Important Innovations

 Airbus'   Climate Neutral, Zero Emissions Flying                                                       Source:  Airbus ZEROe France-based Airbus is a firm believer that the future of flying is zero emission aircraft, powered by hydrogen.  The global aviation and aerospace company is working on three concepts for the world's first zero emissions commercial aircraft that Airbus wants to put service by 2035.  The concepts represent different technological and aerodynamic design approaches to zero emissions flight.  Each concept relies upon hydrogen as the primary power source.  The three concepts are codenamed ZEROe. Carbon Neutral Flying Airbus says that it is committed to a future of zero emissions flights through the use of hydrogen as the power source. The three ZEROe concepts are designed to be the world's first climate neutral, zero emissions commercial aircraft for long distance and short haul transportation.  The major goal is to end the commercial aviation industry&#

  ZEROe Planes In Service by 2035                    Source: Airbus ZEROe Turbofan Hydrogen Plane Flying the World With Zero Emissions Airbus has plans to put into service the world's 1st zero emissions commercial aircraft by 2035. They call it the ZEROe.  The European company is analyzing three different options to use hydrogen as the primary source of power to fly commercial aircraft, carrying as many as 200 passengers to start.  If successful, Airbus would be leading the biggest transition in commercial aviation history.  Its technology would move airplanes from highly polluting jet fuel to zero emissions hydrogen fuel. Airbus believes that hydrogen has tremendous potential to significantly reduce aviation's climate change impact.  Global airline flights are among the top greenhouse gas polluters in the world. Tough Dynamics for the Airline Industry The global aviation industry has committed to cutting their 2005 level of emissions in half by 2050.  To do that, the industry

 Flying-V:  Fuel Efficient Alternative to Long Haul Jets Source:  The Flying-V  TU Deflt Concept and Scale Model KLM and Delft Technical University New Concept A new aircraft, the Flying-V, is a look at the exciting future of flying.  A scale model of the experimental aircraft just took flight from a military base in Germany.  The aircraft has huge wings and is designed in a V configuration.  The blended wing concept is the invention of Delft Technical University (TU Delft) of the Netherlands, funded by KLM Airlines and assisted by a support team from Airbus. Radical New Design The flying-V is a fuel efficient, long range aircraft designed as an alternative to traditional jumbo jets.  It gets 20% better fuel efficiency than a traditional Airbus A350 jet, which is today's most advanced aircraft design.  Passenger seats, baggage and fuel tanks are all built into the wings.  When full scale, it will have the capacity to hold 314 passengers.  It is 15% more aerodynamically efficient th

Airbus Pushing Hydrogen Commercial Planes Source:  Hydrogen Plane Concept  European Union's Hydrogen Strategy In Europe, there is growing consensus building around utilizing hydrogen as a primary, green, renewable energy source. The momentum is coming from the both the European Union and global aerospace giant Airbus. France-based Airbus believes that hydrogen fuel is the quickest means to turn commercial passenger jets into zero emissions passenger flights.  Company leadership forecasts that hydrogen airliners could be flying in much greener skies by the early 2030's.   Hydrogen Agenda To develop and deploy hydrogen commercial jets by the early 2030's, Airbus Vice President for Zero Emissions Technology Glenn Llewellyn recommends utilizing and reconfiguring automotive and space launch hydrogen technologies that are already developed to create hydrogen commercial passenger jets.  Toyota is a major developer of hydrogen fueled cars and the Japanese automaker also advocates f

Next-G, Helicopter Command Post Source:  Airbus Website Helicopter Travel's Future:  The H145 Flying Computer This is one of the world's most advanced military helicopters and it's still being developed to include more next-G technology.  The Airbus H145 is a multi-role helicopter that essentially functions as a flying computer.  Designed for the military, it's being developed and outfitted as a flying command post.  Airbus says it can be used for armed reconnaissance, weapons fire support, evacuation of the wounded and to rescue hostages.  C5 Capabilities Airbus is focused on expanding the vehicle's C5 capabilities, including command, control, communications, computers and collaboration/intelligence.  The H145 is a look at the future of military helicopter travel in battle zones. Brand New, Innovative Technologies The Airbus helicopter is a light, twin engine vehicle.  It can maneuver at low level altitudes where fixed wing aircraft and UAVs cannot. 

Prototype Demonstrator eVTOL  Source:  Airbus Vahana & helicopter Urban Air Mobility Airbus Vahana is the experimental eVTOL that is the basis and inspiration for the next generation of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles ((eVTOLs)) at Airbus, the European multinational aerospace corporation.  The vehicle started as a design on a napkin and within 4 years it converted into a fully operational eVTOL.  The vehicle's final test flight happened in Oregon in late 2019.  Airbus Air Mobility is now using the technology to design the next generation of eVTOLs to clear regulatory hurdles and put the vehicles into service as flying taxis. Technical Demonstrator Model According to Airbus, Vahana has contributed major new technology that is being deployed in for next-G eVTOLS including: A fully operational eVTOL vehicle model with a tilt-wing configuration and battery-to-electric motor solution Successful self-piloting technologies that are fully capable of au

Blended Wing MAVERICK Source:  Airbus Future of Flying & Cutting Fuel Consumption French airplane manufacturing giant Airbus just disclosed that it has developed and tested a radical new flying machine.  It's a blended wing commercial passenger jet.  The new aircraft has great promise. It cuts jet fuel consumption by 20%.  And the radical, wide bodied, V-type design opens up tremendous opportunities to redesign the cabin area for passengers. In fact, it has the capacity to accommodate many more passengers than traditional passenger jets. Model Aircraft Demonstrated at the 2020 Singapore Air Show Airbus says this is radical new aircraft design.  It says it's testing disruptive aircraft configurations like the MAVERICK to evaluate their potential use.  They will continue testing their blended wing aircraft through 2025.  They demonstrated how the concept aircraft works with a small, remote-controlled version at this week's Singapore 2020 Air Show. Next Prio

E-Hybrid Plans Ramping Up Source:  Airbus. E-Thrust Concept Electric Hybrid Aircraft Cleaner, Greener Flying Airbus is moving forward on plans to produce hybrid electric planes for commercial use by 2035.  This is part of Airbus' major focus to develop and manufacture low emissions aircraft.  Global air travel spews millions of tons of carbon dioxide from jet fuel into the atmosphere.  Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury confirmed that he's moving ahead with the industry's first program to potentially develop and produce fleets of hybrid electric aircraft.  He confirmed his electric hybrid plane goals during a conversation with reporters this weekend. E-Thrust Concept: Electric-Hybrid Flying Commitment with Greatly Reduced Emissions Airbus' commitment to developing greener energy sources to power jets is clear.  In May, Airbus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines signed an agreement to partner on research for electric and hybrid aircraft designs.  Their E-Thrust con

Airbus E-Plane Innovation Source:  Airbus' White Lightning Future of Flying Electric At an Airbus sponsored air racing tournament, the world's first electric powered sports/racing aircraft was unveiled.  Airbus is the major developer behind it.  The company is looking to expand its green aerospace technology.  Their electric racing plane prototype is powered by an electric motor and lithium batteries up to speeds of 300 mph. Green, Speed, Precision This weekend French pilot Didier Esteyne flew the Airbus E-Fan prototype - named White Lightning - across the English Channel. Air Race E is partnering with Airbus on this.  The e-plane will be manufactured by Corda Aviation based in the UK.  The prototype system is impressive as the electric motor can hit 300 mph, in a tight 3 mile circuit, 10 meters above the ground. International Races The racing plane models have a big purpose.  They are designed to accelerate the era of electric commercial air travel and thereby dra

Pan European Effort to Push Back Asian Battery Dominance Source:  CATL of China Pilot Battery Cell Plant in France To Start France and Germany are joining forces to produce batteries for electric cars.  France will host a pilot plant. There are plans to build plants in both Germany and France.  This is part of a Pan European project to defeat Asian dominance of the battery cell industry for electric vehicles.  The European nations want to cut dependence on Asian batteries.  China's CATL plans to start battery cell operations in a plant in Germany in 2022. Germany and France also want to protect domestic jobs that are being lost to the shift away from combustion engines.  The details on what is the first, cross border, battery cell consortium in Europe are expected to be announced on Thursday, September 19th. Battery Production Capacity Constricting Electric Vehicle Market in Europe In Europe, mass production of electric cars is being constricted by a lack of battery prod

Vienna Style Commuting Courtesy:  EHang - Vienna Test Flight First Flight It looks like a helicopter at first glance.  But it's a lot more than that.  This is the first demonstration of this pilotless air taxi prototype that just successfully took off in Vienna, Austria.  The Austrian and Chinese developers say it's ready for mass production and commuter service.  The EHang 216 is at the forefront of autonomous air taxis readying for takeoff. Autonomous Flying It's the creation of  Austrian aerospace company FACC (now owned by Chinese aerospace group AVIC) and the Chinese drone maker company  EHang. It's a European first for them.  The vehicle circled in the air and landed safely after a few minutes of flying above a soccer stadium. Rigorously Tested and Ready for Flying This is a slim drone with 16 propellers.  It can seat two passengers, fly up to 90 mph for a half hour.  And, it can travel 50 to 70 kilometers depending on the payload.  The Austrian-Chi

Constellations of Small Satellites Source:  Airbus Airbus Wins Blackjack Program Contract DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, just awarded Airbus a contract to develop a satellite bus for its Blackjack program.  Blackjack is a satellite architecture for the US military.  Essentially, it is the utilization of constellations of small satellites in low orbit for the military. DARPA's New Small Satellite System DARPA plans on pairing the satellite buses with military sensors and payloads.  The buses will generate power for the satellites, provide propulsion and transmit spacecraft telemetry.  The use of small, inexpensive satellite constellations for military purposes is a concept DARPA has been developing over the past several years.  For more news stories on innovation, go to  amazon.com/author/ekane

Record Breaking, Solar Powered Plane with First Launch Base in Australia Source:  Airbus Zephyr   Ready for Takeoff:  Is It a Plane or Satellite? Airbus's Zephyr S HAPS (Solar High Altitude Pseudo Satellite) is a solar plane worth watching.  It has set an all time record by staying aloft for more than 25 days.  The flight was over Arizona in late summer 2018.  It soared to 70,000 feet, which is well above most clouds and aircraft. It now has a site in Wyndham, Western Australia as a flight base to launch into the stratosphere. It will fill a gap to provide persistent, local satellite services. Specs The wing span is 82 feet.  It's a solar powered UAV and weighs only 165 pounds.  The low weight along with a unique power management system help it consume a lot less energy.  Despite the fact that it's solar powered, it keeps its elevation all night.  No other solar-powered plane can do that.  For more stories on new aviation and travel innovation, check out this ama

High Tech Bottle Gets Flight Test Photo:  Courtesy of Mumm Orbiting Champagne for Space Tourists at Zero Gravity Future space tourists on the journey of their lifetime may have the added adventure of sipping champagne in orbit.  In terms of technology, that's not an easy thing to provide at zero gravity.  A French designer/innovator Octave de Gaulle has designed a bottle that may dispense champagne at zero gravity. Airbus Testing It It's being tested by an Airbus Zero-G plane that makes deep climbs and dives to create 20 second intervals of weightlessness.  That puts the bottle to the test to see if it works and dispenses champagne at zero gravity in space. This Tech Not for Astronauts US astronauts are not allowed to consume alcohol in space.  This is being designed for future adventurous tourists who travel to space.  Concerning the tech:  the wine, in the upper portion of the bottle is released by a finger controlled valve that uses the champagne's own c

Revolutionizing the Airline Industry Source:  Zunum Aero Electric Passenger Planes to Take-Off in Norway By 2040, Norway is committed to having all of its short-haul flights, from its airports, on electric aircraft.  This is one of the most dramatic government examples of cutting down on carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas emissions from the airline industry. Booming Industry - 100+ Global Projects Currently small planes comprise the electric aircraft market.  There are no airliner sized electric planes being built.  But Norwegian government and aviation industry officials believe that will soon change.  Boeing, NASA and Airbus are diligently working on prototype designs.  Boeing's Zunum Aero has plans for a 12-seater by 2022 and a 50-seater by 2027.  There are more than 100 electric powered aircraft projects currently around the world. Norway's Plans Norway's terrain is mountainous and there are many offshore islands. There are many airports because in many cases