Aircraft

Diamond Aircraft introduced a new version of its DA40 piston single that brings a number of welcome improvements to the cockpit. The DA40 XLT model for 2013 features wider front seats, air conditioning, burl-wood and carbon-fiber trim accents and other improvements that elevate the Austrian-designed four seater into a luxury cruiser. Not only are the […]

Eleven weeks after the fleet of 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners was grounded due to lithium-ion battery malfunctions, the company announced it has completed tests on its proposed fix. FAA approval of the fix is expected, but could involve some more “back and forth” discussion. Even after the OK from the agency, it could still be […]

Merely one week after Pipistrel first cranked the 210 hp Lycoming engine on the four-seat Panthera, the company announced that it has completed the airplane’s first flight. With support provided by the Slovenian Armed Forces, test pilot Mirko Anžel and his co-pilot Sašo Knez took off from the Airport of Cerklje ob Krki, Slovenia, the […]

Pilatus is set to take the wraps off a new twin-engine business jet at EBACE next month, giving the public its first glimpse into what the company says will be its new flagship. The Board of Directors at the Swiss manufacturer first approved development of the jet last summer. While little is known about the […]

The new sleek Pipistrel Panthera four-seater appears to be progressing quite well. The company announced it has successfully completed the first engine start of the 210 horsepower Lycoming IO-390 that will eventually power the airplane. The test pilots got the engine started on the second attempt and taxied the airplane around the grass runway adjacent […]

The FAA today awarded Eclipse Aerospace an amended production certificate authorizing the final assembly, test and certification of the Eclipse 550 very light jet. The original production certificate the FAA granted Eclipse last year allowed the Albuquerque, New Mexico, company to manufacture the Eclipse 550 and its parts in compliance with the FAA-approved type design, […]

Cessna yesterday rolled out the 400th Citation CJ3 light jet. In its ninth year of production, the CJ3 outsells its competition by 70 percent, according to Cessna. Powered by a pair of fadec-controlled Williams FJ44-3A fanjets, the single-pilot-certified CJ3 is largely owner-flown. The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 flight deck is common among all CJs, […]

In his most recent blog, Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks has elaborated on how he believes Howard Hughes helped arrange for him to acquire the deceased aviation legend’s Sikorsky S-43. Weeks bought the airplane from the estate of well known car collector Ron Van Kregten, the man who bought it from Hughes, and he […]

A Boeing 787 completed a two-hour flight on Monday in the first test of the troubled airliner’s redesigned lithium battery system. The Dreamliner departed Everett, Washington, just after noon local time and flew along the Pacific coast into Oregon before returning to land at Paine Field. Afterward Boeing said the flight went “according to plan.” […]

A tale of success and hardship for Boeing’s flagship 787.