Embraer’s leaders stressed this week that they want to better understand technology advancements before committing to a development track. Embraer must also still work out the tricky question of how to pay for such a project – the answer seemingly being collaborations with deep-pocketed partners.
Built on a Bombardier Global 6500, the Athena platform will offer an interim intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solution to the US Army while it awaits delivery of an in-development long-range aircraft called Hades.
As climate imperatives increasingly challenge air transport, the sector is desperately seeking new technologies to mitigate damage caused by the old ones.
UK engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has three strands that guide its current development activities: the evolution of the gas turbine; research of “radical alternatives” such as electrification; and improving integration between the engine, airframe and its systems. On top of this, the company continues to support the development of alternative fuels.
Lawmakers pressured Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson on 11 December to ensure his agency thoroughly reviews allegations of safety and quality problems at Boeing’s 737 production plan in Renton, Washington.