This new ‘ion drive’ airplane flew straight out of science fiction. The quiet propulsion system has no moving parts. By Rob Verger. Published Nov 21, 2018 11:30 PM EST.

Artist impression of the plane. Steven Barrett (MIT) The researchers flew 10 flights using an aircraft with a five-metre wingspan, weighing less than 2.5 kilograms.

To understand why, you need to know two things: how ion drive works and how the engines differ when using them in an atmosphere. Let’s start with a space-based ion engine, a topic we’ve ...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says it has successfully flown its ion plane, the first “solid state” airplane that has no moving parts and does not rely on fossil fuels.

Star Trek-inspired ‘ion drive’ plane with no moving parts makes historic first flight. The plane has no propeller or turbines and is instead powered by supercharged air molecules; ...

Ion drive meets drone, as small plane flies with no moving parts A solid-state propulsion system works by ionizing the air. John Timmer – Nov 21, 2018 1:58 pm | 189 Credit ...

AHMEDABAD, India — The Air India plane crash this week was one of India’s worst aviation disasters, killing 241 people on board and several people on the ground. Indian authorities said Friday the ...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says it has successfully flown its ion plane, the first “solid state” airplane that has no moving parts and does not rely on fossil fuels.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says it has successfully flown its ion plane, the first “solid state” airplane that has no moving parts and does not rely on fossil fuels.