A Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics, a web-based textbook brought to you by the folks at NASA. [more inside]
posted by Upton O'Good on Oct 21, 2007 - 8 comments

Asymmetric airplanes may look weird, but the idea isn't just for the luftwaffe anymore: Burt Rutan has done one too. Not counter-intuitive enough for you? How about an asymmetric helicopter?
posted by phrontist on Dec 13, 2005 - 17 comments

Whizzy, spinny, Enterprise/UFO looking like thing. SimiCon, a Norwegian company focused on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles is developing a circular craft that uses both rotors and a low profile jet in order to provide the high performance of a fixed wing craft along with the VTOL capabilites of a helicopter. Looks pretty cool.
posted by zeoslap on Feb 4, 2002 - 13 comments

Build your own satellite Three years ago, when midshipmen and members of the aeronautics department approached the school about building a satellite, officials balked at the half-million-dollar price tag. The group returned with a plan to build one for less than $50,000. After a month in orbit, a satellite built by Naval Academy midshipmen with off-the-shelf parts from Radio Shack is exceeding all expectations, sending and receiving messages from ham radio users around the world. Amazing!
posted by suprfli on Nov 9, 2001 - 6 comments