[ad_1] Toyota-backed SkyDrive has finally conducted a public, crewed test flight (via Observer) for its flying car after years of work. The startup flew its SD-03 vehicle around the Toyota Test Field in the city of Toyota with a pilot at the helm. While it wasn’t autonomous, as you might have guessed, it showed that […]
Category: aircraft
Virgin Galactic reveals its Mach 3 aircraft design
[ad_1] “The design philosophy of the aircraft is geared around making high speed travel practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable, while making customer experience a top priority,” Virgin Galactic wrote in a press release. Virgin Galactic Next, the company will define specific system architectures and will determine which materials to use in the design and manufacturing […]
Boeing is reportedly ending production of its 747 jumbo jet
[ad_1] If it wasn’t already apparent that the era of ‘big’ flying is ending, it might be soon. Bloomberg sources say Boeing is ending production of its iconic 747 jumbo jet (specifically, the 747-8) in about two years. A spokesperson for the aircraft maker didn’t confirm or deny the shutdown, saying there were “more than […]
Boeing poised to start crucial 737 Max flight safety tests tomorrow
[ad_1] There’s no guarantee the tests will go smoothly. Boeing has had to push back the 737 Max’s return for months due to software glitches, some of which come from flaws that aren’t related to the behavior that led to two fatal crashes. Even so, it’s progress for an aircraft that has been grounded for […]
Modified Cessna is the ‘largest’ electric aircraft to take flight
[ad_1] Electric aircraft are ever so slightly closer to becoming a practical reality for travel. Magnix and AeroTEC have flown what they say is the world’s largest all-electric aircraft. Their modified Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, the “eCaravan,” flew for 30 minutes around Washington state’s Grand County International Airport using Magnix’s 750HP Magni500 motor instead of […]
Hitting the Books: Disney’s influence on America’s first stealth planes
[ad_1] Stealth: The Secret Contest to Invent Invisible Aircraftby Peter Westwick If you has any interest in aircraft in the 1950s, Southern California was the place to be. Blessed (at the time at least) with ample open space for airfields and manufacturing plants, a cadre of advanced research institutes and elite universities like CalTech, as […]
Delta hopes to be the first carbon neutral airline
[ad_1] The company is promising to be both transparent about its progress and “nimble” in adapting to the latest technology. It teased a “number of milestones” coming in 2020. It’s an ambitious plan (BP isn’t expecting neutrality until 2050), and it’s notable that Delta isn’t trying to ‘cheat’ by using carbon offsets. This is still […]
Boeing completes test flight for the world’s largest twin-engine jet
[ad_1] The aircraft’s proportions are made possible in no small part due to the massive GE9X engines that each put out about 100,000 pounds of thrust. Boeing is also touting 10 percent better fuel efficiency than “the competition,” which includes aircraft like the Airbus A350-1000. The 777X series won’t have trouble carrying passengers, with the […]
Boeing doesn’t expect the 737 Max to resume flying before mid-2020
[ad_1] The clearest sign of further problems came just days ago, when Boeing found a new flight control computer bug that effectively prevented takeoff. This wasn’t the only sign, though. American Airlines recently extended its cancellations of service using the 737 Max from April to June, signalling that it didn’t expect a resolution until the […]
Boeing finds another software flaw that might delay 737 Max’s return
[ad_1] This may have a ripple effect on Boeing’s ability to complete testing. Wall Street Journal sources said Boeing and the FAA were supposed to run an important certification flight by the end of January, but the new bug makes it likely that this flight will be pushed to “at least” February. Boeing apparently discovered […]