Aircraft

Training airplanes powered by fuel-efficient compression ignition diesel engines are catching on in a big way in China, where the burgeoning GA infrastructure favors jet-A fuel rather than 100LL avgas. In the latest move to diesel power, the Xinjiang Tianxiang Flight School in northwest China is doubling its fleet of Diamond DA40 trainers to 30 […]

“Calm winds, clear skies, bright sunshine. It’s a wonderful day to fly.” The Flight Service Station specialist was delighted to be giving such a favorable weather report. “No,” I thought to myself. “It’s a lousy day to fly.” This surprising thought illustrates there are special considerations and risks for every aircraft you fly. You see, […]

The HondaJet is an important step closer to its market introduction after the FAA on Friday awarded the light jet’s provisional type certification. Honda Aircraft is planning for initial customer deliveries to start after remaining flight testing is completed in the next couple of months. Provisional type certification is a common design approval awarded to […]

Bertrand Piccard, one of the two founders of Solar Impulse, has completed the fifth leg of the pioneering journey in Si2, landing early Tuesday morning at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in China. The leg from Mandalay, Myanmar, to Chongqing was a marathon of epic proportions, taking Piccard 20 hours and 29 minutes to complete. At […]

A new solar-electric aircraft has entered commercial production and is getting ready for its first delivery. Named the Silent Falcon, the UAS is produced by Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Silent Falcon UAS Technologies (SFUAS), a former subsidiary of Bye Aerospace, which specializes in alternative energies for aviation application that is also involved with Aero Electric Aircraft […]

During World War II the British adopted the term boffin for scientists or engineers secretly developing novel weapons, inventing radar, breaking codes and so on. Frank Whittle, one of the creators of the jet engine, was a notable boffin. Another, less well-known than Whittle although, like him, later to be the subject of a motion […]

The FAA has eased the arduous COA (Certificate of Waiver or Authorization) application required for commercial UAS operators, allowing for what the FAA calls a “blanket” 200-foot COA. What this means is that any drone operators who hold a Section 333 exemption can fly below 200 feet agl without having to go through the previously […]

Earlier this month Pakistani military leaders released statements commending engineers for developing an “indigenous” drone that’s strikingly reminiscent of the popular Long-EZ homebuilt designed by Burt Rutan in the 1970s. Officials say the UAV, called the Burraq, fired a laser-guided missile during testing a few weeks ago, constituting a first for the Middle Eastern country. […]

Just Aircraft has introduced a stretched version of the light-sport SuperSTOL that adds an extra two feet to the taildragger’s aft section and an extra six inches up front. The changes allow the SuperSTOL Stretch XL to accommodate bigger engines, such as the UL Power 520 series and Lycoming O-320 engine putting out 160 hp. […]

“This whole thing of ‘The sky is the limit’ — it’s not,” says professional aerobatic pilot Rob Holland. “The sky is just a playground.” Nothing could be closer to the truth when it comes to people who engage in extreme flying adventures. Whether they fly powered or nonpowered aircraft, these individuals are pushing the boundaries […]