Three decades ago, carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, commonly known as composite, was beginning to appear in commercial aircraft. It was not cheap and could not, at that time, be applied to anything like an entire airframe. With the Boeing 787, an almost completely composite aircraft is now in service. The problem of cost remains, but a second phase of the composite revolution is now underway, with manufacturers looking for ways of eliminating autoclaves—the costly, energy- hungry pressure cookers that are traditionally used to cure the material.

The history of civil versions of military jet airlifters is not encouraging. The idea of building rear-loading freighters for commercial operators seems to occur to every company that develops such aircraft for an air force. What does not occur is great success.

Debate over the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) on flights has long centered on cell phones. The announcement to stop dialing and texting has become a refrain synonymous with takeoff. PEDs, however, are becoming far more diverse. Tablet computers are exploding in popularity. The development of smartphones with audio and video capabilities means that passengers are more loath than ever to darken their screens for any stage of flight, let alone wait until 10,000 ft. to listen to music or log into Facebook.

Hypersonic technology is extremely difficult to master and high-speed travel generally involves long distances. These simple, but axiomatic principles of hypersonic studies not only dictate key areas of research but also, increasingly, influences who teams with whom.

Qatar Airways is among Airbus's and Boeing's best customers, given its huge targets for growth. But it is also using its clout to rearrange its orderbook and push for new models.

In the past several decades, airlines disrupted by deregulation, low yields, excess capacity and soaring fuel prices, from time to time have filed for protection from their creditors, thanks to the celebrated U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or similar provision in other countries. Then usually they implemented a cost-savings plan, reinforced by job cuts and elimination of unprofitable routes, in preparation for a new start. This was the airline industry's routine, in a slowly evolving context.

A decade of wake turbulence research, analysis and testing by aviation authorities, academia and industry already is finally paying concrete dividends in Memphis. Starting at 6 a.m. on Nov. 2, Memphis (Tenn.) International Airport and its chief tenant, FedEx, began using the FAA's re-categorized wake turbulence separation criteria (Recat) for all airport operations.

Decisions that determine whether a program can be successful are often made before the contract is even won. But conceptual design is still more art than science, practiced by talented engineers without the sophisticated, integrated tools available for development and manufacturing.