This issue of Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal is directly linked to the yearly organized International Conference, "Supply on the Wings", which is part of the AIRTEC congress embedded in the International Aerospace Supply Fair AIRTEC (www.airtec.aero) held in Frankfurt, Germany. The last conference was on 5–7 November 2013 and covered scientific and industrial presentations, connecting practice and science by more than 100 speakers from 20 nations. The nine articles selected for publication deal with different solutions for future aerospace challenges in the areas of gears, drilling, new concepts for helicopters, manufacturing, materials and an alternative energy concept.