Engineer's Vault

The 2026 F1 regulations aim to improve aerodynamic efficiency, lightweight cars, and safety features, requiring teams to adapt their designs and enhance the performance, sustainability, and excitement of Formula 1 racing. #FIA #F1 #2026

 The Future of Rocket Propulsion: Aerospike Engines by Polaris

Icing has emerged as a primary line of inquiry into the fatal Voepass ATR 72-500 crash near Sao Paulo, during which the aircraft slowed, stalled and entered a flat spin from which the crew did not recover. The aircraft was dispatched with one of its two air-conditioning packs inoperative; which supplies bleed air to the wing de-icing systems. While climbing through 13,000ft an electronic ice-detector alarm was raised. The crew turned on the airframe de-icing system, but shortly turned it off due to an airframe de-icing fault. The ice-detection alarm was raised at least five times; each lasting for several minutes but the system was turned on very late. The reported weather was “very humid” with sub-zero air temperatures, favoring the occurrence of severe aircraft icing” between 12,000ft and 23,000ft. The performance degradation due to icing causes a speed drop to 191 KCAS and once it goes down to 184 KCAS aircraft performance monitor raises the alert level. Execution of a turn caused the speed to drop to a further 169 KCAS causing the aircraft stall and subsequently a flat spin. #AviationSafety #AircraftIcing #VoepassCrash #FlightSafety #AviationInvestigation https://lnkd.in/dVrazB5Z

Aurora Flight Sciences has completed a seven-hour flight test of its hydrogen fuel cell-powered small uncrewed aircraft system, the SKIRON-XLE. The Boeing-fitted sUAS, which combines electric vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing forward flight, weighed 54 pounds at take-off. The test demonstrated the SKIRON-XLE's ability to unlock longer flight times while being easy to deploy and operate. #AuroraFlightSciences #HydrogenFuelCell #UncrewedAircraft #SustainableAviation #InnovationInFlight https://lnkd.in/dhe93bWW

Pivotal has won Gold in the 2024 NY Product Design Awards for its first production aircraft, the Helix. The fixed-wing aircraft, built on Pivotal's fourth-generation eVTOL platform, is efficient, and compact. Its design philosophy revolves around elegance, intelligence, and simplicity, with automated features like landing assist. #PivotalHelix #NYProductDesignAwards #eVTOLInnovation #AerospaceExcellence #DesignSimplicity https://lnkd.in/dnX4rhdB

The U.S. Air Force is exploring defense applications for autonomous flight technology developed by private companies Joby Aviation and Reliable Robotics. The Air Force's Agile Flag 24-3 exercise at Mojave Air and Space Port in California aimed to evaluate how the technology could support the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. The Air Force awarded Reliable, Joby, and Xwing Phase II and III small business innovation research (SBIR) contracts through Autonomy Prime, a technology program within AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation arm. Autonomous flight software is in high demand, as it can taxi, take off, fly up to 1,150 miles, and land with 1,200 pounds of cargo. The Air Force believes autonomous aircraft will increase sorties and flying hours by reducing delays in aircraft maintenance. #AutonomousFlight #AirForceInnovation #DefenseTechnology #AgileCombatEmployment #SBIRContracts https://lnkd.in/dmuvqK_y

Boom's XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft completed its second flight on August 26, showcasing significant advancements in development. The team retracted and extended the landing gear, evaluated the aircraft's handling, and activated a new digital stability augmentation system. The XB-1 flew for 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 10,400 feet and speeds of 232 knots. Boom will soon expand the flight envelope to explore the flutter margins and may achieve sonic flight this year. #BoomXB1 #SupersonicFlight #AerospaceInnovation #FlightTesting #AviationAdvancements https://lnkd.in/dVV7sd3U

Carbon Revolution's carbon fiber wheels are now available on the Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two, resulting in a weight saving of 167.6 pounds when fitted with lightweight options. This enables the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds, according to JLR. https://lnkd.in/dyJsVnE7

EVA Air is the first Asian airline to use AeroSHARK, which reduces drag and cuts fuel consumption. AeroSHARK film on nine 777Fs will save over 2,500 metric tons of fuel yearly for EVA Air, cutting CO2 emissions. EVA Air aims for net-zero carbon emissions and is monitoring AeroSHARK tech benefits. #EVAair #AeroSHARK #SustainableAviation #FuelEfficiency #NetZeroEmissions https://lnkd.in/ds4Frud6

Veteran astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams completed an 8-14 day Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Starliner, a milestone ahead of Starliner's certification to join SpaceX's Dragon in escorting astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). However, five reaction control system (RCS) jets were sidelined due to overheating during Starliner's automated approach to the ISS. All but one jet were recovered, and Starliner was able to dock one orbit later. Wilmore and Williams remained aboard the ISS while NASA and Boeing mulled options. Starliner will be reconfigured for an autonomous return to Earth in early September. #VeteranAstronauts #StarlinerCFT #SpaceExploration #NASA #Boeing https://lnkd.in/dKXTQf89