Air Force announces digitally designed ‘E-Series’

Would you fly in a plane that was designed and tested exclusively online?

The U.S. Air Force would. It just announced a new classification for aircraft and satellites developed using digital engineering. The “E-series” will be the new mark of leading-edge innovation, similar to experimental “X” designations in the past.

Engineers can test more designs in a virtual space than they ever could in a physical environment, making the process faster, cheaper and more accurate.

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works also recently unveiled Speed Racer, an unmanned digitally  engineered aircraft system. Lockheed Martin hopes to expand its digital engineering process corporate-wide.

– Melissa Price, The Engineering 100