Number 02 – 11 January 2024

“No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him.” Thomas Jefferson

Yak 110

(Information from Mary Grady)

The Yak 110 is what you get when you Combine two planes and a spare jet engine. Airshow pilot Jeff Boerboon was inspired to one-up the popular Russian flyer. Most of the time when you have a crazy idea, you inevitably think, ‘well, that is just crazy’ and the concept goes no further. But if you are airshow pilot Jeff Boerboon, you turn your crazy ideas into pure magic. Boerboon recalls, “One day about 10 years ago, I saw my airplane sitting on the ramp next to another Yak 55 and I had the idea of combining two Yak 55s together.” From there, a lot of hard work happened and the result is the one-of-a-kind Yak 110, complete with two cockpits, two big radial engines, two tails, one extra-long wing and for good measure an extra jet engine in the centre and the one-of-a-kind aircraft made its airshow debut at EAA AirVenture in 2018.

The Yakovlev Yak 55, first built by the Soviets back in the 1980s, has competition in its very DNA. In its first year on the circuit, the Soviet teams for both men and women flew the clean-cut single-seat monoplane to first place in the World Aerobatic Championships, proving the beautiful design excels in its niche. The Yak 55 is still in production, with few changes and it’s long been Boerboon’s favourite. To create the 110, he hunkered down with partners Chad Bartee and Dell Coller for about a year in an Idaho hangar to meld two airplanes together into one powerful aerobatic creation.

The final result weighs in at just under 5,000 pounds (2268Kg), with Boerboon in the cockpit ready to go and the three engines produce a combined 6,000 pounds of thrust. “This gives a much better than one-to-one power-to-weight ratio,” says Boerboon. That means he can accelerate with the aircraft pointing straight up, something generally only found among high-performance fighter aircraft and he can perform just about any other aerobatic manoeuvre, as well with power to spare.

“The concept of combining two aircraft together and adding a jet engine has never been done in the history of aviation,” says Boerboon. “The airplane is incredible to fly. I have only scratched the service of the manoeuvres that are possible.” Boerboon and his crew debuted the airplane at airshows including the world’s largest: EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Athol Franz took this picture on 24 July 2028 at Oshkosh. Details: Canon EOS 1 Mk4 fitted with a 100 to 400 Canon image stabilised lens, 1/160 sec, f/22, ISO 200.

Those persons who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft:
Ari Levien, Rahul Vala, Wouter van der Waal, Jeremy Rorich, Charlie Hugo, Craig Brent, P. Rossouw, Barry Eatwell, Adrian Maree, Neril Bowden, Pierre Brittz, Rennie van Zyl, Kevin Farr, Brian Millett, Andrew Peace, Pete Doig, Bruce Prescott, Andre Visser, Peter Gilbert, Clint Futter, Steve Dewsbery, Danie Viljoen, Piet Steyn, Colin Austen, Erwin Stam, Jaco Volschenk, Righardt Marx, Dave Lloyd, Magiel Esterhuysen, Greg Pullin, Carl von Ludwig, Cecil Thompson, Brian Ross, Rex Tweedie, Jan Sime, Selwyn Kimber, Mike Transki, Johan Venter, Andrew Franz, Hilton Carroll, Callie Calitz (41).

ACSA does it again

The numpties at ACSA have set new standards of incompetence with the issue of Government Gazette GG49969 which came out on 2 January 2024, related to new Airport Charges, which will be effective from 1 April 2024

This Government Gazette is riddled with errors:

• It incorrectly refers to the Commissioner for Civil Aviation. Reference should be made to the Director of Civil Aviation (DCA).
• It incorrectly refers to the Aviation Act, No 74 of 1962. This Act was repealed and has been replaced by  the Civil Aviation Act No 13 of 2009.
• It incorrectly refers to the Air Navigation Regulations, 1976. It should refer to the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2011.
• It incorrectly refers to the International Air Services Act No 51 of 1949 which has been repealed and replaced by the International Air Services Act no 60 of 1993.
• It still refers to Swaziland and not Eswatini which underwent a name change in 2018.
• They have cocked up big time Annexure B – Parking charges relating to MTOW increases are now listed per 100 000 kilograms. In all previous Government Gazettes the increments listed were per 10 000kg.

If you are in the slightest interested in reading this drivel the new Schedule of Charges is here – https://mcusercontent.com/…/GG49969_ACSA_Charges_A4SA. You can download the entire Government Gazette here – https://mcusercontent.com/…/GG49969_ACSA_Charges_A4SA.pdf

Clearly the 30% matric pass rate is starting to show how these people cannot even manage the simplest of regulatory information, probably because most of them do not understand the English language. Oh heavens, what has become of our beloved country? What a disgrace!

13 January
EAA Chapter 322 monthly gathering at Tedderfield Air Park
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

As Nigeria rules the air insurgents scatter

Northeast Nigeria’s Sambisa Forest is known for its low-profile trees and dense thickets, punishing anyone foolish enough to traverse it without a machete. It spreads across 512 square kilometres in Borno State and has served as a refuge for Boko Haram and associated militants. For years, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have used the unforgiving forest as a base of operations. Boko Haram kidnapped young girls and hid in the forest. Militants would emerge from the bush, attack security forces and disappear into its cover.

However, in the past few years Nigerian forces have begun to bombard the forest from the air, bringing militants and their associates running from it in surrender. More recently, newly acquired air assets, especially its A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft have assisted give the army and air force new agility in the area at a reasonable cost. The Super Tucanos are part of a growing list of air assets Nigeria is acquiring for all branches of its military and security services. In the past few years, the country has added platforms that help monitor and secure land and sea, including tethered and untethered drones, helicopters and several other fixed wing aircraft. On a continent where force-on-force warfare is rare and strategic airlift is a constant challenge, having a versatile array of low-cost aerial assets can help sustain mission effectiveness and value.

Tucanos also provide a range of weapons options, including wing- and fuselage-mounted machine guns, air-to-air missiles, and laser-guided bombs. The 12 Super Tucanos were part of a nearly $500 million deal with the United States in 2021. The purchase brought the turboprops to Nigeria as part of a package that includes spare parts to support several years of operations, contracted logistics support, munitions and a multiyear construction project to upgrade infrastructure at Kainji Air Base in Niger State. The A-29s have been a crucial part of Operation Hadin Kai, an ongoing counterterrorism effort that began in April 2021 when it replaced the six-year Operation Lafiya Dole.

Leadership News reported in February 2023 that two Super Tucano strikes killed scores of Boko Haram militants as they gathered for a meeting in Gaizuwa on the edge of the Sambisa Forest. The A-29s fired rockets and bombs, killing some and making others flee. As Nigeria conducted air operations between 23 February and 9 March 2023, more than 1 300 people surrendered, including 699 children, 411 women and 222 men. Nigerian authorities said the total comprised terrorists and their family members.

Voice of Nigeria reported that intelligence showed that some insurgents had planned to attack locations in Gamboru, Kauwa and Monguno in Borno State to disrupt national elections. Instead, a “series of air interdiction operations was carried out at these identified locations,” said Major General Musa Danmadami, director of Defence Media Operations. “Feedback revealed that the airstrike dealt with terrorists, as several terrorists were neutralized with their logistics destroyed.”

African airlines commit to Surf Air’s electric Caravan

East African operators Safarilink and Yellow Wings Air Services have agreed to convert their Cessna Caravan turboprop singles to the electric propulsion system being developed by Surf Air Mobility and partners. In a pair of memorandums of understanding announced this week. However, the companies did not commit to buying a specific amount of the conversions, but each currently operates between four and 15 Caravans.

US-based Surf Air intends to be the launch customer for the conversion package, for which it is working to gain an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC). It plans to offer both hybrid-electric and all-electric powertrains, with the latter expected to deliver operating cost savings of between 40 and 50 percent compared with the original aircraft, as well as eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. To date, Surf Air has been working with electric motor developer MagniX, as well as systems integrator AeroTEC. However, it has yet to confirm the supplier for the motor and expects to name two prospective partners in the coming months.

Kenya-based Yellow Wings provides charter flights to more than 500 airfields across East Africa. Safarilink operates scheduled domestic services in both Tanzania and Kenya. Both prospective customers for the electric Caravan conversion indicated that environmental considerations are strong factors in their decision to partner with Surf Air. Concerns over carbon emissions from high-end tourism are just one facet of the move to decarbonizing flights in developing world markets.

Under an agreement in place with Textron, Surf Air Mobility has placed orders for 100 new Caravans, with options for another 50. It plans to start adding these aircraft to its 50-strong fleet from April at an anticipated delivery rate of 20 Caravans per year. Textron has plans to install the electric propulsion system on subsequent new-build Caravans.

Surf Air is not publicly announcing a timeline for getting the STC and starting conversions, but Little suggested that, with an already-certified airframe, it has a smoother path to market than rival start-ups working on clean-sheet designs. Several European companies, including Heart Aerospace, Aura Aero, and Maeve, are working on new hybrid-electric regional airliners and in the US, Eviation is developing an all-electric, nine-passenger aircraft called the Alice.

NTSB finds the missing 737 Max 9 door plug in a teacher’s backyard

Federal officials have found the fuselage door plug blown off the Alaska Airlines flight on Friday night out of Portland, Oregon. According to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, the door plug was found in the backyard of a Portland-area schoolteacher. The loss of the door plug resulted in what has been described as ‘explosive decompression.’ During a media update on Sunday, Homendy noted that the teacher took photographs of the refrigerator-sized door and contacted the agency via witness@NTSB.gov. Homendy described the door plug as a ‘yellowish green on one side, which might make it blend into the vegetation and white on the other, measuring 26 by 43 inches and weighing 63 pounds (28.5Kg)’. The NTSB chief called the door plug a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation into what caused the incident aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

During the media update, Homendy stressed that the part that departed the aircraft was a door plug and not a door, because it is not usable for entry and egress of the aircraft. The right-side door plug, which is still on the aircraft, was undergoing a detailed inspection on Monday. The agency is working with Boeing to obtain technical information about the door plug and shared a description of the part, stating it has two hinges on the bottom that allow it to open for inspection about 15 degrees. In addition, the door plug has ‘12 stop fittings, six on each side, which are essentially circles on the door plug that line up with circles on the airliner. The purpose of these stop fittings is to prevent the door plug from being pushed out of the airframe.’ According to Homendy, the NTSB’s structures team spent the weekend studying damage to the aircraft and what are called ‘witness marks’ on the airframe and identifying components that will be sent back to the agency structures lab for analysis. The components will be inspected under a microscope to look for paint marks, fractures, deformation and evidence of shearing.

The aircraft systems are also under scrutiny, as the team noted the auto pressurisation light illuminated on flights on 7 December, 3 January and 4 January. The flight crew followed procedure, activating the backup and reporting the issue to the airline’s maintenance staff. It was checked out by maintenance, and the aircraft returned to service with restriction that should not be flown to Hawaii as a precaution.

Homendy said the airline had ordered an additional maintenance inspection of the light, but it was not completed before the decompression flight. The NTSB has requested documentation of ‘all defects of the aircraft since its delivery on 31 October 2023.”

Damage to the aircraft

According to the NTSB, there was no external damage to the aircraft. However, there was on the interior, including torn parts of plastic trim and insulation and damaged interior plastic windows, none of which is considered structural in nature. Damage was reported in rows 33, 32, 31, 27, 26, 25, 12, 11, 4, 3, 2 and 1. The door plugs are located in row 26 on the 737 Max 9. The headrests from seats 26A and 25A were torn, the seats were ‘torqued’ and the seat back and tray table of 26A were missing. Homendy noted seats 26A and 26B were not occupied during the flight, adding There are 178 seats on this plane and 171 had passengers in them. The oxygen masks were deployed as a result of the decompression. Homendy said the tubing for oxygen masks in 26A and 26B were found sheared off.

There were three infants aboard the flight being held in the laps of their caregivers. They were not harmed, but Homendy noted that while the FAA permits children under the age of two to be held on the lap of an adult during flight, the NTSB, FAA and Alaska Airlines recommend that caregivers carry their children in car seats, purchasing a seat for the infant and strapping them in just as they would in an automobile. Four unaccompanied minors also were on the flight. Homendy said that when the incident happened, the flight attendants were very focused on making sure the minors had their lap belts and oxygen masks on and praised them for their actions during the emergency. Homendy said the NTSB is gathering information from the flight attendants as part of the investigation.

The flight deck

According to Homendy, the flight crew reported hearing a loud bang and the flight deck door sprung open. The copilot ‘jolted forward, losing her headset and the captain lost part of his.’ They immediately donned their oxygen masks. The quick reference, laminated checklists that were in front of both pilots were sucked out of the aircraft, so the captain grabbed the quick reference handbook kept in a pocket on the flight deck and handed it to the first officer. The flight deck door slammed against the lavatory door and was pinned there, but there was no one inside. It took a flight attendant three tries to get the flight deck door closed. Communication between the flight deck and cabin was very difficult because of the noise.

The investigation

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) were sent to the NTSB lab on Sunday. The information on the FDR is helping the agency narrow the search area for evidence. Businesses and homeowners in the area have been asked to check their roofs for parts of the aircraft or other items that may have been ejected from the jet. Two cell phones were found along a road in the vicinity of the door plug. Homendy noted that citizens in the area were using drones to search for evidence and she asked that homeowners and businesses with security cameras to check for any video of the event, which happened at 17h11 PST on Friday.

Homendy said the investigation may be hampered somewhat because the CVR would be no help. “It was completely overwritten,” she said. “There is nothing on the cockpit voice recorder. There was a lot going on the flight deck and on the airplane, it was a very chaotic event. The circuit breaker for the CVR was not pulled. The maintenance team went out to get it, but it was at the two-hour mark and it was completely overwritten at two hours.”

Homendy said the NTSB is appealing to the FAA to increase the time on CVRs from two hours to 25, “which is consistent with Europe and many other countries.” She added that the time used to be 30 minutes before overwriting took place. The FAA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to extend the CVR overwrite time on newly manufactured aircraft but not on aircraft already in use. Homendy suggested the FAA adjust the NPRM to include retrofitting of aircraft already in service, pointing out that airliners often have a lifespan of 40 years or more.

Alaska Airlines immediately grounded all of its 737 Max 9s  following the incident. A few hours later, the FAA grounded all 737 Max 9 aircraft, mandating they be inspected immediately. As a result, there have been hundreds of flight cancellations for airlines that fly the 737 Max 9, among them Alaska and United.

Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita, Kansas, manufacturer of the Boeing 737 Max jets, is assisting in the investigation. Boeing also has a technical team supporting the NTSB probe.

Nepal plane crash that killed 72 caused by accidental feathering

The government-appointed investigative report has found that the Yeti Airlines plane crash that killed 72 was caused by the flight’s pilots mistakenly feathering the propellers. The feathering caused a loss of thrust, which then led to an aerodynamic stall. The ATR 72 aircraft, operated by Yeti Airlines, crashed just before it was due to land in the tourist city of Pokhara on 15 January 2023. It was Nepal’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years. Among the 72 victims of the flight were two infants, four crew and 15 foreign nationals. There were no survivors. According to the report, the 72-hour history of both pilots did not indicate fatigue or health issues to be a factor in the fatal mistake. ‘Both pilots were reported to have eaten routine foods, went to bed and rose at routine hours,’ the report said. The twin-engine aircraft was found to have been maintained correctly, with no maintenance work overdue. Furthermore, the report stated that the most probable cause of the accident had been determined to be the inadvertent movement of both condition levers to the feathered position in flight. Following the unintentional feathering of both engine propellers, the flight crew failed to identify the problem and take corrective actions despite the Crew Alerting Panel cautions the report said. The report also identified human considerations such as high workload and stress and non-compliance with standard operating procedures as factors that had contributed to the accident.

Pilot killed in mid-air helicopter crash had traces of cocaine in his system

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published an interim accident investigation report into a mid-air collision between two helicopters on the Gold Coast, Australia. In the report, published on 2 January 2023, the only pilot who was killed in the accident was found to have low levels of cocaine in his system. “A forensic pharmacologist engaged by the ATSB has stated that the very low concentrations of these metabolites suggest exposure was not likely to have occurred in the 24 hours prior to the accident and it is unlikely there would have been impairment of the pilot’s psychomotor skills,” Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell at ATSB said. A forensic pathologist also reported that there were no signs of chronic stimulant use and the cocaine could have been taken up to four days before the crash. 

On 2 January 2023, two Eurocopter EC130B4s, operated by Sea World Helicopters, a sightseeing firm, crashed mid-air resulting in the death of four people. Shortly before 14h00 the first helicopter (XH9) took off with one pilot and five people on board for a five-minute sightseeing tour of the area. Around five minutes later, the second helicopter (XKQ) left the helipad with a total of seven people on board, including the pilot. Less than one minute later, the two aircraft collided whereupon the second helicopter’s tail and main rotor separated, causing it to crash. Four people were killed and three others severely injured. Although the first aircraft was heavily damaged and the pilot was injured, it managed to land. Three of those on board suffered serious injuries. In the newly released interim report, the ATSB also highlighted that some passengers were not wearing seatbelts because of their lifejackets made this difficult. “During this investigation, our investigators identified a potentially common lack of understanding in the broader helicopter tourism community about how constant wear lifejackets should be worn in conjunction with seatbelts,” Mitchell explained.

Carbon fibre airframe likely played a role in JAL 516 evacuation

The Financial Times reports from London that the composite structure of the Airbus A350 likely played a role in the survival of all 379 on board Japan Airlines Flight 516. The incident marks the first hull loss involving the 53-percent-composite-airframe A350-900 and preliminary evidence suggests the material performed to expectations, providing fire protection similar to that of aluminium. Certification standards require that airliner manufacturers demonstrate their designs are capable of evacuating all passengers within 90 seconds using half the available exits. Bjorn Fehrm, an aeronautical engineer, told the Financial Times, “The most important part, whether the plane is aluminium or carbon fibre, is that you have protection for many, many minutes from external heat. In this case, the carbon fibre is giving that heat-shield protection.”

Even though carbon fibre will burn at lower temperatures than the 600 degrees Celsius of aluminium, Emile Greenhalgh, a professor of composite materials at London’s Imperial College, said the composite material reacts differently to fire. “As the material burns,” he said, “all the flammable material forms a char layer, so you end up with a barrier against the progression of fire.” While Airbus and Boeing, with its largely-composite 787 Dreamliner, have tested their aircraft to satisfy certification requirements, the JAL accident provides real-world evidence of the performance of carbon fibre in a catastrophic fire.

EASA adopts Boeing MAX 9 AD even though no aircraft are affected

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has taken the unusual step of adopting the FAA’s emergency AD on the MAX 9 door plug inspection even though none of its carriers have any of the affected aircraft. The FAA’s AD was issued after a fuselage plug replacing an emergency exit in an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 departed the airplane last Friday. The plug is used to fill the space where an emergency exit is required on some seat configurations for the MAX 9. All MAX 9s in the EU have the exit installed. EASA did not explain its decision and in fact went to some lengths to stress that none of its member states’ aircraft are affected.

Meanwhile Alaska and United, which operate most of the 171 MAX 9s in service in the US, have cancelled hundreds of flights as they complete the four-to-eight-hour inspections of the plugs mandated by the AD. Alaska has 65 affected aircraft and United 79. As of Sunday, Alaska had cancelled at least 160 flights and United has not released its cancellation total. It is expected flight disruptions will continue for several more days.

South Korea acquires new batch of 20 F-35A stealth fighters

On 27 December 2023, the South Korean Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) confirmed the signing of a letter of acceptance with the US government for the purchase of the advanced fighter aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The deal comes after Washington’s authorisation in September 2023, which greenlit the acquisition of up to 25 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighters. The new aircraft are expected to join the South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) fleet starting in 2027, complementing the 39 F-35As already in service. According to DAPA, the incoming F-35As will feature improved weapons operation and enhanced security capabilities compared to the current fighter jets.

The decision to acquire these fifth-generation fighters aligns with South Korea’s so-called three-axis defence system, which comprises the Korea Massive Punishment & Retaliation (KMPR) system, the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system and the Korea Air and Missile Defence (KAMD) anti-missile shield. “The F-35A is a key force that shapes the Korean three-axis system as a game-changer, responding to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles and resolving power imbalances with neighbouring countries,” commented DAPA. The first batch of F-35As was delivered and deployed domestically between 2019 and 2022. The additional fighters from the second project are anticipated to have significantly improved performance, including enhanced threat response capabilities, encryption / security functions and armed operation capabilities. South Korea is also developing its indigenous fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae, as part of a joint programme with Indonesia. Mass production of the KF-21 fighter is anticipated to commence by 2026. 

ICON A5 receives FAA primary category type certification

ICON Aircraft announced that the FAA has granted its A5 amphibious light sport aircraft (LSA) type certification in the primary category. ICON says the certification will allow it to enter new markets, launching a ‘new phase of growth’ for the company. Among other advantages, the new approval gives ICON a much clearer certification path in countries that do not recognise the US light sport category or those where the company would otherwise be required to go through a waiver process similar to the one it completed with the FAA to receive a weight exemption for the heavier-than-standard A5.

The primary category certification also clears the way for the company to ‘take advantage of reciprocal agreements between the FAA and aviation governing bodies outside of the US’ to certify the A5 in regions and countries such as Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

“Receiving FAA type certification for the ICON A5 in the primary category is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire ICON team,” said company CEO Jerry Meyer. “It allows us to expand our market potential around the world and it underscores the commitment of ICON Aircraft to innovation and excellence in design. We are grateful for the collaborative partnership with the FAA throughout this process and we extend our sincere thanks for their commitment to safety and efficiency.”

UAE air force first order for Emirati firm Calidus’s B250 trainer aircraft

According to CEO Khalifa Alblooshi, the air force of the United Arab Emirates has signed a deal to acquire 40 B-250 trainer aircraft from Abu Dhabi-based Calidus, the first deal ever for the trainer aircraft. Alblooshi did not say how much the deal was worth, but it also includes ground-based training simulators and Part Task Trainers. Calidus has set production lines for the B-250 T turboprop plane at its Al Ain facility. “Calidus target is to localise aircraft production in the UAE and to support the air force cadets training in the country,” the CEO said. The light attack version of the B-250 received its first order during Dubai Airshow 2019 from the UAE air force for 24 aircraft and Alblooshi said the first aircraft is ‘ready for delivery.’ The B-250 T was also on display at the airshow, equipped with Desert Sting and Thunder missiles made by a Al Tariq, a subsidiary of Emirati defence conglomerate EDGE Group. The B-250 is the first aircraft made in the UAE based on local intellectual property, development and production. Calidus is also in the process of developing a new aircraft, the B-350, but not much of the programme is known yet.

Moya Aero’s autonomous eVTOL logistics aircraft takes first test flight

Moya Aero has achieved its first flight with the autonomous eVTOL aircraft it is developing mainly for logistics and agricultural applications. Late last year the Brazilian start-up reported that a technology demonstrator had flown for the first time on 15 November, marking the start of a flight test campaign it hopes will lead to type certification and service entry in 2026. The first flight with the 70-percent-scale aircraft was made from the Fazenda Maristela airfield close to São José dos Campos in São Paulo state and lasted five minutes. The Moya team has made 14 more flights since then and expects to start expanding the flight envelope during the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere. The company has already met with the Brazilian aviation regulator ANAC to agree on a process for certification.

The Moya aircraft will have a maximum payload of 200 kilograms (440 pounds), with a hybrid-electric version expected to offer a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), while an all-electric version is limited to 110 kilometres (68 miles). It uses electric motors produced by T-Motors and batteries developed by Moya itself. The design features two pairs of propellers, installed on a tandem wing configuration, each powered by its own electric motor. Rather than tilting the wings or propellers, the fuselage rotates between vertical and horizontal phases of flight.

According to Moya, which is a spin-off from aerospace services group ACS Aviation, it now holds letters of intent (LOIs) from prospective customers covering 100 of the aircraft. The most recent commitment was made on 29 November by 7Reis Farm in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, with the company planning to use five aircraft to spray large soya bean plantations. Earlier in November, Brazilian civil social organisation MineToo signed an LOI covering 50 of the aircraft and in October Canadian logistics group N2 signed a provisional sales agreement for four aircraft. “Our eVTOL is more versatile,” said Moya Aero CEO Alexandre Zaramela. “It sprays six times more hectares per hour than conventional small drones and with greater precision to minimise dispersant drift.”

As evidence of what he sees as burgeoning demand for a more environmentally sustainable logistics platform, Moya Aero pointed to a recent report by market research group Technavio. It predicts a 4.61 percent compound annual growth rate in the Brazilian express delivery market between 2022 and 2027. Development work is being supported by a $2 million grant Moya received earlier this year from FINEP, a Brazilian government organisation that promotes science, technology and innovation. It has received the same amount in seed fund backing from investors Fundepar, Hards, Techstars and Seed4Science. Helisul Drones, ProAero and Certifica Drones are partners in the programme.

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British Army runs armed drone test campaign to assess urban warfare strike options

The British Army has rapidly accelerated the number of weaponised drones flown in designated UK airspace as it seeks to identify technologies and concepts of operations suited to supporting reconnaissance and precision strike operations in urban environments. Similar technologies have proven extremely popular and successful during combat operations in Ukraine where everything from low cost, commercial and modified drones through to more complex and expensive loitering munitions continue to be used to identify and target dismounted and mounted personnel during the day and at night. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), British Army UAS operators had only flow Defendtex’s D40 weaponised UAS in UK airspace back in 2022.

However, as part of the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE), British Army and Royal Air Force UAS operators assigned to the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) recently demonstrated an additional six types of UAS and ‘lethal, one-way effectors,’ a British Army spokesperson confirmed. Held annually, AWE provides the army with an opportunity to test new industry equipment. Platforms flown in the airspace above New Zealand Farm Camp and Copehill Down Village at the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA), Wiltshire, included Israeli Aerospace Industries’ (IAI’s) Rotem and Rheinmetall’s Exploratores. Other solutions included Aether’s Strike One and XTEND’s Wolverine small UAS, both of which deliver payloads using a dropping mechanism. Also deployed were Hybrid Drones’ Hydra heavy lift, hybrid electrical / jet turbine UAS, which is capable of carrying larger payloads including current in-service munitions and Wright Airborne Computing’s Midge low-cost small UAS. Speaking after the event, the army spokesperson described how the AWE Urban Series was designed to optimise “British Army effectiveness in the urban environment,” having initially started in 2022.

Canadian military to purchase armed drones for $2.49B

After more than two decades of debate, discussion and policy dissection, Canada’s air force finally has the green light to acquire armed drones. A fleet of 11 MQ-9B Reaper drones, built by US defence contractor General Atomics, will be purchased in a $2.49 billion package, Liberal MPs announced Tuesday on behalf of Defence Minister Bill Blair.

As CBC News reported in October, delivery of the remotely piloted aircraft will not take place until 2028 and the air force does not expect to have the full fleet up and running until 2033. Unlike other recent purchases for the air force, this project was announced outside of Ottawa in a low-key manner. The announcement came after Parliament adjourned for the holiday season and on the same day the Liberal government delivered more information about its high-profile electric vehicle programme.

The Reapers will be delivered through a direct contract with the US manufacturer, with some components, such as weapons and other technology purchased under the framework of US foreign military sales.

Their air force will have to wait even longer to get armed drones, Defence Department says Canada probing reports that B.C.-based company’s drone tech ended up in Russia, Blair says the drone programme has followed a long and winding path through the federal bureaucracy. The fact that Canada had chosen the MQ-9 slipped out back in the fall, when it was revealed that the US had approved the sale of equipment related to the Reaper, including Hellfire missiles.

Drones were first proposed in the early 2000s and Canada came close to buying an earlier version of the Reaper (the Predator) under the former Conservative government. The programme made its way into the 2017 Liberal defence policy but has been the subject of internal review. Two companies bid on the contract but one dropped out, leaving only General Atomics. The federal government originally planned to acquire the MQ-9B Reaper fleet by 2025.

As CBC News reported a few weeks ago, delivery and deployment have been delayed by uncertainty about how the MQ-9 Reapers will perform in the Arctic. Although the drones have proved themselves in other difficult climates, the Department of National Defence says they will need to be modified to withstand the harsh Arctic environment and to include Canadian-made electronic surveillance equipment. The contract involves the delivery of both the drones and six ground stations. The main ground control centre, which houses the aircraft cockpits, will be situated in Ottawa.

The US, UK, Italy, France and Spain have all acquired the MQ-9 Reaper, but the amount of time Canada’s version will spend in the Far North is a matter of concern. The need to operate at high northern latitudes and the Arctic requires the use of satellites, aircraft antennas and communication components not previously integrated into the MQ-9B, the defence department has said. The manufacturer insists the aircraft has proved itself in the High Arctic.

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African Pilot is the third best English language aviation magazine in the top ten magazines in the world: https://blog.feedspot.com/aviation_magazines/

African Pilot Website: www.africanpilot.co.za
Future Flight Website: www.futureflight.online
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AfricanPilot
Twitter: www.twitter.com/africanpilot
Instagram: www.instagram.com/african_pilot_/

Should you miss out on any edition of APAnews, please visit the website: www.africanpilot.co.za and click on the APAnews link on the front page. All past weekly APAnews publications have been archived on the website.