{"id":11568,"date":"2017-08-22T13:56:17","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T20:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=11568"},"modified":"2017-08-22T13:56:17","modified_gmt":"2017-08-22T20:56:17","slug":"oregon-helps-build-and-will-test-fly-vahana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/oregon-helps-build-and-will-test-fly-vahana\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon Helps Build and Will Test Fly Vahana"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oregon is a big player in drones and electric aviation, your editor just learned.\u00a0 Attending the first ever Drone Summit in Bend, Oregon recently, we found that Oregon has\u00a0three of the seven unpiloted aerial vehicle test ranges<\/a>\u00a0in the United State.\u00a0 It has Boeing-backed Insitu, maker of the Scan Eagle long-range, long-endurance drone now being adapted to civilian uses.\u00a0 Portland has FlightHouse LLC, manufacturing the canard for Airbus A3<\/sup>\u2019s Vahana project, and the flight vehicle will be tested at the Pendleton Test Range.<\/p>\n

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Pendleton, Oregon UAS test range and its characteristics<\/p><\/div>\n

SOAR Oregon<\/a>\u00a0sponsored the event, which included speakers, ample networking time, and multiple revelations of the size and scope of drone activity in the state.\u00a0 Their mission statement is short and sweet.\u00a0 \u201cSOAR Oregon is a statewide, not for profit Economic Development organization focused on the development of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry in Oregon.<\/p>\n

\u201cSOAR Oregon\u2019s mission is to foster growth in this rapidly evolving industry, connecting diverse industry sectors such as aviation, advanced manufacturing, high tech, software development, education and more.\u201d\u00a0 The Summit provided ample evidence of their success in fostering these aims.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FQHMThtJqik<\/p>\n

Herve Hillaire and Zach Lovering from A3<\/sup>\u00a0(A Cubed) were on hand to explain to the 200 attendees at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes how they provide Vahana project management and execution for their parent company, Airbus.\u00a0 Airbus sees the opportunity for commuter and cargo transport in a $150 billion market \u2013 and feels they have a suitable vehicle to address it.\u00a0 Vahana puts wings on a VTOL vehicle and optimizes it for 10 to 150-kilometer jaunts.\u00a0 They see it as the \u201cHonda Civic to the air taxi world.\u201d<\/p>\n

A3<\/sup>\u00a0supplies management in disruptive projects, attempting to jump on new technologies and disrupt core businesses \u2013 including those of the hand that feeds them.\u00a0 To speed up projects, which culminate in a product demonstrator in two to four years, they address as many subcontractors as necessary to meet schedule.<\/p>\n

Economic factors play a big part in Vahana\u2019s design.\u00a0 Comparing the cost of $60,000, four-cylinder aircraft engines to the $2,000 motors on Vahana shows that even multiple small motors will not break a tight budget.\u00a0 Autonomy addresses a current, and probably ongoing pilot shortage.\u00a0 Airbus can provide a self-piloted, low operating costs aircraft for\u00a0full scale\u00a0Urban Air Mobility. This component in cities stressed by daily gridlock on the highways will be a great mitigating factor.<\/p>\n

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Vahana airframe looks remarkably complete. Now, for the other 90 percent to reach the flight test stage<\/p><\/div>\n

As noted above, A3′<\/sup>s development process relies on external partners for design and manufacturing.\u00a0 Airbus looks for partners large enough to limit interfaces between multiple\u00a0partners,\u00a0but being small enough for a single supplier to deliver on time.\u00a0 Airbus provides high-level specifications, enabling subs to find the best path to meeting requirements on time and on budget.\u00a0 Management maintains dynamic interfaces with suppliers, optimizing efforts \u201con the go\u201d and even requires that suppliers work collaboratively for best efforts.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, Hillaire and Lovering sourced their suppliers much like others looking for reliable suppliers, finding adequate\u00a0suppliers\u00a0through networking, Google searches, and\u00a0tradeshows, recommendations.\u00a0 They seek verifiable and relevant references and evaluate responses to their requests for proposals (RFPs) which should include a detailed technical offer that demonstrates an understanding of the specification, a detailed schedule, and a committing price offer.<\/p>\n

One supplier,\u00a0FlightHouse in Portland, Oregon,<\/a>\u00a0is making at least the canard for the airframe, which seems to be remarkably complete at this stage.\u00a0 The team is still looking for appropriate motors, having looked at several European and American suppliers.<\/p>\n

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Earl Bowerman, Executive Director, SOAR Oregon, Jeff Mabry, Flight Test Lead from MTSI, Herv\u00e9 Hilaire, \u200eProject Manager for Vahana, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Jason Lewis-Barry, Jobs and Economy Policy Advisor \/ Director of Regional Solutions for Governor Kate Brown, John Stevens, COO of SOAR Oregon,\u00a0Honorable\u00a0John Turner, Mayor, Pendleton, Oregon<\/p><\/div>\n

Testing will take place at the\u00a0Pendleton Test Range\u00a0<\/a>in eastern Oregon.\u00a0 Vahana will be the first occupant of the\u00a0new hangar at the site<\/a>\u00a0and use the mobile command center designed and built to support unmanned aircraft systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom nearly a dozen sites across the western United States that we evaluated, the Pendleton\u00a0UAS\u00a0Test Range (PUR) quickly stood out as a premier test location for our unique test program,\u2019 said Jeff Mabry, MTSI Flight Test Lead\u00a0(Modern Technology Solutions, Inc).<\/a>\u00a0\u2018We look forward to continued support from PUR and SOAR Oregon as we move toward a successful demonstration.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

We will look forward to seeing a completed test vehicle cruising the skies of eastern Oregon – perhaps by year’s end.<\/p>\n