Aviation
Future technology | 22 ideas about to change our world
The future is coming, and sooner than you think. These emerging technologies will change the way we live, how we look after our bodies and help us avert a climate disaster.
In pictures | Aerospace start-up unveils first-ever independently developed supersonic jet
The company aims to bring back commercial supersonic flight by 2025.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II | The fighter jet that flies itself (almost)
With Top Gun: Maverick due to hit cinemas later this year, we went behind the scenes at RAF Marham to get up close to the new F-35, the first fighter jet that does (most of) the flying for you.
Dinosaurs’ flying relatives could hold clues to building better drones
Learning more about ancient pterosaurs could offer solutions to drone flight problems, according to palaentologists.
The F-35 Lighting II | Onboard with the world’s most advanced fighter jet
In Fort Worth, Texas, Lockheed Martin is building one of the world’s first stealth jump jets. We visited the factory to get under the skin of this new fighter jet technology.
Drone traffic control - rewriting the rules of flying UAVs
Next year is all about testing the technology and writing the rules that will set up our skies for fleets of unmanned aircraft.
Why do passenger planes fly so high?
It may not help with a fear of heights, but soaring above the clouds makes for a smoother and more efficient journey.
Why do planes leave trails?
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away!
Which plane has the biggest wingspan?
You need some pretty large wings if you want to carry rockets into the stratosphere.
Why do some Starfighters have X-wings?
Sure they look cool, but is there more to the shape of a X-wing than meets the eye?
Why are most passenger planes painted white?
With all that time spent above the clouds, aircraft need sun cream too.
Is climate change going to make flights bumpier?
Not a fan of turbulence? Better go green.
Who really invented the jet engine?
Flying high, Frank Whittle and Hans von Ohain dreamt of the skies.
What’s the slowest a plane can fly?
Aeroplanes, or airplanes if you're American, need to maintain a certain speed to allow flight.
The thought experiment: If I went up in a balloon unprotected, what would kill me first?
In 2012 Felix Baumgartner ascended 39km into the stratosphere for a record-breaking space jump, but he would not have made it back to Earth alive without being protected by his pressure suit and helmet.
How it works: Perlan 2 Glider
This sailplane will fly at an altitude of over 27,000m (90,000ft) to study weather patterns, climate change and the ozone.
Why can’t black box information be stored in the Cloud?
Despite being up in the clouds, that might just be the best place for them.
If humans had wings, what would their wingspan be?
We have to look to history (and hang gliders) to answer this one.
Why do planes have to be ‘de-iced’?
Failure to de-ice can be disastrous, even when they are designed to withstand extreme temperature differences.
Watch as hoverboard distance record is smashed
Franky Zapata of France flies 2,252.4 metres on prototype Flyboard Air, breaking the Guinness World Record by nearly 2km.
Concept planes that could one day take to the skies
Does the thought of sitting on a cramped flight for hours on end fill you with dread? Graham Warwick looks at the concept aeroplanes that could transform commercial flights in the future.
Flying solo: the jetpack has arrived!
From Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines to the jetpack at the LA Olympics, we’ve always dreamed of flying like a bird. Now, writes Sedeer El-Showk, there’s a new breed of solo flying machines ready to take off.
Could we save fossil fuels by designing a more efficient aeroplane?
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is is something between the two?
What is the most difficult machinery to operate?
From surgery to flight, there are lots of complex procedures and machinery that require special skill - but what is the most difficult?