The 3AF 2024 Awards

Since 1973, 3AF has been awarding prizes to recognize the merits of individual or collective members, as well as collaborators of collective members, whose work has enhanced the fields of Aeronautics, Space and Defense.

On June 26, at the 3AF Annual General Meeting held at the town hall in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, Mr. Hervé Austruy, Chairman of the Awards and Grades Committee, had the pleasure of presenting the ten Awards for the Class of 2024.

The Thesis Prize was awarded to Mr Pierre Dieumegard and Mr Stéphane Février.

The Thesis Prize is awarded to a young doctor who has completed, within the last two years, a thesis of excellence in the fields of Aeronautics, Space or Defense, which has led to a significant scientific breakthrough opening the door to applications.

Mr. Pierre Dieumegard

He completed his CIFRE thesis under a cooperation agreement between Airbus Helicopter and the ENAC research laboratory. His thesis dealt with the design and optimization of low-noise flight procedures for rotary-wing aircraft, in particular helicopters.

This fascinating subject is highly topical, as it contributes to a major environmental issue: the reduction of noise pollution from helicopters. This work has led to the development of a specific software solution.

This work has received international recognition, notably from the renowned Vertical Flight Society, and is the subject of a patent application.

Mr. Stéphane Février

The defense of this recent thesis took place on December 5, 2023.

It concerns "Predicting the vibratory ambience of an aircraft using machine learning". Conducted within the framework of the University of Paris Saclay, it follows on from a mechanical training course at the University of Aix Marseille, supplemented by training in AI.

The aim, when designing a new aircraft, is to specify the vibration levels that equipment must be able to withstand, in order to ensure the aircraft's safety and durability.

On completion of his thesis, he joined Dassault Aviation's Research and Technology department.

Scientific Excellence Prize awarded to Pascale Kanoute

The Prix de l'Excellence Scientifique is awarded to a French scientist or a small team of scientists who have distinguished themselves through their work in the fields of Aeronautics, Space or Defense.

After a position as Senior Lecturer at the Université de Technologie de Troyes and a PhD at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, she is currently Head of ONERA's Mechanics of Metallic Materials Unit, comprising 13 Engineers and 2 Technicians.

On behalf of ONERA, she oversees various projects in partnership with aerospace manufacturers.

Its main theme is the service life of engine components and aircraft structures: These include the link between microstructure, processes and mechanical strength, the modeling of cracking processes, the behavior of metallic materials under loading, and the hygroscopic behavior of polymer-matrix composite materials.

As you can see, this is a very broad field of scientific excellence.

The Innovation Prize was awarded to Damien Fauvet

The Innovation Prize, awarded on an individual or collective basis, recognizes work that has led to an outstanding technical or industrial innovation serving the aerospace, space or defense industries.

aerospace or defense industries.

With the support of Safran, he is the founder and Chairman of Turbotech. With a BTS in electrical engineering, he joined Labinal in 2000, then Hispano-Suiza in 2001 to work on power transmissions for CFM-56 engines.

Turbotech will be created in 2018 to produce turboprops and turbogenerators for general aviation and hybrid-electric propulsion.

The company is based at the Toussus le Noble airfield.

On April 4, 2022, a two-seater microlight developed by JMB Aircraft, powered by a Turbotech turbine, successfully completed its maiden flight. Since then, 14 Turbo Tech-powered aircraft have been ordered, with the first deliveries this summer.

More recently, Turbo Tech and Safran tested the first hydrogen turbine for light aviation, with the support of the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC).

This dynamic and creative approach naturally led to the award of the 3AF Innovation Prize.

Prix de l'Aéronautique et de l'Astronautique awarded to Christian Ravel

The Prix de l'Aéronautique et de l'Astronautique are awarded to French personalities who have distinguished themselves through their work in these fields.

Throughout his varied and intense career, he has demonstrated an unrivalled passion for aeronautics.

From a professional point of view, he began his career entirely as a pilot. In his youth, he took his first glider flight at the age of 18.

Then, during his military service in the French Air Force, he flew as an instructor glider pilot on Dassault 312 and 315 aircraft.

Becoming a commercial pilot in 1974, he obtained his airline pilot's license, and went on to become captain on Boeing 747s, clocking up over 23,000 flying hours by the end of his career in 2003.

But his involvement in the aeronautical world is much broader, and includes the following:

• Creation of the Groupement Préservation du Patrimoine Aéronautique in 1981, leading to the creation of the Musée Régional de l'Air in Angers.
• Advisor to the DGAC on various regulatory texts
• Active member of the Aéro-club de France heritage commission.
• Appointed expert for aeronautical heritage by the French Ministry of Culture in 2021.
• Numerous literary contributions to various aeronautical magazines

For a lifetime devoted to aeronautics in all its forms, we thought it only natural to award him the Prix de l'Aéronautique et de l'Astronautique.

The Prix Réussite is awarded to the Airbus H 160 Helicopter Team

The Prix Réussite is awarded to a team that has distinguished itself by successfully completing a large-scale project whose technical or scientific impact serves the cause of the Aerospace industry.

A large number of high-quality entries were received, leading us to select 2 winners.

The new H 160 helicopter was selected on the basis of the many technological advances in its design (68 patented technological innovations). This helicopter was first unveiled to the public in 2011.

After a first flight test in 2015, the first production H 160 made its maiden flight on December 14, 2018.

This helicopter features numerous technological innovations:

• All-composite structure
• 54-blade main rotor with significant noise reduction
• Tailplane stabilization with additional lift
• New Safran turboshaft engine, reducing fuel consumption by 15%.

In short, this new helicopter meets all the current challenges facing the aeronautical industry.

Second Success Prize awarded to SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) project

The SWOT mission, launched in December 2022, is a major national and international success for water observation on land.

It's an ambitious mission led by Magali Tello, in cooperation with two Franco-American national agencies, CNES and NASA.

CNES was responsible for developing the platform and qualifying the satellite (developed by Thales Alenia Space), with NASA providing the launch vehicle.

This mission measures the level of oceans, lakes and rivers, and determines their flow.

Detailed observation of coastal circulation and its dynamics will also provide essential answers to the problem of coastline erosion.

This is a major concern for us all.

The Prix PME was awarded to ThrustMe

The Prix PME is awarded to one or more SMEs, generally members of 3AF, that have particularly distinguished themselves by an innovative technical or technological approach or by a significant contribution, whether technical, commercial or otherwise, to the reputation of the French Aerospace industry (financial reward provided).

ThrustMe, founded in 2017, is run by Ane Aanesland and Dmytro Rafalskyi.

Based south of the Paris region, the ThrustMe Company is the first to have tested in orbit an electric space thruster using iodine as fuel. The company comprises a team of around 30 professionals with scientific and technical expertise. Its mission is to meet the challenges posed by the rapid growth of satellites and constellations. It is supported by ESA and CNES.

It is fully in line with 3AF's strong commitment to SMEs and ETIs in the aerospace sector.

Prix Opérations awarded to Ariane 6 ELA-4 launch project

The Prix Opérations is awarded to French personalities who have distinguished themselves as users in the aerospace industry.

This project was led by Marie Jazinski and Pierre Guilhem from CNES, and involved the design and construction of the Ariane 6 launch complex in French Guiana, known as ELA-4.

The success of this project has been demonstrated at several stages of development, most recently by the successful Combined Tests in 2023, carried out by a joint CNES/Arianegroup team under ESA supervision, using all the ELA-4 resources and a mock-up of the Ariane 6 launcher positioned on its launch pad. They demonstrated the perfect design and production of the ELA-4, including its control bench and software applications for filling the launcher, controlling its avionics equipment and chilling the engines. The following systems were installed: cryogenic fluids, conventional fluids, electrical systems, on-board/ground interfaces, etc.

The highlight of the series of tests carried out was the ignition of the Vulcain 21 engine over an operating period equivalent to the flight time of Ariane 6's first stage.

The new launch complex is now ready to welcome the inaugural launch, scheduled... to date, for July 9.

The Defense Special Prize was awarded to the M 51-3 missile program team.

The Special Prize is awarded to French or foreign personalities who have promoted or contributed, through their influence, to the development of the Aerospace sector.

In the current international and European context, we need to pay particular attention to the modernization of the French nuclear missile program, given the current crisis on Europe's doorstep.

This is the M 51-3 program, which will modernize the oceanic component of the deterrent and maintain it at a high level of performance for years to come.

The ambitious M51-3 program covers not only the missile itself, with the development of a new upper section, but also its production, integration, testing and deployment facilities at Ile Longue, as well as its control and launch facilities aboard SNLE (Sous-Marins Nucléaires Lanceurs d'Engins) nuclear-powered submarines.

Last November saw the completion of a major development milestone, with the single qualification firing perfectly executed on November 18 from the Landes Test Center, an event that did not go unnoticed, and which mobilized all our teams to the full.

Let me conclude with a quote from Sébastien Lecornu, our Minister of Defense: "First successful test firing of the M 51-3 strategic ballistic missile! This development ensures the credibility of our nuclear deterrent and demonstrates the excellence of our launcher system".

Hervé Austruy, Chairman of the 3AF Awards Committee