Aero Gizmo
Next-generation Sky Warrior unmanned aircraft takes flight
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April 18, 2008 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has announced the successful flight of the first Sky Warrior® Block 1 aircraft for the U.S. Army’s Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program. Derived from the Predator UAV which has been deployed in Iraq, but with double the weapons capacity, the Sky Warrior is a multi-mission aircraft designed to perform long-endurance, surveillance, communications relay and tactical strike missions. It offers increased range, greater payload flexibility (including the ability to carry four Hellfire missiles) and can remain airborne for 30 hours at a time at altitudes above 25,000 feet.
Embraer completes assembly of US$6.65 million Phenom 300 jet
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April 16, 2008 Brazilian Aircraft manufacturer Embraer has finished assembling its first Phenom 300 light-jet. The US$6.65 million plane expected to enter service in the second half of 2009 following a planned series of tests before its first flight.
Final assembly begins on P-8A Poseidon anti-sub plane
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April 11, 2008 Boeing has begun final assembly of the first P-8A Poseidon, the long-range anti-submarine plane that will replace the P-3 Orion. The US Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As, and initial operational capability is scheduled to begin in 2013. The P-8A will have anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Aeroscraft ML866 Milestone
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April 8, 2008 A spectacular new type of aircraft is one step closer to take-off with the announcement that the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted the type certification application for the Aeroscraft model Aeros ML866.
First manned fuel-cell flight
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April 7, 2008 Boeing has added another chapter to aviation history by flying a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells (preview article here). The milestone is the work of Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE is part of the legendary Phantom Works advanced R&D unit) in Madrid, working with a raft of industry partners across the world. A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe .
Guardian system protects commercial flights from terrorist missile threats
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Being shot out of the sky with a surface-to-air missile might not be at the forefront of your mind when traveling on a commercial airliner, but with shoulder-mounted, infra-red anti-aircraft rockets selling for as little as US$5000 in trouble spots around the world, it's perhaps surprising that it's only happened a few dozen times in recent years. Once launched, such a missile travels at twice the speed of sound towards its target, so countermeasures must be automatic and instant - which brings us to Northrop Grumman's GUARDIAN system. This anonymous-looking pod provides 360-degree laser-based missile defense for commercial airliners for a total cost of around a dollar per passenger over the aircraft's service life.
Global Hawk UAV achieves record 33-hour flight
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March 28, 2008 Northrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4 Global Hawk has successfully completed a flight lasting 33.1 hours at altitudes up to 60,000. While the milestone does not match the 54 hour flight achieved by QinetiQ’s Zephyr in 2007, it is a record for a full-scale, operational unmanned aircraft - and there was still fuel left in the tank.
The Lynx: new player enters space-tourism race
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March 28, 2008 Back in 2001 Californian millionaire Denis Tito made headlines as the worlds' first space tourist - shelling out around US$20 million for the privilege. Seven years on, the competition to offer such an out-of-this-world experience to a broader range of paying customers (and capitalize on what is expected to become a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade) is heating up. Earlier this year fledgling spaceline Virgin Galactic revealed designs for what will become its flagship -SpaceShipTwo, now Californian based XCOR Aerospace has unveiled a two-seater suborbital spaceship the size of a small private plane that the company expects to have airborne in 2010.
ScanEagle UAV gets Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
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March 18, 2008 The ScanEagle UAV has proven a revelation in Iraq and Afghanistan, offering another key informational input on the battlefield to help soldiers under fire make better decisions. The bad news for enemies of the United States is that the miniature UAV can now carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) which can pick out man made objects not readily visible to IR or EO cameras.
Mack debuts new 16-liter, 2,060 lb-ft Titan
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March 18, 2008 Mack Trucks unveiled the most powerful truck in its century-long history last week in Las Vegas. The appropriately named Titan is a derivative of the truck built by Mack Australia specifically to pull road trains in the vast and rugged Australian “outback.” The 16-liter inline six-cylinder diesel MP10 engine can deliver 2,060 lb-ft of torque at just 1200 rpm and runs through an 18-speed transmission.
The 800mph Gulfstream G650 - fastest civil aircraft ever
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March 18, 2008 Since the 1960s, the Gulfstream jet has been synonymous with the fastest, ultra luxury business travel regardless of cost – only 1600 have ever been made but now, the company is raising the bar with a new ultra-large cabin G650 due in 2012. The US$58.5 million G650 is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (8055 miles) at 0.85 Mach or 5,000 nautical miles (5,753 miles) at 0.90 Mach and has a top speed of 0.925 Mach, which will make it the fastest non-military aircraft flying. It will even cruise at 51,000 ft, in order to avoid airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather.
Continental Airlines to conduct biofuel test flight
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Continental Airlines, in conjunction with Boeing and GE Aviation, has announced plans to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009. Continental will be the first major U.S. carrier to undertake such a flight in an effort to identify sustainable fuel solutions for the aviation industry.
Gulfstream introduces G650 flagship business jet
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Gulfstream Aerospace has announced its new flagship business jet - the G650. Propelled by the new Rolls-Royce BR725 engine, the aerodynamically advanced G650 can climb above air traffic congestion and bad weather to an altitude of 51,000 feet and has a range of 7,000 nautical miles at speeds of 0.85 Mach, with a maximum operating speed of 0.925 Mach - fast enough to claim the title of the fastest civil aircraft flying. The new jet, which also leads the Gulfstream fleet in terms of cabin space, passenger comfort, reliability and enhanced cockpit technology, is expected to take to the skies for its first flight in the second half of 2009 with customer deliveries slated to begin in 2012.
AeroVironment's hybrid fuel cell UAV sets flight record
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March 7, 2008 AeroVironment (AV) has achieved a new long-duration flight record with its hand-launched Puma small unmanned air vehicle (SUAV). The fuel cell hybrid-powered Puma flew for over nine-hours eclipsing the previous record of seven hours set by the same craft in July 2007.
Lockheed Martin receives DARPA grant for modular, networked satellite system
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March 7, 2008 Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company has received a $5.7 million contract from DARPA to head a team to compete in Phase 1 of the System F6 space technology program. F6 - meaning Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractioned, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange – is an attempt to construct a networked, module-based alternative to singular, monolithic satellites.
Google Lunar X PRIZE announces first ten teams
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March 5, 2008 In September 2007 the X PRIZE Foundation announced a $30million prize purse for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a robotic race to the moon. Now the Foundation has released details of the first ten teams to register for this amazing space race.
Boeing completes 787 Dreamliner fuselage tests
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March 5, 2008 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has successfully completed a series of tests revealing how the composite barrel design will fare in extreme weather conditions as part of achieving certification for the 787.
Virgin flight into bold biofuel territory
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Dubbed a “scam” and a “stunt” by environmental groups and sections of the media, the fact remains that Virgin Atlantic has become the world's first airline to fly one of its commercial planes on biofuel. A mix of standard jet fuel, coconut and babassu oils powered the Boeing 747 jumbo jet from London Heathrow to Amsterdam.
Cessna SkyCatcher prototype nears completion
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February 27, 2008 The Cessna SkyCatcher, which has been attracting a steady stream of attention since the program was officially launched last year, will have a prototype ready to fly in the coming months.
Imitating nature in flight: University of Michigan research explores flap-wing micro UAVs
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February 20, 2008 The University of Michigan is designing a new generation of flapping-wing UAVs with wingspans smaller than a deck of cards, based on the efficient and adaptive movements of birds, bats and insects.
Bombadier's new Learjet to feature all-composite structure
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Continuing the 45 year development of the famous aircraft platform, the next-generation Learjet will be the first Bombardier Aerospace jet to feature an all-composite structure as well as the first all-composite structure business jet designed for type certification under FAR Part 25. Launched in October 2007 under a provisional name and recently given the official moniker of Learjet 85, Grob Aerospace has been selected to develop the structure and build the first three prototype aircraft for the program. Bombardier sees the choice of a composite structure as providing several advantages including exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, less susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue than aluminum (meaning reduced maintenance and extended service life), superior aerodynamics courtesy of the smooth, rivetless carbon fiber exterior surfaces, and allowing for a cabin design that's taller, wider and larger than any other Learjet yet produced.
Airbus completes world first GTL powered flight
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February 5, 2008 The Airbus A380 has become the first commercial aircraft to complete a flight using liquid fuel processed from gas. GTL involves converting natural gas, which emits the least carbon of all the fossil fuels, to a liquid fuel oil, which can be used as a fuel substitute, or mixed with regular fuel. The three-hour flight from the UK to France was the first stage of a test flight program to evaluate the environmental impact of alternative fuels in the airline market.
SpaceShipTwo heading for 2008 test flight
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February 4, 2008 The era of private space travel is another step closer to reality with Virgin Galactic revealing designs for the craft set to become the flagship of the world's first spaceline. Based on SpaceShipOne, which claimed the $10 million Ansari X Prize in October 2004 by successfully becoming the first private manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet twice within the span of a 14 day period, SpaceShipTwo and its carrier aircraft WhiteKnightTwo are now approaching completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, California. Flight testing set to get underway towards the middle of this year for what will be the world’s largest all carbon composite aircraft, capable of carrying eight astronauts or other payloads into sub-orbital space.
Boeing KC-767 refuels an F-15E in night conditions
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January 31, 2008 The Boeing KC-767 tanker aircraft has successfully transferred fuel to an F-15E at night – a world first manoeuvre for that model. Transferring fuel through a boom, via the remote vision system, and during night-time conditions, will significantly reduce risk for future tanker customers like the U.S. Air Force.
SpaceX conducts first mult-engine firing of Falcon 9 rocket
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January 31, 2008 Space Exploration Technologies Corp, or SpaceX, has conducted the first multi-engine firing of its Falcon 9 medium to heavy lift rocket at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor. The Falcon 9 is the launch vehicle for the SpaceX Dragon, which will facilitate the delivery of cargo and up to seven people to and from the International Space Station.
US Air Force assumes control of first Boeing WGS satellite
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January 30, 2008 Boeing has handed over control of the first of six Wideband Global SATCOM satellites to the US Air Force. WGS-1 is the Department of Defense's highest capacity communications satellite and the WGS line is to eventually replace the Defense Satellite Communications System constellation.
Hammonds Omni-Directional Vehicle to assist in production of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
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January 29, 2008 This UFO-shaped curiosity is the Hammonds Omni-Directional Vehicle (ODV), and its zero turning radius and freely rotating hitch promise a revolution in bulky materials handling. Originally shelved in the aftermath of 9/11, the ODV has finally gone into production, and Boeing have ordered four of these intriguing units to assist with production of their new 787 Dreamliner.
BATMAV System with AeroVironment's Wasp III Micro Air Vehicle achieves full rate production
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January 9, 2008 The United States Air Force BATMAV (Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle) program with AeroVironment's Wasp III Micro Air Vehicle has received approval for Full Rate Production. The Wasp is a portable, 16 inche (38 cm) long, rugged unmanned aerial platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance.
Sportcopter Super Sport Gyroplane set to launch – bridging the gap between plane and helicopter
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January 6, 2008 Simple to build, easy to fly, faster than helicopters and arguably safer than anything else in the sky: gyroplanes are a long-overlooked segment of the personal aviation industry, but as innovators like Sportcopter bring the entry price down to family car levels, these fun little aircraft are finally starting to get some of the popularity they deserve. Sportcopter's highly anticipated Super Sport is currently undergoing flight testing - a roomy, weatherproof, fully enclosed twin-seater with space for cargo and a full set of controls and instrumentation for each seat, making it an ideal training craft, the agile little gyroplane is powered by a 2.5 litre Subaru engine producing 190hp and propelling it to well over 100mph with a range of between 300 and 400 miles.
Boeing wins Instrument Unit Avionics contract for Ares I launch vehicle
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December 22, 2007 The U.S. Vision for Space Exploration is an important step closer to being realized, with NASA awarding the Boeing Company a $265 million contract to produce the instrument unit avionics for the Ares I launch vehicle - a platform that will eventually be used for manned expeditions to the Moon and Mars.
Successful mid air retrieval test for ARCTUS spacecraft program
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December 21, 2007 Commercial space services provider SPACEHAB has announced the success of a mid air retrieval demonstration test performed as part of its Advanced Research and Conventional Technology Utilization Spacecraft (ARCTUS) Program. ARCTUS represents a low-cost, low-risk Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS) solution for cargo delivery to the International Space Station (ISS). The ARCTUS Program will support NASA’s requirement to fill the International Space Station (ISS) cargo supply gap between the space shuttle’s planned retirement in 2010 and the replacement Orion program scheduled to be operational in 2015.
SpaceX prepares for Falcon 9/Dragon spacecraft demonstration
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December 20, 2007 SpaceX has completed the systems requirements review for the third Falcon 9/Dragon demonstration under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. In addition to carrying payloads of up to 27,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit, the Falcon 9 is the launch vehicle for the SpaceX Dragon, which will facilitate the delivery of cargo and up to seven people to and from the International Space Station.
Sky-high designs for a flying car
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Nearly eight years into the 21st century and we still don't have flying cars… frankly, it's disgraceful. No point complaining about it though - while Dr. Paul Moller continues development of the intriguing and exciting M400 Skycar, others around the world are also working to turn the cogs that will set the personal flight revolution in motion. One of them is Italian Gino d'Ignazio Gizio, a helicopter pilot and designer whose Cell Craft designs are reminiscent of the Skycar with a few touches of his own.
Production begins on Boeing P-8A fuselage
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December 13, 2007 Boeing has started production on its P-8A Poseidon fuselage, the anti-submarine test plane that will replace the P-3 Orion. The first fuselage components were loaded into a holding fixture on the factory floor of the Spirit AeroSystems’ Wichita facility, in a ceremony that included U.S. Navy Personnel.
Odyssey Moon completes Lunar X PRIZE registration
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December 12, 2007 Odyssey Moon has become the first team to complete registration for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, unveiling its plans for a history making private robotic mission to reach the surface of the Moon with a small robotic lander designed to deliver scientific, exploration and commercial payloads.
