WSJ’s Middle Seat columnist Scott McCartney tallies the data for which airlines performed best and worst in 2020 for things like on-time arrivals, complaints and flight cancellations. Photo: Getty Images
Category Archives: Aviation
Analysis: China’s Aircraft Manufacturer ‘Comac’ Tests New Passenger Jet
As the pandemic continues to weigh on the aviation industry, Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac has been pushing ahead with testing a new passenger jet. If successful, the C919 could rival Boeing and Airbus in the largest aviation market in the world. Photo illustration: Sharon Shi
Future Transportation: GM Reveals ‘Electric Flying Vehicle’ (Video)
At CES 2021, GM reveals a flying car dubbed eVTOL. The electric flying vehicle is GM’s vision for personal transportation.
January 12, 2021 – General Motors today revealed a futuristic new Cadillac Vertical Take-Off and Landing Vehicle (VTOL) that is designed to ferry city-dwelling business people from rooftop to rooftop.
The Cadillac VTOL is described as an “all-electric, single-seat, well-appointed aircraft,” that can travel between skyscrapers at speeds of up to 55 mph, or 90 km/h. A vehicle such as this could be useful for businessmen and women that need to quickly get from one side of a major metropolitan area to the other for a meeting or another important engagement, bypassing any ground-level traffic that may be bogging the city’s streets down.
Analysis: ‘How Airlines Are Transporting The Covid-19 Vaccines’ (CNBC Video)
Major U.S. airlines like American Airlines, United and Delta have stepped up to become a crucial part of the vaccine delivery supply chain alongside logistic giants like UPS, FedEx and DHL. Even though it’s only one part of the journey, it’s a critical one. DHL and McKinsey estimate vaccinating the world will require up to 15,000 flights.
Aviation: The ‘Ten Most Innovative Amphibious Aircrafts’ (Video)
From aquatic planes to amphibious aircraft, taking off and landing on the water can be beneficial. Amphibious planes can be used for fishing, search and rescue, and even anti-submarine warfare. let’s take a look at the 10 most innovative amphibious planes.
Future Of Air Travel: ‘Airbus ZEROe – Next-Gen Hydrogen Planes’ (Video)
Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. These concepts each represent a different approach to achieving zero-emission flight, exploring various technology pathways and aerodynamic configurations in order to support the company’s ambition of leading the way in the decarbonisation of the entire aviation industry.
All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source – an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral targets.
The three concepts – all codenamed “ZEROe” – for a first climate neutral zero-emission commercial aircraft include:
•A turbofan design (120-200 passengers) with a range of 2,000+ nautical miles, capable of operating transcontinentally and powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. The liquid hydrogen will be stored and distributed via tanks located behind the rear pressure bulkhead.
• A turboprop design (up to 100 passengers) using a turboprop engine instead of a turbofan and also powered by hydrogen combustion in modified gas-turbine engines, which would be capable of traveling more than 1,000 nautical miles, making it a perfect option for short-haul trips.
• A “blended-wing body” design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft with a range similar to that of the turbofan concept. The exceptionally wide fuselage opens up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution, and for cabin layout.
Technology: Dutch ‘PAL-V’ Is World’s First Certified Flying Car (Video)
The world’s first-ever commercial flying car was recently unveiled by Dutch vehicle manufacturer PAL-V. Here’s what that means for our roads (and our skies).
Starting with the undercarriage, which PAL-V credits as their main breakthrough. The company was looking for a three-wheeled design that could still be stable when turning at normal road-going speeds.
In 2005, they discovered the work of another Dutch company, Carver, which made 3-wheeled cars that tilted like motorcycles. A hydraulic tilting system like that could eliminate the need for a 4th wheel and also be useful to raise the whole vehicle up, giving it ground clearance for a rear-facing propeller. Then there was the matter of generating lift.
Fixed wing aircraft need air to move over their wings fast enough to stay aloft, otherwise they’ll stall. A fixed wing flying car has to compromise the size and shape of its wings in the name of practicality, meaning its risk of stalling is higher. So PAL-V chose a rotary wing design instead, but rather than make their flying car a helicopter, they decided it should be an autogyro.
This Flying Car Costs $599K—and It’s Now Street Legal in Holland https://singularityhub.com/2020/10/29…
“In driving mode the Liberty can go up to 99 miles per hour, and in flight mode its max speed is 112 miles per hour. For comparison’s sake, the average helicopter can go up to about 160 miles per hour.”
Aviation: ‘Why Boeing’s 737 Max Is Flying Again’ (Video)
After two deadly crashes that killed 346 people and a worldwide grounding that lasted almost two years, the FAA is giving the Boeing 737 Max jets the green light to fly again. However, many are worried that the changes to the plane are not enough. Can the U.S. trust the revisions made to the jet and the software updates to the MCAS system?
Health: ‘Travel Bubbles’- Can They Revive Air Travel?
Travel bubbles are under development in some places in an effort to revive air travel, which has plummeted during the pandemic. WSJ explains how reopening the skies without quarantine requirements at both ends of a trip could help reboot the global economy.
Illustration: Crystal Tai
Travel: ‘Soaring Over The American Southwest’
Filmed and Edited by: Andrew Studer
I have such a strong admiration for the diverse formations and complex patterns of the American Southwest that truly make you feel like you’re on another planet.
The Southwestern United States (called the American Southwest or simply the Southwest) is a region of the western United States. The region is warmer than the northern states and drier than the eastern states. The area includes Arizona and New Mexico, sometimes called the “Desert Southwest.” Often counted as part of the Southwest are Southern California, parts of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado and western Texas. The Southwest has seen large amounts of growth in recent years, both the Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada areas are amongst the fastest growing in the country.
Boomers Daily 