FROM THE INSTITUTE
Electric aviation may have proven it can fly, but whether it can scale is now the central question, according to industry and government experts at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026. The session explored how more electric and hybrid‑electric aircraft can transition from high‑profile demonstrations to routine service in regional markets.
Tag: Aeronautics
DARPA and Aurora Prepare X-65 CRANE for Next Phase of Flight Testing
Aviation International News reports, “The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) says its experimental uncrewed X-65 has moved a step closer to its first flight, with its wings manufactured and ready to be assembled with the fuselage. On June 23, project partner Aurora Flight Sciences it has received the first wing set and has started integrating this with the rest of the aircraft.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
EASA Orders Urgent Inspections of 16 Airbus A380s Over Wing Crack Concerns
Aerotime reports, “The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has demanded that 16 Airbus A380 aircraft are urgently inspected, including five that must be checked before flying commercially again. On June 22, 2026, EASA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (2026-0119-E) calling for wing mid spars inspections of 15 A380s operated by Emirates and one by Qantas.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
NASA Turns Focus to Revolutionary Aircraft Concepts for Mid-Century
Aviation Week reports, “In 2010, U.S. industry completed a series of studies that set NASA’s aeronautics research agenda for the next two decades: hybrid wing bodies, truss-braced wings, hybrid-electric propulsion and high-rate composites. As industry prepares to select technologies for a next-generation single-aisle airliner to enter service in the mid-2030s, NASA has shifted its focus to the horizon to identify concepts and technologies for aircraft entering service in 2050 and beyond.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Air Force Greenlights General Atomics FQ-42A CCA for Production
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has received a production contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for the FQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The initial order is a significant milestone, beginning the delivery of production aircraft to the warfighter. GA-ASI designed, developed and flight-tested FQ-42A on an accelerated schedule unlike any fighter in recent history.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Eve 100 eVTOL Prepares for First Transition Flight Ahead of Farnborough
Aviation International News reports, “Eve Air Mobility is preparing to make the first low-speed transition flight of its Eve 100 eVTOL in the coming weeks. This milestone, which Eve predicts will happen shortly before the Farnborough International air show in July, will precede a full-speed transition at 90 knots later in the year.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
From Boomless Cruise to Overture, Boom Bets on Passenger-Centric Design
US Navy Jet Trainer Competition Down to Two Final Contenders
Aviation News reports, “The US Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition has officially narrowed to just two remaining aerospace competitors following high-profile industry withdrawals. This high-stakes defense acquisition program will ultimately deliver the next-generation aircraft platform required to train future Navy and Marine Corps aviators.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
NASA X-59 Reaches Mach 1.4 at Mission Altitude
Aviation Week reports, “NASA’s X-59 Quesst low-boom supersonic demonstrator achieved Mach 1.4 at 55,000 ft. on June 12, representing the speed and altitude planned for flights over U.S. communities to measure the public response to reduced sonic booms.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Vaeridion Signs New Microliner Deals, Partners with General Atomics
Aviation International News reports, “Electric aircraft developer Vaeridion inked letters of intent (LOI) for more than 100 of its nine-passenger Microliners with six prospective European operators. Reporting the deals at the ILA air show in Berlin on June 10, the German start-up also announced a partnership with drone manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which will use Vaeridion’s battery technology.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)