DL­R­magazine 167 – The sky is the lim­it

Abstract

A blank page can be frightening, especially when there is a pressing need to fill it. But a blank page can also be inspiring as it offers space for new thoughts and ideas. Pursuing an existing vision can be similarly motivating. While flight operations are still restricted due to the pandemic, DLR researchers are thinking about how we can travel more safely and comfortably from A to B in the future. In the May issue of the DLRmagazine, find out how they are filling blank pages with their ideas as they develop new concepts for the aircraft cabin and attempt to use the aircraft interior in new, diverse and flexible ways. The topic of digitalisation also plays an important role in this issue. DLR researchers have long been working on the question of where we still need experiments and what we can do faster and more economically using computers. DLR researcher Stefan Görtz describes the advantages and challenges of virtual flight tests and to what extent they already almost match the effectiveness of their real-life counterparts. Meanwhile, DLR transport researchers are working on an interface between virtual reality and the real world to give users an idea of what a future automated and connected transport system could look like. Magnus Lamp, Transport Programme Director at DLR, gives an overview of the current state of automated vehicles and where the field is heading. Further topics in this issue include the 60th anniversary of the DLR site in Stuttgart, a solar-powered stratospheric aircraft that flies far above commercial air traffic and weather patterns, and the new residential quarter in Oldenburg that will allow for neighbourhood energy trading.