The CFM RISE Open Fan, the Engine With No Cowling, and the Bet That the Ducted Turbofan Has Hit Its Limit
CFM's RISE open fan ditches the engine cowling to cut fuel burn 20%, betting the ducted turbofan has hit its efficiency ceiling.
Cleared Direct
Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro, the First Type-Certified Electric Airplane, and the Slovenian Trainer That Made Battery Flight Legal
The Pipistrel Velis Electro became the first type-certified electric airplane in June 2020, making battery-powered flight training legal.
The Privacy ICAO Address, LADD, and How ADS-B Made Every Airplane Trackable and Then Had to Invent a Way to Disappear
How ADS-B made every aircraft trackable in the clear - and how LADD and the Privacy ICAO Address let some pilots disappear.
The Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation, the Fastest All-Electric Airplane, and What a Three Hundred Eighty-Seven Mile-Per-Hour Speed Record Really Taught the Engineers
How the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation set a 387 mph electric flight record - and why the real breakthrough was battery heat, not speed.
Airbus Fly-By-Wire, Normal Law, and the Flight Envelope the Airplane Simply Will Not Let You Leave
Radio Hangar explores Airbus Fly-By-Wire, Normal Law, and the Flight Envelope the Airplane Simply Will Not Let You Leave.
Aireon, Space-Based ADS-B, and the Sixty-Six Satellites That Finally Put Eyes on the Ocean Where Radar Never Could
How Aireon's 66 Iridium satellites brought ADS-B surveillance to the oceans and poles, tightening separation and saving fuel.
Dream Chaser, the Runway-Landing Spaceplane, and Why the Shape of the Space Shuttle Refused to Die
How Sierra Space's Dream Chaser lands like an airplane on a runway, and why the Space Shuttle's lifting-body shape keeps coming back.
FADEC, Full Authority Digital Engine Control, and the Little Black Box That Wants to Delete the Mixture Knob, the Prop Lever, and the Carb Heat All at Once
FADEC gives a computer full authority over an aircraft engine's fuel and timing - here's how it works and why it's still rare in piston planes.
JetZero, the Blended Wing Body, and the Bet That the Tube-and-Wing Airliner Has Finally Run Out of Room
Radio Hangar explores JetZero, the Blended Wing Body, and the Bet That the Tube-and-Wing Airliner Has Finally Run Out of Room.
JetZero, the Z4 Blended Wing Body, and the Airplane That Deletes the Line Between Wing and Fuselage
JetZero's Z4 blended wing body promises up to 50% less fuel burn by making the whole airframe a wing - here's why it might finally work.
The uAvionix AV-30-C, the Round-Gauge Glass That Slides Into the Hole Where Your Vacuum Attitude Indicator Used to Spin
The uAvionix AV-30-C is a ~$2,000 solid-state instrument that drops into a standard 3⅛-inch panel hole to replace failing vacuum gyros.
ZeroAvia, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powertrain, and the Dornier That Flew on Water Vapor Instead of Kerosene
Radio Hangar explores ZeroAvia, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powertrain, and the Dornier That Flew on Water Vapor Instead of Kerosene.
Boom XB-1, Boomless Cruise, and the Mojave Flight That Made America Supersonic Again Without Rattling a Single Window
Boom's XB-1 flew supersonic without a sonic boom reaching the ground - here's how Mach cutoff works and what it means for supersonic travel.
Electra's EL9 Ultra Short, Blown-Lift eSTOL, and the Hybrid-Electric Nine-Seater That Wants to Take Off in the Length of a Soccer Field
Radio Hangar explores Electra's EL9 Ultra Short, Blown-Lift eSTOL, and the Hybrid-Electric Nine-Seater That Wants to Take Off in the Length of a Soccer Field.
Garmin Smart Glide, the Button That Flies Your Airplane to the Nearest Runway While You Figure Out Why the Engine Quit
Garmin Smart Glide automates the first 60 seconds of an engine failure - glide math, airport selection, and radio setup - while leaving the landing to you.
Pipistrel Nuuva V300, the Cargo eVTOL That Skips the Passengers and Bets the Whole Future of Electric Flight on Freight
The Pipistrel Nuuva V300 is a hybrid cargo eVTOL that hauls ~1,000 lbs with no pilot, betting the future of electric flight on freight.
Stratolaunch, the Roc, and the Three Hundred Eighty-Five Foot Wingspan Built to Drop a Hypersonic Airplane at the Edge of the Sky
Stratolaunch's Roc, the largest-wingspan aircraft ever flown, now drops reusable Talon-A vehicles into hypersonic flight for U.S. defense testing.
TCAS to ACAS X, the Climb-Climb-Now Voice in the Cockpit, and the Optimized Logic That's Teaching Collision Avoidance to Turn Left Instead of Just Up
Radio Hangar explores TCAS to ACAS X, the Climb-Climb-Now Voice in the Cockpit, and the Optimized Logic That's Teaching Collision Avoidance to Turn Left Instead of Just Up.
The ADS-B Spoofing Problem, the Surveillance System That Trusts Every Airplane, and Why There's No Password on the Signal Broadcasting Your Position
ADS-B broadcasts aircraft positions with no encryption or authentication - here's why it's spoofable and why the system around it still keeps flying safe.
The Energy Density Wall, Watt-Hours Per Kilogram, and the One Number Electric Aviation Has to Beat Before Any of It Works
Electric aviation lives or dies on one number: watt-hours per kilogram. Here's the energy wall it has to beat.