NASA works to restore Supersonic passenger flight

Concorde conducted its final commercial flight on 24 October 2003, flying from New York to London at Mach 2.0, twice the speed of sound in about 3.5-hours.

WEBB celebrates first year of science with close-up on birth of sun-like stars

From our cosmic backyard in the solar system to distant galaxies James Space delivered on its promise of revealing the universe like never before in its first year of science operations. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, NASA has released Webb's image of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

NASA and DARPA partner with industry on Mars rocket engine

On Wednesday 2 August NASA and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, as the prime contractor for the design, build and testing of NASA and DARPA's nuclear-powered rocket demonstration, in collaboration with other industry partners. The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations. (DRACO) programme will test a nuclearpowered rocket in space as soon as 2027.

Switchblade flying car/bike gains more sales at Oshkosh

At the moment, the flying car has as many sceptics as believers. However, at Oshkosh last month the Samson Sky added 115 sales of the Switchblade to its order books. At about US$170 000 per street legal vehicle, the Switchblade is able to both drive on highways and take-off and fly from airports.

EAA AirVenture 2023 Future Flight developments

EAA AirVenture is one of the globe's largest airshows and the event at Oshkosh's Wittman Regional Airport once again earned its title as 'The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration' with a record-breaking attendance of 677,000 people attending the week-long event that concluded on 30 July 2023.

What goes into a vertiport?

Leadingvertiport provider Skyports Infrastructure has commissioned cloud-led digital transformation Managed Services Provider (MSP) Node4 to provide the IT network components and data analysis capabilities required for vertiport operations.

SKYPORTS infrastructure's design for VERTIPORTS approved in DUBAI

The vision for Dubai's future air mobility infrastructure network was jointly presented by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Skyports Infrastructure and Joby Aviation at a closed presentation ahead of the start of the World Government Summit, an annual three-day event which brings together international government officials and business leaders.

Joby Q2 net loss widens as eVTOL manufacturer gears up for certification

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation is still losing millions in its pursuit of becoming the United States first eVTOL air taxi route, but its investments are beginning to pay off.

Astronics confirms orders from ten eVTOL manufacturers

Headquartered in New York State, Astronics Corporation (Astronics) has announced that the company is in receipt of firm orders from ten eVTOL manufacturers who are developing electrical aircraft for emerging air mobility missions.

ARCHER partners with US Air Force AFWERX programme

Since 2021 ARCHER has been partnering with the United States Department of Defence (DoD) on a series of projects through the US AIR FORCE'S AFWERX PROGRAMME with the goal of helping the AFWERX Agility Prime programme assess the transformational potential of the vertical flight market and eVTOL technologies for DoD purposes.

AMPAIRE provides company update

Founded in 2016 under the guiding principle of establishing itself as the world's foremost developer of practical electric aircraft, Los Angeles-based Ampaire has made headlines and demonstrable progress toward upgrading existing utility aircraft to hybrid-electric power.

Proposed aviation standard supports HYBRID-ELECTRIC POWERPLANT DESIGN

A newly proposed standard from ASTM International's aircraft systems committee (F 39) will cover the design of hybrid-electric powerplants and engines. \"This proposed standard is intended to support companies that are creating hybrid-electric power generation systems for use as the primary source of electrical propulsive power in electric aircraft,\" says ASTM member David Eichstedt.\"They will benefit from a more clearly defined certification path, but aircraft developers will also benefit.

ELECTRA AERO unveils full-scale technology demonstrator

On 12 June 2023, Electra unveiled the newly completed test vehicle by which it intends to vet its hybrid-electric Short Take-Off and Landing (eSTOL) platform. The event marked a significant milestone in the company's stated mission of helping decarbonise aviation and revolutionise urban and regional transportation.

DANX CAROUSEL and ELECTRON AEROSPACE PARTNER on ZERO-EMISSION cargo plane

The Danx Carousel Group and Electron Aerospace are entering a strategic partnership to launch Electron 5, an electric, zero-emission cargo aircraft. Danx Carousel is investing in the Dutch aircraft manufacturer as the 'Founding Logistics Partner' for the project, which aims to revolutionise the air freight industry.

STUDY OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO NEAR-MISS COLLISIONS BETWEEN DRONES AND AIRCRAFT

Researchers have developed a new way to accurately count and objectively analyse close encounters between drones and airplanes without depending solely on pilot sightings.

Pyka secures FAA authorisation for commercial operation of largest electric drone

Pyka, manufacturer of large-scale highly automated electric aircraft for crop protection and cargo transport, announced that it has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its zero-emission Pelican Spray aircraft for crop protection commercially nationwide.

WISK AERO SHOWS OFF SIXTH-GENERATION PROTOTYPE AUTONOMOUS EVTOL

Hot on the heels of the news that Boeing has taken on full ownership of the startup, Wisk Aero unveiled its latest iteration of eVTOL, a sixth-generation prototype that it would use to pursue FAA type certification, already underway of its autonomous, all-electric aircraft.

HELI-EASTERN TO PURCHASE LILIUM JETS

Munich-based Lilium the German aerospace concern announced that it had entered into an agreement with Heli-Eastern (formally, Shenzhen Eastern General Aviation Co., Ltd), a major low-altitude General-Aviation carrier and helicopter service provider operating in China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay region.

EVE AND BLADE EXPAND PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE ELECTRIC AIR MOBILITY

Eve Air Mobility and Blade Air Mobility announced a significant extension of their longstanding partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This collaboration aims to transform air transportation in Europe, starting with France, by laying the foundation to integrate Eve's state-of-theart electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) or electric vertical aircraft (EVA) into Blade's European route network.

AIRBUS REPORTS 'GREAT PROGRESS' ON H2-POWERED AIRCRAFT

Airbus has launched a demonstrator programme to explore a new architecture for the generation of non-propulsive energy (NPE) by replacing the APU in an A330 widebody with a hydrogen fuel cell system that will generate electricity. Known as HyPower, the hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator also aims to reduce CO2 emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and noise levels associated with a traditional APU.

AIRBUS TEAMS-UP WITH LANZAJET TO BOOST SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL PRODUCTION

The MOU establishes a relationship between Airbus and LanzaJet to advance building SAF facilities which will use LanzaJet's leading, proven and proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology.

NEW SLS ROCKET ENGINE CERTIFIED

California-based manufacturer of rocket, hypersonic and electric propulsive systems for the space, defence, civil and commercial sectors Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA have completed a series of certification tests of the new RS-25E rocket engines by which future iterations of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Space Launch System (SLS) will be powered.

PULSAR FUSION TO BUILD NUCLEAR FUSION ROCKET ENGINE

UK aerospace concern Pulsar Fusion has undertaken construction of the largest practical nuclear-fusion rocket engine yet built. When fired in 2027, presuming the company's development timetable proves accurate the engine's eight-meter fusion chamber will generate exhaust speeds in excess of 500,000-miles-per-hour and temporarily supersede the sun as the hottest place in the solar system.

DESTINUS UNVEILS H2-POWERED SUPERSONIC DEMONSTRATOR

Founded in 2021 by Russian physicist and serial entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, Destinus is a European startup about the highly aspirational endeavour of developing a hypersonic hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft.

BOOM SUPERSONIC CEO REMAINS OPTIMISTIC

After losing engine partner Rolls-Royce in September 2022, Boom Technology (trade name Boom Supersonic), the Denverbased American company speaks about the perilously speculative business of bringing to market a supersonic civilian airliner, announced in December 2022 that it will partner with three aviation companies to develop and build engines for its proposed Overture Super Sonic Transport.

ALEF 'FLYING CAR' GRANTED FAA SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION

California-based Alef Aeronautics is a composite automotive / aviation concern about the business of developing a novel flying car dubbed the Model 'A' an appellation likely to incur unwanted attention of Ford's lawyers.

LILIUM BECOMES THE FIRST EVTOL MANUFACTURER AND EASA CERTIFICATION BASES

For a few years now, American electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers Joby and Archer Aviation have stood alone at the top of the FAA's air taxi certification totem pole. Now, a German rival is joining them.

AUTOFLIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE RECORD-BREAKING EVTOL AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS

The record for the longest electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft flight does not belong to Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, or Volocopter, the three companies topping SMG Consulting's latest Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index.

ARCHER STELLANTIS: PARTNERSHIP ENTERS 'EXECUTION PHASE'

California-based designer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Archer Aviation Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturing concern born of the merger of Italian American Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group jointly announced at the Paris Air Show that significant progress had been made on the two-companies' strategic manufacturing partnership.

NEW ROLLS-ROYCE: SMALL ENGINE SET TO BEGIN TESTS TO ADVANCE HYBRID-ELECTRIC FLIGHT

Last month Rolls-Royce announced its new small gas turbine that has been specifically developed to power hybrid-electric flight is set to begin testing. The engine is part of a turbogenerator system that is being developed for the Advanced Air Mobility market. This includes electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Aircraft for Urban Air Mobility and Commuter Aircraft applications up to 19 seats.