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Rainer Groh – Aerospace Engineer and Researcher

Aerospace Engineering Podcast

I am happy and excited to announce a new project on the Aerospace Engineering Blog. To go along with the usual blog posts, I will now be releasing regular podcast episodes that feature conversations with engineers and researchers in industry and academia to reveal their fascinating real-world stories of innovation, and provide a glimpse into the future of the industry by discussing cutting-edge research and promising new technologies. This episode is just a quick primer of what I have in mind, and the first "real" episode will be released in a couple of days.

If you have comments about the episodes or want to provide general feedback on the podcast, then please let me know on Facebook. If you find yourself enjoying the conversations, then I would appreciate a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. This helps others find the podcast online. I will of course be publishing all episodes through this homepage as well, and you will receive notifications when I publish new episodes through the newsletter.

You will be able to find archives of all published episodes here, and each episode post will contain show notes with links to further material of the topics discussed.

If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

Introducing the Aerospace Engineering Podcast

"If you're trying to put these structures into orbit, every gram counts. Not just every pound but every gram...So you are making structures that are operating at their margins." --- Dr Chauncey Wu, NASA Langley Research Center
Today's conversation features Dr Chauncey Wu, who is a research engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Chauncey has worked at NASA for more than 30 years, predominantly in the field of structural mechanics, and has been responsible for designing and testing a number of space structures that have been launched into space. Some examples of his work include structural analyses on the LITE telescope that was launched into space in 1994, as well as the optimisation of rocket propellant tank structures, and conceptual design studies of lunar lander vehicles and habitat structures for the colonisation of the Moon. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss:

 Chauncey’s path to NASA as an undergraduate student
 The history of NASA and the cultural shift compared to its predecessor, the NACA
 The reason why rocket science is so hard
 Chauncey’s recent research on a new type of lightweight composite material: tow-steered composites, which could be a game-changer for rocket booster designs
 And much, much more

Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Dr Chauncey Wu! If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

Selected Links from the Episode

 NASA Langley Research Center
 NASA Glenn, NASA Goddard, NASA Ames and NASA Marshall
 NASA co-op program
 The NACA (predecessor to NASA)
 Bob Gilruth, Chris Kraft
 Collier Trophy
 Low-Drag Cowling and Fred Weick
 John Stack, Larry Bell, Chuck Yaeger and the X-1
 Slotted-wall wind tunnel
 Richard Whitcomb, the Area Rule and the Supercritical Airfoil
 Science Office for Mission Assessments
 The safety factor
 The history of rocketry and a primer on rocket science and lightweight design
 Tow-steered composites (some further NASA research here and here)
 ISAAC
 Imperfection sensitivity of cylinders (the introduction of this paper conveys the message)
 Video of collapsing soda can and "scientific" crush test
 NASA Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor (video)

Podcast Ep. #1 – Dr Chauncey Wu on NASA, Rocket Science and Advanced Composite Materials

"There's been a lot of good press from the science community on self-assembly of atoms. Well, I guess what I'm looking for is self-assembly and disassembly of large-scale structures...There is all sorts of exciting things we can do when [engineering] structures re-configure themselves." --- Prof. Paul Weaver
This episode features Prof. Paul Weaver, who holds a Bernal Chair in Composite Structures at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and is the Professor in Lightweight Structures at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Lightweight design plays a crucial role in the aerospace industry, and Paul has worked on some fascinating concepts for more efficient aircraft structures. Paul's research has influenced analysis procedures and product design at NASA, Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Augusta Westland Helicopters, Vestas (and many more), and in this episode we cover some of his past accomplishments and his vision for the future.

Central to this vision is artificial metamorphosis, which is a term that Paul coined to describe structures that re-configure by dis-assembly and re-assembly to adapt and optimise on the fly. Although Paul thinks that this vision of engineering structures is still 50 years into the future, he is well known for his work on a related technology: topological shape-morphing. The simplest example of a morphing structure is a leading edge slat, which is used on all commercial aircraft today to prevent stall at take off and landing. Paul, on the other hand, envisions morphing structures that are more integral, that is without joints and which do not rely on heavy actuators to function. Apart from artificial metamorphosis, Paul and I discuss

 his teenage dreams of becoming a material scientist
 his work with Mike Ashby at Cambridge University on material and shape factors
 interesting coupling effects in composite materials that can be used for elastic tailoring
 his work with Augusta Westland helicopters on novel rotor blades
 why NASA contacted him about his research on buckling of rocket shells
 and much, much more

I hope that you get a feel for Paul’s enthusiasm for aerospace engineering. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Prof. Paul Weaver!

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Bernal Institute, University of Limerick
 Paul’s research group at the University of Limerick and the University of Bristol
 Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down and The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor by Prof. J E Gordon
 Prof. Mike Ashby, materials selection using Ashby plots and its geometrical counterpart: shape factors, CES Materials Selector
 Second moment of area
 AugustaWestland AW101 Merlin helicopter that uses bend-twist coupling in the rotor blades to decouple vibration modes
 Bend-twist coupling of a wing-box explained on the Grumman X-29
 Geometrically swept wind-turbine blades for improved performance
 Imperfection sensitivity of cylinders (the introduction of this paper conveys the message)
 Video of collapsing soda can and "scientific" crush test
 Morphing:

 NASA morphing aircraft
 FlexSys wing without flaps
 A project by NASA and MIT on flexible morphing structures
 NASA shape-shifting wings
 A morphing air inlet

 A video featuring Paul talking about his research and vision for artificial metamorphosis
 Some topics related to metamorphosis are:

 Molecular self-assembly
 4D printing
 Re-configurable materials

 The deHavilland Mosquito, the importance of phenolic resins in constructing the Mosquito, and Norman de Bruyne

Podcast Ep. #2 – Prof. Paul Weaver on Shape, Stiffness and Smart Aerospace Structures

"You could say: What could we possibly do next? You look back at history and say: All the shelves must be full now! We must have the capabilities to do everything we need. And yet, we still go on...It's your generation that is going to Mars. So please, can you get on with it and do it, because I want to enjoy it from the augmented reality that other engineers are going to produce." --- Ian Lane
This episode features Ian Lane, Senior Expert in Composite Analysis for Airbus UK. Ian has more than 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry and his career has taken him from British Hovercraft to British Aerospace, Westland Helicopters and finally to his current role at Airbus. On top of this broad aerospace background, Ian's specialty are modern composite airframes and he was the lead stress engineer on the Airbus A400M and Airbus A350. Ian is also a Visiting Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol, and a great example of an industry leader who knows how to inspire the next generation of young engineers. Indeed, Ian is actively involved with the Airbus Fly Your Ideas campaign, and a regular attendee at many international research conferences.

In this episode Ian and I discuss:

 his career progression from apprentice to Senior Expert at Airbus
 the incredible safety record of the aerospace industry
 why the demise of Concorde wasn't a step backwards
 how Airbus fosters innovation and out-of-the-box thinking
 why inclusion and diversity in engineering are so important
 and much, much more

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Airbus in Bristol & Filton, UK
 British Hovercraft Company
 Westland Helicopters (for a time known as AugustaWestland and now Leonardo Helicopters)
 Sikorsky Crisis, also known as the Westland Affair
 British Aerospace (now known as BAE Systems)
 The EU TANGO project (overview slides)
 A400M and A350 airframes, and contrasts between the two
 Evolution of composite application at Airbus
 Airbus Helicopters NH90 and Tiger
 Bend-twist coupling in aircraft wings
 Clean Sky initiative
 New aerospace metallic alloys
 Additive manufacturing and bionic 3D printing at Airbus
 Aerospace testing pyramid and virtual testing
 Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites
 A picture history of aviation safety and the "anti-fragile" nature of aircraft design
 Concorde demise and the Concorde Museum
 Airbus Fly Your Ideas
 Diversity at Airbus, Diversity & Inclusion in Engineering
 Women of NASA Lego
 Evolution of flying machines

Podcast Ep. #3 – Airbus Senior Expert Ian Lane on the A350, Innovation in Aerospace, and Diversity in Engineering

"We need to get going into the future in terms of clean aviation" --- Kim-Tobias Kohn

On this episode of the podcast I speak to Kim-Tobias Kohn who is a lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the University of the West of England. Beside his main vocation, Kim is also an avid pilot and runs an electric skateboard startup company. Kim has garnered attention in the media and from aerospace societies in the UK for his unique university project of building an electric glider with his undergraduate students. For obvious reasons, building an electric passenger aircraft that can replace current fuel-powered airliners is significantly more challenging than replacing gasoline cars with electric vehicles. However, there is a growing grass-roots initiative developing in the UK that is attempting to solve some of the regulatory and technical challenges to realise this vision of electric aviation.

So in this episode Kim and I talk about:

 the unique regulatory framework for experimental aircraft in the UK known as the E-conditions
 the major technical hurdles that need to be overcome to make electric aviation a reality
 how the UAV/drone sector is opening doors for larger-scale electric aviation
 his university project of building an electric glider
 his dreams for a student-led design, build and fly competition for electric aircraft
 and much, much more

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Kim's electric glider project and his YouTube Vlog
 Kim's company emotion engineering (UAV's, electric skateboards and aerial photography)
 More info from the University of the West of England about the undergraduate electric glider project
 Royal Aeronautical Society on electric flight
 The UK E-conditions
 Airbus, Rolls Royce and Siemens E-fan hybrid electric aircraft
 EasyJet on electric aircraft
 Wired on electric aircraft
 Electric flight potential and limitations
 Formula Student and Formula SAE
 SolarFlight solar-powered planes
 Boeing 787 Dreamliner battery problems

Podcast Ep. #4 – Kim-Tobias Kohn on Electric Aviation

In this episode I am talking to John Britton. John was the chief engineer of Concorde on the British side of the enterprise from 1994 until Concorde’s demise in 2003. John possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding the engineering behind Concorde, and its heritage in Bristol, UK. Because he was the chief engineer at its demise, he also has a unique insight into why the aircraft is no longer flying today. In this conversation, John and I talk about:

 how he ended up as the Chief Engineer of Concorde
 what engineering feats made Concorde special
 why Concorde is no longer flying today
 and what he thinks new supersonic companies need to focus on

This interview was recorded at Aerospace Bristol, which is a new aerospace museum located at Filton Airfield in the South West of the United Kingdom. From the beginnings of powered flight, Filton Airfield was the birthplace of many a flying machine – from aeroplanes and helicopters to missiles and satellites. Aerospace Bristol represents the new heart to the area’s aerospace heritage.

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Aerospace Bristol museum
 Heritage of Filton Airfield
 Sir George White
 The Bristol Aeroplane Company
 British Aircraft Corporation
 Concorde:

 Timeline 
 The Concorde Story documentary
 Powerplant, fuel system, wing and skin temperatures
 The demise of Concorde: video and article and another article

 The Concorde rival: Tu-144

 Overview
 The Paris Crash (ironic that Concorde too would crash in Paris 30 years later)

 Return of supersonic commercial flights with:

 Boom Supersonic (video)
 Spike Aerospace (video)

Podcast Ep. #5 – Concorde Chief Engineer John Britton on Supersonic Flight

On this episode of the podcast I speak to Mike Lawton, who is the founder and CEO of Oxford Space Systems (OSS). OSS is an award-winning space technology company that is developing a new generation of deployable space structures that are lighter, simpler and cheaper than current products on the market. These deployable structures deploy antennas and solar panels on satellites orbiting earth, and are tricky to design because they need to package to a fraction of their deployed size, and need to be as lightweight as possible. OSS’ first product, the AstroTube boom, was launched into space and deployed on a cubesat in September 2016. This achievement set a new industry record in terms of development time, going from company formation to orbit in under 30 months. I met Mike at the OSS design office to talk about:

 venture capital funding of NewSpace companies
 how the design philosophy of NewSpace companies differs from established firms
 how origami, the Japanese art of folding, is being used to design more efficient deployable structures
 the flexible composites technology that OSS are developing
 and his vision for the future of space commercialisation

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Oxford Space Systems:

 Technology overview 
 AstroTube
 AstroHinge
 Origami and unpacking in space (Part 1, Part 2)
 First product launch

 Harwell Space Cluster
 Catapult Satellite Applications
 NewSpace
 UK Space Agency Funding
 Prof. Zhong You, Oxford University
 Asteroid mining

Podcast Ep. #6 – Oxford Space Systems Founder Mike Lawton on Deployable Space Structures

Today's episode features Dr Valeska Ting who is a Reader in Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol and is researching the use of nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Using hydrogen as a fuel source has many benefits. Due to its excellent energy density, hydrogen has long been hailed as an alternative to fossil fuels but it's also an excellent means of storing renewable energy from solar or wind sources. One of the challenges of storing hydrogen is its low density, meaning that large volumes are required to store efficient amounts of hydrogen to be able to use it as a fuel. This is precisely where Valeska’s research enters the picture. The nanoporous materials that she is working on can increase the density of hydrogen by a factor of a 1000, and therefore provide a key stepping stone towards more efficient hydrogen-powered vehicles. In this episode, Valeska and I talk about multiple aspects of this technology including:

 what nanoporous materials are and how they work
 how they can be used to create multifunctional materials
 what scientific challenges she is addressing to scale-up and improve their performance, and
 how they could be applied to design lighter hydrogen tanks for cars, aircraft or even rockets

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Valeska's research:

 Research profile
 Nanoporous materials for automotive applications
 YouTube video of her research

 What is a nanoporous material?
 Outlook and challenges for nanoporous materials

Podcast Ep. #7 – Dr Valeska Ting on Smart Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Storage

In this episode I am talking to Lachlan Matchett, who is the VP of Propulsion at Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab is a startup rocket company with the mission of removing barriers to commercial space by frequent launches to low-earth orbit. The current conundrum of many space technology companies that want to launch small satellites into space is that there is no dedicated launch service tailored to their needs. This is where Rocket Lab enters the picture. To provide small payloads with a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle, Rocket Lab has developed the Electron rocket. The Electron is a two-stage rocket that can be tailored to unique orbital requirements and provides frequent flight opportunities at personalised schedules.

In terms of the engineering, there are many interesting features to the Electron rocket, but one of the key innovations is the Rutherford engine that Lachlan Matchett and his team have developed over the last five years. Rutherford is the first oxygen/kerosene-powered engine to use 3D printing for all primary components. In fact, the Rutherford engine can be printed in an astounding 24 hrs, and this is one of the driving factors behind Rocket Lab's cost efficiency and high target launch frequency. So in this episode, Lachlan and I talk about:

 Rocket Lab's business model
 their recent launch success in Jan 2018
 some of the engineering highlights of the Rutherford engine
 and Rocket Lab's plans for the future

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

Also, as of this writing Rocket Lab is hiring, so make sure to check out their careers page. You can tune into Rocket Lab's future launches by following Rocket Lab on Twitter.

What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Rocket Lab

 Electron rocket
 Rutherford Engine
 Careers at Rocket Lab
 Rocket Lab on Twitter

 Follow the Humanity Star
 Lachlan Matchett wins Young Engineer of the Year
 Jan 2018 launch "Still Testing" (launch video countdown at 14:50)
 Rocket Lab's upcoming launch "It's Business Time"

Podcast Ep. #8 – Rocket Lab’s Lachlan Matchett on Democratising Access to Space and the Rutherford Rocket Engine

Neil Cloughley is the founder and managing director of Faradair, the UK's leading hybrid aviation programme. Neil has a broad background in the aviation industry ranging from aircraft re-marketing and aircraft leasing to starting his own aircraft consultancy business, which found him working with the world's major airlines, OEMs and trailblazing companies like Virgin Galactic. Neil's father developed one of the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles of the early 1990s, and had a flying prototype before the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator entered service in 1995. Unfortunately, as a result of being slightly ahead of its time, and due to a lack of funds and unfortunate timing, ASVEC UK had to close its doors.

Neil is now stepping into his father's footsteps and building the bio-electric hybrid aircraft (BEHA) drawing from many of the lessons he learned from his father. The BEHA is a six-passenger aircraft with a hybrid gas and electric propulsion system, and is to be used for regional travel of around 200 miles. The BEHA has an unconventional design with a triple-staggered wing, an all-composite airframe and a ducted propeller. These design decisions reflect the three key specifications that need to be met to make regional inter-city flight a reality: minimising noise, emissions and operational costs. In this conversation, Neil and I talk about

 the engineering behind BEHA
 the challenging economics of new aviation businesses
 his long-term vision for a regional Uber-like taxi service in the sky
 and much, much more

If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by supporting it directly on Patreon, where patrons of the podcast receive exclusive behind-the-scenes content and special episodes. Thanks a lot for listening!

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

 Faradair and the BEHA
 Neil's vision of an UBER in the sky
 The Journey of an Aerospace Startup --- Royal Aeronautical Society lecture
 Profile of Neil Cloughley
 Faradair partnership with Swansea University
 ProDrive's partnership with Faradair

Podcast Ep. #9 – Faradair Founder Neil Cloughley on the Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft and Regional Aviation

Dr Sanjiv Singh is a research professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy. Sanjiv has more than 30 years of research experience in the field of autonomous vehicles and has spun-out multiple companies from his university research.

His current venture, Near Earth Autonomy, develops technology that allows aircraft to autonomously take-off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Near Earth's goal is to develop complete autonomous solutions that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones up to full-size helicopters. The team at Near Earth was awarded the 2018 Howard Hughes Award, which recognises outstanding improvements in fundamental helicopter technology, and was also a 2017 finalist for the Collier Trophy, one of the most important aviation awards worldwide. In this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast, Sanjiv and I talk about:

 his background as a researcher in the field of robotics and autonomy
 the fundamental concepts of autonomy
 the hardware and software that make it work
 the successful helicopter technology demonstrator Near Earth Autonomy has developed
 and the future of autonomous vehicles

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is brought to you by my patrons on Patreon. Patreon is a way for me to receive regular donations from listeners whenever I release a new episode, and with the help of these generous donors I have been able to pay for much of the expenses, hosting and travels costs that accrue in the production of this podcast. If you would like to support the podcast as a patron, then head over to my Patreon page. There are multiple levels of support, but anything from $1 an episode is highly appreciated. Thank you for your support!

Selected Links from the Episode

 Near Earth Autonomy webpage, Twitter & YouTube
 Dr Sanjiv Singh's TEDx talk
 Near Earth collaborates with Kaman | Vertical
 Public perception of autonmous flying | WIRED
 Lidar vs cameras vs radar | WIRED

Podcast Ep. #42 – Autonomous Helicopters with Near Earth Autonomy

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