Graphene Takes Flight
By Katie L. Burke
An interview with aerospace engineer Billy Beggs about the first ever graphene-coated airplane, built by his team.
October 13, 2016
From The Staff Engineering Technology Aeronautics
The strong and conductive ultrathin material graphene is airborne, thanks to the work of aerospace engineer Billy Beggs at the University of Central Lancaster in the United Kingdom and his team. They designed, built, and tested a small, remote-controlled airplane with graphene-enhanced carbon fiber in its wings.
The plane, named Prospero, has a wingspan of three meters and has shown promising durability and flight performance. While touring the National Graphene Institute in the United Kingdom in July, Beggs was kind enough to show me Prospero and tell me about his plans for engineering aircraft made with graphene.
To learn more about Prospero and the promise of graphene in aircraft, read my report in our November–December 2016 issue.
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