Airplanes

By strapping a turbine powered delta wing R/C plane to a catapult, these guys were able to fly a model aircraft at speeds up to 451 mph, making it nearly as fast as a full-size jet plane. We’re impressed that the pilot was able to control and land it.

Pilot and adventure seeker Linkerius shared this footage of what he sees when flying in a huge formation of more than 20 single-engine military planes during an air show. It amazes us that that so many planes can fly so closely to each other and with such coordination.

A pure-electric 2-seater jet plane designed to take off and land without a runway. The Lilium Jet can transition from hover to airplane mode once airborne, and is expected to offer speeds up to 300 km/h (~186 mph) and a 300 km (~186 mi) range, if and when it goes into production.

Aviation International News shares an informative look at FlexSys‘ morphing wing flap technology, which improves the aerodynamics of airplanes by eliminating exposed hinges and rivets. Apparently it’s made using a carbon fiber honeycomb core and a flexible composite skin.

These clever picture frames from South Korean design house TEEV turn any wall into the cabin of an airplane, looking out over the sky. You can load your own images, though it appears they do make them with a selection of cityscapes as well. Sold in a set of three.

The dudes from Dude Perfect prove they’re not just good at sportball, and turn in some impressive trick maneuvers with the help of some well-aimed lightweight foam gliders. The breakaway bottles were a bit of a cheat though.

During the 2017 EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, WI, a B-1B bomber took to the skies, and flaunted its mighty afterburners for the crowd. That cloud you see around the plane is a vapor cone formed by instant condensation. Kudos to Airailimages for the awesome video.

Watch a pair of incredible scale models of the iconic Concorde supersonic airliner take to the skies. While neither of these remote-controlled flyers can actually break the speed of sound, they still have jet engines, and look and sound absolutely insane.

Back in 2015, Virgin Australia repainted all of its airplanes with a fresh new look. It took 18 painters, about 69 gallons of paint, and 11 days to complete each jet. The most fascinating part of the time-lapse footage is watching the old paint melt off after it’s bathed in thinner.

Josh and Josh of FliteTest check out an incredible build from fans at Flite Fest West ’17 – a gigantic version of their Super Bee plane, packing 10 engines. It took some trial and error, but the behemoth eventually got airborne. The plane takes flight at 3:09.

Real Engineering looks at the economic and physical challenges of supersonic flight, and how Boom, a high tech startup hoping to bring back these faster-than-sound planes as a method of rapid, luxury transcontinental flight.

Return to the grand days of air travel with a meal aboard a replica Boeing 747 jumbo jet. $300+ for dinner isn’t cheap, but it’s less than a First Class ticket just about anywhere. This LA hotspot sells out months in advance, and they’re considering a Las Vegas location.

Real Engineering presents the first in a series of videos which look at future airplanes which could disrupt the commercial airline industry which has been locked up tight by Boeing and Airbus for years. First up, the Aurora D8, an unusual jet with a “double-bubble” fuselage.

Henk Hesselink of the Netherlands Aerospace Centre presents a conceptual runway design, designed so airplanes can land from a variety of vectors to avoid dangerous crosswinds, as well as reducing concerns about wake turbulence caused by jets flying one behind the other.

After exploring cost as a limiting factor in the speed of commercial airplanes, Wendover Productions looks at how despite us all arriving at the same place at the same time, the bigger seats, drinks and meals of premium classes are big moneymakers for airlines.

Wendover Productions explores the speeds at which passenger airplanes get us around these days, and why they’re really no faster than planes were 50 years ago. In fact, between the cost of operation, safety limitations, and congestion, we’re actually slower these days.

Phighter Images’ aviation-themed tables are custom built from the ribs of airplane wings integrated with a sturdy metal base. Sizes range from a 4 ft coffee table ($5500+) or 6 ft desk ($7700+) to a massive 28 ft conference table, and can be embellished with custom artwork.

After tremendous response to their jet engine ceiling fan, Phighter Images came up with a lower priced model that looks just as cool. We love the carbon-fiber look on the blades. They’ve also got a smaller version in the works for kid’s rooms that will go for under $500.

Just because your airplane model looks like an airplane doesn’t mean you actually have to fly it like one. Watch as pilots Donatas Pauzuolis, Marc Faulhaber, and Gernot Bruckmann seemingly defy physics with these crazy indoor freestyle flights, captured by 777BlueAngel.

YouTuber Papierfliegerei made a significantly better version of his playful gun. The portable paper plane factory now has a modular construction for easier repair, and is more durable and more powerful. It can make and fire up to 120 paper planes in a minute.

This massive remote-controlled aircraft based on the Airbus A-320 jumbo jet was built by Airstage.de. The airplane-shaped dirigible has a 15.7 foot wingspan, but weighs less than a pound. It might officially be an airplane, but it’s still incredible.

For his latest formation flight, original Jetman Yves Rossy and his two padawans flew alongside the French Air Force’s aerobatic team Patrouille Acrobatique de France. Definitely one of the sickest things we’ve seen this year.

(PG-13: Language) Australian comedy duo Theo and Nathan Saidden aka Superwog are known for their bad attitudes and short fuses, so who better to staff a jumbo jet than these two guys with a unique perspective on “customer service?” They’re no better as doctors.

It’s rare that a single image is as satisfying as this one, showing off the interior of a Boeing 787 jumbo jet without any of the seats installed. We like to imagine spreading out some sleeping bags on the floor when we’re not skateboarding around the cabin.

TopFelya captured this incredible footage at a runway at London’s Gatwick Airport, as a series of jumbo jets each manages to successfully land or take off in a dense fog that seems to swallow up the planes. The mist coming off the wings of the planes is especially eerie.