Recent Updates

The FAA has awarded $4.4 million in grants for unmanned aerial system (UAS/drone) research, education and training to seven universities. According to the agency, the grant research will focus on electromagnetic compatibility, detect and avoid classifications and cybersecurity oversight. The universities receiving the grants include the University of North Dakota, University of Kansas, Drexel University, […]

Lockheed Martin announced this week that a modified Stalker VXE unmanned aerial system (UAS/drone) completed a record-setting endurance flight on Feb. 18, 2022. According to the company, the aircraft logged a total flight time of 39 hours, 17 minutes and 7 seconds, which, once certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), would establish a new […]

A local company says it plans to build the first eVTOL terminal and charging station at Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport this coming fall. Volatus Infrastructure said the $500,000 facility will be ready for customers before any customers are likely to be approved for commercial sale. Volatus spokeswoman Sheena Baker said the company wants to ensure […]

Volocopter, one of the pioneers of the urban mobility concept, has set the 2024 Olympics in Paris as the target for the first commercial operation of its 18-rotor electric aircraft. The first flight of the final configuration of its VoloCity two-place aircraft took place earlier this month and the company said in a statement the […]

If the name MOAC seems somehow military to you, there’s a reason for that—it sort of is. A couple of years ago, American Legend, the company from Sulphur Springs, Texas, that reimagined first the J-3 and then the Super Cub, built an airplane for a U.S. Army project. The Army realized that there are times when sending […]

Every year at Sun ‘n Fun one or two planes generate a buzz that sparks everyone’s interest. This year, that plane is the Scale Wings SW-51, straight from Eggenfelden, Germany. What distinguishes this 70% replica of the iconic P-51 Mustang fighter of World War II is the unbelievable attention to detail. The whole airframe is […]

We choose to build aircraft for many reasons. There are elements of challenge to the project, of course, learning to master the details of project management while keeping the emotions in check. (As best we can.) At the end of which we find ourselves basking in our glory or deeply concerned for our sanity; sometimes […]

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, setting a new record for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American. Vande Hei launched on April 9, 2021, for a mission total of 355 days, 15 days longer than the previous record. According to NASA, he completed approximately […]

FedEx says it will start testing an autonomous hybrid eVTOL that can carry up to 500 pounds as far as 300 miles. The company said the trials with the Elroy Chaparral will start in 2023 and begin the process of getting certification for pilotless delivery. “We look forward to continued testing and learning throughout our […]

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation designed to establish an interagency working group to promote advanced air mobility (AAM) in the United States. The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (S.516) calls for the Department of Transportation to create a group to “plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, […]