RAVN Aerospace’s Post

Very interesting post from Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research on Canadian Aeroplanes Limited, established over a century ago! "The CAL factory operated 24 hours a day, with two shifts from 7 am to 7 pm and 7 pm to 7 am, with a 30-minute break at noon and midnight for meals." How many Curtiss JN-4 do you think they could produce in a day at this rate? Check out the blog post below for the answer :)

💡MA delivering value in the Test & Measurement sector...

💛First built in 1937, the Piper J-3 earned fame as a trainer and sport plane. Its success made the name "Cub" a generic term for light airplanes. The Piper Cub salesman of the 1930's would fly a Cub to a local field and get the flying school owner to pick out any person standing at the fence. To demonstrate how easy the Cub was to fly, he would have them solo by the end of the day. In its first year of production, Piper built 736 J-3s — a solid production year for a small, sporty aircraft priced at about half the cost of your average home at the time. The original J-3 was powered by a Continental A-40 — a 40 HP, 9-gallon fuel capacity engine that was upgraded significantly in both horsepower and fuel capacity in subsequent years. Add to that a bright factory yellow finish and a bold black lightning streak, and you’ve got a Piper J-3 Cub.⚡️ Due to its performance, it was well suited for a variety of military uses such as reconnaissance, liaison and ground control. It was produced in large numbers during World War II as the L-4 Grasshopper. Painted a nondescript olive green and sparsely outfitted, J-3s were employed as reconnaissance, ambulance and supply transport aircraft throughout the war. The planes were small and agile, allowing for quick movement among troops and across battlefields. When the war ended in 1945, many returning vets weren’t ready to part with their beloved Cubs. Thousands of ex-military Grasshoppers were civilian-registered as J-3s, and thousands more were produced by Piper as it redirected its attention to building civilian aircraft. At the J-3’s peak, Piper was churning out a new Cub *every 10 minutes* to meet the post-war demand for affordable, light general aviation aircraft. In the 40s and 50s, J-3 Cubs were the trainer aircraft of choice for aspiring aviators, outnumbering any other training model. J-3 Cubs and subsequent models are still found at airfields around the world. #aerospace #aviation #manufacturing

🔺 Concorde's Cockpit 💥 A departure from the norm, reflecting its unique design and performance. While other large airliners shared some similarities in flight controls, Concorde's cockpit was more intricate, incorporating additional features not seen in any other commercial aircraft. One striking difference was the additional control panel on the right-hand side of the cockpit. This was primarily due to Concorde's requirement for a minimum three-person flight crew, including a flight engineer alongside the two pilots. This multi-person crew structure was not uncommon at the time; the Boeing 707, 727, and 747 were also designed for three crew members. Another noticeable difference was the compactness of the cockpit compared to other passenger jets. Concorde's streamlined nose resulted in a narrower cockpit with reduced headroom. This limited space necessitated a tighter arrangement of buttons, dials, and switches, further accentuating the confined feel of the cockpit. The additional afterburners on Concorde's four engines required enhanced control and monitoring capabilities. Aerodynamic features, particularly the movable nose, also contributed to the complexity of the cockpit instrumentation. The Mach meter, a gauge measuring the speed of sound, stood out with its orange-colored "bugs" that indicated the range of Mach numbers attainable given the aircraft's current center of gravity. Fuel management was another area where Concorde diverged from conventional airliners. Its multiple fuel tanks required careful monitoring and control as fuel was transferred during flight. The bulk of the fuel was stored in the wings, but additional tanks at the front and rear of the fuselage were crucial for maintaining the aircraft's center of gravity during supersonic flight. 🔺 Concorde was much more than an aircraft! ♻️ Share the thrill and let's celebrate the prowess of #aviation, #space, #leadership, and #military expertise. 🚀✈️ 🔔 Join me to follow the conversation on #aerospace #space #technology #engineering #defense #management #leadership #military #army

#Aviation #PilotTraining weekly digest: SkyAlyne, a partnership between CAE and KF Aerospace, was awarded a C$11.2b 25-year contract for the Canadian Armed Forces | Forces armées canadiennes' Future Aircrew Training Program. Basic and advanced flight training will continue in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, using a fleet constituting H3 Grob Aircraft SE G 120TPs, Beechcraft King Air 260s, and Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-21s, with rotary training on Airbus Aircraft H135s, and Air Combat Officers and sensor operators training on modified De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited DHC-8s. The Royal Canadian Air Force | Aviation royale canadienne has yet to identify a replacement for its recently retired Hawk primary jet trainer, but with a newly signed order for 88 F-35As future fighter pilots will presently train abroad with NATO allies. Janes: https://lnkd.in/g3N8rPVC Business aviation held the annual #EBACE gathering in Geneva, with key themes being "innovation, sustainability, and safety." Exhibitor numbers were down, with the cost of Switzerland proving challenging (Bombardier and Gulfstream Aerospace were absent), as well as the optics of private aviation and environmental concerns. Despite this, traditional OEMs provided industry updates, and advanced air mobility was also on show. Aviation Week Network: https://lnkd.in/gQCMbRtB Airbus' innovation accelerator, Airbus UpNext, showcased their automated taxi research project, Optimate, at #VivaTech. Communicated as a pilot support and operational safety tool, the company's objective is to bring the concept of airborne autopilot to ground ops. However, any new technology and automation should bring a superior level of safety before it is used operationally. Aviation Week Network: https://lnkd.in/gxpY5jjh A survey by the Flight Simulation Association found that student pilots who use home flight simulators like X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator managed to achieve certification with "5.5 fewer flight training hours than those who don't (use simulation), and in almost 20 hours less than the Federal Aviation Administration average." Obviously, there are qualifiers to these survey results, but they highlight the tangible value of complementary simulation as a learning tool. FLYING Magazine: https://lnkd.in/g2_uvwEN #airpower #airforce #defence #automation #businessaviation

Interesting article from Robb Report on business jet designs with military principles...

Slow motion view, supports the vibration analysis is one of the best tools!

Dr. John Bruni Marcus Hellyer Michael Shoebridge 1. This is, at best, a quite preliminary Proof of Concept Prototype Aircraft Design. 2. Some of the features such as the fully articulated, independently controlled canted fins are good conceptual directions/moves. Though others like the limited “evolution” inlet designs, engine/airframe matching, and rather gross and obvious disparities between the claimed specifications/performance (e.g. range, speeds, combat radius, etc.) and design realities leave much to be desired. 3. Then there’s the push to do the RDT&E, Build Production Facility, Manufacture & Production, and Establish Maintenance/Sustainability Capabilities all in parallel (that is, all at the same time) when the many SRRs (System Requirements Reviews) sadly show the original OCD, SOR, and FPS were all, at best, somewhat wanting. 4. Does this sound somewhat familiar, John? Horde 🤣😂🤣