Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
Honeywell Anthem is the first production-certified avionics platform using a partitioned architecture that separates the safety-critical core from a cloud-updatable connected layer - and it's already flying.
The FAA's 2014 policy change eliminated TSO certification requirements for advisory AOA displays, cutting installation costs from $6,000 to under $2,000 and finally bringing military-proven stall prevention technology within reach of every certificated aircraft.
The Boeing X-37B has surpassed 1,000 days in orbit on its OTV-7 mission, setting a new endurance record with direct implications for commercial hypersonic aviation.
Garmin's GFC 600 retrofits digital autopilot and envelope protection into legacy GA aircraft, targeting loss of control - GA's leading fatal accident cause.
NASA's X-59 QueSST is testing shaped sonic boom technology that could reduce perceived noise by 60% and reopen U.S. skies to supersonic airliners for the first time since 1973.
Archer Aviation's Midnight is the most credibly positioned eVTOL air taxi in the U.S., backed by United Airlines and a certified FAA certification pathway.
Electra's Goldfinch aircraft uses distributed electric fans to achieve ~150-foot ground rolls, potentially opening thousands of unserved communities to air service.
FIS-B NEXRAD displays in the cockpit show weather that is 5–12 minutes old - understanding that latency is essential for safe convective avoidance.
Multilateration tracks aircraft using time-difference-of-arrival math across passive receiver networks - no radar required, no ADS-B Out needed.
Reliable Robotics has flown a fully autonomous Cessna Caravan and is pursuing a retrofit certification strategy that could reshape autonomous cargo aviation.
On July 1, 2002, 71 people died over Uberlingen when a crew chose ATC over a TCAS Resolution Advisory - here's why that rule is absolute.
The Air Force's X-20 Dyna-Soar was a pilot-flown reusable orbital spacecraft canceled in 1963 - and its engineering legacy directly shaped the Space Shuttle, X-37B, and Dream Chaser.
How Category III autoland works, where it came from, and why its 1950s engineering still underpins every commercial airliner landing in near-zero visibility today.
Joby Aviation's S4 six-rotor electric air taxi leads all eVTOL developers in flight test hours and holds FAA Stage 5 noise certification, with type certification expected between 2025 and 2027.
Lilium raised over $1.2 billion, flew hundreds of test flights, and still went insolvent in October 2024 - here's what that gap between prototype and certified aircraft means for aviation's electric future.
REGENT Craft's Viceroy carries 12 passengers at 180 mph nine feet above water - and may reach commercial service before any eVTOL by certifying as a ship, not an aircraft.
How Burt Rutan's feathering wing solved spacecraft reentry without a heat shield - the aerodynamic insight that launched commercial space tourism.
GOES-R delivers five-minute CONUS satellite imagery and continuous lightning detection, giving pilots a 15–25 minute lead over radar on developing storms.
GPS spoofing in the Middle East and Baltic regions is silently feeding false position data into ADS-B transponders, with no onboard alert to warn pilots or controllers.
Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL has logged thousands of test flights and secured a 100-aircraft United Airlines order - here's what the specs and certification math actually show.