These were the words of Richard McSpadden Jr., who was aboard the Cessna 177RG Cardinal belonging to former NFL tight end turned FBO owner Russ Francis. The pair launched from the airport in Lake Placid, New York, on October 1 for a photo flight for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. McSpadden, the senior vice president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, was a commercially rated pilot who had flown with the Air Force Thunderbirds.

Per protocol on these flights, Francis, as the owner of the airplane, would do the takeoff and landing, and Spad would take the controls for the air-to-air portion of the flight.

According to witnesses, the engine of the Cardinal surged during the takeoff and did not sound like it was making full power, yet the takeoff continued. The aircraft was in the air and out of usable runway when it turned and headed back to the airport. The runway is on top of a berm—the airplane came down in the ravine below its edge. Both men were alive and talking to rescuers, then moments later, they had passed away. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the accident.

This hit me hard because I often talked with McSpadden about aircraft accidents and the importance of teaching and practicing the loss of thrust on takeoff. Although we still don’t know what caused the problem aboard the aircraft, there is a strong takeaway from this accident: if it could happen to Spad—Thunderbird Number One with all his training and experience—it could happen to any of us.

Briefing for LOTOTO

I have written far too many stories about fatal accidents that were attributed to an uncommanded loss of engine power. Often the accident happens because the pilot fails to maintain the appropriate speed as indicated on the aircraft’s emergency checklist—or worse yet, pulls back on the stick or yoke trying to stretch the glide, resulting in a stall-spin-die scenario.

A variation of this is when the pilot, trying to return to the runway, puts the aircraft into a steep bank resulting in a loss of vertical lift and a knife-edge impact in the ground.

While the procedure for engine loss at altitude is taught as an emergency usually before first solo, many pilots are not taught to brief the takeoff. That means a review of rotation speed, calling airspeed alive, and procedures if there is a loss of power on takeoff, until they begin their multi-engine training. This is a disservice to the aviation community.

Granted, in a twin, the loss of engine power on one side is dramatic in a different way, as it results in asymmetrical thrust, and the nose yaws and toward the dead engine. If the aircraft has lifted off, the asymmetrical thrust results in an uncommanded and often unrecoverable roll toward the sick engine resulting in a crash. Unless you bring the power on both engines back immediately and pitch for the appropriate V speed, you probably won’t live to tell the story.

In a single engine aircraft, a loss of engine power isn’t necessarily going to be fatal—as long as the pilot takes prompt and corrective action to maintain airspeed and has someplace to put it down.

Know the Speed You Need

There have been fledgling pilots who ask with some trepidation if a loss of engine power during takeoff is common. The answer is no, but knowing what to do if it does happen is like knowing how to put out a grease fire in your kitchen—you do not have time to experiment and an improper procedure like using water on the fire—or pulling back on the yoke or stick—can make a bad situation worse.

In the aircraft, you need to know what airspeed to pitch for. This is critical.

This speed will vary by make, model, and configuration. This information comes from the pilot’s operating handbook or aircraft flight manual and may even be placarded in the aircraft.

The pilot should also note rotation speed, and do the takeoff calculation before getting into the airplane, noting runway condition, temperature, and pressure.

Knowing what performance to expect helps you determine when a takeoff is going poorly and should be aborted. Identify an abort point. For example, if you calculate based on given conditions that you will need 1,130 feet to lift off from that 3,600-foot runway and you’re approaching 2,000 feet and you’re not up yet and the tachometer shows less than full power, abort.

Quick Reference Cards

If you fly multiple aircraft you may find it handy to make notes for each one and keep them with you for review before a flight in a particular airplane.

The first flight school I worked at had more than 10 Cessna 172s of varying models. The older models had airspeed indicators in miles per hour, the rest of the fleet was in knots. This could and did result in confusion that came back to bite a few pilots. I didn’t want to be one of them, so I wrote out the emergency speeds and V speeds for each aircraft on 3 x 5 notecards and carried them in a pouch worn around my neck that also held my airport ID. I did a quick review of the speeds for the aircraft I was assigned before each flight. 

The speed to maintain during a loss of engine power on takeoff was the big one—a knot or two could make a difference in the outcome of a situation, and I had no desire to be Junior Test Pilot in the event of an uncommanded loss of engine power, especially when I had someone sitting next to me counting on me to keep them safe.

Verbalize the Procedures

The loss of thrust or control on takeoff is part of my pre-takeoff briefing. It is concise and to the point:

If during the takeoff roll there is anything abnormal, be it an issue with controllability or engine power, we will bring the power to idle and come to a stop on the runway, then assess.

If the aircraft has lifted off and there is usable runway ahead, we will pitch for (insert speed here after verifying with checklist), land on the runway, and assess.

If the aircraft has lifted off and is out of usable runway, we will pitch for (insert speed here) and aim straight ahead or a gentle turn of no more than 30 degrees off the runway centerline aiming for someplace unpopulated, soft, and inexpensive.

Should You Turn Back?

Turning back to the runway can be a dicey situation. It is one of those scenarios I frequently practice in the ATD. If the aircraft is at least 1,000 feet agl, and the aircraft is light enough, it may be possible. It might even be doable at 800 to 700 feet. Always have an idea of where you will put it down if getting back to the runway is not an option—is there an open area of the extended centerline you could land in? An empty parking lot? Trees? A swamp? A road or street? To be clear: I am not a big fan of trying to put it down on a road or street because of power poles, cars, and street signs, however, the law of gravity cannot be denied, so do your best not to endanger anyone else.

In a Two-Pilot Situation

When flying with another pilot, the loss of thrust or controllability on takeoff briefing needs to include who will be pilot flying, because two pilots fighting over the controls is not going to help. One pilot should be pilot flying, the other should be making the radio calls if appropriate and time permits. “I will be pilot flying, you will back me up on the radio,” is the phrase to use.

Oddly, there are some CFIs that say this loss of thrust/control briefing is unnecessary and doesn’t do anything but scare the learners. I disagree—and so do the learners, like the one with the Cessna 150 who noted a lack of rpm on takeoff despite the throttle set to full power and aborted before he ran out of runway and options at the same time. Airport Mom was proud.

The post Loss of Thrust on Takeoff appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The new models are the DHK200 and the DHK235. Both will share the same dimensions and weight of the DHK180, which has a rated takeoff power (RTP) and maximum continuous power (MCP) of 180 horsepower.

The DHK200 will produce RTP and MCP of 200 horsepower, while the DHK235 will produce  RTP and MCP of 235 horsepower.

DeltaHawk anticipates the certification and availability of the DHK200 in the third quarter of 2024, followed by certification and availability of the DHK235 in the first half of 2025.

Company officials are hopeful the momentum created by the introduction and certification of the DHK180 will be mirrored by the DHK200 and DHK235. The DHK180 went into production last summer.

• READ MORE: DeltaHawk DHK180 Engine Heads To Production

“Following FAA certification of the DHK180, customer interest and reservation deposits from aircraft OEMs and individual owners in both certified and experimental markets has been extremely high,” said Christopher Rudd, CEO of DeltaHawk Engines. “Our two new engine models build upon the same innovative, pilot-focused technology as the DHK180, while offering even more capability for higher power applications—as will additional engine models yet to be announced.”

About the Engines

DeltaHawk Engines, founded in 1996 and based in Racine, Wisconsin, designs and builds FAA-certified, jet-fueled piston engines for general aviation aircraft and hybrid-power systems.

All the DeltaHawk engines are based upon a clean-sheet design and feature an inverted-V engine block, turbocharging and supercharging, mechanical fuel injection, liquid cooling, direct drive, and, according to the company, 40 percent fewer moving parts than other engines in their category.

DeltaHawk notes the engines produce more usable torque than traditional aircraft engines in their class, all while burning significantly less fuel.

NASA recently selected the DeltaHawk DHK180 engine for its Subsonic Single Aft Engine project, known as SUSAN. Additionally, Ampaire has selected it for a hybrid proof-of-concept aircraft.

DeltaHawk is also working on a new program to develop additional variants of its engine family that will utilize hydrogen fuel in a wide variety of applications, including aviation, commercial road vehicles, and military mobility.

For more information, please visit the DeltaHawk website.

The post DeltaHawk Adds 2 More Engines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The liquid-cooled,180 hp, 4-cylinder diesel engine uses an inverted “V” configuration and mechanical fuel injection, along with a slimmer design expected to fit more efficiently into modern aircraft cowling. It’s turbocharged and supercharged, direct drive, and has been assembled with 40 percent fewer parts than other engines in its class.

“We began by completely reimagining what a general aviation engine should be,” said Christopher Ruud, DeltaHawk’s CEO. “And the result is that we now have a certified engine that is a game-changer. It’s been a long time coming but, in engineering, simple is hard. However, this engine’s performance, simplicity, and reliability have made it worth the time and the investment, as it is truly ‘power reimagined.’”

A Long Road to TC

It’s not easy or cheap to bring a new powerplant into the GA market, and the DeltaHawk story proves this to be true once again. Few new designs have surfaced in the past 60 years.

The DHK180 stems from the DH180 originally on display at EAA AirVenture 2014 on a Cirrus SR20. After the Ruud family took controlling ownership in 2016, the path toward certification became clearer: The 180 hp variant showed up at Oshkosh in 2019, also on the SR20, and at that time DeltaHawk expected certification by the end of that year. With a little delay—and pandemic induced slowdowns—the engine has now acquired the TC it needs to move into the production phase.

Good things come to those who persevere, however. According to the company, it has had interest from potential suitors from kit builders to the military—even from NASA to power its Subsonic Single Aft Engine Aircraft (SUSAN) scale flight test vehicle.

DeltaHawk expects to deliver the first of its production DHK180s in 2024.

The post DeltaHawk Gains Type Certification on Jet-Fueled Piston Powerplant appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Dash 8, a 40-passenger regional airliner, nicknamed ‘‘Lightning McClean,’’ took off from Grant County International Airport (KMWH) and flew for 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,500 feet MSL, the company said. The flight, which was conducted under a special airworthiness certificate from the FAA, marks the first time such a large aircraft has flown under fuel-cell power, Universal Hydrogen said.

For the test flight, the airplane flew with Universal Hydrogen’s fuel cell-electric powertrain mounted in a nacelle on one wing with the airplane’s usual turbine engine on the other wing, mainly for safety, Universal said.

• READ MORE: FAA Grants Universal Hydrogen Approval To Test Fuel-Cell-Powered Aircraft

“During the second circuit over the airport, we were comfortable with the performance of the hydrogen powertrain, so we were able to throttle back the fossil fuel turbine engine to demonstrate cruise principally on hydrogen power,” said Alex Kroll, a former U.S. Air Force test pilot and now the company’s chief test pilot. “The airplane handled beautifully, and the noise and vibrations from the fuel-cell powertrain are significantly lower than from the conventional turbine engine,” he said.

Representatives from Connect Airlines and Amelia, which are the U.S. and European launch customers for the hydrogen-powered aircraft, witnessed the test flight, Universal said, adding that it expects to have ATR 72 regional airliners converted to run on hydrogen and entering passenger service in 2025. The company also said it has taken orders totaling 247 aircraft conversions from 16 customers worldwide, totaling more than $1 billion in backlog and more than $2 billion in fuel services during the first ten years of operation.

“Today will go down in the history books as the true start to the decarbonization of the global airline industry and we at Connect Airlines are extremely proud of the role that we, as the first US operator, will play in leading the way with Universal Hydrogen,” said John Thomas, CEO of Connect Airlines. Connect placed an order with Universal to convert 75 ATR 72-600s to hydrogen powertrains with purchase rights for 25 additional conversions.

“With this technology, and the improvement of government positive regulations I am confident that we can turn the tide of public sentiment and once again make aviation a shining beacon of technological optimism,” added Alain Regourd, president of Amelia.

Reducing Broad-Scale Emissions

The company, backed by GE Aviation, Airbus Ventures, Toyota Ventures, JetBlue Ventures, and American Airlines said it plans to move from regional aircraft to larger models.

“More than half of aviation CO2 emissions today come from the A320 and 737 [families] of aircraft,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “Both Airbus and Boeing will need to replace these venerable airplanes with a new design starting development in the late-2020s and entering passenger service in the mid-2030s. Making their successors hydrogen airplanes is a golden opportunity—perhaps the only opportunity—for aviation to get anywhere near meeting Paris Agreement emissions targets without having to curb aviation traffic volumes.”

The post Universal Hydrogen Completes First Test Flight of Fuel Cell-Powered Airliner appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This AD affects an estimated 2,176 crankshaft assemblies.

Affected Continental Aircraft Engines

The AD states that this unsafe condition will likely exist on affected engines. That means you need to check it out if you have one. This is not a time to second-guess the feds. ADs are mandatory. This notice applies to Continental 360, 470, 520, 520, and 550 series engines manufactured between June 1, 2021, and February 7, 2023.

It is important to note that the mandatory service bulletin identifies crankshaft assemblies with fewer than 200 operating hours, while the “AD requires compliance for all affected engines, regardless of operating hours.” The AD supersedes the service bulletin.

• READ MORE:  Potential Crankshaft Flaw Prompts FAA To Issue Continental Engine AD

The bulletin includes specifics, such as part and serial numbers. For the complete list of suspect engines, refer to Appendix 1 on page 9 of MSB23-01. Appendix 2 on page 39 contains a table listing the crankshaft part and serial numbers. The table lists the engine serial number and the crankshaft serial number.

Engine manufacturer Continental Aerospace set up a website to act as a command center, with information about how to make arrangements for maintenance.

• READ MORE: An Expert Introduction to Airworthiness Directives

Crankshaft Counterweight Function

It is imperative to keep aircraft crankshaft counterweights functioning correctly. Understanding how counterweights work is the first step in properly maintaining them. Aircraft engine installations that incorporate counterweights are typically more complex, more powerful, and require advanced skills to fly and maintain than those on entry-level aircraft. 

The FAA Advisory Circular AC No. 20-103 “Aircraft Engine Crankshaft Failure” describes the function of aircraft engine counterweights in detail. According to this AC, aircraft engineers design counterweights to position themselves by the inertia forces generated during crankshaft rotation, and effectively absorb and dampen crankshaft vibration.

Left in an unsafe condition, there’s the potential for catastrophic failure.

AD 2023-04-08 explicitly states that failure to address this action could result in loss of engine oil pressure, catastrophic engine damage, engine seizure, and consequent loss of aircraft. That sounds serious.

A key driver of this action is reports of two engine seizures on the ground and one in-flight loss of engine oil pressure. It goes without saying that one incident at altitude is one too many. There is no airborne AAA to come to your rescue.

What exactly caused this? 

Incorrect Installation of Counterweight Clips 

The crankshaft counterweight setup includes the counterweight assemblies, pins, plates, and clips. The counterweights have a bushing installed that precisely fits with the pins, which are short squat steel dowels. Plates cover the pin, and clips hold the entire thing in place.

According to Continental MSB23-01A, “It is possible one or more counterweight retaining rings were not properly seated in the crankshaft counterweight groove.” The clips are in the wrong place.

At first glance, the counterweight clips appear to be nothing more than a souped-up snap ring you can get at ACE Hardware. They are not. Continental manufactures counterweight clips to precision measurements, and they are not to be interchanged with something that looks pretty close.

MSB’s statement stands out: “If a counterweight retaining ring, plate, or pin is missing, terminate the inspection and remove the engine for disassembly.” 

Next Steps for Compliance

At this point, those affected by the AD should contact their aircraft maintenance provider and discuss workload, cost, and turnaround time for compliance. 

The AD explicitly states, “before further flight.” Citing such low time on the crankshafts suffering failures and the gravity of what could happen should the counterweight depart, the FAA shortened the time-to-market for this AD and reduced the period for public comment.

I caught up with JD Kuti, owner of Pinnacle Aircraft Engines in Silverhill, Alabama. He offered only one word when I asked about the call volume concerning the Continental crankshaft AD: ‘crazy.’ Because of the volume of aircraft affected, working through them all will take time.

The post Crankshaft Counterweights and the Potential for Catastrophic Failure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Friday, Continental Aerospace sent out its own updated recommendation, shared with FLYING, broadening the scope of the recommended grounding to encompass a wide range of powerplants and to call for a specific inspection of the crankshaft counterweight retaining ring within 5 hours for those new or rebuilt engines with less than 200 hours in operation since installation. Models include those in the 360, 470, 520, and 550 series.

Cirrus Grounds Company Aircraft

A tweet from a Cirrus customer shared on Wednesday demonstrated the impact of the issue.

Cirrus grounds all SR22s and SR22Ts it controls that were manufactured or issued with a CofA after June 2021 due to an ‘issue’ with their continental engines, according to email sent to owners. pic.twitter.com/L2kz14Azz7

— The Flying Reporter (@JonHuntTV) February 8, 2023

FLYING contacted Cirrus for more information and received the following: 

“Cirrus Aircraft has been informed by Continental Aerospace Technologies (Continental) of an issue that affects engines that power both Cirrus Aircraft’s SR22 and SR22T models,” the company said via a statement. “While we are still working with Continental to determine the scope of the issue and the specific serial number range of affected aircraft, we are proactively making the decision—out of an abundance of caution—to pause all internal Cirrus Aircraft company flight operations on SR22s and SR22Ts manufactured and issued a certificate of airworthiness from June 1, 2021, through February 7, 2023.  

“Cirrus Aircraft continues to operate without restriction all its SR20s, as well as SR22s and SR22Ts manufactured before June 1, 2021, or after February 7, 2023.  

“We anticipate Continental to issue a service bulletin in the near future, which will detail the specific range of affected aircraft, the root cause of the issue and corrective action. The Continental service bulletin will accompany a Cirrus Aircraft service advisory notification.” 

The company was not aware of any incident or accident involving a Cirrus connected to the issue. The imminent service bulletin is expected to provide more insight once it is published. FLYING will continue to report on the issue and any further impact on operators.

The post UPDATE: Continental Engine Issue Drives Grounding of Cirrus SR22s, Other Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The new powerplant already received its TC from Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), enabling its flight test program and global proving missions.

“The FAA is the third aviation authority to give its stamp of approval for the PW812D engine,” said Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada. “We successfully achieved this critical step by working closely with Dassault since the launch of this great program.”

“We congratulate Pratt & Whitney Canada on achieving FAA certification for the PW812D engine,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “Together, the PW812D engine and Falcon 6X aircraft are a winning combination, designed to set the bar in fuel efficiency, performance and comfort. This milestone brings us closer to the exciting entry into service of the Falcon 6X, expected mid-2023.”

About the PW812D

The PW812D continues the popular PW800 series, as a twin-spool turbofan engine, with a maximum thrust rating of up to 14,000 lbf (foot-pounds).

Over the course of more than 6,100 hours of engine testing, the PW812D has logged more than 1,150 hours of flight testing, and 20,000 hours on the engine core. The PW800 series has acquired more than 240,000 hours of testing, including field experience, and more than 42,000 hours of flight testing.

The powerplant shares a common core with the PW GTF engine, which has more than 15 million hours since it debuted in 2016.

About the 6X

Dassault’s latest entrant to the field has weathered the ups and downs of the past three years and suffered only minor delays to its timeline for first flights, advanced flight testing, and its first deliveries on the horizon.

The 6X will operate with a maximum takeoff weight of 77,460 pounds, and feature a maximum range of 5,500 nm at Mach 0.80 with eight passengers and three crew. Speed will top out at a maximum Mach number of Mach 0.90. 

On its recent global tour, the 6X covered roughly 50,000 miles, testing reliability and entry-into-service items—more than 250 elements on the checklist to prove resilient. Projected entry into service is in the first half of 2023.

The post FAA Certification on Pratt & Whitney Powerplant Advances 6X Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Boom said it is leading the collaborative effort in developing the new supersonic engine—dubbed Symphony— alongside Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) for engine design, GE Additive for additive technology design consulting, and StandardAero for maintenance for Symphony.

The announcement comes three months after engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce exited its contract with the commercial airline manufacturer, prompting Boom to look to other engine manufacturers with supersonic propulsion programs. At the time, Rolls-Royce said commercial supersonic flight was no longer a short-term priority for the company.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Will No Longer Power Boom’s Supersonic Airliner

Company officials, however, then decided the solution was to design the aircraft and engine together.

“Developing a supersonic engine specifically for Overture offers by far the best value proposition for our customers,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic,

The announcement comes at a pivotal point of development for Boom following Rolls-Royce’s exit. The first Overture aircraft—expected to fly as fast as Mach 1.7, as high as 60,000 feet msl, and carry between 65 to 88 passengers—was scheduled to roll out in 2025 and begin commercial service with passengers by 2029.

Now, with Symphony, Boom said that design is already underway and that Overture is expected to achieve type certification in 2029. The company will build Overture at the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, with ground testing to begin in 2026 and flight test in 2027.

• READ MORE: How North Carolina Got Boom’s Overture ‘Superfactory’

“Through the Symphony program, we can provide our customers with an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic airplane—a combination unattainable with the current constraints of derivative engines and industry norms,” Scholl said.

A Boom-Led Partnership

FTT, a Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc business unit, will lead the engine design portion. Boom indicated that it would leverage FTT’s “supersonic engine design expertise,” notably because FTT’s workforce, including engineers involved in the “designing the F-119 and F-135 supersonic engines that power the F-22 and F-35,” Boom said.

“The team at FTT has a decades-long history of developing innovative, high-performance propulsion solutions,” FTT President Stacey Rock said. “We are proud to team with Boom and its Symphony partners and look forward to developing the first bespoke engine for sustainable, economical supersonic flight.”

• READ MORE: American Airlines Inks Deal for 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft

Boom has also tapped GE Additive for additive manufacturing design consulting. Boom said the partnership would enable more streamlined development, reduced weight, and improved fuel efficiency.

“GE Additive will bring industry-leading capabilities to Symphony, providing additive manufacturing design consulting and technology while looking for additional areas to potentially collaborate,” Chris Schuppe, general manager of engineering and technology at GE Additive, said in a statement.

Looking ahead to maintenance, Boom selected StandardAero in order to deliver “reliable and economical operations and provision of maintenance services for the life of the aircraft,” it said.

StandardAero also has experience as a supersonic engine assembler.

“Our current qualifications, capabilities, and experience assembling and servicing supersonic military jet engines make us the intelligent solution for future commercial supersonic engine MRO applications,” said Russell Ford, chairman, and CEO of StandardAero.

• READ MORE: Curious About Boom Supersonic? Here Are Five Things to Know

Here’s What to Know About Symphony

According to Boom, the powerplant will be a medium-bypass turbofan engine, similar to powerplants on current commercial aircraft. However, unlike subsonic turbofans, Boom said its Symphony would feature a Boom-designed axisymmetric supersonic intake, a variable-geometry, low-noise exhaust nozzle, and a passively cooled high-pressure turbine. It won’t have an afterburner. 

Boom said the powerplant would produce 35,000 lbs of thrust on takeoff and would run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. To keep things quiet and meet Chapter 14 noise level requirements, Symphony will be designed with a single-stage fan. The process will include additive manufacturing to keep its weight and parts count low and reduce assembly costs. Finally, it will need to meet FAA and EASA Part 33 engine certification requirements.

Boom said it expects Symphony to reduce airplane operating costs for airline customers by 10 percent compared to other derivative powerplants.

The post Boom to Lead New Powerplant Design for Supersonic Jet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In partnership with European low-cost carrier easyJet, the aerospace giant announced yesterday that it had completed a successful test run of its AE 2100A gas turbine powerplant fueled by “green” hydrogen. Chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini called the event a “breakthrough” for the company and the industry: “This achievement not only represents a technological breakthrough but demonstrates a tangible step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future,” she said via LinkedIn.

As reported by the BBC, Rolls-Royce has been staging the tests at its facility on Salisbury Plain, in the United Kingdom, after development in Derby. The test makes for the first such run of a “modern aircraft engine” solely on hydrogen. The green hydrogen used in the test run was produced by the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.

That demonstration is critical in making strides towards the aviation industry’s goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “The reason we’re looking at hydrogen is really the drive for Net Zero,” said Alan Newby, director of aerospace technology for Rolls-Royce. Along with the OEM, easyJet has contributed “several million pounds” financially towards the project.

Fielding a new engine will take significantly more development work—and putting that on a transport category aircraft carrying hydrogen in the supercooled, liquid state needed to operate its engines—lies even farther down the runway.

Other companies in the general aviation and regional aviation sectors are at work on making the transition, such as ZeroAvia and MagniX, both for smaller aircraft than the airliners targeted by Rolls-Royce and easyJet.

The post Rolls-Royce Marks Successful Engine Test Run on Hydrogen appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Our state is blessed to have numerous companies producing outstanding Alabama-American-made products every single day,” Ivey said, highlighting recipient companies for the quality of goods they produce in the state.

• READ MORE: Hartzell Aviation Makes a Home for Firewall-Forward Brands

Hartzell Engine Tech, based in Montgomery, Alabama, focuses on providing engine accessories and heating solutions for the general aviation industry and consists of five subsidiaries, which Hartzell Aviation combined under one umbrella to give customers comprehensive solutions in that space. That portfolio includes Janitrol Aero, Fuelcraft, Plane-Power, Sky-Tec, and AeroForce Turbocharger Systems.

Hartzell Engine Tech president Keith Bagley was present to accept the governor’s recognition at a Made in Alabama Showcase in the Alabama capitol city.

“Hartzell’s aircraft engine accessories and cabin heating solutions are in service around the world, and we are exceptionally proud of the quality products manufactured here in Alabama by the most talented and professional technicians in general aviation today,” Bagley said.

The post Hartzell Engine Tech Designated Top-Rated Business in Alabama appeared first on FLYING Magazine.