Aviation

Phantom Ray: Boeing unveils spy plane of the future... that doesn't need a pilot

Called the Phantom Ray, Boeing's cutting-edge unmanned airborne system (UAS) was unveiled at a ceremony in St Louis yesterday. The sleek craft has a 50ft wingspan, measures 36ft long and has a gross weight of 36,500lbs. It operates at an altitude of 40,000ft, which is 10,000ft higher than the average long-haul commercial airliner. It will cruise comfortably at a speed of 614mph, or 0.8mach, just shy of the speed of sound.Read More

How volcanic ash grounded almost every jet in Europe

A volcano in Iceland erupted yesterday, spewing a gigantic cloud of dust in the air, and with the wind blowing from the northwest, prompted aviation authorities to shut down airports in Britain, France, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe on Thursday. Jet engines can be severely damaged by the glassy silicate in that volcanic dust.Read More

NASA's Hybrid Wing Drone Soars on First Flight Tests

A 500-pound unmanned aircraft with the appearance of a flying manta ray could herald the future of jetliners. NASA and Boeing's flying lab has wrapped up the first series of flight tests that should help pave the way for less noisy, more fuel-efficient airplanes that also emit less pollution.Read More

Solar Impulse plane has a wingspan the size of a Boeing 747

A solar-powered plane with a 200-foot wingspan completed its first test flight this morning, soaring to 5,500 feet in an 87-minute sortie that reached a top speed of 44 mph. Solar Impulse proved itself airworthy, taking off and landing under its own power, taking a series of turns, and performing well. According to pilot Marcus Scherdel, "Despite its immense size and feather weight, the aircraft's controllability matches our expectations."Read More

Lightweight Ceramic Coatings Based on Abalone Shells Could Form Tough Armor for Airplanes

The material that lines abalone shells, called nacre, has been of particular interest for developing new composites: it's lightweight and strong, yet shatter-resistant. But mimicking the microscale structures responsible for its properties has been difficult, and hasn't resulted in materials that can be manufactured on a large scale.Read More

First 3-Axis Digital Gyroscope In A Single Sensor Package

A gyroscope senses any change in an object’s axis of rotation. Up until now, gyroscopes measured movement around the three axes with three sensors—one for pitch, one for yaw, and another for roll. At most, two of these sensors would be combined on a single die. STMicroelectronics unveiled a 4mm x 4mm x 1mm (slightly over 1/4" square) gyroscope whose single sensing structure tracks all three angular motions. It’s a triumph of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) engineering.Read More

Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise took off on its first "captive carry" test flight at 7:05 a.m. Monday from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in Mojave, California. The spacecraft, which was unveiled on December 7, 2009, took the journey while remaining attached to its mothership for the entirety of its 2 hour and 54 minute flight, reaching an altitude of 45,000 feet in the process.Read More

The $83 million F-35B supersonic stealth jumpjet has achieved its first hover flight test in Maryland

The F-35B VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) is now in flight testing at the Patuxent River naval air station in Maryland. The radical hover-jet also achieved another first yesterday, making its first short-roll takeoff assisted by its vertical-thrust equipment.Read More

Helicopter with Rocket-Powered Rotors [Video]

The Dragonfly helicopter uses two small rocket engines on the rotor tips, replacing the conventional engine-powered rotor. The rocket-powered helicopter is made by Swisscopter USA in Tucson, with plans to bring it to the market later this year.Read More

A pencil-sized micro gas turbine designed to charge batteries for Jaguar Land Rover hybrid vehicles

The system is called the Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE), and is being developed by Jaguar and a consortium. The axial-flow gas turbine engine couples to a high-speed generator for use with the Jaguar Land Rover.Read More