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aviation

Airbus boss backs hydrogen airplanes as the ‘ultimate solution’

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The CEO of Airbus, currently the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, says he believes hydrogen-powered airplanes are the “ultimate solution” to the unfair criticism of the aerospace industry as a planet-polluting monster.

The World Wildlife Fund says the aviation industry is “one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change”, adding that air travel is “currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make”.

These things have been true for many decades, but with completely crazy extreme weather systems attacking different parts of the world on an almost weekly basis over the past couple of years, the search for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) has taken on a new urgency. [Read more…] about Airbus boss backs hydrogen airplanes as the ‘ultimate solution’

Flytrex expands drone food delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina

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Flytrex, an on-demand drone delivery for food and retail, has expanded its drone delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina.

In partnership with Causey Aviation Unmanned, the Federal Aviation Administration, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, The Town of Holly Springs, and Kite Realty Group Trust, Flytrex has begun delivering food orders via drone in partnership with Brinker International – owner of Chili’s Grill & Bar, It’s Just Wings and Maggiano’s Little Italy – at the Holly Springs Towne Center to front and backyards in the neighborhood of Forest Springs.

Flytrex’s newest service caters to dozens of households in the area who have opted into the service. Flytrex will conduct all flights under Part 107, within visual line of sight, maintaining the highest safety standards. [Read more…] about Flytrex expands drone food delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina

Xwing and Textron Aviation to develop autonomous flight

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Xwing, a startup developing autonomy for aviation, has signed a joint development agreement with Textron Aviation.

Under this non-exclusive agreement, Xwing and Textron Aviation, home to the iconic Cessna and Beechcraft brands, can begin to work together to accelerate the seamless integration of autoflight technologies into existing and future aircraft, beginning with the Cessna Grand Caravan.

On the heels of its recent $40 million funding round, $400 million valuation, and completion of the world’s first autonomous gate-to-gate flight of a commercial cargo aircraft, Xwing enters the agreement as a leader in autonomous flight technology. [Read more…] about Xwing and Textron Aviation to develop autonomous flight

Safety for Workers, Here is What You Should Know

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Safety within the construction industry and beyond this is vital for the reputation of your business and the welfare of your workers.

It may begin with ensuring that they have the correct training for the job, as well as ensuring that you check drivers license status on all new workers.

However, safety now goes beyond the initial security checks. [Read more…] about Safety for Workers, Here is What You Should Know

Lilium partners with Lufthansa to train pilots for its tiny plane

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Lilium, the Munich-based aviation company developing an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) for regional air mobility, has agreed what it describes as “an industry-first partnership” with Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT, part of the Lufthansa Group).

Together, Lilium and LAT will develop a tailor-made Pilot Sourcing and Training programme to qualify pilots to fly the Lilium Jet.

The first phase of this innovative program consists of an additional training certification for qualified commercial pilots. [Read more…] about Lilium partners with Lufthansa to train pilots for its tiny plane

How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

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We are entering an era of smart factories and automated manufacturing. While many speculate it to be the end of manual labor as we know it, the evidence points in a different direction.

Industrial automation has ushered new ways that machines and human effort can collaborate to increase efficiency and drive down complexity.

This is especially true for the emerging automation technologies which, in the past few years, are disrupting all kinds of manufacturing. [Read more…] about How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

FedEx to test Wing Aviation drone for Walgreens deliveries

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Wing Aviation, an Alphabet company, is collaborating with FedEx and pharmaceuticals retailer Walgreens to launch a first-of-its-kind drone delivery service in Christiansburg, Virginia next month.

The pilot program will demonstrate the many benefits of drone delivery to communities by exploring methods to enhance last-mile delivery service, improve access to health care products, and create a new avenue of growth for local businesses.

Drone delivery in the United States has historically been limited to small-scale demonstrations on designated test sites, or extremely short flights along pre-planned, fixed routes – all within the visual line of sight of the drone operator. [Read more…] about FedEx to test Wing Aviation drone for Walgreens deliveries

Airbus partners with Chinese aviation industry on final assembly

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Airbus has partnered with a Chinese aviation company on the final stages of its aircraft assembly.

The new deal brings the value of the European aerospace giant’s co-operation agreements in China to approximately $1 billion.

Airbus says the measure reaffirms its commitment to its long-term strategic partnership with China’s aviation industry. The new agreement is with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), and is designed to deepen industrial cooperation on Airbus single-aisle production. [Read more…] about Airbus partners with Chinese aviation industry on final assembly

Apacer launches ‘first’ memory module to meet specific aviation standard

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Apacer, a manufacturer of industrial-grade memory, has released the XR-DIMM.

The company says the new rugged memory module is the first on the market to meet the standards of the US RTCA DO-160G test, an aviation equipment certification that marks the XR-DIMM as resistant to high levels of vibration and therefore “ideal for defense and aeronautical applications”.

Since 2018, Apacer has been manufacturing DDR4 XR-DIMM modules with rugged stability in mind. [Read more…] about Apacer launches ‘first’ memory module to meet specific aviation standard

Yamaha invests in drone tech startup Exyn

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Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley, the strategic business development and investment arm of Yamaha Motor, has participated in the $16 million Series A funding round for Exyn Technologies, a developer of autonomous aerial robotics for GPS-denied environments.

The investment is one of the first out of the $100 million Yamaha Motor Exploratory Fund established in 2018 and activated this year. The Exyn investment reflects YMVSV’s interest in developing innovation in the aviation sector.

George Kellerman, CEO and managing director of YMVSV, says: “Advanced aerial autonomy technologies have broad impacts across industry sectors, making Exyn Technologies a very attractive exploratory investment for us. [Read more…] about Yamaha invests in drone tech startup Exyn