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6 Feb 2017

Hyperloop pods take to the test track in SpaceX competition

After a year of various design stages the SpaceX Hyperloop competition weekend took place at the end of January.

Hyperloop, the project to revolutionise the future of travel is some way off but the involvement of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk continues to fuel the excitement around the project, keeping it very clearly on the agenda of engineers worldwide. Pods gliding through low pressure tubes delivering people and cargo from A to B at speed and with no turbulence, may seem like something from a sci-fi movie, but with some systems tested last year and more scheduled for this year, that future could become a reality in the next 5 years.

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21 Jan 2017

US Military test UK developed Hoverbike

Vehicles from those old sci fi films are increasingly becoming a reality. Driverless cars, autonomous boats and all sorts of drones are regularly in the news. The latest to hit the headlines is the Hoverbike.

The Hoverbike (which is in fact a quad copter) started life way back in 2014 and was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Development on the Hoverbike, continued into 2015 and following a test flight of their prototype at the Paris air show, UK company Malloy Aeronautics paired up with American engineering company SURVICE to deliver a Hoverbike for the US Department of Defence.

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23 Dec 2016

Engineering highlights of 2016

As we approach the year end we thought we’d take a look back at some of the new and innovative engineering stories and reports that came out this year.

There were some astounding breakthroughs in the medical and healthcare sectors as well as enhancements in the more run of the mill procedures.

Osseo integration (the practice of using pins to implant directly into the bone) has been in the news throughout the year. Despite many successful surgeries overseas, growth in the use of the procedure has been relatively slow. A UK pilot of the procedure for military personnel who have lost limbs launched in September this year. If successful it is hoped the use of the procedure can be adopted more widely.

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18 Nov 2016

Boom Supersonic Passenger Aircraft Unveiled

Since the withdrawal of Concorde, there has been little news of any supersonic flight service to replace it. In fact development in supersonic passenger aircraft appeared to have stalled with cost and economic viability seeming to be one of the reasons. Concorde, despite being a beautiful aircraft was, after all, a flight service used only by the wealthier in society. But that could be set to change with the unveiling of the Boom supersonic passenger aircraft.

The Boom supersonic passenger aircraft is promising flights from London to New York in 3.5 hours with a return ticket price of $5000 – a similar price to the cost of a current business class flight. Whilst for many of us, this may still be unaffordable, when the flight time is more than halved, it’s a cost many businesses will be more than happy to pay.

The aircraft will have just 40 – 50 seats and the technological and material advancements since Concorde, mean that aircraft can be produced and maintained more cost effectively and those savings can be passed on through the lower ticket price.

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11 Nov 2016

Hyperloop One agree deal with Dubai Road Transport Authority

Hyperloop One has agreed a deal with the Dubai Road Transport Authority to assess the delivery of a hyperloop system that will reduce the time taken to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

The system which works using a vacuum-sealed pod transport system could potentially reduce the time taken to travel the 90 miles from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in as little as 12 minutes. Whilst initially the aim is to concentrate on what a hyperloop system can achieve across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is speculation that it could be expanded at a later date to build links with neighbouring Gulf countries. The current travel time by plane between Dubai and Saudi Arabia is 2 hours; with Hyperloop that travel time could be halved.

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14 Jul 2016

Farnborough International 2016 in full swing

Whilst the weather may have put a premature end to the day on Monday, the Farnborough International Air Show is back on track with attendance and business at the trade show thriving.

Statistics earlier in the year were predicting one of the most successful shows yet with increased numbers of international participants in the trade show and conferences, and more dedicated country pavilions. In addition to first time country pavilions for Austria, Brazil, Republic of Ireland and China, Boeing has a special pavilion celebrating their centenary which falls on the Friday of the show.

The show has become the UK’s shop window for all things aviation from the civilian, defence and space sectors

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8 Jul 2016

Date set for the Bloodhound SSC record attempt

One month on from our last post about Bloodhound, the date for the first record attempt has been set. October 2017 will see the first land speed record attempt for 20 years.

The signing of a major deal means that the project has now secured funding to complete the car and start preparing for their testing in South Africa next year.

When Bloodhound went on display in 2015 it was as a trial build and without fluids. This was done to make sure that the 35,000 individual and bespoke parts actually fitted together. Brackets were checked to see if they were in the right places leaving enough room for service and maintenance activity as well as checking the tolerance of manufactured parts.

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24 Jun 2016

Solar Impulse 2 crossed the Atlantic non stop

Solar Impulse 2 left New York on Monday 20th June and landed in Seville, Spain on 23rd June at 7.30 am. The total flight time was 71 hours and 8 minutes and now means that the aircraft has crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Solar Impulse 2 is attempting the first renewably powered circumnavigation of the globe and is now nearing the end of its 35,000km journey. The trip started in July 2015 and will finish back at the starting point in Abu Dhabi. The immediate next steps are to negotiate a route back to Abu Dhabi via Egypt or Greece.

Solar Impulse 2 has a wingspan of 72m and weighs more than 2 tons. It is powered by more than 17000 solar cells and achieves an average speed of 75 km/h.

Just like the Bloodhound project, the Solar Impulse 2 team are providing an educational platform around their project, giving resources to schools and universities as well as providing opportunities for live hangouts with members of the team.

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3 Jun 2016

Bloodhound inspiring scientists and engineers of the future

At the end of April the Bloodhound Education team, combined with the BBC micro:bit project launched a huge competition for secondary school children; The Model Rocket Car Challenge.

Supported by the army and Microsoft among others, and forming part of the Guinness World record rocket car challenge, school teams are challenged to make foam rocket cars and race them through approved tracks; the aim of course, to be the fastest!

The races are being organised through the network of Bloodhound hubs and will see a series of regional heats that will lead up to a final at the end of June at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire. The winners will spend a day watching Bloodhound test runs as well as securing a financial prize for their school.

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5 Feb 2016

3D Printing in Space

Back at the end of 2014, the world was amazed to hear from NASA about the final test phase of a 3D printer in space. The printer, which had been used on the ground prior to its launch into space, went to the International Space Station on a resupply vessel in September of 2014. A ratchet wrench printed from a design file transmitted from the ground was completed in December. The wrench along with a number of other things printed was then sent back to earth in 2015 for rigorous testing.

In December 2015 another resupply vessel went up to the International Space Station and on board this time was the European contribution to 3D printing in space – a Portable on Board 3D printer. The printer, measuring 25cm on each side and weighing just 5,5kg prints objects made from polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is a plastic that is made from renewable resources and is also biocompatible and biodegradable. It was built by Altran Italia in partnership with Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Institute of Technology under the direction of the Italian Space Agency, ASI.

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