Sichuan Airlines (3U) will begin three direct flights per week between Auckland and Chengdu from 13 June 2017.

The new 3U schedule will feature an A330-200 aircraft, with Business and Economy Class configuration and operate initially on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight will take 13 hours direct from New Zealand to the Southwest part of China.

The flights – coded 3U8910/8909 – will depart Auckland at 20:30 to reach Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around 06:00, with a 01:55 overnight return leg arriving into Auckland at 18:45.

Sichuan Airlines Company was founded on 19 September 1986. Currently it has more than 215 routes, a well-operating network integrating main, secondary, international, regional and branch routes, contributing to the transportation system of the regional comprehensive transportation hub.

The new services mean there will be up to 75 flights a week between New Zealand and China, including Hong Kong and depending on the season.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

|  A TravelInc release  |  February 21, 2017  ||

Boeing has whipped the (very long) covers off the latest addition to the Dreamliner family. The 787-10 was launched during President Trump's visit to the Boeing factory in South Carolina, and blends the outstanding fuel efficiency of the existing 787-8 and 787-9 with room for even more passengers.

Compared to the existing 787-9, the 787-10 has gone through a fairly serious growth spurt. The new plane is 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer, which helps free space for 330 passengers in a two-class cabin, a 14 percent improvement over the 290-passenger 787-9. Boeing also says there's also room for 15 percent more cargo than before, giving airlines even more space to overcharge for baggage they'll inevitably break.ADVERTISINGinRead invented by Teads

Maximum range is now pegged at 6,430 nautical miles (7,400 mi/11,910 km) which is a not-insignificant 1,205 nautical miles (1,387 mi/2,232 km) less than the 787-9 can manage. You can blame that on the extra capacity and size, both of which are the enemies of efficiency.

Although it can't match the smaller members of the Dreamliner family, the 787-10 is still much more efficient than planes of a similar size. Boeing says its new model uses up to 10 percent less fuel than its nearest competitor, and 25 percent less than the planes it's likely to replace. Not only does that represent a significant cost saving for airlines, it also should help cut emissions across the whole industry, something that benefits everyone.The 787-10 Dreamliner will seat 330 people

"This airplane, the most efficient in its class, is the result of years of hard work and dedication from our Boeing teammates, suppliers and community partners in South Carolina and across the globe," says Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "We know our customers, including launch customer Singapore Airlines, are going to love what the 787-10 will do for their fleets, and we can't wait to see them fly it."

The new Dreamliner will be arriving with airlines in 2018 and, given that Boeing has already received 149 orders, they shouldn't be hard to spot at the world's airports. The plane will make its maiden flight in the coming weeks.

|  Source: Boeing  |  February 19, 2017  ||

Dreamt of having a lunch meeting in Paris and getting back to New York City in time to tuck the kids into bed? That’s what Joshua Krall of Boom Technology says his supersonic commercial jet will be able to do for you. Krall is revealing this dream at the first-ever Rescale Night in the United States.

It was a sad day in 2003 when the Concorde was grounded, cancelling the chance of supersonic flight for all civilians. The Concorde, with its sleek shape and massive jets, was easily the sexiest commercial jet ever. It made every other passenger jet look slow and dumpy. But its fuel guzzling proved to be too much for the airlines that flew it. Tickets higher than $10,000 (that was 40 years ago) were not enough to turn a profit.

The Boom SST, currently available only as a 3D CAD model, is a smaller, lighter and more modern Concorde. It will probably have Wi-Fi.

The entire company is smaller than a single division of Boeing or Airbus. “We have 25 people,” said Krall. “But almost all of them are engineers ... and we are growing.” Boom has landed a $2.1 million round of funding. A letter of intent by Virgin to buy 10 SSTs should lead to more funding. The company is now able to add to its Denver-based staff and expand facilities. We see the Boom’s servers next to a toilet. “It was the only room we had,” laughed Krall.I am reminded of how, from humble beginnings, William Boeing started his airplane company with only one engineer, the legendary Wong Tsu of China.

The Boom SST will fly at Mach 2.2, a bit faster than the Concorde. At a top speed of 1,450 mph, you will get from New York City to Paris in 3 hours and 15 minutes. And it will be cheaper. Boom projects you can get onboard with a $2,500 business class ticket.

How Now?Boom cites three reasons why its plane will be the new success of supersonic commercial flight:

1. Fuel efficiency. Jet engines have made a few improvements since the days of the Concorde.
2. Better aerodynamics. The Boom shares the air-piercing look of the Concorde. Boomers are spending a lot of time tweaking the design, and subtle changes have led to aerodynamic improvements. Boom makes heavy use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, which allows for rapid consideration of design changes.
3. Less weight. Boom employs widespread-use of carbon fiber composites.

Boom is joined in the quest for a supersonic civilian flight by Spike, whose S-512 will fly at Mach 1.6.

NASA has also been flying an SST demonstrator, the QueSST, which flies at Mach 1.4.

RescaleDoing hundreds of CFD analyses a day doesn’t come cheap. Unlike NASA, a small company like Boom cannot be expected to own supercomputers. (There may not be enough space in the men's room.) Instead, Boom makes use of computers via Rescale, another startup, which lets Boom run CFD on hundreds of cores on high performance computers, just like the big boys. Being able to rent hardware this way alleviates small companies from large capital expenditures and allows them to use their funding to get the brains on the job. Boom brags about its dream team, all of them industry vets, engineers and builders.

Rescale lists hundreds of software titles, including engineering software like ANSYS Fluent, CD-adapco’s STAR-CCM+ and COMSOL for CFD. All are based on pay per use, so there are no upfront license costs.

Having access to supercomputing is a concept that seems to be catching on, if only judging by the amount of investment that software as a service (SaaS) is receiving. Rescale has received over $20 million in funding, with $14 million of it in May 2016.

Rescale competes with SIMSCALE, which also offers engineering software on a SaaS model.

| An engineering.com release  |  February 14, 2017  ||

Ever wondered how flowers are transported around the world? - by Better Homes and Gardens

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates airline, has unveiled a unique decal featuring a rose on one of its Boeing 777-F freighter aircraft ahead of Valentine’s day. The decal, installed at the Emirates Aircraft Appearance Centre in Dubai, is the first of its kind for Emirates SkyCargo and highlights the strong contribution made by the air cargo carrier to the floriculture industry through the transport of fresh flowers across the world.

One of the first ports of call for the aircraft will be Nairobi in Kenya, where the aircraft will be loaded with a consignment of flowers headed to Amsterdam- the world’s largest flower distribution centre.

Every day Emirates SkyCargo transports fresh flowers across its global network of over 150 destinations. This includes the flowers transported on board dedicated freighters from major flower exporting countries such as Kenya and Ecuador directly to Amsterdam, as well as flowers transported in the belly hold of the aircraft from countries as far and diverse as India, New Zealand, Vietnam, Zambia, and Ethiopia. Between January and December 2016, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 70,000 tonnes of fresh flowers around the world.

Although the transportation of flowers is a year-round activity, there is a marked increase in the volume of flowers - in particular roses - being transported around Valentine’s Day which is the single most important annual date for floriculturists worldwide. It is estimated that close to 250 million stems of roses are grown worldwide exclusively to cater to the increased demand for flowers around Valentine’s Day. Emirates SkyCargo adds supplementary cargo capacity every year in the major flower trade lanes to be able to bring the additional volumes of flowers to Aalsmeer - the world’s largest flower auction house in Amsterdam - and from there onwards to other global destinations.

In the week running up to Valentine’s this year, Emirates SkyCargo has operated 4 freighters over and above the daily scheduled freighter service from Nairobi bringing close to an additional 350 tonnes of flowers into Amsterdam. Additional capacity was also deployed to supplement the thrice weekly freighter service between Quito in Ecuador and Amsterdam in order to cater to the demand around Valentine’s Day.

By facilitating the global export of flowers from countries such as Kenya and Ecuador, Emirates SkyCargo also makes an important economic contribution to these regions where the cultivation of flowers is an important local industry. The floriculture industry supports employment for an estimated half a million people in Kenya and over 100,000 people in Ecuador.

The journey of a flower usually begins in a farm where it is harvested by hand. The freshly harvested flowers are then sorted, arranged in bouquets and hand packed into boxes which are then loaded on the aircraft. In order to ensure maximum freshness and shelf life, the temperature in the cargo hold of the aircraft is maintained between 1 and 3 degrees centigrade.

Emirates Skycargo also offers a range of innovative cool chain solutions to ensure that the flowers are maintained at the right temperature from the origin to destination. One such solution is ‘White Cover’- an innovative temperature protection solution that is cost efficient and environmentally friendly. Designed to shield temperature-sensitive cargo from solar heat during transportation, it is water resistant, yet breathable making it ideal for the transport flowers.

Emirates SkyCargo has been at the forefront of the cargo industry operating a young and modern fleet of 255 aircraft including 15 dedicated freighters- 13 Boeing 777-Fs and two Boeing 747-400ERFs. The carrier also offers a number of specialised transportation solutions for customers across different business verticals such as pharmaceuticals and automobile.

Air Canada has unveiled a bold new livery inspired by Canada for its entire fleet, elegant new uniforms for its employees, and a taste of some of the new on-board menu offerings that its customers can look forward to.

“Air Canada’s new livery signals a pivotal inflection point in our 80-year history,” said Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines.

“On the occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary year, with our new livery, new uniforms for our employees, the award-winning international cabin standard introduced with the launch of our Boeing 787 aircraft, and enhanced on-board offerings, the future Air Canada represents the strength of our nation and the future-looking spirit of our airline.

“On behalf of our 30,000 employees world-wide, it is a privilege to fly Canada’s flag, and we are proud to showcase some of the best of this nation’s talent as we continue to expand Air Canada’s horizons to fly to more than 200 destinations on six continents.”

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Air Canada’s fleet of 300 mainline and regional aircraft are being repainted in a bold black and white design that highlights its iconic red maple leaf encircled ensign, or “rondelle,” that returns to the tail of the flag carrier’s fleet after an absence of 24 years.

With the new livery providing a sleek, contemporary backdrop, Air Canada premiered elegant charcoal grey and black employee uniforms with red accents and accessories by Canadian designer Christopher Bates.

In 2016, Air Canada significantly increased its global footprint with the launch of 28 new routes including 15 new international and 12 US trans-border routes.

With new service to Morocco, the airline joined the elite club of global carriers serving all six continents.

In 2017, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will continue its global strategic expansion.

To date, Air Canada has taken delivery of 23 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners with 14 more planned by 2019 – all offering the new international cabin standard.

Find out more about the design overhaul in this Air Canada guide.

|  An AirCanada release  |  February 13, 2017  ||

Airbus is planning to test self-piloted personal aircraft by the end of the year as a way of reducing traffic on inner-city roads.

The announcement was made by the aerospace group's CEO, Tom Enders, on Monday at the DLD digital tech conference in Munich.

During his keynote speech, Enders said Airbus is investing in driverless technologies and artificial intelligence, which could lead to them developing a fleet of flying cars.

"One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground. Now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground," he said, adding that he believed the company would be testing flying single-person transport by the end of the year.

"We are in an experimentation phase. We take this development very seriously," he said. "If we ignore these developments, we will be pushed out of important segments of the business."

Enders also noted how the development could affect city planning and infrastructure, saying that flying means you don't need to "pour billions" into concrete bridges and roads.

The personal aircraft is being explored in Airbus' Project Vahana. The project grew out of the company's Urban Air Mobility initiative, dedicated to less-conventional vehicle concepts, like vehicles to transport individuals or helicopter-style vehicle that carry multiple riders.

The aim would be for people to book the personal aircraft using an app, similar to car-sharing schemes such as Uber.

Airbus has also been working on "vertical take-off and landing" (VTOL) technology that would allow vehicles to pick up passengers in busy urban areas, and has said it expects to be putting them into production by 2021.

"We seek to help enable truly vertical cities by opening up urban airways in a predictable and controlled manner," said the company in a blog post.

"We believe that full automation will allow us to achieve higher safety by minimising human error. Our aircraft will follow predetermined flight paths, with only minor deviations if obstacle avoidance is needed."

Airbus' announcement appears to support transport designer Paul Priestman's prediction last year that passenger-carrying drones would be the future.

"We've got these electric drones flying around everywhere," he said. "[Electric planes are] just a scaled up version really. I think that's going to get really interesting – it could be the beginning of personalised transportation."

"It's like going back to the idea of jetpacks, but with lots of little drones," he added.

Airbus has filed a number of unusual patents over the years. In 2014 the company applied for a patent on bicycle-style seats that would replace seat cushions with saddles, and in 2015 filed one for two-storey passenger seating that would make the most of unused cabin space by stacking travellers one on top of another.

Most recently, the company patented removable aeroplane cabins for faster boarding.

| Originally published on Dezeen  |  January 17, 2017  |

Rocket Lab today announced the flight qualification and acceptance of the first stage booster of the Electron launch vehicle.

All primary components of the stage – including engines, vehicle structures, avionics and software systems - were designed, developed and tested in-house at Rocket Lab.

“Rocket Lab has had a hugely successful year with qualification of all major vehicle systems, completion of Launch Complex 1 and considerable growth of our team and customer base,” said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO.

“We will continue to test the vehicle extensively in the lead-up to commercial operations and are looking forward to beginning the test flight program. Our focus with the Electron has been to develop a reliable launch vehicle that can be manufactured in high volumes – our ultimate goal is to make space accessible by providing an unprecedented frequency of launch opportunities.”

Rocket Lab plans to begin full vehicle testing in early 2017 once international launch licensing is complete. The tests will occur from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, located on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand.

|  A Rocket Lab release | Dec 13, 2016 |

GE to build 3D made aircraft engine.

GE is testing its a-CT7 turboprop aircraft engine which will be made with about a third of its parts made through additive manufacturing processes.

The prototype replaces 900 conventionally manufactured parts with just 16, demonstrating the technology's power to create more complex parts than conventional means.

There will be components designed to finer tolerances or to withstand heat that ultimately may not be made this way, but the future looks additive.

Continue to full article on Aerospace

| WOOD DALE, Illinois, November 17, 2016 | – AAR (NYSE: AIR), a global leader in the aviation aftermarket, has entered into a long-term contract with Air New Zealand to provide nose-to-tail, cost-per-flight-hour rotable inventory support covering 740 parts and 15 of the airline’s B777 aircraft. Under reciprocal terms of the agreement, Air New Zealand will become AAR’s exclusive component repair provider for selected parts in the Asia-Pacific region and preferred supplier for selected parts worldwide.

This significant contract establishes a component inventory and repair partnership for AAR in the growing Asia-Pacific region with an AAA-rated carrier. It also marks AAR’s first PBH agreement solely focused on the B777 aircraft, the flagship carrier and international workhorse connecting New Zealand to the rest of the world.

“This partnership complements AAR’s in-house component repair facilities in the U.S. and Europe and extends our reach in the fast-growing Australasia region,” said Deepak Sharma, President, AAR International Supply Chain. “We’re proud to team up with an industry-leading long-distance carrier like Air New Zealand to help them create efficiencies with an integrated supply chain solution for their B777 fleet. This is the beginning of a win-winpartnership that we hope will extend to other projects in the region and beyond.”

Air New Zealand Chief Operations Officer Bruce Parton says the deal follows extensive market evaluation and is significant for the airline’s Components business. “We are looking forward to working with a fast-growing partner in AAR that will help to drive a high volume of work and further the commercial success of Air New Zealand’s components business.”