Aviation News

Robinson continues its amazing run as the most prolific civilian helicopter maker in the world by delivering its 8,000th unit to a private owner in New Zealand. The milestone machine was a four-seat R44 Raven II. Frank Robinson founded his company in 1973 to design and manufacture affordable helicopters for the civilian market. His first […]

The airplane is at least six years from entry into service and few specifics exist, and the program is not officially “launched,” but Aerion has already taken deposited orders worth $1.5 billion for its proposed supersonic business jet. The company is offering 40 early delivery positions at a price of $80 million in 2007 dollars. […]

In late October Bombardier announced plans to build an all-new midsize Learjet dubbed the NXT, for next generation Learjet. It is odd that the company chose to announce the large project with only a press release instead of great fanfare at a major tradeshow as is the norm. However, Bombardier had been busy shopping the […]

When Cessna launched its new light-sport aircraft Model 162 at Oshkosh last summer, it said the airplane would be built outside of the United States, but didn?t say where. In late November the company announced the 162 SkyCatcher would be manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in China. Cessna will do all design and compliance verification […]

In late July when Cessna announced at AirVenture that it would offer a BRS whole-airplane parachute for its emerging light-sport aircraft, the SkyCatcher, no one was very surprised. Chutes have become pretty standard fare in LSAs, so Cessna was just following suit. But BRS, the company that makes the chute for the SkyCatcher, as well […]

There’s no hint that avgas is going away anytime soon in the United States at least, but in much of the rest of the world the stuff has gone over the past decade from merely expensive to outrageously so. On the other hand, kerosene-based fuels, jet-A and diesel, have held the price line much better […]

The fastest Mooney is now significantly faster. In early October the company announced that it was working on an aerodynamically enhanced version of its 280 hp turbocharged Acclaim piston single. The new model, dubbed the Acclaim Type S, will hit 242 knots at its ceiling of 25,000 feet, claims Mooney, making it the undisputed speed […]