Recent Updates

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract to Boom Supersonic aimed at accelerating research and development for the company’s Overture supersonic airliner model. Granted through the AFVentures arm of the Air Force’s AFWERX program, the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract covers three years and is valued at up to $60 million. The Air Force […]

China-based urban air mobility (UAM) company EHang officially launched its 5G Intelligent Air Mobility Experience Center in Guangzhou, China, on Wednesday. Developed as part of the company’s 100 Air Mobility Routes Initiative, the Center is designed to serve as an operations hub with “all necessary infrastructures” for EHang’s autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs). The 2,000-square-meter (21,500-square-foot) […]

Urban air mobility (UAM) startup Archer Aviation announced this week that its Maker electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has successfully completed its first hover flight. According to the company, the flight also included successful checks of the aircraft’s flight control system and the end-to-end close of flight software. Archer says it plans to […]

Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler has successfully completed its first sea tests with the U.S Navy aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier. The tests were also the first conducted on a carrier for the MQ-25 and covered deck handling maneuvers including taxiing on the deck, connecting to the catapult, clearing […]

Bristow Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Overair to collaborate on the development of commercialization plans for Overair’s Butterfly electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft design. According to the companies, they will work together on areas including vehicle design considerations, key performance parameters, FAA certification, configuration and maintenance protocols, infrastructure, ground […]

NASA announced Wednesday that its Ingenuity Mars helicopter reached a total flight time of 30 minutes during its 17th flight on Dec. 5. The 117-second trip brought the total time in the air logged by the rotorcraft to 30 minutes and 48 seconds. As previously reported by AVweb, Ingenuity became the first aircraft to operate […]

On-demand drone delivery company Flytrex has received FAA approval to expand its delivery area to a 1-nautical-mile radius from all of its operating stations in North Carolina. According to Flytrex, which delivers food and retail items to private homes via drones, the approval will expand its reach to include approximately 10,000 households. Deliveries will be […]

NASA has chosen ten candidates for its 2021 astronaut class, the agency announced on Monday during an event at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. Selected from among more than 12,000 applicants, the candidates are the agency’s first new astronaut class in four years. They are scheduled to report to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to begin […]

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract to build boosters for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Booster Production and Operations Contract (BPOC), which is valued at $3.19 billion, will support nine SLS flights through Dec. 31, 2031. Along with support for NASA’s first three Artemis missions, for which Northrop Grumman has already produced […]

The word that comes up most often when talking to Sonex owners is “fun.” Designed as a recreational flyer, the two-seat Sonex is easy to transition to and simple to handle, while still leaving room for pilots who want a bit of adventure. It’s a fast-slow aircraft, offering good cruise performance and a low stall […]