Aeronautic technology has experienced a new boom as of late. The rapidity at which it is advancing and the new developments becoming available to make this industry more exciting than ever. There hasn’t been a day in the past 50 plus years without an airplane flying somewhere around the world. The advancement of aviation is not only important for people wanting to travel, but also for businesses that rely on shipping cargo by air. Each craft costs millions of dollars and all must be designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. Pilots want to fly efficiently while passengers want to travel and enjoy the flight experience. Aeronautic technology has made huge advancements in the past few years with lighter materials, more efficient engines, and better control systems. The following are 4 examples of how aeronautic engineers have improved designs to keep planes safer than ever before.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The most obvious advancement is unmanned aircraft systems which you’ve likely heard about due to their widespread use by commercial entities like Amazon and Fed-Ex and governmental organizations like the Navy. Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones as they are more frequently called, can be used for a variety of applications; however; those most frequently flying them (for now) are commercial companies and governmental agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security. More recently, some less conventional uses of this technology have come to light including delivering beer by Amazon Prime Air and taking aerial selfies with Dronie Go. As is often the case with innovation in aeronautics, these advances have their roots in military applications where drones were first put into service back in WWII. At that time, they were known as kamikaze planes. Kamikaze planes were used primarily in the Pacific by the Japanese military to crash into Allied ships. These planes didn’t have pilots and were set on a path of destruction against U.S. forces until they ran out of fuel or were shot down. The need for expendable launch vehicles and planes has been needed since the 1950s with the formation of the space race. The concept of an expendable platform is vital in aeronautics technology because it allows aircraft to move quickly from place to place, thus creating flexibility when using military aircraft. Since then, there have been numerous developments in aircraft that can be both used and thrown away after use depending on what is needed at a certain time
Today, drones are being operated remotely by both commercial entities and governmental agencies with some requiring an FAA license while others do not. Drones that do not require a license are often referred to as model aircraft or toy airplanes depending on size or frequency of use. To get these unmanned aircraft systems off the ground, aeronautical engineers had to design them lighter than conventional manned aircraft so they can be maneuvered more easily by remote control. In addition to being made lighter, they are optimized for vertical take-off and landing without the need for a runway.
Hypersonic Aircrafts
When it comes to speed, conventional aircraft can reach up to about 1,500 mph and this is still an achievement considering the first flight of a modern jet-powered airplane was recorded in 1939 by the German Luftwaffe. This technology has since been improved on as seen with today’s commercial airliners that can fly at speeds approaching 600 mph or just over Mach .5. That’s only half the story as far as aeronautic engineers are concerned because there hasn’t been any major development in top speeds of commercial airplanes within recent years. There have, however, been some developments.
Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft
Aeronautic engineers are always on the lookout for ways to improve the fuel efficiency of commercial planes. A new design is the hybrid wing body aircraft. The plane has a fuselage similar to most current commercial airliners, but it tapers at either end into blended winglets. These winglets connect to the wings which are integrated with the main fuselage.
The unique shape of this aircraft allows it to fly just as efficiently as existing designs while also reducing noise levels by about half. This will reduce the environmental impact on certain airports near residential areas that have put up noise-level complaints in the past. Lockheed Martin, Airbus, and Boeing have all shown interest in developing models based upon this concept.
Oscillating Wing Concept Technology
The oscillating wing concept technology goes by another name, which is called a flapping wing drone. It may not look like a traditional airplane at first glance, but the concept has been around for decades. The secret to this aircraft’s wings is a unique set of motorized hinges. These allow each wing to flex and rotate slightly as it moves up and down along its curved path. The ability to change shape may not seem very important but engineers can now control airflow over the entire body of an aircraft with such accuracy that they reduce drag by as much as 45%! This means less fuel consumption and more flight time.
While flying cars are still in the realm of science fiction, there have been some amazing technological strides made in aeronautics technology. Advances in aerial technology have both improved our ability to fly while reducing the impact on our environment. From supersonic travel that doesn’t require a sonic boom, to hydrogen fuel cells replacing combustible engines, there are numerous examples of innovation in aeronautics. These advances are making it possible for us to see the world from new perspectives and do so with less environmental cost than ever before.
