Aircraft

Cessna announced it is moving its 162 Skycatcher out of the light sport category and into the primary category. But before you lose any sleep worrying what the change will mean for you – if you fly a Skycatcher, that is – rest assured, the shift is nothing more than a way to ease approval […]

Simplicity and durability are defining characteristics of so many of the classic American products we love best: The Harley-Davidson Flathead. A well-worn pair of Levi’s jeans. A Rawlings baseball improved by the scuffs and scars and patina of use. For generations of pilots, the object of our nostalgic affection is the Piper Cub. Introduced 75 […]

Van’s Aircraft surprised Oshkosh attendees by bringing a fully finished RV-14 to AirVenture 2012 and parking it at the company’s show booth. The long-rumored homebuilt model features side-by-side seating for two and a top speed of 205 mph in a package that Van’s says has been designed both for aerobatic fun and long-distance cruising. The […]

On the opening day of AirVenture, American Champion introduced a new, more powerful version of the Super Decathlon called the Xtreme Decathlon. The airplane is intended for aerobatic training and the working prototype that is on display at the show will eventually go to a Melbourne, Australia-based flight school called Aerobatics Australia. The new airplane […]

Cessna on Monday unveiled a new, more powerful version of its Cessna Grand Caravan, one that provides a 25 percent horsepower boost over its predecessor along with some stellar performance specs to boot. Tagged as the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, the new aircraft reduces takeoff roll by 350 feet, while upping climb rate by 20 […]

Cessna Aircraft unveiled a Jet-A version of the venerable Skylane at Oshkosh on Monday, an airplane that will boost the 182’s max speed to 155 knots, high-speed range to 1,160 nautical miles and certified ceiling to 20,000 feet, all while burning just 11 gallons of jet fuel per hour. The new model, called the Turbo […]

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Piper J-3 Cub, Redbird Flight Simulations has developed a special simulator based on the beloved taildragger. Like the airplane that inspired its development, the sim is bright yellow. And to further the realism of the simulation, Redbird went so far as to put a propeller up front […]

Last month a team of University of Texas researchers spoofed an Adaptive Flight Hornet Mini drone, putting it on a crash course with the ground thanks to some advanced software that allowed the team to trick the craft’s GPS receiver. The spoof was part of a Department of Homeland Security test aimed at exposing the […]

Looking ahead at the future of rotorcraft design, Eurocopter has launched two concurrent research and development programs that are aimed at producing the company’s next generation of civil and military helicopters. To say these designs are extreme in appearance and operation is an understatement. Quite simply, nothing like the Eurocopter X3 and X4 has ever […]

The A-29 Super Tucano is making a first-time appearance at Embraer’s AirVenture booth in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, next week. The Super Tucano was in the news earlier this year after beating Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6 for an Air Force contract worth more than $350 million for 20 airplanes slated to go to the Afghan military, a deal […]