Pictured, a Lockheed Martin technician at their Palmdale, California, facility prepares a machine to shave the first piece of NASA’s X-59 QueSST aircraft, which later will be integrated into the overall structure. Image credit: Kevin Robertson/Lockheed Martin

NASA and Lockheed Martin have now taken a step closer to a future with faster-than-sound air travel over land.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Palmdale, California, recently began manufacturing the first part of NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft. When completed, NASA will use the X-59 to study how reducing the sonic boom heard from traditional supersonic jets to a quiet sonic “thump” could lead to acceptance of supersonic flight over land.

“We’ve reached an exciting milestone not only for NASA but for airliners and passengers wishing to arrive to their destination in half the time,” said Craig Nickol, the NASA project manager for the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator project. “Manufacturing the first part of the X-59 is a step on a path that leads to the completion of an exciting research aircraft, quiet supersonic flight and new markets for faster air travel.”

"The start of manufacturing on the project marks a great leap forward for the X-59 and the future of quiet supersonic commercial travel," said Peter Iosifidis, Low Boom Flight Demonstrator program manager Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. "The long, slender design of the aircraft is the key to achieving a low sonic boom. As we enter into the manufacturing phase, the aircraft structure begins to take shape, bringing us one step closer to enabling supersonic travel for passengers around the world."

 

Illustration of the X-59 QueSST as it flies above
NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in
California. Credit: Lockheed Martin

When completed, the single-pilot experimental aircraft will go through a series of tests to prove its performance. Then the X-59 will fly over a number of U.S communities, collecting data on how the public responds to the quiet “sonic thump.” U.S. and international regulators will use the data to potentially change the rules that currently ban supersonic flight over land.

NASA selected Lockheed Martin to build, design, and conduct initial flight tests of the X-59. Work under the contract began April 2 and runs through Dec. 31, 2021.

NASA has officially committed to a development timeline that will lead to the first flight of its X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft in 2021.

This critical milestone comes after a rigorous review, Key Decision Point-C (KDP-C), that confirmed NASA’s continued support of the X-59, in terms of funding, and established an achievable development timeline for NASA’s first piloted, full-size X-plane in more than three decades.

“This aircraft has the potential to transform aviation in the United States and around the world by making faster-than-sound air travel over land possible for everyone,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “We can’t wait to see this bird fly!”

X-59 is designed to cruise at 55,000ft at a speed of about 940mph [Mach 1.4] and create a sound about as loud as a car door closing, 75 Perceived Level decibel (PLdB), instead of a sonic boom.

Jeju Air officials announced the airline is ordering 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes with options for 10 additional jets. The deal, valued at up to $5.9 billion at list prices, is the largest order ever placed by a Korean low-cost carrier and reflects rising demand for air travel in South Korea.

"With Korea's growing commercial aviation market, we are excited to take the next step in expanding our business with the 737 MAX, a world-class airplane that will allow us to improve our operation and continue to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for our passengers," said Seok-Joo Lee, president and CEO of Jeju Air. "The 737 MAX 8 and its superior performance and economics make it an ideal airplane to implement our growth strategy as we look to expand beyond Asia in the coming years."

Jeju Air, based in South Korea's Jeju Island, began operation in 2005 as the country's first low-cost carrier. Since that time, the carrier has spearheaded the rapid development of Korea's LCC market and contributed to the expansion of the broader Korean commercial aviation industry.

Flying a fleet of nearly 40 Next-Generation 737-800s, Jeju Air has steadily expanded its business and its profits. The airline has achieved 25% annual sales growth over the past five years and recorded 17 consecutive quarters of profitability.

Jeju Air is looking to build on its success with the enhanced version of the 737 jet. The 737 MAX 8 provides more range and offers 14% better fuel efficiency and environmental performance from CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other aerodynamic improvements.

Along with the new airplanes, Boeing Global Services will provide Jeju Air with digital tools to reduce operating costs. The solutions include the Fuel Dashboard Program, which allows operators to look across their fleet and identify areas where they can optimize their fuel spending.

Jeju Air serves 60 domestic and international routes with approximately 200 daily flights.

OnRobot, a global leader in end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, has opened its first U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Selected for its close proximity to OnRobot partners, Dallas will also provide OnRobot with a central location that is easy for both customers and staff to visit for training, demonstrations and sales meetings. The company plans on recruiting nationwide for its Dallas-based positions with goals to grow the number of staff from currently 4 employees to 25 to 35 staff members in the next two to three years. OnRobot provides hardware and software that is used with collaborative robots – or cobots – from a variety of robot manufacturers, such as Universal Robots, KUKA, FANUC, and Yaskawa. The industry is now scaling up production as cobots have become the fastest growing segment of industrial automation, expected to jump ten-fold to 34% of all industrial robot sales by 2025, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

The new OnRobot office space is located in the Urban Towers within the Las Colinas area, only 15 minutes from the Dallas Fort Worth airport. The location allows the company ample opportunity to expand its US headquarters as staff is added – without having to relocate.

“North America is rapidly becoming one of our primary markets and we looked at several locations from coast to coast before settling on Dallas,” says Kristian Hulgard, general manager of OnRobot’s Americas Division. “Not only was it the prime location for our business, we were also pleased to see the tech boom that has been going on in the city. As more manufacturers and tech companies realize the benefit of growing their businesses in this region, OnRobot will also benefit from the quality of talent that is sure to follow.” 

Photo courtesy of OnRobot

Tsugami/Rem Sales LLC, a division of Morris Group Inc. and the exclusive North American importer of Precision Tsugami machine tools, plans to host the third annual Technology Center Open House on Dec. 4 - 5, 2018 at the Tsugami/Rem Sales office, 1521 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Suite E, Fullerton, California.

The two-day event will consist of presentations by Scott Anthony, business unit manager at Tsugami/Rem Sales and Graham Immerman, director of sales and marketing at MachineMetrics. Anthony will present on Tsugami/Rem Sales’ latest technology including the new SmartFlex Guide Bushing system for 32mm platforms, Oscillation Cutting, and the Goltenbodt quick-change tooling system.

Immerman will present on the MachineMetrics platform and the benefits that big data brings to machining.

“MachineMetrics is excited and honored to share our best-in-class machine monitoring and manufacturing analytics software at this year's Fullerton Open House. For years now, we have been working directly with manufacturers and machine builders to improve manufacturing equipment uptime, OEE, and productivity with real-time data and analytics. Together with Tsugami/Rem Sales, our data science team is working closely with the data to deliver optimized preventative and predictive maintenance specific to Tsugami machines. By allowing machines to be monitored remotely and in real-time with our IIoT technology, MachineMetrics is excited to enable Tsugami/Rem Sales and their customers the ability to optimize their machine performance and make confident decisions driven by data," Immerman said.

The following industry partners will be showcased at the Fullerton Open House: ESPRIT CAM Software, Blaser Swisslube, Mesa Tooling, and Eagle Vision and Automation.

Tsugami/Rem Sales also welcomes a representative from the Wounded Warrior Project to be present at the event to answer questions about the recent Corporate Sponsorship announced at IMTS 2018.

“We look forward to the Fullerton Open House each year; it is a wonderful time for our team to showcase our latest in machine tool technology to Southern California and the surrounding areas. This year, we are especially excited to show the new SS38MH-5AX and the M08J as well as our latest partnership with MachineMetrics and sponsorship of the Wounded Warrior Project,” said Michael Mugno, vice president, Tsugami/Rem Sales. “We pride ourselves in the engineering and customer support behind Rem Sales’ products and partnerships and look forward to welcoming all of the open house attendees.”

Tsugami Machines that will be featured at the open house include:

• Tsugami SS38MH-5AX: NEW 38mm, chucker-convertible sliding headstock lathe with full B-axis
• Tsugami M08J: Compact, 2-axis CNC lathe with an 8" chuck and 8 station turret
• Tsugami M08SY: Rigid turning center with Y-axis sports an 8" chuck and a 12 station turret
• Tsugami BW209Z: 20mm, 9 axis split-slide CNC precision automatic lathe
• Tsugami SS327-5AX: 32mm, B-axis sliding headstock Swiss type lathe

Hours for the Fullerton Open House are:

Tuesday Dec. 4, 10:00AM PT to 4:00PM PT

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 10:00AM PT to 3:00PM PT.

Lunch will be supplied for all registrants both days. 

All attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Tsugami/Rem Sales’ Swiss CNC Engineers and local Tsugami specialists. All are encouraged to bring questions, ideas, and drawings of parts for consultation sessions.

Representatives from Tsugami West Coast distributor and industry partner, Ellison Technologies will also be available during the event. Ellison Technologies, located in Santa Fe Springs, California, can be contacted by phone at 562.949.8311.

Please register for the event at www.remsales.com/news/openhouse or by calling Valentina Ciotto, Tsugami/Rem Sales’ Sales Coordinator at (860) 687-3422.

Watch a video from the 2017 Open House: