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Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #49 – 9T Labs is Producing High-Performance Composite Materials Through 3D PrintingMartin Eichenhofer is the CEO & co-founder of 9T Labs, a company that was spun out of ETH Zürich in Switzerland. The company specialises in providing software solutions and manufacturing equipment for producing high-quality and high-performance composite materials using 3D printing.
By marrying the worlds of composite materials and 3D printing, 9T Labs is taking advantage of the superior material properties of composite materials and combining these with the geometric fidelity facilitated by 3D printing. As a result, components that were previously unfeasible to be manufactured using composite materials, either from a technical or cost perspective, are now within the r...2021-03-0232 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#49 – 9T Labs is Producing High-Performance Composite Materials Through 3D PrintingMartin Eichenhofer is the CEO & co-founder of 9T Labs, a company that was spun out of ETH Zürich in Switzerland. 9T Labs specialises in providing software solutions and manufacturing equipment for producing high-quality and high-performance composite materials using 3D printing. By marrying the worlds of composite materials and 3D printing, 9T Labs is taking advantage of the superior material properties of composite materials and combining these with the geometric fidelity facilitated by 3D printing. As a result, components that were previously unfeasible to be manufactured using composite materials, either from a technical or cost perspective, are now within t...2021-03-0232 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #48 – Engineering Complex Systems for Harsh Environments with First ModeChris Voorhees is the founder and president of First Mode, a Seattle-based company that is designing and building technology for extreme environments off and on planet Earth.
Chris has decades of experience in the implementation of robotic systems for the exploration of deep space. His notable experience includes his work as a mobility systems engineer for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers and lead mechanical engineer for NASA's Curiosity rover. For his efforts, Chris received NASA's Exceptional Achievement and Exceptional Engineering Achievement medals.
Today, Chris oversees the design, development, and deployment of engineered solutions for missions around the globe and throughout...2021-02-1659 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#48 – Engineering Complex Systems for Harsh Environments with First ModeChris Voorhees is the founder and president of First Mode, a Seattle-based company that is designing and building technology for extreme environments off and on planet Earth. Chris has decades of experience in the implementation of robotic systems for the exploration of deep space. His notable experience includes his work as a mobility systems engineer for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers and lead mechanical engineer for NASA's Curiosity rover. For his efforts, Chris received NASA's Exceptional Achievement and Exceptional Engineering Achievement medals. Today, Chris oversees the design, development, and deployment of engineered solutions for missions around the globe and...2021-02-1659 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #47 – Möbius Aero and MμZ Motion: a Winning Team for Electric Air RacingCarl Copeland is the founder of Möbius Aero, an electric air race team, and MμZ Motion, a developer of custom, high-performance electric motors. Carl has built various engineering teams and led innovation in the fields of IT, mechanical, magnetic, and electrical design. He has founded four companies and holds over 25 patents, and his most recent innovation, the Field Modulation Motion System, is a novel electric motor design that is significantly lighter and smaller than established electric motors of similar power and torque ratings.
The Field Modulation Motion System achieves its high performance by using 18-phase field modulation rather th...2021-02-0449 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#47 – Möbius Aero and MμZ Motion: a winning team for electric air racingCarl Copeland is the founder of Möbius Aero, an electric air race team, and MμZ Motion, a developer of custom, high-performance electric motors. Carl has built various engineering teams and led innovation in the fields of IT, mechanical, magnetic, and electrical design. He has founded four companies and holds over 25 patents, and his most recent innovation, the Field Modulation Motion System, is a novel electric motor design that is significantly lighter and smaller than established electric motors of similar power and torque ratings. The Field Modulation Motion System achieves its high performance by using 18-phase field modulation ra...2021-02-0449 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #46 – Tow-steered composite materials with iCOMATDr Evangelos Zympeloudis is the CEO and co-founder of iCOMAT, a company based in the UK that is developing automated manufacturing equipment for tow-steered composites. Fibre-reinforced plastics, such as carbon-fibre or glass-fibre composites, hold great promise for high-performance and lightweight design due to their excellent stiffness and strength properties at low material density. Traditional fibre-reinforced plastics are manufactured using straight uni-directional fibres or with straight fibres woven into a fabric.
Generally speaking, a fibre-reinforced composite derives its strength by aligning the fibres with the direction of the dominant load path. The novelty of tow-steered composites is that strips of composite...2021-01-2230 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#46 – Tow-steered composite materials with iCOMAT LtdDr Evangelos Zympeloudis is the CEO and co-founder of iCOMAT, a company based in the UK that is developing automated manufacturing equipment for tow-steered composite materials. Fibre-reinforced plastics, such as carbon-fibre or glass-fibre composites, hold great promise for high-performance and lightweight design due to their excellent stiffness and strength properties at low material density. Traditional fibre-reinforced plastics are manufactured using straight uni-directional fibres or with straight fibres woven into a fabric. Generally speaking, a fibre-reinforced composite derives its strength by aligning the fibres with the direction of the dominant load path. The novelty of tow-steered composites is that strips...2021-01-2230 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#45 – Industrialising rocket science with Rocket Factory AugsburgStefan Brieschenk is the Chief Operating Officer of Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), a company in the south of Germany that is developing a low-cost launch vehicle. RFA’s vision is to drastically reduce the cost of access to space through large-scale industrialisation of their operations and manufacturing. Key to RFA's design approach is a holistic performance and cost optimisation tool that has been developed in collaboration with space industry veterans MT Aerospace and OHB. This approach has led to interesting design choices. For example, the second stage tank is based on inexpensive stainless steel construction, and in places where co...2020-12-0437 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #45 – Industrialising Rocket Science with Rocket Factory AugsburgStefan Brieschenk is the Chief Operating Officer of Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), a company in the south of Germany that is developing a low-cost launch vehicle. RFA’s vision is to drastically reduce the cost of access to space through large-scale industrialisation of their operations and manufacturing.
Key to RFA's design approach is a holistic performance and cost optimisation tool that has been developed in collaboration with space industry veterans MT Aerospace and OHB. This approach has led to interesting design choices. For example, the second stage tank is based on inexpensive stainless steel construction, and in places where composite ma...2020-12-0437 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#44 – Airflow is Building an eSTOL Aircraft for Middle-Mile LogisticsMarc Ausman is the co-founder and CEO of Airflow, a California-based startup that is building an electric short-haul cargo aircraft. Marc holds a commercial pilot license, and among other endeavours, was previously the Chief Strategist for Airbus’ all-electric, tilt-wing vehicle demonstrator known as Vahana. Alongside four other former Vahana team members, Marc and the team at Airflow are building an aerial logistics network to move short-haul cargo quickly and cost effectively by using unused airspace around cities. Key to Airflow’s vision is electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL). Airflow's eSTOL aircraft require only a few hundred feet for take...2020-11-1836 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #44 – Airflow is Building an eSTOL Aircraft for Middle-Mile LogisticsMarc Ausman is the co-founder and CEO of Airflow, a California-based startup that is building an electric short-haul cargo aircraft. Marc holds a commercial pilot license, and among other endeavours, was previously the Chief Strategist for Airbus’ all-electric, tilt-wing vehicle demonstrator known as Vahana. Alongside four other former Vahana team members, Marc and the team at Airflow are building an aerial logistics network to move short-haul cargo quickly and cost effectively by using unused airspace around cities.
Key to Airflow’s vision is electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL). Airflow's eSTOL aircraft require only a few hundred feet for takeoff and...2020-11-1836 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#43 – Dr John Williams on Air-Breathing Rocket EnginesDr John Williams is an engineer at Lumentum where he works on the extreme challenges of sub-millimetre scale photonic circuits. For the purpose of this conversation, however, we will be discussing John’s former role as a design engineer at Reaction Engines, a UK company that is developing the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, also known as SABRE. The vision of SABRE is to build a new hypersonic engine that can operate both as an air-breathing jet engine and as a traditional rocket. This versatility means SABRE can be used as a propulsive platform for future hypersonic aircraft or to pr...2020-10-2731 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #43 – Dr John Williams on Air-Breathing Rocket EnginesDr John Williams is an engineer at Lumentum where he works on the extreme challenges of sub-millimetre scale photonic circuits. For the purpose of this conversation, however, we will be discussing John’s former role as a design engineer at Reaction Engines, a UK company that is developing the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, also known as SABRE.
The vision of SABRE is to build a new hypersonic engine that can operate both as an air-breathing jet engine and as a traditional rocket. This versatility means SABRE can be used as a propulsive platform for future hypersonic aircraft or to propel sp...2020-10-2731 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#42 – Autonomous Helicopters with Near Earth AutonomyDr Sanjiv Singh is a research professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy. Sanjiv has more than 30 years of research experience in the field of autonomous vehicles and has spun-out multiple companies from his university research. His current venture, Near Earth Autonomy, develops technology that allows aircraft to autonomously take-off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Near Earth's goal is to develop complete autonomous solutions that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones up to full-size helicopters. The team at Near Earth was awarded...2020-10-1337 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #42 – Autonomous Helicopters with Near Earth AutonomyDr Sanjiv Singh is a research professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy. Sanjiv has more than 30 years of research experience in the field of autonomous vehicles and has spun-out multiple companies from his university research.
His current venture, Near Earth Autonomy, develops technology that allows aircraft to autonomously take-off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Near Earth's goal is to develop complete autonomous solutions that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones up to full-size helicopters. The team at Near Earth was awarded the 2018...2020-10-1337 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#41 – Alpine Advanced Materials and the Ultralight Nanocomposite Material HX5™In this episode I am speaking to Aaron Daniel and Peter Shpik of Alpine Advanced Materials. Alpine Advanced Materials specialises in the design and manufacture of custom-engineered parts and products for demanding aerospace and energy applications. The company is currently commercialising a high-performance material known as HX5™, which is a thermoplastic nanocomposite originally developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® over a decade of testing and validation. HX5™ was originally developed to replace aluminum at half the weight but with the same strength and stiffness. On top of that HX5™ has excellent durability in harsh environments such as in outer space, in r...2020-09-2530 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #41 – Alpine Advanced Materials and the Ultralight Nanocomposite Material HX5™In this episode I am speaking to Aaron Daniel and Peter Shpik of Alpine Advanced Materials. Alpine Advanced Materials specialises in the design and manufacture of custom-engineered parts and products for demanding aerospace and energy applications. The company is currently commercialising a high-performance material known as HX5™, which is a thermoplastic nanocomposite originally developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® over a decade of testing and validation.
HX5™ was originally developed to replace aluminum at half the weight but with the same strength and stiffness. On top of that HX5™ has excellent durability in harsh environments such as in outer space, in radioac...2020-09-2500 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #40 – Earth-observation Satellite Constellations with SatRevolutionIn this episode I am speaking to Damian Jamroz and Grzegorz Marzec of the Polish NewSpace company SatRevolution. The company was founded in 2016 and specialises in real-time earth observation for civilian and military applications.
SatRevolution has launched three satellites to date, with the last launch occurring at the beginning of September 2020 on an Arianespace Vega rocket, while the next one is planned for December 2020 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. These satellites are all milestones towards building an Earth-observation constellation that will be operational from 2023.
Recently, SatRevolution has focused on developing the STORK platform, which is scheduled to be launched in...2020-09-1600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#40 – Earth-observation Satellite Constellations with SatRevolutionIn this episode I am speaking to Damian Jamroz and Grzegorz Marzec of the Polish NewSpace company SatRevolution. The company was founded in 2016 and specialises in real-time earth observation for civilian and military applications. SatRevolution has launched three satellites to date, with the last launch occurring at the beginning of September 2020 on an Arianespace Vega rocket, while the next one is planned for December 2020 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. These satellites are all milestones towards building an Earth-observation constellation that will be operational from 2023. Recently, SatRevolution has focused on developing the STORK platform, which is scheduled to be launched...2020-09-1634 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#39 – Exosonic is Developing a Low Boom Supersonic Passenger AircraftNorris Tie is the CEO of Exosonic, a California-based startup that is developing a low sonic boom supersonic passenger aircraft. Norris holds an engineering degree from UCLA, an MBA from Stanford, and before starting Exosonic worked on supersonic aircraft at Northrup Grumman, Virgin Galactic and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. What differentiates Exosonic from other upstarts in the reviving supersonic aircraft space is that the company is specifically focusing on reducing the intensity of sonic booms. Current regulation forbids supersonic flights across America to minimise noise pollution; a restriction which significantly limited the routes that the first supersonic airliner, the...2020-09-0733 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #39 – Exosonic is Developing a Low Boom Supersonic Passenger AircraftNorris Tie is the CEO of Exosonic, a California-based startup that is developing a low sonic boom supersonic passenger aircraft. Norris holds an engineering degree from UCLA, an MBA from Stanford, and before starting Exosonic worked on supersonic aircraft at Northrup Grumman, Virgin Galactic and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
What differentiates Exosonic from other upstarts in the reviving supersonic aircraft space is that the company is specifically focusing on reducing the intensity of sonic booms. Current regulation forbids supersonic flights across America to minimise noise pollution; a restriction which significantly limited the routes that the first supersonic airliner, the Concorde...2020-09-0700 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#38 – Momentus is Developing a Transfer Vehicle for SpaceAlexander Wicks is the Chief Development Officer at the California-based startup Momentus Space. Momentus is developing the in-space equivalent of the connecting flight we all know from airline operations. To affordably launch small satellites into orbit, operators and manufacturers of small satellites are generally forced to share a ride on one big rocket. This approach is economical, but has one major downside: not every satellite on the ride share can be launched into its ideal orbit. Momentus is developing the transfer vehicle that then allows a satellite to reach its customisable orbit 10 times cheaper than booking a dedicated launch...2020-05-1928 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #38 – Momentus is Developing a Transfer Vehicle for SpaceAlexander Wicks is the Chief Development Officer at the California-based startup Momentus Space. Momentus is developing the in-space equivalent of the connecting flight we all know from airline operations.
To affordably launch small satellites into orbit, operators and manufacturers of small satellites are generally forced to share a ride on one big rocket. This approach is economical, but has one major downside: not every satellite on the ride share can be launched into its ideal orbit. Momentus is developing the transfer vehicle that then allows a satellite to reach its customisable orbit 10 times cheaper than booking a dedicated launch on...2020-05-1900 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #37 – Anomalous is Using AI to Make Inspection More AccurateEuan Wielewski is the co-founder and CEO at Anomalous Technologies, a start-up based in Edinburgh, Scotland using the latest machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enable better quality control of manufactured components.
As aerospace engineers we know that quality control and inspection of flight-critical hardware is essential to guarantee safe operation of aircraft. Human visual inspection is a subjective and analogue process, which means that flight hardware is typically double and triple-checked to high levels of accuracy. This is where the AI tools developed by Anomalous Technologies are invaluable. By making inspection digital, operational traceability is immediately enhanced...2020-05-0100 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#37 – Anomalous is Using AI to Make Inspection More AccurateToday I am speaking with Euan Wielewski, co-founder and CEO at Anomalous Technologies. Anomalous is a start-up based in Edinburgh, Scotland that uses the latest machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enable better quality control of manufactured components. As aerospace engineers we know that quality control and inspection of flight-critical hardware is essential for guaranteeing safe operation of aircraft. Human visual inspection is a subjective and analogue process, which means that flight hardware is typically double and triple-checked to high levels of accuracy. This is where the AI tools developed by Anomalous Technologies are invaluable. By making i...2020-05-0128 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #36 – ZeroAvia is Powering Sustainable Aviation with HydrogenSergey Kiselev is the Head of Europe of the sustainable aviation company ZeroAvia. ZeroAvia is working on the first practical zero-emission aviation powertrain fuelled by hydrogen. Even though CO2 emissions of the aviation industry currently only account for 2-3% of the global output, passenger numbers are expected to grow continuously for the next 30 years, such that solutions transitioning to emission-free powertrains need to be formulated, tested and certified now.
ZeroAvia has developed a new powertrain that couples hydrogen gas with a fuel cell to drive an electric motor that spins a propeller. This zero emission powertrain currently promises to deliver...2020-03-2100 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#36 – ZeroAvia is Powering Sustainable Aviation with HydrogenSergey Kiselev is the Head of Europe of the sustainable aviation company ZeroAvia. ZeroAvia is working on the first practical zero-emission aviation powertrain fuelled by hydrogen. Even though CO2 emissions of the aviation industry currently only account for 2-3% of the global output, passenger numbers are expected to grow continuously for the next 30 years, such that solutions transitioning to emission-free powertrains need to be formulated, tested and certified now. ZeroAvia has developed a new powertrain that couples hydrogen gas with a fuel cell to drive an electric motor that spins a propeller. This zero emission powertrain currently promises to...2020-03-2135 min
The Aerospace Engineering Podcast#35 – Astroscale's Pioneering Mission to Clean-Up Space DebrisAlexandra Gravereaux is a Ground Systems Engineer for the space startup Astroscale. Astroscale is a global company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with offices in the UK, Singapore and the USA, and is developing technological and regulatory solutions for space debris removal. The mission of Astroscale is to guarantee the long-term safety of spaceflight and orbital sustainability by developing end-of-life services for satellites and active debris removal. This relates to removing space junk that has accumulated due to defunct satellites and jettisoned rocket interstages; guaranteeing that regulations are in place to prevent the build-up of further space junk; and technological...2020-01-2826 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #35 – Astroscale’s Pioneering Mission to Clean-Up Space DebrisAlexandra Gravereaux is a Ground Systems Engineer for the space startup Astroscale. Astroscale is a global company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with offices in the UK, Singapore and the USA, and is developing technological and regulatory solutions for space debris removal. The mission of Astroscale is to guarantee the long-term safety of spaceflight and orbital sustainability by developing end-of-life services for satellites and active debris removal. This relates to removing space junk that has accumulated due to defunct satellites and jettisoned rocket interstages; guaranteeing that regulations are in place to prevent the build-up of further space junk; and technological solutions...2020-01-2800 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#34 – Aerospace Startups and the ATI Boeing AcceleratorWil Benton is the Venture & Ecosystem Director for the ATI Boeing Accelerator in London. The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is a UK organisation that creates the technology strategy for the UK aerospace sector and funds world-class research and development. The ATI recently launched a startup accelerator to accelerate the growth of new companies in industry 4.0 and sustainable development, with the aim of bolstering the growth and competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry. The programme is designed to help startups establish commercial relationships with global aerospace companies, like Boeing and GKN Aerospace, and to raise follow-on funding and engage with the...2019-12-1839 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #34 – Aerospace Startups and the ATI Boeing AcceleratorWil Benton is the Venture & Ecosystem Director for the ATI Boeing Accelerator in London, UK. The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is a UK organisation that creates the technology strategy for the UK aerospace sector and funds world-class research and development. The ATI recently launched a startup accelerator to accelerate the growth of new companies in industry 4.0 and sustainable development, with the aim of bolstering the growth and competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry. The programme is designed to help startups establish commercial relationships with global aerospace companies, like Boeing and GKN Aerospace, and to raise follow-on funding and engage with...2019-12-1800 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#33 – Black Arrow's Vision for a Seaborne Launch Capability and STEM EngagementPaul Williams is the Executive Director of the British startup Black Arrow Space Technologies. Black Arrow is developing a sea-borne launch capability based on their current expertise in developing composite propellant tanks for satellites. The launching of rockets from ships has a previous history in America, and as an island nation, the concept is clearly suited for a UK launch provider. Paul and I talk about the heritage of the Black Arrow name, the advantages of a sea-borne launch approach, and the importance of audacious technical challenges in galvanising and inspiring the next generation of engineering talent.
In fact, Black A...2019-12-0441 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #33 – Black Arrow’s Vision for a Seaborne Launch Capability and STEM EngagementPaul Williams is the Executive Director of the British startup Black Arrow Space Technologies. Black Arrow is developing a sea-borne launch capability based on their current expertise in developing composite propellant tanks for satellites. The launching of rockets from ships has a previous history in America, and as an island nation, the concept is clearly suited for a UK launch provider. Paul and I talk about the heritage of the Black Arrow name, the advantages of a sea-borne launch approach, and the importance of audacious technical challenges in galvanising and inspiring the next generation of engineering talent.
In fact, Black...2019-12-0400 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#32 – Air-to-Air Refuelling and Higher Education Engineering Reform with Dr Steve BullockDr Steve Bullock is an engineering researcher in air-to-air refuelling and cooperative control of UAVs, as well as the Programme Director of the Aerospace Engineering programme at the University of Bristol. As the programme director of a leading European aerospace engineering programme, Steve has a unique vantage point on how the higher education landscape is changing, and specifically, how technology trends such as aviation sustainability and digitisation are changing the requirements for an engineering university education in the 21st century. As a TeachFirst ambassador and presenter of the Cosmic Shed podcast, Steve has a clear passion for education in g...2019-11-2040 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #32 – Air-to-Air Refuelling and Higher Education Engineering Reform with Dr Steve BullockDr Steve Bullock is an engineering researcher in air-to-air refuelling and cooperative control of UAVs, as well as the Programme Director of the Aerospace Engineering programme at the University of Bristol. As the programme director of a leading European aerospace engineering programme, Steve has a unique vantage point on how the higher education landscape is changing, and specifically, how technology trends such as aviation sustainability and digitisation are changing the requirements for an engineering university education in the 21st century.
As a TeachFirst ambassador and presenter of the Cosmic Shed podcast, Steve has a clear passion for education in general a...2019-11-2000 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#31 – VR in the Aerospace Industry with Mbryonic Founder Tom SzirtesTom Szirtes is the founder and director of Mbryonic, a London-based digital design studio. Mbryonic specialises in creating virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality experiences that help organisations communicate, educate and entertain more effectively. Apart from the traditional applications in gaming and education, VR is now increasingly important for industrial design and engineering in general. For example, Mbryonic recently partnered with All Nippon Airways to provide customers an immersive virtual tour of All Nippon's new business class in the Boeing 777 cabin. Mbryonic has also partnered with Acumen to create ‘The Adient Ascent VR’; a modular aircraft seating system that a...2019-10-2830 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #31 – Virtual Reality in Aerospace with Mbryonic Founder Tom SzirtesTom Szirtes is the founder and director of Mbryonic, a London-based digital design studio. Mbryonic specialises in creating virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) experiences that help organisations communicate, educate and entertain more effectively. Apart from the traditional applications in gaming and education, VR is now increasingly important for industrial design and engineering in general. For example, Mbryonic recently partnered with All Nippon Airways to provide customers an immersive virtual tour of All Nippon's new business class in the Boeing 777 cabin. Mbryonic has also partnered with Acumen to create ‘The Adient Ascent VR’; a modular aircraft seat...2019-10-2800 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#30 – Digitisation at Rolls Royce and the Information Vanguard ConferenceToday I am talking to Gareth Hetheridge, the Interim Head of IT at Rolls Royce, and Luca Leone, a Team Defence Information Task Force Consultant about the UK defence industry. Team Defence Information (TD-Info) is a collaborative association that informs defence information policy and pilots new ways of working to transform the defence ecosystem in the UK. TD-Info pools the collective insights, knowledge and innovations of its members, such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, and others, to help the Ministry of Defence deliver its objectives for equipment and information. In this episode we discuss:
the importance of TD-Info...2019-10-0400 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #30 – Digitisation at Rolls Royce and the Information Vanguard ConferenceToday I am talking to Gareth Hetheridge (Interim Head of IT at Rolls Royce) and Luca Leone (Team Defence Information Task Force Consultant) about the UK defence industry. Team Defence Information (TD-Info) is a collaborative association that informs defence information policy and pilots new ways of working to transform the defence ecosystem in the UK. TD-Info pools the collective insights, knowledge and innovations of its members, such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, and others, to help the Ministry of Defence deliver its objectives for equipment and information. In this episode we discuss:
the importance of TD-Info for the UK defence...2019-10-0400 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #29 – Samson Sky is Building the First Truly Useful Flying CarSam Bousfield is the founder and CEO of Samson Sky, a company that is developing the first truly useful flying car. Sam is an architect by training, but a passion for aviation led him to work on a supersonic aircraft with Boeing. Out of this experience came the idea of building a flying car called the Switchblade.
Harking from an architectural background, Sam approached the problem of designing a flying car slightly differently. Rather than asking the question of how you could make a car fly, Sam and his team focused on the architectural question of how a vehicle that...2019-04-1600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#29 – Samson Sky is building the first truly useful flying carSam Bousfield is the founder and CEO of Samson Sky, a company that is developing the first truly useful flying car. Sam is an architect by training, but a passion for aviation led him to work on a supersonic aircraft with Boeing. Out of this experience came the idea of building a flying car called the Switchblade. Harking from an architectural background, Sam approached the problem of designing a flying car slightly differently. Rather than asking the question of how you could make a car fly, Sam and his team focused on the architectural question of how a vehicle...2019-04-1656 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #28 – Natilus: the Startup Building Large Autonomous Cargo DronesAleksey Matyushev is the co-founder and CEO of Natilus, a startup headquartered in San Francisco. Natilus has set out to reduce global air freight costs through the use of large autonomous drones, and has moved quickly over the last couple of years to develop a sea-plane prototype to serve as a technology demonstrator.
The engineers at Natilus are now moving ahead at full steam to design a land-based freighter drone based on a blended-wing body. As the name suggests, a blended aircraft has no clear demarcation line between wings and fuselage. Advantages of this approach are efficient lift generation aided...2019-04-0100 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#28 – Natilus: the startup building large autonomous cargo dronesAleksey Matyushev is the co-founder and CEO of Natilus, a startup headquartered in San Francisco. Natilus has set out to reduce global air freight costs through the use of large autonomous drones, and has moved quickly over the last couple of years to develop a sea-plane prototype to serve as a technology demonstrator. The engineers at Natilus are now moving ahead at full steam to design a land-based freighter drone based on a blended-wing body. As the name suggests, a blended aircraft has no clear demarcation line between wings and fuselage. Advantages of this approach are efficient lift generation...2019-04-0137 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#27 – A masterclass on friction welding with TWI's Bertrand FlipoIn this episode I am speaking to Bertrand Flipo from The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK. TWI Global has a long history of innovation in welding research, having been established as the British Welding Research Association in 1946. TWI is a world leader in research on friction welding and has been at the forefront of many modern friction welding processes. Briefly put, friction welding is a joining technique that does not melt the parts to be joined. Instead, two components are rubbed together to create heat through friction, and high pressure is then applied to squeeze the two pieces together...2019-03-1936 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #27 – A Masterclass on Friction Welding with TWI’s Bertrand FlipoIn this episode I am speaking to Bertrand Flipo from The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK. TWI Ltd has a long history of innovation in welding research, having been established as the British Welding Research Association in 1946. TWI Ltd is a world leader in research on friction welding and has been at the forefront of many modern friction welding processes.
Briefly put, friction welding is a joining technique that does not melt the parts to be joined. Instead, two components are rubbed together to create heat through friction, and high pressure is then applied to squeeze the two pieces together...2019-03-1900 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #26 – How AERALIS is Designing a New Family of Military Trainer AircraftOn this episode I am speaking to Luca Leone who is the Head of Programme of AERALIS, a British startup designing a new class of military trainer and aerobatic jet aircraft. AERALIS have set out to re-invigorate the UK aircraft manufacturing sector with a military trainer that provides an exceptional pilot training experience.
AERALIS' design is purposely modular meaning that a basic and an advanced version of the training aircraft are based on one common platform. This reduces costs in engine and airframe maintenance through training and spares commonality and also facilitates a shorter training period for pilots due to...2019-03-0500 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#26 – How AERALIS is designing a new family of military trainer aircraftOn this episode I am speaking to Luca Leone who is the Head of Programme of AERALIS, a British startup designing a new class of military trainer and aerobatic jet aircraft. AERALIS have set out to re-invigorate the UK aircraft manufacturing sector with a military trainer that provides an exceptional pilot training experience. AERALIS' design is purposely modular meaning that a basic and an advanced version of the training aircraft are based on one common platform. This reduces costs in engine and airframe maintenance through training and spares commonality and also facilitates a shorter training period for pilots due...2019-03-0521 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#25 – Vertical Aerospace CCO Michael Darcy on the UK's first full-scale eVTOL and the growing urban mobility marketMichael Darcy is the Chief Commercial Officer of the British eVTOL company Vertical Aerospace. Vertical Aerospace has set out to change the way we fly short-haul distances and to reduce the time required for end-to-end journeys. Their vision is to develop an intercity air taxi service that gives customers the freedom to fly from local neighbourhood directly to the final destination. To achieve this, Vertical has assembled a world-class team with veteran engineers from Airbus, Boeing, Rolls Royce and leading Formula 1 teams to design a fully certified eVTOL aircraft starting from first principles. Since their founding in 2016, Vertical Aerospace...2019-02-1826 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #25 – Vertical Aerospace CCO Michael Darcy on the UK’s First Full-Scale eVTOL and the Growing Urban Mobility MarketMichael Darcy is the Chief Commercial Officer of the British eVTOL (electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing) company Vertical Aerospace. Vertical Aerospace has set out to change the way we fly short-haul distances and to reduce the time required for end-to-end journeys. Their vision is to develop an intercity air taxi service that gives customers the freedom to fly from local neighbourhood directly to the final destination.
To achieve this, Vertical has assembled a world-class team with veteran engineers from Airbus, Boeing, Rolls Royce and leading Formula 1 teams to design a fully certified eVTOL aircraft starting from first principles. Since their founding in 2016, Vertical A...2019-02-1800 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #24 – Veronica Foreman on Small Satellites and Virgin Orbit’s Air-Launched Rocket SystemVeronica Foreman is a payload engineer at the small-satellite launch provider Virgin Orbit. Before starting her career at Virgin Orbit, Veronica earned several academic accolades including an Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award at Georgia Tech, and a Best Masters Thesis award at MIT. What I find especially impressive about her Masters work on small-satellite constellations is that Veronica considered both the design of constellations, as well as the economic and policy challenges to small-satellite mission success.
As Virgin Orbit's mission is to be the premier dedicated launch service for small satellites, Veronica has seemingly found the perfect place for her expertise...2019-02-0600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#24 – Veronica Foreman on small satellites and Virgin Orbit's air-launched rocket systemVeronica Foreman is a payload engineer at the small-satellite launch provider Virgin Orbit. Before starting her career at Virgin Orbit, Veronica earned several academic accolades including an Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award at Georgia Tech, and a Best Masters Thesis award at MIT. What I find especially impressive about her Masters work on small-satellite constellations is that Veronica considered both the design of constellations, as well as the economic and policy challenges to small-satellite mission success. As Virgin Orbit's mission is to be the premier dedicated launch service for small satellites, Veronica has seemingly found the perfect place for her...2019-02-0622 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #23 – Samy Libsig on eXalt Aircraft’s Vision of Designing a New Breed of Sport AirplanesSamy Libsig is one of the founders of the sport aircraft startup eXalt Aircraft Inc. eXalt currently comprises a team of three engineers that are bringing a unique combination of fresh design thinking and engineering experience to the world of sport airplanes. The vision of eXalt is to turn the sky into a playground with an aircraft that puts the pilot's flying experience in the foreground. This means an aircraft which is fun to fly, economical, maintenance friendly, and environmentally sustainable.
Looking at the sport aircraft market, it is easy to notice that aircraft designs haven't evolved appreciably over the...2019-01-2900 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#23 – Samy Libsig on eXalt Aircraft's vision of designing a new breed of sport airplanesSamy Libsig is one of the founders of the sport aircraft startup eXalt Aircraft Inc. eXalt currently comprises a team of three engineers that are bringing a unique combination of fresh design thinking and engineering experience to the world of sport airplanes. The vision of eXalt is to turn the sky into a playground with an aircraft that puts the pilot's flying experience in the foreground; this means an aircraft which is fun to fly, economical, maintenance friendly, and environmentally sustainable. Looking at the sport aircraft market, it is easy to notice that aircraft designs haven't evolved appreciably over...2019-01-2932 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#22 – Mark Crouchen on Rockwood Composites and Manufacturing Complex Composite ComponentsMark Crouchen is the managing director of Rockwood Composites, a company in the UK that specialises in manufacturing complex composite components using compression and bladder moulding. These manufacturing processes use fibre mats of carbon fibre, glass fibre, Kevlar, or any other material, which are pre-impregnated with a resin matrix and then placed in a mould, where they are cured at elevated temperature with the addition of external or internal pressure. The team at Rockwood has been supplying the aerospace, defense, medical and nuclear industries for over 25 years with customers ranging from Leonardo Helicopters and the McLaren Formula 1 team to...2018-12-1828 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #22 – Mark Crouchen on Rockwood Composites and Manufacturing Complex Composite ComponentsMark Crouchen is the managing director of Rockwood Composites, a company in the UK that specialises in manufacturing complex composite components using compression and bladder moulding. These manufacturing processes use fibre mats of carbon fibre, glass fibre, Kevlar, or any other material, which are pre-impregnated with a resin matrix and then placed in a mould, where they are cured at elevated temperature with the addition of external or internal pressure.
The team at Rockwood has been supplying the aerospace, defense, medical and nuclear industries for over 25 years, with customers ranging from Leonardo Helicopters and the McLaren Formula 1 team to Safran...2018-12-1800 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #21 – Prof. Paul Withey on Single-Crystal Superalloys for Jet Engine TurbinesPaul Withey is the Professor of Casting at the School of Metallurgy and Materials of the University of Birmingham, UK. Before joining the University of Birmingham in 2018, Paul worked at Rolls Royce for 21 years developing new superalloys and manufacturing processes for gas turbine components. As an Engineering Associate Fellow, Paul was a member of a select group of the top 100 specialist engineers across all engineering disciplines within Rolls Royce, and in 2015, Paul and his team were awarded the highest technical award within Rolls-Royce; the Sir Henry Royce Award.
Paul’s particular expertise lies in investment casting of aerospace metals, especially of...2018-11-2700 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#21 – Prof. Paul Withey on single-crystal superalloys for jet engine turbinesPaul Withey is the Professor of Casting at the School of Metallurgy and Materials of the University of Birmingham in the UK. Before joining the University of Birmingham in 2018, Paul worked at Rolls Royce for 21 years developing new materials and manufacturing processes for gas turbine components. As an Engineering Associate Fellow, Paul was a member of a select group of the top 100 specialist engineers across all engineering disciplines within Rolls Royce, and in 2015, Paul and his team were awarded the highest technical award within Rolls-Royce; the Sir Henry Royce Award. Paul’s particular expertise lies in investment casting of ae...2018-11-2729 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #20 – Airbus Engineer Oliver Family on the E-Fan X DemonstratorOliver Family is the Overall Aircraft Design Leader of the Airbus E-Fan X demonstrator. The E-Fan X is a hybrid-electric technology demonstrator being developed by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens based on a British Aerospace 146 regional airliner. The driver behind the E-Fan X demonstrator is that current aircraft designs have converged to a near-optimum, and with existing technologies, it is difficult to meet the stringent sustainability goals in terms of CO2/NOX emissions and reductions in noise. New technologies, such as electrification, are therefore required to achieve these goals.
As we have seen on other episodes of the podcast, electrification of air...2018-11-0600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#20 – Airbus engineer Oliver Family on the E-Fan X demonstratorOliver Family is the Overall Aircraft Design Leader of the Airbus E-Fan X demonstrator. The E-Fan X is a hybrid-electric technology demonstrator being developed by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens based on a British Aerospace 146 regional airliner. The driver behind the E-Fan X demonstrator is that current aircraft designs have converged to a near-optimum, and with existing technologies, it is difficult to meet the stringent sustainability goals in terms of CO2/NOX emissions and reductions in noise. New technologies, such as electrification, are therefore required to achieve these goals.
As we have seen on other episodes of the pod...2018-11-0632 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #19 – Manuel Schleiffelder on the Hound Project and Metal Matrix Composites for RocketsToday I am speaking to Manuel Schleiffelder, an aerospace engineer based in Vienna, Austria. Manuel has a background in designing and building experimental rockets with the student space team of the Technical University in Vienna, known as the Hound Project. I spoke to Manuel after he returned from a trip to the Black Rock Desert, where the Vienna space team tested their newest two-stage experimental rocket. Manuel has a very broad background in space engineering having worked on projects varying from spacecraft design of lunar landers and systems engineering of rocket propulsion systems, to his newest research project in materials...2018-10-2300 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#19 – Manuel Schleiffelder on the Hound Project and metal matrix composites for rockets
Today I am speaking to Manuel Schleiffelder, an aerospace engineer based in Vienna, Austria. Manuel has a background in designing and building experimental rockets with the student space team of the Technical University in Vienna, known as the Hound Project, and I spoke to him after he returned from a trip to the Black Rock Desert where the Vienna space team tested their newest two-stage experimental rocket. Manuel has a very broad background in space engineering having worked on projects varying from spacecraft design of lunar landers and systems engineering of rocket propulsion systems, to his newest r...2018-10-2345 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #18 – Prof. Wenbin Yu on the Structure GenomeOn this episode I am speaking to Wenbin Yu, who is a professor at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Purdue University and CTO of AnalySwift, a provider of simulation software for composites. Wenbin has achieved many accolades in both the academic world and in the private sector, and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His specialty lies in multi-scale modelling of materials and structures, a topic that we delve into throughout this episode. Material scientists are increasingly inventing materials that are designed from the ground up. This means they take some fundamental building block and...2018-10-0200 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#18 – Prof. Wenbin Yu on the Structure GenomeOn this episode I am speaking to Wenbin Yu, who is a professor at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Purdue University. Wenbin has achieved many accolades in both the academic world and in the private sector, and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His specialty lies in multi-scale modelling of materials and structures, a topic that we delve into throughout this episode. Material scientists are increasingly inventing materials that are designed from the ground up, meaning they take some fundamental building block and then attempt to arrange this building block in an architected man...2018-10-0238 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #17 – Alba Orbital Engineer Andrew Dunn on PocketQubesOn this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast I am speaking to Andrew Dunn who is an engineer at the satellite company Alba Orbital in Glasgow, Scotland. Alba Orbital is in the business of building PocketQubes, which are miniaturised satellites mainly used for space science, Earth imaging and space exploration. As the name suggests, PocketQubes are pocket-sized, usually around 5 cm (2 in) cubed and weighing no more than 180 grams. What is more, PocketQubes are typically assembled entirely from commercial off-the-shelf components, driven mostly by the miniaturisation of smartphone electronics, and this makes PocketQubes an ideal low-cost testbed for university labs and...2018-09-1100 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#17 – Alba Orbital Engineer Andrew Dunn on PocketQubesOn this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast I am speaking to Andrew Dunn who is an engineer at the satellite company Alba Orbital in Glasgow, Scotland. Alba Orbital is in the business of building PocketQubes, which are miniaturised satellites mainly used for space science, Earth imaging and space exploration. As the name suggests, PocketQubes are pocket-sized, usually around 5 cm (2 in) cubed and weighing no more than 180 grams. What is more, PocketQubes are typically assembled entirely from commercial off-the-shelf components, driven mostly by the miniaturisation of smartphone electronics, and this makes PocketQubes an ideal low-cost testbed for university labs...2018-09-1134 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #16 – Max Haot and Launcher’s Ten-year Journey to Deliver Small Satellites to OrbitOn this episode I am speaking to Max Haot, who is the founder of Launcher, a rocket startup based out of Brooklyn, NY. Launcher was founded in early 2017 and is on a ten-year journey to deliver small satellites to orbit. More specifically, Launcher plans to deliver payloads of up to 300 kg into low-earth orbit cheaper than anyone else in the growing small launcher market; a market specialising on small satellites that will deliver GPS, internet services and earth imaging in the near future.
The most difficult part of launching satellites into orbit is building a robust and reliable rocket engine...2018-08-2200 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#16 – Max Haot and Launcher's ten-year journey to deliver small satellites to orbitOn this episode I am speaking to Max Haot, who is the founder of Launcher, a rocket startup based out of Brooklyn, NY. Launcher was founded in early 2017 and is on a ten-year journey to deliver small satellites to orbit. More specifically, Launcher plans to deliver payloads of up to 300 kg into low-earth orbit cheaper than anyone else in the growing small launcher market; a market specialising on small satellites that will deliver GPS, internet services and earth imaging in the near future.
The most difficult part of launching satellites into orbit is building a robust and...2018-08-2248 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#15 – Nick Sills on contra-rotating electric propulsionOn this episode I am speaking to Nick Sills who is the founder of Contra Electric Propulsion Ltd. Nick’s background is in developing underwater propulsion systems for the offshore oil and gas industry. He has designed products ranging from a hydraulically powered excavator for pipeline route trenching, to the world’s biggest deep water excavator. He received a Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for the "Jet Prop" tool, a 5 m diameter propeller that is powered by ejecting high pressure seawater from its propeller blades.
Nick founded his most recent company, Contra Electric Propulsion, to develop a contr...2018-07-2446 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #15 – Nick Sills on Contra-Rotating Electric PropulsionOn this episode I am speaking to Nick Sills who is the founder of Contra Electric Propulsion Ltd. Nick’s engineering background is in developing underwater propulsion systems for the offshore oil and gas industry. He has designed products ranging from a hydraulically powered excavator for pipeline route trenching, to the world’s biggest deep water excavator. He received a Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for the "Jet Prop" tool, a 5 m diameter propeller that is powered by ejecting high pressure seawater from its propeller blades.
Nick founded his most recent company, Contra Electric Propulsion, to develop a contra-rotating propeller syste...2018-07-2400 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #14 – Dufour Aerospace Co-Founder Thomas Pfammatter on the aEro2 VTOL Electric AircraftOn this episode I am speaking to Thomas Pfammatter, who is the co-founder of the Swiss electric aircraft startup Dufour Aerospace. Dufour is currently designing an electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities for the urban and rural transport market. The promise of their current aircraft, the aEro 2, is that with VTOL capabilities it can take-off and land pretty much anywhere, which can considerably reduce travel times, especially to places that are difficult to reach by car or train.
There is a long-standing compromise in aviation between taking-off vertically, and being able to travel fast horizontally. Dufour Aerospace b...2018-07-1000 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#14 – Dufour Aerospace co-founder Thomas Pfammatter on the aEro2 VTOL electric aircraftOn this episode I am speaking to Thomas Pfammatter, who is the co-founder of the Swiss electric aviation startup Dufour Aerospace. Dufour is currently designing an electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities for the urban and rural transport market. The promise of their current aircraft, the aEro 2, is that with VTOL capabilities it can take-off and land pretty much anywhere, which can considerably reduce travel times, especially to places that are difficult to reach by car or train. There is a long-standing compromise in aviation between taking-off vertically, and being able to travel fast horizontally. Dufour A...2018-07-1052 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#13 – Skyrora's lead engineer Robin Hague on Scotland's new satellite launch capabilityRobin Hague is the Lead Engineer at the rocket startup Skyrora based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The goal of Skyrora is to provide a dedicated launch vehicle for small satellites. It has never been cheaper to build small satellites that provide imaging and communication services, and this sector of the space economy is expected to grow rapidly over the coming years. The UK is a world leader in the small satellite business—with Glasgow in Scotland building more satellites than any other city in Europe—but there is currently a shortfall of dedicated launchers for these satellite companies. Skyrora hopes to s...2018-06-2132 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #13 – Skyrora’s Lead Engineer Robin Hague on Scotland’s New Satellite Launch CapabilityRobin Hague is the Lead Engineer at the rocket startup Skyrora based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The goal of Skyrora is to provide a dedicated launch vehicle for small satellites. It has never been cheaper to build small satellites that provide imaging and communication services, and this sector of the space economy is expected to grow rapidly over the coming years. The UK is a world leader in the small satellite business—with Glasgow in Scotland building more satellites than any other city in Europe—but there is currently a shortfall of dedicated launchers for these satellite companies. Skyrora hopes to serv...2018-06-2100 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#12 – The Perlan Project: soaring to the edge of spaceThis episode features an in-depth look at the Perlan Project. The mission of the Perlan Project is to fly an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, in this case, by taking advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as wave lift. Not only is soaring to 90,000 feet an audacious goal, but on top of that, the Perlan Project is a worldwide collaborative project run entirely by aviation enthusiasts, scientists, engineers and adventurous pilots. Noone has ever soared to the edge of space in a glider and so the Perlan engineers are venturing into unchartered aviation territory on their own. O...2018-06-0537 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #12 – The Perlan Project: Soaring to the Edge of SpaceThis episode features an in-depth look at the Perlan Project. The mission of the Perlan Project is to fly an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, in this case, by taking advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as wave lift. Not only is soaring to 90,000 feet an audacious goal, but on top of that, the Perlan Project is a worldwide collaborative project run entirely by aviation enthusiasts, scientists, engineers and adventurous pilots. No one has ever soared to the edge of space in a glider and so the Perlan engineers are venturing into unchartered aviation territory on their own. O...2018-06-0500 min
Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #11 – Dr Priyanka Dhopade on Jet Engine Optimisation and Women in EngineeringPriyanka Dhopade received her PhD from the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia and was the recipient of the Zonta Amelia Earhart Fellowship award, awarded annually to the 35 most outstanding female aerospace PhD students worldwide. Since 2013 she has been researching the thermodynamics of jet engines in the Thermofluids Institute at Oxford University. Priyanka is an expert in computational fluid dynamics modelling of heat transfer, aerodynamics and aero-elasticity in jet engines. She is currently leading the modelling campaigns for various projects in collaboration with industry partners relating to turbine and compressor tip clearance control, turbine internal cooling and active...2018-05-2200 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#11 – Dr Priyanka Dhopade on jet engine optimisation and women in engineeringPriyanka Dhopade received her PhD from the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia and was the recipient of the Zonta Amelia Earhart Fellowship award, awarded annually to the 35 most outstanding female aerospace PhD students worldwide. Since 2013 she has been researching the thermodynamics of jet engines in the Osney thermofluids institute at Oxford University. Priyanka is an expert in computational fluid dynamics modelling of heat transfer, aerodynamics and aero-elasticity in jet engines. She is currently leading the modelling campaigns for various projects in collaboration with industry partners relating to turbine and compressor tip clearance control, turbine internal cooling...2018-05-2245 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#10 – Kitty Hawk roboticist Dr Mark Cutler on UAVs, machine learning and personalised flyingDr Mark Cutler has a PhD in Robotics and Autonomous Systems from MIT, and has researched multiple aspects of UAV technology—from designing and building his own novel quadrotor for aerobatic flight to developing machine learning algorithms for autonomous systems. He is currently working for the California-based startup Kitty Hawk backed by Google founder Larry Page. At Kitty Hawk, Mark is applying his expertise in rotorcraft to create the next generation of vehicles for everyday flight. Kitty Hawk are currently designing, testing and building all-electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles for work and play. Their first product, the Cora, is...2018-05-0840 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #10 – Kitty Hawk Roboticist Dr Mark Cutler on UAVs, Machine Learning and Personalised FlyingDr Mark Cutler has a PhD in Robotics and Autonomous Systems from MIT. He has researched multiple aspects of UAV technology—from designing and building his own novel quadrotor for aerobatic flight to developing machine learning algorithms for autonomous systems. Mark is currently working for the California-based startup Kitty Hawk backed by Google founder Larry Page.
At Kitty Hawk, Mark is applying his expertise in rotorcraft to create the next generation of vehicles for everyday flight. Kitty Hawk are currently designing, testing and building all-electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles for work and play. Their first product, the Cora, is an...2018-05-0800 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#9 – Faradair founder Neil Cloughley on bio-electric hybrid aircraft and regional aviationNeil Cloughley is the founder and CEO of Faradair, the UK's leading hybrid aviation programme. Neil has a broad background in the aviation industry ranging from aircraft remarketing and aircraft leasing to starting his own aircraft consultancy business, which found him working with the world's major airlines, OEMS and trailblazing companies like Virgin Galactic. Neil's father developed one of the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles of the early 1990s, and had a flying prototype before the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator entered service in 1995. Unfortunately, as a result of being slightly ahead of its time, and due to a lack of fun...2018-04-251h 16Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #9 – Faradair Founder Neil Cloughley on the Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft and Regional AviationNeil Cloughley is the founder and managing director of Faradair, the UK's leading hybrid aviation programme. Neil has a broad background in the aviation industry ranging from aircraft re-marketing and aircraft leasing to starting his own aircraft consultancy business, which found him working with the world's major airlines, OEMs and trailblazing companies like Virgin Galactic. Neil's father developed one of the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles of the early 1990s, and had a flying prototype before the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator entered service in 1995. Unfortunately, as a result of being slightly ahead of its time, and due to a lack of fun...2018-04-2500 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #8 – Rocket Lab’s Lachlan Matchett on Democratising Access to Space and the Rutherford Rocket EngineIn this episode I am talking to Lachlan Matchett, who is the VP of Propulsion at Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab is a startup rocket company with the mission of removing barriers to commercial space by frequent launches to low-earth orbit. The current conundrum of many space technology companies that want to launch small satellites into space is that there is no dedicated launch service tailored to their needs. This is where Rocket Lab enters the picture. To provide small payloads with a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle, Rocket Lab has developed the Electron rocket. The Electron is a two-stage rocket th...2018-04-0600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#8 – Rocket Lab's Lachlan Matchett on democratising access to space and the Rutherford rocket engineIn this episode I am talking to Lachlan Matchett, who is the VP of Propulsion at Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab is a startup rocket company with the mission of removing barriers to commercial space by frequent launches to low-earth orbit. The current conundrum of many space technology companies that want to launch small satellites into space, is that there is no dedicated launch service tailored to their needs. This is where Rocket Lab enters the picture. To provide small payloads with a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle, Rocket Lab has developed the Electron rocket. The Electron is a two-stage ro...2018-04-0636 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #7 – Dr Valeska Ting on Smart Nanomaterials for Hydrogen StorageToday's episode features Dr Valeska Ting who is a Reader in Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol and is researching the use of nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Using hydrogen as a fuel source has many benefits. Due to its excellent energy density, hydrogen has long been hailed as an alternative to fossil fuels but it's also an excellent means of storing renewable energy from solar or wind sources. One of the challenges of storing hydrogen is its low density, meaning that large volumes are required to store efficient amounts of hydrogen to be able to use it as a...2018-03-2000 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#7 – Dr Valeska Ting on smart nanomaterials for hydrogen storageToday's episode features Dr Valeska Ting who is a Reader in Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol and is researching the use of nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Using hydrogen as a fuel source has many benefits. Due to its excellent energy density, hydrogen has long been hailed as an alternative to fossil fuels, but it's also an excellent means of storing renewable energy from solar or wind sources. One of the challenges of storing hydrogen is its low density, meaning that large volumes are required to store efficient amounts of hydrogen to be able to use it a...2018-03-2030 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #6 – Oxford Space Systems Founder Mike Lawton on Deployable Space StructuresOn this episode of the podcast I speak to Mike Lawton, who is the founder and CEO of Oxford Space Systems (OSS). OSS is an award-winning space technology company that is developing a new generation of deployable space structures that are lighter, simpler and cheaper than current products on the market. These deployable structures deploy antennas and solar panels on satellites orbiting earth, and are tricky to design because they need to package to a fraction of their deployed size, and need to be as lightweight as possible. OSS’ first product, the AstroTube boom, was launched into space and deployed on...2018-03-0500 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#6 – Oxford Space Systems founder Mike Lawton on deployable space structuresOn this episode of the podcast I speak to Mike Lawton, who is the founder and CEO of Oxford Space Systems (OSS). OSS is an award-winning space technology company that is developing a new generation of deployable space structures that are lighter, simpler and cheaper than current products on the market. These deployable structures deploy antennas and solar panels on satellites orbiting earth, and are tricky to design because they need to package to a fraction of their deployed size, and need to be as lightweight as possible. OSS’ first product, the AstroTube boom, was launched into space and de...2018-03-0542 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#5 – Concorde Chief Engineer John Britton on supersonic flightToday I am talking to John Britton. John was the chief engineer of Concorde on the British side of the enterprise from 1994 until Concorde’s demise in 2003. In this conversation, John and I talk about:
how he ended up as the Chief Engineer of Concorde
what engineering feats made Concorde special
why Concorde is no longer flying today
and what he thinks new supersonic companies need to focus on.
This interview was recorded at Aerospace Bristol, which is a new aerospace museum located at Filton Airfield in the South West of the United Kingdom. From the beginnings of...2018-02-1129 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #5 – Concorde Chief Engineer John Britton on Supersonic FlightIn this episode I am talking to John Britton. John was the chief engineer of Concorde on the British side of the enterprise from 1994 until Concorde’s demise in 2003. John possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding the engineering behind Concorde, and its heritage in Bristol, UK. Because he was the chief engineer at its demise, he also has a unique insight into why the aircraft is no longer flying today. In this conversation, John and I talk about:
how he ended up as the Chief Engineer of Concorde
what engineering feats made Concorde special
why Concorde is no longer flying to...2018-02-1100 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #4 – Kim-Tobias Kohn on Electric Aviation"We need to get going into the future in terms of clean aviation" --- Kim-Tobias Kohn
On this episode of the podcast I speak to Kim-Tobias Kohn who is a lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the University of the West of England. Beside his main vocation, Kim is also an avid pilot and runs an electric skateboard startup company. Kim has garnered attention in the media and from aerospace societies in the UK for his unique university project of building an electric glider with his undergraduate students. For obvious reasons, building an electric passenger aircraft that can replace current fuel-powered...2018-02-0500 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#4 – Kim-Tobias Kohn on electric aviationOn this episode of the podcast I speak to Kim-Tobias Kohn who is a lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the University of the West of England. Beside his main vocation, Kim is also an avid pilot and runs an electric skateboard startup company. Kim has garnered attention in the media and from aerospace societies in the UK for his unique university project of building an electric glider with his undergraduate students. For obvious reasons, building an electric passenger aicraft that can replace current fuel-powered airliners is significantly more challenging than replacing gasoline cars with electric vehicles. However, there is a...2018-02-0546 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #3 – Airbus Senior Expert Ian Lane on the A350, Innovation in Aerospace, and Diversity in Engineering"You could say: What could we possibly do next? You look back at history and say: All the shelves must be full now! We must have the capabilities to do everything we need. And yet, we still go on...It's your generation that is going to Mars. So please, can you get on with it and do it, because I want to enjoy it from the augmented reality that other engineers are going to produce." --- Ian Lane
This episode features Ian Lane, Senior Expert in Composite Analysis for Airbus UK. Ian has more than 40 years of experience in the...2017-12-1900 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#3 – Airbus Senior Expert Ian Lane on the A350, innovation in aerospace, and diversity in engineeringThis episode features Ian Lane, Senior Expert in Composite Analysis for Airbus UK. Ian has more than 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry and his career has taken him from British Hovercraft to British Aerospace, Westland Helicopters and finally to his current role at Airbus. On top of this broad aerospace background, Ian's specialty are modern composite airframes and he was the lead stress engineer on the Airbus A400M and Airbus A350. Ian is also a Visiting Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol, and a great example of an industry leader who knows how...2017-12-1951 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#2 – Prof. Paul Weaver on shape, stiffness and smart aerospace structuresThis episode features Prof. Paul Weaver, who holds a Bernal Chair in Composite Structures at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and is the Professor in Lightweight Structures at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Lightweight design plays a crucial role in the aerospace industry, and Paul has worked on some fascinating concepts for more efficient aircraft structures. Paul's research has influenced analysis procedures and product design at NASA, Airbus, GKN Aerospace and Augusta Westland Helicopters, and in this episode we cover some of his past accomplishments and his vision for the future.
Central to...2017-11-0648 minAerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #2 – Prof. Paul Weaver on Shape, Stiffness and Smart Aerospace Structures"There's been a lot of good press from the science community on self-assembly of atoms. Well, I guess what I'm looking for is self-assembly and disassembly of large-scale structures...There is all sorts of exciting things we can do when [engineering] structures re-configure themselves." --- Prof. Paul Weaver
This episode features Prof. Paul Weaver, who holds a Bernal Chair in Composite Structures at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and is the Professor in Lightweight Structures at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Lightweight design plays a crucial role in the aerospace industry, and Paul has worked on...2017-11-0600 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#1 – Dr Chauncey Wu on NASA, rocket science and advanced composite materialsToday's conversation features Dr Chauncey Wu who is a research engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Chauncey has worked at NASA for more than 30 years, predominantly in the field of structural mechanics, and has been responsible for designing and testing a number of space structures that have been launched into space. Some examples of his work include structural analyses on the LITE telescope that was launched into space in 1994, as well as optimisation of rocket propellant tank structures, and conceptual design studies of lunar lander vehicles and habitat structures for the colonisation of the M...2017-10-071h 04Aerospace Engineering PodcastPodcast Ep. #1 – Dr Chauncey Wu on NASA, Rocket Science and Advanced Composite Materials"If you're trying to put these structures into orbit, every gram counts. Not just every pound but every gram...So you are making structures that are operating at their margins." --- Dr Chauncey Wu, NASA Langley Research Center
Today's conversation features Dr Chauncey Wu, who is a research engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Chauncey has worked at NASA for more than 30 years, predominantly in the field of structural mechanics, and has been responsible for designing and testing a number of space structures that have been launched into space. Some examples of his work include structural analyses...2017-10-0700 minAerospace Engineering PodcastIntroducing the Aerospace Engineering PodcastI am happy and excited to announce a new project on the Aerospace Engineering Blog. To go along with the usual blog posts, I will now be releasing regular podcast episodes that feature conversations with engineers and researchers in industry and academia to reveal their fascinating real-world stories of innovation, and provide a glimpse into the future of the industry by discussing cutting-edge research and promising new technologies. This episode is just a quick primer of what I have in mind, and the first "real" episode will be released in a couple of days.
If you have comments about the e...2017-09-2300 minThe Aerospace Engineering Podcast#0 – Introduction to the Aerospace Engineering PodcastWelcome to the Aerospace Engineering Podcast. This podcast features conversations with aviation pioneers in academia and industry about their careers in aerospace and looks into the future by discussing promising new technology.2017-09-2301 min