JetZero aims to put ultra-efficient blended-wing jet in service by 2030

California startup JetZero says it's working with the USAF, NASA and the FAA to get a blended-wing body jet airliner into service by 2030, promising to use an astonishing 50% less fuel, and providing a perfect platform for clean hydrogen airliners.

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NASA’s Quesst to end 50-year-old commercial supersonic flight ban over US

NASA this week marked the 50th anniversary of the total ban of civilian supersonic flights over the US. The milestone comes as the agency continues development of the X-59 experimental supersonic aircraft intended to reintroduce civilian Mach+ service.

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H2Fly prepares for pioneering liquid hydrogen flight tests

H2Fly has successfully tested the ground-based cryogenic fuel filling procedure that'll power groundbreaking liquid hydrogen aircraft flights in the coming months. Liquid H2 will be an absolute game-changer, allowing clean long-distance air travel.

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Airbus tanker plane takes autonomous control of multiple drones

In another milestone on the road to fully Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling (A4R), Airbus Defence and Space has autonomously guided and controlled a drone using an A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flying testbed.

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“Sailing the winds”: How stratospheric balloons navigate the skies

High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) are effective tools for communication and surveillance because they operate from the stratosphere, much closer to earth than satellites. But how do they stay on track?

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Long-range, box-wing eVTOL prototype begins flight testing down under

Australia's AMSL Aero has celebrated the first tethered test flight of its ultra-efficient Vertiia eVTOL aircraft. With its unique box wing formation, eight tilting propellers and five seats, it promises a 1,000 km range and speeds up to 300 km/h.

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Boeing to build braced-wing airliner, shooting for 30% efficiency gain

With a US$425-million cash injection from NASA, Boeing will build and test a full-sized airliner based on its transonic truss-braced wing (TTBW) concept, using long, thin, strut-braced wings to add lift, reduce drag, and burn an impressive 30% less fuel.

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Toroidal propellers: A noise-killing game changer in air and water

These strangely-shaped twisted-toroid propellers look like a revolutionary (sorry) advance for the aviation and marine sectors. Radically quieter than traditional propellers in both air and water, they're also showing some huge efficiency gains.

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ASKA debuts fully functional A5 flying car prototype at CES

Looking like a cross between a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane, ASKA’s full-scale A5 eVTOL prototype is currently capable of both driving and flying. It stole the show at CES 2023, earlier this month.

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World’s largest aircraft engine is fully operational and ready to test

Rolls-Royce says it's finished building the first demonstrator for its massive UltraFan engine, which will eventually hit the skies in airliners to be developed in the 2030s. Testing begins soon, with expectations of a 25% leap in efficiency.

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