Aerospace

In an effort to address potential pilot shortages in the future, NASA is conducting research on the operating concepts and ground stations that would be needed for single-pilot airliners.

Reduced uncertainty about weight keeps long-span, low-drag wing in the running for fuel-saving airliner designs.

Meeting aviation and highway safety requirements in one vehicle proves more challenging than designers anticipated.

From the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ SciTech 2015 conference in Orlando: NASA’s new research priorities; unmanned aircraft: unmanned airspace.

General Electric’s Passport engine is entering the final phases of certification for Bombardier’s Global 7000/8000 long-range business aircraft, the first versions of which are set to enter service next year.

To address new and emerging threats, the Defense Department is finalizing its long-range research and development plan, focusing on technologies that are flexible and will not pose procurement and cost issues.

Boeing supports hybrid-electric flight tests; Europe eyes unmanned maritime surveillance; Isaac robot advances composites; budget hike for NASA Aeronautics; electrical accumulator boosts power-by-wire.

Improved crew awareness provided by active sidesticks could spell the end for conventional pilot controls.

Northrop Grumman aims for production readiness with first development of the APG-83 active, electronically scanned array radar delivered to Lockheed Martin as an F-16 upgrade.

Myriad factors, including geopolitical tensions, a cluster of commercial space setbacks, global airspace safety and programmatic blows mean that 2015 could prove tricky for all aerospace sectors.

UCAV similarities are a result of an emphasis on stealth with long range and endurance.

All sectors of A&D have met with or are facing divergent factors that will determine much of their direction in the coming years.

Something clearly needs to be done to bring more women into aerospace engineering.

The U.S. market again is playing a leading role in all major aviation segments.

The company demonstrated three different electronic warfare sensors on the U-2, switching each out in significantly less time than required when not using the open systems architecture approach.

The sheer number and diversity of vehicles with which civil aviation will be sharing airspace has helped spur technologies, especially those that are efficiency-related.

The overall helicopter market, which has been fairly moribund in recent years, appears likely to get a boost from the loosening of civil regulations in China.

UAS needs are shifting, and it seems like Asia is picking up the slack; agricultural and industry needs are likely to drive civil growth in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The U.S. Army is planning to finally deploy by year’s end the first of its new airships designed to aid in air and missile threat detection for the Northeastern U.S.

Rolls-Royce is ramping up manufacturing work on the initial test batch of the more powerful XWB-97 variant for the stretched A350-1000.

An ICBM kill, salvo trials and first flight of a new Redesigned Kill Vehicle are in the test plan for the Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system during the next five years.

Airbus is accelerating its studies of an upgraded A380 and appears to be closing on an initial agreement with Rolls-Royce.

Mooney International turned to Dzyne Technologies when it wanted to design its first all-new light aircraft in decades, the M10, and do it behind closed doors.

Airbus is accelerating its studies of an upgraded A380 and appears to be closing on an initial agreement with Rolls-Royce.

With the clock ticking toward the first run of the GE9X core in 2015, and manufacturing of the first full engine core components getting underway, GE is counting on these materials to play a critical role in reducing weight and boosting efficiency.