Supersonic combustion in a hydrogen-fueled scramjet—achieved on first flight—is part of India’s long-range plan for an air-breathing reusable launch vehicle.
NASA is using a massive friction-stir welding tool at the Michoud Assembly Facility to build its first flight structure for the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS).
Low attrition is driving a growing retirement bubble in aerospace and defense. Companies must plan carefully to balance current and future staffing needs.
The Small UAS Rule, aka Part 107—the FAA’s first regulation allowing routine use of unmanned aircraft—has taken effect, with signs that demand for operating approvals and UAS operator licenses will be high.
Aviation Week presents presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with a list of aerospace technologies they should champion if elected, to keep the U.S. ahead of its adversaries and competitors.
Critics of counterinsurgency say it represents the triumph of tactics over strategy. Looking at the Air Force’s mooted OA-X and A-X2 procurement programs, and the A-10 retirement debate, one can see exactly the same issues in play.
High-profile failures of traditional air data systems—using pitot tubes and angle-of-attack vanes—have ignited a new generation of laser-based replacement systems that offer higher performance, without moving parts.
Designers looking for fuel savings and emissions reductions beyond those possible with today’s conventional tube-and-wing configurations face additional challenges when the aircraft are smaller, such as regional and business jets.
Auto ICAS is thought to be the world’s first fully automatic integrated combat flight safety system designed to prevent both air-to-air and air-to-ground collisions.
As the avionics-maker sees the finish line on a crush of Pro Line Fusion integrated cockpit certifications, engineers are turning to the next challenge.
An unmanned version of the U-2 Dragon Lady is among the list of platforms being considered by Lockheed Martin for the Missile Defense Agency’s stratospheric UAV-borne laser demonstrator program.
Everyone notices an aircraft’s paint-job, but almost no one considers the intricate chemistry and technological advances that underpin its application and durability.
Three-stream turbofans, inverted-velocity-profile nozzles, airframe shielding—NASA gets creative to ensure future supersonic transports will be no noisier than today’s subsonic airliners.
