Aerospace

Viasat has announced that avionics engineering house L2 Aviation has joined its Velaris service offering for sat connectivity with AAM and eVTOLs.

A U.S. startup is developing a retrofittable high-lift system that deploys electric propellers to blow over the wing.

Computing by laser; automating light helicopters; uncrewed airdropping; and beam-powered UAS.

One man, one company and one aircraft caused more controversy in aerospace than any other in recent years: Vern Raburn, Eclipse Aviation and the very light jet.

GKN Aerospace is turning to additive fabrication as a “big play” to secure positions on next-generation aircraft programs and improve production efficiency.

A Kenyan air cargo operator is seeking $160 million in losses and damages from defense company BAE Systems.

Editors discuss recent earnings updates from Airbus and Boeing that saw the duopoly shrug off the Gulf War but note persisting supply chain issues. A freighter battle between the two is also heating up.

More feedstock-to-fuel pathways are needed to avoid constraints on sustainable aviation fuel capacity.

While the Iran war presents another black swan event for the air transport industry, airlines appear eager to stick to their orderbooks for now.

Key European OEMs are implementing the Aero Excellence initiative intended to improve the supply chain’s structural stability and resilience.

The head of GKN Aerospace does not expect aircraft manufacturers to slow civil airliner production ramp-ups, despite potential fallout from the Iran war.

MTU Aero Engines expects the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program to evolve to the pursuit of two different aircraft types.

Rolls-Royce says endurance and altitude testing of the engines for the U.S. Army MV-75 Cheyenne II are due later this year.

As Joby’s S4 advances toward certification, flight testing is shifting from controlled environments to real-world operations.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

AVIC HH-200 Cargo UAS Secures Launch Order, Completes First Flight

Joby Aviation has begun a series of piloted demonstration flights across New York City.

Rolls-Royce has been selected by South American-based LATAM Airlines to power three Boeing 787s with the engine maker’s upgraded Trent 1000 XE powerplant.

Autonomous flight system developer Merlin has raised $80 million in new funding through the sale of shares to an existing institution investor.

Liebherr-Aerospace’s Lindenberg, Germany, development and production site has delivered the first nose landing gear for the Airbus A350F freighter.

The promoters of the satellite-based Iris high-speed data communications system for air traffic control have begun marketing the service.

Steve Parker, CEO at Boeing Defense, Space & Security, shares insights on the F-47 win, team dedication, and cultural shifts at the Laureate Awards.

U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein now refers conditionally to the prospect of fielding a space-based layer of interceptors.

After a 4.5-year delay, flight testing for the MQ-25 is making progress, and Boeing is developing a variant with longer endurance.

Boeing is funding Israeli startup LightSolver to apply its laser-based computing technology to improve and accelerate complex engineering simulations.