Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
Joby's S4 air taxi is deep in FAA certification, but the paperwork - not the flying - decides when you'll actually ride one.
Inside Stratolaunch's Roc, the widest airplane ever built, and how it became a reusable runway in the sky for hypersonic flight testing.
CFM's RISE open fan ditches the engine cowling to cut fuel burn 20%, betting the ducted turbofan has hit its efficiency ceiling.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro became the first type-certified electric airplane in June 2020, making battery-powered flight training legal.
How ADS-B made every aircraft trackable in the clear - and how LADD and the Privacy ICAO Address let some pilots disappear.
How the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation set a 387 mph electric flight record - and why the real breakthrough was battery heat, not speed.
Radio Hangar explores Airbus Fly-By-Wire, Normal Law, and the Flight Envelope the Airplane Simply Will Not Let You Leave.
How Aireon's 66 Iridium satellites brought ADS-B surveillance to the oceans and poles, tightening separation and saving fuel.
How Sierra Space's Dream Chaser lands like an airplane on a runway, and why the Space Shuttle's lifting-body shape keeps coming back.
FADEC gives a computer full authority over an aircraft engine's fuel and timing - here's how it works and why it's still rare in piston planes.
Radio Hangar explores JetZero, the Blended Wing Body, and the Bet That the Tube-and-Wing Airliner Has Finally Run Out of Room.
JetZero's Z4 blended wing body promises up to 50% less fuel burn by making the whole airframe a wing - here's why it might finally work.
The uAvionix AV-30-C is a ~$2,000 solid-state instrument that drops into a standard 3⅛-inch panel hole to replace failing vacuum gyros.
Radio Hangar explores ZeroAvia, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powertrain, and the Dornier That Flew on Water Vapor Instead of Kerosene.
Boom's XB-1 flew supersonic without a sonic boom reaching the ground - here's how Mach cutoff works and what it means for supersonic travel.
Radio Hangar explores Electra's EL9 Ultra Short, Blown-Lift eSTOL, and the Hybrid-Electric Nine-Seater That Wants to Take Off in the Length of a Soccer Field.
Garmin Smart Glide automates the first 60 seconds of an engine failure - glide math, airport selection, and radio setup - while leaving the landing to you.
The Pipistrel Nuuva V300 is a hybrid cargo eVTOL that hauls ~1,000 lbs with no pilot, betting the future of electric flight on freight.
Stratolaunch's Roc, the largest-wingspan aircraft ever flown, now drops reusable Talon-A vehicles into hypersonic flight for U.S. defense testing.
Radio Hangar explores TCAS to ACAS X, the Climb-Climb-Now Voice in the Cockpit, and the Optimized Logic That's Teaching Collision Avoidance to Turn Left Instead of Just Up.