Interesting Airplanes

Zelensky Wants To Build Second An-225

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants to see a partially built An-225 finished to replace the one destroyed in fighting in Hostomel early in the war with Russia. It will cost about $800 million to finish the second aircraft, which has been stored in good condition since getting to about 70 percent complete in […]

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C919 Doubles In Price

China is in danger of pricing itself out of the market with its new C919 narrow body airliner according to The Straits Times. The Singapore publication is reporting the new plane will cost about $100 million, almost as much as the A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX which now dominate that market. China had hoped the […]

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Embraer Nearing Decision On New Turboprop

Embraer says it will make a decision on whether to proceed with development of its unusual rear-engine turboprop regional aircraft by the middle of 2023. Arjan Meijer, Embraer’s head of commercial aviation, told Reuters the company is in talks with India to partner in development of the aircraft, which will seat 70-90 passengers. The two […]

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Boeing In The Red On Air Force One Deal

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun says the company will lose $660 million on the $4 billion deal it signed to build two new replacements for the VC-25 executive transports that are often used as Air Force One. In an earnings call on Wednesday Calhoun appeared to suggest that former President Donald Trump got the better of […]

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Textron Completes $235 Million Purchase Of Pipistrel

Textron is paying $235 million for Slovenian electric aircraft innovator Pipistrel. The company announced the closure of the deal on Wednesday and said the acquisition will expedite the mainstream incorporation of electric aircraft. “Pipistrel has already achieved what many other companies only aspire to—certifying and delivering highly regarded electric aircraft to customers around the world,” […]

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Phenomenal SW-51 Debuts At Sun ‘n Fun

Every year at Sun ‘n Fun one or two planes generate a buzz that sparks everyone’s interest. This year, that plane is the Scale Wings SW-51, straight from Eggenfelden, Germany. What distinguishes this 70% replica of the iconic P-51 Mustang fighter of World War II is the unbelievable attention to detail. The whole airframe is […]

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Mars Helicopter Wins Collier Trophy

The National Aeronautic Association has awarded the coveted Collier Trophy to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team for “the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet, thereby opening the skies of Mars and other worlds for future scientific discovery and exploration.” The little drone with counter-rotating rotors has logged a […]

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Climate Change Cited In New Waterbomber Announcement

A Canadian manufacturer says climate change prompted its move to build an updated version of a popular waterbomber. De Havilland Canada announced it has received 22 orders from European customers to go ahead with development of the DHC-515 amphibious flying boat waterbomber. The aircraft is an update of the Bombardier CL-415. De Havilland bought the […]

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A380 Flies On Cooking Oil

A lot of french fries went into Airbus’ latest sustainability photo op. The planemaker flew its first flight test A380 with one engine burning 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from used cooking oil and other waste fats on two flights last Friday and Monday, putting more than five hours on the carbon neutral […]

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Antonov Launches Fundraiser To Build An-225

Ukraine aircraft manufacturer Antonov is launching an international fundraising campaign to find the $3 billion it says will be needed to build another An-225 cargo plane. The only An-225 was destroyed during a battle for control of Hostomel Antonov Airport near Kyiv in late February. It’s not clear if the aircraft was intentionally attacked or […]

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