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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

Siemens sells electric aircraft-propulsion business to Rolls-Royce

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Siemens and Rolls-Royce have signed an agreement for the sale of Siemens’ eAircraft unit. Through its Vision 2020+ company strategy, Siemens intends to sharpen its portfolio’s focus.

Siemens said the company’s business with electric and hybrid-electric systems for aircraft will have substantially better growth perspectives with new owners closely connected to the aerospace industry.

Closing is subject to the usual conditions and is expected to take place in late 2019. The partners have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

[Read more…] about Siemens sells electric aircraft-propulsion business to Rolls-Royce

The Future of Automation in the Aviation Industry

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Recent years have seen a considerable buzz build up around the prospect of automated transport. But in the aviation industry at least, this revolution has been going on for a while.

Every commercial flight, including those undertaken by private jets, takes place with some aspects being handled entirely by a computer.

As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, it’s a near-certainty that a greater portion of piloting duties will be handed over to automated systems. [Read more…] about The Future of Automation in the Aviation Industry

Airbus and Siemens collaborate on hybrid-electric propulsion

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Representatives of Airbus and Siemens attended the recent Bauhaus Luftfahrt Symposium “Ambition 2050”, bringing together science, industry, and politicians to tackle how to meet the EU Flightpath 2050 goals, aviation’s challenging environmental targets.

Topics explored included operations, alternative fuels, as well as energy technologies and power systems, which are at the heart of the work being carried out within the Airbus E-Aircraft Systems Programme in Taufkirchen/Ottobrunn near Munich.

While no single technology will allow the industry to become emission free, as Glenn Llewellyn, Electrification General Manager at Airbus highlighted on day one of the symposium, electric and hybrid electric propulsion technologies are some of the most promising.

[Read more…] about Airbus and Siemens collaborate on hybrid-electric propulsion

Honda Aircraft Company to invest $16 million into expanding US production facility

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Honda Aircraft Company says it plans to expand its global headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina by investing an additional $15.5 million in a new 82,000-square-foot facility on its 133+ acre campus in Greensboro.

This will bring the company’s total capital investment in its North Carolina facilities to more than $245 million.

Scheduled to break ground in July 2019, the building will house a new wing assembly process for the HondaJet Elite. [Read more…] about Honda Aircraft Company to invest $16 million into expanding US production facility

Siemens, Strata and Etihad team up to create 3D printed interiors for planes

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etihad

Siemens, Strata and Etihad Airways have signed an agreement to work together to develop the first 3D-printed parts for aircraft interiors in the Middle East and North Africa.

The partnership aims to “revolutionize” the aerospace industry, leveraging additive manufacturing, known as 3D printing, to help airlines to improve their designs, including making complex parts on demand and manufacturing discontinued parts.

Under the partnership, a pilot project will develop 3D printing solutions for aircraft cabin interior products for Etihad, the UAE’s national carrier.  [Read more…] about Siemens, Strata and Etihad team up to create 3D printed interiors for planes