Bidders Circle ‘Elvis Airport’ A Decade After The SNP Bought It For £1
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Prestwick has cost taxpayers millions since it was nationalised by the SNP in 2013. A consortium plans a bid, but can the Nats let go of Sturgeon-era stateism?
These are the first two paragraphs.
It was always going to be difficult keeping a lid on the arrival of Elvis Presley at a US military base in Prestwick, Ayrshire. “Where am I?” he asked as he stepped off the plane and into the biting wind that whipped off the Firth of Clyde.
March 3, 1960 was a momentous day for the screaming youngsters who engulfed the American singer as he set foot on British soil for the first and only time. For Presley, it was his last stop on his return from Germany after two years of military service. For Prestwick, it meant being immortalised in British trivia for its brief flirtation with The King.
But now it appears that a consortium has a plan for the airport and has made a bid.
These are my thoughts.
Prestwick Airport
Prestwick Airport, which is 32 miles SouthWest of Glasgow, is an airport that has seen busier times.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Airport.
Note.
- The airport has two runways at right angles.
- The longer runway is 3,000 metres long.
- The red line is the electrified Ayrshire Coast Line, which runs between Glasgow Central and Ayr.
- There is a station at the airport.
- The black line going across the map is an unelectrified railway line, which eventually leads to the West Coast Main Line.
The airport does have four very useful assets.
- A very long runway capable of handling the largest and heaviest aircraft.
- A railway station.
- Plenty of space.
- The airport has plenty of available landing and take-off slots.
I also suspect that a rail connection could be developed to the West Coast Main Line.
Prestwick As A Cargo Airport
Someone commenting in The Times, suggested that Prestwick could become a cargo airport.
- The main runway could accommodate the largest and heaviest cargo aircraft.
- There is space for stands for large aircraft and warehouses.
- A rail link to the electrified West Coast Main Line could be built.
The airport could have a very high capacity.
A Rail Connection To The West Coast Main Line
This could be very beneficial for air-cargo at Prestwick.
- It would be less than ninety miles to the West Coast Main Line.
- It is only single-track as British Rail removed the second track.
- Cargo Services could be run all over the UK mainland.
- There could even be an airport service from Carlisle.
A zero-carbon rail service for freight, passengers and staff from both Glasgow and Carlisle would enhance the green credentials of the airport.
Where Would Planes Fly?
It looks like a modern freighter aircraft like a Boeing 747-8F could fly at maximum weight to nearly all the USA.
But because Prestwick Airport is further North, It does possibly have a wider range of airports, it can reach.
What Is The Closest Airport In North America?
The two airports on Newfoundland; Gander and St. John’s are probably the two closest being about 2,000 miles from Prestwick.
- Both airports have long runways.
- I suspect a rail terminal could be arranged at the airport to take cargo through the Chunnel to Europe.
- Could USAF Galaxies even be used to bring over American tanks and guns for Ukraine? The range of a Galaxy at maximum weight is 2,600 miles.
- They could be delivered by rail to Ukraine.
I suspect there will be times, where the shorter routes could be useful.
Could Cargo Change Planes At Prestwick?
On some routes like perhaps New York and India, might it be more efficient to change planes at Prestwick.
Could Cargo Planes Refuel At Prestwick?
Planes can only fly so far and is Prestwick in the right place to refuel a long flight?
Prestwick Could Be A Viable Cargo Airport For North America?
I am convinced that Prestwick and North American could be a viable air cargo route.
Zero-Carbon Air Cargo
In the next few years, Scotland will have much more electricity, than it needs, due to all the wind farms in the seas around the country and much of the spare electricity could be converted into hydrogen.
So does a cargo operator plan to run zero-carbon aircraft powered by hydrogen between North America and Prestwick?
- Remember it’s only 2,000 miles between St. John’s or Gander and Prestwick.
- The ideal aircraft to convert to hydrogen, must surely be an Airbus A 380, as there’s a lot of space in the fuselage for a hydrogen tank.
- Cargo could be brought to Prestwick in zero-carbon trains from all over the UK.
Amazon might like the idea of zero-carbon parcels across the pond!
Could An Airbus A380 Be Converted To Hydrogen?
This article on Simple Flying is entitled Airbus Plans A380 Hydrogen Flights In 2026 After Successful Power On Of ZEROe Engine.
The header picture shows a visualisation of an Airbus A 380, with a fifth engine with a propeller mounted on the top of the fuselage. The A 380 will be testing this electric engine, so that it can be fitted in the ZEROe Turboprop sometime around 2030.
This is a visualisation of the ZEROe Turboprop.
Note,
- The hydrogen tank will probably be behind the passenger compartment.
- The A 380, that will be testing the engine is no ordinary A 380. It is the very first and Airbus use it as a flying laboratory for new technology.
- I wouldn’t bet against one of its next jobs, is to test turbofan engines running on hydrogen.
I wouldn’t be surprised that in a few years, Airbus demonstrate an A 380 flying between Europe and North America on hydrogen.
A Zero-Carbon Air Bridge Between Europe And North America
Or does Westjet fancy a zero-carbon shuttle service, which would appeal to the Gretas of this world?
It has been rumoured, that the possible buyers of Prestwick are linked to Westjet.
As soon, as someone announces, a flight like this across the Atlantic, I’ll be signing up!
If the worse should happen, which I think would be unlikely, it would surely be a less painful death, than that of my wife’s from a rare cancer.
Conclusion
There are certainly, possibilities at Prestwick.
Heathrow Third Runway Shelved As Airport Seeks To Be ‘Better Not Bigger’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye exploring how to squeeze millions more passengers through the airport without expanding its footprint
These are the first two paragraphs.
Heathrow’s third runway has been shelved as leaked details of the airport’s “better not bigger” strategy can be revealed.
New chief executive Thomas Woldbye is understood to have begun disbanding Heathrow’s third runway team in favour of exploring how to squeeze millions more passengers through the airport without expanding its footprint.
Various strategies to increase the capacity are suggested.
- More buses to transport passengers from the terminal to the aircraft. This allows planes to be parked further from the terminal.
- More efficient use of the runway so that planes could take off and land closer together.
- Increasing the flight cap by five percent, if the Government agrees.
This paragraph indicates the number of passengers, Heathrow will be planning for.
Leaked details of the plans reveal that annual passenger numbers could hit 96 million by 2036, up from the record 80.9 million it welcomed in 2019, if all of its initiatives can be realised. A “core” case is understood to forecast a rise to 86 million passengers.
If the figure of 96 million passengers is correct, that would be a nearly twenty percent increase in passengers in just seventeen years.
Heart Raises A Further $107 Million For ES-30 Hybrid-Electric Airliner
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Future Flight.
Nine companies and funds participated in the funding.
BAe Systems are helping to develop the battery system, as reported in this article on Future Flight.
These two paragraphs describe progress and range respectively.
Heart said that its main engineering goal this year is to complete the development of the ES-30’s powertrain. The company has begun type certification under EASA’s Part 25 rules for commercial aircraft and aims to complete this process in 2028, after achieving a first flight with a prototype in 2026.
The ES-30 will be powered mainly by four battery-driven electric motors, now bolstered by a pair of turbo generators to meet reserve energy requirements “without cannibalizing range.” The new model is expected to offer carriers an all-electric range of 200 kilometers (125 miles), with an extended full-payload range of twice that distance and the potential for longer hybrid-powered flights to 800 kilometers (500 miles) with 25 passengers, taking account of standard airline fuel reserves.
Things seem to be going well for the ES-30.
The Best Plane That Looks Like An Egg
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on interesting Engineering.
This is the sub-heading.
Celera 500L: Redefining aviation with its unique egg-shaped design, unparalleled fuel efficiency, and affordability.
These are the first two paragraphs.
In the world of aviation, where innovation meets the boundless sky, a groundbreaking aircraft is poised to redefine the future of air travel. Meet the Celera 500L, the brainchild of the Otto Aviation Group, an aircraft that not only boasts a distinctive egg-shaped design but also promises to transform the way we think about flying. Set to enter production in 2025, the Celera 500L is a testament to cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking design, promising to make air travel more cost-effective and eco-friendly than ever before.
One cannot help but be captivated by the Celera 500L’s futuristic aesthetics. Its unmistakable egg-shaped design is a departure from the traditional aircraft we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in the skies. However, this unique shape is not just for show; it’s the result of meticulous engineering aimed at reducing drag and maximizing efficiency.
I suggest you read the article and look at Interesting Engineering’s video.
After that have a good look at Otto Aviation’s web site.
Brief details of the business aircraft version are scattered through the pages.
- Passengers – 6
- Range – 5,000 miles
- Fuel-consumption – 33 miles per gallon.
- Power – Single pusher diesel engine.
The Otto Aviation web site, explains how it is done using laminar flow and advanced aerodynamics.
There is also this page on the ZeroAvia web site, which is entitled ZeroAvia & Otto Aviation Partner to Deliver First New Airframe Design with Hydrogen-Electric Engine Option.
Is a new world of aviation emerging?
Alaska Airlines Grounds 737 Max 9 Planes After Section Blows Out Mid-Air
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A passenger plane lost a section of its fuselage in mid-air forcing it to make an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon.
Theses three paragraphs outline what happened.
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 turned back 35 minutes into its flight to California after an outer section, including a window, fell off on Friday.
There were 177 passengers and crew on board and it landed safely in Portland.
The airline said it would temporarily ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct inspections.
I think it is true to say that everybody was very lucky.
When I was a private pilot flying around the UK, Europe and Australia, I used to read the accident reports and I suspect there was a couple of structural failures like this, that had a much worse outcome.
These are two paragraphs from the BBC article.
In an audio clip, the pilot can be heard talking to air traffic control requesting a diversion.
“We are an emergency,” she said. “We are depressurised, we do need to return back.”
Strangely, this is the first airline incident or accident, I can remember, where the pilot was female. But there must have been others.
One of the genuine firsts, I have been involved in, was Air UK’s first flight with an all-female crew.It was probably in the 1980s and my late wife; C and myself flew from Stansted to Paris in a Short 360.
Conclusion
I would fly with a female pilot any time, but I doubt you’ll catch me in a Boeing 737!
Firm Develops Jet Fuel Made Entirely From Human Poo
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A new aviation company has developed a type of jet fuel made entirely from human sewage.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Chemists at a lab in Gloucestershire have turned the waste into kerosene.
James Hygate, Firefly Green Fuels CEO, said: “We wanted to find a really low-value feedstock that was highly abundant. And of course poo is abundant.”
Independent tests by international aviation regulators found it was nearly identical to standard fossil jet fuel.
It certainly seems to have a lot going for it.
I have some other thoughts.
What About Disposable Nappies?
I wrote Are Disposable Nappies A Wasted Resource?, about making hydrocarbon fuels from disposable nappies.
Should Disposable Nappies Be Collected Separately?
My food waste is collected separately in a special bin. Hackney Council say this is what happens to food waste.
Food waste from households in Hackney is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility in south east England, where it’s turned into renewable energy to power homes and biofertiliser to be spread on local farmland to grow crops.
Surely, a similar or appropriate process could be used for disposable nappies.
Biomethane From Sewage Works
In Centrica Signs UK Biomethane Agreement With Yorkshire Water And SGN Commercial Services, I wrote about how Centrica have found a way to distribute biomethane from sewage works using the UK’s gas grid.
Could Firefly take the solids and Centrica the biomethane?
Given that water companies are regularly blamed for spilling sewage could there be an opportunity for a large sewage works to be a major producer of green fuels for agriculture, aviation, industry and road transport.
Airport Of The Future
I am fairly sure, that in ten years, there will be a lot of zero-carbon aircraft flying short haul routes. I have been particularly impressed by some of the ideas from Airbus, although Boeing seem to be very quiet on the subject. Perhaps it’s the difference between visionaries and engineers, and accountants.
But you rarely read anything about how airports are preparing for even a low-carbon future.
- Some long-stay car-parks could be made electric vehicles only, so they would become massive grid batteries, whilst owners are travelling.
- Airside vehicles can all be made zero-carbon.
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) shouldn’t be a problem, as it would be handled like jet fuel.
- Do airports have a large enough grid connection for all the electrification of vehicles and some planes?
- Do airports have a plan for hydrogen?
The last two points, probably mean we should have built Maplin.
- It could have a cable and a hydrogen pipeline from wind farms and co-located hydrogen electrolysers in the Thames Estuary.
- The Elizabeth Line or a new line could easily be extended or built to the airport, to give a 125 mph connection.
But that enemy of the planet; Harold Wilson cancelled it.
Rolls-Royce Announces Successful Run Of UltraFan Technology Demonstrator To Maximum Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the sub-heading.
Rolls-Royce today announces it has successfully run its UltraFan® technology demonstrator to maximum power at its facility in Derby, UK. The initial stage of the test was conducted using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
These are the first four paragraphs.
This is an important milestone for the UltraFan demonstrator, which was successfully tested for the first time earlier this year. Since then, the UltraFan team has been gradually increasing the power as part of the rigorous testing regime and the demonstrator has performed in line with our expectations. The results of the test will provide us with valuable learning and data, which our teams will now take away and continue to analyse.
This achievement reinforces our confidence in the suite of technologies that has been developed as part of the UltraFan programme. Confirming this capability is a big step towards improving the efficiency of current and future aero-engines as UltraFan delivers a 10% efficiency improvement over our Trent XWB, which is already the world’s most efficient large aero-engine in service. In total that’s a 25% efficiency gain since the launch of the first Trent engine.
UltraFan’s scalable technology from ~25,000-110,000lb thrust also offers the potential to power the new narrowbody and widebody aircraft anticipated in the 2030s.
As part of the UltraFan development programme we have identified a number of technologies that are potentially transferable to our current Trent engines, which will provide our customers with even greater availability, reliability and efficiency.
These are my thoughts.
What Is UltraFan?
UltraFan has a section in the Wikipedia entry for the Rolls-Royce Trent engine, where these are the two opening paragraphs.
After the Advance comes the UltraFan, initially aimed to be ready for service from 2025. A geared turbofan with a variable pitch fan system that promises at least 25% improvement in fuel burn, the UltraFan aims for a 15:1 bypass ratio and 70:1 overall pressure ratio.
The Ultrafan keeps the Advance core, but also contains a geared turbofan architecture with variable-pitch fan blades. As the fan will vary pitch to be optimised for each flight phase, it won’t need a thrust reverser. Rolls-Royce will use carbon composite fan blades instead of its usual hollow titanium blades, and along with new material adoption will save 340 kg (750 lb) per engine.
This is a bit different from previous engines.
Variable-Pitch Fan Blades
Variable Pitch Fan has its own Wikipedia entry, where these are the two opening paragraphs.
A variable pitch fan is similar in concept to that of a variable-pitch propeller and involves progressively reducing the pitch (or blade angle) of the fan on a turbofan as the engine is throttled. Although variable pitch fans are used in some industrial applications, the focus of this article is on their use in turbofan engines. No production engine uses such a feature; however, it will likely be required on at least some of the next generation of high bypass ratio turbofans.
One of the methods used to reduce Thrust-specific fuel consumption is to improve Propulsive Efficiency. This involves reducing the effective jet velocity of the engine by reducing specific thrust. This, in turn, reduces the optimum fan pressure ratio required and consequently the cold nozzle pressure ratio. At cruise flight speeds the nozzle is choked and the fan working line is fairly steep and linear. However, at low flight speeds the ram pressure rise in the air intake is so low the nozzle is well un-choked. Consequently, the fan working line is highly curved and well to the left of the cruise flight speed working line, potentially reducing the fan surge margin to a dangerous level, particularly at lower throttle settings. Readers unfamiliar with surge lines, working lines, etc. should read the Wikipedia article on Compressor map.
The extract says that no production engine uses this feature. So will UltraFan be the first?
Variable pitch fan blades seem to offer two advantages; better efficiency and lower weight. If the reliability is acceptable, then that must be a winner.
No Thrust Reverser
This sentence is also in the Wikipedia entry for Variable Pitch Fan.
One advantage of the variable fan option is that varying the fan pitch offers the possibility of reversing engine thrust without the need for heavy blocker doors, cascades, etc.
It does look like the UltraFan will be a lighter engine, than its predecessor.
Composite Fan Blades
Composite Fan Blades were tried in the 1960s for the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine.
But they failed and were replaced by titanium blades.
At the time, I was at Liverpool University and John Wilkinson was a fellow student.
John’s father was the manager of a Tesco store in Derby.
That Tesco store had a nice line in selling out-of-date chickens and turkeys to Rolls-Royce to test the engines for bird strikes.
Improving The Engine’s Efficiency
This is the second paragraph of the press release.
This achievement reinforces our confidence in the suite of technologies that has been developed as part of the UltraFan programme. Confirming this capability is a big step towards improving the efficiency of current and future aero-engines as UltraFan delivers a 10% efficiency improvement over our Trent XWB, which is already the world’s most efficient large aero-engine in service. In total that’s a 25% efficiency gain since the launch of the first Trent engine.
Note.
- The Trent engine was first run in 1990 and has improved 25 % since.
- The Trent XWB engine was first run in 2010 and has improved 10 % since.
The increase in efficiency appears to be linear.
A Saleable Design
This is the third paragraph of the press release.
UltraFan’s scalable technology from ~25,000-110,000lb thrust also offers the potential to power the new narrowbody and widebody aircraft anticipated in the 2030s.
If that means that an UltraFan can power an aircraft as small as an A320, then that is sensational, as it will give Rolls-Royce access to the A320/Boeing 737 market, where they have virtually no sales.
UltraFan Is About A Suite Of Technologies
This is from the second paragraph of the extract.
This achievement reinforces our confidence in the suite of technologies that has been developed as part of the UltraFan programme.
And this is the fourth paragraph.
As part of the UltraFan development programme we have identified a number of technologies that are potentially transferable to our current Trent engines, which will provide our customers with even greater availability, reliability and efficiency.
As you learn more about your future project, why not apply that knowledge to current projects.
Running On SAF Is Part Of The Testing
I’m reassured that testing of the technology using Sustainable Aviation Fuel has started early in the program.
This is surely going to be the fuel, that aircraft will use until hydrogen becomes available.
Conclusion
It looks like Rolls-Royce are redefining, what a standard aero engine looks like.
- It will give a 10 % fuel saving over their latest engines launched thirteen years ago.
- The UltraFan engines will save weight and hopefully more fuel.
- It will allow Rolls-Royce to compete in the A320/737 market, where they have no engine at present.
I would watch the share price
Rolls-Royce Successfully Completes 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Test Programme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the sub-heading.
Rolls-Royce today announces that it has successfully completed compatibility testing of 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on all its in-production civil aero engine types.
These are the first three paragraphs.
This fulfils a commitment, made in 2021, to demonstrate there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF.
A ground test on a BR710 business jet engine at the company’s facility in Canada, completed the test regime. Other engines tested as part of the programme were: Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 900, Trent 1000, Trent XWB-84, Trent XWB-97, Trent 7000, BR725, Pearl 700, Pearl 15 and Pearl 10X.
Testing has involved a variety of ground and flight tests to replicate in-service conditions. All the tests confirmed the use of 100% SAF does not affect engine performance.
That would appear to be very comprehensive.
Conclusion
Rolls-Royce look like they are prepared for sustainable aviation fuel!
But are operators, airlines, airports and aircraft manufacturers?
Virgin Atlantic Granted Permit For Historic 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Flight
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Virgin Atlantic.
These two paragraphs outline the proposed flight.
Virgin Atlantic’s historic 100% sustainable aviation fuel flight has been granted a permit to fly by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Virgin Atlantic plans to fly across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 28 November 2023 to test and showcase the feasibility of flying on 100% SAF.
Note.
- Strangely, I’ve never flown Virgin, although I did once book then to go to Kenya, but as the flight was cancelled at the last minute, I swapped to Kenya Airways.
- Virgin have seventeen Rolls-Royce-powered Boeing 787s.
As Branson is involved, I do wonder, if this is more about PR than anything else.
This paragraph talks about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
SAF is fuel derived from non-petroleum based renewable sources that is capable of being used as a replacement for, or blended with, kerosene. SAF can currently be used in jet engines to a maximum blend of 50% with traditional kerosene without the need for any modifications. There are several processes to produce SAF, including algae, synthesised fuels from hydrogen waste, or from directly capturing carbon dioxide. When fully replacing kerosene, SAF could reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by over 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.
There is nothing specifically said about the fuel, that Virgin Atlantic will use.
I first mentioned this flight in a post in December 2022, which is entitled World’s First Net Zero Transatlantic Flight To Fly From London in 2023, Powered By The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000.
The press release from Rolls-Royce, said that the flight would be this year. So, that appears to be happening.
In fact, it does appear that Rolls-Royce are being thorough with their testing of sustainable aviation fuel, as these posts include both Rolls-Royce and sustainable aviation fuel.
- Rolls-Royce Completes Next Step On Its Journey To Decarbonising Business Aviation
- New Rolls-Royce Small Engine Set To Begin Tests To Advance Hybrid-Electric Flight
- Rolls-Royce And Gulfstream Give Wings To Sustainable Business Aviation
- News Of The Day From Rolls-Royce
- First In-flight 100% Sustainable-Fuels Emissions Study Of Passenger Jet Shows Early Promise
- Rolls-Royce Joins Boeing And World Energy For Successful 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Flight
Several are based on Rolls-Royce press releases.
The Anonymous Widower 