Aerospace

Solar plane to embark on coast-to-coast U.S. tour

The Solar Impulse has defied all expectations in its short four-year life.

First, the solar-powered airplane got off the ground in 2010 and stayed aloft for a total of 87 minutes without using a drop of fuel; then, it completed its first international flight traveling from its home of Switzerland to Brussels in about 13 hours. By its first birthday, the plane met the goal of staying aloft for 24 hours -- flying at night with solar energy captured during the day. It has since completed a 1,550-mile journey from Madrid, Spain, to Rabat, Morocco.

Now, before it embarks … Read more

Airware's OS for commercial drones takes flight

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- While hobbyist use of drones is all the rage these days, there are few ways for commercial or enterprise customers to get unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the air.

But that's what Airware, one of the startups in the winter 2013 Y Combinator class, showed off at Demo Day today.

The Newport Beach, Calif., company aims to give commercial companies an easy-to-use development platform that will get their purpose-built drones up and flying in no time. Airware's platform comprises both on-board hardware and software, founder Jonathan Downey said. It also features elements that all … Read more

Boeing flight-tests redesigned battery for 787 Dreamliner

Boeing conducted a test flight of its 787 Dreamliner today as it works to analyze how the aircraft's redesigned battery system performs in the air.

The two-hour "functional check flight," which departed Paine Field in Everett, Wash., around noon today, is the first step in confirming that the systems perform as designed to allow the grounded aircraft to return to service, Boeing said in a statement. The crew of six on board during the flight performed a variety of tests from a normal flight profile, including cycling the landing gear and operating the backup systems.

The test … Read more

FAA ready to power down paranoia over devices?

Your Kindle could finally be liberated during take-off and landing on flights in the U.S. by this time next year.

Many of us have had the experience of doing a double-take when the flight attendant asks us to power down an e-reader, even when it's already in airplane mode. My old-school Kindle isn't even backlit -- there are probably more emissions coming through the fillings in my teeth; perhaps I should stow those under the seat in front of me as well?

I'm guessing that might freak out the federal air marshal aboard my next flight.… Read more

What if a meteor heads toward NYC? NASA says 'pray'

At a House Committee hearing today, NASA administrator Charles Bolden Jr. was asked what America would do if a meteor similar to the one that hit in Russia on February 15 was found to be on a path toward New York, with impact three weeks away. His response? "Pray."

At the moment, we might be lucky to get even three weeks' warning. The United States and the rest of the world simply do not have the ability to detect many "small" meteors like the one that exploded over Russia, which has been estimated at roughly 55 … Read more

Boeing: Here's our plan to nix 787 battery fire risk

Boeing today outlined its plans for preventing the 787 Dreamliner's batteries from overheating or igniting, issues that have kept the aircraft's global fleet grounded for nearly two months.

While noting that it had not identified the root cause of the heat issues, the aircraft maker said during a news conference Friday in Tokyo that it had developed additional safety features designed to prevent heat issues with the planes' lithium-ion batteries.

"We've come up with a comprehensive set of solutions that result in a safer battery system," Boeing Chief Project Engineer Mike Stinnett said in a … Read more

NTSB: Boeing Dreamliner blaze probe needs more time

The National Transportation Safety Board today released an interim report detailing the events that led to a lithium-ion battery fire on a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but it didn't make any conclusions into what caused the blaze.

The organization noted that the report was strictly factual in nature and based on initial findings. That meant it didn't detail a clear-cut reason for the fire, provide analysis, or make any conclusions or recommendations.

The NTSB said its investigation into the probable cause of the 787 battery fire is continuing. It's also continuing to review the design, certification, … Read more

18 rotors and up: E-volo shows personal helicopter prototype

HANOVER, Germany--Enough with the cutesy little quadcopter drones.

Instead of pint-sized four-rotor aircraft good enough to experiment with swarm dynamics or to carry small cameras, German startup E-volo is building an 18-rotor model that can carry a human passenger. It's the latest attempt to realize the dream of the flying car.

The Karlsruhe-based company plans to begin selling its VC200 in 2015, said Jeromin Schwenk, a student with the Karlsruhe University of Applied Science who's one of about 60 people working on the project.

"It's going to be the personal aircraft for everyone," Schwenk said, … Read more

Pentagon grounds entire F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet

The U.S. Department of Defense has suspended airborne testing of its Joint Strike Fighter because of a crack in an engine turbine blade discovered during routine inspection, the Pentagon said this week. The grounding covers every one of the three versions of the F-35 involved in the $396 billion program -- 51 fighter jets that had hitherto been active for testing and training and have been described by the Pentagon as "the most affordable, lethal, supportable, and survivable aircraft ever to be used." Just 10 days ago, one of the three versions of the fighter, the F-35B, … Read more