Aircraft

New helicopter concept to sweep into reality in 2018 unveiled at Heli Expo in Dallas A hybrid helicopter concept has been unveiled by US aircraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter – the company responsible for breaking the sound barrier and designing top-range aircraft operational in over 120 countries. Its latest innovation – …

Aircraft manufacturer’s ‘modular vehicle’ would be both land and air capable Airbus is pressing forward with its ambition to create a “flying car”, technology that science fiction has been promising us for decades. In conjunction with car design company Italdesign, the aviation giant has offered its response to future congestion …

Leiden University Professor argues that hydrogen-powered flight could be a viable route decarbonising transport Transport makes up around 20% of global energy use around the world, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). As governments and industry look to more sustainable solutions, a new study published by physicist Jo Hermans …

ElecTrans speaks to University of Ulm Professor Josef Kallo about the fuel cell aircraft project In October, ElecTrans covered the successful test flight of the HY4 hydrogen plane, which has been one of the most exciting developments in fuel cell technology this year. The flight marked a major milestone on …

Siemens hopes that its ultralight motor will enable the development of commercial electric planes by 2030 Advances in electric flight technologies have barely left the headlines this year, and engineering giant Siemens is no stranger to the sector. As part of a wider collaboration with Airbus, the group’s e Aircraft …

Google-backed start-up appears to be joining Airbus in the quest for “flying taxis” “Like something out of a movie” seems to be the best description of the small, white aircraft that was seen hovering above Hollister Municipal Airport in California last week. Saul Gomez, who works for aeronautics company DK …

Researchers at Imperial College London successfully test wireless charging for drones batteries – whilst they are airborne Scientists have demonstrated a “highly efficient” method for wirelessly transferring power to a drone while it is flying. The breakthrough could, in theory, allow flying drones to stay airborne indefinitely – simply hovering over …

German HY4 project successfully tests a four-person aircraft with a zero-emission engine Late last month, a four-seat passenger plane, powered only by a hydrogen fuel cell, recorded an 11-minute test flight at Germany’s Stuttgart Airport. The craft – dubbed ‘HY4’ by researchers from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) – is …

Tier 1 Engineering has successfully completed initial flight tests with a manned, battery-powered helicopter While much of the aviation industry looks towards ducted fans and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) as the next stage of electric aviation, US-based engineering services firm Tier 1 Engineering is giving the tried-and-tested helicopter an …

Facebook’s solar-powered, internet-beaming drone Aquila has passed its first full-scale flight test A new drone developed by Facebook’s Connectivity Lab has passed its first flight test. The first full-scale version of Aquila – a solar-powered aircraft designed to beam the Internet in remote areas – was tested last month. The …