Aeronautics Innovation

Innovation in aerospace design and engineering is essential to meet the many challenges facing this sector. Innovation in aeronautics explores both a range of innovative ideas and how the process of innovation itself can be effectively managed. After an introduction to innovation in aeronautics, part one reviews developments including biologically-inspired technologies, morphing aerodynamic concepts, jet engine design drivers, and developments underpinned by digital technologies. The environment and human factors in innovation are also explored as are trends in supersonic passenger air travel. Part two goes on to examine change and the processes and management involved in innovative technology development. Challenges faced in aeronautical production are the focus of part three, which reviews topics such as intellectual property and patents, risk mitigation and the use of lean engineering. Finally, part four examines key issues in what makes for successful innovation in this sector. With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Innovation in aeronautics is an essential guide for all those involved in the design and engineering of aerospace structures and systems. Explores a range of innovative aerospace design ideas Discusses how the process of innovation itself can be effectively managed Reviews developments including biologically-inspired technologies, morphing aerodynamic concepts, jet engine design drivers and developments underpinned by digital technologies

NASA is a global leader in aeronautics research and development â€" fostering advances in aviation safety and emissions, propulsion technology, and many other areas. And the agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) has played a vital role in the U.S. aeronautics industry. In recent years, the directorate's leaders and experts outside the agency have sought ways to speed innovative uses of ARMD's research results. But the directorate faces management challenges that make it difficult for such applications to succeed â€" or to occur at all. This report from the National Academies' National Research Council, offers the agency guidance on how to manage the transfer of technology to external users, as well as implement flexible personnel and financial-management practices. The report also points out problems that stem from a lack of agreement on ARMD's future direction and several years of federal budget cuts.

Perhaps no technological development in the century has more fundamentally transformed human life than the airplane and its support apparatus. The nature of flight, and the activities that it has engendered throughout the world, makes the development of aviation technology an important area of investigation. Why did aeronautical technology take the shape it did? Which individuals and organizations were involved in driving it? What factors influenced particular choices of technologies to be used? More importantly, how has innovation affected this technology? Innovation and the Development of Flight, a first strike at the "new aviation history," represents a significant transformation of the field by relating the subject to larger issues of society, politics, and culture, taking a more sophisticated view of the technology that few historians have previously attempted. This volume moves beyond a focus on the artifact to emphasize the broader role of the airplane and, more importantly, the entire technological system. This suggests that many unanswered questions are present in the development of modern aviation and that inquisitive historians seek to know the relationships of technological systems to the human mind. Some of the subjects discussed are early aeronautical innovation and government patronage; the evolution of relationships among airports, cities, and industry; the relationship of engine development to the entire aviation industry; the Department of Commerce's influence on light plane development; pressure in the Air Force for the development of jet engines; and lessons of the National Aerospace Plane Program. Aviation historians and historians of technology will find Innovation and the Development of Flight a valuable examination of aeronautical innovation providing foundations for continued explorations of this field.

Organised by themes and complemented by brief commentaries introducing underlying business concepts or additional information, these reader-friendly columns cover a broad enough range of issues to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the key themes relevant to the business of aerospace today.

Jointly organised by the European Commission and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology in Spain (CDTI), the Aeronautics Days sixth edition – ‘Aerodays 2011’ – was held on 30th - 31st March and 1st April 2011 in the Palacio Municipal de Congresos of Madrid. It brought together 1400 delegates – policy makers, aerospace manufacturers, engineers, researchers and customers – to report and discuss the challenges and solutions for creating greener, safer, secure and competitive solutions for aeronautics and air transport in Europe. Highlights included ‘Flightpath 2050’, Europe’s vision for future aviation. The present book, published by the European Commission, brings together about 80 papers selected by a Scientific Advisory Committee with the intention to make broadly known the main themes and issues addressed on the occasion of this Convention. Given the strategic importance of the latter, these post-conference proceedings constitute a reference document providing an overview on aeronautical research within Europe more particularly devoted to Commission supported programmes and networks.

This document is intended to be a companion to previous books by the author: Partners in Freedom: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Military Aircraft of the 1990's, and Concept to Reality: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Civil Aircraft of the 1990's. Material included in the previous volumes provides informative and significant examples of the impact of applications of aeronautics research conducted by the NASA Langley Research Center on important U.S. civil and military aircraft of the 1990s. These contributions occurred because of the investment of the Nation in the innovation, expertise, and dedication of a staff of researchers and their unique facilities at Langley. Within that research environment, literally thousands of revolutionary concepts and advanced technologies for aeronautics have emerged, directed at challenges and barriers that impede the advancement of the state of the art in aircraft design and mission capabilities. Unfortunately, in the world of technology only a handful of advanced concepts are ever applied, due to a number of reasons. Factors that inhibit the application of advanced research technology are numerous and varied in nature, including cost, environmental impact, safety, complexity, reduced or inadequate funding and human resources, world events, perceived or actual risk, technical barriers, and others. The objective of this publication is to discuss the importance of innovation and the role of revolutionary advanced concepts within the aeronautics research community, and to provide information on typical advanced research projects conducted by Langley and its partners on topics that have not yet been applied by the military or civil aviation industry to production aircraft. Detailed information is first provided to describe each advanced concept, the projected benefits that could be provided if the technology is applied, and the challenges faced by the NASA research team to reduce the risk of application. Next, descriptions of specific research activities on the concepts identify the key projects, accomplishments, personnel, and facilities involved in the development of each concept. Finally, perspectives are provided on the current status of the subject concepts, including discussions of factors or future events that might intensify interest in their use for future applications. Many of the concepts described herein are subjects of ongoing NASA research thrusts, for which significant technical challenges are in the process of being addressed. Some of the research activities discussed were conducted and completed in past NASA projects; however, evolving requirements for military or civil aircraft systems demand a reexamination of the potential and current feasibility of the principles involved. This document is intended to serve several purposes. As a source of collated information on revolutionary concepts, it will serve as a key reference for readers wishing to grasp the underlying principles and challenges related to specific revolutionary concepts. Hopefully, such information will provide valuable background that can serve as starting knowledge bases for future research efforts and minimize the so-called “reinvention of the wheel” syndrome. The information identifies major obstacles to advanced aeronautics technology, thereby providing a sensitivity for multi-faceted research projects to ensure a higher likelihood of application. A definition of current barriers to application is extremely valuable for use in the future, when new breakthroughs in various technical disciplines may eliminate or minimize some of the critical barriers that have traditionally blocked the application of some of these specific revolutionary concepts. Finally, a review of the material will hopefully inspire the nontechnical (as well as technical) communities that aeronautics is not a “mature science” and that considerable opportunities exist to revolutionize the future.

NASA is a global leader in aeronautics research and development �e" fostering advances in aviation safety and emissions, propulsion technology, and many other areas. And the agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) has played a vital role in the U.S. aeronautics industry. In recent years, the directorate's leaders and experts outside the agency have sought ways to speed innovative uses of ARMD's research results. But the directorate faces management challenges that make it difficult for such applications to succeed �e" or to occur at all. This report from the National Academies' National Research Council, offers the agency guidance on how to manage the transfer of technology to external users, as well as implement flexible personnel and financial-management practices. The report also points out problems that stem from a lack of agreement on ARMD's future direction and several years of federal budget cuts.