Interesting Airplanes

First Customer Lear Jet To Be Restored

The world’s oldest Lear Jet is on its way to its birthplace where a group of enthusiasts hopes to restore it to flying condition. The Classic Lear Jet Foundation found the first aircraft delivered by Bill Lear’s upstart company. It was found intact but in need of restoration in Bartow, Florida. Over the weekend it […]

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FAA Clears Partially Hydrogen-Powered Flight

The FAA has cleared California-based Universal Hydrogen to fly a Dash-8-300 with one engine powered by hydrogen. The Seattle Times is reporting the aircraft got the FAA clearance on Monday after the company was able to run the engine up to full power. The company is doing its development work at Moses Lake in central […]

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When Test Pilots Earn Their Keep

The goal of the first test flight in any aircraft is that it be uneventful, but there’s a reason test pilots are among the best in the business. In the warbird community, Steve Hinton is one of the go-tos and while many of his test flights do go off with barely a hitch, they can […]

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New Prop Design Delivers More Power, Less Noise

Researchers at MIT have done some tinkering and may have revolutionized propeller design. Almost on a scientific whim, a team at the Lincoln Laboratory whipped up a few batches of “toroidal” propellers for a drone on a 3D printer and discovered they were not only much quieter than the OEM props but they put out […]

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Strutted Airliner Might Replace 737

Boeing says its collaboration with NASA on a highly efficient single-aisle airliner could lead to a replacement for the 737. In an earnings call on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun confirmed that the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator meets the “standard needed to launch a commercial airplane” with its major increases in fuel efficiency. “The program that […]

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Air Tractor Delivers 1,000th AT-802

Air Tractor recently celebrated the delivery of its 1,000th AT-802A at the employee-owned plant in Olney, Texas. The 802 is the largest single-engine cropduster in production and its unique capabilities have given it the rare distinction of fundamentally changing the industries that use it. Even company founder Leland Snow, who died in 2011, didn’t comprehend […]

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Boeing Awarded Advanced Aircraft Research Grants

Boeing attracted almost half a billion dollars in government research money this week with two projects that challenge contemporary aircraft design. NASA announced it will cover $425 million of the $725 million cost of building a full-scale prototype single-aisle airliner with strut-supported glider-like wings. Boeing and its partners will pay the balance. The projection is […]

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Textron Sells SkyCourier Airliners To Mexican Startup

Textron has sold a couple of its SkyCourier twins in passenger configuration to Mexican startup Aerus. The new airline also ordered four 14-passenger Caravan EXes to serve domestic and international routes with a hub in Monterrey in northeastern Mexico. The airline has already taken delivery of three Caravan EXes. Aerus plans to start scheduled service […]

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M-T Tests 11-Blade Prop

M-T Propellers says its 11-bladed design delivers increased thrust with “an impressive noise and sound signature.” The German propmaker says it put the turbine-like device on a Piper Cheyenne fitted with P&W PT6A-135A engines and flew it a couple of months ago. “The very promising results in static thrust, 15% increase over the standard certified 5-bladed […]

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Turkey Flies Fighter Drone

Turkey’s Baykar company flew a new uncrewed fighter drone on Wednesday for the first time and says it could change air power. The Kizilelma drone is as big as an F-16 (more than 48 feet long) but is 6,000 pounds lighter. It’s capable of carrying out air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. It’s also capable of carrier […]

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