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Airbus made a startling patent filing this week showing a new interior configuration with a mezzanine level of seating. This stacked concept would have fully-reclining chairs and be able to accommodate more passengers in the same amount of space. But will commercial airliners of the future have this confusing layout?
NASA is best known for its work with space-faring vehicles, including some very cool space cars. But the agency has a rich history of unique vehicles here on Earth, too, including many important contributions to the automotive industry. Here are the Earth cars of NASA.
The pilot of American Airlines Flight 550 from Phoenix, AZ to Boston, MA passed away during the flight on Monday. According to a medical examiner, Captain Michael Johnston, who was 57 years old, died of natural causes. The aircraft’s co-pilot declared an emergency and quickly diverted the Airbus A320 to a safe landing in Syracuse, NY.
Most of the time, we think of space-faring rockets as being launched from the ground. As demand for satellite launch services rapidly increases year-over-year, interest in air launching rockets is returning to a growing market of lighter-weight payloads. And those might want a mothership.
Tiltrotors seem to be all the rage these days, with the first civilian example moving steadily closer to production. Even the White House is using them! And now, Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft has announced plans to bring a hybrid electric tiltrotor to the civilian market, and they’re already teasing us with what could be some very cool new technologies.
Two weeks ago, Flight Club brought you video of an Emirates Airbus A380 landing in a crosswind in Düsseldorf, Germany. Now we’ve got another Emirates A380 landing at the same airport, but this time filmed from the rear. Watch how much that enormous rudder pivots to align the massive jet with the runway.
Early this morning, the U.S. Air Force tweeted that today marks the 50th anniversary of their first orbiting satellite being launched into space. The satellite referenced in the tweet, known as OV1-2, carried a suite of instruments to better understand the space environment. But was it really the Air Force’s first satellite?
The Apollo missions are NASA’s gift that just keeps on giving. America’s civilian space agency just released a veritable treasure trove of high resolution scanned images from the Apollo archives, many of which have never been seen before. Below are a few highlights of these incredible moments in human history.
Humans have managed to put a whole bunch of stuff in orbit around the Earth, and keeping track of it all is a serious endeavor. Visualizing the sheer number of objects we’ve managed to send into space also helps us appreciate just how vast space really is. These amazing maps illustrate the cloud of man-made objects encircling our blue marble.
The Vision SF50 from Cirrus Aircraft, which has been in development for the last decade, has renewed interest in the Very Light Jet market, thanks to its itty-bitty size and single engine. But beyond the aircraft’s eye-catching V-tail and top-mounted jet engine, the Vision SF50 will have a very futuristic cockpit with no less than five (FIVE!) displays.
NASA is planning a huge Mars announcement tomorrow, widely presumed to be related to water on the Red Planet. Evidence of water would be a big indicator that life existed on Mars (or still does) so the implications of the announcement are far-reaching.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a big trip to the U.S. this week, making a first stop in the Seattle area to visit Boeing. During his visit, Boeing announced two major developments. The first of these was a Chinese order for 300 new jets, including 250 737s, a deal worth $38 billion. The second announcement pertains to a new 737 delivery and completion center in China, which will cause some work normally done in the U.S. to be shifted overseas.
The Airbus Perlan 2 glider made a successful first flight on Wednesday, paving the way for a promising future of high altitude soaring. The manned aircraft was towed to an altitude of 5,000 feet before it was released from its tether, but next year the Perlan Project aims to break records by sending it nearly 20 times higher.
Between the A-Team, Miami Vice and Knight Rider, the 1980s was a classic era in television for people who love cool machines. But the short-lived Airwolf was my favorite 80s show of all because it featured a secret “stealth” and “supersonic” helicopter based on the Bell 222. Now, 30 years after the show was on the air, you can buy your own Bell 222 for about the same price as a new Lamborghini Aventador.
Pope Francis arrived in the U.S. yesterday for a six-day multi-city historic visit aboard an Alitalia Airbus A330, at which point he transferred to a Fiat 500L. But the Holy See of the Catholic Church will be flying aboard a chartered American Airlines Boeing 777 throughout his tour of America, an airline which a Pope hasn’t flown since 1993.
AgustaWestland’s new AW609 tiltrotor aircraft is still at least two years away from entering service, but we now have a better idea of just how fast this transformer for civilians is going to be. On a “point-to-point” journey from Yeovil, UK to Cascina Costa, Italy, the AW609 traversed the 721 mile route in 2 hours 18 minutes.
Conditions in Düsseldorf, Germany (DUS) were windy and wet over the weekend, making for a crazy-looking maneuver as this Emirates Airbus A380 (the world’s largest passenger airliner) returned to terra firma. Watching the giant aircraft’s weight transfer to its wheels somehow actually makes the superjumbo appear small.
United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek resigned abruptly yesterday amid allegations of wrongdoing in his dealings with David Samson, the former agency chair of New York City-area airports. And the best part of this new scandal is that it can trace its roots back to last year’s bridge closure scandal in New Jersey!
Yesterday at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, British Airways Flight 2276 bound for London’s Gatwick airport experienced an engine fire during its takeoff roll. More than a dozen people were injured in this horrific-looking incident. Here is a recap of everything we know about the situation so far.
The 2015 fire season has been brutal so far, and relief for many parts of the U.S. can’t come soon enough. Last month, the National Preparedness Level for wildfires was elevated to Level 5, which is the highest possible rating. One of the most effective weapons against Mother Nature’s fiery wrath comes from firefighting aircraft, also known as air tankers and water bombers.
Not surprisingly, there’s a strong connection between famous musicians and private jets. From Carly Simon caroling about a mystery man flying his “Learjet up to Nova Scotia” to Elvis Presley’s well-known affinity for aircraft, singers seem to love airplanes (we certainly can’t blame them!) But pop princess Taylor Swift, who has a pair of Dassault Falcon jets, may be one of the current rulers of the charts and the skies.
After weeks of speculation and thorough review, authorities have confirmed that the flaperon recently found on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean is a part of MH370. The part’s serial number, which has been the focus of intense scrutiny, has been confirmed to have originated on the doomed Malaysian airliner.
Let’s face it, there’s a lot of cool tech in the cockpit. But beyond making the flying experience a lot more like Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit, the practical implications of augmented reality technology from head-mounted wearables are enormous. They promise to elevate the amount of useful real-time information available to pilots—and their development is well underway.
Chicago, Illinois is one of America’s largest cities, and features one of the most spectacular skylines in the world. Seeing the sprawling megalopolis (encompassing 234 square miles!) from the air on a clear night illuminates the city’s sheer vastness. Make sure you watch this gorgeous timelapse video of an airplane landing at O’Hare International Airport in HD!
I love spending time at airports. There’s so much cool stuff to see! From the control towers to the hangars to the aircraft, the entire aviation universe is a tech lover’s dream. For the aircraft owner who just has to have the coolest stuff available, a remote control tug should be the next thing on their shopping list.
Boeing’s sprawling manufacturing facilities in the greater Seattle, Washington area are ramping up to build the next-generation 777X, and a big blue piece of the puzzle has just arrived at its new home. The first of three enormous autoclaves was transported by truck to the new 777X Composite Wing Center in Everett, causing road closures and giving onlookers quite the spectacle.
Last week, three Americans foiled an attempted terrorist attack on a train in France. On Monday, they were awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian honor, with their families in attendance thanks to Columbia Sportwear CEO Tim Boyle.