AIRCRAFT EXHAUST ANALYSIS CENTRE TO BE ESTABLISHED AT MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
MONITORING Project Alfa is to establish an aircraft exhaust analysis centre at Manchester Metropolitan University by September. Under the university's centre for air transport, the analysis facility will investigate exhaust gas plumes' composition. The plumes are known to contain nitrogen oxides and particulates that contribute to poor airport air quality. The centre is being funded with £500,000 ($1 million) by the Northern Way, a consortium of three regional development agencies, One Northeast, Northwest RDA and Yorkshire Forward.
www.thenorthernway.com
PROTOTYPE SMALL LAUNCH VEHICLE UPPER STAGE ENGINE GROUND TESTING COMPLETED
PROPULSION Rocket Propulsion Engineering has completed its test programme for its 4,500lb-thrust (20kN) fuel-film cooled developmental liquid oxygen, kerosene engine. Tests were conducted at the company's Mojave spaceport rocket test facility in California. The test firing validated operation of a new igniter system and tested the effectiveness of modifications made to correct film-coolant fuel flows. Electrically triggered torch igniters were proved to work, replacing pressure injection igniters and future changes now include reducing film coolant flow levels following a thermal analysis indicating more than adequate cooling.
www.rocketprop.com
DUTCH COMPANY QUINTIQ RELEASES NEW SCHEDULING TOOL
PLANNING Quintiq, a provider of planning and scheduling software, has released its new product focused on the aviation industry. The Quintiq Aviation Planning & Optimization Solution helps companies plan tactically, conduct operational scheduling and manage events in real time. It supports resource planning for aviation operations, including aircraft, crew, gates and ground staff. Each operation has its own planning module that can stand alone or be fully integrated with other modules.
www.quintiq.com
NANOMETAL OXIDE DISPERSION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED TO REPLACE CHROMATE PRIMER
COATINGS Alabama based PPG Aerospace and Altair Nanotechnologies, located in Reno, Nevada, have announced a three-year research and development agreement for nanoparticle technology to replace chromate in aircraft primer for interior structural and exterior fuselage applications. This is to be followed by a five-year commercialisation contract starting from 2008. Altairnano will make the nanometal oxide chemical dispersion using PPG's resin technology to meet the final paint requirements. The companies claim this technology is more environmentally friendly and offers superior corrosion resistance in high-solids and waterborne formulas. The two companies expect to commercialise a chromate-free primer product later this year.
www.altairnano.com
DUTCH MORPHING MICRO AIR VEHICLE TO CONTEST US-ASIAN COMPETITION
SURVEILLANCE Students from the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology aim to compete with their Roboswift micro air vehicle at the 1st US-Asian MAV competition to be held in India in March 2008. RoboSwift has a wingspan of 50cm (19.6in) and a mass of 80g (2.82oz). It steers by sweeping one side of its wing back, while keeping the other half extended. This, its designers claim, will allow it to make very sharp turns. The team will attempt the MAV's maiden flight in January 2008. Powered by lithium-polymer batteries that drive an electric motor and its propeller, which folds back during gliding to minimise air drag, the students hope it will perform ground surveillance for up to 1h on a single charge. The Delft students developed the MAV with the help of the Netherlands' Wageningen University's department of experimental zoology.
www.tudelft.nl
Source: Flight International
