Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 38. Flight test aircraft

November 10, 2023, ©. Leeham News: We are discussing the different design phases of an airliner development program. After covering Conceptual, Preliminary, and Detailed design, we now discuss prototype manufacturing and testing. Today, we look at the different… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 35. Prototype manufacturing and Testing

October 20, 2023, ©. Leeham News: We are discussing the different design phases of an airliner development program. The typical phases and their time use and manning are described in the Gant chart in Figure 1. After covering… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 28. Alternative Preliminary design

September 1, 2023, ©. Leeham News: We described the Preliminary design phase of an airliner development program last week. One could say this was the classical way that aircraft projects conduct Preliminary design. There is a different way… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 26. Airliner development program

August 18, 2023, ©. Leeham News: We started last week to look at how to make the development of a new airliner family more efficient. First, we describe how development projects are phased and how many people with… Read More

Pontifications: NASA pulls the plug on electric airplanes

Some odds and ends after three weeks on the road. NASA pulls the plug on electric airplane research. NASA and Boeing’s Transonic Truss Brace Wing contract. Engines and the TTBW. July 18, 2023, © Leeham News: When NASA… Read More

Kawasaki joins VoltAero to present a sensible hybrid aircraft

June 18, 2023, © Leeham News at Paris Air Show: VoltAero showed its Cassio 330 electric-hybrid test aircraft today at the Pairs Air Show, as it announced Kawasaki as the partner in realizing its rather different hybrid propulsion system…. Read More

Alaska Airlines announces hydrogen-electric partnership with ZeroAvia

By Bryan Corliss May 2, 2023 © Leeham News – Two-and-a-half years ago, a hydrogen-powered regional aircraft for Alaska Airlines was a caffeine-fueled brainstorm, the airline’s head of development said.  Two-and-a-half years from today, the flight of this… Read More

UPDATED: All-electric Eviation Alice takes 1st flight

By Bryan Corliss Sept. 27, 2022 © Leeham News: The battery-powered Eviation Alice has flown for the first time. The nine-seat aircraft, powered by twin electric propeller motors assembled by Eviation’s sister company, magniX, rotated up and took… Read More

P&W, Collins Aerospace launch hybrid-electric demonstrator

By Scott Hamilton July 18, 2022 (BST), © Leeham News: Pratt & Whitney and sister company Collins Aerospace announced the launch of a hybrid-electric technology demonstrator, it was announced today at the Farnborough Air Show. This program is… Read More

Airbus and CFM reveal ZEROe demonstrator aircraft

February 22, 2022, © Leeham News: Airbus and the CFM partners, GE Aviation and SAFRAN, presented a ZEROe Sustainability demonstrator today that builds on a heavily modified A380 prototype. On the rear roof of the A380, a pylon… Read More