Aircraft

Imagine looking out the window of an airborne airplane and seeing the wing rippling and twisting. You'd probably have a mini heart attack. Yet, this is what German engineers have created: prototype morphing wings that change their shape mid-flight.

This helium-lift, propeller-thrust, silent, eco-friendly electric airship might be small, but it’s a precision eVTOL perfect for repairing equipment at high-altitude locations. All you need to pilot aérOnde is a simple joystick and a love of freedom.

California-based aerospace company Airhart Aeronautics recently completed test flights of its new cockpit avionics suite for small planes at the company's Long Beach facility. We sat down with Airhart President Nate Thuli to learn more.

Vertical Aerospace has scored a world-first as its full-scale tilt-rotor eVTOL completed a two-way piloted transition between vertical helicopter mode and horizontal airplane mode during a single continuous flight while under regulatory oversight.

We've seen lots of designs for vertical take-off and landing vehicles over the years, but none are quite as striking as the wings on HopFlyt's Cyclone. The curved wings have their root in a design first introduced in the 1920s but never employed in a commercial vehicle.

If you've ever hankered after a hydrogen-powered business jet, your wait might not be much longer. French aerospace startup Beyond Aero's BYA-I One aircraft has completed its Preliminary Design Review, pushing it along the path to certification.

Nearly three years after China began certifying next-gen electric "air taxis" for commercial flights, American contenders are still battling red tape with the FAA – but a new accelerator program will get them airborne across the USA this summer.

If you have a regional turboprop aircraft and wish that it was a bit more hybirdy, RTX may be able to accommodate you. The company is developing a combined thermal/electric propulsion system that not only increases efficiency but can be retrofitted into existing aircraft.

Aerospace startup Hermeus has taken another step toward challenging the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird’s legendary supersonic speed record as the company’s uncrewed Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 lifted off from Spaceport America in New Mexico on March 2, 2026 for its maiden flight.

Australia's Hypersonix Launch Systems has made a historic launch of its next-generation DART AE hypersonic aircraft from Wallops Island, Virginia. Taking off aboard Rocket Lab's HASTE launch vehicle, the DART AE reached a top speed of Mach 8.

Many readers will remember the MetaFly, a remote-control robotic insect that flies by actually flapping its wings. Well, its inventor is back with a much more capable robotic swift (you know, the bird), which is currently on Kickstarter.

As US-based aerospace manufacturer Natilus secures US$28 million in additional financing, the company has revealed the latest supersized version of its Horizon blended-wing airliner that upgrades the basic design into a double-decker for cargo.

AutoFlight says its Matrix aircraft is the first 5-ton eVTOL on the planet – and it's just completed a public full-transition flight demo. This enormous-for-its-class eVTOL can hold up to 10 passengers or 3,330 lb of cargo.

3D commuting, that's the dream. Soaring over stopped traffic in a lightweight, quiet, safe personal eVTOL aircraft. The Velocitor X-1 joins a growing list of such machines, and it's slated to enter production within a year.

A hybrid-electric jet engine may seem as absurd as a horse-drawn Zeppelin, but GE Aerospace is ground testing a new megawatt-class hybrid turbofan engine and its full powertrain that is powerful enough to run a medium-haul narrow-body airliner.