The Triumph Group selected to design and build key part for Piasecki Aircraft's PA-890 eVTOL compound helicopter

The Triumph Group's Geared Solutions business has been selected by Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) to design and build a prototype main transmission for PiAC's hydrogen-powered PA-890 eVTOL compound helicopter. This project will begin this summer at TRIUMPH Geared Solutions in Park City, UT.

"Through innovative development of the main transmission for the next generation of sustainably fueled aircraft, our team of experienced design engineers will collaborate with Piasecki to support the breakthrough PA-890 aircraft," said Pete Gibson, President of TRIUMPH Geared Solutions.  "This prototype will incorporate additive technology advancements and TRIUMPH's agile and flexible approach to the design process."

"We selected the TRIUMPH Geared Solutions team for this project based on their extensive experience in gearbox design, development, and their ability to implement innovative manufacturing approaches," said John Piasecki, President & CEO of PiAC. "TRIUMPH's collaborative approach to development was a critical factor in our selection of them to jointly develop a main transmission prototype for the PA-890's hydrogen-electric propulsion system."

TRIUMPH Geared Solutions specializes in the design and manufacture of commercial & defence complex aerospace gearing components, integrated gearboxes and housings for fixed wing, rotorcraft, aircraft engine and ground vehicle applications.

Britten-Norman to repatriate aircraft production to its historic home in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.

UK aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman reveals plans to increase production rates and to repatriate aircraft production to its historic home in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The move is a major change for the British SME which has been manufacturing its aircraft in Eastern Europe since the late 1960s.

Britten-Norman will invest in new jigs and tooling to create two additional production lines as well as modernising production and decarbonising the site with new sustainable energy initiatives.

The investment is in preparation for intensified interest in the Islander following the planned launch of an OEM, zero-emissions Islander aircraft in 2026 as well as wider interest that has resulted from the introduction of finance and leasing options for the resurgent sub-regional aircraft market.

In the coming months the Company will be embarking on a recruitment campaign, further boosting job creation in the UK’s Solent Local Enterprise Partnership area. The focus will include aircraft fitters and technicians, production engineering and supply chain roles. The expansion will also create new traineeship and apprenticeship opportunities on the Isle of Wight and in South Hampshire.

In addition to the ramp up in production, the company will be investing in its supply chain and spare parts stock holdings to support its existing operators.

“The project is a great success story for the British aircraft manufacturing industry. I am very proud to be involved in this next chapter at Britten-Norman” commented Chief Executive, William Hynett OBE.

Britten-Norman will retain its 34,000sq ft. stronghold at Solent Airport Daedalus, home of the final assembly line for the Islander. The site also provides OEM aircraft refurbishment, EASA Part 145 MRO services, international field servicing, and specialist avionics and mission systems integration. As a Garmin-approved dealer, the company offers services to the wider General Aviation community.

Universal Hydrogen gets experimental airworthiness certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration and completes first taxi tests....

Universal Hydrogen Co., whose mission is to make hydrogen aviation a near-term reality, today announced it was granted a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the first flight of its hydrogen-powered regional aircraft. The company also released video footage of successful first taxi tests of the aircraft, designed to evaluate ground handling qualities and the performance of the fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds.

The Dash 8-300 flying testbed has a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell powertrain installed in one of its nacelles. The powertrain is in a configuration that closely resembles the company’s first product—a conversion kit for ATR 72-600 regional airliners—which is expected to be certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025. Notably, Universal Hydrogen’s powertrain does not utilize a hybrid battery architecture—a major innovation—with all of the power transmitted directly from the fuel cells to the electric motor, significantly decreasing weight and lifecycle cost.

Rolls-Royce and easyJet set aviation world first successful hydrogen engine test run

Rolls-Royce and easyJet today confirmed they have set a new aviation milestone with the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen.

The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.

Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.

The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down, UK using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine. Green hydrogen for the tests was supplied by EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre), generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands, UK.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.”

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said: “This is a real success for our partnership team. We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”

Following analysis of this early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

The partnership is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed up to, committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.