Aerospace components and structures come in all shapes and sizes and more importantly are made from different types of materials. These parts (components and structures) are also produced from different processes such as forging, casting, composite layups and even bonding of different materials. All of which require different verification methods. The only point in common is that they are all critical parts and need to be inspected to ensure quality and safety. Inspection of these parts varies greatly and can involve automated thickness measurements, bond quality detection for assembled components, porosity detection for parts made of composite materials, inclusion detection for forged parts, etc.

With the use of automated ultrasonic testing systems, we are able to decrease the inspection time, increase imaging and detection capabilities as well as conduct reliable and repeatable inspections. Ultrasonic immersion tanks and squirter gantry systems are well suited for automated inspection of aerospace parts. Parts with complex shapes and geometries require immersion tanks and squirter systems with advanced scanning tools, such as contour following or 3D inspection software. These tools allow inspectors to set up inspection scan plans by teaching the parts surfaces or importing a CAD drawing of the part.

Contour following can be described as the systems ability to perform a controlled displacement of one or multiple axes, with the objective to move around a curved, round or inclined surface with constant transducer orientation and distance (water path). When performing an ultrasonic inspection with a large immersion or squirter system, the orientation of the transducer must be controlled with a high degree of precision in order to follow the parts contour adequately.

Tridimensional inspection of parts with complex shapes uses computer-aided design (CAD) files to perform accurate inspection in 3D space. Sampling and interpolation are also performed in order to calculate a valid path trajectory for the scanners different axes.

An important step for contour following or 3D inspection is the validation of the scanners trajectories in the interpolated space. This verification can be done by comparing the deviation of the water path and probe incidence angle with a predetermined acceptable error.

While moving around the contour, a visual alarm can be set to advise the operator of deviations beyond this acceptable error. While water path deviations can be monitored from the time-of-flight of surface echoes, validating the incidence angle requires an indirect measurement. Setting a tolerance on the amplitude variations of the surface echo recorded at 0-degree incidence represents an efficient way of monitoring errors in the surface contour orientation; a large variation in the amplitude of the surface echo may indicate that the incidence angle at that location is not 0 degrees. If either alarm is triggered, a verification of the incidence angle can be done at the problematic locations and surface coordinates can be added or modified to increase the part definition accuracy.

After the part contour has been defined and validated, algorithms can be used to calculate the axes trajectories covering the complete part contour without any risk of collisions. Advanced ultrasonic software can map the selected part surfaces to the appropriate scanner axis and creates a 2D parametric space that defines the surface. The 2D surface can be defined in multiple ways from the defined surface contour (extrusion, angular revolution, rotational symmetry).

Bond testing of composites parts

New generation fan blades and cases are designed for medium-haul airliners and constructed from composite materials. For safety and reliability requirements, automated ultrasonic testing is performed to detect any manufacturing anomalies/defects. The biggest challenge to inspect these parts is that they have complicated curvatures, surfaces with free form shapes, no axis of symmetry and varying thicknesses.

Turbine blades used in aircraft engines are manufactured by investment casting. They are designed with internal air cooling channels which allow the blades to operate under extremely high temperatures. Thickness variation at the cooling channels, caused by the casting process, can affect the blade capacity to operate at elevated temperatures. Therefore, to ensure structural integrity of the turbine blades, it is important to control the material thickness at critical positions. Ultrasonic testing is typically done with the use of thickness measurement instruments with contact ultrasonic probes. This manual thickness measurement approach can be both time consuming and subject to human error. For proper and precise wall thickness measurement of multiple turbine blades, an automated inspection solution is highly desirable.

Wall thickness measurement of turbine blades can also be achieved from C-Scan thickness mapping. Using contour or surface following scans the full thickness mapping can be performed on large areas of the blades. The advantage of this approach is to eliminate uncertainties related to the blades channel positions as well as to detect any structural imperfections, including cracks and inclusions.

As aerospace parts are becoming more and more complex due to their shape, fabrication and materials automated inspections will become the only viable inspection method. These more challenging inspection criteria will pave the way for new and innovative automated solutions as well as inspection software that will enable operators to run inspections efficiently and, more importantly, more accurately.

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Automated Inspection of Critical Aerospace Components and Structures with Complex Geometries - Quality Magazine

ROLLS ROYCE

The aero engine maker will spend 150million over the next few years on new and existing civil aerospace facilities which will protect more than 7,000 jobs across the East Midlands.

The investment will support Rolls planned doubling of engine production to deliver on its record civil aerospace order book.

The FTSE 100 company, which employs 22,300 people around the country, will spend 90million on building a new testing facility for jet engines in Derby, creating up to 200 jobs.

This test centre will be large enough to put a range of engines through their paces, including the Trent XWB that powers the Airbus A350 XWB and is the worlds fastest-selling large civil engine.

More than 1,600 are on order from 45 customers in 31 countries.

It also assembles the Trent 700 engines for the Airbus A330 and Trent 900 engines for the Airbus A380 in Derby.

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Rolls will retain a precision machinery plant in Derby previously earmarked for closure, preserving about 150 jobs, and invest in manufacturing in Derby and Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

Its civil aerospace president, Eric Schulz, said: This investment comes at a time of unprecedented growth in Rolls-Royce. We are doubling the production of new engines at the same time as introducing three new engines.

With this investment we are creating the capacity and flexibility to deliver on our goals while committing to sustain employment in the UK. I would like to thank the unions for their support in delivering this important package of investment.

Business Secretary Greg Clark hailed the vote of confi dence in the UK economy and the boost for Rolls domestic suppliers.

Rolls share price has powered ahead by more than a third this year as it continues its turnaround under chief executive Warren East.

The former Arm Holdings boss took charge two years ago following a string of profit warnings.

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Rolls-Royce's 150m civil aerospace backing for Brexit Britain - Express.co.uk

Control over global aircraft markets has been a cornerstone of the United States economic and military power for decades. American aviation giants such as Boeing, along with their supply chains, generate significant economic activity for the country, bringing in the largest foreign trade surplus of all domestic industries. A strong civil aerospace industry bolsters the defense sector, developing a trained workforce and manufacturing capabilities that make it easier for the United States to produce the most sophisticated military aircraft in the world. As significant international competition for aerospace sales emerges, however, the United States will need to look for solutions to maintain its competitive aerospace edge. One such solution is to embrace the development of supersonic flight.

In May, Russia and China carried out maiden flights of their first domestically-produced commercial passenger jets. A joint Russian-Chinese venture is looking to develop a new advanced airliner. India and Japan, too, are forging ahead with their own passenger aircraft programs. If these programs are successful, they could threaten the United States current aerospace preeminence in the mid- to long-term.

Foreign competition, a reflection of both developing industrial centers-of-gravity abroad and growing foreign confidence in homegrown technologies, should serve as a warning for the United States. Preserving a dominant position in international aircraft sales and aerospace technology is in both the hard and soft power foreign policy interests of the United States. American aerospace manufacturers should embrace the development of innovative high technologies that differentiate their products from the offerings of foreign competitors. Leveraging advanced capabilities that nascent foreign competitors are, despite their recent progress, still far from developing may open new markets in which American companies can secure controlling shares.

There is a general consensus in the West that foreign aircraft programs do not represent an immediate challenge to the United States manufacturers. Nonetheless, Chinese and Russian single-aisle, short- to mid-range airplanes the workhorses of the worlds airlines will eventually create direct competition with the mainstays of American aviation sales. Chinas sales to state-run airlines in particular will capture a share of the market that is expected to grow tremendously in coming years.

This competition is why American airplane manufacturers should look toward supersonic passenger aircraft planes that fly faster than the speed of sound. Supersonic development presents the opportunity to break decades-long stagnation in a significant area of aircraft innovation: speed. Innovation that foreign aircraft manufacturers cannot offer in this field would differentiate manufacturers enough to maintain a presence in increasingly congested markets such as China, where foreign companies will be going head-to-head with American standard offerings.

With cheaper modern materials and superior engines, the costs of supersonics are less prohibitive than during the times of the iconic Concorde jet. Market studies have pegged the potential sales for supersonic aircraft at as high as $260 billion. With that, some commercial ventures are already looking into supersonics, and NASA has recently launched design work on quieter, more efficient supersonic planes. The first commercial supersonic aircraft will likely start off as a regional business jet, which is easier and less costly to make supersonic, and may grow larger as markets expand and the technology is refined.

Yet substantial regulatory barriers remain. In 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a total prohibition on civilian aircraft traveling faster than the speed of sound over the United States and its territorial waters. This has limited supersonic jets to the transoceanic market, which is not useful for business jets. A leading reason for the prohibition was concern over sound; supersonic aircraft produce a sonic boom as they pass through the sound barrier.

This is a legitimate concern, even if modern supersonic designs are striving toward muffling the sonic booms they produce. Still, a blanket-ban on all supersonic flight over land stifles progress before it can be made leaving the industry grounded. Instead, the FAA should issue noise standards for supersonic aircraft consistent with other loud yet brief noises found reasonable in daily life.

Federal support for high-technology like supersonics is important to establish an enabling regulatory environment that gives technologists and entrepreneurs room to experiment. As was the case with technologists and entrepreneurs in the biplane, piston-engine, and early jet ages, the American aerospace industry could, with the right support, develop advanced, differentiated products that maintain US dominance in the global market with or without foreign competition. In doing so, American aerospace leadership and with it, the economic power and advanced national security industrial base that maintains it would be sustained despite the best efforts of foreign competitors.

Cody Knipfer is the Technology & Cybersecurity Fellow at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP). He has experience working with space and aerospace trade associations, as well as a space policy consultancy. Cody expects to receive his MA in International Science and Technology Policy in 2018 from George Washington University's Space Policy Institute.

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Support Supersonics to Sustain American Aerospace Ascendancy - HuffPost

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Former Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle: She's just captured a much-sought endorsement from the Boeing Aerospace Machinists, sign of a campaign that is moving.

Former Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle: She's just captured a much-sought endorsement from the Boeing Aerospace Machinists, sign of a campaign that is moving.

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn gets a lot of name recognition in the polls, but is showing little support at endorsement meetings of activists.

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn gets a lot of name recognition in the polls, but is showing little support at endorsement meetings of activists.

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant announces her endorsement for Nikkita Oliver for mayor. Oliver is an attorney, educator and Black Lives Matter activist, a first time candidate but an impressive presence in the contest.

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant announces her endorsement for Nikkita Oliver for mayor. Oliver is an attorney, educator and Black Lives Matter activist, a first time candidate but an impressive

Putting her money where her candidacy is: Activist and urban planner Cary Moon has invested $40,000 of her own funds in Seattle Mayor bid.

Putting her money where her candidacy is: Activist and urban planner Cary Moon has invested $40,000 of her own funds in Seattle Mayor bid.

Mayor Ed Murray announces that he will not be running a write-in campaign and endorses mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan to be his successor, Thursday, June 29, 2017 at the Paramount Theater.

Mayor Ed Murray announces that he will not be running a write-in campaign and endorses mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan to be his successor, Thursday, June 29, 2017 at the Paramount Theater.

Connelly: Farrell gets sought-after Boeing Aerospace Machinists backing

The Seattle Mayor's race took on new clarity on Thursday, with two endorsements that count and a rumored candidacy finally, for-sure abandoned.

The big news was incumbent Seattle Mayor Ed Murray declaring support for former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan, and saying he would not mount a write-in campaign to retain his job. The news was trumpeted by news outlets that had speculated how Murray could run.

RELATED: Seattle mayor back in race? Not quite

The day saw a second endorsement and one which counts.

The Boeing Aerospace Machinists, Lodge 751, gave their sole endorsement to former State Rep. Jessyn Farrell.

"In this crowded race, Jessyn stands out as the strongest candidate with a record of achieving results for the working families united under IAM 751," said Larry Brown, the union's political/legislative director.

Those words sure won't help State Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-11, who has relentlessly stressed his background as a Teamsters Union reformer, and even hinted that lessons from his work at Teamsters Local 174 will be applied at City Hall.

It's hard to handicap an election being held during a season when Seattle (and Washington) tunes out politics.

The 2017 primary election is on August 1, during THE week of the year in which the Emerald City is most likely to experience clear, warm weather.

Still, Durkan and Farrell have "the big Mo" -- momentum.

Durkan has so-far reported raising $286,695. She has backing from the political arm of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Murray depicted Durkan as the adult in the room among 21 candidates, and took a telling shot at former Mayor Mike McGinn, who is seeking a comeback.

"There is one candidate in the current field who has the leadership skills to ensure that City Hall does not fall back into the paralysis and divisiveness that we've seen in the recent past," said Murray, a reference to the administration of his predecessor.

McGinn brings name recognition to the race. He hasn't raised much money, however, and is showing very little support in Democratic endorsement meetings. He is greeted politely but the atmosphere is very different from the candidacy that caught on eight years ago.

Farrell is moving, is impressively in control of her campaign message, and is seeking to define herself as the credible progressive in the race.

She has big name support -- three statewide elected officials including Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib -- and has won endorsements from several big unions. The Boeing Machinists' backing was preceded by Teamster Local 117 and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 21.

Farrell helped win the Machinists by sponsoring legislation tying Boeing's big tax breaks to its willingness to keep jobs in the region. Of course, such legislation will never go anywhere as long as Republicans control the Washington State Senate.

Very much the old shoe labor leader, Hasegawa has shown up well at some Democratic meetings. He copped a dual endorsement with Farrell on her home turf of the 46th District in northeast Seattle, which she has represented in the Legislature for the past five years.

Hasegawa won backing from King County Democrats this week. The party endorses -- often after feuds -- despite the fact that legislative districts back candidates on their own, and deliver the campaign workers.

In that she is not a Democrat, educator/lawyer/Black Lives Matter activist Nikkita Oliver is not allowed to compete for Democratic endorsements. She is, however, a formidable personal presence in the race.

A consequential Democratic activist, Michael Maddux, heard Oliver speak at his daughter's middle school graduation. "I was inspired by her words and hope the kids were as well," Maddux posted on Facebook. He went on, however, to fault Oliver for ignorance of issues facing the city.

Cary Moon has the largest amount of personal money into the campaign, $40,000 of a war chest just under $90,000. The urban planner, a leader in the Peoples Waterfront Coalition that opposed the deep bore tunnel, has matched her donors' money.

The race for the 7th floor of City Hall will see another shoe drop on Friday. The Municipal League of King County will come out with its candidate ratings.

The ratings have credibility, enhanced by denunciations by candidates who do not fare well and media outlets on the city's far left.

The Muny League gave a boost to Ed Murray in 2013, and its tepid rating helped show 12-year Seattle City Council member Jean Godden the door in the 2015 primary.

If Durkan and Farrell do well, expect support to gravitate their way.

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Connelly: Farrell gets sought-after Boeing Aerospace Machinists backing - seattlepi.com

Dr. Thomas Tsotsis, technical fellow, materials and process technology at Boeing Research & Technology (Huntington Beach, CA, US), was a keynote speaker at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) ANTEC conference in Anaheim, CA, on May 10. Tsotsis presentation title was simple: A path for composites. It might also have been titled, My composites wish list.

Admittedly, the composites manufacturing strategy of a company as big as Boeing cannot be ascribed to one person at Boeing, but Tsotsis long experience with aerocomposites gives his words weight, and what he had to say was intriguing.

First, he reviewed the history of prepreg use, noting that it became the preferred material form because it enabled manufacturers to achieve consistent resin/matrix ratios in finished products. Prepregs also have been well qualified and are well supported by material characterization data. He also acknowledged that prepregs are difficult to form into complex shapes, have a limited working life and must be kept frozen when not in use, and require expensive monument equipment ATLs and autoclaves that tend to become workflow bottlenecks.

Liquid molding, on the other hand, he said, offers fabricators the use of three-dimensional (3D) preforms, braids and weaves (i.e., the material flexibility to meet a greater variety of end-use requirements) eliminates the use of an autoclave and requires no freezer. Downsides? Fiber/resin ratios are more difficult to control with liquid molding, composites made via liquid molding are not as well qualified, and liquid molding processes require additional quality-control steps that prepregs dont require. Further, he admitted that companies like Boeing have invested millions of dollars in autoclaves, thus their use is, in many ways, imperative.

In short, said Tsotsis, he believes the aerospace industry needs to get out of the prepreg box and look more seriously at new chemistries, collaborate to develop reliable design models, increase automation, reduce assembly costs, more proactively address environmental concerns, and more effectively leverage already developed knowledge from other composites end-markets.

From the design side, Tsotsis said he would like to see more innovation in chemistry so that resins can be tailored to designs, rather than having to tailor designs to chemistries, which he believes is the current modus operandi. In addition, he said he would like to see molecular dynamics tools better developed and definitively linked to verifiable test data. And model development, on the whole, he said, is too siloed and needs to be addressed more cooperatively and collaboratively with suppliers, OEMs and researchers. Finally, he said, modeling of strength needs a quantum improvement to be truly useful.

On the aerocomposites manufacturing floor, Tsotsis said, quality control drives everything, and because of that, process control is paramount. But, unlike the automotive industry, where quality is measured by process consistency, aerospace relies on 100% inspection of finished parts, regardless of process quality. The difference, of course, is the degree of risk involved, and in aerospace, it is assumed there is no room for error.

Tsotsis ended his presentation with a reminder of the value of change, and a desire for a willingness to see technical maturation continue: Just because weve done something that way does not mean its the best way.

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Thinking outside the prepreg box in aerospace - CompositesWorld

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Amy R. Pritchett has been named head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State, effective Aug. 15.

Currently, Pritchett is the David S. Lewis Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She is also the director of Georgia Techs Cognitive Engineering Center and is a joint professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Amy won over our community with her unique approach of technical rigor and sense of community, said Amr Elnashai, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering. Her leadership style will undoubtedly propel the department to new levels of accomplishment while maintaining and even enhancing its technical and social fabric.

Pritchett will take over departmental duties from Philip J. Morris, Boeing/A.D. Welliver Professor of Aerospace Engineering, who has been serving as interim department head since the departure of George Lesieutre. Lesieutre accepted a position as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering in August 2016. Morris will remain as a professor within the department.

Ive found the faculty to be energizing with their new ideas and sheer love of aerospace engineering, and Im excited to be joining in with so many noted experts spanning fields important to the future of aerospace, said Pritchett. Both aviation and spaceflight are on the cusp of new breakthroughs, and I hope to take the insights and knowledge that our department has been generating here at Penn State and help disseminate them broadly not just to the research community, but also to the decision makers in industry and government who need to know what we can contribute. Exciting things are happening in the department!

Pritchett served a two-year term as the director of NASAs Aviation Safety Program from 2008 to 2009, and served as a senior research fellow at Delft University of Technology in 2002. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 1997, she was a doctoral student and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

She is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). She chartered the Aviation Safety Assurance Research Planning team in 2011, for which she received a NASA Group Achievement Award. She also received the National Aeronautic Association 2008 Robert J. Collier Trophy as part of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team; the AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award in 2007; and the Georgia TechCenter for Enhancement of Teaching and LearningCurriculum Innovation Award in 2014. In 2009, the AIAA Digital Avionics Technical Committee created the Dr. Amy R. Pritchett Digital Avionics Scholarship to recognize technical and service contributions by college students in the field of avionics.

Pritchetts research interests include examining the intersection of automated and intelligent technologies, expert human performance and safety-critical operations. This framing particularly applies to modern commercial aviation, but also extends to other areas such as long-duration spaceflight missions.

To have a department head who is concurrently a top researcher is a great feature of Amys appointment, added Elnashai. She will not only lead the academic programs in the department, but she will also play a pivotal role in its research enterprise.

Pritchett earned her bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT.

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Amy Pritchett appointed head of Penn State Aerospace Engineering - Penn State News

A "Bird Eye-650" Long Endurance mini-UAV system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is displayed at the Unmanned Vehicles Conference 2015 on November 9, 2015, in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv. (photo credit:JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Labor and Social Services Minister Haim Katz was questioned at Lahav 433 headquarters in Lod on Thursday as a suspect in an ongoing corruption probe into Israels largest state-owned aviation manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries, police said.

Katz is suspected of ethical violations and threats, according to police. The suspicions reportedly involve Katz a member of the Likud Party and former chairman of the National Workers Union of IAI allegedly threatening people to join the Likud and vote for him in party primaries.

The minister was questioned for about five hours. He denies any wrongdoing.

The IAI investigation became public in March, after 13 people were arrested on suspicion of corruption, offenses which included aggravated fraud, money laundering, theft by a public servant, fraud and breach of trust. Later in March, Katzs son Yair, who is chairman of the engineering sector of the IAI workers committee, was arrested on suspicion of granting benefits to IAI employees in exchange for them joining the Likud Party.

Retired IDF Brig.-Gen. Amal Asad was also among those arrested on suspicions of receiving bribes from businessmen at technology company DruzeNet to further the companys interests with IAI.

Asad denies any wrongdoing.

Attorney Illan Bombach, who represents Yair Katz, told The Jerusalem Post in March that his client denied the allegations against him and was cooperating fully with the police. Bombach argued that the investigation was motivated by interests seeking to overthrow Katz and that his client has no control over IAI employees futures. Furthermore, Bombach argued, police provided no evidence of any correlation between Likud membership and career advancement at the IAI.

The arrests in what is termed Case 630, came after an extensive, nearly yearlong undercover investigation by the Lahav 433 anti-fraud unit in cooperation with the Tax Authority, Ministry of Defense Security Authority, or Malmab an internal investigation branch of the Defense Ministry accompanied by the State Attorneys Office Economic Department.

The investigation comprised a large number of sub-allegations raising suspicion of corruption offenses including aggravated fraud, money laundering, theft by a public servant, fraud and breach of trust, the polices Intelligence and Investigations Division said in a statement last week.

According to police, the investigation raised the suspicion of systematic criminal behavior and deep corruption seemingly commonplace in Israel Aerospace Industries.

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Minister questioned in Israel Aerospace Industries corruption probe ... - The Jerusalem Post

Global aerospace giant Airbusis doing more than designing and manufacturing planes in Alabama.

The France-based company also is helping to shape education and workforce trends in its corner of the state and beyond, particularly the prospects and pipeline for aerospace engineers.

The Airbus Engineering Center, which was the forerunner to the companys aircraft manufacturing plant in Mobile, has a workforce of about 220 engineers and support staff, recruited from across the nation. They work on nearly all of the commercial aircraft products in the Airbus fleet family.

Our initial cadre was mostly not from this region. We needed to have a more experienced workforce than the folks who were in the region allowed us to have, said David Trent, site director of the facility.

However, that quickly changed. Over the past five years or so, weve been able to hire almost exclusively from the region, or hire folks who are originally from the region coming back home, he said.

The facility, which recently celebrated a decade of operation in Mobile,has a low attrition rate, he added.

We know if we give our employees good work to do and a good place to do it, they seem to be quite loyal, he said.

Generational approach

In addition to supporting Airbus global operations and regularly interacting with colleagues in France and Germany, the facilitys employees volunteer their time and share their expertise at a nearby elementary school, middle school and high school.

Weve really taken a generational approach to transforming a community and its capabilities in engineering, avionics and aviation technology, Trent said. Weve adopted these schools, and a lot of our employees are very much engaged in these activities.

I think thats something that keeps them here as well. It really resonates with them.

At the elementary level, Airbus employees are involved in a Reading Buddies program with students. And at the middle school, the focus is on the Airbus Flying Challenge, a STEM and citizenship-mentoring program that rewards participating students with a flight on a single-engine airplane.

The message is when you stay in school, get good grades and stick with it, you have good options in life, Trent said.

At the high school, employees mentor students and help them with classroom presentations. Theyre also involved in other programs where students take special courses that will put them on an engineering or technician career track.

Airbus is involved in supporting scholarships and internship programs at the University of South Alabama, too.

Weve got a lot of activity on the education front because if were going to need an engineer in 10 years, they need to be starting now, Trent said. If we dont take a generational view, were not going to be as strong as we need to be going forward.

In addition, Airbus teamed with the state on theAlabama Aviation Education Center,a planned $6.5 million facility in Mobile that aims to encourage young people to pursue careers in aerospace.

Aerospace engineers

Alabama is a popular place for aerospace engineers, according to federal employment data.

The state ranks in the Top 5 among U.S. states for the highest employment in the occupation, with nearly 4,500, according to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.California tops the survey, with aerospace engineer employment of 10,800.

The dataare available for about 35 states and do not include Washington, a key hub of the aerospace industry and home base of Boeing Co. However, the numbers still indicate Alabama as a major player in the industry.

The vast majority of Alabamas aerospace engineers are employed in the Huntsville area, longtime home of operations for NASA, the U.S. Army and Boeing, as well as suppliers and support firms.

But the BLS data also shows a significant presence of aerospace engineers in Mobile, home to Airbus, and Southeast Alabama, which is dotted with facilities for Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Arista Aviation, Vector Aerospace and Commercial Jet Inc.

The annual mean wage for aerospace engineers in Alabama is $115,550.

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said Airbus and the state have a far-reaching partnership.

Alabama workers are delivering high-quality products and services for Airbus global operations, carrying on the states long and proud tradition in the aerospace industry, he said.

At the same time, the company and its local employees are making a profound difference in the lives of students here at home by showing them new worlds of opportunities and helping them achieve ambitious goals.

Global connections

When the Airbus Engineering Center opened in 2007, 35 people were working there, focused on cabin and cargo components and systems for the new A350 XWB aircraft.

Today, employees are still in the cabin and cargo business, but have expanded their focus to the A330, A320 and A380 aircraft as well.

Mornings at the facility are busy as the Mobile staff typically coordinates with its colleagues in France and Germany, Trent said.

It really does create an exciting atmosphere for our engineers, he said. We get to touch and do things you dont get to do in a company unless its global, and we get to meet people from around the world as we all work on a really great product.

Beyond the advantages they find on the job, the people working at the Airbus Engineering Center enjoy the advantages of living in Alabamas Port City, Trent said.

What weve experienced is when people come here, they really tend to put down some roots, he said. Outside of work, they have a good quality of life, and they live in a community thats growing, a community that cares about Airbus.

And we care about them. And we try to provide cooperative opportunities for them to be involved in growing the community to what it can become.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerces Made in Alabama website.

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Airbus helping to build aerospace futures in Alabama - Alabama NewsCenter

It was a very productive trip. Probably the most productive that we have had. Just back from the Paris Airshow and wheeling and dealing aerospace giants, Baldwin County Commission Chairman Chris Elliott is still excited about the possibilities for Baldwin County. We will see in the coming years an increase advanced manufacturing and aerospace presence here in Baldwin County.

He points to companies like UTC Aerospace in Foley already in the midst of a 30 million dollar expansion and adding hundreds of jobs as a success story. In Paris, he along with Governor Kay Ivey and Economic Development Director Lee Lawson discussed the future of the aerospace company. They are singing the praises of the workers here in Baldwin County. They are absolutely thrilled with their investment here in Baldwin County and anywhere somebody is thrilled with their investment, we are going to ask them to make more.

Because of the Paris Airshow, he says more aerospace companies and jobs are on the way. I hope that it is sooner than later but these are huge multi-national companies that are evaluating where to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and thats not something they take lightly, thats not something they do overnight.

Another thing working in Baldwin Countys favor, the tremendous growth predicted over the next several years. An estimated 60 thousand more people by the year 2030.

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Baldwin County Is On The Aerospace Map - WKRG

Joe Rice of Lockheed Martin in Littleton explains his companys expectations of vendors during the Progressive 15 manufacturers expo in Sterling Friday.

By Jeff Rice Staff writer

Breaking into the manufacturing big leagues will take time and is only for those willing to make the commitment, according to a couple of heavy hitters at a Progressive 15 Manufacturing Expo on Friday, June 23.

Joe Rice, director of governmental relations for Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, told those attending the conference that its a long process to become a Lockheed Martin supplier, but the company is looking to diversify its supply chain.

We have to get our costs down, Rice said. We have grown up with suppliers in certain areas, primarily the East Coast and California, but they have become very expensive. If we can diversify our supplier base a little bit, we can lower our costs.

The company doesnt want to set any false expectations, however, and Rice emphasized that becoming a Lockheed Martin supplier can be a long process.

Nobody decides they want to build a satellite tomorrow. Its designed years out, so the supply chain for it is designed years out, he said. The good news is that we have found a lot of skills in agriculture, in the oil and gas industries out here that transfer to our technicians.

Rice pointed out that Lockheed Martin has recently found parts fabricators in Grand Junction and in Trinidad.

Theres no reason we cant find them out here, in Sterling, or in Julesburg, he said.

Joe Kiely of Foreign Trade Zone No. 293 explains the benefits of an FTZ designation to those attending the Progressive 15 manufacturers expo in Sterling Friday.

Lockheed Martin isnt the only aerospace company in the state, and Rice said Colorado is now the No. 2 aerospace state in the nation. There are 52,860 Coloradans employed in aerospace, he said, and Colorado will soon become first in the nation in terms of per-capita aerospace employment.

The industry sprang up in Colorado in the mid-1950s when Glenn L. Martin Co. built its intercontinental ballistic missile laboratory and factory in Colorado because it was believed that Soviet submarine-based nuclear missiles couldnt reach this far. Since then the Maryland-based company has been through a number of evolutions, first merging with Marietta-American to become Martin Marietta, and then with Lockheed in 1995.

Rice said Lockheed Martin wants to lead the U.S. back into space exploration, an area the American people have largely ignored since the end of the Space Shuttle program.

Aerospace has become so common that people dont think about it, Rice said. There are consequences to that. At beginning of space age, only two countries could put astronauts into space, the United States and the USSR. Today, there are still just two nations who can put people in space, and the U.S. isnt one of them. Russia and China can put astronauts in space. We still have astronauts, but we pay Russia to put Americans in space. Why? Because we as a society took our eye off of space, we didnt fund space shuttle or the next generation of technology.

Rice said his company wants to lead the U.S. back into space exploration, and in the process make Colorado the center of the American return to space. And, he said, small companies all over Colorado can be part of that effort. He said companies that can provide an innovative product or an existing product with better quality, faster or cheaper has a shot at becoming a supplier. He said aspiring aerospace suppliers should consider starting as a partner of an existing supplier. And it doesnt happen overnight. It typically takes two to three years to get through the process, and then only if there is a need that matches, he said.

Rice suggested potential suppliers go to Lockheed Martins website and poke around in the part about to do business with (us.)

Earlier in the morning Joe Kiely of Limon, director of Foreign Trade Zone No. 293, told expo attendees that manufacturers who are interested in taking advantage of Colorados free trade zone can save money on import and export duties, but it can take up to a year to gain a designation as a sub-zone or magnet site attached to the foreign trade zone.

The purpose of an FTZ, Kiely said, is to avoid paying customs duty when importing raw materials to be used for manufacturing goods for re-export. He used the example of Vestas Corp, which makes wind turbines at its plants in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo. Vestas imports much of its manufacturing technology and some raw materials, then builds the turbines for sale overseas. According to federal law, an FTZ is a geographic area where goods may be landed, stored, handled, manufactured or re-configured, and re-exported under specific customs regulations.

Colorados foreign trade zone covers Adams and Arapaho counties and major parts of Elbert, Lincoln, and Morgan counties. Kiely said he wanted to do all of eastern Colorado but regulations say an FTZ cannot extend beyond 90 minutes of the Denver Port Office. He said Vestas was able to take advantage of the FTZ by setting up sub-zones for its plants and showing compelling reasons why the factories couldnt be moved into the existing FTZ.

Another option, Kiely said, is to get a magnet site designation, but that can take up to a year. A magnet site would be, for instance, a business park set up to attract companies that want to use FTZ procedures. Magnet sites must be able to attract multiple users, Kiely said, and the designation must be in use within five years of being issued.

Afternoon sessions at the expo included a presentation on apprenticeships, a women in manufacturing panel, and a young manufacturing entrepreneur panel.

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Aerospace beckons a new building sector - South Platte Sentinel

SINGAPORE - Aerospace firm Thales has expanded its facility in Singapore which is now its largest repair centre worldwide.

The centre in Changi which has been recently expanded now consolidates all aircraft avionics production, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul activities under one roof.

This ensures better synergies and efficiency, Thales said on Thursday.

The firm has also invested in equipment and human capital, as it builds for future growth, it added.

In the past year, Thales in Singapore has grown its repair volume by over 30 per cent.

In addition to providing repair operations, Thales also runs a customer support centre for Diehl Aerospace's Singaporean subsidiary, set up in November last year to better serve its regional customers.

The centre has been operational since January at the expanded Thales facility in Changi North Rise.

The widened scope of the extended partnership increases Thales' repair volume in Singapore to an estimated 40,000 pieces of equipment per year, making Singapore the group's largest centre for avionics maintenance and repair services worldwide, the firm said.

The aerospace industry in Singapore has grown strongly over the last two decades, and the Republic now accounts for a quarter of Asia-Pacific's aircraft maintenance and repair volumes.

Thales' expanded facility underscores the importance of Singapore as a regional hub, the firm said, as it aims to grow local capabilities and establish a strong regional base to serve customers in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Aerospace firm Thales expands Singapore facility, now its largest repair hub globally - The Straits Times

South Florida Business Journal

Kellstrom Aerospace buys Vortex Aviation - South Florida Business ... South Florida Business Journal Miami Lakes-based Kellstrom Aerospace Group Inc. on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Vortex Aviation Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. AE Industrial's Kellstrom Aerospace acquires Vortex AviationMergers & Acquisitions - The Middle Market all 2 news articles »

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Kellstrom Aerospace buys Vortex Aviation - South Florida Business ... - South Florida Business Journal

EVERETT Zodiac Northwest Aerospace Technologies current home just east of downtown Everett feels more like a rabbit warren than the site of a growing aerospace business.

The 20-year-old company started out in a garage in Stanwood. It soon moved to Everetts North Star building, which went up in 1901, east of the intersection of Hewitt Avenue and Broadway. Since then, it has expanded and taken over the three adjacent buildings. Built in 1935, those structures are comparatively young.

It took Northwest Aerospace Technologies (NAT) President Jim Moore about a week to learn his way around. There are too few bathrooms, too little parking and no room to grow, he said.

Weve simply outgrown the buildings were in, Moore said. Theres really nowhere else for us to go anymore.

Moores comments came at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for NATs new home a modern facility near at Riverside Business Park, just east of Everetts Delta neighborhood. The company is working with Auburn-based Latitude Development. NAT is one of several aerospace suppliers in Snohomish County spending big sums to add production capacity.

NAT expects to move nearly 200 employees into the new building in March. The new building will have 37,000 square feet of office space and 65,500 square feet of manufacturing space. The company is an engineering-services firm focused on modifying jetliners for airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airplane leasing companies. In 2012, Frances Zodiac Aerospace bought NAT. In January, another French aerospace giant, Safran, agreed to buy Zodiac. That deal, however, is not finalized and could unravel. If the merger does happen, NAT will become part of the worlds third largest aerospace supplier.

There are a lot of opportunities out there to fuel NATs growth, Moore said after the ceremony.

In addition to its Everett location, it also has about 20 workers in Montana. The company has about 90 engineers between the two sites.

Latitude Development also plans to put a 102,500 square foot manufacturing and office structure next to NATs new home at Riverside, most of which is owned by the Port of Everett. Latitude also is trying to find tenants for another 10.5 acres at the industrial park. The developer is working with Bellevue-based Broderick Group, which brokered the NAT deal.

All nine parcels of Riversides 85 acres are in various stages of development. FedEx is building a distribution center on one parcel. In all, the developments at the park could support 800 jobs paying more than $35 million in wages each year, according to estimates by Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

During its past life as a sawmill, the current Riverside site supported about 2,000 jobs. A mill operated there from 1915 into the 1980s, when Weyerhaeuser closed its Mill B. The Port of Everett bought the land from the timber company in 1998.

By 2005, the port was close to selling the land to Sierra Pacific Industries, which wanted to put a new sawmill there. However, that deal fell through when Sierra Pacific chose another location. The port renewed marketing Riverside in 2012. Bringing the land back to the tax rolls has been a priority for the port, said Terrie Battuello, the Port of Everetts head of business development.

The FedEx building is going up on part of a roughly 16-acre parcel sold for $5 million in 2016 by the port to KW Projects, a partnership between Kiernan Companies, a developer based in Coronado, Colorado, and West Partners, a San Diego-based investment group.

Waste Management has signed a lease for about 15 acres, and has until the end of June to complete its due diligence work at the site. The company is competing to provide Snohomish County with recycling and trash services.

The Port of Everett plans to spend about $4 million through 2018 on roads, utilities, trails and other work at Riverside.

Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.

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Aerospace supplier breaks ground for new Riverside building - The Daily Herald

STELIA Aerospace reports that it has recently invested several million euros in anR&T project called ARCHES BOX TP(2015- 2017), as part ofthe CORAC platform, the French Strategic Advisory Board for Civil Aviation Research.

Theproject, focused on use ofthermoplastic composites, is described by STELIA as a technology challenge, because thermoplastic composites are less mature thanthermoset matrix composites,and an economic issue because the use of thermoplastic compositeson fuselages for the next single-aisle aircraft generationmust be more competitive than the last generation of metallic technologies.

STELIA Aerospace has decided to develop a full thermoplastic generic andtypical airframe demonstrator (thin skin, stringers andframes) to allow a first internal evaluation in a real industrial environment. Both owner and design authorityfor the project, STELIA Aerospace has manufactured the skin via automatedfiber placement (AFP) and out-of-autoclave consolidation. STELIA Aerospace has used its own in-house R&T means located in STELIALAB (Meaulte, France), where final integration of all elementary parts has been finalized.

STELIA Aerospace has selected French suppliers in thermoplastic composites to bring complementary technology: dynamic robotic induction welding of TP stringers, fast stamping of stringers and frames and hybrid TP structure by overmolding short fiber and long fiber.

The Institut de Soudure Group was responsible for the dynamic induction welding of the stiffeners on the skin. To do this, the group developed on behalf of STELIA Aerospace, specific inducers that take into account the technical characteristics of the materials used. For several years, the Institut de Soudure has developed competence in the welding of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber based on thermoplastic matrix (PEEK, PEKK, PPS), also applicable to more conventional matrix materials such as PA or PP.

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STELIA Aerospace develops induction welding technology - CompositesWorld

LONDON, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This report, from Stratview Research, studies the floor panel market in the global aerospace industry over the period 2017 to 2022. The report provides detailed insights into the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities in the market.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4956455/

The Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market: Highlights

The global aerospace floor panel market was valued at US$ 340.4 million in 2016 and is forecasted to grow at a healthy CAGR of 5.8% over the next five years to reach US$ 468.8 million in 2022. Healthy expected future growth rate offers a plethora of opportunities to the entire ecosystem of the market. Increasing production rates of key commercial and regional aircraft, such as B737, B787, A320, A350XWB, and C Series; upcoming commercial and regional aircraft, such as Comac C919 and Mitsubishi MRJ; requirement of lightweight aircraft flooring, advancement in flooring technology; and increasing global aircraft fleet size are the major growth drivers of the market.

The global aerospace floor panel market is firstly segmented based on aircraft type as Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation. Narrow body aircraft is expected to remain the largest segment for global aerospace floor panel market during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. Wide-body aircraft is likely to witness the highest growth in the same period, driven by an increasing demand for wide-body aircraft, such as B787 and A350XWB in developing economies, such as China and India. There is also a healthy demand for wide-body aircraft in the Middle-East region.

The global aerospace floor panel market is secondly segmented based on core material type as Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others. Nomex honeycomb has been the growing choice for a wide range of applications throughout the aerospace industry including floor panels. All major aircraft type including narrow-body and wide-body aircraft are heavily relying on this unique material. Nomex honeycomb offers enormous advantages over competing materials, such as lightweight, exceptional stiffness and strength, good corrosion resistance, good fire resistance, good thermal stability, and excellent dielectric properties.

The global aerospace floor panel market is thirdly segmented based on end-user type as OEM and aftermarket. OEM is likely to remain the largest end-user type during the forecast period, driven by an increasing demand for commercial and regional aircraft across regions. Both OEMs and aftermarket segments are likely to witness healthy growth rates over the next five years.

The global aerospace floor panel market is finally segmented based on region as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. North America is projected to remain the largest aerospace floor panel market during the forecast period. This region has been the pioneer in the aerospace & defense industry and is the manufacturing capital with the presence of small to large OEMs in each aircraft category. Most of the players have manufacturing and assembly plants in North America. Additionally, all major floor panel manufacturers for aerospace industry are located in the region to support OEMs for the development of advanced products meeting airline requirements.

Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth in the same period. Largest commercial aircraft fleet size; gradual shift of manufacturing/assembly plants of OEMs; and upcoming indigenous commercial and regional aircraft, such as Comac C919, ARJ21, and MRJ, fuelled by increasing passenger traffic will continue to drive the Asia-Pacific market in coming years.

Some of the major companies in the aerospace floor panel market are The Gill Corporation, Triumph Group, B E Aerospace (now Rockwell Collins), EnCore Group, and Zodiac Aerospace. New product development, adoption of advanced lightweight materials, and collaboration with OEMs are some of the key strategies adopted by companies to gain a competitive edge over other competitors.

Research Methodology

This report offers high-quality insights and is the outcome of detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research's internal database and statistical tools. More than 700 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact book, press release, journals, investor presentation, white papers, patents, and articles have been leveraged to gather the data. We usually conduct more than 10 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and with industry experts to obtain both the qualitative and quantitative insights.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis Market trend and forecast analysis Market segment trend and forecast Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Emerging trends Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players Key success factors The aerospace floor panel market is segmented into the following categories.

Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type

Narrow-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Wide-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Very Large Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) General Aviation (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by Core Material Type

Nomex Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Aluminium Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by End-User Type

OEM (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe, APAC, and RoW) Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by Region:

North America (Country Analysis: The USA, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, Russia, The UK, Spain, and Rest of the Europe) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan, China, India, and Rest of the Asia-Pacific) Rest of the world (Country Analysis: Latin America, Middle East, and Others)

Report Customization Options

With this detailed report, Stratview Research offers one of the following free customization options to our respectable clients:

Company Profiling

Detailed profiling of additional market players (up to 3)

SWOT analysis of key players (up to 3)

Market Segmentation

Current market segmentation of any one of the aircraft type by core material type

Competitive Benchmarking

Benchmarking of key players on the following parameters: Product portfolio, geographical reach, regional presence, and strategic alliances

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4956455/

About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com

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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-aerospace-floor-panel-market-by-aircraft-type-by-core-material-type-by-end-user-type-and-by-region-trend-forecast-competitive-analysis-and-growth-opportunity-2017-a-2022-300480537.html

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Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type, by Core Material Type, by End-User Type, and by Region, Trend ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Photo: Mahindra Aerospace

Mahindra Aerospace has received a FAR 23 type certificate from Australias Civil Aviation Safety Authority for its Airvan 10, the company said. Australias first 10-seat, single-engine turbine aircraft has also received a type certificate from the FAA.

This [certification] comes as a cornerstone for civil aviation, said S P Shukla, chairman of Mahindra Aerospace and group president of aerospace and defense for Mahindra Group. This certification under stringent safety standards in place today aligns with Mahindra Groups focus on introducing world-class products in fast changing general aviation world, which will be dominated significantly by turboprops in this class of aircraft. Todays certifications enhance our global reach further, with specific focus on large markets for regional connectivity, such as India and Africa.

Mahindra is based in India, while its subsidiary, manufacturer GippsAero, is based in Australia.

For our Australia and India teams, this is a much deserved recognition. This now gives us an opportunity to progress into the next stage of the program, which will address customer and region-specific enhancements to the aircraft, said Keith Douglas, CEO of GippsAero. We expect delivery of the first aircraft to identified customers by the early 2018. There has been a significant demand for such an aircraft in expanding general aviation turboprop market and we are confident we will fill the gap by providing this cost effective solution.

Mahindra Aerospace said its Airvan 10 is the turbocharged version of the Airvan 8. The Airvan 10 is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250 B-17, which produces 450-shaft horsepower. Its because of the engine, Mahindra Aerospace said, that the Airvan 10 is the most economical 10-seat turboprop in its class. It can perform missions including skydiving, passenger transport, freight, recreation and others. The Airvan 10s typical cruise speed is 145 KTASand has a certified ceiling of 20,000 feet. It has a wingspan of over 40 feet, with a 50-inch cabin door.

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Mahindra Aerospace 10-Seat Turboprop Receives FAA, CASA Certification - Aviation Today

June 27 LMI Aerospace Inc:

* LMI Aerospace Inc says in connection with consummation of merger with Sonaca S.A, co terminated certain credit agreement, dated as of June 19, 2014

* LMI Aerospace Inc says outstanding borrowings under credit agreement were paid in full, collateral securing repayment of amounts due under credit agreement was released

* LMI Aerospace Inc says co caused to be irrevocably deposited with U.S. Bank national association, requisite funds to redeem 7.375% notes due 2019

* LMI Aerospace Inc says redemption payment included $224.2 million of outstanding principal, accrued unpaid interest, applicable redemption premium to redemption date

* LMI Aerospace Inc says notes, which bore interest at 7.375% per year, were scheduled to mature in june 2019 - SEC filing Source text: (bit.ly/2siJNbm) Further company coverage:

* Says there were four municipal credit defaults in calendar year 2016, all related to Puerto Rico with a total default volume of $22.6 billion

LONDON, June 27 U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Tuesday that she does not believe that there will be another financial crisis for at least as long as she lives, thanks largely to reforms of the banking system since the 2007-09 crash.

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BRIEF-LMI Aerospace terminates certain credit agreement in connection with consummation of Sonaca merger - Reuters

Cadets attending the 2017 Civil Air Patrol Tennessee Wing Encampment, held at MTSU for the second year in a row, march past the McCallie Dining Hall toward the Business and Aerospace Building. (Photo provided by CAP Tennessee Wing)

Middle Tennessee State University has been home base to Civil Air Patrol cadets from across the country attending classes and participating in aerospace and engineering activities tied to the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

Last week, MTSU hosted Civil Air Patrol's National Engineering Technologies Academy, a weeklong special activity that drew about 50 youths between ages 15 and 21 from as far away as California to study in the departments of Aerospace and Engineering Technology.

The academy closed Saturday, just as the annual CAP Tennessee Wing Encampment welcomed about 100 cadets from Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi for a separate weeklong leadership and aerospace education activity also on the Murfreesboro campus.

The two events are a result of MTSU's partnership with the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The pact was renewed for another three years in a ceremony last March with interim Provost Mark Byrnes, Tennessee Wing Commander Col. Arlinda Bailey and Southeast Region Commander Col. Barry Melton, a 1982 graduate of MTSU.

MTSU entered the partnership in hopes of hosting such activities for CAP's cadet program, set up for youths ages 12 to 21, and in support of CAP's aerospace education efforts for area primary and secondary classrooms.

"Our partnership with Civil Air Patrol has been a true win-win for both organizations," said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. "It allows MTSU to showcase its campus and faculty to prospective students whose interests mirror many of our signature programs."

Melton, whose region includes Tennessee Wing and wings from five other states and Puerto Rico, described the partnership in March as a "model for other wings throughout the nation hoping to connect with major universities."

This is the second year Tennessee Wing held its cadet encampment on the MTSU campus and it was the first time MTSU hosted the technologies academy, which was previously based at Auburn University.

Cadets at both events also received campus tours, visited MTSU's Aerospace Campus at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport and attended a leadership seminar conducted by retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, the university's senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives.

"We feel MTSU offers a great learning environment and overall experience for Civil Air Patrol cadets," said Andrew Oppmann, the university's vice president for marketing and communications and a CAP lieutenant colonel.

"We're pleased our partnership expanded this year with the addition of the national academy and hope to host other new activities in the years ahead."

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MTSU gives CAP cadets taste of aerospace, engineering during weeklong events - Wgnsradio

Its all part of an ongoing research projectthe only one like in the nationfunded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of its ambitious long-term plan to establish a human colony on Mars.

This UND-based projectthe Inflatable Lunar-Mars Habitat, or ILMHhas been built and worked on by students. The heavy-duty fabricating and welding of all aluminum infrastructure has been done locally by Grand Forks Welding, which delivered the final plastic-sheeting wrapped unit to the ILMH site earlier this week.

There are now a total of five modules, configured like an actual Mars basea living module; an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) and maintenance module; a plant production module; an exercise and human performance module; and a geology module, said de Len, who besides his faculty appointment is director of the UND Human Spaceflight Laboratory in the John D. Odegard College of Aerospace Sciences. There, he and his team work on designing and building the planetary exploration suits essential to survival in the thin atmosphere of Mars, which is 96 percent carbon dioxide.

Additionally, two vehiclesalso designed and built by UND Space Studies studentsa crewed four-wheel electric powered rover and a four-wheel drive electric powered robotic rover.

How it all works

De Len explains how this system works as follows:

*The core of this five unit project is the living module, where crew will spend a good portion of their time.

*The EVA and maintenance module is the workshop where the crew will perform both routine and emergency repairs and maintenance on suits, modules, rovers and other equipment.

*The plant production module is all about feed crewof course, this means a plant-based diet. No room for meat animals.

The plant production module will house trays of plants under LED lights specially designed by NASA, noted de Lenwho said the Space Studies graduate degree program always has far more applicants than the program can accept.

We will grow the plants under different conditions, and they will be temperature controlled over North Dakotas winter, he said. Sensors with computers will record data related to plant progress, the pH of soil, humidity. They plants will then be harvested, cleaned and taken to habitat to be cooked and eaten.

*The exercise and human performance module will house special exercise machines with systems that will feed information to NASA; the agency will be able to perform real-time monitoring of the health status of persons in module.

*The geology module is for experiments and for developing techniques for cutting Martian rocks that may contain contaminants such as toxic perchlorates that should not be inhaledparticulates could be released as the rocks are gathered and cut, so crew must process samples in a glove box.

All the modules are connected with aluminum-framed tunnels, already built and ready to be hooked up at the site.

Power

De Len speculates that ultimately, small nuclear plants will generate the power for a Mars-based station like the one being tested at UND.

On Mars, which is farther from Sun than Earth, wind would darken solar panels over time (constant cleaning of dust), he said. So with what we know now, a small nuclear plant would be the most practical. The fact is, weve using nuclear power for decades in space to power planetary probes and other space craft.

The density of Mars atmosphere is low so nothing heavy can be moved by winds, so wind power is out of the question.

Youd need wind turbine blades half a mile long or more, de Len said. And Martian dust storms can last three months, so dust would accumulate on solar panelsreducing or eliminating their energy-generating capabilities. Moreover, none of machines to produce oxygen, purify water, would work in such an environment. Nuclear power would meet all those needs with low maintenance requirements.

The project was first funded in 2009 by a three year $750,000 grant. Another $750,000 grant was awarded to the UND ILMH project in 2015.

Why UND?

UND is one of a few facilities funded by NASA to test long-duration Mars conditions, said de Len.

We have the talent pool, the facilities, the environment and climate that provide an optimum place to test the extreme technologies needed for such a hostile place as Mars, said de Len. We collaborate with other universities and NASA centers on long-duration missions to actually test different technologies, systems and equipment that will facilitate our travel to, and stay on, Mars.

Teams of students already have successfully completed 10-day and 30-day missions in the ILMH. De Len says much longer multi-month missions are planned now that the ILMHs five modules are in place.

When it becomes fully operational, well issue nation-wide call for personnel to crew the habitat so that we can do long-duration missions on regular basis, he said.

Todays ILMH team consists of 11 graduate students, but several dozen have been through the Space Studies program. Most of those graduates now are working for NASA or for contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The Space Studies programs first PhD student Kavya Manyapu (who works at Boeing in Houston) will defend her dissertation next month. Manyapu is an aerospace test engineer, a designer of Boeing Companys Commercial Spacecraft, and a participant in the Mars Society research project that will someday prepare humans for life on Mars.

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UND Aerospace Engineer Pablo de Len leads students in designing NASA-funded mock Mars space station - Prairie Business

Zodiac Aerospace Vice President of Manufacturing Honored with Community College Spirit Award

By the New Jersey Council of County Colleges

TRENTON, N.J. On June 19, during its annual New Jersey Community College Awards Ceremony, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges presented the 2017 Community College Spirit Award to Neil Cavaleri, vice president of manufacturing at Zodiac Aerospace, for his exemplary support of New Jerseys community colleges.

Since its inauguration in 1993, the Community College Spirit Award has been an honor bestowed to those who embody the community college spirit perseverance, dedication and excellence, said NJCCC Chair Helen Albright.

Cavaleri was honored for his advocacy work on behalf of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development.

The Workforce Consortium was started in 2004 to better meet the training needs of businesses throughout the state, whatever their size, Albright said. One of the reasons it has been so successful is because of the support it has garnered from key business leaders throughout the state, such as Neil.

He has been instrumental in Zodiac Aerospaces over 30-year partnership with Brookdale Community College, utilizing the Colleges training and career services to help his employees get ahead in their careers and in their lives.

Cavaleri, a Brookdale Community College alumnus, hosted the 10th anniversary celebration event of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association Basic Skills Workforce Training Program at Zodiac Aerospace, and was the keynote speaker at the 50th anniversary celebration of New Jerseys community colleges, hosted by New Jersey Congressman William Pascrell as part of the annual Association of Community College Trustees National Legislative Seminar in Washington, D.C., in February 2017. He was honored alongside colleagues from Zodiac Aerospace at the Brookdale Community College Foundations 2017 Scholarship Ball, held June 9 at Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club in Farmingdale.

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges is the state association representing New Jerseys 19 community colleges. As an independent, trustee-headed organization that joins the leadership of trustees and presidents, the Council is the voice of the community college sector before the state legislature and other branches of government.

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Zodiac Aerospace Vice President of Manufacturing Honored with Community College Spirit Award - Brookdale Community College Newsroom