First Associate Members For Electric And Hybrid Propulsion Aircraft Also Approved

The Board of Directors of GAMA has approved Astronautics Corporation of America, Bloomington Corporate Holdings, Click Bond, and HondaJet as new members, and eight companies and organizations—Aero Electric Aircraft Corp, Airbus Group, Inc.—E-Fan, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, ICON Aircraft, Joby Aviation, Siemens AG, Terrafugia, and Zee.Aero—as its first associate members for electric and hybrid propulsion aircraft. GAMA announced the new associate member category last fall. The association now has 94 full members and eight associate members.

“We are delighted to welcome four outstanding new companies to GAMA as full members as we work to represent the interests of general aviation manufacturers, as well as large maintenance, repair and overhaul centers, to policymakers and regulators throughout the world,” Bunce said. “Additionally, the very positive response to our new associate member category, as demonstrated by the eight innovative companies and organizations that are now part of the GAMA family, signals that electric and hybrid propulsion technology will play a significant role in the future of general aviation.”

The new members include:

Astronautics Corporation of America, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of avionics equipment and systems for the commercial and military aerospace industry. Key product areas include electronic primary flight displays, engine displays, mission computers, electronic flight bags, and certified servers for airborne applications. Services include system integration and custom software for critical applications. Since its founding in 1959, Astronautics has been providing innovative and tailored engineering solutions to help customers achieve mission success.

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Bloomington Corporate Holdings (BCH) is a privately held company dedicated to fully servicing the aerospace and defense sectors through its seamless model of affiliated companies: Custom Avionics, Aviation International, and Flight Weight Americas. Their companies offer a full, seamless solution of high-quality products and services, including aircraft maintenance, avionics service and installations, accessory repair and overhaul, inventory parts and distribution, and innovative and light-weight in-flight interior products.

Click Bond, Inc. develops and manufactures fastening hardware and adhesive bonding processes. Its products and technologies improve structural characteristics, extend product life, and streamline manufacturing processes for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facilities. Click Bond manufactures hundreds of different products, serving a global customer base. It has received dozens of U.S. and international patents covering its products and processes. The company is headquartered in Carson City, Nevada, and has manufacturing operations in Watertown, Connecticut, and Wales, United Kingdom.

The HondaJet is an advanced light jet that incorporates many technologies in its design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin sound, minimizes ground-detected noise, allows for more cabin and baggage volume, and a fully private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is powered by two highly fuel-efficient GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engines, and is equipped with a Honda-customized Garmin G3000 flight deck. The HondaJet is Honda’s first commercial aircraft and lives up to the company’s reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value.

The Associate Members approved by the board are:

Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. (AEAC), launched in 2014 as part of Bye Aerospace, Inc., was created to produce and market a two-seat solar-electric light sport aircraft, the “Sun Flyer.” Based in Denver, Colorado, AEAC seeks to combine the operation and cost benefits of electric propulsion with the demands for sturdy, reliable, durable aircraft for the general aviation community.

Airbus Group has a long history of developing innovative capabilities for the aviation industry. Its interest in the area of electric and hybrid propulsion led to the development of the E-Fan technology demonstrator, which made history on July 10, 2015, when it successfully flew across the English Channel—making it the world’s first twin-engine electric plane taking off by its own power to accomplish this feat.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a leader in the emerging area of research in hybrid and electric aircraft propulsion. This research is centered in the Eagle Flight Research Center, a Daytona Beach, Florida campus-based facility involving students, staff and faculty who designed, built, and flew the world’s first direct-drive hybrid airplane as part of NASA Green Flight Challenge. Current research focuses on a fully electric aircraft, the Quiet Flight initiative, and the Hybrid/Electric Turboprop Consortium. The Consortium includes industry partners such as Boeing, Airbus, Textron, and Rolls-Royce, and the Argonne National Lab.

ICON Aircraft is a consumer-focused sport airplane manufacturer founded in response to the Light Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot License categories created by the FAA. While ICON is focused on delivering its 2000 aircraft order backlog for its current A5 sport plane, it is also actively planning its range of future products. Electric propulsion for the consumer aviation market is an emerging technology of significant interest to the company. ICON Aircraft’s production facilities are in Vacaville, California, 50 miles from San Francisco.

Joby Aviation’s goal is to advance sustainable air travel and increase human mobility. It is designing and building electric VTOL aircraft to be quiet, fast, and efficient.

Siemens is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability, and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation, and digitalization. At the end of September 2015, the company had around 348,000 employees worldwide. Siemens has also been developing electric drives for aircraft. In 2015, the company developed a new type of electric motor that, with a weight of just 50 kilograms, delivers a continuous output of about 260 kilowatts – five times more than comparable drive systems. Thanks to its record-setting power-to-weight ratio, larger aircraft with takeoff weights of up to two tons will now be able to use electric drives for the first time.

Based in Woburn, Massachusetts, Terrafugia’s mission is to make flying cars a practical reality. Terrafugia’s core competencies are vehicle design, flight and drive testing, and the development of international certification standards. Terrafugia has flown and driven two prototype vehicles, and is an active participant in ASTM committees F37, F38, F39, and F44. Terrafugia is actively developing technologies and standards for simplified vehicle operations that will utilize the next generation of electric propulsion and automation.

Based in Silicon Valley, California, Zee.Aero is an early-stage aviation company that is leveraging advances in computational aerodynamics, advanced manufacturing, and electric propulsion to develop a new kind of personal aircraft. Its vision is to get more people flying than driving by re-imagining personal mobility.

(Source: GAMA news release)

FMI: www.gama.aero