Interesting Airplanes

Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that would authorize $850 million for NASA over the next five years to promote development of technologies to reduce noise and emissions from airliners. The Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act would fund “ongoing work to develop and demonstrate new technologies, including systems architecture, components, or integration of […]

As the ball gets ready to drop on the ADS-B mandate, five owners of a stock 1946 Luscombe are asking for an exemption that would allow them to turn off the ADS-B when they’re outside mandated airspace. The plane is based at busy El Paso Airport and must be able to operate in Class C […]

Rolls-Royce has introduced the plane it hopes will set a new record for the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft, announcing plans to try for the top spot in late Spring 2020. According to the company, its target speed for the aircraft is 300 mph (480 kph/260 kts) or greater. The previous record of 210 mph (338 […]

Although it seems like every second story in aviation publications is about some variant of a flying car there is actually only one flying car in the world and it will be up for auction, with no reserve, in January. The 1954 Taylor Aerocar will go on the block at Barrett Jackson’s Scottsdale auction Jan. […]

The prototype of what may be the world’s first fully electric airliner, a modified 60-year-old De Havilland Beaver, is tentatively scheduled for its first flight on Dec. 11. Harbour Air, which operates one of the world’s largest seaplane airlines on the west coast of British Columbia, is tentatively planning to fly the aircraft off the […]

NASA’s Orion spacecraft was transported from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to Mansfield Lahm Airport (MFD) in Ohio onboard the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft on Sunday. The aircraft arrived at MFD at approximately 4:35 p.m. EST where it was greeted by a crowd of almost 1,500 people. NASA acquired the Super Guppy, which is the last […]

A British company, with funding from the U.K. government, says an electric-powered airliner could be in revenue service as early as 2023. Cranfield Aerospace Solutions says it will convert a Britten-Norman Islander to hybrid electric power for short hop service between Scotland and the Orkney Islands. Scottish carrier Loganair will be the launch customer. Pure […]

Pilot and author Robert DeLaurentis departed from California’s Gillespie Field (SEE) last Saturday on a six-month venture to fly from the South Pole to the North Pole in a modified 1983 Turbo Commander 900 (690D). The route is expected to cover approximately 26,000 NM with stops in more than 20 countries before returning to San […]

Air Race E unveiled an electrified Cassutt Formula One race plane capable of 300 MPH at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday. The tiny aircraft, which is familiar to those who attend the National Championship Air Races in Reno, was modified with a 150-kilowatt motor and about 200 pounds of lithium batteries replacing the Continental […]

Airbus announced that its BelugaXL transport aircraft received its type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Wednesday. According to Airbus, the model completed more than 200 flight tests for a total of over 700 flight hours during its flight test campaign. The BelugaXL is expected to enter service in early 2020. Based […]