Aircraft

Citing safety concerns and privacy issues, the FAA has delayed the selection of U.S. sites for the testing of unmanned aircraft, effectively putting the brakes on a push to integrate UAVs into civil airspace. In a letter to Republican Congressman Howard McKeon of California, chairman of the House Unmanned Systems Caucus, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta […]

One use for pilotless drones could be to provide lifesaving data and communications links after a natural disaster. A circling drone could serve as a sort of temporary AWACS platform, beaming WiFi and cell phone coverage down on an area stricken by downed powerlines and damaged cell towers. After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, for […]

The FAA recently signed off on the type certificate for XtremeAir’s XA42 — a two-seat, all-carbon-fiber aerobatic airplane, which has been EASA certified since March 2011. Powered by a 315-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-580 engine, the German airplane boasts a max cruise speed of 210 knots and load factor limits of +/-10 g. Center sticks in front […]

The first customer has arrived in Savannah, Georgia, to take delivery of Gulfstream’s newly certified G280. The super-midsize business jet was a joint effort between Gulfstream and Israel Aerospace Industries and it achieved certification on August 30 from the FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Gulfstream does not make planned deliveries public, but […]

Piper celebrated its 75th anniversary over the weekend with a fly-in that drew Piper airplanes from every era to the company’s headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida. Several hundred people came out to the event to pay tribute to the storied manufacturer, enjoy a factory tour, visit with aviation vendors and take in the sights and […]

GE Aviation’s H85 turbine engine has been selected to power the new Primus 150 single-engine business turboprop, launched this week by CAIGA at Airshow China 2012 in Zhuhai. This would be the first application for the 850-shaft-horsepower H85 turboprop engine, a derivative of GE’s H80, which recently entered service on the Thrush 510G agplane. GE […]

Machinists at the Bombardier Learjet factory in Wichita voted on Saturday to accept a new labor contract, ending the longest strike in the plant’s history a little more than a month after it started. The new labor deal includes an improved healthcare package, a 4 percent wage increase spread across five years and lump-sum payouts […]

Before I walked through the doors of the museum at Boeing Field in Seattle, I scanned the sharp lines of the B-47 perched just outside. The 1947 vintage bomber had really been the catalyst that heralded the beginning of the U.S. commercial jet age. The concept of swept wings was in its infancy, an engineering […]

Hawker Beechcraft will cut about 410 jobs at four locations as it seeks to reemerge from bankruptcy as a smaller company. Top officials informed employees of the cuts in a letter sent out on Wednesday. The reductions are part of a process that will involve closing the Hawker Beechcraft Services facilities in Little Rock, Arkansas, […]

Tecnam continues to flood the LSA market with new models, and its latest product caters to those who are looking for a low-cost, bare-bones aircraft for fun flying. At a base price of $74,999, the Echo Classic Light is the 13th variant of the P92. Intended for the $100 hamburger flier who is looking for […]