Last Thursday, the U.S. Navy completed their first steam launch catapult with the X-47B pilot-less aircraft. The same catapult system is what will help this aircraft take off from aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean.

After watching the video (below), it seems like the ground controllers were very happy with the successful launch. In addition, for a pilot-less aircraft,  the X-47B took off and landed flawlessly.

Take a look:

Un-manned aircraft and drones have become very popular in the military. Now that they can successfully take-off and land with the aid of slingshots, the sky (and ocean) is the limit for drones.

The X-47B has a wingspan of 62 feet, is only 10 feet tall,and weighs 14,000 lb (6,350 kg). The X-47B also has a cruising speed of 0.45 mach (342 mph), a range of just under 4,000 kilometers, and a service ceiling of 40,000ft.

The X-47B will make its first sea trials aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Sometime in 2013, the U.S. Navy plans to catapult and recover the prototype aboard aircraft carriers.

[ Source ]

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Boeing came out with their Sonic Cruiser design almost a decade ago, but they killed it later on and shifted to the slower, but more fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner. Now it appears like a team of Boeing engineers is still working on the Sonic Cruiser project. The proof on the matter is a new Boeing patent application, published on April 19, which has revealed an improved Sonic Cruiser.

That, of course, does not mean that the company is going to build the Sonic Cruiser sometime in the future, but it’s certainly interesting to take a peek at new designs. As you can see below, the new concept has a lot of changes when compared with the older design.

Stephen Trimble, at Flight Global, says that the Sonic Cruiser will have reduced noise and heat signatures, all thanks to the improvements made to the design. The engines of the nearly supersonic aircraft are placed over the wings, and they have vertical stabilizers for shielding the noise generated by the exhaust. Similar to the F-35, the engine will also have variable geometry chevrons. And the new design also has differences when it comes to the shaping of the fuselage, nose and wings.

So, will a Boeing Sonic Cruiser arrive in the future? It’s too early to answer that, but it’s surely nice to know that the project is not completely dead.

[Image Source]

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You are absolutely going to stand out like a sore thumb as you pull out of your garage and drive around the neighborhood, but that’s totally worth it. It also looks like you’re going to have some relatively poor visibility toward the sides and the rear, but that’s why the retractable side mirrors stand out so much. The cabin is airplane-esque, but you do get what appears to be a relatively normal steering wheel.

The wings fold out when it’s time to take to the skies and the vehicle can run on regular high octane unleaded fuel; no need for jet fuel here. The price has been set at $300,000 with a $10,000 deposit required to secure one.

George Jetson, will we see you soon?

[Source]

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Not even a luxury sedan, really. The FlyNano by aeronautical engineer Aki Suokas of Finland is said to ring in at a mere $39,000, making for one affordable rich man’s toy. This isn’t a remote control plane; it’s one that you actually sit in and fly.

The single seat aircraft is being shown off at Aero Friedrichshafen which ended today, it’s made entirely of carbon fiber composite with 20kW electric only version weighing just 70 kilograms. It lands and takes off on water and looks like an absolute blast to pilot. You get a range of about 40 kilometres, based on how aggressive you are on the throttle, among other variables.

If you have an even bigger need for airborne speed, Soukas is also proposing a 24hp gas engine version, as well as a 35hp gas engine “racing” variant. You can get up to 3km into the air and jet along at over 140 km/h. Oh, and that $39k price point? That’s for the top model.

One downside, if you can even call it that, is the maximum take off weight of 200kg. Subtracting the 70kg for the aircraft itself, it means that no one over 130kg (286 lbs.) can fly the FlyNano. The company is based in Finland and expects to begin shipping units this summer.

[Read via Fly Nano]

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Flying used to be a luxury. It used to be a privilege. Now, it’s not all that different from hitching a ride on the Greyhound, aside from the TSA molestations. What, then, can airlines do to revolutionize our experience?

The guys at Gizmag have put together a series of concepts for different seating arrangements that could one day find their way onto commercial aircraft. Some approach the “cattle class” end of the equation, trying to cram as many passengers as possible into as small a space as possible. Others increase your comfort for a radically increased price.

For my part, I’m surprised that airlines have already started adopting the Thompson Solutions Cozy Suite highlighted here. The staggered seating allows for more passengers (read: more revenue), fewer moving parts (read: less weight and, thus, less fuel), and no shared armrests (read: more comfort). It’s win-win all around, isn’t it?

I’ve heard that there are some airlines in China considering a standing room only plane for domestic flights. That can’t be safe, can it?

[Gizmag]

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Flying is very useful for traveling over long distances, like across the country or the ocean, but getting to the airport can sometimes take just as long as the flight itself. A little competition being run by Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) seems to be rectifying that issue with what it calls pocket airports. These literally link neighborhoods in your own backyard.

The idea with these small neighborhood pocket airports, which are only about two acres in size, is that you can fly to the major city airport rather than drive there. This is done with something that they call Suburban Air Vehicles (SAVs), which offer short takeoff and landing runs, as well as speeds that easily eclipse what it’d take to travel by car on a conventional road.

The Green Flight Challenge, being organized by CAFE and NASA, is getting people to develop quiet, auto-piloted aircraft that could ferry two to four passengers between the main airports and “conveniently-located pocket airports.” These SAVs would need to get at least 200mpg, go at least 100mph, emit no more than 78 decibels from a 250-foot distance and clear a 50-foot obstacle in less than 2,000 feet of takeoff distance.

The SAVs could then operate on dedicated “air” highways that are completely de-conflicted. No traffic. No red lights. Just hop on the (autopilot) plane and fly to the airport… and the idea is to have these little aircraft come in and out of each pocket airport up to 120 times per hour. That’s twice a minute.

Photos: Dr. Brien Seeley
[Gizmag via CAFE Foundation]

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