Gallery: Aviation Startup Cobalt's Sleek New Plane Stars a Canard

  • Image may contain Airport Vehicle Transportation Airplane Aircraft Airfield and Airliner
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    01

    -G3A0056-GALLERY

    Aviation startup Cobalt is developing a new plane that aims to radically improve safety by making it harder to stall.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Bomber Warplane Airport Airfield Wheel and Machine
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    02

    -G3A0081-GALLERY

    The Co50 Valkyrie is a stylish five-seater.
  • Image may contain Airport Airfield Transportation Vehicle Aircraft and Airplane
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    03

    -G3A0072-GALLERY

    Its most notable feature is the second, smaller wing near the nose.
  • Image may contain Wheel Machine Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Automobile Car and Furniture
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    04

    -G3A0069-GALLERY

    Called a canard, the extra wing creates a new, added source of lift, making it virtually impossible to stall the airplane.
  • Image may contain Machine Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Airport Airfield and Propeller
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    05

    -G3A0111-GALLERY

    The idea of the canard has been around for decades, and was popularized by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan.
  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Airplane Aircraft Warplane Bomber Airfield and Airport
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    06

    -G3A0132-GALLERY

    Cobalt CEO David Loury has spent 10 years working on the design.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Warplane Airport Bomber and Airfield
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    07

    -G3A0145-GALLERY

    “We really want to make things happen and not just be dreamers,” he says. “We want to offer better designs that enhance your safety.”
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Airplane Aircraft Warplane Bomber Airfield and Airport
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    08

    -G3A0118-GALLERY

    The engine and propeller (neither are in place here) are in the back, so there’s nothing up front to obscure the pilot’s view.
  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Aircraft Airplane Warplane and Bomber
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    09

    -G3A0052-GALLERY

    Turned-up winglets at the end of each wing provide extra lift.
  • Image may contain Building Hangar Human and Person
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    10

    -G3A0037-GALLERY

    The Valkyrie’s turbocharged, 350-horsepower off-the-shelf Continental engine is good for a top speed of about 300 mph and a range of about 1,200 miles.
  • Image may contain Cushion Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Car Seat and Headrest
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    11

    -G3A0138-GALLERY

    The cockpit is designed to be ultra-simple and user-friendly.
  • Image may contain Cushion Car Seat and Machine
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    12

    -G3A0136-GALLERY

    It uses a glass-panel Garmin 3X flight display system.
  • Image may contain Human Person Transportation Vehicle Airplane Aircraft Machine and Propeller
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    13

    -G3A0044-GALLERY

    The airplane unveiled this week is Cobalt’s fifth prototype. It hasn’t yet flown, but will enter flight testing next spring.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Warplane Airport Airfield and Bomber
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    14

    -G3A0108-GALLERY

    "This is the final aircraft, that we can now deliver in an experimental version, for about $600,000,” Loury says.
  • Image may contain Airport Airfield Vehicle Transportation Airplane and Aircraft
    Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED
    15

    -G3A0128-GALLERY

    If Loury attains his dream of getting the airplane fully certified by federal regulators—a daunting and expensive process for a small company, costing millions and taking years—the Valkyrie would be unique in its class.
Read More
OpenAI’s Rogue AI Agent Hacked More Than Just Hugging Face
In a new disclosure, OpenAI says its agent used exposed logins to gain access to at least four “publicly available services” in its unhinged quest to solve a test.
Dell Cameron
A Typo Landed an Innocent Gamer in Prison for 18 Months
How much could a single underscore in a username really matter? Just ask Brandon Klayme, who served 18 months in prison before realizing how authorities arrested, charged, and convicted the wrong man.
Nate Anderson, Ars Technica
Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign
For months on end, eBay employees and contractors made life hell for a couple that had criticized the company. Six years later, the company is finally paying up.
Lauren Goode
Laura Loomer’s Reversal on Ukraine Stirs Up the MAGA Civil War
Donald Trump’s base has been increasingly spilt. Laura Loomer’s sudden embrace of Ukraine has only widened that divide.
David Gilbert
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell