FROM THE INSTITUTE
A tiny plasma device may hold the key to a long‑standing problem in aviation: skin‑friction drag. A thin strip of electrodes that ionizes the air (plasma) on an aircraft’s skin could make the aircraft more efficient, while using a minimum amount of energy. Thomas Corke, Clark Chair Professor of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and the founding director of the university’s Flow Physics and Control Institute, explained that such a device can help a plane glide through the sky with less effort – without spending any more energy – by reducing drag, a long-standing challenge in aviation.
Tag: future aircraft
Aviation Startups Showcase Disruptive New Aircraft Coming by 2050
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Commercial aviation is staring down a massive shortfall—and time is running out. According to industry estimates, more than 40,000 new aircraft will be needed by 2050 to meet global air transportation demand. Yet between them, the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers—Boeing and Airbus—can only deliver about 26,000 new aircraft by the midpoint of this century.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Roper Says Sixth-Generation Aircraft Will Include AI Co-Pilot
ExecutiveGov reports that Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Will Roper “said the service branch’s future sixth-generation aircraft will feature an artificial intelligence co-pilot, Breaking Defense reported Friday.” The Next-Generation Air Dominance program “will apply AI as a support platform for human pilots aboard the future aircraft.” Roper “said the service will have to determine how to certify the AI platforms for this envisioned human-AI teaming approach.”
Full Story (ExecutiveGov)