Feature Channels: Aviation and Aeronautics

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Released: 27-Apr-2021 12:40 PM EDT
Shoe Scanner Technology on the Horizon
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A shoe scanner may allow people passing through security screening to keep their shoes on. PNNL built the scanner based on the same technology it used to develop airport scanners. It's licensed to Liberty Defense.

Released: 26-Apr-2021 12:25 PM EDT
Airports could generate enough solar energy to power a city: Study
RMIT University

A new study has found Australia's government-owned airports could produce enough electricity to power 136,000 homes, if they had large-scale rooftop solar systems installed.

Released: 31-Mar-2021 2:45 PM EDT
New Los Alamos technology detects thermal neutrons in aircraft
Los Alamos National Laboratory

A new technology developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Honeywell is providing needed atmospheric environment information to the aerospace industry.

Released: 22-Mar-2021 8:25 AM EDT
Control System Helps Several Drones Team Up to Deliver Heavy Packages
Georgia Institute of Technology

A research team has developed a modular solution for drone delivery of larger packages without the need for a complex fleet of drones of varying sizes. By allowing teams of small drones to collaboratively lift objects using an adaptive control algorithm, the strategy could allow a wide range of packages to be delivered using a combination of several standard-sized vehicles.

Released: 2-Mar-2021 10:50 AM EST
Indoor Air Quality Study Shows Aircraft in Flight May Have Lowest Particulate Levels
Georgia Institute of Technology

If you’re looking for an indoor space with a low level of particulate air pollution, a commercial airliner flying at cruising altitude may be your best option. A newly reported study of air quality in indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation — and commercial jets — shows aircraft cabins with the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.

Released: 7-Dec-2020 10:00 AM EST
Military flights biggest cause of noise pollution on Olympic Peninsula
University of Washington

A University of Washington study provides the first look at how much noise pollution is impacting the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The paper found that aircraft were audible across a large swath of the peninsula at least 20% of weekday hours, or for about one hour during a six-hour period. About 88% of all audible aircraft in the pre-pandemic study were military planes.

Released: 7-Dec-2020 10:00 AM EST
The New York Academy of Sciences to host programs on the science and law of Lunar Exploration (Wednesday, December 9) and Bioengineering for Space Travel (Thursday, December 10)
New York Academy of Sciences

The New York Academy of Sciences is hosting two programs on Space Exploration this week, with topics including legal agreements for “off planet” governance, bioengineering to make space travel safer for astronauts, and questions of bio-ethics related to interplanetary travel.

Released: 24-Nov-2020 4:45 PM EST
New Global Standards Will Make Traveling with Liquids Safer and Easier
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

An important part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission is to develop, implement, improve-upon, and ensure the effectiveness of cutting-edge screening equipment and protocols that help protect the traveling public.

Released: 23-Nov-2020 11:05 AM EST
Flight tests to show B61-12 will work on Air Force’s newest fighter jet
Sandia National Laboratories

A mock B61-12’s strike in the dusty Nevada desert successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests with the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter jet, demonstrating the bomb’s first release from an internal bomb bay at greater than the speed of sound.

Released: 20-Nov-2020 5:05 PM EST
The Motivation for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A new report outlines future research paths that are needed for airlines to reduce carbon emissions and notes that the only way to achieve emission reduction goals is with Sustainable Aviation Fuels.

Released: 18-Nov-2020 4:50 PM EST
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Applauds Boeing and FAA for Resolving 737 MAX Human Factors Design Flaws
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) applauds Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson’s order that returns the Boeing 737 MAX to service following the fatal Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes last year and the aircraft’s subsequent grounding.

Released: 13-Nov-2020 9:45 AM EST
NIAR receives $13.7 million from Air Force for advanced composites research
Wichita State University

The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received another $13.7 million contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to extend the Modeling for Affordable, Sustainable Composites (MASC) research program.

   
Released: 9-Nov-2020 11:05 AM EST
Virtual support from Sandia enabled B61-12 flight test on F-35A jet fighter
Sandia National Laboratories

Overcoming COVID-19 pandemic challenges through virtual means, teams from Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Air Force under the guidance of the National Nuclear Security Administration performed a critical B61-12 flight test aboard the F-35A Lightning II jet fighter.

   
Released: 28-Oct-2020 12:05 AM EDT
Low-cost airlines have adapted best to COVID-19
Universitat Oberta De Catalunya (UOC)

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic reduction in travel, especially to other countries.

15-Oct-2020 9:55 AM EDT
Lily the barn owl reveals how birds fly in gusty winds
University of Bristol

Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions – findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft.

Released: 8-Oct-2020 12:50 PM EDT
Webinar: The Pandemic and the Aviation Industry
University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Experts discuss impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic on air transportation, in an FAA-supported NEXTOR-III webinar.

   
Released: 8-Oct-2020 11:00 AM EDT
UC San Diego’s Center for Energy Research Awarded over $5M for Energy Projects
University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego’s Center for Energy Research (CER) has been awarded two grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) for research focused on developing environment-friendly and cost-competitive energy sources and systems.

Released: 30-Sep-2020 8:00 AM EDT
UIC receives $8M Army Research Laboratory grant for drone fuel sensor research
University of Illinois Chicago

The University of Illinois Chicago has received an $8 million award from the Army Research Laboratory, or ARL, to support the development of specialized sensors to enable drones to use different types of fuel. They also will seek to advance hybrid-electric optimization, which has relevance for commercial drones and other vehicle types.

Released: 17-Sep-2020 2:00 AM EDT
Personal choice regarding health risks will dictate demand for air travel at the holidays
Wichita State University

With holiday travel season on the horizon, a just-released annual forecast from Dean Headley, co-author of the Airline Quality Rating, offers new insights into making travel plans in these extraordinary times.

15-Sep-2020 3:45 PM EDT
Rotating Detonation Engine test-fired forfirst time at UAH’s Johnson Research Center
University of Alabama Huntsville

A Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) has been test-fired for the first time at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System. RDEs are a tantalizing engineering concept that could be transformative for rocket propulsion

Released: 15-Sep-2020 9:40 AM EDT
Prometheus Fuels licenses energy-saving ORNL ethanol-to-jet-fuel process
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The current state-of-the-art process for converting biomass-derived ethanol into aviation fuels is a costly endeavor, both in terms of energy use and capital cost. Zhenglong Li, an ORNL scientist, simplified the process by developing a catalyst that can convert ethanol into mixed olefins.

Released: 14-Sep-2020 5:25 PM EDT
COVID-19 policy makers could learn more about accountability from industries like aviation
University of York

Organisations could improve the transparency and accountability of COVID-19 policy making processes by learning from safety-critical industries like aviation, a new paper shows.

Released: 3-Sep-2020 10:05 PM EDT
Now you see it, now you don’t: adding chameleon-like capabilities to defence drones
University of South Australia

In conjunction with Australia's Department of Defence, University of South Australia material scientists have developed a range of lightweight panels that can change colour on demand, allowing drones to match their appearance to the background colours of the sky.

Released: 28-Aug-2020 2:05 PM EDT
DHS Awards $1 Million to Support Machine Learning Development for Airport Security
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $1 million to a small business to advance explosive detection equipment.

Released: 14-Aug-2020 8:55 AM EDT
AIP CEO Joins CASIS Board to Guide ISS National Lab Projects
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP, joins the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space as a member of their board of directors in their efforts to optimize the use of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. The laboratory is used “for improving quality of life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.” Moloney joins three other new members on the board of directors: Eric D. Isaacs, Elizabeth R. Cantwell and Gale J. Allen.

Released: 12-Aug-2020 4:35 PM EDT
Research finds TSA may have missed thousands of firearms at checkpoints in 2014-2016
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported that it found 4,432 firearms in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints in 2019, and more than 20,000 firearms since 2014.

   
Released: 12-Aug-2020 4:30 PM EDT
How airplanes counteract St. Elmo's Fire during thunderstorms
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

At the height of a thunderstorm, the tips of cell towers, telephone poles, and other tall, electrically conductive structures can spontaneously emit a flash of blue light.

Released: 6-Aug-2020 4:45 PM EDT
UAH gets $1.1 million grant as lead in research on safe use of drones in disasters
University of Alabama Huntsville

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will receive $1.1 million of the $3.3 million in research, education and training grants awarded to universities that comprise the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).

Released: 31-Jul-2020 5:35 PM EDT
Digital Twin program brings new life to old aircraft
Wichita State University

Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)'s Digital Twin program is using two Blackhawk helicopters and a B-1 Bomber to help the military maintain and repair similar aircraft.

20-Jul-2020 8:20 AM EDT
Is it a bird, a plane? Not superman, but a flapping wing drone
University of South Australia

A drone prototype that mimics the aerobatic manoeuvres of one of the world’s fastest birds, the swift, is being developed by an international team of engineers in the latest example of biologically inspired flight.

Released: 17-Jul-2020 8:50 PM EDT
Reduction in commercial flights due to COVID-19 leading to less accurate weather forecasts
American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Weather forecasts have become less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reduction in commercial flights, according to new research.

Released: 9-Jul-2020 1:10 PM EDT
Researchers to streamline process for measuring aviation emissions
Missouri University of Science and Technology

The process that airlines must use to calibrate their jet fuel emissions measuring systems is costly and time-consuming. But researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology won an $847,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant to find a faster and less expensive way to calibrate the devices. To reduce the impact of civil aviation on local air quality and human health, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established and continually improved emissions standards for turbojet and turbofan engine emissions since 1981.

Released: 8-Jul-2020 3:45 PM EDT
Research firm Navatek to open Wichita State office; partnership will greatly grow military research
Wichita State University

Navatek LLC, a contractor focused on technology research for U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Defense and NASA, is opening an office on the Wichita State University campus in fall 2020.

Released: 30-Jun-2020 10:05 AM EDT
Mayo Clinic experts to help guide Delta Air Lines COVID-19 safety measures
Mayo Clinic

Delta Air Lines and Mayo Clinic, a global leader in serious and complex medical care, are deepening their relationship to provide additional safety and COVID-19 infection control measures for customers and employees. The collaboration is another significant step in Delta’s efforts to build upon its foundation of care and cleanliness, known as the Delta CareStandard, to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 during travel.

   
Released: 22-Jun-2020 12:20 PM EDT
Recovery from airline delays works best with future disruptions in mind
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Instead of responding to each flight delay as if it were an isolated event, airlines should consider the likelihood of potential disruptions ahead, researchers report in the journal Transportation Science.

   
Released: 22-Jun-2020 7:50 AM EDT
Pilot assistance system LNAS reduces noise in the approach path
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

During more than 90 approaches to Zurich Airport conducted under the leadership of the Swiss SkyLab Foundation, researchers from Empa and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) tested an assistance system that supports pilots via a display during quiet and, at the same time, fuel-efficient approaches. The results show a measurable reduction in noise emissions and fuel consumption. Now the system, developed by DLR, is to be made ready for production.

Released: 12-Jun-2020 3:05 PM EDT
DHS S&T Launches Tool to Predict Decay of Airborne Coronavirus
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

DHS S&T added a new calculator to their online tools today to estimate the natural decay of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in the air under various environmental conditions.

Released: 12-Jun-2020 9:05 AM EDT
FAA Extends Funding for NEXTOR III Aviation Operations Research Consortium
University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business

The FAA has extended funding for the Maryland Smith-supported consortium that has developed decision support tools, operational and system concepts, and policymaking tools that benefit the FAA, the airline industry and the flying public.

Released: 10-Jun-2020 10:05 AM EDT
Nuclear thermal propulsion research wins UAHgraduate student AAS Molly Macauley Award
University of Alabama Huntsville

Research on seeded hydrogen in nuclear thermal rocket engines has won a graduate research assistant at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) one of two 2020 American Astronautical Society (AAS) Molly Macauley Awards for Science and Engineering.

Released: 8-Jun-2020 11:30 AM EDT
Flight tests show B61-12 compatible with F-15E Strike Eagle
Sandia National Laboratories

Flight tests designed to demonstrate the refurbished B61-12’s compatibility with the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle jet fighter demonstrate the bomb’s compatibility with the jet.

Released: 28-May-2020 9:55 AM EDT
Air Flow Experts Working to Make Sure New Jet Fighters Take Flight — and Land — Safely
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

With the support of a new grant from the Office of Naval Research, aerospace engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are using their extensive knowledge of flow physics to determine how air flow will affect new jet fighters and how that flow can be manipulated or changed for optimal operation.

Released: 20-May-2020 12:05 PM EDT
Wichita State University technology breathes new life into aging Army helicopter fleet
Wichita State University

The US Army is turning to “digital-twin” technology from Wichita State University to resolve challenges and boost efficiencies for its enduring fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.

     
Released: 6-May-2020 8:15 AM EDT
Pivoting for success: Building more resilient UK manufacturing supply chains
University of Warwick

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how manufacturing supply chains are critical to the process of delivering products and services essential to life. Whilst a series of ‘lifeboat’ projects are needed to protect manufacturing capability in the short term, Professor Janet Godsell, from WMG, University of Warwick says now is the time for UK manufacturing supply chains to pivot and build capability for the future.

   
4-May-2020 8:05 AM EDT
Fossil Fuel-Free Jet Propulsion with Air Plasmas
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Humans depend on fossil fuels as their primary energy source, especially in transportation. However, fossil fuels are both unsustainable and unsafe, serving as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers in China have demonstrated a prototype device that uses microwave air plasmas for jet propulsion, generating the high-temperature, high-pressure plasma in situ using only injected air and electricity. They describe the engine in AIP Advances.

Released: 27-Apr-2020 1:40 PM EDT
Electronics for high-altitude use can get smaller and sturdier with new nanomaterials
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Demand is growing for new materials that can be printed at ever smaller dimensions. Scientists are now creating metal-based nanomaterials for circuit boards that could be resistant to high-altitude radiation encountered by aerospace equipment and fighter jets.

Released: 24-Mar-2020 12:40 PM EDT
Sandia supports hypersonic flight test
Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories employees and contractors saw their work culminate in a hypersonic flight test conducted by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army on March 19 at the Kauai Test Facility in Hawaii.

   
Released: 19-Mar-2020 3:05 PM EDT
Dean Headley, Airline Quality Rating co-author from Wichita State University, comments on airline industry financial outlook
Wichita State University

Here's an op-ed by Dean Headley, co-author of the Airline Quality Rating from Wichita State University.



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