Currently viewing the category: "Propulsion"

Podcast Ep. #47 – Möbius Aero and MμZ Motion: a Winning Team for Electric Air Racing

On February 4, 2021 · In Electric Aviation, Podcast, Propulsion, Sport Airplanes

Carl Copeland is the founder of Möbius Aero, an electric air race team, and MμZ Motion, a developer of custom, high-performance electric motors. Carl has built various engineering teams and led innovation in the fields of IT, mechanical, magnetic, and electrical design. He has founded four companies and holds over 25 patents, and his […]

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Podcast Ep. #43 – Dr John Williams on Air-Breathing Rocket Engines

On October 27, 2020 · In Podcast, Propulsion, Rocket Science, Space

Dr John Williams is an engineer at Lumentum where he works on the extreme challenges of sub-millimetre scale photonic circuits. For the purpose of this conversation, however, we will be discussing John’s former role as a design engineer at Reaction Engines, a UK company that is developing the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, also known […]

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Podcast Ep. #38 – Momentus is Developing a Transfer Vehicle for Space

On May 19, 2020 · In New Space, Podcast, Propulsion, Rocket Science, Satellites, Space

Alexander Wicks is the Chief Development Officer at the California-based startup Momentus Space. Momentus is developing the in-space equivalent of the connecting flight we all know from airline operations.

To affordably launch small satellites into orbit, operators and manufacturers of small satellites are generally forced to share a ride on one big rocket. This […]

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Podcast Ep. #36 – ZeroAvia is Powering Sustainable Aviation with Hydrogen

On March 21, 2020 · In Electric Aviation, Podcast, Propulsion, Renewable Energy, Startup

Sergey Kiselev is the Head of Europe of the sustainable aviation company ZeroAvia. ZeroAvia is working on the first practical zero-emission aviation powertrain fuelled by hydrogen. Even though CO2 emissions of the aviation industry currently only account for 2-3% of the global output, passenger numbers are expected to grow continuously for the next 30 […]

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The Future of Aviation: Aircraft Electrification

On August 20, 2019 · In Electric Aviation, Propulsion, Technology

The following is a guest post by Jason D’souza, a recent MSc Graduate in Aerospace Vehicle Design from the University of Cranfield in the UK. Jason is a long-term reader of the blog and reached out to me about the idea of a guest post […]

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Podcast Ep. #21 – Prof. Paul Withey on Single-Crystal Superalloys for Jet Engine Turbines

On November 27, 2018 · In Aerospace Engineering, Jet Engines, Manufacturing, Podcast, Propulsion, Superalloys

Paul Withey is the Professor of Casting at the School of Metallurgy and Materials of the University of Birmingham, UK. Before joining the University of Birmingham in 2018, Paul worked at Rolls Royce for 21 years developing new superalloys and manufacturing processes for gas turbine components. As an Engineering Associate Fellow, Paul was a […]

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Podcast Ep. #20 – Airbus Engineer Oliver Family on the E-Fan X Demonstrator

On November 6, 2018 · In Aircraft, Electric Aviation, Podcast, Propulsion

Oliver Family is the Overall Aircraft Design Leader of the Airbus E-Fan X demonstrator. The E-Fan X is a hybrid-electric technology demonstrator being developed by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens based on a British Aerospace 146 regional airliner. The driver behind the E-Fan X demonstrator is that current aircraft designs have converged to a near-optimum, and with existing […]

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Podcast Ep. #19 – Manuel Schleiffelder on the Hound Project and Metal Matrix Composites for Rockets

On October 23, 2018 · In Composite Materials, Podcast, Propulsion, Rocket Science, Space

Today I am speaking to Manuel Schleiffelder, an aerospace engineer based in Vienna, Austria. Manuel has a background in designing and building experimental rockets with the student space team of the Technical University in Vienna, known as the Hound Project. I spoke to Manuel after he returned from a trip to the Black Rock […]

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Podcast Ep. #15 – Nick Sills on Contra-Rotating Electric Propulsion

On July 24, 2018 · In Contra-Rotation, Electric Aviation, Podcast, Propulsion, Startup

On this episode I am speaking to Nick Sills who is the founder of Contra Electric Propulsion Ltd. Nick’s engineering background is in developing underwater propulsion systems for the offshore oil and gas industry. He has designed products ranging from a hydraulically powered excavator for pipeline route trenching, to the world’s biggest deep water excavator. […]

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