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Cirrus Flies First Production Vision Jet

P1, the first production version of the Cirrus Vision SF50 single-engine jet, took off from Duluth (Minn.) International Airport on Thursday, flown by test pilot Terry LeSage. “Pilot feedback on P1 is simple,” he said. “The aircraft handled just great. It was no...

Airbus Helicopters confident on Tiger’s Australian future

Airbus Helicopters maintains it is addressing a number of persistent criticisms levelled at the Tiger attack rotorcraft by its Australian customer, despite the likely early retirement of the platform from the nation’s inventory. In fact, so confident is the manufacturer in the improvements...


Third AW609 tiltrotor prototype resumes testing following fatal crash

After a six month hiatus, ground tests have resumed on the third prototype (A/C3) of the AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor. The aircraft recently underwent restrained ground testing with all engines and systems online after testing was suspended following a fatal air crash on October 30, 2015, which cost the lives of two test pilots. According to Leonardo-Finmeccanica, the recent ground tests invo...

The Real Chinese 'Dragon': Exposing the Power of China's Deadly Air Force

Tensions in the South China Sea and continued warnings about Chinese militarization of the disputed areas has led many Pentagon planners and analysts to sharpen focus on Chinese Air Force acquisitions and technological advances.  The U.S. Air Force’s technological air power superiority over China is rapidly diminishing in light of rapid Chinese modernization of fighter jets, missiles...

Airbus sets sights on the stratosphere with glider flight

The flight aims to test how well an aircraft and its crew can fare in conditions similar to those on Mars, with thin atmosphere and cold temperatures. Airbus completed a test flight Saturday of a glider set to eventually travel to the edge of space, in a pioneering step into the stratosphere. The Perlan 2’s flight, from an airstrip in the western US state of Nevada, took place two hour...

World's largest, fastest firefighting aircraft unveiled in Colorado

Global SuperTanker's converted 747-400 is said to be deployable anywhere in the world within 20 hours. The world’s largest and fastest firefighting airplane, the "Spirit of John Muir", was unveiled at its new base in the US state of Colorado on Thursday (May 5). Launched by Global SuperTanker Services, the plane is said to be able to reach any part of the world in 20 hour...

Boeing reveals it got $305 million in tax breaks last year—a lot more than everyone thought

Washington state legislatures gave Boeing Co. $8.7 billion in tax incentives extensions back in 2013. This was followed by Boeing jobs continuing to decline as the company cut costs and moved jobs out of state, infuriating unions and workers. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 (IAM 751), the “touch labor” union in the Seattle area for Boei...

NASA pours $67 million into solar electric spacecraft engines

It wants super-efficient power for missions headed to asteroids and Mars. In an effort to design more efficient spacecraft engines, NASA granted rocket manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne a three-year contract to develop advanced “solar electric propulsion” engines that could assist in deep space travel. The engines have the potential to be ten times more efficient than chemical engines...

This beautiful new plane has a feature that's unlike anything we've ever seen

Let's be honest. Flying — for most people — means being crammed into a pressurized metal tube with small portholes. Even large business jets with eight-figure price tags offer very little in terms of natural sunlight. Now Embraer has come up with a revolutionary interior that's straight out of a sci-fi flick. With an interior-design concept called the Kyoto Airship, Em...

Personal aircraft aiming to take off from your home

A start-up company hosted in an ESA business incubator is developing the world’s first vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for personal use. The electric two-seater will open the door to a new class of simpler, quieter and environmentally friendly planes available from 2018. “Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life,” explains Daniel Wiegand, CEO and one o...

NOAA deploys Puma AE on Antarctic mission for the first time

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has completed the first deployment of the AeroVironment RQ-20A Puma AE unmanned air vehicle to the Antarctic, where it supported a US Coast Guard resupply mission. It operated onboard the US Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star in support of the annual operation Deep Freeze deployment, taking on the role of manned helicopters in providing...

Triumph Gear Systems receives award from Sikorsky

Triumph Group subsidiary Triumph Gear Systems has received the 2015 Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training Supplier of the Year from helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky. Thomas Holzthum, executive vice-president for integrated systems, said: “We are very pleased to receive this distinguished award, which is a testament to the manufacturing expertise, valued-added solutions and exceptio...

Check out the Canadian airliner that's trying to challenge Boeing

Bombardier Aerospace announced late last week that Delta Air Lines agreed to order 75 of the company's C Series airliners in a deal worth up to $5.6 billion. Shortly after the deal's announcement, Bombardier flew one of its C Series demonstrators down to Delta's Atlanta headquarters for journalists and the airline's staff to get a closer look. Although Bombardier has been a glob...

Bell Helicopter mates fuselage and wings of first V-280

Bell Helicopter has joined the fuselage to the tilting wings and fixed nacelles of the V-280 Valor more than a year in advanced of a scheduled fly-off for the US Army. “This is a major milestone,” says Lisa Atherton, Bell’s executive vice-president for military business development. For the next year, Bell’s development will concentrate on the fly-by-wire flight contr...

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Essential news

SkyDrive signs Australia’s first eVTOL agreement with Gold Coast Helitours

SkyDrive signed a Letter of Intent with Gold Coast Helitours, a premier helicopter operator based in the Gold Coast, Australia. This milestone agreement represents SkyDrive's first LOI w...

Textron Aviation celebrates 500th Cessna Citation CJ4 delivery as Gen3 era advances

Textron Aviation delivered the 500th delivery of a Cessna Citation CJ4 series business jet, underscoring more than a decade of customer confidence in the company’s largest light jet an...

New high-tech composite center for 300 employees in central Switzerland begins operations

With its striking new “Schwarzhorn” building, Pilatus has officially opened an ultra-modern center of advanced composite competence in canton Nidwalden: effective immediately, the developm...

Heart Aerospace completes first flight off World's largest electric aircraft

Heart Aerospace announced the successful first flight of the company's X1 demonstrator aircraft. Spanning 106 feet, measuring 76 feet nose to tail, and weighing more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff,...

NOEMI Aerospace and Pawan Hans sign strategic MoU to explore electric seaplane operations in India

NOEMI Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pawan Hans, India's leading helicopter operator, to explore the introduction of electric amphibious aircraft for regional air tra...

Archer to shape physical AI future of aerospace & defense with acquisition of Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid subsidiaries

Boeing and Archer Aviation have signed definitive agreements in which Archer will acquire Boeing’s Wisk Aero, SkyGrid and Insitu subsidiaries. The deal will combine complementary capabilities de...

EH216-S completes Central Asia’s first pilotless human-carrying eVTOL flight in the heart of Kazakhstan’s capital

EHang flagship EH216-S successfully completed Central Asia’s first pilotless human-carrying flight of an eVTOL aircraft in Astana, Kazakhstan. During the Games of the Future 2026, the...

iOS Apps development in Riga, Latvia

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EHang launches Global Fast Track Program to accelerate international commercialization of pilotless eVTOL; Sri Lanka first to adopt

EHang launches its Global Fast Track Program — a structured and accelerated pathway for the assessment and introduction of pilotless eVTOL operations in international markets. Sri Lanka is...

ATR identifies demand for 209 new domestic air routes in Indonesia

ATR identified 209 new domestic air routes in Indonesia that would be economically viable if served by regional turboprop aircraft. Total demand for these routes is 16 million passengers per...

Do228 NXT makes its African debut at El Alamein Airshow in Egypt and AAD 2026 in South Africa

In September 2026, General Atomics AeroTec Systems will put a major focus on Africa. With two trade show appearances, the German aircraft manufacturer is highlighting the strategic importance of...

Horizon Airways doubles down on fleet modernization with order for second Tecnam P2012 STOL

Queensland-based Horizon Airways has signed an order for a second Tecnam P2012 STOL aircraft. Slated to join the Australian fleet by the end of 2026, this subsequent order rapidly...

SkyDrive signs Australia’s first eVTOL agreement with Gold Coast Helitours

SkyDrive signed a Letter of Intent with Gold Coast Helitours, a premier helicopter operator based in the Gold Coast, Australia. This milestone agreement represents SkyDrive's first LOI w...

Textron Aviation celebrates 500th Cessna Citation CJ4 delivery as Gen3 era advances

Textron Aviation delivered the 500th delivery of a Cessna Citation CJ4 series business jet, underscoring more than a decade of customer confidence in the company’s largest light jet an...

Eve Air Mobility and RV Connex sign MOU to advance urban air mobility regulatory framework in Thailand

Eve Air Mobility and RV Connex Co., Ltd., a leading Thai engineering and aerospace company, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on regulatory development that will hel...