Silicon Valley startup Opener recently debuted their Blackfly VTOL aircraft at this year’s AirVenture Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin. Touted as “the world’s first ultralight all-electric fixed-wing extreme short/vertical take-off and landing (ESTOL/VTOL) aircraft,” the single-seat personal aircraft doesn’t require a pilot’s license to operate or need any unique skills, although it will require you to…
Hey, remember last year when a retired limo driver said he would launch himself into space with a homemade rocket? After countless delays due to rocket repairs and his inability to get a proper permit to fly, “Mad” Mike Hughes was finally able to launch his creation sky high… …before crashing back down to earth…
Count this one under one of the coolest engineering class projects, ever. JetX, an aerospace student team founded by University of Glasgow President Chris Triantafyllou, is currently working with Rolls Royce (yes, THAT Rolls Royce) to make the world’s first COMPLETE 3D printed scale jet engine model. Aptly named the X-Plorer 1, the engine measures…
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos aren’t the only renegades out there building rockets. “Mad” Mike Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who apparently has had enough of driving on land and has set his sights to the stars. The ‘Flat-Earther’ has spent the past few years using his self-taught knowledge of rocket science to create…
Jet packs aren’t going to be the only way to get around in the not-too-distant future. While it sounds like pure science fiction, the days of flying cars are soon upon us. And no, it’s not Elon Musk helping to lead the charge on this one. This time around, it’s none other than Google co-founder…
While 3D printing may still be in the midst of having an identity crisis in the world of mass production (although the recent Adidas and Carbon partnership looks promising), there is no shortage of applications for custom parts in the aviation industry. Although airline manufacturers have been using a variety of additive manufacturing methods for…
No matter how you crease, fold, cut, or throw them, paper airplanes are a ridiculously fun way to learn the basics of aerodynamics at any age. For Sao-Paola based designer Arthur Sacek, they were also the inspiration behind his latest LEGO build: an automated paper airplane manufacturing contraption that can take a single sheet of…
Used widely during World War II, the legendary Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber used for strategic bombing and was beloved for its ability to sustain devastating battle damage and bringing crews back safely. Today, for $9,500, airplane fanatics can own one of three original unused propeller blades from the B-17 that…
Back when it was announced in Fall of 2013, the Martin Jetpack P12 Prototype promised to be the final version of what would unofficially become the world’s first commercially-available jetpack design capable of cutting through the sky a la The Rocketeer. Created by New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft company, the future-inspired designers had previously promised a…
If you’ve always wanted to take a piece of a 747 home with you but don’t have space in the backyard, Boeing has been listening to your concerns. Starting this holiday season, the aerospace manufacturer is selling a collection of discarded airplane parts—some upcycled into other products, some not—through their new online Custom Hangar store.…
No matter how advanced we’ve come with the latest in 3D printer capabilities ranging from resolution to materials, it is still obviously difficult to appreciate the ‘craftsmanship’ of a digitally fabricated model over a hand-built one. Take for example, this 1:60 scale model of a Boeing 777 made out of manila file folders from master…
Using his trademark futuristic lines on an otherwise nostalgic sci-fi centerpiece, Marc Newson’s latest design is a yin and yang of what could have been and what could be. Anybody who remembers the 1991 movie The Rocketeer may have a sudden flashback–but hold the steampunk; Marc injects this iconic fantasy product with a little bit…