NaTran and HyLigh test a 12 m hydrogen airship for methane leak detection on gas pipelines
The remotely piloted HyLighter will fly over up to 1,600 km of pipelines between Nantes and Quimper until 13 November 2026 in a trial campaign.
Aviation
Avions, hélicoptères, taxis aériens et eVTOL, dirigeables et vol supersonique : nouveaux appareils, leurs moteurs et leurs essais.
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Airbus A350-1000ULR flew 23,155 km nonstop from Melbourne to Toulouse, a record for an airliner
Guinness authenticated the record set on 27–28 July 2026 during test flights for Qantas's Project Sunrise. The flight lasted 24 hours 24 minutes with 13 people aboard.
Beijing SAWES tests airborne wind turbine prototype up to 4 km altitude
A helium-lifted high-altitude wind generation platform was tested in Yueyang to verify system control and safety in urban conditions.
Kilauea summit: 56th lava fountaining episode reached 660 feet and ended after nearly six hours
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported a lava fountain of about 660 feet and a plume to 18,000 feet; light ashfall was expected west of the volcano.
Russia's Industry Ministry signs 2 bn ruble contract to refit SSJ-100 jets with PD-8 engines
The 2026–2028 contract with Yakovlev covers development, certification and flight tests. The reason is the growing difficulty of keeping SaM146 engines airworthy.
SoftBank and Sceye sign five-year deal for a stratospheric HAPS network for mobile coverage across Japan
SoftBank and US company Sceye will manufacture, launch and operate high-altitude platforms for nationwide mobile service in Japan. Fleet size and timetable are not disclosed.
Georgia Tech Student Achieves 491 mph with Experimental Drone
Thomas Salvo's Reaper drone claims a speed of 491 mph, potentially breaking a record set in 2017.
Türkiye’s TF-35000 Fighter Engine Targets 35,000 Pounds Thrust
The TF-35000 engine aims to enhance the KAAN stealth fighter's performance and domestic production capabilities.
Former SpaceX engineers establish Argo Space for water-powered spacecraft
Three former SpaceX engineers founded Argo Space to develop spacecraft using water as a propellant, aiming for lunar missions.
General Atomics patents a three-piece welded piston for opposed-piston engines, US 12,747,713
The US patent describes making the piston from a crown, a skirt and an outer ring joined by welds. The document contains no test data.
Maxwell Aircraft unveils M1-HC hybrid amphibious cargo plane concept
The Florida developer presented a hybrid powertrain project designed to carry 2,000 pounds over 1,000 nautical miles.
NASA to Host MAX POWER Aerospace Expo and Air Show at Kennedy Space Center
NASA has partnered with commercial organizations to stage the MAX POWER festival in Florida on November 7–8, showcasing flight and mobility technologies.
UAVOS tests ApusNeo solar stratospheric aircraft at 14,500 meters altitude
The solar-powered platform remained airborne for 28 hours over Spain, testing real-time observation sensors and airspace coordination.
Soongsil University develops thin icephobic coating with 6.4 kPa adhesion
Engineers designed an ultra-thin polyborosiloxane coating that reduces ice adhesion by 98.6% while maintaining high substrate bonding.
AutoFlight Tests Autonomous Five-eVTOL Formation Over 83 Miles in China
The demonstration tested autonomous flight control and separation management across mixed-weight electric vertical takeoff aircraft.
KIMS develops 17.5 µm carbon nanotube–MXene film that hides objects from thermal cameras
Korean researchers combined nanotubes and MXene into a thin, strong lab film. It masks infrared emission and shields over 99.99% of electromagnetic radiation.
VÆRIDION raises €30M Series A2 for Microliner, a nine-seat electric regional aircraft
The Munich startup will use the funds to build the first Microliner prototype. The EU has also selected it for a €94.5M Innovation Fund grant.
Reflected GNSS signals gave aircraft height above ground within 4 m over flat terrain in a 288 km test flight
A Chinese team measured aircraft height above ground from reflected satellite signals on a 288 km flight, with accuracy better than 4 m over flat terrain and about 15 m in mountains.
NASA unveils crewed X-70 Fractal research aircraft with 2,000 lb payload capacity
The crewed X-70 has a 10,000 lb takeoff weight and reconfigurable flight controls. NASA expects its first flight under the agency's banner within two years.
Beijing team: oxygen in β phase gives Ti-6Al-4V-0.39O alloy 1200 MPa strength and 23.5% ductility
Researchers in Beijing partitioned oxygen between α and β phases of a dual-phase titanium alloy, triggering a β → O' transformation and added plasticity.
