Aircraft

Even though it’s likely only a temporary reprieve, it’s still good news for supporters of the A-10 Thunderbolt II as backers seek to head off the iconic tank buster’s imminent retirement. A House Armed Services Committee panel has voted to delay deactivation of the A-10, affectionately known as the Warthog, meaning the full House will […]

With Europe being one of Robinson Helicopter’s most successful regions for sales, the Torrance, California-based helicopter manufacturer is likely breathing a big sigh of relief as it has achieved certification for its R66 Turbine helicopter by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The signoff allows Robinson to start delivering helicopters to a backlog of European […]

Several media companies including The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Associated Press have challenged the FAA’s authority to prohibit the press from flying drones in search of a story. In a briefing filed this week with the National Transportation Safety Board, a group of 16 media outlets argued that current FAA regulations […]

Has the market for GA piston airplanes finally turned a corner? Maybe not just yet, but we’re starting to see welcome improvements based on numbers from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, whose latest figures show that aircraft deliveries grew by more than 20 percent in this year’s first quarter. The 221 piston airplanes shipped in […]

SyberJet, the company that took over the Sino Swearingen SJ30 design after the company went bankrupt, broke ground yesterday on a new 30,000-square-foot completion, delivery and training center at the Cedar City Regional Airport (KCDC) in Cedar City, Utah. Several hundred people were in attendance at the groundbreaking event, including government officials, suppliers, family members […]

If you want real value from an airplane backed by a company with a great track record and a long history, look no further. The FAA has given its stamp of approval for Quicksilver Aircraft to begin producing and selling the factory-built Sport S2SE, a two-seat special light sport aircraft (S-LSA) that will sell for […]

A new private pilot, who had big dreams but not big money, was contemplating purchasing an older Mooney. He had limited mechanical skills and no concept of the potential cost of maintaining a complex airplane. He just liked the looks of the plane and its performance. Roger that. Many people buy their first aircraft for […]

We recently told you about Airbus’s ambitious plans for the VoltAir concept, a proposed electric-powered airliner that could take to the skies within 20 years — that vision is one step closer to reality with the successful flight test of a prototype electric airplane, called the E-Fan, in Bordeaux, France, that Airbus says was built […]

Most people who entered the doors of the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, to attend the 2014 edition of the Helicopter Association International’s annual convention, Heli-Expo, on Feb. 25 headed straight for the Bell Helicopter booth. A massive floor-to-ceiling arced screen had been set up, cornering off a significant portion of the display. One […]

While Bell Helicopter proved at Heli-Expo that the 505 Jet Ranger X is already a contender in the SLS market, there are some formidable platforms in this class of helicopters that have already been established. What follows are four comparable five-seat light turbine helicopters that Bell will have to work very hard at beating out […]