Boeing leads day one orders

Artist's impression of Korean Air 777s in the sky. (Boeing)

After the last two major air shows in Singapore and Dubai saw Airbus lead the duopoly of trade deals, is Boeing bouncing back? 

Kicking off the major order announcements, Boeing confirmed a previously rumoured order from Korean Air for 50 aircraft. The airline will receive 20 777-9s and 20 787-10s, with options for ten more Dreamliners. Korean already operates almost 30 777 aircraft, but this is the first order for the 777-9 type. Meanwhile, the Dreamliners will add to the backlog of several already on order.

Furthermore, Luxair, the flag carrier of Luxembourg, announced it had penned a deal for two 737-10 jets, with options for two more. It comes a year after purchasing  Boeing 737-7 and -8 aeroplanes.

National Airlines, an air cargo and passenger charger company based in Florida, announced the purchase of four Boeing 777 freighters . The company operates a small fleet, comprising eight Boeing 747-400s, one Airbus A330-200s (leased from Air Lease Corporation) and one Boeing 757-200. Furthermore, National Airlines announced it selected GE Aerospace for eight of its GE90-110B engines to power its new cargo jets.

Finally, Japan Airlines announced that it is modernising its fleet with a deal of up to 20 Dreamliners. The deal includes ten 787-9s with options for ten more, adding to the company’s 50 plus fleet of the widebody.

More flagship projects needed to “keep the talent engaged” says ESA DG

DG of ESA, Dr Josef Aschbacher, at the Farnborough air show 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

Speaking exclusively to AEROSPACE on the opening day of FIA 2024, European Space Agency  Director General Josef Aschbacher said the organisation’s strengths with the UK were stronger than ever.

“The UK is a founding member of ESA and remains the fourth largest member state,” he explained. “The UK is very engaged in a number of big ESA projects, including the Rosalind Franklin mission to explore Mars [previously known as ExoMars], and there are now four UK citizens selected for astronaut training. The UK boasts a very strong industry and we really love working with you.”

Speaking of the recent Ariane 6 launch, Aschbacher declared the mission a success, despite the failure of the APU. “The launch was split into two phases; the launch phase and the mission phase. The launch phase, up to about 107 minutes was 100% successful and did all that was needed to be done but, during the mission phase, we chose to conduct some technical experiments of something that we cannot test on ground, ie the firing of the APU in microgravity. This is where we had an issue but, it is really a relatively small problem. We have a very good understanding of what happened. I do not want to pre-empt the investigation by announcing the results in advance but I can reassure you that this is something that we will master very soon and it does not impact the next flight schedule. We are still on schedule for the next launch by the end of the year and then November.”

Aschbacher was keen to emphasise that the mission has been “a huge success for Europe” and explained that “since 2020, the statistics of a rocket launching successfully on the first attempt are just 53%, so we are really happy.” He also confirmed that Arianespace has seen interest from new customers since the launch and was still concentrating on returning Vega C to service by the end of the year to provide a medium launch capacity.

This year, ESA has satellite launches scheduled, which will be a record for the agency, and has just begun the Earth Care programme, which Aschbacher refers to as “the biggest Earth exploration mission ever undertaken.”

So what does the future hold for UK involvement in ESA? “Because of the excellence that the UK has in terms of engineers and scientific brains, what I really need in order to keep these incredible people engaged and excited is more major programmes and flagship projects,” concluded the DG. “We have to do everything we can to ensure that they remain invested in the UK and Europe and do not run away over the Atlantic in search of new opportunities. Space is vital for our society, for our economy and for strategic and geopolitical reasons, so it is crucial that we engage with the talent but also keep the talent engaged.”

GCAP partners keep the pace

GCAP mock-up at the FIA 2024. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)

With the latest configuration of the GCAP future fighter project drawing much attention at the start of the show, a press conference from the three industrial partners from the UK, Italy and Japan gave some insight into the thinking behind the increase in wing area. While Herman Claesen, BAE’s Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems, declined to go into too much technical detail on the design changes, he said that the bigger wing pointed to the “need to go far, carry a lot of stuff and do it in a low-observable, stealthy configuration”. Rapid digital design he said, was enabling design changes that “used to be done in weeks and months to be completed overnight”.  The aircraft is now closing in on its final configuration and outer mould line.

Claesen, meanwhile, stressed the “absolutely unheard of” rapid pace of the tri-national programme, which was fully launched in December 2022 and was in no danger of being slowed down by either a new government or the upcoming defence review, saying, “we are definitely not putting the toe-brakes on”.

Meanwhile, while headlines speculated on what GCAP or Tempest not being ring-fenced in the upcoming defence review, it is notable that the PM, Sir Keir Starmer, made the GCAP pavilion his first port of call after today's opening ceremony. Other VIP visitors to the GCAP that day included the RAF Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir Richard Knighton and Maria Eagle MP, Defence Procurement Minister, underlying the importance of the project. 

Airbus, ACI partner to influence sustainable aviation policies and practices

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World Director General & CEO, and Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer, signing the cooperation agreement on Monday, 22 July. (Airbus)

Airbus and Airports Council International (ACI), a trade organisation focused on uniting industry practices for airport standards, based in Canada, are collaborating on supporting the industry’s decarbonisation efforts. Announced early on the first official trade day of FIA, the two will work to address several parts of the sustainable aviation ecosystem, including hydrogen technologies, the development of SAF, advanced air mobility, aircraft noise management practices and operations efficiency.

Airbus and ACI’s ‘plan of attack’ to address these challenges are not clear, but ultimately, the two will combine expertise to “influence policies and standards that support sustainable aviation”, according to Airbus’ Chief Sustainability Officer, Julie Kitcher.  This will include the exchange of information between the two on perspectives for lowering carbon operations, communication on industry progress, jointly developed guidance materials, and the potential to unify on policies and standards to achieve these targets.

Diamond’s debutant

Diamond's DART-750 Turboprop on display. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

The DART-750 turboprop trainer from Austria’s Diamond Aircraft performed its public flying debut during the opening day of FIA 2024. Having first flown in June 2023, the latest member of the DART family first appeared on static display at the Paris Airshow later the same month but flight testing has now progressed sufficiently to allow the aerobatic aircraft to perform in public. The aircraft differs from earlier DART-450 and 550 prototypes by having the ubiquitous 750shp P&WC PT6A-25C turboprop as a powerplant as well as a range of system upgrades. Interestingly, the aircraft is also being offered to civilian owners as well as military operators. 

New UK trade secretary pours £100m into greener air travel

GKN Aerospace launches new project, H2FlyGHT, focused on developing a liquid hydrogen fuel cell system scalable for large aircraft. (GKN Aerospace)

Marking one of his first major funding announcements since becoming Business and Trade Secretary earlier this month, Jonathan Reynolds revealed a £103m investment into greener air travel on the first day of the air show. The funding, delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) will be pooled between five R&D projects led by several industry companies and institutions, including GKN Aerospace, Queens University, Rolls-Royce, Short Brothers and ZeroAvia.

GKN’s H2FlyGHT, included in the funding, aims to develop and test a liquid hydrogen fuel cell system and two-megawatt cryogenic electrical propulsion system. The £44m programme was also launched on the first day of the air show, and seeks to develop zero-emissions propulsion systems for larger aircraft. It builds off the company’s previous H2GEAR programme which initially focused on developing cryogenically enhanced propulsion systems that could be used for smaller aircraft, with the ability to eventually scale up to larger ones.

ZeroAvia will receive the funding for its Advanced Fuel Cell for Aviation Decarbonisation (AFCAD) project, taking high temperature fuel cell stack technology to enable zero emissions flight, within commercial aircraft, and potentially rotorcraft and eVTOLs.

Queens University will receive the funding to bolster testing and manufacturing equipment at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) to bolster the development of composite materials.

Rolls-Royce’s Hot Section Lifting and Materials (HOTLINE), in partnership with Cranfield University and the University of Birmingham will receive the aid to the development of turbine technologies that reduce unit and life cycle costs.

Lastly, Shorts, one of the oldest aerospace companies in the world, will receive a £5.8m grant from the pool for its project that aims to reduce material usage and increase fuel efficiency of aircraft platforms. Currently there is little information published about the project, however – and interestingly - the Shorts' project is the only one to have the amount it is receiving from the funding included in the announcement.

United Airlines picks Honeywell for avionics upgrade

A United Airlines 737 MAX 9 lands at Harry Reid International Airport. (Tomas Del Coro, WikiCommons)

United Airlines has selected Honeywell Aerospace Technologies for its avionics technology to be integrated into the carrier’s new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The Chicago-based airline operates a large fleet of 737 jets, with almost 350 on order, split between the MAX 8, MAX 9 and the future MAX 10. Honeywell will deliver its 3D weather radar, 25-hour flight data recorders and advanced traffic avoidance systems to the airline. Significantly, the weather radar system can accurately depict weather in the flight path of an aircraft, scanning the sky at 17 tilt angles, which is the most in the industry, according to the company, and providing pilots with a 3D view of the weather. The companies have been working together since 2018.

Joby mock-up debuts keeps it quiet

Full-size mock-up of the four-passenger, one-pilot eVTOL at FIA 2024. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)

Making its first appearance at Farnborough this year was Joby’s full-size electric eVTOL mock-up – with visitors able to get a downloadable selfie in the single-pilot cockpit. More seriously, an interactive audio exhibit also allowed visitors at the exhibit to wear headphones to listen and compare Joby’s noise profile against helicopters and conventional aircraft, or being in the park or in a coffee shop. With no eVTOLs yet to fly at Farnborough, audio experiences like this are highly valuable in winning over the public to the idea of these novel rotorcraft and their minimal noise footprint

The company had also been keeping quiet about integrating a hydrogen-electric propulsion system into its eVTOL from its subsidiary H2FLY. However, prior to the show, it revealed it had conducted a 523-mile flight with this system – opening up the potential for regional air mobility.   

Halted flydubai deliveries cast shadow over Boeing’s flurry of day one deals

Flydubai operates a fleet of solely Boeing aircraft. It flies over 50 737 MAX 8 jets, with many more on order. (flydubai)

The flurry of order announcements, while representing a positive turn for the troubled company, have not been able to overshadow the ongoing issues with Boeing aircraft. Amid day one of the show, flydubai, a Middle Eastern low-cost-carrier that operates a single fleet-type of 88 Boeing 737 jets, stated its expansion plans have been “significantly been impacted by Boeing’s latest update regarding ongoing delays in its aircraft delivery schedule”. The manufacturer provided an update to the carrier, explaining it will not be delivering more aircraft for the remainder of the year, including the 14 737 MAX initially scheduled to be received by flydubai this year. Consequently, with 125 MAX jets awaiting delivery, the carrier said it has had to enter Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) agreements and extend the lease on some aircraft which were set to be returned to the lessors soon, incurring rising costs.

“We urge Boeing to take immediate action and implement measures to stabilise its production and delivery processes to avoid further delays while upholding the highest standards. We look forward to a swift resolution of this issue,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said.

CAA Chair discusses challenges and opportunities 

CAA Chair, Sir Stephen Hillier, speaking with the press at FIA 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

Speaking to a small group of media on the opening morning of the show, CAA Chair Sir Stephen Hillier said the regulator saw sustainability as “the biggest strategic challenge facing the aerospace sector.”

He explained that the CAA “is doing all it can to make sure we can get to a carbon negative position, and ensuring that we work closely with all government departments support the NetZero ambitions.”

“How do we create the right regulatory environment which enables aerospace to be a thriving enterprise in the UK? How do you create the right regulatory environment for future flight technologies? How do you understand innovators and what they're trying to achieve? How do we bring them into the sector and successfully integrate them to make sure that the highest safety standards are adhered to but, also allow them to use this exciting developing their use this exciting new technology? These are some of the challenges that we face today.”

When quizzed on the message he would give the UK’s new government about how to prioritise the issues affecting the aerospace sector, Hillier expressed his confidence that the industry is a “UK success story.”

“We have a thriving industry, both in terms of current technology and looking at innovative future technologies. We are internationally highly regarded and the sector supports tens of billions of pounds worth of GDP and hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. It has a bright future but, that will not happen automatically, we will need to put the work in and give the support to ensure that continues to happen in the future.”

On the second day of the show, the CAA is expected to announce a new consultation that would set out how consumers would be able to find out the environmental impact of flights from and within the UK. Under the proposal, passengers would be able to easily access information (in standardised units, such as kg of CO2 per passenger) for all flights that they book.

Blended-wing electric VTOL drone stars in flying display

Sentinel UAV showcases its quieteness and manouvrability during the flying display at FIA 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

A surprise addition to the FIA 2024 flying programme was the blended wing/body electric UAV from recently formed Sentinel Jets. The company, which is a collaboration between Striekair Engineering and e-propulsion specialists Greenjets, demonstrated the 3m-span Sentinel UAV in a slot that included a VTOL segment as well as a demonstration of its quietness and manouvrability at speeds of up to 70km/h. The vehicle can carry a 7kg payload for up to 45 minutes and is powered by two of Greenjets’ Sycamore 160 electric ducted fans. These are aided by six brushless motors and propellers for vertical flight.

Airlander – “not just sustainable aviation, its better aviation”

The Airlander is moving towards production. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)

Over at Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company was showing off the newest production configuration of its Airlander as a model – with the company now having selected Carcroft Common, South Yorkshire, near Doncaster as the location for a factory that could have the initial capacity to build 24 of these giant airships a year and support 1,200 skilled jobs .Changes include the deletion of the ducted fan propulsors with the side thrusters now have standard unducted propellers.

Enthusing over the potential for this low-emission aircraft to ‘reshape the skies’ – particularly with Spanish regional airline launch customer Air Nostrum, which will see 100 passengers experience new levels of space and comfort, HAV CEO Tom Grundy, said “its not just sustainable aviation, its better aviation”.

Embraer deliveries soar

Embraer E-195 E2 'Profit Hunter' flying at FIA 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

Brazil’s Embraer is defying ongoing supply chain issues within the industry, after announcing its deliveries increased by 88% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same time in 2023. The aircraft manufacturer delivered 47 jets in quarter two – 27 of them its bizjets, 19 of its commercial aircraft and one defense aircraft, the C-390 Millenium. For business aviation, the Phenom 300 led the charge, with 18 being delivered in the quarter (reflecting the same number as quarter two in 2023), with the E195-E2 and E175 dominating the commercial deliveries.

The positive numbers are not a surprise, as ADS, the UK trade association for aerospace, said in a pre-Farnborough briefing that Brazil is one of the leading nations, alongside Brazil and China, in order and delivery growth, while the UK sector is forecasted to rise at about 1%.

UKSA unveils £24m in British-led space projects

German rocket company, Hylmpulse, completed its first test launch from South Australia of its single-stage ‘SR75’ rocket in May. (Hylmpulse)

Kicking off space news for the week, the UK Space Agency announced a £24m round of funding for several projects across the UK. The investment, from the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), will be distributed across eight major projects, and several ‘kickstarter’ one’s receiving a smaller portion of the pool.

The major projects set to receive funding include: Hylmpulse will receive £5m for its sub-orbital rocket test from the SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland; Rolls-Royce will receive £4.8m for technology advancement of its Space Micro-Reactors to demonstrate a nuclear power flight test; SuperSharp will receive £5m for the launch of its thermal infrared telescope into space for EO; Spire Global will receive £3.5m for its OHMS-Sat (Operational Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder-Satellite) to supply weather forecasting data; Wayland Additive will receive £2.7m to adapt partner company Mars Space’s electric propulsion technology and apply it to Wayland’s machines; Orbit Fab will receive £1.3m for its SPITFIRE (Servicing Propellant Interface Technology For In-orbit Refuelling Effectiveness) project to bring together critical elements of refuelling for a UK-developed interface solution for future missions; Lunasa, in partnership with Orbit Fab, will receive £1m for its Proximus Prime: Autonomous vision-based Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO) demonstration mission in Low Earth Orbit (LEO); and finally, ETL Systems will receive £690,000 to bolster ground satellite networks.

JEKTA, ZeroAvia collaborate on hydrogen fuel-cell flying boat

Artist’s impression of JEKTA’s PHA-ZE 100 powered by ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel-cell technology. (JEKTA)

Switzerland-based JEKTA, which manufacturers the electric-powered PHA-ZE 100 amphibious aircraft, is now eyeing other types of sustainable propulsion. The company selected ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell power generation system (PGS) to demonstrate a concept of a fuel cell variant of the flying boat, aiming a range of up to 600km and the increase of payload by one tonne.

JEKTA is seeking a suitable fuel cell system to offer clients the choice of two fuel sources, with the hydrogen system being able to serve longer regional routes due to the increase of range it will be able to deliver.

Netherlands, Austria pen nine C-390 Millenium deal

Embraer C-390 on the 2024 RIAT static line last weekend. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

The Dutch Ministry of Defence signed an acquisition deal with Embraer for nine C-390 Millenium aircraft on day one of the air show, in which will be split between the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Austrian Air Force. Netherlands selected the transport jet in 2022, and Austria doing the same in 2023. The deliveries are set to begin in 2027, with the Netherlands receiving the first batch. Embraer said at the signing ceremony is it trying not to let supply chain issues impact its delivery of the aircraft. 

The company has delivered one example to Portugal this year so far, which made its debut at RIAT the weekend before the FIA, but hopes to reach four deliveries in 2024. The aircraft is already in service with Brazil and has also been selected by Hungary, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

Giant Windrunner aims at onshore wind turbine market

The world's largest aircraft for a highly specific mission. (Katie Preston)

Appearing at Farnborough for the first time was this model of the giant Windrunner aircraft from US energy firm Radia that is designed to address the specific challenge of delivering 100m long onshore wind-turbine blades.

While many current windturbine blades are currently delivered by sea, the growing size of these structures for gigawatt and the race for sustainable power means getting these blades to construction sites is becoming a major challenge. Radia expects that this will be a $10trn market by 2050, capable of supporting not just one Windrunner, but a fleet.

Longer than the worlds largest aircraft, the An-225, the Windrunner uses much existing technology to reduce risk, and has been designed to operate from unpaved surfaces to allow delivery of these giant blades to remote sites and will also be able to run on SAF.

Drukair adds to Airbus fleet

Airbus A321XLR flies in Drukair livery in artist impression. (Airbus)

Only shortly after the Airbus A321XLR received EASA certification, Drukair, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for three A320neos and two A321XLRs. The order will add to its current fleet of four A320 aircraft, and the additional jets will enable Drukair to expand its connections into Europe, South East Asia and Australia.

Saudi Arabia becoming an eVTOL hub?

Will Saudi Arabia become a hub for future air mobility? (Lilium)

Days after Saudia Group announced it signed a binding sales agreement for up to 100 Lilium eVTOLs, on day one of the air show, the company and nation announced a partnership to advance air mobility in the region. The Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lilium to develop and implement the required regulations for Evtol operations within the nation, beginning in 2026. The two will set up a joint working group to dedicated to develop the regulations for Evtol infrastructure, air operations, air worthiness and airspace integration, and the current obstacles associated with ensuring smooth integration into current operations.

This, however, is one of the many movements towards developing a robust advanced air mobility industry in the Gulf region within recent months. In May, Joby Aviation announced a partnership with Mukamalah Aviation, a subsidiary of oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco, to add several Joby aircraft into its fleet. In November 2023, Eve Air Mobility also signed an MoU with flynas, a low-cost Saudi carrier, to explore the future of Evtol operations, with the possibility of entering into service in Riyadh and Jeddah in 2026.

All eyes on Turkey

Turkey's T625 Gökbey makes its Farnborough debut. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

In 2022, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) was the talk of the show, with the Hürkuş trainer and ATAK helicopter taking to the skies and mock-ups of the Hürjet jet trainer and TFX next-generation jet fighter on display alongside myriad UAVs. This year, all attention is on the T625 Gökbey helicopter, which made its flying debut at Farnborough today, and the Hürjet – although the latter has now been pulled from the flying display and relegated to a static exhibit.

Making digital twins intelligent 

Altair demonstrates Intelligent Digital Twins (IDTs) to leverage real-time data stream analytics and machine learning  to optimize system performance. (Altair)

With AI-powered engineering and machine learning (ML) technologies fast becoming an unofficial theme of the show a number of companies will be demonstrating their latest advancements in the area over the course of the coming week.

One such firm is US-based Altair, which will be giving live technology demonstrations at its booth (stand 1116 in Hall 1) focusing on solutions for next-generation aerospace design, production and maintenance.

The demos will feature engineering simulation and high-performance computing (HPC) and attendees will have the opportunity to explore AI-powered engineering solutions that apply to the entire aerospace life cycle, from conceptual design and manufacturing to operational performance and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Altair will also be demonstrating Intelligent Digital Twins (IDTs) that enable real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance and exploring ways that digital technologies can speed up product development, especially for defence projects.

‘Historic’ order backlog stunted by supply chain, engine challenges

A JetBlue A220 and Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo on FIA static line 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAes)

While more jets are being bought, supply chain constraints and quality challenges are slowing the ramp-up of addressing the huge backlog of commercial and defence aircraft orders, according to AlixPartners’ latest study. The New York-based consulting firm released an annual aerospace, defence and airlines outlook, revealing commercial aircraft orders have grown by 18%, with 15,000 airplanes on backlog – equal to more than nine years of production, which AlixPartners calls a “historic” number. AlixPartners found ten main disruptive challenges in 2024 adding to “ramp-up headaches”, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East; tensions in Asia-Pacific; supply chain disruption; talent shortages; growth in space; a renewed effort to improve quality; increases in private-equity activity; and sustainability.

While the industry is exceeding numbers from 2019, ongoing supply chain issues, especially within engine manufacturing, are stunting major primes from keeping up with the growth. Namely, quality issues found within several engine companies, including GTF, GE engines and Pratt & Whitney, are keeping hundreds of aircraft out of service until 2026, and Boeing’s ongoing commercial aircraft problems have created a shockwave of subsequent issues, such as slower aircraft manufacturing numbers and delivery schedules.

Leonardo to fly Proteus ASW UAV in 2025

Proteus is a technology demonstrator for an uncrewed anti-submarine drone. (Leonardo)

Over at Leonardo, Adam Clarke MD, of Leonardo Helicopters UK, refused to be drawn by reporters on the ongoing New Medium Helicopter programme – for which the company had been pitching its AW149 as a possible Puma replacement. However slow progress, a reduced buy and rumours of at least one rival bidder withdrawing now means that this procurement project is in SDR limbo.

However, he did reveal that the company’s Proteus rotary wing UAV is set to fly in early 2025, although Clarke said that where it would be tested from is still being discussed. A technology demonstrator, for the Royal Navy, this is a small shipborne drone aimed at the ‘find’ part of the ASW mission.

RTX announces electrifying news 

 

Collins engineer testing power conversion units for HECTATE at Solihull. (RTX)

On the first day of the air show, RTX announced several of its companies have achieved a number of milestones in hybrid-electric aircraft and infrastructure development.

The Clean Aviation HECATE project, which aims to develop new high-voltage distribution technologies for hybrid-electric aircraft – and of which RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace is a partner – has now achieved preliminary design review (PDR) and also is progressing towards the goal of demonstrating a 500kW hybrid-electric architecture in ground tests by 2025.

Collins Aerospace announced EU’s Clean Aviation HECTATE project has achieved its preliminary design review (PDR). HECTATE, short for Hybrid-ElectriC regional Aircraft distribution Technologies, is an industry consortium seeking to deliver technologies that support electrical distribution for future hybrid-electric aircraft, with the ultimate goal of demonstrating a 500Kw hybrid-electric architecture in ground tests by 2025. Collins Aerospace leads the project’s steering committee and has achieved PDR for its power conversion and secondary distribution systems, which will both enable hybrid-electric aircraft to operate high voltage levels while optimising power density. The EU launched the programme in the 2023 new year with €34m in funding.

Senior Vice President, Engineering & Technology at Collins’, Mauro Atalia, explained that maturing these technologies are key to supporting hybrid-electric aircraft, especially as they require significantly higher voltages to fly. The consortium is made up of 37 partners across ten European countries, including Safran, Airbus Defence and Space, Leonardo and several universities.

It was also announced at the show that fellow RTX subsidiary, Pratt & Whitney, has completed the PDR for the hybrid-electric demonstrator engine being developed as part of the Sustainable Water Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-Electrics (SWITCH) project. The unit combines a pair of Collins’ megawatt-class electric motor generators within a Pratt & Whitney GTF engine.

Second Protector arrives at RAF Waddington

Second General Atomics Protector arrives at the RAF Waddington. (RAF)

General Atomics has announced that a second example of its Protector MALE has been delivered to RAF Waddington and is expected to make its maiden flight in August. The RAF has a total requirement for 16 examples and, to date, has taken delivery of ten with the other eight remaining in the US for testing. Separately, the GA-ASI stand showed images of a Protector preparing to take-off from a Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier. In late 2023, the MOJAVE variant of UAV undertook take-off and landing trials from HMS Prince of Wales, with GA-ASI marketing the aircraft for shipboard roles such as anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning.

Virgin Atlantic exhibits luxury A330neo 

 

Virgin Atlantic's A330-900neo showcases on the static line at FIA in special livery to celebrate its 40th birthday. (Katie Preston/RAeS)

Virgin Atlantic showcased its newly delivered Airbus A330-900neo on the static line at Farnborough, called Ruby Rebel, and the jet is displayed in celebratory livery as the company observed its 40th birthday in June. Marking the occasion, Virgin revealed the widebody’s new Retreat seating, where passengers can sit opposite a friend or three to dine whilst flying. The seating offers extreme comfort, and a large dining table shared between four, according to the carrier. Furthermore, the aircraft features a dividing screen between the seats to create privacy for the passengers.

F-35 deliveries resume  

F-35 flying at the Farnborough Air Show 2024. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

F-35 deliveries to the US Military have resumed with the approval of a ‘truncated’ version of the Tech Refresh 3 (TR3) software on 3 July, followed by two F-35s being delivered to the US Air Force on 19 July after the TR3 software remained in testing for a year. Production of the aircraft had continued even though issues with the software had been identified, leading to large numbers of F-35s remaining with manufacturer Lockheed Martin. TR3 software is deployed to lay the groundwork for the F-35s' Block 4 configuration, which will unlock a host of new capabilities, particularly around electronic warfare. However, speaking at RIAT, Commander of US Air Forces in Europe, James Hecker, acknowledged there may still be problems ahead in perfecting the software.

RAeS President David Chinn at FIA

RAeS President 2024-25, David Chinn FRAeS, outlines his priorities for his Presidential year and looks ahead to an exciting week at the Farnborough Air Show 2024.

The Royal Aeronautical Society at Farnborough

Call by the Royal Aeronautical Society stand at FIA 2024. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)

The Royal Aeronautical Society will also be out at force during the week, with President David Chinn out and about catching up with Corporate Partners and Members, plus the RAeS stand (in Hall 4, Stand 4726) to find out more about membership, accreditation, events, our global network, careers advice and more.

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And finally...

Face-off? Pity the aircraft marshaller being stared down by the intimidating looking Embraer tech-jet. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)

Stay ahead of all the news!

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Follow the AEROSPACE team for updates from the show

Editor-in-Chief Tim Robinson @RAeSTimR

Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater @RAeSSteveB

Features Editor Bella Richards @RAeSBellaR

News Reporter Jack Richardson @JackRich93

News Intern Katie Preston @katierpreston23

Tim Robinson, Stephen Bridgewater, Bella Richards and Katie Preston 23 July 2024