Aeroplanes
Northrop Grumman to build first new aircraft carrier class in 40 years
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The Gerald R. Ford CVN 78 is the first ship in the first new aircraft carrier class in over 40 years and Northrop Grumman has received a $5.1 billion, seven-year contract for its construction, which is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2015. Read More
MotoPOD RV-10 fits a motorcycle to your plane
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August 13, 2008 Now here’s an interesting concept – announced at Airventure 08, the MotoPOD RV-10 cargo pod fits underneath a light aircraft and carries a street-legal motorcycle. It takes three minutes to remove the modified Yamaha XT225 and the whole package including motorcycle is anticipated to be under US$10,000 when it goes on sale later this year. Given most small airports are not located near ground transportation services, and the comprehensive and convenient total trip transport innovation dramatically reduces point-to-point times at an affordable price. Read More
Delta fleet to get in-flight WiFi
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Delta Airlines is set to introduce broadband Wi-Fi access onboard more than 330 aircraft operating in the continental United States. The company's passengers will be able to surf the web at 35,000 feet from next year at a cost of $9.95 on flights lasting up to three hours and $12.95 on longer trips. Read More
Reaper UAV deployed in Iraq
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The MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer UAV with long loitering capability, has completed its first operational mission in Iraq. The craft has been used in Afghanistan since 2007, clocking 3,800 hours and attacking 16 targets with 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles. Read More
ICON A5 amphibious sportsplane completes first test flight
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ICON Aircraft has passed a key hurdle in the development of its innovative, amphibious sport plane design by successfully completing its maiden test flight. The full-scale prototype of the composite carbon fiber, two-seater A5 took to the skies at an undisclosed lake location in California on July 9, demonstrating the aircraft’s performance and flying characteristics during take-off, landing, and low-speed maneuvering flight as well as it on-water capabilities. The versatile A5, which has a folding wing design for easy transport and storage as well as retractable landing gear for flying off land and water, is set to undergo a series of test flights throughout the next year with a view to putting the finishing touches on the design and building a pre-production model for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and ASTM compliance. Production is expected to commence in late 2010. Read More
Etihad buys up big at Farnborough Airshow
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Soaring oil prices might be putting the squeeze on margins for airlines around the world, but that hasn't deterred United Arab Emirates national carrier Etihad from splurging more than $20 billion on orders for Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Read More
Celebrating the Spitfire
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Bonham and Goodman is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Spitfire becoming operational by offering a 1945 Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI at their inaugural sale of Collector’s Motor Cars and Aircraft, in New Zealand on September 14. There are roughly 44 airworthy Spitfires in existence today, and it’s rare indeed for the general public to be given the opportunity to purchase such an important piece of history. Read More
Geared Turbofan engine cuts emissions and running costs
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July 6, 2008 Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has been cleared for flight-testing. By incorporating a gearbox system into the engine, aircraft can achieve a 12% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, a 50% reduction in NOx emissions, and a 50% reduction in engine noise. The GTF engine has been chosen by Mitsubishi to power the company’s Regional Jet (scheduled to enter service in 2013), and the upcoming Bombardier CSeries. Read More
Evergreen Supertanker: the world's largest firefighting aircraft
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As global temperatures slowly increase, a number of nations, including the USA, are finding themselves battling widespread droughts and huge, devastating wildfires that threaten properties, lives, infrastructure and ecosystems alike. Whatever the causes, new tools are clearly required to help subdue the massive bushfires that have destroyed an area the size of Oregon over the last 18 years. Aerial fire suppressant drops are sometimes the only way to effectively fight huge firefronts, and Evergreen's new Boeing 747-based Supertanker promises to be the daddy of them all, carrying seven times more drop capacity than most dedicated firefighting aircraft. Evergreen expect the Supertanker to be a quicker, cheaper, safer and more effective aerial firefighting tool than anything else on the market - and its 747 base platform gives it the ability to operate throughout the USA and around the world wherever it's needed. Read More
Boeing announces B-52 airborne electronic attack contract
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July 1, 2008 Boeing has been awarded a $14.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop airborne electronic attack technologies that can be used over long distances. Read More
Falx Air unveils multi-purpose hybrid aircraft design
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It's safe to say that there is a transport revolution underway. Driven by the need for cleaner, more efficient and more versatile vehicles, it's delivering an unprecedented number of radical and innovative designs for the road, sea, and for the air. The latest airborne example to come to our attention is this Hybrid Transport Aircraft design from Falx Air. In addition to being used as a standard light cargo platform, mid-air light re-fueling or surveillance aircraft, the Very Light Hybrid Transport (VLHT) can be adapted to carry six passengers, or four stretchers and two medical staff. Like the company's hybrid-electric tilt-rotor aircraft platform unveiled earlier this year, the design combines automotive hybrid electric technology with a fast charge battery system and solar cells to deliver exceptional fuel economy.
ICON Aircraft unveils fold-up amphibious sports plane
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A recurring theme at Gizmag in recent times has been the growing accessibility of the recreational sports aircraft, with manufacturers offering increasingly versatile and user-friendly designs combined with falling price points. Like the Cessna SkyCatcher, the ICON A5, which was officially unveiled last week in Los Angeles, is a case in point. Powered by a 100hp Rotax 912 ULS engine achieving an estimated maximum speed of 105 kts (120 mph) and a range of 300 nm, the amphibious, two-seat, composite carbon fiber plane features a sportscar inspired cockpit and retractable landing gear for flying off land and water, but the standout element is the folding wing design which allows the plane to be towed on the road like a speed boat and stored at home rather than paying for space at an airport. Read More
GULL 36 Seaplane UAV begins English Channel flights
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UK based marine aircraft developer Warrior (Aero-Marine) has commenced flying its GULL 36 amphibious UAV over the English Channel. Demonstrating the company's wave-piercing stepless hull, the 4-meter wide craft is designed to cleave through choppy water, handle large waves and overcome strong winds and high tow.
Airborne Laser completes activation tests
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Boeing and the US Missile Defense Agency have completed the first laser activation testing for the Airborne Laser missile defense program. The tests involved circulating water through the laser to verify its integrity, before circulating chemicals through the laser to confirm sequencing and control. Read More
Airborne Laser completes activation tests
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Boeing and the US Missile Defense Agency have completed the first laser activation testing for the Airborne Laser missile defense program. The tests involved circulating water through the laser to verify its integrity, before circulating chemicals through the laser to confirm sequencing and control. Read More
UK researchers developing self-repairing aircraft
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May 28, 2008 We wrote last year about Greece’s self-healing house, now aerospace engineers at Bristol University have applied the concept to the development of self-repairing aircraft. Read More
Hummingbird achieves 18 hour flight milestone
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Gizmag first reported on Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird Unmanned Rotorcraft back in 2005 and again in 2007 when the craft made its first flight. Now the craft has come very close to achieving the original 20 hour flight times envisioned (and unofficially broken a world record for unmanned aerial vehicles along the way) by remaining in the air for 18.7 hours. Read More
Boeing's 777 Freighter graduates from paint facility
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The first Boeing 777 Freighter plane has left the paint facility in Everett, Washington, marking another step towards the scheduled launch of the plane into service late this year. The 777 Freighter is an all-cargo version of the 777-200LR Worldliner, which made Gizmag headlines in 2005 when it set the world long distance record. Read More
Straight from Q's laboratory - the Snakehead aerial camera
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SpaceCam Systems' "Snakehead" is a plane-mounted, gyroscopically stabilized, fully-articulated high-resolution movie camera that allows pilots to fly as aggressively while preserving a stable shot. Read More
Diamond Simulation launches new generation of flight simulator
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Diamond Simulation has developed a new generation of flight simulators, under the designation D-SIM-NG. The simulators include new, more powerful P2/P3 software, the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, the Tropos 1000 visual system, and the True Environment ATC simulation program.
Boeing begins assembly on third flight-test 787 Dreamliner
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Boeing has begun assembly on the third flight-test airplane for the 787 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner is the first aircraft to be 80% composite by volume, making it lighter and more efficient than competitors. The first airplane to fly is on track for "power on" in June. Read More
Odysseus: Aurora's radical, unlimited endurance, solar powered aircraft
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May 2, 2008 Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed the design of the aircraft it hopes will achieve the ambitious goals set out in DARPA's ambitious Vulture program: sustained uninterrupted flight for over five years at altitudes of 60,000-90,000 feet. Known as Odysseus, the solar-powered concept aircraft is as radical as the mission it is designed to accomplish, combining three self-sufficient “constituent aircraft” in a unique Z wing configuration that spans almost 500 feet (150 meters). The modular design provides several advantages - the shape of the aircraft can be adjusted to maximize the solar collection properties during the day and spread flat for aerodynamic efficiency at night-time, and because each of the constituent vehicles is capable of autonomously docking at altitude, the design also facilitates the replacement of one section of the plane whilst it is still aloft. Read More
Falx to debut hybrid-electric tilt-rotor aircraft with inbuilt solar charging
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Tilt-rotor aircraft have been around since the 1950s, offering the vertical take-off, hovering and landing abilities of a helicopter with the range, high flight ceiling, speed and fuel economy of a turboprop aeroplane. Now a new venture from Falx Air Vehicles is planning to push the fuel economy angle even further by using a hybrid-electric motor and inbuilt solar arrays. The company expects its upcoming compact single and double-seater tiltrotor aircraft to use as little as 10 litres of fuel per hour airborne, and the quiet electric operation should see these small, light and manoeuvrable aircraft make solid stealth vehicles for military uses. Though not yet confirmed, we may see a full-size prototype as early as the Farnsworth air show this year, and Falx is aiming to have the craft fully certified by the end of 2009. Read More
Vintage aircraft fest at Goodwood 2008
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April 28, 2008 UK classic aircraft fans are in for a treat next month as more than 70 pre-1967 planes take to the skies at the 2008 Goodwood Aero Club Vintage Fly-In and Air Display. Read More
Beijing's gargantuan Capital International Airport
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Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport became fully operational on March 26, becoming the largest airport terminal complex built in a single phase. The US$3.5 billion expansion commenced in March 2004, and the 986,000 square meter airport can now absorb all five of Heathrow’s terminals with 17% left to spare. Read More
DARPA advances plans for five year non-stop flying machine
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April 22, 2008 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as the contractors for the first phase of its Vulture program - a project which aims to design and develop a new breed of solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can remain airborne without interruption for an incredible five years. Read More
Next-generation Sky Warrior unmanned aircraft takes flight
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April 18, 2008 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has announced the successful flight of the first Sky Warrior® Block 1 aircraft for the U.S. Army’s Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program. Derived from the Predator UAV which has been deployed in Iraq, but with double the weapons capacity, the Sky Warrior is a multi-mission aircraft designed to perform long-endurance, surveillance, communications relay and tactical strike missions. It offers increased range, greater payload flexibility (including the ability to carry four Hellfire missiles) and can remain airborne for 30 hours at a time at altitudes above 25,000 feet. Read More
Embraer completes assembly of US$6.65 million Phenom 300 jet
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April 16, 2008 Brazilian Aircraft manufacturer Embraer has finished assembling its first Phenom 300 light-jet. The US$6.65 million plane expected to enter service in the second half of 2009 following a planned series of tests before its first flight. Read More
Final assembly begins on P-8A Poseidon anti-sub plane
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April 11, 2008 Boeing has begun final assembly of the first P-8A Poseidon, the long-range anti-submarine plane that will replace the P-3 Orion. The US Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As, and initial operational capability is scheduled to begin in 2013. The P-8A will have anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Read More
Aeroscraft ML866 Milestone
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April 8, 2008 A spectacular new type of aircraft is one step closer to take-off with the announcement that the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted the type certification application for the Aeroscraft model Aeros ML866. Read More
First manned fuel-cell flight
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April 7, 2008 Boeing has added another chapter to aviation history by flying a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells (preview article here). The milestone is the work of Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE is part of the legendary Phantom Works advanced R&D unit) in Madrid, working with a raft of industry partners across the world. A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe . Read More
Guardian system protects commercial flights from terrorist missile threats
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Being shot out of the sky with a surface-to-air missile might not be at the forefront of your mind when traveling on a commercial airliner, but with shoulder-mounted, infra-red anti-aircraft rockets selling for as little as US$5000 in trouble spots around the world, it's perhaps surprising that it's only happened a few dozen times in recent years. Once launched, such a missile travels at twice the speed of sound towards its target, so countermeasures must be automatic and instant - which brings us to Northrop Grumman's GUARDIAN system. This anonymous-looking pod provides 360-degree laser-based missile defense for commercial airliners for a total cost of around a dollar per passenger over the aircraft's service life. Read More
Global Hawk UAV achieves record 33-hour flight
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March 28, 2008 Northrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4 Global Hawk has successfully completed a flight lasting 33.1 hours at altitudes up to 60,000. While the milestone does not match the 54 hour flight achieved by QinetiQ’s Zephyr in 2007, it is a record for a full-scale, operational unmanned aircraft - and there was still fuel left in the tank. Read More
The Lynx: new player enters space-tourism race
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March 28, 2008 Back in 2001 Californian millionaire Denis Tito made headlines as the worlds' first space tourist - shelling out around US$20 million for the privilege. Seven years on, the competition to offer such an out-of-this-world experience to a broader range of paying customers (and capitalize on what is expected to become a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade) is heating up. Earlier this year fledgling spaceline Virgin Galactic revealed designs for what will become its flagship -SpaceShipTwo, now Californian based XCOR Aerospace has unveiled a two-seater suborbital spaceship the size of a small private plane that the company expects to have airborne in 2010. Read More
Continental Airlines to conduct biofuel test flight
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Continental Airlines, in conjunction with Boeing and GE Aviation, has announced plans to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009. Continental will be the first major U.S. carrier to undertake such a flight in an effort to identify sustainable fuel solutions for the aviation industry. Read More
