A brief look at what’s new in Arkansas aerospace, logistics and transportation
Walton-Founded Company Developing Lightweight Firefighting Plane
Game Aerospace, the Bentonville-based aircraft manufacturer founded by Steuart Walton and Philipp Steinbach out of a trailer in 2013, is working to develop the followup to their GB1 Gamebird. The original GB1 is an advanced aerobatic plane, made with carbon-fiber to keep the craft lightweight and agile alongside a six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the latest Garmin avionics. The GB2, similarly, will be made of lightweight carbon fiber, designed specifically to respond to wildfires. The plane’s specs include Federal Aviation Administration NextGen technology, replacing ground-based radar with satellite-based navigation tools; a 1,200-gallon hopper capacity for fire retardant or water; and a stall speed of 81 knots when fully loaded and 54 knots when empty, crucial for precise drops over fire zones. “The GB2 was initiated out of a need to improve the speed and efficiency of initial attacks to detect and fight fires early,” the company says of the new plane. “Operators, pilots, ground crews and members of government agencies have provided their input to make the GB2 the best possible tool for the job.”
L3harris Building Modern Rocket Factory In Camden
L3Harris, the parent company of Aerojet Rocketdyne, in February broke ground on a $215 million expansion of its advanced missiles manufacturing plant in Camden. The project will integrate automation and robotics into the plant’s workflow to increase efficiency, and thereby increase domestic rocket propulsion production capacity, according to the company. The 60,000 SF plant will centralize rocket production into one building, which the company says will reduce the amount of travel rocket motors undergo during the production process by 80%.
Arcbest Piloting New Vaux Vision Tech
Fort Smith’s ArcBest, an integrated logistics company, began piloting in February a new technology designed to make forklifts smarter. Vaux Vision is a 3D-scanning system that provides forklift operators with real-time freight measurements as the forklift picks up the materials. The software tool also utilizes AI to check packages for damage. Additionally, ArcBest updated its previously-released suite of Vaux products, including the Vaux Freight Movement System with new efficiency guidelines and Vaux Smart Autonomy, an automation tool. “With these latest updates, we’re empowering our customers to work smarter and achieve their goals more efficiently,” says ArcBest Chief Innovation Officer Dennis Anderson.
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