Aerospace

UK industry reveals advanced technologies for next-generation flying combat air demonstrator

Engineers from the UK’s top combat air industry partners have revealed more details about the work being done to create the UK’s first flying combat air demonstration of its generation.

To develop the technology required to deliver the UK’s next-generation supersonic stealth combat aircraft, Tempest, experts from BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, MBDA, and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are working with a variety of British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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The UK government first announced the Flying Technology Demonstrator in July 2022. It is expected to take flight within the next four years and is being created employing a variety of cutting-edge digital techniques and transformative processes, as well as the know-how of the UK’s top-tier defence sector.

Test pilots from BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) have flown the demonstration aircraft for more than 150 hours in a new, custom simulator at BAE Systems’ brand-new facility in Warton, Lancashire, giving vital data to assist flight testing.

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Engineers have also been testing aerodynamic engines, using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques to create an engine duct that is specially designed to reduce air speed at the engine face from supersonic to subsonic. Because there are fewer moving parts in the intake than in a conventional fighter jet design, the aircraft is more stealthy. The Concorde Olympus engine’s test was done in the 1960s at the same facility now used by Rolls-Royce, in Filton, Bristol.

A group of engineers from BAE Systems have overseen ejection seat demonstrations using a rocket-propelled sledge moving at more than 500 mph while collaborating with UK crew escape expert Martin Baker. Junior team members and seasoned engineers collaborated to transfer important skills that can be applied moving ahead.

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The Global Combat Air Programme, which will be supplied by the UK, Italy, and Japan, will produce Tempest, an aircraft, and this variety of unique technologies will demonstrate and test important parts of the next-generation combat air design as well as skills, tools, processes, and procedures.

Aerospace

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Columbus Plant by 50,000 Sqft

Credit:Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has launched a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.

This ambitious project will add 50,000 square feet of new space, renovate 40,000 square feet of the existing facility, and introduce advanced automation equipment, robotics, and non-destructive inspection technologies. mcas boeing enhancements will support the growing demand for Aurora’s aerospace systems business.

Since its establishment, Aurora Mississippi has specialized in the production of advanced composite components and assemblies for both military and commercial aircraft. The company first opened in 2005 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville before relocating to its current site in Columbus two years later.

Initially occupying 21,000 square feet, the facility has since grown to encompass over 120,000 square feet, featuring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as automated fiber placement. Aurora’s latest expansion is a strategic investment aimed at increasing production capacity for composite components like boeing titanium used in executive jets and the MQ-25TM Stingray composite skins, a key project for its parent company, Boeing.

Additionally, the facility will produce components for NASA’s X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, further diversifying its portfolio. Currently employing around 100 full-time staff in Mississippi, Aurora plans to hire more than 60 additional team members by the end of 2025.

Aurora’s expansion project underscores its commitment to Mississippi’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sector. The company maintains strong partnerships with Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), contributing to research, higher education, and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, Aurora actively supports local K-12 STEM education through summer camps and collaborates with high school vocational education programs. The expansion and renovation project will be carried out in phases over the next two years, with completion expected by 2026. This development marks a significant milestone in Aurora’s ongoing growth and its role in advancing aerospace manufacturing in Mississippi.