Aircraft

When Van’s Aircraft announced last fall that it would market factory-built versions of its RV-12 light sport aircraft, the kitplane world turned an interested eye. The first dozen delivery positions were quickly consumed. Now, Synergy Air, the Eugene, Oregon, company that builds the airplanes, has announced the next batch of 12 RV-12s is up for […]

To say I was looking forward to flying Cessna’s new Citation M2 is a great understatement. As I flew from Austin, Texas, up to Wichita, Kansas, in my Garmin-equipped SR22 to meet with the folks from Cessna, I couldn’t help but wonder how Cessna had made a light jet designed more than 20 years ago […]

**2013 Cessna Citation M2 ** ** ** The Cessna Citation M2 flown for this report was a factory test article with conforming avionics (with a few minor exceptions) but without a production interior. The airplane was outfitted with the Garmin G3000 integrated avionics suite with digital autopilot, dual GTC 570 touch-screen controllers, datalink, ADS-B, Garmin […]

The FAA today issued its first ever “roadmap” outlining the steps it says will be necessary to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the nation’s complex airspace. The 72-page document outlines the FAA’s approach to mixing drones into civilian airspace safely and securely while addressing privacy concerns. This will involve establishing specific certification requirements […]

On the YouTube video, you hear the distinctive whine of a turboprop engine spooling up. But the sight picture doesn’t match up. Isn’t that a 1948 Luscombe 8E? The extended nose is the tipoff that this is no piston-slapping flivver of an airplane. And then, it backs up on the ramp. This turboprop-powered Luscombe is […]

The odds of Cessna reclaiming its spot as the maker of the fastest civilian airplane just grew stronger. While Gulfstream one-upped the Wichita-based company when its Mach 0.925 G650 business jet was brought to market last year, Cessna announced last week that it has proven the promised performance capabilities of the Citation X speedster to […]

Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works has revealed plans for a new hypersonic spy plane that would be capable of flying at Mach 6, making it the fastest airplane ever and obviating the need for stealth technology because nothing on the planet would be capable of catching it. Designed as a replacement for the super-speedy SR-71 […]

At its NBAA Convention press conference last week, Cessna showed video of its Scorpion light attack jet undergoing ejection seat testing. It’s explosive footage. As I reported on my Twitter feed (@robertgoyer), Cessna plans to fly the Scorpion this year, a remarkably ambitious production schedule, and testing the seats is a critical step along that […]

Embraer intends to expand its Melbourne, Florida, factory to include an assembly line for the Legacy 450 and 500 midsize fly-by-wire business jets currently in development. While the details of the expansion still need to be approved by local and state officials, the Brazilian jet maker said it hopes to open the new facility as […]

Of all the jump planes used for sport parachuting, a Gulfstream GV is probably not the first to come to mind. But the Drake Group, an engineering firm based in Las Vegas, has completed a Supplemental Type Certificate to do just that. The approval covers single and tandem jumping, as well as cargo parachutes for […]