Archives for the 'Aviation News' Category
Cirrus debuts new light-jet design
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
Today, Cirrus released photos of its upcoming light-jet aircraft. For more information, visit the Cirrus web site: http://www.cirrusdesign.com
Barrington Irving Completes World Flight Adventure
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007
Barrington Irving, a 23-year old senior majoring in aerospace at Florida Memorial University, traded his cap and gown for a brown flight suit, climbed into a single-engine plane he calls “Inspiration,” and embarked on a round the world flight that made him the first person of African descent and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe.
Air Guard retires last F-16A in service
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
The last operational F-16A Fighting Falcon flew its final mission here June 15, taking off from the Air National Guard base for indefinite storage at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. “As one of the world’s premier F-16 training units, we must stay relevant,” said Brig. Gen. Rick Moisio, 162nd Fighter Wing commander. “We constantly transition to newer, more advanced aircraft because that’s what pilots will fly when they graduate from our program. The F-16 is currently the most popular fighter in the world,” he said, “and we’ve trained pilots from 22 of 24 countries that fly the aircraft today.” Over the last 22 years, the wing trained 1,640 U.S. and allied pilots in the F-16A/B alone.
Own a piece of the Concorde
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
The iconic embodiment of the commercial airline supersonic era is being sold off piece by piece in France. Scheduled to take place from September 28th to October 1st at the Halle aux Grains in Toulouse.
In English and French, the website details the auction as well as a free public exhibition being held at the Hotel des Ventes Saint-Aubin. The site also contains a history of the Concorde, photos, and a video gallery.
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Team Awarded Collier Trophy
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007
The Lockheed Martin led F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter team was awarded the 2006 Robert J. Collier Trophy in ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on June 8. The trophy, given annually by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), is regarded as the most prestigious award in American aviation.
Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Unveiled
Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
The first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, being built for the U.S. Navy by prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation, made its first public appearance at rollout ceremonies here today. The E-2D was designed in New York and built in St. Augustine. The new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, in development by Northrop Grumman since 2001 and unveiled on April 30, has been the U.S. Navy’s number one aviation priority. It will make its first flight this summer.
Rutan earns spacecraft patent
Sunday, April 15th, 2007
Burt Rutan has been awarded U.S. Patent 7,195,207 for his ingenious reconfigurable spacecraft. The design was successfully tested on the SpaceShipOne suborbital spacecraft where the aft wing sections and tail booms were rotated about 65 degrees upward to create a high-drag mode for reentering the atmosphere. According to the patent documents, the design is also applicable to orbital flight. Rutan’s invention provides a simple alternative to heat shields and rocket burns. With the support of billionaire Richard Branson, Rutan is pioneering space tourism from Mojave, California.
Another Diamond In The Air
Thursday, April 5th, 2007
On April 4th, 2007, less than one year after the first flight of the D-JET, Diamond’s latest design, the single-engine DA50 Super Star took flight at Diamond’s factory in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The maiden flight was flown by Diamond’s Soeren Pederson and Diamond’s CEO and owner Christian Dries, pilot in command. The Diamond DA50 Super Star has a MTOW of 1,660 kg (3,670lbs) and is equipped with a Teledyne Continental TSIOF-550J engine, rated at 350+ HP, with FADEC control and twin turbo chargers.