Important Innovations

  Pentagon's DARPA Seeking JetPack Prototypes                                                       Source:  Carbon Fiber JetPack Wing Source:  JetPack Stock Image Portable Personal Mobility Vehicles The US Pentagon's DARPA, or Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, wants to equip the US military with highly advanced and reliable flying jetpacks, also known as portable personal air mobility systems.  They have invited companies to send their prototypes for jetpacks and other unique, personal, portable flying technologies for development. Technologies of Interest DARPA's level of interest for new forms of personal air mobility is fascinating.  Beside jetpacks, technologies of interest include powered wing suits, powered gliders and powered parafoils which, according to DARPA, "can leverage emerging ele...

  Flying Carriers With Swarming Gremlin Drones                                                          Source:  DARPA Flying Aircraft Carrier Rendering                    Source:  DARPA's Flying Carrier and Gremlin Drones DARPA R&D Project Stranger Than Science Fiction The Pentagon's DARPA (the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency) is working at forever changing the face of warfare.  They are developing for the US military huge, flying aircraft carriers.  The carriers would be loaded with highly advanced drones, called Gremlins, instead of fighter jets.  Military officials believe the carriers would be safer in the the sky than on the ocean where they are becoming increasingly vulnerable to long range missile...

  Perseverance Rover Monitoring the Martian Weather                     Source: NASA Perseverance & Ingenuity on Mars WX Critical For Ingenuity Helicopter Flights  History continues to be made by NASA, its Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity drone helicopter on Mars.  Perseverance has provided NASA with its first full weather report from Mars.  Weather conditions are critical for NASA to make informed decisions on Ingenuity's schedule of flight testing.  Ingenuity is the world's first helicopter to land on Mars and, for that matter, on any planet outside of the Earth. The weather data is also mission critical for making decisions on the Perseverance rover's series of missions.  And the weather data tremendously expands understanding of the Martian atmosphere for NASA scientists. Average Temperatures Far Colder Than Earth Weather conditions are a deciding factor on when Ingenuity takes flight, whic...

  Subaru Seeking US Patent Protection For Flying Motorcycle                                                  Source:  Flying Motorcycle Concepts Stock Images                        Source: Artist Rendering of Flying Motorcycle                                    Source:  Subaru's Design Drawings Vertical Takeoff and Landing Personal Mobility Subaru has designed and filed a US patent for a land and air vehicle, which is essentially a flying motorcycle.  The design drawing showcases a motorcycle encased in the fuselage of a plane.  The vehicle is a VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.  It is powered by internal combustion not electricit...

  Beta Technologies' Electric Aircraft                                             Source:  Beta Technologies Speedy Package Deliveries   UPS just announced that it will start package deliveries by electric planes  - specifically e-VTOLs or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.  UPS has agreed to buy ten e-VTOLs, called ALIA-250, from Vermont based startup Beta Technologies.  UPS has the option to buy another 150 aircraft from the company.  The new form of transportation is designed to accelerate deliveries in small market areas. Designed to Be Autonomous Beta Technologies e-VTOLs are highly advanced.  The ALIA-250, inspired by the Arctic tern, takes off and lands vertically and then transitions into long range flight. The electric vehicles have a range of 250 miles and a cruising speed of 170 mph. T...

California Startup Exosonic Developing Supersonic Air Force One                                                                           Source:  Exosonic Traveling Close to Twice the Speed of Sound California startup Exosonic is working with the US Air Force to develop a supersonic jet to carry the President of the United States.  It's a supersonic version of Air Force One.  Exosonic has secured a contract with the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate (PE) to develop its concept for a Mach 1.8 twin engine SST jet aircraft with a low sonic boom. Travelling at Speeds of 1,381 mph The Exosonic SST is a luxurious business jet for the President and his entourage.  It has 31 passenger seats, private suites for work and rest and leather, quartz a...

  World First in Remote Australia                                                   Source:  Alauda F1 Race in the Sky Alauda Aeronautics of Adelaide, Australia is finalizing the manufacturing of 10 electric, flying car racing vehicles to participate in the world's first flying car race.  These vehicles contain highly advanced technologies never deployed before in e-VTOLs or electric, vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.  The flying racing car eVTOL is called the Airspeeder mk3.  The vehicle has been developed by a team that includes Rolls Royce, Jaguar and Boeing, among others.  The races will get underway this year. First of its Kind Aviation Technologies The Airspeeder has unprecedented, breakthrough innovative technologies.  They include LIDAR and a radar collision avoidance system, that accord...