Aerospace

Since 2000, rising oil prices, concerns over running out of oil, greenhouse gas emissions, and instability in the Middle East have pushed interest in biofuels - a renewable energy source derived from recently living organisms and their metabolic byproducts.

A California company is developing the Aeroscraft, a plane that will take off and land like a helicopter, but will use 14 million ft3 of helium to hoist two-thirds of the craft's weight.

Boeing recently flew the first major assemblies for its 787 Dreamliner from Nagoya, Japan, to Charleston courtesy of a modified and none-too-pretty 747-400 known as the Dreamlifter.

It might not be the perfect vehicle for everyone, but the personal hot-air blimp could be the next big thing for the pilot who wants to launch from the backyard.

Balanced on his small kiteboard, Swedish kitesurfing champion Christian Dittrich brings his audience to its feet when he pilots his way into the power zone.

A team of engineers in Maryland has developed a scramjet engine they say efficiently mixes fuel in an aircraft that might travel as fast as Mach 25.

OC Robotics in the U.K., has built and tested a snake-arm robot capable of sealing, swaging, and inspecting the inside of hard-to-reach airplane structures.

It's a simple idea: Design a wing that changes shape in flight. The Wright brothers tried it with wing warping.

Scaled Composites LLC used finite-element analysis to analyze buckling and optimize the weight of its SpaceShipOne.

Tests reveal that a new lithium-soap-thickened, synthetic grease may help mission-critical aerospace components keep rolling under extreme loads and corrosive environments.

Custom hybrid ball bearings from Pacamor Kubar Bearings go in rocket-engine controls and withstand both cryogenic temperatures and the vacuum of space.

Tip-entry machining of blisks can be practical for shorter blades. Machining blades in a single operation improves efficiency and reduces head movements and chance of collisions.

Aircraft engine-maker Textron Lycoming, Williamsport Pa., is recalling crankshafts used in Robinson helicopters, late-model Cessna 182s, and some Commander 112s.

Engineers have managed to shrink the modern jet engine until it is small enough to fit in model planes.

An active vibration-control system damps out vibrations from the main rotor to the fuselage in Advanced Light Helicopters (DHRUVs) made by Hindustan.