Aircraft

In what Vice Admiral David Buss, Commander, Naval Air Forces called a “watershed event,” the U.S. Air Force X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator was catapulted for the first time from the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia this week. After a 65-minute flight, which included several low approaches […]

Cirrus calls the latest edition of its SR22 the Generation 5, which some customers have begun to refer to informally as the SR22 G5. There are a number of really big changes that make the model a strong upgrade, one that took clever design decisions to achieve. How appealing is the new model? As of […]

One of the most intriguing four-seaters emerging from a European company today is the Tecnam P2010, a composite fuselage, high-wing design intended to be both economical and capable. Tecnam test pilots flew the test example to Aero Friedrichshafen, a journey of nearly 500 nm, cruising at 10,000 feet for much of the flight. Powered by […]

Last year’s restructuring is paying dividends for Beechcraft, at least in terms of deliveries. The manufacturer handed over 59 airplanes to new owners in the first quarter, compared with 37 for the same time frame last year. The deliveries included 16 King Air 350i/ER turboprop twins; 13 King Air 250s; five King Air 90 GTx […]

Cessna employees in Independence, Kansas, had reason to celebrate this week as the first production Citation M2 fuselage was attached to its wings. “This is the moment when we can see an aircraft take shape, and we hope it is equally exciting for our customers who want to start flying their M2,” said Dick Friesen, […]

Additional delays in the certification of the GE-Honda HF120 engine, two of which will power the HondaJet, have caused further setbacks in the certification schedule of the much-anticipated light jet. A statement from Honda Aircraft Company said “GE Honda Aero Engines is conducting important tests and anticipates HF120 engine type certification in the fourth quarter […]

After decades submerged in the English Channel, the only known surviving WWII German Dornier Do 17 bomber has hopes for being rescued, British officials announced this past weekend. In the next few weeks, divers will attempt to bring the Dornier Do 17 to the surface just off the Kent coast in southeastern England. The complex […]

Terrafugia, the company currently developing the roadable airplane known as the Transition, has unveiled plans for a new flying car. Dubbed the TF-X Vision, Terrafugia says the roadable airplane’s key features will include the ability to auto-land and take off vertically from a clearing at least 100 feet in diameter. The vehicle will be hybrid-electric […]

The Air Force’s unmanned X-51 WaveRider “scramjet” covered 264 miles in just over six minutes on Monday, reaching Mach 5.1 (more than 3,000 mph) on its final test flight. The experimental test aircraft was launched from a B-52 bomber out of Edwards Air Force Base in California, and the test flights took place over the […]

The Icon A5 program is facing further delays after the FAA sent a letter requesting more information as it considers a request for a weight exemption. Icon is asking for an additional 250 pounds of gross weight beyond the LSA category’s 1,430-lb amphibious limit, a change the company said is needed to make the Icon […]