Cars

Watch DARPA’s Retractable Rotor Helicopter Concept Redefine Flight

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/pg6LuwyNIxk&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":332.5,"ratio":0.615,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube","wrap":true,"agegate":false} ); First came the rough sketch of DARPA’s DiscRotor, a helicopter whose blades retract into a disc once the craft hits a certain speed. Now we’ve got the concept video. Which hopefully means we’re that much closer to the real thing.


October 16, 2010
Cars

Airlines Are Beginning To Encourage Cuddling During Long Flights

Air New Zealand is beginning to offer what has been dubbed “cuddle class” seating. Basically it means that you and your snuggle-bunny will be able to snooze very comfortably after purchasing a row of seats that convert into a bed.


October 9, 2010
Gadgets

Your Batteries Could Take Down A Plane

Ready for mass hysteria? Apparently the FAA has acknowledged that aeroplane cargo holds can get hot enough to cause lithium batteries to ignite. And there’s more! There was a large quantity of such batteries on a plane that crashed recently:


June 11, 2010
Cars

The FAA Is Looking Into Pilotless Commercial Flights

The FAA wants to bring the aviation industry into the 21st century, and one particularly terrifying area of their research, announced today, is the possibility of commercial planes that fly themselves. What could go wrong besides just about everything?


June 3, 2010
Cars

The Man Whose Work Led To Better Jetliner Wings, Died At Age 82

Dr Paul R. Garabedian was a mathematician whose work may not have solved any technical problems on its own, but eventually led to fuel-efficient wings:


Cars

June 2, 1954: Aeroplane Takes Off, Lands Vertically

1954: A Convair XFY-1 Pogo aircraft makes a vertical takeoff and landing. It’s a milestone in the chequered history of VTOL aircraft.


January 21, 2010
Cars

NASA’s Puffin Is A Stealthy, Personal Tilt-Rotor Aircraft

What’s cooler than a hover-capable, electric-powered, super-quiet, personal VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft? If you answered “absolutely nothing”, do read on, because NASA is preparing to oblige you.


December 29, 2009
Gadgets

TSA Lightens Up And Lets Pilots Make Some Security Decisions

We’ve seen the ridiculous new airline security rules and we’ve explained how to cope with them, but now the TSA is easing up and allowing pilots to make the final call on things including allowing live TV and pillows again.


December 16, 2009
Cars

The Webcast Of The Boeing Dreamliner’s First Flight Starts Now

It’s 9.40am PST/12.40am EST/4.40am AEDT and the webcast of the Boeing Dreamliner’s first flight should be starting right now. Here’s hoping that this is the last time I use this particular image and that the 787′s daydreams become reality.


December 15, 2009
Cars

Boeing Dreamliner’s First Flight Being Webcast Tomorrow

The Boeing 787. The Dreamliner. The plane that keeps letting my hopes down is supposedly finally taking to the skies during a live webcast tomorrow morning, sometime after 10am ET (December 16, 2am AEDT). Let’s just hope this isn’t another letdown.