News

The much-anticipated CS23 revision—or FAR 23 to U.S. aviators—not to mention some tweaking of microlight and ultralight rules in Europe has kicked off the predicted new model development. At Aero on Wednesday, Italian planemaker Tecnam drove home the point by announcing three new variants. The low-wing P2002 Sierra has been a popular choice for schools […]

Cirrus’ sales success all but tanked the idea of a high-performance single with retractable gear. But at Aero on Wednesday, Diamond Aircraft revived the idea in announcing that the long-stalled DA-50 is coming back, this time as a diesel-power retractable with at least five seats. Diamond CEO Liquin Zhang says certification is planned for the […]

Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force is confirming that one of its 13 F-35 fighter jets crashed into the Pacific during a training exercise. The pilot signaled that he was aborting the training exercise minutes after departing Misawa Air Base in northern Japan. His was part of a four-ship flight. Contact was lost with the aircraft and […]

Under reorganized management from its parent Lift Air, Flight Design announced a new four-place aircraft at Aero on Wednesday, with ambitious plans to certify in about a year. It also announced a recasting of the existing CTLS line that will include a new modular model capable of being an electric aircraft. The new four-place model […]

Even as it announced new a new initiative into the piston training market last week, Piper reports that sales of its big-ticket M-Class airplanes continue to show growth, with strong interest coming from Europe. At a press conference on the opening day of the Aero exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, Piper CEO Simon Caldecott said sales […]

With urban mobility aircraft a hot topic in both the developmental and certification worlds, the 27th Aero exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, opens today with a focus on electric aircraft. Several new electric concept aircraft are on display here and for the first time, the giant electrical equipment manufacturer, Siemens, has a major display touting its […]

China, the first country to ground the Boeing 737 MAX after the fatal crash of Ethiopian Flight 102 last month, is set to join the FAA’s review panel. Former NTSB chairman Christopher Hart is running the program, which is expected to run for about three months. The FAA agreed to create an international review board […]

And then there were none. The last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders died today at the age of 103. Retired Lt. Col. Richard E “Dick” Cole was Jimmy Doolittle’s copilot in the lead bomber during the 1942 raid on Tokyo. He was there by chance, as Doolittle’s original copilot became ill before the mission […]

Last month, Superior grounded the XP-400 and XP-382 Experimental-class engines after crankshaft breakages were believed to be set off by detonation. Approximately 150 engines were affected. At the time, the company asked those already flying the engine to immediately ground the aircraft and for those still in construction to return the engines. Superior is refunding […]

Boeing released sales data for the 737 MAX line that reveal there were no new orders for the troubled jet in March, and simultaneously said that deliveries and orders for all 737 models fell in the first quarter. Overall orders were down by nearly half, to 95 from 180 in the first quarter of 2018. […]