Materials

Flying car makes debut in New York With folding wings to reduce width to garageable status, the Terrafugia Transition Roadable Aircraft fits into the “light sport plane” category and delivers 35 mpg fuel economy on the road. The company claims 100 orders with $10,000 deposits for the $279,000 vehicle. Read full story

Handheld ultrasonic camera ‘gun’ finds composite cracks Norwegian start-up’s easy-to-use NDT technology for carbon fiber-reinforced plastics has been adopted by EADS. Read full story

Dunmore materials insulate in space Insulating films and tapes supplied by Dunmore Corp. are providing protection from thermal damage and magnetic interference for the electronic systems on board NASA’s Juno probe, which was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 5. Read full story

Researchers drilling into challenges of CFRP-titanium stacks Usage of composite materials is increasing in the aerospace industry. However, the materials are difficult to machine. Specific problems are the excessive abrasive nature of the composite material and the poor thermal conductivity of titanium (about one-sixth that of steels). Read full story

3-D nanomaterials being explored for high-efficiency batteries, fuel cells, and more A national team of experts will explore the promise of three-dimensional nanomaterials with the help of a recently awarded U.S. Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant totaling more than $7 million over five years. Read full story

Transparent plastic from PPG Aerospace promises a clear view PPG’s Opticor advanced transparency material is the first new transparent plastic developed in more than 50 years for aerospace applications, according to Anthony Stone, Global Director for New Business Development and Innovations for Transparencies. Read full story

Triple nickel primer Traditional aluminum alloys are being replaced by titanium and composites in many aerospace applications because when aluminum is bonded to composites, aluminum begins to corrode. Read full story

Recovering exhaust heat to generate electricity and boost efficiency General Motors, Ford, and BMW test thermoelectric devices that recapture energy lost in car exhaust. Read full story

HyperSizer v6 optimizes design and manufacturability of composites Collier Research recently released HyperSizer v6 structural sizing and analysis software, which integrates with FEA solvers in a continuous, automated iterative loop, conducting trade studies and examining millions of potential design candidates down to the ply—or even element—level. Read full story