For many years now, aircraft have been required to pass tests indicating that they could withstand mid-air collisions with birds. No such testing exists for the growing possibility of collisions with drones, however … which Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Short-Time Dynamics intends to rectify.
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Airbus engineers have flown a scale-model airplane with flapping wing-tips. Based on the structure of the albatross wing, the remote-controlled AlbatrossOne uses a "semi-aeroelastic hinge" concept that reacts to turbulence and wind gusts to minimize their effects and reduce stress on the airframe.
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A retired Cold War US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber has been rescued from an Arizona boneyard where it has sat since 2008, and is being returned to active duty. Nicknamed "Wise Guy," it was flown to Barksdale Air Force Base, where it will be completely restored.
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NASA is funding a project to develop an aircraft that runs on a cryogenic hydrogen fuel cell system. Under a US$6 million contract, the CHEETA program will investigate the technology needed to produce a practical all-electric design to replace conventional fossil fuel propulsion systems.
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It was a year ago that we first heard about Transcend Air Corporation's Vy 400, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft that will ferry passengers in and out of cities. Now, the Boston-based company has announced plans for floating environmentally-friendly landing pads for the aircraft.
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DARPA has launched an initiative to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) that can engage in dogfighting aerial combat. Despite its Terminator-like description, the goal is to produce an AI wingman that human pilots can trust to watch their backs while they handle command decisions.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands Perth College has developed and flown what is claimed to be the first aircraft powered by variable-buoyancy propulsion. In March, the unmanned Phoenix prototype made an indoor maiden flight, when it repeatedly flew for a distance of 120 m (395 ft).
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We've seen autonomous aircraft doing everything from spraying crops to surveying wildlife, and now the Swiss air rescue organization Rega has announced a drone that's capable of searching for and finding missing people all on its own.
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A team of researchers led by NASA and MIT has come up with radical new wing design that is not only much lighter than conventional wings, but also has the potential to automatically reconfigure itself to meet the flight conditions of the moment.
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Founded in 1966 to preserve America's WW2-era aviation heritage, the Pima Air and Space museum has grown to become one of the biggest in the USA, with more than 350 aircraft. Naturally, there are plenty of war birds on display, but the Pima team has made room for lots of other oddities as well.
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