Research & Innovation

When the search area to find the wreck of the Malaysia Airlines 777 in the Indian Ocean has finally been precisely defined, the US Navy will put its TPL-25 into action. This triangular probe will listen to the sea's sound environment at great depths.
 

Will we one day fly in a fully robot constructed plane? One question that arises when we see these images of the assembly site at Puerto Real Cadiz in Spain. Airbus is currently testing this first so-called collaborative robot to perform specific tasks...
 

Flight at eight times the speed of sound, and with passengers, is the halucinating challenge that the European Space Agency has launched with 16 partners. Since 2005, 17 million euros has been consecrated to the feasibility study of a hypersonic aircraft, called LAPCAT. Unconventional in many ways, the aircraft...
 

Over the last two years Nanolike, a French "start- up", has been developing miniature sensors, or "nanosensors", that could be applied to the external surfaces of the aircraft within the near future - nanosensors the diameter of a human hair in size and capable of measuring deformation, temperature and humidity !
 

Each day Virgin Galactic gets a little closer to the first commercial flight in space history. On January 10th., the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) prototype, carried out its 3rd., supersonic test flight at its Californian base in the United States. Carried aloft by a shuttle, the ship...
 

Each year worldwide, 26 million pieces of luggage are lost in the maze of airport complexes. To overcome this phenomenon, here is the latest solution: Bag2Go is its name, the "high tech" suitcase impossible to lose ! And for good reason...
 

?To improve product design, manufacturing procedures, and controls, new technological tools are emerging, such as here on the premises of the engine manufacturer Snecma (Safran Group), in the Paris suburbs. Touchpads, robots, electronic wrenches, we took a quick look at the innovations in this part of the aviation industry...
 

On the occasion of an international conference organized by the French Academy of Air and Space, the main aeronautical manufacturers representing the sector met in Toulouse ( south west France ) to talk to about “The future”.. The CEO of Safran, the Director of Scientific Strategy from Dassault and the President of Airbus Operations outlined their visions...
 

For the time being it’s only a concept, an idea, but it could radically change aircraft passenger seating. Seymourpowell, a UK specialist design agency involved in the conception of products as varied as motorcycles, sex toys, and coffee machines, has now come up with the "Morph", an airline seat…
 

You may well remember, two years ago we presented an electric multi-copter developed by the German company "e-volo". Well here is their second and latest version, looking not much like the original design, thanks to its 18 rotors powered by six batteries… WATCH THE VIDEO
 

In 2010 the eruption of an Icelandic volcano paralyzed air traffic for six days. Due to the high concentration in the atmosphere of volcanic ash which can damage jet engines, more than 100,000 flights were cancelled. Today, a new radar system could overcome this problem.
 

After the "Pal-V One" and "Transition" this is the " AeroMobil ". It's the latest flying car, and on the design side, compares very favourably with its competitors…
 

In 2006, Alexander Feray created an innovative consulting and software company called OpenAirlines which now has around 10 employees and, after 5 years of research, has developed a software allowing airlines to reduce fuel consumption. Here’s how…
 

This is the new high-tech trend which everyone is talking about : 3D printing. This technique which can literally print full size parts has existed for the last fifteen years. But over the last 2 years, it has been put to more and more use, even in aeronautics.
 

To fly tomorrow with still less fuel, less emissions and noise... we must innovate ! EADS spends more than 3 and a half billion euros on research and development. Their latest project : a hybrid 100-seater electric aircraft ! Details follow...
 

On 4th September , the Transoceans Association succeeded in crossing the English Channel with an electric powered airship in record time ! At the controls of the Iris Challenger 2, the two aeronauts proved that zero CO2 emission air transport is possible… and it's just the beginning !
 

On June 13, the Canadian team Aerovelo won the Sikorsky competition... Their helicopter operated by leg power flew for 64 seconds at more than 3 metres above ground ! A world first...
 

At Toulon (southern France), SMAC the company specializing in the manufacture of rubber products has just developed "Smacpreg", a material that reduces noise in aircraft cabins by 10% !
 

Since 2010, a telescope has been observing the atmosphere of planets and the formation of stars from 13,000 metres altitude. Thanks to SOFIA, a modified Boeing 747, scientists hope one day to be able to pierce the greater mysteries of the universe…