By Paul Marks
September 1, 2024
For decades, aircraft makers have sought to fly their wares high over cities for days, weeks or months at a time to provide services traditionally left to satellites. Now, the first stratospheric services are here, with balloon companies leading the way, though they could soon be joined by fixed-wing aircraft that would stay aloft for months. Paul Marks takes the measure of the market and the coming aircraft.
By Paul Brinkmann
August 30, 2024
Herbert Schlickenmaier, president of HS Advanced Concepts LLC
By Paul Marks
June 1, 2024
By Cat Hofacker
March 1, 2024
Ken Plaks, director of DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office
By Paul Brinkmann
January 1, 2024
In its initial flight test campaign, Electra established a distinctive course for itself in the emerging field of advanced air mobility through its lift-enhancing design and avoidance of remote piloting. Paul Brinkmann tells the story.
By Pat Host and Ben Iannotta
November 1, 2023
A substantial portion of the agency’s aviation budget over the next four fiscal years will be dedicated to building and flying demonstration aircraft, including some with X-plane designations. NASA is staying with that plan, despite setbacks since the initiative was announced in 2016. Why is the agency so determined to continue, and when will the first of the experimental planes fly? Pat Host and Ben Iannotta set out to find out.
By Paul Brinkmann
October 1, 2023
By Paul Marks
September 1, 2023
Even if a new breed of aircraft powered by hydrogen were available by 2035, that might not be fast enough to help much with the industry’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Paul Marks takes us inside the technical challenges facing hydrogen aircraft — and the case for vastly increasing the resources currently applied to the necessary technologies and infrastructure.
By Keith Button
July 1, 2023
The growing frequency and intensity of wildfires has operators clamoring to increase the number of large air tankers in their fleets. Should they turn to refurbished civilian and military planes, or clean-sheet designs? Keith Button spoke to U.S. agencies, industry groups and aircraft developers about the ongoing debate.
By Cat Hofacker
March 1, 2023
What’s the solution for achieving net-zero air travel by 2050? Hydrogen? Electrification? Rushing sustainable aviation fuel into today’s jets? At least part of the answer could take flight in 2028. Cat Hofacker looks at the history and promise of Boeing’s Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator.
By Ben Iannotta
February 1, 2023
Given how deeply air transportation is woven into modern life, it’s surprising that the precise workings of aerodynamic lift remain a topic of debate among the experts. To sort all this out, I met on a video call last month with Paul Bevilaqua, retired from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and Haithem Taha of the University of California, Irvine. I learned about several myths and at least one collapsing theory. Here is our discussion, lightly edited and compressed.
By Aaron Karp
February 1, 2023
Engine design will be key to reviving commercial supersonic air travel in a way that is affordable and environmentally palatable. After a setback in September, Colorado-based Boom Supersonic believes it now has the right engine team and approach. Aaron Karp tells the story.
By Paul Marks
January 3, 2023
Ben Pipenberg, chief engineer of Mars Helicopter Programs at AeroVironment
January 3, 2023
Thoughts about the design, and why civilian designers are intrigued by blended-wing-bodies too.
By Paul Brinkmann
November 1, 2022
Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter
By Paul Marks
November 1, 2022
Society has changed in the years since NASA announced it would commission construction of an experimental plane to target sonic booms. Environmental sustainability is now the mantra among commercial aircraft designers and operators, and the industry’s zest for supersonic flight has cooled. With the X-59’s first flight approaching, Paul Marks tells the story of the plane’s remarkable engineering and why NASA still believes it can catalyze supersonic flight for all.
By Aaron Karp
September 30, 2022
Flight testing is underway for the Gulfstream G800, slated to be the longest-range business jet yet produced. Perhaps fittingly, one of the first of those flights was a transatlantic trip. Aaron Karp tells the story of how Gulfstream delivered the G800 to the Farnborough International Airshow.
July 7, 2022
The air transportation industry wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, but its strategy does not include emissionless aircraft. While no one can guarantee the feasibility of such aircraft, especially for long-range flight, NASA’s Dennis M. Bushnell says untapped aerodynamic innovations show tremendous potential toward that goal.
By Cat Hofacker
June 1, 2022
By Aaron Karp
May 1, 2022
Joby Aviation is working with FAA to get its electric aircraft design certified in 2023 so that the company can begin ferrying passengers around major U.S. cities in 2024. Can the advanced air mobility company cross the finish line? Aaron Karp set out to find the answer.
By Aaron Karp
April 1, 2022
By Cat Hofacker
March 1, 2022
By Cat Hofacker
February 1, 2022
Tom Prevot, air taxi product lead, Joby Aviation
By Cat Hofacker
January 1, 2022
Nicholas Borer has one New Year’s resolution: get NASA’s X-57 flying
By Jan Tegler
February 1, 2021
With their ability to manipulate their surroundings, morph, bend and change color, our planet’s creatures and plants outperform our sophisticated flying machines in some respects. Though long intrigued by this reality, aircraft engineers have yet to fully plumb biology for design inspiration. This is set to change, and Jan Tegler shows us how.
By Christine Fisher
February 1, 2020
By Keith Button
November 1, 2019
Creating a piloted glider that can soar into the stratosphere on waves of air rising over the Andes required some creative safety innovations. Keith Button tells the story of Perlan 2.
By Keith Button
June 1, 2019
Urban air mobility concepts tend to be odd-looking airframes covered with propellers. The innovations promise maneuverability and energy efficiency, but they also bring aerodynamic complexities. How does one control such an aircraft? Keith Button spoke to the designers of Vahana, the Airbus urban air mobility demonstrator, to find out.
By Tom Risen
October 31, 2018
By Ben Iannotta
August 31, 2018
By Ben Iannotta
August 31, 2018
Jeff A. Babione
August 31, 2018
Companies face an array of crucial technical decisions as they pioneer additive manufacturing techniques for parts on commercial aircraft that must carry hundreds of passengers safely to their destinations.
By Keith Button
July 1, 2018
NASA has long been working with the FAA and the aviation industry to improve technologies for containing broken fan blades and preventing damage like that which killed a Southwest Airlines passenger. Keith Button looks at a research project that could help prevent future tragedies.
By Jan Tegler
July 1, 2018
Rotorcraft advocates in the U.S. military have been laying the research groundwork to replace many of today’s helicopters with versions that would employ a revolutionary propulsion concept to-be-decided. Jan Tegler looks at the battle to elevate the Future Vertical Lift initiative into an acquisition program and speed up its schedule.
By Joe Stumpe
May 31, 2018
As powerful as computational fluid dynamics and supercomputing are, they have not come close to relegating wind tunnels to history. In fact, in the U.S., a new tunnel is going up at MIT, and NASA is deliberating whether it should close a historic tunnel at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia four years from now as planned.
By Keith Button
April 30, 2018
April 30, 2018
A fundamental issue of physics will prevent it
By Jan Tegler
April 30, 2018
Is the U.S. Navy's proposed refueling drone the best strategy for empowering pilots to penetrate enemy airspace?
By Keith Button
March 2, 2018
Mathematicians are exploring an entirely new approach to making aircraft safer
By Keith Button
February 28, 2018
The U.S. Air Force Research Lab will spend much of 2018 taking a fresh look at its approach to science and technology
By Amanda Miller
February 1, 2018
Young aerospace professionals' career goals nurtured by love of science
By Joe Stumpe
February 1, 2018
Researchers work on a computational tool to predict the performance of long, narrow wings
By Keith Button
February 1, 2018
By Tom Risen
January 2, 2018
Pioneers aim to bring urban air mobility to the masses
By Debra Werner
January 2, 2018
David Coote, 33 Senior Systems Engineer at BAE Systems
By Ben Iannotta
November 30, 2017
By Debra Werner
November 30, 2017
Joël Boudreault, 31, conceptual design engineer at Bombardier
By Keith Button
October 30, 2017
Mixing up an alloy that changes shape at specific temperatures
By Tom Risen
October 30, 2017
MARY SCHIAVO
By Keith Button
September 28, 2017
By Debra Werner
September 28, 2017
By Tom Risen
June 27, 2017
Chihoon Shin, 32, aviation engineering investigator for helicopters, Office of Aviation Safety, National Transportation Safety Board
By Keith Button
June 27, 2017
Making it easier for helicopters to land in harsh conditions
By Tom Risen
June 27, 2017
By Adam Hadhazy
June 27, 2017
Reinvigorating short-haul flight with hybrid-electric aircraft
By Adam Hadhazy
May 31, 2017
Aerospace engineering educators employ some surprising teaching tools and methods
By Joe Stumpe
May 31, 2017
By Ben Iannotta
May 1, 2017
By Keith Button
May 1, 2017
By Debra Werner
May 1, 2017
Lindsey Sweeney, junior chief engineer, Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton
May 1, 2017
A look at the payoffs and challenges of removing wires from airlines
By Keith Button
April 17, 2017
By Joe Stumpe
April 17, 2017
The U.S. Air Force is having a hard time letting go of the A-10
By Debra Werner
March 6, 2017
Designing a jet-fast plane that can stop on a dime in midair, hover and speed off
March 6, 2017
Businesses are racing to meet an FAA mandate for training
February 9, 2017
Technical advances are not always a pilot’s friend
By Ben Iannotta
February 9, 2017
DAVID D. MCBRIDE
By Keith Button
January 27, 2017
The curves and features of Lockheed Martin’s supersonic X-plane model have specific purposes in the quest to show the feasibility of Mach 1-plus passenger jets.
