Dr Francesco Di Sabatino, Southwest Research Institute

Dr Francesco Di Sabatino, Southwest Research Institute

In this edition of the ATI Testing Talk Podcast, Dr Francesco Di Sabatino, group leader of the Advanced Combustion for Power and Propulsion Group, Southwest Research Institute, tells me about a research project that he has overseen at SwRI that aims to fill a gap in knowledge about SAF by publicly releasing its test data. Francesco hopes the data will help engineers working on SAF and could also lead to improvements to the fuel in the future. Look out for the next episode of the Testing Talk podcast soon!

Ulrik Grape, president of European operations, 24M Technologies

This episode of the Testing Talk Podcast from ATI is an interview with Ulrik Grape, president of European operations at US-based battery technology company 24M. Ulrik has more than 30 years of experience working in batteries and energy storage. Most interestingly, he has seen lithium-ion batteries roll out in the electronics and automotive sectors, and brings that perspective to the same process, which is happening in aerospace now. He has some great insights into battery safety and testing, and combines this with 24M's pragmatic approach to battery technology that will be useful for aviation applications. Enjoy the interview!

Sylvain Alarie, Vice President of Engineering, Daedalean

Swiss company Daedalean has been developing autonomous systems for aircraft for several years. It has recently made headlines by being bought [https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/destinus-acquires-daedalean-for-225m-to-boost-ai-flight-capabilities.html]by Netherlands-based autonomous drone and hypersonic aircraft company Destinus.   Daedalean aims to one day make a completely autonomous aircraft. Before then the plan is to release autonomous safety systems for aviation, with the first expected to reach the market at the end of this year. I spoke to Sylvain at the Paris Air Show earlier this year about the company’s technology, how it works and its capabilities. We also discuss how the firm plans to ramp up testing and development.

Testing Talk: John Piasecki, President & CEO, Piasecki Aircraft

In this Testing Talk interview John Piasecki, President and CEO of US aerospace company Piasecki Aircraft talks to ATI editor Ben Sampson about the company’s growth and the rapid progress it is making on several drone development programs for the US military.  Piasecki has a rich heritage in rotorcraft and is leveraging its expertise to shape the next generation of drones and helicopters. Although test is core to the company John has big plans for expanding from its R&D roots. In particular, the recent acquisition of a former Sikorsky helicopter site in Pennsylvania means the firm now has a manufacturing capability. Enjoy this episode of Testing Talk, and look out for August's episode!

Paul Davison, manager of the Faraday Test Centre, BAE Systems

In this episode of the Aerospace Testing International podcast Paul Davison, manager of BAE System's Faraday Test Centre in Rochester, UK talks to Benedict Evans about the testing and simulation facilities at the Centre. A diverse range of products goes through the laboratories at Rochester: flight sticks, helmets, defibrillators, and even microwaves. But BAE Systems Rochester is best known for the several key advances in the helmet-mounted displays (HMD) and the heads-up-display (HUD) technology used by fighter jet pilots developed there, including the company's Striker HMD.