Interesting Airplanes

Embraer announced on Friday it’s pondering developing the first clean sheet turboprop airliner conceived in decades and it’s got some major differences from existing aircraft. The new plane, if it gets built, will have tail-mounted engines and the rest will look like a regional jet. In fact, the fuselage will be the same as its […]

Following some interest from airlines in electric aircraft, cargo carrier DHL has announced it has ordered 12 Eviation Alice electric cargo aircraft. It’s the first order for the cargo version of the aircraft and DHL has big plans. “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, said in a news […]

Pratt & Whitney Canada will partner with De Havilland Canada to develop a hybrid-electric propulsion system for regional airliners. The government of Canada has invested about $130 million USD in the project, which will involve De Havilland modifying a legacy Dash-8-100 turboprop regional airliner for the hybrid system. A turbine engine will be mounted in […]

The Air Force has granted airworthiness approval for KittyHawk’s Heaviside eVTOL, meaning the aircraft can now be put in revenue service. The pusher-configured, forward-swept wing aircraft, which can fly 100 miles at 180 MPH, can now be used for Air Force contracts. It’s actually the fourth design approved by the Air Force. Beta Technologies Alia, Joby […]

The Israeli air force has successfully tested an airborne laser system that quickly dispatched drones in flight. The system, built by the air force with Elbit Systems, is mounted on a Cessna Caravan and easily blasted all the drones it encountered on the test. Israel tweeted it is “among the first countries in the world […]

Yamaha is dipping a tentative toe into the aviation engine market in a partnership with a Japanese manufacturer. The recreational and industrial vehicle giant will modify one of its existing small engine designs to fit a RANS S-6 to be adapted by ShinMaywa Industries. “Under this agreement, Yamaha Motor will explore avenues for adapting its […]

The biggest Baby Boeing ever built took off from Renton Municipal Airport on Friday. The 230-seat 737 MAX 10 took off on a 2.5-hour first flight Friday morning with little fanfare. Boeing normally invites hundreds of media and aviation dignitaries to such occasions and issues elaborate press releases but there was little to mark this […]

Part of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s long list of restoration projects is now up for sale through two prominent rare aircraft brokers. Allen died in 2018 and left hangars full of rare and historically significant aircraft in varying stages of reconstruction, many of them early military jets. According to Warbird Digest, it was generally assumed […]

Aerion Supersonic has closed shop because the millions it had so far raised from investors, plus the contributions of its billionaire owner, wasn’t going to be enough to bring its AS2 supersonic business jet to market. “The AS2 supersonic business jet program meets all market, technical, regulatory and sustainability requirements and the market for a new […]

ZeroAvia’s ambitious program to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft suffered a setback on April 29 when its Piper Malibu Mirage testbed was severely damaged in an off-airport landing in the U.K. The aircraft landed in a field adjacent to Cranfield Airport. The left wing was sheared off in the mishap, as was the nosegear. There was also […]