tech e blog

The first manned, hydrogen-powered airplane took flight yesterday, and "cruised for 20 minutes at 62mph using only hydrogen cells." Video after the break.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen directly into electricity and heat with none of the products of combustion such as carbon dioxide. Other than heat, water is its only exhaust

The massive Boeing Dreamlifter (aka Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter) is basically "a modified Boeing 747-400 used exclusively for transporting aircraft parts to Boeing from suppliers around the world." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Only four Dreamlifters have been made from passenger 747s, holding three times the volume of a 747 freighter. And as opposed to other cargo planes, like the Antonov, it looks so good inside that I would like to go live in there

With a whopping 21-foot wingspan, NASA's X-48B Blended Wing Body is the world's largest remote controlled plane. In the video, you'll see "the perfect flight of Skyray 48, the Boeing-NASA prototype of what could be the future of commercial aviation." Continue reading to watch. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Thanks to its design, designs derived from the X-48B will have less power consumption and less emissions, while increasing carrying capacity and speed compared with current cargo and passenger aircraft

Developed by Lockheed Martin/Boeing, the F-22 Raptor is "primarily an air superiority fighter, but has multiple capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles

The F-22 is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered a fourth-generation stealth aircraft by the USAF. Its dual afterburning Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans incorporate thrust vectoring, but in the pitch axis only, with a range of 20 degrees

When is a flight simulator not just a flight simulator? When it has a full-sized cockpit mounted to a motion base. Continue reading to see the ultimate homemade flight simulators. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Northrop Grumman's unmanned X-47B is a radio-controlled "19-foot craft that can carry a 4500-lb. payload." This craft may fly as early as next year. Click here first picture in gallery.

Besides calling the beast a 'manhunter,' the company plans to equip the unmanned plane with air-to-air missiles, laser and microwave firepower (called 'directed energy and rechargeable weapons') that can take out enemy missiles

Created by HotSeat Chassis, this could quite possibly be the ultimate flight simulator. Featuring a "built-in custom PC [that] gives you the feeling of flying as it displays virtual skies on the trio of 22-inch LCD monitors in front of the seat - creating a 66-inch panoramic view." Click here for one more picture.

The flights are made possible by some serious hardware: a quad-core processore...Even better, the software is FAA-approved for a Basic ATD Flight Simulator, so pilots in training can log up to 2.5 hours toward their pilots' licenses

That's right, a "22-pound BDU-33 dummy bomb from a group of six just 'fell off' one of the F16s that was heading for a practice bombing run in Kansas." Video after the break.

The first indication that something was amiss was apparently at the bombing range itself, where only five impacts were recorded from that aircraft

The Gulfstream 650 boasts a top speed of Mach 0.925 -- powered by dual Rolls Royce BR725 engines, with a 7,000 mile range, and can carry up to 99,600-pounds of cargo. Two caveats: it's priced at a hefty $65-million and won't be available to consumers until 2012. Click here for first picture in gallery.

The cockpit has a four large 14-inch displays, an LCD HUD II which provides with the enhanced vision you see above and the SV-PFD. The control of the multifunction displays is quite nice, with an analog pad built onto the pilot's joystick itself

Designed by Foster + Partners, the Beijing Airport is the "world's largest and most advanced airport building - not only technologically, but also in terms of passenger experience, operational efficiency and sustainability." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.