Aircraft & Propulsion

Dornier Seawings has completed the first flight of its new-generation Dornier Seastar amphibious aircraft.

Embraer now expects a delay beyond June 23 for approval by the European Commission for its plan to sell Boeing 80% of its commercial aircraft business for $4.2 billion in cash, officials told analysts in a March 26 earnings call.

The drastic reduction in commercial aviation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has slashed the number of atmospheric data reports from aircraft in flight, which is impacting weather forecasts.

French startup VoltAero has been forced to cancel a public demonstration of its Cassio 1 hybrid-electric propulsion testbed, but is preparing to fly a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster in its latest form.

“Anybody with enough money can buy one.”

U.S. startup develops a fly-by-wire flight automation system to be retrofitted across a wide range of light aircraft and helicopters.

Drone delivery service UPS Flight Forward is to collaborate with Germany’s Wingcopter on development of a longer-range unmanned aircraft to enable expanded delivery services in the U.S. and elsewhere.

NASA has renamed its urban air mobility Grand Challenge the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign, a seemingly simple name change that signals recognition that industry’s interest is in more than just downtown air transportation.

Regional turboprop manufacturer ATR, following a pause in its activities for four days last week, is resuming production at its Toulouse final assembly line.

Startup Sabrewing Aircraft has postponed the public rollout of its Rhaegal unmanned cargo aircraft because of COVID-19 restrictions, but continues to work toward flying the hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) prototype this year.

For the AW609 tiltrotor, Pratt & Whitney Canada had to modify its PT6C turboshaft so t could operate through a 95-deg. arc at high-power settings.

At first glance, the AW609 might seem like a ramp hog, but actually it has about the same footprint as midsize turboprops and helicopters.

Textron Aviation has successfully completed initial ground engine tests on its prototype Cessna SkyCourier high-wing, utility twin turboprop with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines, the company reports.

An electrical turbogenerator has been test fitted on a Yakovlev Yak-40 flying testbed at a Siberian research institute as part of a Russian project to demonstrate hybrid-electric propulsion for short- and medium-haul airliners.

For flight departments with a need to service a corporate territory with a 700-nm radius and a paucity of airports, it could offer a solution.

Tiltrotor technology has been hard won.

Historically, only about 5% of Phenom 300s have been on the resale market. No wonder.

Business And Commercial Aviation News from April 1970

ThereCraft cargo UAV; Aeronomie models electrification; TsAGI refines flying wing; EHang teams with Seville; Urban partners with Ascent.

Longview Aviation Capital Corp. has suspended production on its De Havilland Dash 8-400 and Viking Twin Otter 400 programs “until further notice” and laid off about 1,000 workers, the company announced.

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This year’s Laureates continued a tradition of business aviation leading the way in innovation and are most deserving of thanks and applause.

Embraer delivered 109 business jets in 2019—62 light jets and 47 large jets—up from 91 in 2018.

Airbus Helicopters delivered 332 rotorcraft in 2019 compared to 323 in 2018.

The company developed the Active Winglet System, which enables aircraft to use less fuel and fly farther with greater payloads.