Experimentals

At the 2018 Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Zenith Aircraft invited AVweb to build a rudder for its new kit, the CH 750 Super Duty. Two hours later, we were done. Here’s Paul Bertorelli’s video report on the project. After pulling rivets, we flew the airplane. view on YouTube

Volocopter, the German company that has long been working to develop a semi-autonomous VTOL, flew its aircraft for the first time in the U.S., on Monday. The aircraft flew briefly, unmanned and tethered, on a stage during the keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Volocopter also announced it had flown with a […]

A Van’s RV-7 that crashed on New Year’s Day in Northland New Zealand, killing both occupants, has caught the attention of the RV community because of the possibility of structural failure. If the investigation confirms the witness accounts, it will be the second suspected fatal in-flight breakup of an RV-7 this year. A similar aircraft […]

A wild-eyed Canadian artist, dreamer and ultralight pilot who inspired one of the world’s most unusual wildlife conservation efforts died Dec. 30 in his underground house in rural Ontario. Bill Lishman was 78. In 1985, he “imprinted” a flock of 12 Canada Geese he’d raised on his biplane ultralight. In 1988, he led them, in […]

The development of the CityAirbus VTOL demonstrator is moving forward, Airbus said in a news release this week. The first structural parts are complete and will soon be assembled. The ground-test facility in Germany is also complete, which will enable Airbus engineers to verify the electric propulsion system. The facility can test the system’s components, […]

Progressive Aerodyne is in the final stage of testing the new Rotax 915 in the Searey amphibious aircraft. AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli visited the factory and took a test flight with the new engine. view on YouTube

Ten thousand airplanes is an impressive benchmark for any manufacturer, but when those airplanes are built one at a time in hangars and garages around the world, by amateurs, it’s even more of an accomplishment. Van’s Aircraft, based in Aurora, Oregon, said on Friday the RV-7 built by David Porter, who recently reported his first […]

The really cool thing about the experimental aircraft field is that you can build anything you want. And that’s exactly what Lance Hooley and Robert Harris did with their GE58-powered composite single-seat canard design reminiscent of the famed Rutan Long-EZ. AVweb’s Geoff Rapoport spoke with Hooley and Harris about this unique airplane for this original […]

Photos shared with AVweb show the Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie undergoing flight testing at Hayward Executive Airport (KHWD) this summer before a test flight setback in September sidelined the newer of Cobalt’s two test aircraft. According to the NTSB preliminary report, after determining that the ailerons were not effective, the ATP-rated test pilot “reasoned that he […]

For the 2017 fiscal year, there were 27 fatal accidents involving experimental category aircraft, down 18% from the prior year and down 47% over the last four years, says EAA, which is celebrating the trend. “These are historic lows for fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft and this continuing trend is a credit to everyone who […]