The choice is effectively between market potential maximization and operating economics: A single-aisle jet offers lower production and operating costs but would miss much of the replacement market; a twin-aisle could stimulate new demand but would be more expensive to produce and operate.
NASA researchers, together with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are planning demonstrations of an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of planning, launching, navigating and refueling itself.
A mission to count moose footprints is the first commercial unmanned-aircraft mission in Canada to be approved for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation.
The U.S. Air Force is requesting information from industry on technologies that could produce lower-cost engines for future subsonic “Group 5” unmanned aircraft systems.
The extremely thin wing of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing 4.5%-scale model meant the test team had to use pressure-sensitive paint, which can acquire data in areas inaccessible to conventional pressure measurements.
Barring a breakthrough worthy of a Nobel Prize, it is extremely unlikely electric and solar will play a significant role in reducing aviation’s environmental footprint anytime soon.
The methods, modes and materials that go into creating an airframe have evolved throughout the years through trial and error and technological advances. Highlights of this evolution are featured.
Would Lockheed’s C-130J equipped with retracting floats provide the U.S. military with an amphibian answer to China’s Avic TA600 long-range flying boat?
Production technology has advanced over the 15 years the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been in development. Now those advances are helping reduce the fighter’s cost.
At Aviation Week’s 59th annual Laureate Awards in Washington, editors saluted two dozen finalists and then announced a winner in each of six categories: commercial aviation, defense, space, innovation, technology and business aviation.
Despite uncertain funding, Aurora Flight Sciences’ Orion unmanned aircraft project has achieved considerable technological success, and for that it is awarded Aviation Week’s 2016 Innovation Laureate.
The aerospace arm of Canada’s National Research Council creates a unique facility for controlled research into passenger comfort and cabin-crew performance in flight.
The companies’ significant business overlap would have raised major concern with regulatory authorities, and even if it had been approved, the merger would have faced the wrath of customers.
