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The next step in the much-vaunted QueSST (quiet supersonic technology) programme has been taken with Lockheed Martin awarded a contract worth $247.5m to build and test an X-Plane demonstrator by NASA. The QueSST programme is hoping to bring back supersonic flight but without the noise concerns that plagued the supersonic planes of yesteryear. The famous sonic boom that tradi...

Tiny drone swarms dubbed “Marsbees” could be at the forefront of Mars exploration following an award from NASA. The concept was one of twenty five ideas to win a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts award which will deliver funding for the development of the idea. Each Marsbee is a bee-sized drone with large wings, a similar size to those of the humble cicada, that will allow t...

The latest JobsOutlook survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation has found that employer confidence in the UK economy remains negative. 33% of employers fear that the economy will get worse against just 22% who think it will get better. This has knock-on effects for the job market as employers are still uncertain about hiring for their businesses. 1 in 5 replied t...

A new method for numerical analysis of gas flows within a hypersonic scramjet engine has been developed by engineers in China. The team, publishing in the American Institute of Physics, used advanced simulation and the Eulerian-Lagrangian mathematical method to demonstrate how gas flows within an engine at supersonic speeds. In a regular jet engine, airflow is slowed down to...

MIT researchers have found that negatively charging aircraft exteriors could significantly reduce the chance of being struck by lightning mid-flight. Commercial jets are struck by lightning at least once a year and it is thought that around 90% of the strikes are triggered by the aircraft itself due to the plane's electrically conductive exterior acting as a lightning rod. T...

Last week I had the pleasure to attend the annual West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) conference. Starting with a gala dinner on Wednesday with beautiful food and great company, Thursday was the day of the conference itself and saw a series of very interesting talks by aerospace industry leaders. The theme "The Challenge of Change" certainly feels very timely in today's u...

Spinlaunch is certainly an ambitious space launch company. The idea goes something like this - the company aims to build centrifuges that will spin at very high speeds inside a vacuum and use the momentum generated to fire a catapult. The catapult will fling a payload into orbit at speeds touching 3000mph. Ambitious, alright. Maybe inspired or possibly just outright crazy. F...

BAE Systems has successfully conducted a ground-based trial of aircraft payload bays that will allow for the development of more flexible combat aircraft. Releasing a weapon or store from a weapons bay at high-subsonic and supersonic speeds is subject to strong aero-acoustic noise as well as heavy vibrations which have the potential to compromise the structural integrity of ...

A VTOL single-passenger aircraft from Vahana, part of Airbus’ A3 innovation arm, has successfully conducted its first full-scale flight test. The autonomous “air taxi” hovered for 53 seconds, reaching a height of 5 metres, before coming back down safely. The flying taxi industry is obviously still in its very early stages but investors and aerospace leaders have already made...

I had the pleasure of attending the Ferchau Engineering Partner Networking event in Hamburg in January. The event started with a fascinating tour of the ZAL, Hamburg’s Center of Applied Aeronautical Research, in Finkenwerder. The centre is a fantastic example of a collaborative workspace that brings together innovative companies of all sizes. In total 600 engineers and scien...