Page 11 - EngineerIt January 2021

SOUTH AFRICAN INNOVATION

Scale model Association with Amazon
and AWS
“We are in a strategic technology
transfer relationship with Amazon”,
Irons said. They bring a lot to the
table from an engineering design
perspective. This will be of great
value when we get to the full
industrialisation phase. Amazon
has various space programmes
currently underway that are very
appealing to us. One specific one
is computer aided engineering. It
does allow the use of computer
software to simulate performance
and to improve product designs.
So for example, it reduces an
analysis of a design from months
to something like two hours,
running it through AWS multiple
computer platforms with the 80 to
100 different computers. They are
devices, that we will not in the take-off weight of the aircraft is that we want this also heavily involved in artificial
future see batteries with much aircraft to operate with a single pilot. So we intelligence, which is really
higher power densities. However need to keep the take-off weight within the appealing to us going forward; for
right now, that is at least more regulations that allow for single pilot operation. example, the Amazon Sage maker,
than a decade away, so we are The aircraft will have a range of 2129 nautical where we're looking to build
continuing with a hybrid solution. miles which is around 4400 kilometres and flies at machine learning models for failure
The turboshaft engine’s a speed of 410 knots which is 760 kilometres per prediction, and preventative
electrical generators are located hour. This means a single hop travelling from maintenance which is a big thing
within the fuselage, reducing South Africa to Europe.”” for us. It all has to do with smart
noise; this is important as the factory capability and reducing
aircraft will be landing in built-up Remote operation production cycles. From the time
areas. The engines are coupled Garmin has developed auto learning software for a person places an order for an
directly to two electrical some aircraft installations which has already been aircraft, in the current
generators, each delivering 1.2 approved for implementation. This is being environment, it would take 18
megawatts of power distributed implemented in Pegasus VBJ, adding to the months. With Amazon and AWS
to the electric motors driving safety, for example if a pilot becomes involvement, we hope to achieve
either the lift fans in the wings or incapacitated, a passenger can hit an emergency a full manufacturing cycle within
the thrust fans in the tail. There button and the aircraft will land itself. four months. n
will be limited power storage on
board for emergency and safety
applications.
The initial design of this
aircraft is to have a carrying
capacity of six to seven
passengers. “We are looking at
a useful load of around 650 to
700 kilograms. The whole
system weighs around 5 100
kilograms for vertical take-off.
We allow an extra load of fuel for
long haul flights, but then the
aircraft is limited to a
conventional take-off. Obviously,
when landing at the other side,
most of the fuel would have
burnt off, making a vertical
landing possible. The reason for
the limit placed on the maximum

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