What is it that pushes us to consistently manufacture better and more innovative aerospace fasteners? The answer to this question lies in the history of industrial fastener production here in the UK and how it has changed over the years to leave Great Britain a pioneer of fastener development.

News this month that Volvo intends to make its entire range of cars electric from 2019 may have come as a bit of a shock. It feels like we’ve spent so long talking about fossil fuel alternatives in the context of something that will happen in the future, to suddenly have one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers announce “hey, it’s here!” makes it feel slightly surprising.

A young graduate from Texas has developed a new turning system for airplanes that has the potential to transform how aircraft are controlled, opening up a new frontier in performance and fuel saving technology. By using weights that move back and forth within the wings to change direction, Samath Reddy Vengate of the University of Texas at Arlington, has potentially removed the need for ailerons and elevators. Ailerons and elevators are the moveable surfaces near the trailing edges of wings and tails. These control the roll and pitch of the aircraft, allowing it to bank and change direction. However they are also one of the chief causes of drag, slowing down aircraft and causing them to burn extra fuel. Removing