NASA QueSST goes supersonic quietly

NASA has achieved a significant milestone in its effort to make supersonic passenger jet travel over land a real possibility by completing the preliminary design review (PDR) of its Quiet Supersonic Transport or QueSST aircraft design. QueSST is the initial design stage of NASA’s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane, otherwise known as Read more about NASA QueSST goes supersonic quietly[…]

Chinese e-tailer beats Amazon to the skies with one-ton delivery drones as FAA sleeps through everything

JD.com, China’s largest online retailer, has announced it is beginning trials of a new delivery drone capable of carrying a ton of cargo to rural Chinese customers. Just like Amazon, JD.com (also known as “Jingdong”) has a vast network of warehouses and delivery networks crisscrossing the Middle Kingdom and, like Amazon, it sees drones as Read more about Chinese e-tailer beats Amazon to the skies with one-ton delivery drones as FAA sleeps through everything[…]

Paul Allen Shows Off the World’s Largest Airplane For the First Time

The Stratolaunch has a wingspan of 385 feet (wider than the Spruce Goose), it uses six 747 jet engines, sits on 26 wheels, can carry 250,000 pounds of fuel and weighs half a million pounds without fuel. In order to take off, it needs about 12,000 feet of runway. Source: Paul Allen Shows Off the Read more about Paul Allen Shows Off the World’s Largest Airplane For the First Time[…]

First test flight of stratospheric solar plane

A group of Swiss adventurers say they have completed the first test flight of a new solar-powered airplane they hope will eventually reach the edge of space. The team says pilot Damian Hirschier performed a seven-minute flight at low altitude with the SolarStratos plane in “ideal” conditions early Friday. The maiden flight took place at Read more about First test flight of stratospheric solar plane[…]

This new solar-powered device can pull water straight from the desert air

You can’t squeeze blood from a stone, but wringing water from the desert sky is now possible, thanks to a new spongelike device that uses sunlight to suck water vapor from air, even in low humidity. The device can produce nearly 3 liters of water per day for every kilogram of spongelike absorber it contains, Read more about This new solar-powered device can pull water straight from the desert air[…]

Virgin Galactic and Boom unveil Concorde 2.0 tester to restart supersonic travel

At a Colorado aircraft hangar, the two firms unveiled the triple-engined XB-1 prototype, a one-third sized prototype of the airliner they hope will be able to blast from London to New York in three hours and 15 minutes – air traffic control allowing. “60 years after the dawn of the jet age, we’re still flying Read more about Virgin Galactic and Boom unveil Concorde 2.0 tester to restart supersonic travel[…]

Consumer Reports Now Ranks Tesla Among the Least Reliable Carmakers

When it gave the Tesla Model S an unprecedented 103 out of 100 score last August, Consumer Reports looked like it might try to marry Elon Musk’s company and have its little electric car babies. But after a year of disappointments, trust violations and janky-ass door handles, it seems the magazine can no longer advocate Read more about Consumer Reports Now Ranks Tesla Among the Least Reliable Carmakers[…]

Mad Scientist Builds Fully Functional Hoverbike

Because a thermite-blasting cannon isn’t crazy enough, Colin Furze used a pair of motors and propellers designed for parasailing to build himself a fully functional flying hoverbike. It’s easily one of the mad scientist’s most dangerous builds to date, but seeing how maneuverable it is almost makes us want to build one too. Source: Mad Read more about Mad Scientist Builds Fully Functional Hoverbike[…]

Here Are Ten Cheap Mods That Will Transform The Way Your Car Drives

Unless you went dumpster-diving outside SEMA or your uncle is Stacey David, you probably don’t have unlimited resources to throw at car modification. Thankfully, you friendly neighborhood Tavarish is here to help you frugal modders make your cars into something truly deserving of a voided warranty. Source: Here Are Ten Cheap Mods That Will Transform Read more about Here Are Ten Cheap Mods That Will Transform The Way Your Car Drives[…]

Malloy Hoverbike

Better than a flying car! The Hoverbike is the result of years worth of R&D. We combined the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter to create the world’s first flying motorcycle.When compared with a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged and easier to use – and represents a whole new Read more about Malloy Hoverbike[…]

NASA tests aircraft with shape shifting wings

FlexFoil is a shape-changing assembly that replaces the flaps on a wing and can alter shape in flight to produce seamless bendable and twistable aerofoil surfaces. This allows the FlexFoil to act like a flap in its various positions while still providing an unbroken air surface. This makes for a more streamlined wing and reduces Read more about NASA tests aircraft with shape shifting wings[…]

Tiny Humanoid Robot Learning to Fly Real Airplanes

The little robot in the picture above is a PIBOT, a small, very low-cost humanoid (actually a Bioloid Premium from Robotis). It’s been slightly modified to be able to work the controls of a scaled-down, simulated aircraft cockpit, as in the pic above. PIBOT is able to identify and use all of the buttons and Read more about Tiny Humanoid Robot Learning to Fly Real Airplanes[…]

DeepFlight Dragon: personal submarine

the DeepFlight Dragon will become the most compact, lightweight personal submarine on the market, and has been designed to be so intuitive to use that users will be able self-pilot the craft with minimal instruction. This new level of user-friendliness is expected to take DeepFlight’s underwater craft beyond the domain of the superyacht owner and Read more about DeepFlight Dragon: personal submarine[…]

Nasa validates ‘impossible’ space drive

British scientist Roger Shawyer has been trying to interest people in his EmDrive for some years through his company SPR Ltd. Shawyer claims the EmDrive converts electric power into thrust, without the need for any propellant by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container. He has built a number of demonstration systems[…]a US scientist, Guido Read more about Nasa validates ‘impossible’ space drive[…]