Experimentals

NASA has announced the successful completion of in-flight testing on the eXternal Visibility System (XVS) for its X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft. According to NASA, the XVS “virtual window” forward-facing camera and display system creates “an augmented reality view of the X-59 pilot’s forward line-of-sight along with graphical flight data overlays.” The supersonic X-59 […]

Expanding its product line, Bearhawk Aircraft will start delivering Companion kits in October. The Companion fits in between the tandem-seat, two-place Patrol and the four-place Bearhawk. Powered by four-cylinder Lycoming engines from the 150-HP O-320 to the 210-HP IO-390, the Companion will keep its utility roots while being “sportier than the SUV/pickup four-place Bearhawk,” according […]

NASA is saying goodbye to two of its Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag (Prandtl-D) aircraft. The aircraft design, which includes a twisted wing and no tail, has been used by student interns at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for research, data collection and flight tests focusing on wing design optimization theories. Prandtl-D1 is […]

EAA says that it’s close to getting the FAA to revise the current template of operating limitations that are applied to every new experimental/amateur-built aircraft registered in the U.S. At issue is a small change that was made in 2017 to the current template, found in Order 8130.2J, that can be construed as requiring all […]

The EAA’s list of show winners is almost as long as the show and just as varied. More than 70 aircraft received awards across several categories, but all of them are about the quality of construction. Paul Dye, editor at large of AVweb’s sister publication KITPLANES, took home a plaque for outstanding workmanship in his […]

Sonex Aircraft has announced that it is developing a two-seat version of its SubSonex JSX-2 jet. According to the company, the SubSonex JSX-2T will have similar wing loading and handling to the single-seat version. The JSX-2T will offer side-by-side seating, an estimated cruise speed of greater than 200 mph (174 knots) and an estimated useful […]

From constructing play forts to rigging her little red wagon up to a self-propelled lawn mower for a wild ride down the street, pilot, writer and A&P Lisa Turner grew up with an interest in building things. It was an interest she chose to pursue—not a common path for a girl in the 1960s. She […]

Every so often I’ll get a casual inquiry from a “usta” pilot, someone who has a pilot’s license but hasn’t flown for a long time. Quite often, they’ll have an instrument rating and several hundreds, or even thousands, of hours of professed time. The conversation will start with “I used to fly, quite a bit. […]

NASA’s all-electric X-plane has made significant progress toward its stated goal of “demonstrating innovative technology through electric-powered experimental flight,” the agency announced on Thursday. The X-57 Maxwell, a modified Tecnam P2006T, has been undergoing a series of phased modifications (“Mods”) in preparation for its first flight and eventual use as an electric propulsion research platform. […]

CubCrafters is building out its house. Because a good portion of the 100 aircraft the Yakima, Washington-based manufacturer plans to build in 2019 are experimental versions as part of its Factory eXperimental builder-assistance program, it needed an extra 11,000 square feet of floor space, which it now has. The company says that its “growth has […]