Leading the way to a Clean Sky
[Updated] Saab has a key position in Clean Sky, the European collaboration for a more environmentally friendly aviation. Saab will develop the next generation of aircraft wing and avionics systems for large civil aircraft.
1/28/2008 | On the 5 February the Clean Sky programme takes off in Brussels, Belgium.
In December the EU’s Council of Ministers made the formal decision to start the Clean Sky program. The EU and all the stakeholders within aviation in the EU - industry, local and international authorities and organisations, higher education and research centre etcetera - are behind the initiative.
Reduction of 20-40 percent
The co-operation organization ACARE has declared a number of objectives for European air traffic with the year 2020 in view. They cover safety, efficiency and the environment. One important objective is to reduce the European air traffic’s emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and noise by 20-40 percent. Clean Sky is the industry’s response to how these objectives can be achieved.
Strategic importance
“Clean Sky is a program of great strategic importance for the future of civil aviation, both within and outside Europe. We are very proud that Saab is playing a vital part of the initiative but also confident that we can contribute in a positive way,” says Åke Svensson, President and CEO of Saab.
Saab is one of twelve European aviation companies behind the program, which further fortifies Saab’s role as one of the main players within the European aviation industry.
“This means that Saab will be one of the core contributors to technical development within European civil aviation,” says Åke Svensson.
Smart wing and green operations
A number of sub-areas are proposed within the framework of the program. Saab, together with Airbus, will develop one of the new wing configurations within the sub-area of Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft. This is intended to be the basis for the next generation wing for large civil aircraft.
Saab will also participate in the sub-area of Systems for Green Operations. This covers avionics systems that make it possible to plan flight paths much more intelligently than at present, which will lead to smarter and more fuel efficient flights. Other sub-systems that will be studied are de-icing systems, thermal management systems and more electric actuation systems.
| |
Facts about the Clean Sky program
- Clean Sky is a Joint Technology Initiative, a new collaborative form within the EU where organisations, authorities and industry have divided responsibilities for strategically important projects of significant size.
- The project is planned to run between 2008 and 2014.
- The European aviation companies behind Clean Sky, in addition to Saab, are Airbus, Dassault, Alenia, Eurocopter, AgustaWestland, Thales, Liebherr, Rolls-Royce, Safran, EADS CASA and Fraunhofer Inst.
|