Landing a plane after all the engines on one side have cut out is fraught
with danger. But a new system developed at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center
in Edwards, California, could make such emergency landings safer. The system
automatically pumps fuel out of the wing with the damaged engine to the opposite
wing. This shifts the plane’s centre of gravity closer to the working engines.
At the same time, the system increases power to the remaining engines to prevent
the plane from stalling. Another system tested at Dryden uses a neural network
to help fly a plane when its…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
5
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
6
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
7
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
8
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
9
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
10
Most portable air conditioners suck – but there's an easy fix



