Whirlybird Wonder

I have been a helicopter pilot for over ten years and I am still amazed by the capabilities of these aircraft and the roles they play in modern civilization.  Take a look around while walking on campus or downtown and you will likely see at least one helicopter serving a purpose that will improve someone's day.  For example, you may see a news chopper watching traffic or a sightseeing tour over the city.  Significantly more important, are the helicopters that are assisting police with a bird's eye view or transporting a critically injured patient to a trauma center in the heart of a congested, building riddled city.  With so much versatility, it may seem surprising that helicopters comprise a very small segment of aviation.  In fact, the costs associated with helicopters make them a very large pill to swallow for all except those with a specific need.  Cost, noise, and component life-cycle all work to reduce the appeal of owning or operating helicopters.  The Advanced Rotorcraft Driveline initiative, by Bell Helicopters, aims to reduce some of those costs.

The driveline of a helicopter must withstand tremendous forces and loads, at incredible speeds, to move the wings (rotor blades) fast enough to generate lift.  In addition to generating lift, the driveline must allow for provisions to move the blades independently to allow for directional control.  This adds up to a costly, noisy, fault prone system that is overcome with large budgets, hearing protection, and constant component replacement.  The Advanced Rotorcraft Driveline (ARD), is a study conducted by Bell to dramatically improve the materials and components to reduce the negative characteristics associated with making a chopper go.  Improvements in materials, gear geometry, and optimization of cooling/lubrication systems all lead to a better system.

Lower cost.  Reduction in costs can be a competitive advantage for Bell Helicopters as new technology will allow for higher margins or a lower price for customers.  With a cost reduction of up to 35%, the volume of aircraft ordered and sold will likely increase due to a more attractive price point.  Cost reductions will propagate through the aircraft life cycle (many aircraft are decades old and still flying) and provide a reduction in lifetime costs

Quieter.  Many helicopter applications would benefit from lower noise.  Gears moving at those speeds tend to create a very high pitched whine.  The ARD estimates that up to 18 dB.  Though this may seem like a very small decrease, especially in the presence of a turbine engine with main and tail rotors churning through the air, this can be a dramatic reduction if in a certain frequency range.  There are some pilots that suffer high frequency hearing loss (they can hear most sounds just fine, but have lost the ability to perceive certain frequencies due to prolonged exposure).

Fault detection.  Most importantly, the ARD hopes to realize a 90% fault detection capability.  Sensors located throughout the drive system will be able to provide information about temperatures, stresses, and loads.  The information is used to monitor the system and detect faults within the system and predict impending failure.  The system will also be capable of monitoring lubricants for debris (engine wear causes metallic particles to be dispersed through the oil) and moisture, to warn maintenance of a component or lubricant change.  This drastically increases passenger and pilot safety and is far more accurate than simple visual inspection and replacement.  Furthermore, the data gathered can be used to continually compare component life cycle prediction with actual wear.

If the ARD is able to live up to expectations, it will mean an improvement in ease of use, lower purchase and maintenance cost, and a better product to meet the critical needs of the current helicopter fleet.  When a fire is burning out of control, or a patient is critically injured at a remote location, these improvements raise the likelihood that a helicopter is there to respond.

Wild Blue Yonder

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to fly.  The sleek airplanes, the sound of their engines, and the ability to defy gravity have always appealed to me.  Leonardo da Vinci said "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have ben and there you will long to return".  Watch any pilot as she walks around and you will notice that her eyes dart upward any time an aircraft is within earshot, or will slowly wander skyward on a cool sunny day.

I have been very fortunate in my career path.  It led me to a point where I was paid to fly one of the most sophisticated aircraft on earth.  A general description of my helicopter can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-64.  Since leaving the military, I have continued flight training through the FAA.  General Aviation is the term that encompasses all light and medium aircraft operations that are not part of a major airline or cargo carrier.  It is the primary venue for people to complete flight training and become pilots.  With all the benefits, it is hard to believe that General Aviation is in grave danger of disappearing.  

Federal regulations have hindered the economy of powering GA.  GA engines are typically air cooled, magneto fired, and carbureted to minimize complication with coolant leaks, electrical failure, and fuel injection.  Unfortunately, this reliability comes at the cost of performance, efficiency, and longevity.  Energy needs have changed faster than the FAA and GA can react.  The most popular current fuel for small airplanes is known as 100 low lead (100LL).  Environmental and health considerations have led the automotive industry to move away from leaded fuel decades ago but fuel standards set in the 50s forces GA to rely on a suboptimal fuel.  Advances in technology have made the original design requirements obsolete.  Fuel injection, redundant electronic control systems, and ignition timing promise to be more reliable in all conditions while lowering costs associated with engine maintenance, fuel, and overhaul costs.

Cessna Aircraft recently introduced an airplane (Cessna 182 JT-A) powered by a turbo diesel engine that runs on unleaded Jet A (more refined diesel, industry standard for airlines).  One topic I wanted to explore was how Cessna's offering will change the way GA operates.  Using design thinking, I want to explore how the community will react to this new power plant and whether or not it can become a new industry standard.  This is just one option in this subject.  There are also gasoline power options, advances in propeller design, etc.  What I like about this is that Cessna has been one of the icons of flight training and a major firm in GA operations.  The airplane owner and pilots association has done early research on this.  There is a very good video review of the new Cessna at the following link: http://www.aopa.org/AOPA-Live.aspx?watch=BzNm1wNTrs2R3ROg4QVpERDWUa8DgkRG

Research for this subject would be geared toward finding out whether or not the community is ready for this change.  Cessna may be introducing a product before the market is ready to adopt.  I want to do research on customer (pilots, flight schools, FAA representatives) preferences now and in the future to predict the 182 JT-A's success.

Another threat to general aviation is the dwindling population of new and young pilots.  As costs continue to grow, it becomes more and more difficult to attract young aspiring pilots to start training.  If this trend continues, the flight training in this country will become much more difficult to obtain and the proficiency of pilots will decline.  I am interested in finding out if cost is the only factor that is causing this decline and explore the idea that it might be viewed as a dying "profession".  Advances in avionics, infrastructure, and synthetic training may make pilots obsolete and cost may not be the only factor contributing.  If the issue is not addressed, there is a good chance that there will not be enough pilots to satisfy demand.  An article highlights this point: http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2013/08/boeing-forecasts-increased-global-demand-for-pilots-amts/

Research on this subject would focus on what drives young people to be interested in aviation and more importantly, what prevents young people from considering it.  Design thinking might reveal a hidden cause that GA proponents may be overlooking.  Current efforts may not be addressing the issue at all.

Finally, I want to explore a topic that is not a threat, but a compliment to general aviation.  When you board a jetliner, you may have glanced in the cockpit to see advanced electronic displays that provide invaluable information to a pilot.  By comparison, general aviation cockpits are sparse and utilitarian.  The tablet industry has created a unique opportunity for GA pilots to upgrade their avionics to near state of the art at a manageable cost.  For example, a Garmin GNS 530 avionics package can cost over $12,000, installed.  Pilots on a budget can purchase a Foreflight subscription (Foreflight is a flight planning app) for $75 a year plus a "plug in" Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) for less than $1000.

For this subject, I want to explore how the adoption of tablets by GA pilots has affected traditional avionics manufacturers and installers and how continued advancements will move more towards tablets.  There are some firms, like Garmin, that offer complimentary products, while others view the new trend as a threat.  Researching the customer insights in this ecosystem will reveal whether or not this is a true substitute or if companies can serve a new market without competing against themselves (cannibalizing).