Ultra short aircraft manufacturer Electra on Monday announced that it completed successful demonstration flights of its EL-2 Goldfinch prototype at Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico (KNYG) and Felker Army Airfield (KFAF) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (KLFI) in Virginia. U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel were present for the demonstrations, which were the first Electra has performed for the military, the firm told FLYING.

Electra’s nine-passenger design has garnered contracts from the Air Force, Army, and Navy, which view it as a potential game-changer for military resupply missions, tactical insertions, and medical evacuations. The firm is also backed by Lockheed Martin.

The demonstrations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis were conducted under a strategic funding increase (STRATFI) agreement with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, worth up to $85 million. AFWERX offers a quid pro quo arrangement, providing electric aircraft manufacturers and other developers of novel aviation technology with a sandbox in which to mature their systems. In return, the military gets early access to non-commercially available designs.

“This aircraft’s efficient, quiet, and sustainable operations align with military objectives for contested and expeditionary logistics,” said Jacob Wilson, acting branch chief of AFWERX’s Agility Prime division dedicated to electric and autonomous models. “Its hybrid-electric propulsion system provides extended range and endurance, making it suitable for Agile Combat Employment missions in austere locations with compromised or nonexistent runways.”

The Goldfinch uses a unique blown-lift mechanism to amplify lift, allowing it to take off at what the company describes as neighborhood driving speeds. This reduces the vehicle’s runway requirement to just 150 feet, allowing it to operate from locations with a closed or damaged runway, including ships or barges.

Electra test pilot Cody Allee took the Goldfinch through a series of grass field takeoffs and landings, with no ground infrastructure required. The company describes the aircraft as a “mobile power generator” offering 600 kilowatts of continuous power, capable of reaching 1 megawatt in “short bursts.” According to the firm, its fuel consumption is one-third that of helicopters performing the same mission.

Allee flew 150-foot radius turns to showcase the aircraft’s maneuverability at low speed and altitude. The test pilot also helped demonstrate a mobile power generation display, using the aircraft’s power supply to fire up its own sound system and preflight presentation equipment.

“These flight demonstrations mark a significant milestone for Electra as we show the capabilities of the technology in the real-world,” said JP Stewart, vice president and general manager of Electra. “Our ultra short aircraft make it possible to operate from austere locations previously only reachable by helicopters, with 70 percent lower costs and very quiet operations.”

Electra in January said it surpassed 2,000 orders for its flagship design, with commercial customers including regional air carrier JSX, helicopter operator Bristow Group, and private charter marketplace JetSetGo. But as the company continues to refine its design, military customers will get their hands on it first.

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According to Salt Lake City’s KUTV, which got a copy of the report, the pilot was a colonel, and he had just 35 minutes of sim time in the Apache before he took off on an orientation flight with a master warrant officer who was qualified in the type.

The investigation found that on the colonel’s fourth attempt to hover and land the Apache at the army facility at South Valley Regional Airport (U42) in West Jordan, Utah, he lost control.

“In a moment of panic and due to his great unfamiliarity with the … helicopter flight controls,” an investigator wrote, “the [colonel] reverted to his fixed-wing…training and applied downward movement…This motion…was not the proper input in a [rotor-wing] aircraft.”

The investigation also found fault with the master warrant officer, saying “overconfidence…led to inadequate aircraft flight control management and inadequate altitude selection with an unqualified person on the helicopter’s flight controls.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to Electra, the aircraft is able to operate with ground rolls of 150 feet, capable of carrying up to nine passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo, and sports a range of 500 nm.

The company did not announce the contract amount that was awarded under the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) but said it is expected to continue through the end of the year.

“The contract allows Electra to partner with the U.S. Navy and its stakeholders to explore the use cases for Electra’s eSTOL technology, as well as potential aircraft configuration extensions, to enhance the efficiency of delivering military logistics services in environments with minimal infrastructure or other operational challenges,” Electra spokesperson Barbara Zadina told FLYING.

• READ MORE: Electra.aero Nabs $1.9M Army Contract for Electric Aircraft Testing

The contract announcement comes days after the company reported the U.S. Army had issued a $1.9 million contract to experiment with the hybrid-electric aircraft to perform powered wind tunnel testing.

“With our differentiated combination of hybrid-electric propulsion and a blown fixed wing, we can offer Pacific theater-relevant payloads and ranges, and the ability to operate from rough, soccer-field-sized spaces as well as many naval vessels and adjacent assets, all from day one,”  Ben Marchionna, Electra’s director of technology and innovation, said in a statement. 

• READ MORE: Electra.aero Surpasses 2000 Orders for Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

In addition to logistic utility, the company said the eSTOL aircraft could also enable expeditionary power generation, mesh networking, and potentially serve as an essential node for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) employment.

“These are all game changers for force modernization initiatives within the Navy and Marine Corps,” Marchionna said.

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The IDIQ for the Cessna SkyCourier, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, and Beechcraft King Air 360/ Beechcraft King Air 260—all designed and manufactured by Textron—is valued at up to $100 million over the span of five years. 

According to the manufacturer, the initial award is for three King Air 360 Extended Range (KA360ER) aircraft that are slated to perform maritime patrols. Two of the aircraft will be purchased by the Peruvian Naval Aviation Force and one by the Ecuadorian Naval Aviation Force. 

“This IDIQ aligns with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent tasking memo directing improvement and acceleration of DOD’s institutional processes to execute FMS cases,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president of special mission sales for Textron Aviation. “It will provide highly capable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) aircraft that can be equipped with COTS-releasable technology, and it will accelerate acquisition and contracting timelines from many months or years to weeks.”

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This week, Red Cat Holdings announced it will fulfill an order to provide 200 of its long-range, high-speed first-person-view (FPV) Teal 2 UAVs to Ukrainian drone pilots. The firm did not specify what entity placed the order, but the first Teal 2 delivery is expected in June.

Red Cat did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.

The aircraft, which come from Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones, are designed specifically to enable nighttime surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Officially launched just a few weeks ago, the Teal 2 is compact and rugged, built for challenging environments like the battlefield. Certified as “Blue UAS,” Red Cat is authorized to provide the tech to the U.S. military.

The Teal 2 is equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s Hadron 640R electro-optical/infrared sensor, which provides high-resolution thermal imaging, particularly for night operations. Red Cat claims Teal 2 also boasts the highest power-to-weight ratio in the drone industry that provides increased maneuverability even in GPS-jammed conditions. 

Taking a look at specs, the drone offers a flight time of about 30 minutes, a top speed of 23 mph and a maximum range of 3.1 miles from the controller. The Teal 2 is manufactured at Red Cat’s factory in Salt Lake City.

“Fortunately, Red Cat has the U.S. manufacturing capacity required to quickly deliver on such orders,” said CEO Jeff Thompson. “We are pleased to provide our product to Ukrainian drone pilots, and we look forward to continuing to engage with them, including by providing our new nighttime drone, the Teal 2. Much of drone activity is performed at night, and the Teal 2 is at the forefront of nighttime drone capabilities.”

In February, Thompson and a delegation from Red Cat met with NATO leaders to demonstrate Teal 2, a move that may have precipitated this week’s order. And Teal Drones last month supplied 15 Golden Eagle drones to a NATO member country committed to deploying them in Ukraine.

According to Red Cat, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) has also placed an order for 54 Teal 2 drones. Previously, the firm agreed to a five-year, $90 million contract to provide the agency with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for reconnaissance, surveillance, and tracking.

• READ MORE: Tactical Combat Drones Play a Role in Ukraine Air Defense

The Teal 2 could soon pop up in the U.S. Army as well. Teal Drones is one of three  manufacturers participating in the Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 program, which aims to supply small UAS for platoons to conduct surveillance. That relationship bodes well for an Army use case for the Teal 2.

Ukrainian soldiers will likely use the drone the way CBP and the Army plan to use it. Soldiers will be able to store the Teal 2 in a rucksack, deploying it to identify targets and map the battlefield when visibility is low, giving them an advantage when night falls.

That probably won’t turn the tide of the war. But added support from Red Cat could make life easier for the Ukrainian military, which is also receiving drones from Draganfly, AeroDrone, One Way Aerospace and others.

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While the majority of action in the U.S. centered around the production of civil airliners, military jets, and the space race, there were some less flashy but thoroughly intriguing programs taking place in some of the industry’s quieter, less-traveled corridors. One of which was a research program led by Northrop, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Army. The objective? Explore how a wing’s lift could be artificially boosted to reduce drag and increase performance, particularly in large, long-range aircraft designs—some of which would be supersonic.

Drag reduction efforts were nothing new in those days. From simple efforts like flush riveting to more complex concepts like area ruling, massive progress was made in a relatively short amount of time. In the 1950s, boundary layer control (BLC) was integrated into a number of aircraft designs, a system in which compressed air was directed over sections of the wing and control surfaces to delay the separation of air over the airfoil’s surface, thus artificially increasing lift at lower airspeeds.

The team at Northrop opted to study and test something called laminar flow control, or LFC. The basic premise behind LFC is that a large number of tiny slots would be drilled into the upper surface of a wing, and a vacuum system would draw air inward through them. This would cause the thin film of air clinging to the surface of the airfoil to cling more effectively, thus reducing friction drag attributed to air turbulence over the wings by as much as 80 percent.

Because the program would be aimed at the development of civil airliners, the team chose an aircraft that would best replicate the category—the Douglas B-66 Destroyer. Specifically, it was the WB-66 weather reconnaissance version, of which 36 were built in the late 1950s. Using two examples as testbeds, the team modified them with all the necessary systems to test the LFC system.

The team began by cutting a vast series of ultra-thin slots in the upper surface of a newly-designed wing that was larger and less swept than the B-66’s original wing. These slots varied in thickness from approximately 50 percent to 200 percent of the width of the cutting edge of a razor blade. Perhaps drawing inspiration from the Bede XBD-2 that flew just a few years prior,  they utilized computers to drill an intricate pattern of 800,000 pin-sized holes beneath the slots and installed hundreds of small plastic ducts inside of the wing, each one carefully tuned to a specific length to ensure proper distribution of vacuum pressure across the entirety of the wing’s upper surface.

The X-21’s GE J79 non-afterburning turbojet engines—relocated to the lower aft section of the fuselage—provided bleed air to power special compressor pumps housed in a pair of sleek nacelles mounted beneath the wing. These pumps would draw air through the slots in the wing and through the ducting to activate the LFC system. Rather than simply ejecting this compressed air overboard, it was ignited and discharged through thrust-augmenting exhaust nozzles at the aft end of each nacelle.

By the time the X-21 was completed in 1963, only the landing gear and tail surfaces remained the same as the WB-66 once was. Even the engine intakes were altered, incorporating “egg-shaped forms” within each intake that could be moved forward and aft to alter the incoming airflow. This was in anticipation of developing movable inlet cones for supersonic flight—as would be utilized on the SR-71 the following year.

The X-21 proved docile to fly, and the LFC system worked as designed. Despite having no flaps, the modified aircraft demonstrated a ground roll of 2,600 feet—significantly shorter than the required takeoff distance of the standard B-66. But while a second X-21 was built, and both contributed valuable data to the program, the team discovered a number of concerns that would preclude the adaptation of LFC into operational aircraft fleets.

As detailed in an October 1964 NASA report, the LFC system could not be relied upon during flight in clouds, haze, and high humidity. Because the tiny holes in the upper surface of the airfoils had to be kept perfectly clean and free of contamination, issues such as icing, moisture, and even insect buildup were anticipated, all of which would result in erratic performance of the LFC system. Additionally, such factors could create a dangerous asymmetric lift condition that would lead to controllability issues.

When the test program was completed, both X-21s were placed into storage at Edwards Air Force Base. Later, as their condition deteriorated, they were unceremoniously parked out in the desert, in the Edwards Photo Impact Range. There, they continue to be used to test cameras, mapping systems, and remote sensors.

This is typically where the story of such unique aircraft ends. More often than not, the scrapper is the ultimate destination, and any physical examples of the aircraft are permanently erased from history. But in the case of the X-21s, there is hope. That hope comes in the form of the Air Force Flight Test Museum, also located at Edwards Air Force Base.

There, director George Welsh is keenly aware of the X-21s and their historical value. He has already begun laying the groundwork to one day recover both examples and eventually utilize parts from both to create one representative example for display in the museum. His team has even identified a number of missing parts and has proactively scavenged them from an unrelated donor B-66, to make the future restoration process go more smoothly.

As is typically the case with even the world’s most renowned museums, funding is the primary obstacle. Having begun construction of new museum facilities, the Flight Test Museum still has to raise millions of dollars to complete that project before embarking upon the transport, storage, and restoration of the X-21s. But the museum leadership has done its duty to ensure they will be spared from the scrapper.

For now, both X-21s remain out in the desert. With any luck, the museum will soon secure enough funding to complete the new facilities so the unique jets can be restored and put on display for future generations to appreciate.

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Many people’s thoughts turn firmly to football during this time of year  and the college game is particularly attractive to pilots. The airport network will get you close to many venues, and the same social atmosphere and sense of anticipation that make college football games classic road trip destinations also apply to flying.

While just about any game is worth flying to as long as weather and other conditions are favorable, we have narrowed the field by focusing on rivalries. From the Big 10 Conference to the military academies and the Ivy League, certain matchups tend to draw crowds and stir emotions more than others. Below are a few of the contests we have enjoyed over the years or would like to see. 

Mississippi State University at University of Alabama

October 22

Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL)

This might not be among the season’s hyped “brand name” rivalries, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs have not beaten the Crimson Tide since 2007. However, the teams’ games tend to be more competitive than expected given Alabama’s powerhouse status. Could their series be ripe for an upset? 

Michigan State University at University of Michigan

October 29

Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (KARB)

These teams have played each other since the late 1890s and while the Michigan Wolverines have won nearly twice as often as Michigan State Spartans, their long history has seen numerous ups and downs with both teams enjoying strings of victories and extended periods of dominance. In 2007, Michigan player Mike Hart referred to the Spartans as the Wolverines’ “little brother” and the Spartans answered the insult with a famous series of wins.

• READ MORE: Six Sports Halls of Fame That Make Ideal Flying Destinations

Yale University at Harvard University

November 19

Laurence G Hanscom Field Airport (KBED)

In 1957, the Yale Bulldogs beat the Harvard Crimson 54-0 in this classic confrontation, but historically the teams have been well-matched. In a rivalry that dates to 1875, Yale leads with 68 victories to Harvard’s 61, with 8 ties. The games are often good, but the scene, arguably, is almost always better, with students from each school waving flags and wearing shirts emblazoned with clever insults against the other. 

University of Minnesota at University of Wisconsin

November 26

Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field (KMSN)

It seems the Ivies have nothing on these tough teams from the OG Big Ten when it comes to close rivalries. The Wisconsin Badgers lead 62-61-8 in a series that began in 1890. The squads battle for a trophy known as Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Sentiments among the universities’ fans also tend to reflect those at the NFL level Those rooting for the Minnesota Golden Gophers tend to be Vikings fans while Badgers fans support the Green Bay Packers.

Army vs. Navy: Lincoln Financial Stadium, Philadelphia

December 10

Wings Field Airport (KLOM)

Another classic matchup dating to 1890, the series between the U.S. Military and Naval academies may have been a bigger deal decades ago, in terms of national championship aspirations, but it remains an institution, and occasionally a player from these teams will emerge as a star. Quarterback Roger Staubach, a 1965 Navy grad, famously led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories and landed in the Hall of Fame.

The post Will Fly for Football: Five College Gridiron Matches Near Airports appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since its launch in 1967, NAFI has become the largest and oldest association dedicated to representing flight instructors worldwide. NAFI members work independently as instructors at flight schools, universities, FBOs, corporate flight departments, and even the military.

Parks Joins Iconic Recipients

The service award to Parks was presented at the NAFI annual member breakfast on July 28 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and recognized individuals or organizations that have contributed significantly to the flight training industry. 

The award is named after NAFI’s founder, Jack J. Eggspuehler, a member of the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame who has served the association for more than 30 years. To receive the award, at least two-thirds of NAFI’s board of directors must favor the selected person or organization.

In a statement, NAFI president Paul Preidecker called Parks “a friend and colleague of the industry,” and said, “When I think of role models, Ned is at the top of the list.” 

Parks follows other well-known recipients, including FLYING contributors John and Martha King in 2019 and companies such as Avemco Insurance in 2015 for its role in insuring CFIs. This year, the group selected Parks because of what they described as his long-standing contribution to education, safety, and mentoring of other instructors, which NAFI described as “commendable.”

“He blends his passion for flying with his ability to communicate in many different settings and formats to demonstrate his dedication to flight training,” the association said in the statement.

A Rich Aviation Background

Parks attended The University of Akron and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With more than 4,800 flight hours, Parks is rated in both fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft, with multiple certifications, including his ATP and CFII. 

While in the Army, Parks flew Bell UH-1 “Huey” helicopters and served as a ground and flight instructor. After his military career, Parks launched a business strategy and consulting firm. 

Parks hasn’t allowed his flight experience to lapse, and he’s been a member of the FAA FAASTeam, as well. He has also owned and operated many general aviation businesses, including FBOs, charter operations, and flight schools, and has led corporate flight departments.

In demonstrating why Parks earned the NAFI award, the group highlighted his wide-ranging contributions as a member. They include:

• Presenting at the NAFI Professional Development Center, MentorLIVE, and other forums
• Volunteering on the Membership Engagement and Recruitment Committee
• Launching the Member Ambassador program to welcome new members to NAFI
• Hosting the monthly Rotor Instructor Special Interest Group

‘Stay Laser-Focused on Quality Instruction’

Despite his many contributions, Parks said he didn’t see the honor coming. 

“To say I was surprised would be an understatement. To say I am honored is a bigger understatement,” Parks said. “As always, I support NAFI and flight instruction.” During his speech at the award ceremony, He called on NAFI members to “stay laser-focused on quality instruction” and said, “Whether there is a pilot shortage or not does not matter; what matters is quality instruction.”

In addition to his volunteer efforts for NAFI, he is an active volunteer in the East Central Ohio Pilots Association. He has also presented at the Helicopter Association International conference.  

• READ MORE: FLYING’s Coverage of the Pilot Shortage 

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Sikorsky said the deal would be worth approximately $2.3 billion but could stretch to $4.4 billion for the company, if the Army fully exercises its options for the additional aircraft.

In a statement, Col. Calvin Lane, the Army’s utility helicopters project manager, said, “This multi-year agreement allows the Army to meet current and future capability needs through upgrades, remanufacturing replacement, and technology insertions.” Lane also said it would ultimately save the Army and taxpayers money, but did not disclose how much.  

This is the 10th multi-year contract between Sikorsky and the U.S. Army for its UH-60M Black Hawk and HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopters, with the Army already having more than 2,100 H-60 variants enrolled. The extended H-60 partnership gives the Army the support it needs to maintain its current operations while working on its Future Vertical Lift (VFL) offerings to complement the Black Hawk in a future fleet.

Meanwhile, Nathalie Previte, vice president of Sikorsky’s Army and Air Force programs, said the ongoing partnership between the Army and Sikorsky has kept the program thriving and said this 10th contract was a testament to the strength of the partnership. As for the international demand for Black Hawks, Previte said international interest was strong because of the Black Hawk’s “versatility and proven record of providing unwavering support to the U.S. and nations around the globe.”

Sikorsky has built and delivered more than 4,000 Black Hawks to the U.S. military and 28 of its allies since launching the aircraft in the 1970s. Today, the Army uses it primarily for medevac trips and transportation of troops.

Previte said Sikorsky has steadily improved the Black Hawk platform, making it more modern to keep up with the demands for sustainability and digitalization. For instance, the Black Hawks will adopt the Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program engine by General Electric Aviation to extend the lifetime of the helicopters. This is one step the Army is taking to modernize its flight capabilities. Sikorsky will also align its investments with the Army’s roadmap to ensure the Black Hawk is a critical player in the military’s integrated operations known as Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) and the future of vertical lift priorities, Previte said.

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The drone experiment, which is being held at Dugway Proving Ground near Salt Lake City, Utah as part of the U.S. Army’s 2022 Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise (EDGE22), is a look to the future, according to a top Army official.

“I think what you’re going to see is an expansive use of electronic warfare and an expansive use of our interactive drone swarm,” said Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, head of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team, The War Zone reported. 

The test will include a swarm of up to 30 drones deployed from helicopters that will converge on enemy targets, conduct surveillance from a fixed position and relay details to manned assault aircraft and a network of command posts, the site reported.

This is the second year the Army has held the nearly three-week aviation-focused event testing the Army’s future vertical lift modernization effort.

“The upcoming Air Launched Effects swarm our team is conducting out in Utah is the largest the Army has conducted under experimentation conditions,” Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team spokesperson Lisa Ferguson told FLYING.

“EDGE22 is an annual event where the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team and nearly 20 units and organizations from across the U.S. Army, 12 industry partners, and seven international Allies come together to assess new tactics, technologies and interconnecting architectures,” Ferguson said. 

Among the demonstrations the Army is planning is a swarm using the Air Launched Effects (ALE) unmanned aircraft systems, which is a family of networked combat drone systems capable of delivering payloads autonomously or semi-autonomously. Drones used in the exercise include Area-I’s Air-Launched, Tube-Integrated, Unmanned System 600, known as ALTIUS 600, and Raytheon’s Coyote. Both systems are tube-launched from aircraft or ground and capable of surveillance, electronic warfare and strike missions.

“ALEs extend reach in the lower tier air domain providing critical capabilities needed to achieve overmatch against near-peer adversaries in a multi-domain environment,” Ferguson said. “Our team will assess these capabilities in a theater-relevant, wartime scenario.”

Lessons learned during the demonstration in Utah will help advance ALE swarming behavior in future experiments, she said.

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