Aircraft

Showing its post-bankruptcy commitment to the progressing Hawker 400XPR upgrade program, Beechcraft announced it has started flight testing the winglets on the light jet this month with positive results. “We’ve been beating performance estimates in flight testing, and we’re in the final certification phase for the 400XPR,” said Brian Howell, Hawker Beechcraft vice president, aftermarket […]

Flight test crews at Lockheed Martin have hit some milestones this month as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program slowly progresses. At the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland on May 10, the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) Lightning II test airplane completed its first vertical takeoff — a flight that also included a vertical […]

At EBACE Gulfstream president Larry Flynn discussed the fortunes of the world’s most successful airplane manufacturer and concluded that, despite “headwinds” in every market around the world, the company was pleased with its sales and bullish on its prospects. Flynn said that “uncertainty” in financial markets, political instability in the Middle East and elsewhere on […]

GE Aviation says interest in its H80 turboprop engine family has been stronger than expected, leading to a decision to increase production this year to meet customer demand. The H80, a modernized version of the 1960s-era Walter M601, has been certified on the Thrush 510G agplane, as well as by Aircraft Industries in Europe for […]

Bombardier introduced a new addition to the Challenger series this week at EBACE in Geneva. The Challenger 350 is not a clean-sheet design, but rather a modified version of the Challenger 300 super-midsize jet. The new product is largely the result of input from customers, and mostly from one of Bombardier’s most loyal customers, NetJets, […]

In explaining the delay announced last week of the HondaJet program, HondaJet president Michimasi Fujino told members of the press at EBACE that it was prompted by an unanticipated test program glitch with the Honda/GE HF120 turbofan engine that will power the airplane. At a later press conference, GE Honda president Terry Sharp went into […]

Embraer on Saturday showed up in Geneva for EBACE with its emerging Legacy 500 midsize jet. The 500, yet another clean-sheet design from the Brazilian jet maker, marks several firsts for the company and for the segment. The jet, which features fly-by-wire flight controls, extensive envelope protection and a large, nicely outfitted cabin, is slated […]

On Tuesday at EBACE in Geneva, Pilatus launched the PC-24, the much-anticipated, long-awaited follow-on to its popular PC-12 turboprop single. The Pilatus PC-24 is a twinjet, and while it looks in many ways like a conventional business jet, it is a very different animal, bringing together a combination of cabin volume, access, utility, speed, rough […]

The FAA has signed off on a new technology for Sikorsky’s S-92 helicopter called Rig Approach, an automated system that makes it easier for offshore pilots to find and approach oil platforms and rigs. Sikorsky claims the new automation software, which allows the offshore pilot to program an approach to a rig into the helicopter’s […]

Business aircraft research firm Jetnet released its market outlook report for the first quarter, and the results are discouraging – unless you’re shopping for a used business jet, turboprop or turbine helicopter. The size of the used aircraft inventory has always been a measure of the health of the overall general aviation industry. The more […]