Black Arrow returns after 48 years while Dyson moves: 10 top stories of the week

Many parts of the country got their first real tastes of winter this week. Come in from the cold with our weekly round-up of some of the biggest, best and brightest stories in engineering.

Airbus flight risk

Professional Engineering 

The UK's future after 29 March is no clearer this week than last, and Airbus yet again voiced frustration over political uncertainty and warned against a no-deal Brexit. Chief executive Tom Enders said the company – which employs 14,000 in the UK – could have to make "potentially very harmful decisions". A loss of free trade and restricted movement of skilled workers post-Brexit could be major risks to the aerospace sector, a recent IMechE report said. 

'This sucks' – Dyson Singapore move sparks Brexit debate

BBC

While Airbus warned the government, vacuum cleaner and hand dryer expert Dyson went ahead and moved headquarters – albeit only shifting two executives to Singapore. The move sparked intense debate over founder James Dyson's support for Brexit, but other reasons for the decision could include lower taxes and getting closer to the growing Chinese electric car market, which the company aims to enter in the coming years. 

HS2 costs could go off the rails

Rail Technology Magazine

Last week, we highlighted news that HS2 could see slower and less frequent trains. This week, the former chairman Sir Terry Morgan went even further and claimed "nobody actually knows" how much the project will end up costing. Full steam ahead...  

'This sucks too' – inspection bot uses suction to climb around jet

Professional Engineering

A gravity-defying robot using intense suction to stick to the sides and underbelly of a Boeing 737 could lead to a new class of collaborative repair bots. The creators of the Vortex said autonomous, repeatable inspection and repair techniques will be needed to cope with air traffic increases and new composites. 

Manned overboard – 'proving ground' planned for autonomous marine vehicles

The Engineer

Self-driving cars have grabbed the headlines in recent years, but autonomy also holds promise for navigating the open sea. Plymouth Sound will host testing of autonomous marine vehicles after the installation of sensors using machine learning AI. 

From concept to flight in just one year for autonomous Boeing vehicle

Professional Engineering

"This is what revolution looks like," claimed John Langford, chief executive officer of Aurora Flight Sciences, after the company and Boeing NeXt successfully tested a prototype autonomous passenger air vehicle – just one year after it was a conceptual design.

Researchers turn sewage sludge into bricks

The Engineer

Wastewater goes down the drain, but researchers in Australia say they have found a new, sustainable use for it. The team built 'biosolid bricks' using treated sewage, reportedly only using half the energy of conventional bricks.  

UK's first rocket returns home after 48 years

E&T

For 48 years, the Black Arrow has been lying in the Australian outback, gathering dust and being vandalised. Now, the UK's first and only satellite-launching rocket has been returned home by Skyrora, a modern company inspired by the heritage technology. 

All watched over by screens of loving grace

The Guardian

A "digital tower laboratory" being tested at Heathrow airport could mean the third runway does not need a new control tower. The lab shows incoming and outgoing aircraft on a giant array of nine screens, offering a 180º view with 20 zoomable cameras. 

Bot-anical research – soft robot mimics plant tendrils to curl and climb

Professional Engineering

A curling, climbing soft robot inspired by plant tendrils could lead to flexible wearable devices or adaptable robotic arms for exploration, its creators have said. Created by engineers at the Italian Institute of Technology, the robot is reportedly the first to make reversible movements based on the principle of osmosis – water transport – within plants.