Flight

Drones are already very useful, but they could be even more so if they could land on vehicles without requiring those vehicles to slow down for them. A new system makes that possible, allowing for on-truck landings at speeds of 110 km/h (68 mph).

Despite the fact that they bang their heads against trees on a daily basis, woodpeckers don't suffer brain injuries. Inspired by the tough-headed birds, scientists have developed a fixed-wing drone that can survive frontal collisions.

Although we keep hearing about eVTOLs, barriers such as high prices and regulatory approval may limit their widespread use. That shouldn't be a problem for the AirKart, as it could be rented and flown by anyone at dedicated closed-course race tracks.

More than 20 years after the last commercial Concorde flight, President Trump has signed an executive order to repeal the ban on supersonic flight over land across the US. That paves the way for companies building the ultra-fast planes of the future.

Imagine a robot that can transform between "flying drone" and "wheeled rover" configurations. It could be quite useful, but only if it works in real-world conditions. The ATMO bot was designed to do just that, by transforming in mid-air.

Even the nimblest of quadcopters still struggle to halt their lateral momentum when moving fast, limiting their maneuverability. An experimental drone addresses that problem in a bio-inspired fashion, by extending flying-squirrel-like membranous wings as needed.

Even if you've built one of the world's best insect-inspired micro air vehicles, it won't be that useful if it can't stick a landing. That's why Harvard scientists have now given their RoboBee a set of long, jointed legs like those of the crane fly.

Scientists have created what they say is the world's smallest untethered flying robot, by taking a unique approach to its design. To minimize size and weight, they've moved the bot's power and control systems out of its sub-centimeter-wide body.

If you've ever ridden in a car that can park itself at the push of a button, you'll appreciate the achievement of Skyryse, which has made a fully-conforming production helicopter that can hover with the swipe of a finger.

The aviation industry has long been in pursuit of technological efficiency and sustainability. In a recent collaboration, Turbotech, Safran, and Air Liquide teamed up to validate the feasibility of using liquid hydrogen to power a turbine engine.

If air taxi services ever take off, you might want to hold onto your hat very firmly. A new FAA report looking at various eVTOL prototypes shows that when they take off and land they have a downwash from rotors equivalent to hurricane-force wind.

It's controversial, but slogging passengers with a body-weight surcharge is still on the table for many airlines, be it for profit or the environment. But it seems attitudes, particularly among younger travelers, is shifting on the contentious issue.