OCTOBER 2018 | MANE AEROSPACE, DEFENCE & SPACE | 7
ARE YOU AE-REAL?
The aviation industry is changing rapidly with new technologies and concepts being innovated at an ever increasing pace. We look below at these new ideas and let you guess whether it is already in place or concept?
Let’s play!
Virgin Atlantic wants to bring in a sustainable aviation fuel. Following the automotive trend and all-round global fashion or reducing carbon footprints and harmful environmental emissions – Virgin firmly believe they will bring it in first, using fuel from a company named LanzaTech.
How aircrafts talk to the landing gear and rudder or anywhere else land-based is fairly routine and not too dissimilar from land-based vehicles. In terms of how aircrafts communicate with each other is a different issue. Boeing as well as the US Air Force have developed a way in which drones. The US Air Force for their purposes soon will have a series of smaller drones be able to survey, target and attack other aircrafts whilst Boeing is working on the swarming system.
Some birds are able to fly by keeping their wings gliding through the air whilst flapping through the skies. When they flap their wings, they do not stay straight, but bend slightly. Scientist at MIT and NASA have been looking into the science behind this and have developed a ‘morphing’ wing that is flexible.
Planes have always needed some propulsion in order to elevate into the air. Airbus want to develop a plane that will have no engine or motor in it and also still be manned. Their end goal is to hit an altitude record relying on the same technology as gliding in order to get up and down.
3D printing has become more and more popular over the years, with anything being printed now from figurines, to phone holders, to cups and more. The aviation industry is looking to adopt 3D printing by having parts of airplanes 3D printed. They must be stable and secure and airplane parts have to hold at high pressure and not change shape when at altitude which is the main challenge facing some of the parts that can be 3D printed.
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Which of the above are in place already with release dates or available now, and which ones are just concepts not to be implemented yet? Answers on back cover.
QUIZ