Search Results for: Pipistrel

Europes major general aviation show, Aero Friedrichshafen, opened in April with a focus on new technology. Prospective Icon A5 owners have been waiting years for their amphibious LSA, but this spring, many buyers balked at the 40-page contract they were asked to sign. In April, the Senate passed a new FAA funding bill that satisfied many general-aviation advocates, but the bill must still be reconciled with the House bill, which would shift control of ATC to a not-for-profit corporation, with scant support in GA groups.

A new hybrid electric motor developed through a project named Hypstair has the potential to make a breakthrough in emission-free propulsion in aviation. The motor is being tested on a Pipistrel airplane and was recently powered up for the first time at the factory in Ajdovscina, Slovenia. Hypstair claims its 200 kW motor is the […]

At about 1950 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. While en route, the pilot determined adequate fuel to complete the flight as planned was not aboard. The right fuel tank apparently failed to feed the engine. While preparing to land, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.

Electric airplanes are becoming a reality. There are already electric trainers in Europe, but the Federal Aviation Administration is just now considering accommodations for electric aircraft batteries and motors. It is reasonable to think that standards for fully certified aircraft with electric propulsion is well on its way.

When did the world shrink? When did the vast distances between continents fall away like sheer cliffs, leaving behind a much smaller planet? The aviation-savvy reader might choose a specific date, Dec. 17, 1903, on the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk with the Wright brothers — the dawn of the age of the airplane. Today, […]

Aero Electric Aircraft Corp.’s first all-electric Sun Flyer trainer has hit the assembly line. Arion Aircraft in Shelbyville, Tennessee, has been contracted to build the initial two-seat prototype, which will feature an Avidyne touchscreen avionics system. “After extensive analysis of the options available for this critical phase of the development process, we have selected a […]

Disrupt or be disrupted. It’s one of the hard lessons emerging in today’s tech-fueled economy, in which the frenetic pace of innovation means not only seeing new ideas materialize with dizzying speed but also watching as they threaten to obliterate entire industries that came before them. We’ve glimpsed this trend in aviation already with everything […]

Dueling press releases arrived in my email inbox at around the same time on Friday morning, one from Airbus claiming the E-Fan demonstrator had made history by becoming the first electric-powered airplane to cross the English Channel and another saying French pilot Hugues Duval had actually pulled off the same feat the night before in […]

Airbus Group’s E-Fan demonstrator was able to successfully cross the English Channel on Friday morning, mirroring Louis Blériot’s historical flight nearly 106 years ago. But the record flight is already proving controversial. Taking off from Lydd Airport in southern England, the twin-fan electric airplane completed the flight in 38 minutes, reaching a cruise altitude of […]

Aero Friedrichshafen, the biggest general-aviation event in Europe, opened in April with the delivery of an EASA type certificate to Diamond Aircraft for its twin-engine DA62. CEO Christian Dries said FAA certification should follow by early next year. Other news was the first flight of a four-seat C4 prototype from Flight Design, just a few days before the show, and Pipistrels introduction of the Alpha Electro battery-powered trainer, ready for sale. At Sun n Fun, in Lakeland, Florida, Piper debuted three new M-class models–the M350 piston and M500 and M600 turboprops–and Mooney brought a mockup of its new all-composite M10T three-seat trainer.