Aircraft

After years of flight testing two versions of its solar-powered concept airplane, the Solar Impulse team is now well on its way to making the journey around the globe a reality. Si2 — the second version of the Solar Impulse — has been disassembled and loaded into the nose of a Cargolux Boeing 747 and […]

Sometimes the best way to fly is without any boundaries between you and the outdoors. Flying reader Michael Daniels recently did just that, enjoying the openness of a Quicksilver S2. Check out the great footage he captured during the flight. Want more? Head over to our “Flying Is” channel for all reader videos. Get exclusive […]

In the thin air above 20,000 feet, with German fighters bearing down from all directions, the inside of an unpressurized American bomber in World War II was an altogether foreign world. Freezing cold, oxygen-deprived and hundreds of miles from the nearest friendly fighter escort, the bombers faced desperate odds with each mission deep into enemy […]

Electric motors open a candy box of new possibilities to jaded aeronautical designers and researchers. As with real candy, however, there is a problem of weight gain. The best commercial batteries today are 30 times heavier than their equivalent in fossil fuels. The $80,000 Tesla Model S sedan uses 1,300 pounds of batteries to store […]

With an increasing number of UAS incidents including several reports of close calls with airplanes, the UAS industry has worked with the FAA to come up with a campaign that sheds some light on how drone operations can and should be conducted in order maximize safety in the sky. Named “Know Before You Fly,” the […]

Building your own airplane can be a daunting task and one of the trickiest parts is to properly assemble the avionics equipment and all the cables that go with it. Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Company has just started a program that makes this work much easier. The company’s harness assembly shop offers services ranging from […]

While Icon Aircraft recently conducted a series of flights where the company’s CEO, Kirk Hawkins, tested the water handling characteristics and maneuverability of the A5 amphibious LSA, the company has started establishing a flight training program for the two-seat airplane. As Icon finalizes the FAA approval process for the A5 in anticipation for the first […]

Flying reader Gene Lee recently captured these spectacular upside-down views while performing stall and spin recovery in a Van’s RV-7A. Check out the video and see the amazing way the world takes shape from a pilot’s seat in the heat of a spin. (Video Editor: Jim Smith) Want more? Head over to our “Flying Is” […]

Homebuilders say they are befuddled by the FAA’s upcoming ADS-B equipment mandate, specifically over the question of whether certified avionics options on the market now can be installed in Experimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) airplanes to satisfy the requirements of the Jan. 1, 2020, rule. The answer, apparently, is no. The Experimental Aircraft Association says it is […]

Perhaps you are the type of person who likes to go on road trips while traveling within the protective confines of a car. Or maybe you prefer to experience the trip with all of your senses, on a motorcycle, where you can feel the speed, touch the elements of nature, and hear and smell the […]