- Successful evaluation of distributed propulsion system propeller performance.
The EcoPulse distributed propulsion hybrid aircraft demonstrator – which is being developed by Daher, Safran and Airbus with the support of France’s Civil Aviation Research Council (CORAC) and French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) – has successfully completed wind tunnel testing at the Airbus UK Filton facility.
The EcoPulse demonstrator is an integral part of our decarbonisation roadmap, increasing our knowledge of distributed propulsion systems, paving the way for electric and hybrid-electric, emission-free aircraft. These wind tunnel tests will enable us to align our simulation models with actual performance in order to validate future configuration choices and technologies. This is yet another milestone successfully achieved with our partners Daher and Safran, once again highlighting that the path to zero emissions will benefit from collaborative expertise.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President Engineering, Airbus
Wind tunnel tests, key to validating flight test performance
During the development phase of new aircraft configurations, engineering teams need to verify that in-flight structure and systems behaviour and performance matches that of computer simulations. By placing individual components, small-scale models or whole full-sized parts in a wind tunnel, previously calculated assumptions can be validated.
“The EcoPulse wind tunnel tests allowed us to evaluate the performance characteristics of the propeller and the cooling process of the electric engine. To achieve this, we assembled the engine -provided by Safran-, the Airbus nacelle and the propeller -provided by DUC Hélices- that will be installed on the actual demonstrator aircraft, in the wind tunnel. We then used large powerful fans to blow air (at differing speeds) over and around the model. By doing this we were able to take actual measurements and capture real-time data” explains Tim Axford, Head of Airbus Wind Tunnel facility, Airbus UK.
Testing the propeller performance: “We looked at the different levels of power and Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) for the engine, measuring the thrust and the force on the propellers. We also looked at the propeller ‘wake’ or airflow behind the engine. This gave us a set of experimental data to better understand the interaction between the propeller and the wing” says Tim.
Electrical engine cooling concept: “Electrical engines generate heat while running requiring a cooling system to lower temperatures, both on the ground and in flight. In the wind tunnel, dedicated engine and air temperature measurements were recorded to assess the effectiveness of the cooling technologies.”
Next steps
The observations and data collected during the wind tunnel tests will allow Airbus and its partners to better estimate the power consumption of the propulsion system, and consequently the final energy performance of the aircraft demonstrator. “The precise figures of the propeller performance will be taken into account for the creation of the Airbus Flight Control Computer software, one of the next steps” says Matthieu Scherrer, Airbus EcoPulse project leader.
In the coming months, Airbus, Daher and Safran will work towards the achievement of the Critical Design Review (CDR), which will give way to the start of the production of the EcoPulse demonstrator, ahead of ground testing early 2022.
Launched in June, 2019, the EcoPulse demonstrator is scheduled to make its first flight test flight by summer 2022.
About Distributed Propulsion Systems
Distributed Propulsion Systems consist of breaking down thrust generation into many small engines spread out along the span of the wing. Tailoring the power distribution configuration in this way could benefit cruise, as well as take-off and landing performance but also noise emissions. And last but not least, the use of distributed engine thrust could enable aircraft flight control concepts to be redefined.
December 11, 2019– The first A220-300 for Air Canada has successfully completed its inaugural test flight from the Mirabel A220 final assembly line in Canada. The first of 45 aircraft for Air Canada is scheduled to be delivered to the Montreal-based airline in the coming weeks.
With its first A220 commercial flight in early 2020, Canada’s flag carrier will become the first airline in Canada to operate the Canadian-designed and -built A220. It will also become the first carrier in North America to fly the A220-300 variant.
Air Canada is planning to use the A220 on various domestic routes in Canada as well as to the United States. The A220’s unequaled performance and range capability will enable the airline to serve new markets, such as Montreal to Seattle and Toronto to San Jose, connecting the carrier’s main hubs to the West Coast, as of Spring 2020.
Benefiting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft, 20% lower fuel burn per seat and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for neighborhood airports.
Around 100 A220s are currently flying with six operators on routes in Asia, America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.
Provides engineering scale, broader range of solutions and strong market position in expanding mass transit opportunity
East Aurora, NY | October 4, 2019–Astronics Corporation (Nasdaq: ATRO), a leading provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense, and other mission critical industries, announced today that it has acquired the primary operating subsidiaries from mass transit and defense market test solution provider, Diagnosys Test Systems Limited (Diagnosys). Diagnosys is a developer and manufacturer of comprehensive automated test equipment (ATE) providing test, support, and repair of high value electronics, electro-mechanical, pneumatic and printed circuit boards focused on the global mass transit and defense markets.
Astronics has acquired 100% of the equity of the three primary operating subsidiaries of Diagnosys, which are Diagnosys Holdings, Inc., Diagnosys Ferndown Limited and Diagnosys Electronics (I) Private Limited for $7 million in cash. The terms of the acquisition allow for a potential earn-out of up to an additional $13 million over the next three years based on achievement of new order levels of over $70 million during that period.
Peter J. Gundermann, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer commented, “Diagnosys is a leader in test solutions with a heavy focus on mass transit and defense markets, which is very much aligned with the strategy of our Test segment. The acquisition gives us a strong position in the growing mass transit test market as well as providing component-level solutions to our aerospace & defense test business. We expect that the company’s advanced technologies and customer base will provide us opportunities for continued growth into mission-critical test markets by enabling us to offer a broader range of solutions to our customers. We are pleased to welcome the employees of Diagnosys to the Astronics family.”
The acquired business has operations in Westford, Massachusetts as well as Ferndown, England, and an engineering center of excellence in Bangalore, India. Diagnosys has approximately 120 employees. Founded in 2008, the company offers complete ATE and bench test equipment solutions for support and maintenance of high value electronic circuit boards and modules in mission-critical reliability sectors. Diagnosys also provides an extensive range of service capabilities, including the overhaul and repair of electronics systems. Sales for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2019 were approximately $9.0 million.
Augments radio test solution offerings
East Aurora, NY | July 1, 2019– Astronics Corporation, a leading provider of advanced technologies for global aerospace, defense, and other mission critical industries, announced today that it has acquired Freedom Communication Technologies, Inc. (FCT) a developer and manufacturer of communication test equipment for the land-based mobile radio test market providing innovative solutions to Long-Term Evolution (LTE) high-speed wireless communications customers globally. Astronics has acquired 100% of the equity of FCT for $22 million in cash.
Peter J. Gundermann, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, “FCT is a leader in wireless communications testing, primarily for the civil land mobile radio market. Their market focus and technology complements those we already have, and together, we will offer a broader range of test solutions to an expanded market. The acquisition gives us a stronger market position in the radio test arena, a strong brand for our offerings and a larger addressable market. We are excited to expand our test capabilities and to bring FCT on board with our Test business.”
Based in Kilgore, TX, FCT was founded in 2015 and offers communications analyzers for testing and maintaining Land Mobile Radio (LMR) communications systems. FCT also provides an extensive range of capabilities, including automated radio testing and alignment, coverage mapping, and interference analysis.
In 2018, FCT had $11 million in revenue and is expected to contribute approximately $10 million in revenue in the second half of 2019.
The award winning new product, the ATS-6100 Wire Fault Tester, will be featured at the Defense Maintenance and Logistics Exhibition
East Aurora, NY | December 17, 2018– Astronics Corporation, a leading provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary Astronics Test Systems received an Innovators Award for its ATS-6100 WFT (Wire Fault Tester) from Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine. The judging panel consisted of a group of senior, expert professionals in the field of military & aerospace technology.
Introduced in September 2018, the ATS-6100 WFT received platinum level honors in the test
equipment category. Combining patented low energy, high voltage (LEHV) and spread spectrum
time domain reflectometer (SSTDR) technologies, it safely and precisely locates both hard and soft faults in wiring and insulation. The Windows-based tablet platform helps prevent catastrophic failure and unnecessary replacement of aging equipment for both military and commercial applications.
This is Astronics’ second Platinum Innovators Award from Military & Aerospace Electronics; the CTS- 6010 Tactical Radio Test Set received a 2017 award.
“We’re honored to be recognized for the second year in a row with a Platinum Innovators Award from Military & Aerospace Electronics,” commented Brian Price, Executive Vice President of Astronics Test Systems. “I congratulate our team on another phenomenal product as we continue to protect lives through optimal performance of mission-critical equipment.”
Alan Bergstein, publisher of Military & Aerospace Electronics said, “This prestigious program allows Military & Aerospace Electronics to celebrate and recognize the most innovative products and services in the military electronics industry. Our 2018 honorees are outstanding examples of companies who are making an impact.”
The Innovators Awards are judged based on the following criteria:
- Innovation
- Value to the user
- Sustainability
- Meeting a defined need
- Collaboration
- Impact
The 2018 Military & Aerospace Electronics Innovators Awards honorees are featured in the December issue of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine as well as on militaryaerospace.com.
Astronics Test Systems will demonstrate the ATS-6100 WFT in booth 205 at the Defense Maintenance and Logistics Exhibition this week in Tampa, Florida. Astronics will also demonstrate its radio test solutions and VIPER/T system. For complete ATS-6100 WFT product details, to view the solution sheet, or to request a quote, please visit Astronics.com.
Astronics Test Systems leverages nearly 60 years of experience to offer automatic test expertise to electronics manufacturers in the aerospace, military, medical, space, mass transit, and automotive industries. Astronics’ test solutions ensure the world’s most advanced electronic products perform as designed, every time.
First flight of the 777X scheduled for 2019; delivery in 2020
Everett, Washington | November 20, 2018– Boeing [NYSE: BA] has brought together the major fuselage sections to form the first 777X airplane that will take to the skies in 2019.
In a major production milestone called ‘final body join,’ Boeing teams connected the airplane’s nose, mid and aft sections in the company’s factory in Everett, Wash. The jet now measures 252 feet long (77 meters) from nose to tail, making it the longest passenger jet the manufacturer has ever produced.
“The 777X is a new airplane and a new production system,” said Josh Binder, vice president and general manager of the 777X. “With the 777X, the production system was integrated into the development program sooner than any other airplane, and the team is doing a great job of hitting our milestones as expected.”
The 777X builds on the market-leading 777 and the 787 Dreamliner to offer airlines the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jet in the world. The airplane provides 12 percent lower fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating costs than competing airplanes.
The 777X achieves the unprecedented performance through the introduction of the latest technologies such as the most fuel-efficient commercial engine ever, the GE9X, and a fourth-generation all-new composite wing design that provides lift and efficiency. With the extension of a set of folding, raked wingtips, the airplane’s wing spans 235 feet (72 meters).
By adding folding wingtips, the 777X’s wingspan has been increased to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing, reducing engine thrust and fuel use. Additionally, the folding wingtips allow the 777X to maintain airport compatibility with the existing 777 family, adding value for customers.
The first 777X introduced will be the 777-9 model, which can seat 400 to 425 passengers in a standard configuration and offer a range of 7,600 nautical miles (14,075 km). Boeing is building on the passenger-preferred interior of today’s 777 and building on 787 interior innovations to create a passenger experience like no other. Passengers will enjoy windows that are larger and located higher on the fuselage than the current 777, along with a wider cabin, new lighting and enhanced architecture.
The first 777X test airplane for static ground testing was completed in September 2018. Three additional flight test airplanes will be built after flight test #1.
The 777X first flight is scheduled for 2019. First delivery is slated for 2020.
Astronics Will Highlight ATS 5034 SLT Platform at the Upcoming International Test Conference
East Aurora, USA | October 30, 2018– Astronics Corporation, a leading provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense and semiconductor industries, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Test Systems, has received the Global SMT & Packaging Journal’s 2018 Global Technology Award in the test equipment category for its ATS 5034 System-Level Test (SLT) Platform.
The Global SMT & Packaging Journal presented the award on October 17, 2018 at the SMTA International 2018 conference in Chicago, Illinois. The ATS 5034 SLT Platform received the award based on the following criteria: innovation, speed/throughput improvements, quality contribution, cost benefits, environmental consideration, ease of use/implementation, and maintainability. Jon Sinskie, Astronics Test Systems’ Executive Vice President of Semiconductor Test, accepted the award on the company’s behalf. Astronics will highlight the ATS 5034 SLT Platform at the International Test Conference (ITC) in Phoenix, Arizona, October 30 through November 1.
“Our goal is to help customers reduce cost of test and ensure optimal performance of their critical electronics,” commented Sinskie. “We are honored to receive this recognition and I congratulate our team on developing such a groundbreaking solution. This platform’s capabilities to test a variety of devices for a myriad of applications are simply unmatched in the industry.”
About the ATS 5034 SLT Platform
The ATS 5034 SLT Platform uses system-level test to examine at-speed and functional performance characteristics of the device under test (DUT) to find defects missed during traditional ATE functional testing. Essentially, it tests the device in “mission-mode” or its end-use environment.
Achieves Milestone of 10 Billion Semiconductor Devices Tested To Date
East Aurora, NY | July 10, 2018– Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), a leading supplier of advanced technologies to the global aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Test Systems, announced the shipment of its 2,000th semiconductor tester and that its equipment has tested more than 10 billion semiconductor devices to date. For the past two decades, Astronics Test Systems has served as a partner to the world’s largest semiconductor device manufacturers, helping to ensure that critical electronics go to market with zero defects.
Since 1996, Astronics’ test solutions have evolved
from low-volume system-level test (SLT) to massively parallel test solutions, including burn-in tools and system-level testers, to keep pace with the increased volume and complexity of semiconductor units under test. Astronics’ custom test solutions ensure optimal performance of complex electronic products by providing increased test coverage at a lower overall cost of test.
“This is an exciting time to design custom test solutions for our semiconductor customers. We are honored by the trust that these companies continue to place in our ability to tackle increasingly complex test challenges,” said Jim Mulato, President of Astronics Test Systems.
Innovations in semiconductor technology are driving the momentum for SLT. Moore’s Law not only reduces the size of transistors, but also causes a proportional increase in untested transistors as well as yield overkill, also described as “throwing away good parts.” Astronics SLT solutions improve fault coverage despite these new test challenges.
Automotive semiconductor devices are newcomers to SLT and gaining more attention in the test industry. Astronics Test Systems will be at SEMICON West, presenting “Key Considerations for an Automotive Semiconductor SLT Strategy,” at the Test Vision 2020 workshop. To learn more, visit Astronics Test Systems in booth 2405, July 10-12, 2018 at SEMICON West in San Francisco, California, or online at Astronics.com.
Astronics Test Systems leverages nearly 60 years of experience to offer automatic test expertise to electronics manufacturers in the aerospace, military, semiconductor, medical, space, mass transit, and automotive industries. Astronics’ test solutions ensure the world’s most advanced electronic products perform as designed, every time.
Achieves Milestone of 10 Billion Semiconductor Devices Tested To Date
East Aurora, NY | July 10, 2018– Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), a leading supplier of advanced technologies to the global aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Test Systems, announced the shipment of its 2,000th semiconductor tester and that its equipment has tested more than 10 billion semiconductor devices to date. For the past two decades, Astronics Test Systems has served as a partner to the world’s largest semiconductor device manufacturers, helping to ensure that critical electronics go to market with zero defects.
Since 1996, Astronics’ test solutions have evolved
from low-volume system-level test (SLT) to massively parallel test solutions, including burn-in tools and system-level testers, to keep pace with the increased volume and complexity of semiconductor units under test. Astronics’ custom test solutions ensure optimal performance of complex electronic products by providing increased test coverage at a lower overall cost of test.
“This is an exciting time to design custom test solutions for our semiconductor customers. We are honored by the trust that these companies continue to place in our ability to tackle increasingly complex test challenges,” said Jim Mulato, President of Astronics Test Systems.
Innovations in semiconductor technology are driving the momentum for SLT. Moore’s Law not only reduces the size of transistors, but also causes a proportional increase in untested transistors as well as yield overkill, also described as “throwing away good parts.” Astronics SLT solutions improve fault coverage despite these new test challenges.
Automotive semiconductor devices are newcomers to SLT and gaining more attention in the test industry. Astronics Test Systems will be at SEMICON West, presenting “Key Considerations for an Automotive Semiconductor SLT Strategy,” at the Test Vision 2020 workshop. To learn more, visit Astronics Test Systems in booth 2405, July 10-12, 2018 at SEMICON West in San Francisco, California, or online at Astronics.com.
Astronics Test Systems leverages nearly 60 years of experience to offer automatic test expertise to electronics manufacturers in the aerospace, military, semiconductor, medical, space, mass transit, and automotive industries. Astronics’ test solutions ensure the world’s most advanced electronic products perform as designed, every time.
Former president of Delta Design Systems at Cohu brings deep technical and industry experience
Irvine, California | January 3, 2018–
Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), through its wholly owned subsidiary Astronics Test Systems (ATS), today announced the expansion of its senior staff with the hiring of Samer Kabbani as Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development.
Mr. Kabbani’s notable career spans more than 20 years in the semiconductor capital equipment industry, where he served in a variety of engineering, corporate business development and executive management roles. He joins Astronics Test Systems after a 14-year tenure at Cohu, where he served in key senior management roles, including president of Delta Design Systems. Mr. Kabbani led the strategy and overall execution of the business unit’s automation, thermal and vision product lines.
“We are thrilled that Samer is joining the Astronics family,” comments Jim Mulato, President of Astronics Test Systems. “He is a seasoned executive and a proven entrepreneur with a demonstrated track record of delivering innovative products to top tier customers. We anticipate that he will make an immediate impact as we continue to evolve ATS as the premier provider of test solutions across multiple sectors.”
“I am delighted to join Astronics and be part of their innovative culture,” Mr. Kabbani stated. “With several industry-leading products under its belt and a highly agile and talented team, Astronics Test Systems is growing across a number of exciting industry opportunities. I look forward to playing an integral role in deploying disruptive and highly enabling solutions to our customers.”
Mr. Kabbani holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and has completed various management and development programs to further his education at the University of California, San Diego and Northwestern University. Throughout his career, he accumulated more than 20 patents and is a registered inventor in the areas of IC thermal management, photoresist processing, factory automation, vision alignment and inspection.
Astronics Test Systems leverages nearly 60 years of experience to offer automatic test expertise to electronics manufacturers in the aerospace, military, semiconductor, medical, space, mass transit and automotive industries. ATS designs solutions in collaboration with customers to ensure optimal performance of the world’s most advanced electronic products.
Scalable version of the platform makes incorporating an SLT strategy easier and more affordable for more test scenarios
East Aurora, NY | October 30, 2017–Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), a leading provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary Astronics Test Systems (ATS) is introducing an expansion of the ATS 5034 System-Level Test (SLT) Platform. Featuring new semi-automatic solutions in a scalable system, the ATS 5034 now offers lower volume, higher mix, small lot, and/or longer test duration options for semiconductor manufacturers.
With this introduction, the company now delivers configurations that facilitate the industry’s fastest, easiest development path from single-site to massively parallel system-level test for semiconductor packages of all types.
Click here to view the entire release
The ATS-3100 RTS offers a breakthrough solution to test legacy and modern military tactical radios
East Aurora, NY | September 8, 2017– Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Astronics Test Systems (ATS), introduced its new ATS-3100 Radio Test Set (RTS) – a revolutionary test platform that ensures flawless military radio performance when failure to communicate is not an option.
The ATS-3100 RTS enables users to test both legacy and modern military tactical radios using a single platform. Astronics integrated the most crucial features for radio test into the new ATS-3100 RTS, giving users the capability to test both airborne and ground legacy radios (e.g. SINCGARS) plus modern wideband waveforms (e.g. 117G, ANW 2, TSM) from virtually any original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The ATS-3100 RTS is the newest member of the ATS-3100 PXI Integration Platform product family.
- Led by Astronics’ PXIe-6943 Digital Test Instrument, the new suite offers TPS-compatible solutions that deliver familiar, fast development paths for both legacy and new military/aerospace programs
Anaheim, California | September 13, 2016– AUTOTESTCON – NI (Nasdaq: NATI) and Astronics Test Systems, Inc., (ATS) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astronics Corporation (Nasdaq: ATRO), today announced the Astronics PXIe-6943 Digital Test Instrument, Astronics PXIe-3352 Rubidium Clock Source and Astronics PXIe-1209 Pulse Pattern Generator. The three new test instruments accompany the previously released Astronics PXIe- 2461 Frequency Time Interval Counter and are the latest products from NI and Astronics’ collaboration to provide PXI-based instruments with test program set-(TPS-) compatible software for existing VXI instruments.
“The challenge of lowering cost and preserving legacy investment in the face of rapid technology change requires industry collaborations for success and attention to software compatibility,”
said Luke Schreier, director of automated test product marketing at NI. “The NI investment in LabVIEW and PXI produces cutting-edge capability, such as the recently released second- generation vector signal transceiver (VST), which is enhanced by Astronics’ expertise in TPS integration to migrate key legacy technologies to the PXI platform. The NI and Astronics’ collaboration builds on the strengths of both companies, but more importantly, it preserves technology investment for our mutual customers and fosters innovation.”
The flagship product of the collaboration is the -2 to 7 V, 200 MB/s Astronics PXIe-6943 Digital Test Instrument. The Astronics PXIe-6943 is modeled after the highly successful VXI-based Astronics T940 Digital Resource Modules, which enable pattern-based digital test in many commercial and government programs. These instruments are also TPS-compatible with legacy instruments from Astronics as well as other instrument vendors.
“Digital subsystems continue to play a crucial role in most aerospace and defense test platforms,” said Brian Price, executive vice president and general manager at ATS. “With the introduction of these new Astronics PXI Express products, engineers can now expand on today’s test platforms to support tomorrow’s military/aerospace requirements and maintain their original TPS investments. Our new digital subsystem includes the latest parallel digital, serial and bus protocols while taking advantage of the high speed, small size and lower cost of the PXI platform. These PXI instruments round out our already successful line of VXI instruments so that we can continue supporting the aerospace and defense automated test systems of yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
Also newly introduced, the Astronics PXIe-3352 Rubidium Clock Source combines a rubidium oscillator with a GPS receiver into a single, high-precision instrument. The new Astronics PXIe- 1209 Pulse Pattern Generator is a high-performance, 2-channel, 100 MHz pulse generator that delivers dual independent pulse generation with extremely high resolution.
These products will be sold through the NI sales channel, which provides direct sales operations in more than 60 countries with more than 1,400 field and support engineers worldwide.
Both companies are showcasing their latest innovations at AUTOTESTCON in Anaheim, California, through September 15. For more information, visit www.ni.com/pxi and www.astronicstestsystems.com
The 2009 Aircraft Interiors Expo was extremely productive for SIE. Structural Integrity Engineering (SIE) has long experience with antenna installation design and certification on commercial, business and military aircraft. So at Hamburg, it was gratifying to see the broadband connectivity market reaching a level of growth and maturity where installations are going to ramp up and the broadband dream can be realized.”