Archives

New Technology

7 Sep 2018

Flying cars are once again a hot topic of discussion but this time it involves Metro Skyways, a subsidiary of Israel’s Urban Aeronautics (UA). The company has announced that they are going into the full-scale development of the CityHawk VTOL flying car. The first manned flights of this hybrid-powered six-seater will take place in 2021 followed by full FAA certification. They plan to convert the CityHawk to run on hydrogen fuel cells after the launch.

Urban Aeronautics Ltd has developed advanced aerodynamic technologies that form the basis of a new internal rotor (ducted fan) aircraft known as Fancraft™. They capitalise on their extensive portfolio through two subsidiary companies, Tactical Robotics Ltd and Metro Skyways Ltd. Both companies are developing unique Fancraft™ for specific markets. The CityHawk, wingless flying car with “land anywhere” technology is their latest project and looks impressive, to say the least.

17 Aug 2018

Much has been said about the promising future of UK manufacturing and engineering but what does the future hold? Everyone knows that Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and remains a global leader in manufacturing. This applies especially to the aerospace sector as it’s the largest in Europe and only second to the US. In 2016, there were more than 2.6 million people directly employed in manufacturing in the UK alone.

The south-west of England is the largest aerospace region in Europe and home to 15 large aerospace companies. In addition, the cluster also consists of a large network of world-class supply chain companies.

Manufacturers have started to make the transition to new processes striving for greater productivity and functionality. Technological advancements in the last few years mean

3 Aug 2018

We see the benefits of 3D printing all the time from manufacturing, medical, the fashion industry to prototyping and production. With construction in mind and large-scale 3d printers, it is now possible to think about bigger projects. There’s no doubt that that additive manufacturing is an ideal building solution for creating models in architecture.

With that in mind, 3D printing has made headlines once again. This time though, it’s not a 3D printed house in your neighbourhood unless you live on Mars. We take a closer look at how the 3D printed habitat challenge from NASA and their partners have developed. If you are remotely interested in aerospace design, engineering and space exploration, you should really watch these videos.

20 Jul 2018

UK spaceflight is about to take the next step in aerospace dominance. The UK Space Agency, with support from Lockheed Martin, will develop Europe’s first spaceport on A’Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland, Scotland. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will develop the launch site in Sutherland with initial funding of £2.5 million. The plan is to use proven and new innovative rocket technologies to lay the foundation for UK spaceflight to become world-leaders.

In addition, a further £2.5 million will go to the development of horizontal launch sites in Cornwall, Argyll and Wales. These sites could boost UK spaceflight and the economy even further presenting significant opportunities for companies all over the globe to invest in Britain.

13 Jul 2018

While the implications of robotic military vehicles on human society are yet to be fully realised, the technology is here and probably have been for longer than we think. Most recently an Estonian defence firm, Milrem, launched the world’s first modular unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) doubling as a tank-destroyer. The modular, multi-purposed vehicle intends to provide support for dismounted troops in the shape of a transport platform, remote weapon station, IED detection and a UAV carrier among others.

The race to build the perfect military vehicle is an ongoing slog-fest and defence contractors around the globe have their hands full. More specifically, tank designers and anti-tank weapon designers are constantly pushing the envelope for better technology.

6 Jul 2018

While Industry 4.0 is all about automation and digitisation, the future of manufacturing is in personalisation. Manufacturing 5-0, or the Fifth Industrial Revolution, will focus on the co-operation between humans and robots. Although the focus remains on automation and advanced manufacturing, the human element is more important than ever. We’ll take a closer look at what this means for manufacturing but first, let’s recap our journey up to now.

29 Jun 2018

When you think of military vehicles, what comes to mind first? Traditionally, tanks and Humvees are always common but times have changed and will continue to do so. Advanced warfare and new technologies are major contributing factors influencing the types of military vehicles required in the future. Weight, speed, cost and armament all play pivotal roles.

Looking back at 2014, DARPA announced the launch of its Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) program. In a nutshell, GXV-T aims at finding high-tech alternatives to normal armour plating. Success would result in tanks weighing much less, travel twice as fast while still protecting its occupants. The problem comes in with advancing technology as artillery designers keep making bigger anti-tank guns. This has generally been the case and in response, tank designers just add more armour.

One such example is America’s main battle tank, the M1A2 Abrams. It weighs an astonishing

8 Jun 2018

Eindhoven in the Netherlands is set to become the center of attention with 3D printed homes. A bridge has already been constructed using cutting edge technology and now, a total of five 3D printed homes will add to the collection. It comes courtesy of a collaboration between the Technical University of Eindhoven, the Eindhoven municipality and several other firms.

1 Jun 2018

The electric vehicle industry is forever growing and now reaching the aviation world with start-up, Zunum Aero. The Boeing and JetBlue-backed company plans to launch their hybrid electric plane by 2022 flying 12 passengers 500 miles.  Ambitious maybe but according to reports, Zunum Aero is well on the way to achieving their goal.

Earlier this month JetSuite signed up as the launch customer for Zunum’s first hybrid electric plane. The Southern California charter air service announced a deal to

11 May 2018

Events

November 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930