Recent Updates

Textron Aviation announced on Monday that it has successfully completed initial ground engine tests on the prototype of its Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine turboprop. According to the company, initial testing covered verifying fuel systems and engine function along with avionics and electrical systems interfaces. The SkyCourier is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines. “The […]

Emirates has virtually shut down and parked 85 percent of its fleet as airspace and border closures due to the spread of coronavirus strikes at the heart of its business model. Emirates is based in Dubai but the base functions mainly as a legally necessary intermediate stop for intercontinental flights. If it can’t fly globally, […]

On an airliner, engines are a source of noise heard on the ground, but so is airflow over landing gear, flaps and slats. Using massive supercomputers to model airflow, NASA is seeking ways to reduce such noise. This AVweb video explains the project. view on YouTube

NASA astronaut Alfred “Al” Worden passed away on Wednesday at the age of 88. Worden was the command module pilot for the 1971 Apollo 15 lunar landing mission, orbiting the Moon while David Scott and James Irwin landed on the surface. On the return trip to Earth, Worden became the first person to conduct a […]

Textron Aviation announced on Wednesday that it plans to implement four-week furloughs for “most” of its U.S-based employees as part of the company’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Textron also said it will be “adjusting production to align with anticipated market demand.” According to the company, employees will be furloughed from March 23 through […]

Airbus has announced that it will halt production and assembly activities at its facilities in France and Spain for four days due to “the implementation of new measures in France and Spain to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to the company, it is also working to maximize work-from-home options where possible for employees in those […]

Boeing is calling for the U.S. government to provide a minimum of $60 billion in “access to public and private liquidity, including loan guarantees” to help the aerospace manufacturing industry weather the economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Boeing’s production facilities remain open with “enhanced cleaning procedures” in place. The company also said it […]

By Doug Rozendaal Photos: Joe Copalman, Mariano Rosales, Courtesy Legend Aircraft This story originally appeared in KITPLANES. “It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.” This well-known phrase, attributed to such luminaries as Walt Whitman and Bear Bryant, applies here as well as it does anywhere else you’ve seen it. In the words that follow there may […]

NASA signed agreements with 17 aviation companies to support its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Grand Challenge technology demonstrations on Tuesday. Each company provided a proposal in one of three categories: developmental flight testing, developmental airspace simulation and vehicle provider information exchange. The new agreements will focus on developmental testing in advance of the first Grand […]

Northrop Grumman subsidiary SpaceLogistics successfully docked its first mission extension vehicle (MEV-1) with commercial communications satellite Intelsat 901 (IS-901) on Tuesday. The maneuver marks the first time two commercial satellites have docked in orbit. MEV-1 will remain docked with IS-901 for five years, using its own thrusters and fuel supply to extend the satellite’s life. […]