From aerobatics to emergency response​

One major issue faced by the 2Excel team in the early stages of the project was that the global regulations for aerial dispersants changed as they were reclassified as flammable liquids which had to comply with flammable fluid certification requirements. “We didn’t just have to store the dispersant in the aircraft, we needed to pump it out,” continued Steve Riley. “However, the problem was that the airworthy and operationally effective equipment to move such vast quantities of fluid at high rates didn’t exist, so we had to build everything from scratch.”

The system that 2Excel devised for the 727s comprises seven sideways-facing dispersal tanks with a total capacity of 15,000 litres. Named TERSUS (after the Latin for ‘clean-up’), the modular system includes a pallet aft of the tanks fitted with two centrifugal pumps and subsequent circulation circuit, a service pallet containing a flow meter that monitors fluid as it is pumped out of the pump pallet, a ventilation system that maintains constant air pressure in the TERSUS system and ventilates any vapours from the tanks, an air compressor and two extendable spraying boom arms with 15 nozzles each, as well as ancillary and ground loading dispersant equipment.

The development of the TERSUS system was accomplished in a very short time with the first 727 completed and certified for use by OSRL members in April 2016. “It took us 20 months from whiteboard to STC approval, which is remarkable,” stated Riley. “We had a lot of challenges, as many of the tests and means of compliances had never been done before. We adopted a different approach from the big aircraft manufacturers – if we found a problem, we fixed it and moved on.”

In-house trials team

The trials team operates a fleet of highly modified King Air and PA31 flight test aircraft. These aircraft can carry a number of customised pods containing a variety of radars, including the Leonardo Osprey 50, Seaspray 7500 and Osprey 30. “They are very flexible in the nature and size of payload that can be fitted,” said Ray Ortyl. “We can include cooling systems if required. We’re also getting requirements now for internal temperature and humidity range.”

Inside the pod, the radome goes in the forward section while the aft is for processors and receivers. The weight is also eventually distributed along the pod. “The King Air’s directional stability can be affected by a variable centre of gravity, so it is important to understand the characteristics of the modified aircraft,” explained Ortyl.

Top left: King Air on ground with pod. Top right: 2Excel’s five Special Missions aircraft can be fitted with a range of conformal pods, including the LEAP-M pod which can carry a variety of different radars. All images from 2Excel.

“In addition to our own equipment, we also fly other people’s kit on our aircraft. We provide the platform and the customer flies on the aircraft and conducts the trials. For example, in the hangar as we speak, we’re fitting new Leonardo Osprey 30 radars to the King Airs. Leonardo is currently using one of our King Airs down in Bournemouth to show off their new radar to potential customers.”

Another important part of 2Excel’s business is providing customised aircraft to test military equipment and systems. However, much of this work is confidential, so there are no details available as to the exact nature of these projects, although they are believed to include defensive aids suites. 2Excel is also working on a feasibility study of a 757-200 for consideration as an integrated systems Flight Test Aircraft and is due to commence preliminary design work in 2021.

Capability Development enjoys a diverse customer base wanting to use the aircraft. ‘Business as usual’ customers typically want an antenna, processing capability and someone to monitor it,” said Steve Riley. “Customers from the defence industry generally understand the capabilities of the platform but we also get small enterprises who want to get cameras in the air but don’t know about aircraft and have no ideas of cost.

We have three conflicting programmatic requirements all going in opposite directions, namely time and materials vs compliance vs operational capability. Customers will often ask for a platform capability within an extremely ambitious or challenging timeline/budget. We have to make a balance between different requirements. We’ve also often asked to give firm prices for products which have not yet got a set of requirements to be defined. However, we have the expertise to do that and working with the customer to define and de-risk their programme is part of our partnering philosophy.”

2Excel Aviation – special missions

2Excel not only makes customised aircraft, it also operates them. The customised King Airs, together with PA-31 Navajo surveillance aircraft, are used on a variety of missions, some of them reactive and some proactive. In addition to search and rescue (SAR) missions, the aircraft are also being used for fisheries patrol and counter pollution missions. The King Airs work in conjunction with HM Coastguard’s helicopter fleet to effect a timely rescue (see https://www.aerosociety.com/news/king-airs-to-the-rescue/).

The two OSRL oil spill dispersant 727s, G-OSRA and G-OSRB, are currently based at 2Excel’s hangar at Doncaster Sheffield airport. To test the dispersal systems and to ensure that flight crews are at a maximum state of readiness, the aircraft are flown on regular training missions, including a surface dispersant exercise sponsored by OSRL held off the Isle of Wight twice a year in which dye is added to the water and the 727 flight crews demonstrate that they can accurately cover it with dispersant. In addition, the 727s are also flown on weekly training exercises in which they made low-level passes (sometimes dropping fresh water) over a restricted area of sea.

The OSRL 727 in flight. Ian Black

As yet, neither aircraft has had to respond to a real oil spill emergency. However, should the balloon go up, they have the ability to be quickly deployed to anywhere in the world to disperse an oil slick before it has time to reach coasts and cause pollution and environmental damage.

The Special Missions division also provides customised aerial platforms for both commercial and military customers. “We have the ability to fly modified aircraft fitted with a wide range of different technologies, as required by customers, from synthetic aperture radar, electro-optic and infrared turrets and cameras, to lasers, datalinks, and a wealth of antennas across the radio frequency spectrum,” said Matt Tones. “Currently we have five aircraft – two King Airs 200s and three Navajos. These began as basic aircraft but each is now unique with a slightly different catalogue of capabilities.”

Each of the five aircraft can be customised to carry and operate different mission systems. Much of this equipment is carried in a pod beneath the fuselage which is then connected to data systems inside the fuselage. “We have made a family of King Air pods, compliant with lightning, icing, noise and emissions requirements,” said Tomes. There are three different pods known as LEAP (leading edge applications pod), LEAP-R and LEAP-M. Made of glass-fibre, the pods are not pressurised and have metallic frames mounted onto on the roof panels. The equipment in the pods is connected to the cabin via one of two belly disconnect plates. There is also a ground plate to provide a current return path.

Military training

Some of 2Excel’s aircraft are used for training military forward air controllers. The PA-31 is equipped with EO/IR sensor and military communications suite and has flown on training missions for British Army forward air controllers and commanders operated by MoD-approved crews. The aircraft can simulate military close air support and surveillance platforms, such as the Typhoon fighter and Reaper UCAV.

Coping with Covid

How has 2Excel’s business been affected by Covid? The answer is – not much. “By and large most of our operations continued,” said Steve Riley. “Because of the nature of our Coastguard and oil spill response work, our people were classed as essential workers. The hangar remained open and at one point we were the biggest user of the airport.”

2Excel Aviation has agreed a three-year partnership with World Championship Air Race (WCAR) to provide specialist raceplane operational and delivery support to the new international air race series. Taro IMAHARAT.I.P.P.

“We had our biggest flying year in 2020. The biggest negative impact was on the Blades, which couldn’t do any display or passenger travel for a while and our charter business which relied on entertainment, hospitality and sports, as well as surplus demand from airlines. The MRO and AOG business was also hit, as there were fewer aircraft requiring maintenance. However, we did fly repatriation flights, as well as medical flights carrying PPE, vaccines and medical staff. We’ve also done a lot of end-of-lease work, including turning easyJet aircraft into United Airlines airliners on behalf of the owner. Another source of business has been passenger-to-freight aircraft conversions, to satisfy the increase in demand for air cargo.”

“We’re hoping that things will pick up further this year, as we offer Blades passenger flights again and the pilots start preparing for the World Championship Air Race, a new race replacing Red Bull which will include electric aircraft racing.”

UKSAR2G​

Looking to the future, 2Excel is currently tendering for a major new government contract – the UK Second-Generation Search and Rescue Aviation programme (UKSAR2G) which is inviting bids to supply Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) emergency response services from 2024 – which includes the HM Coastguard search and rescue operations already provided by 2Excel. Steve Riley is confident that 2Excel will be a strong competitor for the new contract. “It would be hard for competitors to replace what we’re doing,” he says. “No other company has our breadth of experience and ability to exploit such efficiencies.”

Meanwhile, the customised OSRL 727s are expected to remain in service until at least 2026, depending on maintenance services and parts availability. 2Excel is already working on plans to convert either a Boeing 737 or 757 into another oil spill response aircraft. “Equipping this aircraft should require less systems testing, as we already have the test data from the 727s,” Steve Riley explains.

2Excel anticipates that its business will continue to expand. At Doncaster, the company is interested in taking over the hangar next door which used to belong to Textron. There are also plans to move into new business areas, including infrastructure surveillance, the development of uncrewed systems and the adoption of electric or hydrogen-powered platforms.

Riley concludes: “An extremely broad capability set provides the ability for customer delivery and an innovative forward-looking approach prepares 2Excel for future markets, as demonstrated by a teaming agreement with Hybrid Air Vehicles for its Airlander airships and other developmental programmes.”