Experimental Research Aircraft Fleet Management Study

Solicitation Number: 18-22127

Experimental Research Aircraft Fleet Management Study

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

Requirements: The National Research Council Canada wishes to hire an experienced aircraft consultant to conduct a detailed business assessment on NRC’s fleet of experimental aircrafts. The consultant would be expected to conduct the following tasks:

1. Develop a clear picture of the current fleet, in terms of capability, current maintainability, and predicted future challenges to the efficacy of these aircraft as research tools.
2. Develop a series of risk-reduction and gap resolution proposals to obtain the best possible performance out of the existing fleet of aircraft over the short term.

1. Identify one or more aircraft acquisitions that would either augment or replace aircraft within the existing FRL fleet and that will provide robust potential for continuing research programs of Flight Research for the Nation and the stakeholders which the FRL serves.

1. Engagement of the NRC-FRL staff, including Management, in the process of developing the final project report.

1. Broad agreement by NRC-FRL staff, NRC-Aerospace management and stakeholders, in the findings of the report.

1. Ultimate adoption or integration of the report recommendations into the Lab strategic plans and actions in both the short and longer terms.

Background information: The National Research Council’s fleet of aircrafts is not you’re a-typical fleet of aircrafts. The Aircrafts are used for a number of highly specialized research projects and have been outfitted for R&D missions. The Aerospace research Centre has decades of world class engineers, research officers and pilots that help support industry in bringing new technologies to market while meeting and helping other government departments develop new regulatory and environmental standards.

NRC’s Experimental Fleet:

1. Bell 412 Helicopter - Advanced Systems Research Aircraft and 4-DOF simulator. The NRC ‘s Bell 412 Advanced Systems Research Aircraft (ASRA) is configured as a 4-DOF simulator for research in airborne simulation, handling qualities, advanced controls, active controls, pilot-vehicle interfaces and aircraft systems. ASRA is outfitted with advanced technology that makes it an ideal platform for research into digital fly-by-wire control systems, precise guidance and navigation, and active control systems. Advanced fly-by-wire features give ASRA a powerful variable stability and control capability, and an airborne simulation capability for air vehicle design and operational research and development. As a sophisticated research test bed, ASRA allows researchers to investigate the impact on situational awareness, safety and mission performance of new control, guidance, navigation and communication technologies. The aircraft also serves to test advanced pilot-vehicle interfaces such as smart displays, helmet-mounted displays, synthetic vision systems, integrated hand controllers, and direct voice input.

1. Bell 205 - 4-DOF simulator - The highly modified fly-by-wire Bell 205A helicopter is configured as a 4-DOF simulator for research in airborne simulation, handling qualities and advanced controls, pilot-vehicle interfaces and aircraft systems. The Bell 205 Airborne Simulator is outfitted with single axis full authority fly-by-wire controls, programmable inceptors and a force-sensing side arm that makes it an ideal platform for research into digital fly-by-wire control systems and human interface issues. As a sophisticated research test bed, the Bell 205 Airborne Simulator allows researchers to investigate the impact on situational awareness, safety and mission performance of advanced pilot-vehicle interfaces such as smart displays, helmet-mounted displays, synthetic vision systems, integrated hand controllers, and direct voice input. The aircraft includes a sophisticated graphics display capability, a close support computing system for software development and testing, and a special display development facility (DDF) for ground-based validation of advanced cockpit technologies to be demonstrated in the airborne simulator.

1. Bell 206 - Rotary trainer and advanced vision studies. The Bell 206B is a single-engine, teetering rotor, light-utility helicopter with dual flight controls and provisions for two research crews in the back seat, including an instrumented flight test engineering station. The NRC proprietary modular instrumentation architecture facilitates easy installation of additional channels for specific experimental requirements. Data from the Bell 206 instrumentation package has been used in the development of simulation facilities for the military and for private industry goggles as well as testing new avionics systems such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast units. The Bell 206 plays a significant role in human factors research in the evaluation of new cockpit technologies, including helmet mounted displays and night vision. It has been equipped with night-vision-goggle (NVG) compatible lighting and serves as a test platform for night vision goggles and related systems for military, law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and others.

1. Vintage CT-133 Silver star - Vintage fighter jet. The T-33 is a 1960s vintage "fighter" jet used extensively by the air force for flight training requirements. It is capable of high performance, high altitude operations with 2 pilots and a small instrument package. This high-speed (to 500 KIAS), high G (-3.0 to +7.33), fully instrumented research aircraft is equipped for pressure standard calibrations (precise in-flight static pressure measurement), in-flight turbulence measurement (accurate three-axis gust measurement) and flight mechanics research (accurate measurement of aircraft motion versus control input).

1. Convair 580 - Multi-purpose flying laboratory: Convair is used for long distance operations and carries several racks of scientific equipment and instrumentation. The Aircraft is a multi-purpose flying laboratory supporting projects in atmospheric studies (low-level smog in urban areas, cloud physics, cloud chemistry, aircraft icing), gradient aeromagnetic, advanced navigation, spotlight synthetic aperture radar and precision aircraft positioning using differential global positioning system (DGPS) techniques. The aircraft also features a suite of standard research support capabilities that include high-speed data acquisition systems, multi-camera video recording systems, free-stream chemistry sampling inlets, multiple navigation sensors, high bandwidth data-link communications, electro-optic and infrared sensors, wing-mounted pylons, and wingtip-mounted pods.\

1. Falcon 20 - Aerospace, geoscience testing and micro gravity testing. The Falcon 20 is a twin-engine business jet, capable of relatively high speed and altitude operations with a small complement of instrumentation and research crew. It has been modified for use in microgravity experiments requiring parabolic flight trajectories and equipment operating for periods at low g. With an extensive onboard data acquisition system, the aircraft can also be used for airborne geosciences studies, avionics research and aircraft based sensor research. This aircraft is also equipped with separate feeder tanks from which the pilots can select different fuels for each flight segment, allowing for a portion of a flight to take place with an experimental fuel that may only be available in limited quantities. This capability makes it an ideal vehicle to support our clients' alternative fuels research.

1. Twin Otter (Series 200) - Atmospheric and biospheric studies, and for flight mechanics and flight systems development. The Twin Otter aircraft is a twin-engine, unpressurized turboprop high wing STOL aircraft capable of 2-3 hour operations with a moderate amount of instrumentation. It is also a world-class, fully instrumented airborne platform for a wide range of atmospheric and biospheric studies, and for flight mechanics and flight systems development. Research equipment installations on this aircraft include real-time digital computing and displays, modern navigation and guidance systems, state-of-the-art air data sensing, a control surface position measurement system, incident and reflected solar radiation systems, weather radar, video recording suite, laser particle spectrometers, electro-optic and infrared sensors systems, and a satellite simulator.

1. Harvard - Trainer and experimental platform for avionics research. The Harvard is a post-war single-engine propeller aircraft used extensively by the Royal Canadian Air Force for flight training. It is capable of high-g "aerobatic" manoeuvers and carries 2 pilots and an advanced instrumentation package in the rear seat. Its flying qualities make it an ideal demonstrator for out-of-control recovery technique training and the rear cockpit can be modified to host advanced avionic displays. The unique display capability allows prototyping and assessment of novel and unique flight display technologies to aircrew in a broad range of flight conditions.

1. Extra 300 - studying pilot perception in a dynamic environment and trainer. The Extra 300L is a two-seat, dual control, low-wing, aerobatic certified aircraft. The Extra cruises at 200 mph at 75 percent power at 4,000 feet, with a range of around 400 nm. It has been outfitted with an instrumentation package making it an ideal low cost platform to support general aviation initiatives and to conduct research and/or training with equipment and personnel within its impressive flight envelope that includes a maximum speed of VNE 220 knots and up to ±10g load limits. This aircraft is also used as a test bed for unmanned air systems and it is uniquely suitable for testing instrumentation targeted for unmanned aircraft vehicles capable of extreme maneuverability and load limits. Additional targeted use includes aeromedical and neurocognitive research, qualitative evaluation aircraft for test pilot school courses, unusual attitude awareness and recovery training and research, and aerodynamics research (spin modeling).

Minimum Essential Requirement:

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice.

The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier will meet the advertised requirements and address the minimum essential requirements listed below:

• Extensive skills (10 years) in aerospace technology development, specifically flight test and aircraft operations for R&D organizations that have experimental type certificates.
• Comprehensive experience (10 years) in the development and management of regulated aviation organizations (Aircraft Maintenance Organizations, Design Approval Organizations, Safety Management Systems, Flight Operations Organizations)
• Deep understanding of government processes and policy in Aerospace and Aviation.
• Broad capabilities in technical writing, business case development, and strategic planning.
• Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Masters of Science in Aeronautics (would be considered and asset)

Sole source justification:  The sole source is predicated on a unique technical skill-set and specialized technical knowledge that cannot be sourced from any other supplier. The consultant has a decade or more experience in fleet management with experimental type certificates organizations.

Exception(s): The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work” Only organization with both the experience and the certificates to complete the tasks in question.

Ownership of Intellectual Property:

There are no Intellectual Property considerations with this procurement. Ownership of the IP in question will remain with the contractor. The crown will have <<rights of use>> of any parts and services.

Period of the proposed contract or delivery date:

The NRC will consider entering into a Contractual Agreement with the proposed supplier. The proposed contract will be 5-7 months with a target of completing the study in October 2019. The contract will be subject to negotiation with the supplier and maybe adapted to meet the business needs of the NRC. NRC reserves the right to extend this contract for additional similar work or enter into a long term agreement such as a “Standing Offer”. Estimated Value: $31,350 + HST CAD. The value including optional periods shall be limited to $100K.

Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:

Stewart Baillie Consulting

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
Contracting Authority: Johnathon Gillis
Telephone: (613) 993-5506
E-mail: Johnathon.Gillis@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca