Mentor Blogs

By World War II, remote-controlled aerial torpedoes, flying bombs, and pilotless planes (unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, as we know them today) were taking shape and undergoing testing by U.S. military forces. In early 1941, the conversion of popular military aircraft of the time, including Martin/Great Lakes Aircraft Company’s TG-2 torpedo bomber and Great Lakes’ BG-1 dive bomber, into remote-controlled … Read More

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Forty-three years ago, on 20 July 1969, the United States Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to the moon. Were you aware, however, that it the first space vehicle to reach the vicinity of the moon was not manned at all? Intrigued? This geek hopes so. Fun fact: Unmanned spacecraft reached the vicinity of the moon a decade before the first manned mission landed on the lunar surface. The Soviet … Read More

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A popular children’s toy has been named the first domestic robot, the first robotic toy, and a threat to national security in the U.S. Can you guess which toy? It was the cute, lovable, and interactive Furby! The Furby was produced by Tiger Electronics from 1998 to 2001, and again by Hasbro between 2005 and 2007. In fact, it has just been announced that the Furby will again line store shelves; it will … Read More

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Unmanned drones are likely coming to an air space near you. The eventual and unavoidable integration of myriad unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), both civil and defense, in the same airspace as commercial airliners and military aircraft is a hotly debated topic. Civilian and military communities are actively voicing a wealth of concerns—such as over safety, privacy, and security—about the prospect. Government … Read More

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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) continue to grow in use and popularity; yet, little attention is paid to UAV history, which contains some valuable, if not shocking (pun intended), insights. On November 8, 1898, Nikola Tesla was granted U.S. Patent Number 613809 for what was likely the first remote control and unmanned vehicle ever envisioned. The patent, entitled “Method of and Apparatus for Controlling … Read More

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Airbus delayed the availability of the A350-1000, intended to compete with The Boeing Company’s enhanced 777 twinjet; yet, customers continue to cancel early orders for the upcoming Airbus wide-body jet. This delay is giving Boeing the chance it needs to push its 777 successor (being called the Boeing 777X) forward, while utilizing all the lessons learned from its infamously delayed 787 Dreamliner. … Read More

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It has become more and more challenging to deliver products–especially complex and intricate components, systems, and platforms–on time in this day and age. For many, the global economic recession brought with it reductions in personnel; and yet, military and aerospace (mil/aero) were still expected to (and needed to) deliver novel, high-tech products on time and on budget without the advent … Read More

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Military and aerospace (mil/aero) program performance, efficiency, and contract fulfillment—as well as the deliverables they provide—are of paramount importance not only to the customer running the program and awarding the contracts, but also the end user, who is often eagerly awaiting the innovation, technologies, and capabilities. Expenses are up, schedules are tight, and programs get cancelled, but … Read More

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The military and aerospace (mil/aero) market relies on efficiency. This is true of myriad industries during a down economy, which requires organizations—including the U.S. Department of Defense and other military organizations, as well as prime contractors and subcontractors—to do more with less. Not only do engineering and manufacturing personnel need to be efficient, but also the tools they employ … Read More

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Engineers from Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company, and The Boeing Company have unleashed a unique aircraft that has been turning heads at recent air shows, and for good reason. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was designed from the ground up (a rarity in a downturned economy, it seems) to meet the needs of multiple armed services. In doing so, it combines the capabilities of a helicopter with those of fixed-wing … Read More

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Systems integration is no small feat. Ensuring disparate parts and systems—standalone solutions from multiple vendors—talk and work together seamlessly and reliably is a challenge. In fact, the systems integrator, not to mention the MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) specialist charged with keeping systems in good working order over decades of deployment, has been given many nicknames reflective … Read More

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Gone, in large part, are the days of military and aerospace (mil/aero) organizations buying a complete, comprehensive, end-to-end turnkey system from a single, solitary vendor. Rather, a vast majority of today’s mil/aero systems combine the technologies, components, and capabilities of myriad technology vendors. Integrating parts from various vendors in a single system, like most things, has its pros … Read More

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Just this month, PKC Eesti AS, a supplier of electrical wiring harnesses to European truck makers and a subsidiary of Finland’s PKC Group Oyj, announced that it is deploying the latest technology from the Mentor Graphics Capital suite of tools at its factory in Estonia. Among the tools adopted is the Capital HarnessXC product, which is designed to enable harness engineers to create detailed, validated, … Read More

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Future Combat Systems (FCS) is but a distant memory, but the need to stay on the bleeding edge of technology in military and aerospace (mil/aero) environments remains unchanged. Today’s missions in harsh and challenging environments call for the latest and greatest technological advances. FCS, the program created to deliver manned and unmanned advanced network-centric warfare and new combat vehicles … Read More

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The U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, begun in 2003, carried with it the promise of a brand new fleet of manned ground vehicles; yet, due to economic and logistical difficulties and setbacks, FCS was cancelled in 2009. In the spring of 2009, Pentagon and Army officials announced the cancellation of the FCS vehicle-development effort. Rather than providing new, future-proof vehicles able … Read More

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