An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.


Engineers are constantly working to make aircraft more fuel-efficient and more environment-friendly, and several new technological innovations may finally make the future of flight a sustainable one. Find it interesting? Read on.

Josh Zepps, the energyNOW! Correspondent, haslooked into efforts by the aviation industry to meet the growing demand for a greener way to fly with new aircraft design and advanced fuel. The world is on the brink of an aviation revolution, and within the next few years passengers could well be flying on planes that are radically different – and could have a zero-emission carbon footprint.

NASA’s Langley Air and Space Research Center is one location pushing the limits of energy-efficient planes – focusing on reducing weight and drag, and improving propulsion efficiency.

Beyond being the home of advanced wind tunnel testing facility, Langley has developed a new composite material 10 percent lighter than the most advanced carbon fiber composite materials on the market today, and 25-30 percent lighter than aluminum. The new material, PRSEUS, is almost as thin and malleable as a piece of cloth, but exponentially stronger.