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Super-maneuverable drone airplanes are coming
Helicopter-like drones are extremely nimble, but their fixed-wing counterparts aren't so lucky. Chinese researchers have a way to bring some of that agility to conventional airplane designs, though. They've developed a vectored thrust propeller system that lets the drone make tighter turns, take off quickly and otherwise fly in areas where it would normally be too dangerous. And unlike jet-based vectored thrust (such as on the F-22), this system is light and small enough to fit into a relatively compact UAV.
Airbus' detachable cabin concept could save you time at the airport
There are probably plenty of things that frustrate you about air travel, but waiting to take off or disembark is probably high on your list. Why should you have to board well before the plane is ready to get moving? Airbus might have a way to cut that idle time to near zero, though: it recently received a patent for a detachable passenger cabin that would lift into the airport gate. Your aircraft would only show up when it's actually ready to go, and would spend far less time on the ground as a whole (as it's just swapping cabin pods). It could also eliminate the convoluted boarding process, since you could take your seat right away instead of forming a queue in the terminal.
Loss of flight MH370 prompts UN satellite tracking agreement
Following the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 last year, the United Nations agreed to use global satellite tracking for passenger airliners. Under the terms of the deal, nations can use specific radio frequencies to monitor planes via satellite rather than solely relying on radar-driven technology on the ground. With a target of 2017, aircraft capable of sending Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals to the ground will also communicate with satellites to track their movements. Shortly after the MH370 tragedy, Inmarsat offered airlines free satellite tracking for more accurate location info. With this week's agreement, the UN aims to keep an eye on the 70 percent of the world's surface than the ground-based systems can't cover. In theory, the use of satellite tracking would reduce the chance of another flight disappearing without a trace. [Image credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images]
FAA: Don't pack lithium batteries in your checked bag
If you've been packing extra lithium batteries in your checked bag before a flight, you might want to avoid doing so in the future. The FAA warns that storing those batteries in luggage that'll travel in the cargo hold can "present a risk of both igniting and fueling fires." The agency wants airlines to prohibit the practice and to remind travelers at check-in not to stow extras in a checked suitcase. Worried about running out of juice for that toothbrush or point-and-shoot camera? You might want to wait until you land to pick up more batteries. [Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images]
NASA working with students on Mars airplane concept
NASA is hard at work on designing the perfect aircraft to land on Mars. Just a couple of weeks ago, the space administration showed a new wing shape it is testing for future Red Planet-bound planes. As part of furthering these developments, NASA recently brought on a few students to help with its Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars program, otherwise known as Prandtl-m aircraft. The participants built a boomerang-shaped plane made of carbon fiber, which was then tested in an aircraft hangar and a different set of higher altitudes outdoors. Unfortunately, NASA says test flights didn't turn out as expected every time, namely due to the complexity of having an adequate launch system in place. One option, for example, was to have a radio-controlled plane that would take the research aircraft to the necessary altitude and have it be released.
Netflix streams on airplanes too, starting with Virgin America
One problem with Netflix has always been that it doesn't work when you're on a plane. Starting this month however, the service's entire catalog will be available for Virgin America flights on new Airbus A320 airplanes. Virgin claimed its new ViaSat-powered WiFi is strong enough to stream video, and bringing the bandwidth-hungry Netflix aboard is certainly one way to prove it. By contrast, Amazon Prime just started letting customers store movies and TV shows so they can watch them offline anywhere. So far, Netflix has resisted an offline option, and Global Head of Business Development Bill Holmes says it's all about delivering service that "takes advantage of the expansion of WiFi." The upgraded system is rolling out to about one aircraft a month through June 2016, and will be available for free until March 2nd. Even if you don't have a Netflix account, you can sign up for a free trial, or just watch episodes from a few favorites like House of Cards or Orange is the New Black on the new Android-based entertainment systems.
NASA crashes a third airplane for science on live TV
If you've ever wanted to see a "severe but survivable plane accident" (without worrying about actual lives at stake), tune into NASA TV today between 1 and 2pm ET. The site will be broadcasting live coverage of a simulated crash conducted by the agency's Search and Rescue Mission Office.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: hypersonic jets and spider cars
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Airbus just unveiled its vision for the future of transportation: a 3,000MPH airplane that could travel from New York City to London in one hour flat. Meanwhile Lexus brought the future to life by debuting a working hoverboard that can soar through the air and fly over water. Tesla turned heads with an automatic electric car charger that looks like a robotic snake, while Swincar launched an amazing off-road spider car that can tackle any terrain. Stanford brought us one step closer to a solar future by revealing its new Arctan sun-powered vehicle, and China debuted an all-electric bus that can charge up in 10 seconds flat.
Solar-powered plane completes five-day journey across the Pacific
The Solar Impulse 2 is a solar-powered plane that has been flying around the world since March. Back in May, it was set to make its most ambitious journey yet, a 5,061-mile trip from Japan to Hawaii. Unfortunately, though, Pilot Andre Borschberg's initial attempt was unexpectedly cut short (as has happened before), this time due to inclement weather. Now, several weeks later, he's finally accomplished his mission. Borschberg landed in Kapolei, Hawaii on Friday, following a five-day, 118-hour flight from Nagoya -- the longest-ever solo nonstop flight. The previous record was 76 hours.
NASA prototypes a drone aircraft destined for Mars
No, you're not looking at a very sophisticated boomerang -- that may be the first aircraft to fly the Martian skies. NASA has revealed that it's building a prototype for Prandtl-m (Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars), a glider drone that would launch from a descending rover and survey landing sites for the eventual manned mission. The two-foot-long vehicle will weigh about 2.6 pounds on Earth, but Mars' gravity will reduce that to 1 pound -- light enough that the craft could travel up to 20 miles after starting at 2,000 feet above the surface.
NASA tests sense-and-avoid system for commercial UAVs
NASA's testing a sense-and-avoid system that will allow fully-autonomous, commercial UAVs to operate in civilian airspace. The trials are being held at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California as part of the agency's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System (UAS-NAS) project.
YouTube's multi-angle video meets Boeing's acrobatic 787 flight
At the Paris Air Show earlier this week, Boeing showed off a few of its 787-9 Dreamliner's tricks, including a near vertical takeoff. This new YouTube video shows the flight demo from several angles: one has the fuel-efficient plane in full view, another gives you the chance to watch what went on inside the cockpit and the last one shows the flight from the plane's perspective. YouTube launched multiple camera angles as an experimental feature earlier this year, making the option available to select users. It uses an algorithm that syncs all the angles as you play the video, and you only have to either click on any of them or press their respective numbers on the keyboard to switch views.
ICYMI: Head-mounted Minecraft, CGI celebs, and more!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399{width:630px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399").style.display="none";}catch(e){} It's the very first episode of In Case You Missed It, where we surface the weird and wacky news that may have been buried by yesterday's big headlines. Today we're covering some of our favorite stories from Monday: The HoloLens headset at E3, what's happening with the first solar-powered flight around the world and CGI modeling using paparazzi photos.
Why easyJet is banking on VR, drones and 3D printing
When you book a flight with a company like easyJet, it's usually for one of two reasons: you want the cheapest tickets possible, or it's the only airline operator flying to your destination. Nobody chooses easyJet for their in-flight entertainment, or the drinks and nibbles that are available while you're thousands of feet up in the air. But for the most part, that's okay. We're all looking for a deal, and provided the flight is on time and the seats aren't too uncomfortable, most of us are happy to forgo these luxuries in order to save some cash. easyJet knows its business model well, and that's why it's exploring new technologies that can help with its day-to-day operations. These are projects that could make its commercial flights cheaper, more reliable and ultimately less stressful for customers. Some are designed for the public and clearly visible, but others are being developed behind closed doors to improve training, manufacturing and repairs. To explain some of its more experimental ideas, easyJet crammed them all into an aircraft hangar in Milan.
NASA tests airplane wings that shrug off insect guts
You may not think of insects as a problem for aircraft (Bambi Meets Godzilla comes to mind), but they really are -- the residue from those splattered bugs slows aircraft down and hikes fuel consumption. NASA may soon have a way to keep those critters from causing so much trouble, however. It recently conducted flight testing for a promised non-stick wing coating that stops ex-bugs from inducing drag. The layer, which combines a lotus leaf-inspired ("microscopically-rough") repellant surface with anti-sticking chemicals, was good enough to cut back on the nasty organic residue by as much as 40 percent.
FBI: Security researcher claimed to hack, control plane in flight
Remember the security researcher who was pulled from a United flight and had his equipment taken (before its frequent flier miles-paying bug hunt) for tweeting about hacking into the plane via its entertainment system? In an application for a search warrant, FBI agents said he previously told them he's gone further than that. APTN National News obtained the document, which contains claims that Chris Roberts told them he connected his laptop to a plane via an Ethernet cable, hacked into a thrust management computer and briefly controlled one of the engines, causing the plane to change course. As reported previously by Wired, he has warned of vulnerabilities in planes for years -- manufacturers deny they exist -- and the conversations were apparently intended to get these problems fixed.
AeroMobil's flying car prototype crashes mid-test
AeroMobil may have its work cut out for it if it's going to deliver a practical flying car within two years. Unfortunately, inventor Stefan Klein crashed a prototype in Slovakia this weekend after it entered an unrecoverable tailspin during a test flight. While the pilot thankfully managed to activate his vehicle's parachute in time and avoid any serious injuries, the machine wasn't so lucky -- as you can see above, it wasn't about to drive away. The company is optimistic about the accident in a statement, arguing that it's a "natural part" of testing that will help refine the design. It'll no doubt be a learning experience, but something tells us that the official roadmap doesn't include wrecking an aircraft. This is going to be a setback, even if it's relatively minor. [Image credit: MH, SME.sk]
Court tosses lawsuit seeking gadget ban during takeoff and landing
Next time you absolutely need to be on the phone while your plane's landing or taking off, make sure to give a silent thanks to the United States Court of Appeals. A Washington DC appeal court has thrown out a lawsuit challenging the FAA's 2013 decision to allow passengers to use gadgets during all phases of flight. That lawsuit was filed in 2014 by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), which accused the FAA of failing to follow standard procedure before issuing its ruling. The union complained that passengers now barely pay attention to pre-flight safety demos, because they're glued to their gadgets. It also argued that electronic devices could become projectiles during turbulence.
New FAA system can track twice as many flights at once
Whoever said "it's the journey, not the destination" obviously lived in a time before air travel. But maybe, just maybe, the Department of Transportation's implementation of the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), the "backbone" of the NextGen air-traffic system, could change how we feel about getting on a flight. There are a few things making up ERAM: performance based navigation, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) and data comm.
Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter
While air travel is quicker and safer than driving, it's also louder. The continuous low-frequency drone of the engines is why some people invest in noise-canceling headphones. To help reduce that non-stop hum, researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT have developed a thin membrane to be inserted into the lightweight honeycomb structure of planes and helicopters. "At low frequencies – sounds below 500 Hertz – the honeycomb panel with the membrane blocks 100 to 1,000 times more sound energy than the panel without a membrane." said Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University. The 0.25mm-thick membrane would only add an additional six percent to the overall weight of the honeycomb structure of aircraft. While that doesn't seem like much, every ounce counts to airlines trying to maximize flight costs. It'll be on them to decide whether they'd rather save money on fuel or makes cabins a better place for passengers.
