Airbus

Taking inspiration from feathered experts in the art of graceful soaring, Airbus has test flown a scale-model airplane that incorporates flapping wingtips which designers say could one day lead to lighter wing designs with less drag. Based on the wing structure of the albatross, which is an excellent soarer, the remote-controlled AlbatrossOne model plane uses […]

Some industry experts called last week’s announcement that Airbus will cease production of the A380 a non-event; rumors of the airplane’s demise had been circulating for years. Airbus made the final decision after sales of the giant airplane dwindled with no new orders over the past few years. Recently, the company also lost an order […]

In a move aimed at expanding the limitations of electric flight, aerospace giant Airbus has announced a partnership with Air Race E, the world’s first electric airplane race set to launch its inaugural series in 2020. Airbus is the official founding partner of Air Race E, a competition that “aims to drive the development and […]

The Airbus A321LR was last week certified by both the FAA and EASA, a move that allows the aircraft to hit a 4,000 nm destination with reserves, as well as ETOPS approval for flights on one engine while more than 180 nm from a suitable airport. That maximum range is possible with 206 passengers aboard. […]

Pratt & Whitney is reportedly investigating cases of excessive engine vibration in its new geared turbofan engines that power Airbus’s A320neo. Pilots have received alerts of high vibration levels in flight and the FAA is currently studying the problem. Pratt & Whitney, a part of United Technologies Corp., has not yet identified the cause of […]

In the early 1990s, NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson set out to prove that gliders could catch mountain waves and soar to extreme altitudes. With the Perlan Mission, Enevoldson set out with a very ambitious goal: to soar into the stratosphere – the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere. On August 30, 2006, […]

Never content to let arch-rival Boeing have a moment in the sun, Airbus made headlines today by renaming the Bombardier CSeries jet the Airbus A220. The new naming convention fits with Airbus’ larger jets, spanning the Airbus A320, A330, A350 and A380. The smaller Bombardier CS100, which seats about 120 passengers in standard configuration, will […]

In a press release, Airbus explained it will next month acquire most of the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP) comprised of Airbus, Bombardier and Investissement Québec (IQ). Bombardier describes its C Series as a single-aisle commercial jet aimed at the 100 to 150-seat market, built with advanced aluminum and composites and boasting 18 percent […]

Dassault Aviation and Airbus have teamed up to develop new fighter jets as part of what is being called Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS). The systems will be designed to work together for military missions. In addition to next-generation fighter aircraft, FCAS will include cruise missiles, medium-altitude long-endurance UAVs and other drones. “The overall system […]

The first time I spied that chunky Beluga on the ramp at Toulouse France as I taxied out for takeoff, it was clear the converted Airbus A300 was created for a very special task, carrying large, oddly-shaped cargo. But there’s little denying the Beluga is also one of the homeliest airplanes I’ve ever seen, reminding […]