Morgan Sandercock

EHang (NASDAQ: EH) has announced the launch of its new long-range pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the VT35. https://ow.ly/WaAy50XeSMX #Future #Transport #EHang #eVTOL #UAM

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General Atomics-ASI’s Second YFQ-42A Takes Flight: The CCA Race Moves Into High Gear On 3 November 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) confirmed the successful flight of its second YFQ-42A — the company’s entry for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. This comes just ten weeks after the first prototype flew on 27 August 2025, marking a rapid acceleration in the development pace of uncrewed combat air systems. (Source: The Aviationist) Strategic & Industrial Implications 1. From prototype stage toward production-representative maturity The second YFQ-42A indicates that GA-ASI is no longer in a one-aircraft demonstration phase. Instead, the program is progressing toward a “production-representative” configuration—critical for the U.S. Air Force CCA Increment 1 acquisition strategy, which emphasizes fast iteration and eventual high-rate manufacturing. GA-ASI maintains that its vehicles will be built using modular designs and low-cost manufacturing, enabling production in the hundreds of aircraft, not dozens. 2. Manned–Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) becomes reality The YFQ-42A is optimised to operate alongside: • F-22 Raptor (fifth-generation air-superiority fighter), • F-35 Lightning II (fifth-generation multirole fighter), • and future Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platforms. This signals a historic shift: air combat is moving from single expensive crewed aircraft to distributed, networked formations where uncrewed systems act as “loyal wingmen” providing sensing, electronic warfare, strike and decoy roles. 3. Industrial value chain disruption GA-ASI’s CCA design philosophy prioritises: • attritability (acceptable combat loss at lower cost), • digital engineering, • modular open systems, • and rapid manufacture. This represents a structural change for suppliers: the long-cycle, high-cost model of crewed combat aircraft is giving way to fast iteration, scalable production and lower-unit-cost platforms. 4. Allied air forces will have to respond As the U.S. moves forward with CCA, partners across Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East will face decisions on: • adopting U.S. CCAs, • fielding national equivalents, or • reshaping their fleets for mixed crewed/uncrewed operations. The speed of the YFQ-42A program suggests that U.S. allies may need to accelerate their own unmanned combat roadmaps to avoid lagging behind. Food for Thought for Executives & Policymakers: • Supply-chain readiness: Are traditional aerospace manufacturers prepared for high-rate production of uncrewed combat aircraft? • Doctrine shift: How will air forces reshape tactics, training and command structures once CCAs join frontline combat squadrons? • Export dynamics: Will the U.S. allow broad export of CCAs, potentially reshaping allied air-combat capabilities and their industrial strategies? #Aerospace #Defence #Autonomy #CCA #GAASI #MilitaryAviation #UncrewedSystems #Strategy #TheStratosBrief

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The highly composite 18-meter-wingspan platform successfully obtained imagery from 3,000-12,000-meter altitudes, supporting its progress toward use in high-altitude missions. In late November 2025, UAVOS INC. announced the successfully completed test flight of Mira Aerospace’s high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) aircraft ApusNeo 18, with Uavos providing full engineering and technical support. Mira Aerospace is a joint venture between Bayanat — part of Abu Dhabi-based G42, an AI company — and Uavos. One of the key objectives of the flight was to evaluate the jointly developed optoelectronic, gyro-stabilized aircraft payload onboard device (POD) by obtaining imagery from altitudes ranging between 3,000 and 12,000 meters. During the mission, the POD captured high-resolution imagery with precise geolocation data from an altitude of 12,000 meters, achieving a ground sample distance (GSD) of up to 2 meters. The test took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and lasted continuously for 48 hours. The optoelectronic gyro-stabilized aircraft POD is equipped with an automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling electronic modules, ensuring reliable operation in the stratosphere at temperatures as low as -70°C under rarefied air conditions. The system also provides radio communication at distances exceeding 100 kilometers. Modern aerospace projects require advanced composite solutions. The success behind the 18-meter-wingspan platform developed under Mira Aerospace’s HAPS program focused on material selection, advanced manufacturing methods and optimized production processes, all of which resulted in the delivery of high strength at minimal weight, high reliability and enabled cost-efficient production. ApusNeo’s key components incorporate high modulus carbon fiber to provide necessary strength with minimal weight; low-density PMI core sandwich structures with high mechanical properties and thermal stability; and prepreg composite materials with low binder content, varying in density and stiffness, developed specifically for the project’s requirements by its supplier partners. Composite components were autoclave molded — using carbon fiber prepreg tooling — at temperatures between 120-180°C at pressures between 5-8 bar. These conditions ensure the required composite structure with the required strength characteristics and interlayer adhesion. What advancements in composite materials are you exploring for high-altitude applications? Share your thoughts below, and read the full article on our media website for more details on this innovative HAPS project. https://lnkd.in/e4K6wWUT

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Commissioning complete. Pulsar-0’s first in-flight software update was successful, wrapping up commissioning and kicking off signal calibration for our production-class spacecraft. Mission teams moved quickly through key checkout phases, including mixed-power transmissions and early navigation data collection, bringing systems online ahead of schedule. Tight coordination with Aerospacelab helped accelerate progress on orbit, enabling a faster path to calibration and external testing. The system is alive, active, and steadily progressing toward full capability.

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Unither Bioélectronique has completed the world’s first piloted hydrogen-electric helicopter circuit flight in Québec using a modified Robinson R44. This flight, part of Project Proticity, demonstrated a full airport traffic circuit including takeoff, climb, pattern flight, approach, and landing under an experimental permit. The helicopter features a hydrogen-electric proton exchange membrane fuel-cell and battery system powered by green hydrogen. This marks a significant advancement from initial hover tests in 2025, showcasing the potential for zero-emission vertical lift without compromising reliability. Project Proticity aims to scale this technology to the larger Robinson R66, incorporating liquid hydrogen storage to extend range. The ultimate goal is to establish a zero-emission transport network for rapid delivery of manufactured organs to transplant patients. Certification by aviation authorities remains a key next step before commercial use. #UnitherBioelectronique #RobinsonHelicopter #Quebec Read more: https://lnkd.in/egmEfJi5

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Some questions I have after watching this excellent launch video by GRU Space (YC W26) and Y Combinator: - how big is the moon factory 🏭 - how much material will it produce and why? What’s the experiment? - what’s the ride to the moon? Ride share? Dedicated Falcon 9? I like bold bets. We need more startups focused on making humanity a multi planetary species 🌖

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There are two paths emerging in orbital operations. Path 1: Increase maneuver sophistication. Increase propulsion reserves. Accept higher overhead as the cost of scale. Path 2: Redefine the environment so systems are allowed to change state without constant motion. The first path scales cost. The second path scales stability. Every mature infrastructure domain eventually faced this same decision point. Orbit is there now. The question isn’t whether we can maneuver more efficiently. It’s whether we’re willing to architect for persistence instead of perpetual motion. Wet Dock sits entirely on the second path. #SpaceInfrastructure #NationalSecurity #OrbitalArchitecture

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Another reason why parallel systems are more efficient than serial systems. Let's start talking parallel hybrids instead of serial hybrids. https://lnkd.in/gwnQvFa4

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Two messages to all the friends of HPT Engineering: 1) magnesium is one of the lightest metals still crucial to aerospace constructions 2) hand writing and sketching are practices that should not be completely eliminated by the new digital technologies

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The term Modus Operandus is a Latin term that can be translated as: 1) Method of Operating. or 2) Way of Behaving. I maintain the Modus Operandus is an important pretext for any system. Especially those systems we humans wish to design, verify, & field into operation. The need to clearly define (via modeling) the Modus Operandi for any system we wish to develop is the foundational basis for what I call the System Operational Architecture. This is one system dimension within my 3D Orthogonal (3DO) architecture framework. An Operational Architecture Model, as 3DO defines it, is a very rich semantic information model for any system. It is based primarily on Mission, Operational Activity and Operational Flow Items as distinct, major ontology classes. But other classes like Metrics, Risks, Interfaces, Standards, and Requirements all cut across any system's operational architecture.

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Lockheed Martin Invests in Venus Aerospace's Hypersonic Propulsion Technology Read More: https://ow.ly/JP4a50XhqRY Lockheed Martin Venus Aerospace #propulsion #rdre #ground #satellite #space #launch

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Pratt & Whitney is speeding up development of its XA103 engine for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program by using advanced digital data packages. These digital models allow faster design iteration, better integration with suppliers, more accurate resource planning and quicker testing and validation, which together cut costs and shorten timelines. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4nZQ5ZF This digital-first approach involves more than 1,000 engineers, suppliers and partners, and is improving efficiency across Pratt & Whitney’s engine portfolio. It’s exciting to see how their digital-first approach is driving innovation and efficiency - not just for the XA103, but across their entire engine portfolio. We're proud to supply them with our bespoke machine tool systems! #Aerospace #Manufacturing #PrecisionEngineering #PrecisionManufacturing #MachineTool #MachineToolSupplier

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If you scan the airband and keep finding junk, the problem may not be your radio — it may be the garbage being shoved into its front end. We just published the technical story behind FlatTop, Radiant’s new 118–136 MHz airband filter: a year-long, measurement-driven design that ended up delivering roughly 0.8–2.0 dB insertion loss across the passband, 34–43 dB attenuation at 108 MHz, and a repeatable 49–54 dB notch near 105 MHz in assembled units. The short version is simple: FlatTop was built to keep the airband flat, keep loss low, and hit FM hard enough to matter in real receivers. The longer version — including how we did it, why the can lid became part of the RF design, and how FlatTop stacks up against the usual compact alternatives — is in the blog post. You can find it at radiant instruments website -- navigate to my blog from there.

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