Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
ZeroAvia's hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain works - but a cryogenic tank problem and missing fuel infrastructure stand between it and your ramp.
ZeroAvia flew a 19-seat Dornier 228 on a hydrogen fuel cell in January 2023 - here's what it means and why batteries can't compete.
How air-launch to orbit works, why Pegasus still flies, and why dropping a rocket off a wing is harder and pricier than it sounds.
Radio Hangar explores Aireon, the ADS-B Receivers Riding on the Iridium Satellites, and the Oceanic Gap That Let a Triple Seven Vanish.
How Beta Technologies built an electric airplane and the CCS charging network it needs - and why the plain fixed-wing came first.
How engineer Don Bateman's Ground Proximity Warning System nearly eliminated Controlled Flight Into Terrain, aviation's deadliest killer.
Garmin Smart Glide pitches for best glide, finds a reachable runway, and tunes your radio with one button - closing the deadly startle gap after an engine failure.
NASA's X-59 aims to replace the sonic boom with a quiet 'thump' and overturn a 50-year U.S. ban on supersonic flight over land.
The Garmin GI 275 replaces the failure-prone vacuum attitude indicator with a solid-state, battery-backed glass display that fits the standard round cutout.
How REGENT's all-electric Viceroy seaglider uses wing-in-ground effect and hydrofoils to fly one wingspan above the water.
How Airbus ATTOL flew a wide-body's takeoff, taxi, and landing using cameras instead of an ILS beam - and why the team refused to oversell it.
Radio Hangar explores JetZero, the Blended Wing Body, and the Fifty-Percent Fuel Cut That Wants to Erase the Line Between the Wing and the Fuselage.
CFM's RISE open fan engine ditches the cowl to chase 20% lower fuel burn on the next single-aisle jet - here's how it works and when it might fly.
NASA's LOFTID test flew a folding, inflatable heat shield to orbital reentry speed - a drag device that could one day land heavy cargo on Mars.
Why the U.S. runs ADS-B on two frequencies - 978 MHz UAT and 1090 ES - and what it means for your cockpit traffic and weather.
How the Pipistrel Velis Electro became the world's first certified electric airplane - and the battery math behind its 50-minute mission.
The Rotax 916 iS delivers 160 hp from a turbocharged four-cylinder that runs on car gas and flies with a single power lever.
How ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric Dornier 228 flight proved fuel-cell propulsion can power real regional aircraft - and the hurdles that remain.
How Aireon's ADS-B receivers on 66 Iridium satellites erased the ocean's surveillance blind spots and ended the era of the untracked airplane.
Boom's XB-1, a new FAA noise standard, and Mach cutoff physics could finally return supersonic flight to the skies over land.