Aerospace

Running a fuel-cell power system on hydrogen stored in solid pellets breaks the barrier to electric-UAV endurance set by battery life.

Aviation Week editors discuss the latest in experimental aircraft

Virgin plans big numbers, small satellites and low launch costs.

Remerging from bankruptcy, LightSquared has its sights set on proving its hybrid terrestrial/satellite communications network can coexist with GPS, rekindling debate over harmful interference.

Lab tests show potential of power-beamed thruster to be more efficient than conventional chemical rocket, potentially enabling a fully reusable spaceplane launch vehicle.

Reusability is the focus for SpaceX, ULA, Airbus and others to make space transport more affordable, but they all take different approaches to reach the same goal

Nontraditional suppliers and technologies help missile-manufacturer Raytheon trim cost of MALD-J air-launched decoy jammer.

Sikorsky's technology work could add to Lockheed Martin’s portfolio but also could overlap, forcing internal decisions on which of various competing approaches to pursue.

Flyback boosters and a reusable, scramjet-powered second stage to feature in Australian subscale launch demonstration

Boeing has not won a single international KC-46 order thus far; the Airbus KC-30 now has 48 orders.

Russia’s supersonic ambitions; Swiss test UAV deliveries; fuel cell keeps multirotor aloft; ATR “green regional” demo flies; 3-D-printed missile incoming.

New technologies for an advanced turboprop are under review by Turbomeca in readiness for start of the next Clean Sky demonstrator program.

The ScanEagle unmanned aircraft has its origins in tuna-spotting from boats. Now its designers return to the same unmet market with a different, more flexible design.

Solar Impulse crosses the Pacific and suffers some damage; Airbus E-Fan crosses the Channel and takes some heat.

With a cross-channel flight under its belt, Airbus begins to tackle serializing electric light aircraft.

Hikari, a European-Japanese consortium, says hypersonic travel can be a reality, with stepwise work through all the development issues.

Turnaround times, environmental impact and passenger comfort are among the key issues facing hypersonic travel planners.

With the rapid growth of commercial aviation, the label “aerospace and defense” has become largely irrelevant, if not entirely misleading.

Momentum for Reaction Engines’ Sabre hybrid propulsion concept builds as first details of the frost control technology at the heart of the system are disclosed.

Joby’s Lotus VTOL unmanned aircraft has rotors that fold to become wingtip extensions to extend endurance in forward flight.

NASA funds new projects for a turbo-electric propulsion testbed; fuel-saving formation flight; deicing for smaller rotors; nanotube-reinforced composites; and plasma-enhanced combustion.

Aerospace management leaders who explain more in earnings calls may be better able to win the battle for talent and capital, too.

Airbus trials technologies to improve fuel efficiency, payload and environmental impact of helicopters.

Strategy for government and industry R&D investment aims to build the U.K.’s position as a supplier of key components and systems for civil aircraft as new architectures and configurations emerge.

Design house Dzyne Technologies is flying a subscale model of an VTOL unmanned aircraft that uses its wing as its rotor.