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26 September 2019

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

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New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

The pilots who’ll be flying the next generation of military jets haven’t been born yet. The engineers designing and building them today are working in completely new ways. They are using augmented and virtual reality, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and data analytics at every stage. They’ll soon be working in close partnership with robots as well as humans. “There will be a digital thread running throughout from design through to operation,” says Julia Sutcliffe, chief technologist at BAE Systems Air.

The changes are essential. “The way we fly and use aircraft is continually changing,”…

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