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90 Airbus Helicopters rotorcraft take part in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

A fleet of 90 Airbus Helicopters rotorcraft has been deployed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for use in surveillance, airspace defense, anti-terrorism, law enforcement, command/control/communication, air medical rescue and electronic image capture during the month of August in Rio de Janeiro and othe...

Leonardo-Finmeccanica confirms certification activities of AW609

Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced today that the first flying AW609 prototype has arrived in Philadelphia following a recent resumption of flight testing. Departing from Arlington, Texas, the aircraft’s flight plan included an overnight stop in Huntsville, Ala, before ar...

Bombardier Delivers First Challenger 650 Aircraft to be Operated from Germany

The Challenger 650 aircraft is the market’s best value proposition for customers in Europe seeking higher baseline equipment level offered as standard, the widest cabin and seats, and the lowest direct operating costs* Bombardier Business Aircraft announced today that it delivered its first Challenger 650 aircraft to be operated from Germany. This aircraft joins the Bo...

China's Hybrid Spaceplane Could Reset the 21st Century Space Race

This screenshot from state television broadcast on the hypersonic spaceplane shows an aerodynamically optimized aircraft beginning to accelerate to hypersonic speeds. Operating such a spaceplane by 2030 would place China ahead of the space race, and other races. While SpaceX is making news with its recoverable rockets, China announced that it is working on the next big thing in spaceflight: a h...

Kuwait Ministry of Defence orders 30 H225M Caracal helicopters

Airbus Helicopters has signed a contract with the Kuwait Ministry of Defence for the purchase of 30 H225M Caracal multirole utility helicopters as well as an associated support and services package, during the visit of the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Kuwait today. “We are greatly honored that the Kuwait Ministry of Defence has chosen the H225M Caracal as the best p...

Aviation could consume a quarter of 1.5C carbon budget by 2050

The aviation industry faces huge challenges if it is to meet its own self-imposed climate change targets, according to a new UN report. And even if it does meet all its targets, aviation will still have consumed 12% of the global carbon budget for 1.5C by 2050, Carbon Brief analysis shows. If it fails to reach this target, its share of this budget could rise to as much as 27%. The sector has...

Russian view of the Baltic States

It seems the protracted phase of political squabbling and mutual distrust between the Russian and the Baltic partners is becoming history, being replaced by balanced business approach and willingness to revive business contacts always very typical for the neighbouring countries. However, the political background is still slightly adjusting those relationships, although its impact has been noticeab...

Boeing Starts Assembly of 1st Flightworthy Starliner Crew Taxi Vehicle at Kennedy Spaceport

The next generation of America’s human spaceships is rapidly taking shape at the Kennedy Space Center as Boeing and NASA showcased the start of assembly of the first flightworthy version of the aerospace giants Starliner crew taxi vehicle – that will ferry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) by early 2018. Boeing is rapidly making tangible progress towa...

World’s largest aircraft leaves its hangar for the first time

The world's largest aircraft, known fondly as the 'Flying Bum', left its hangar for the first time today. The Airlander 10, which cost £25million to build over 10 years, is 92 metres long and pumped with a million cubic feet of helium. The part-plane, part-airship left its hangar in Cardington, Bedfordshire at 4am today to commence a brief series of ground systems tests bef...

Bombardier Prepping Global 7000 For Flight this Year

Bombardier is preparing for the first flight of its Global 7000 later this year as it pushes to bring the aircraft to market in the latter part of 2018, company president and CEO Alain Bellemare told analysts today during its release of the second quarter results. Bombardier a year ago had set the new 2018 timeline for market entry, but has remained quiet on when first flight may&nb...

Gulfstream G500 production test aircraft makes first flight

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that the fifth Gulfstream G500 test aircraft has completed its first flight. The aircraft is the first production test aircraft to be outfitted with a full interior and serves as the testbed for the cabin. The G500 departed from Savannah-Hilton Head International airport with Flight Test pilots Brian Dickerson and Andy Martin and Flight Test engine...

Citation CJ3 makes first flight with Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion® avionics upgrade

A Citation CJ3 equipped with Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion® avionics made its flying debut this week following implementation of the system on the business jet with Duncan Aviation. The two companies unveiled the new flight deck upgrade for the CJ3 last fall. The successful test flight originated yesterday out of Duncan Aviation’s headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pro L...

Airbus narrows order gap with Boeing after air show

Airbus virtually closed the gap with Boeing in the intense battle for airliner orders in July after booking about half of the 197 firm sales unveiled at last month's Farnborough Airshow, according to the latest data from both companies. Amid a broad slowdown in airline purchases, the European planemaker said it had sold 373 jets between January and July, or 323 after adjusting for can...

New Caravan and King Air customers to receive up to two years full maintenance coverage free of charge

Textron Aviation Inc. launched its Peace of Mind program, which is designed to create a simpler transition to new Cessna Caravan and Beechcraft King Air turboprops. Peace of Mind provides up to two years or 400 hours of Textron Aviation’s industry leading ProParts and ProTech programs, as well as Pratt and Whitney’s ESPecially engine maintenance program, all free of charge for new King...

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