Clean Sky

Aerospace 27 Apr 2018

Airbus and Rolls-Royce sign UltraFan engine flight testing agreement

Airbus’ powerplant integration expertise to play an important role in optimising the fuel efficiency gains of Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan engine demonstrator.

Autoclave 29 Jan 2018

Consolidating thermoplastic composite aerostructures in place, Part 1

After more than 30 years of development, in-situ consolidation is nearing its promise to eliminate fasteners and the autoclave, and enable an integrated, multifunctional airframe.

Autoclave 29 Jan 2018

Thermoplastic composite demonstrators — EU roadmap for future airframes

There is a TPC development roadmap in Europe, supported by Airbus and a variety of aerospace consortia, and involving almost every major aerostructures supplier in Europe.

Watch

Aerospace 29 Jan 2018

3D-printed composite wind blades and aircraft, closer than you think

Orbital Composites’ patented coaxial extrusion process is investigated at Airbus subsidiary CTC GmbH Stade and spins off advances in speed, scale, materials and multifunctionality as it aims for very large structures.

Carbon Fibers 17 Oct 2017

Composites and metal vie for fuselage and driveshafts in "Racer" next-gen, high-speed rotorcraft

New compound helicopter demonstrator set to fly in 2020 with hybrid fuselage and flexible metal driveshafts for twin pusher turboprops but will trial carbon composite shafts by 2021.

Watch

Workforce Development 26 Jul 2016

Electric power for aircraft on the horizon

As a general aviation enthusiast and co-pilot — my husband and I fly a Mooney on occasion — I have been closely following the news about the Solar Impulse plane and the team’s historic round-the-world flight, on solar power alone.