Flight

In its most ambitious set, PowerUp Toys' StarFlux Balsa Wood RC Airplane Kit delivers a hands-on experience where each step influences success in the air. And let's just say, the experience was a humbling one for a flight enthusiast like myself.

Up, up, tilt, and away! That's the flight sequence for most commercially available drones. However, for drones powered by Aerix Systems’ omnidirectional propulsion tech, the reality is more like: up, zoom off, twist, and slide … often all at once!

As someone who's spent the year living in five countries, I now see why quality luggage is worth the investment. And it's why I'm excited about the debut of this titanium case – which has nearly 2,000 backers. It's also 71% off for a few more hours.

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.

Making the wings on passenger jets thinner and longer can go a long way toward reducing drag and making them more efficient, but they vibrate like crazy. Engineers at NASA and Boeing are now tackling the problem.

The LEO Solo just went up for preorder, pitched as an FAA Part 103-friendly (no pilot license required), single-seat personal eVTOL. It's supposedly landing in late 2025.

DARPA's X-65, that replaces conventional aircraft flight controls with puffs of air, is coming together at Boeing subsidiary Aurora’s Bridgeport, West Virginia facility. The fuselage is taking shape and awaits its radical wing design.

While most planes use heat to melt ice that can form on the wing either before takeoff or during flight, the process is highly energy intensive and can impact engine efficiency. A new process from German researchers shakes the ice off instead.

"You can either go to Vegas, or you can go to The Hacienda," is what got this world-record-setting idea off the ground and into the air for a couple of months. Yep, I said months.

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.