Aero Gizmo
New procedure for launching passenger rockets
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June 18, 2005 Three weeks of flight tests over the Mojave desert have demonstrated a breakthrough in how to safely launch future passenger-carrying rockets using a carrier aircraft. Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) and Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites drop-tested dummy boosters from an aircraft using a technique that caused them to rotate towards vertical without requiring wings. This allows an aft-crossing trajectory in which the rocket crosses behind the aircraft, greatly enhancing safety. Previous air-launched rockets such as the X-15, Pegasus and SpaceShipOne crossed in front of the carrier aircraft using wings to turn themselves from horizontal flight to the vertical position needed to achieve orbit. In addition to greatly enhancing safety, eliminating the weight of wings increases the payload the rocket can take to orbit. Read More
Javelin makes an appearance at Paris Air Show
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UPDATED IMAGES June 15, 2005 Aviation Technology Group officially introduced the Javelin Mk-20 military trainer at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France yesterday. At a third of the cost of current military trainers, the Javelin Mk-20 will have the ability to fly 0.92 Mach and reach a maximum ceiling of 45,000 feet. The Javelin’s cockpit and avionics will be compatible with the display systems in current fighter jets, including the F-16, Eurofighter and more. With its high speed, manoeuvrability, and unprecedented performance, coupled with the economy, reliability, and comfort of a light business jet, the Javelin is unique in general aviation. There’s also a US$2.795 million two-seat executive jet version of the Javelin. Read More
Aeronautics expert predicts “third inflection point” in Fighter Aircraft technology
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June 14, 2005 Fifth generation fighters - namely the F/A-22 and F-35 - will have a profound impact on how military forces conduct missions and fight wars, according to, Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics chief, Ralph D. Heath. Heath refers to this change as the "third inflection point" in fighter aircraft technology. Speaking to news media at the 2005 Paris Air Show, he defined the first inflection point as maneuverable and sustained flight, which first appeared in 1905, and the second as jet-powered fighters, which gained strategic importance during the Korean War.
Bombardier Global 5000 Sets Transatlantic Speed Record
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June 13, 2005 The Bombardier Global 5000 has set a new speed record, flying 3,510 nautical miles (6,500 km) non-stop from Chicago to Paris in just 7 hours, 15 minutes, firmly establishing itself as the world's fastest intercontinental business jet and the fastest transcontinental civil aircraft since the Concorde. The Bombardier Global 5000 business jet, equipped with a production interior, departed Chicago's Palwaukee Airport with a four-person crew, and a payload of 1,600 pounds (727 kg), equivalent to eight passengers. The aircraft cruised at Mach 0.88 or higher throughout the flight, experienced moderate tailwinds, and landed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris with fuel reserves in excess of NBAA IFR requirements. The record-breaking flight was fully sanctioned by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) and the Federation Aeronautique internationale (FAI). Read More
The Dual Mode Guided Bomb: more versatile, more accurate
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June 10, 2005 Tests of the U.S. Navy's latest guided bomb variant the Dual Mode Guided Bomb (DMGB) are going particularly well. The public first became acquainted with guided bombs during the first gulf war through TV imagery of bombs so accurate they could enter specific windows of a building. Of course, the less accurate bombs weren’t shown, though the accuracy improved more than tenfold before the second gulf war. Now the DMGB takes that basic guided munition form factor and makes it even more versatile. When using dual-mode guidance, the Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) data is used to bring the weapon close to the target, with laser guidance used in the terminal phase for improved end-game performance. Though this capability was previously available on very expensive precision guided weapons, the DMGB offers high accuracy and versatility at an unprecedented low price. Read More
12.3 million passengers vote for world's best airline
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June 8, 2005 Cathay Pacific has been awarded the title of Airline of the Year 2005 at the World Airline Awards yesterday, having previously won the award in 2003 and placing in the top three every year for the last five years. In second place was Qantas in its best ever placing in the worldwide awards, with Emirates in third position, maintaining its traditional top three ranking in the global survey. Hong Kong International Airport won best airport worldwide for the fifth consecutive year, with Singapore’s Changi Airport taking the Silver Award in a close finish. Gulf Air won best onboard catering in both first and business classes while Thai got the catering award for economy class. JetBlue Airways maintained its excellent service reputation by taking 2nd place for North America as well being named the world's Best Low-cost airline. Read More
Sikorsky to Build and Test X2 Technology Demonstrator Helicopter
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June 6, 2005 Sikorsky Aircraft today announced plans to build and test a demonstrator for a new class of coaxial X2 Technology helicopters that maintain or improve on all the vertical flight capabilities of rotorcraft and whose high speed configuration will cruise at 250 knots. The X2 demonstrator will feature a coaxial design (two rotors on the same axis) and a 'pusher prop' to supply auxiliary propulsion that will enable the aircraft to reach high speeds of 250 knots per hour. Sikorsky plans to build and fly its X2 Technology demonstrator helicopter at its Schweizer Aircraft subsidiary by the end of 2006. Preliminary design work for the demonstrator is finished and parts fabrication for the aircraft has commenced. Read More
First flight for world's largest passenger aircraft
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April 28, 2005 The first A380 to take to the air landed at Blagnac international airport in Toulouse, France at 14.23 local time (12.23h UTC) after successfully completing its first flight that lasted three hours and 54 minutes. The A380’s first flight was jointly captained by Claude Lelaie, Senior Vice President Flight Division, and by Chief Test pilot and Vice President Jacques Rosay. The other crew members were Fernando Alonso, Vice President Flight Division, Flight Test Engineering who led a team of two other flight test engineers, Jacky Joye and Manfred Birnfeld, and test flight engineer Gerard Desbois. Carrying the registration F-WWOW, the aircraft is powered by four Rolls Royce Tent 900 engines. Read More
BRS Parachutes for aircraft
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April 10, 2005 Leonardo Da Vinci was the first person to conceive the parachute, documenting his idea 500 years ago but it was not until we had airplanes that the idea really offered some compelling functionality. Practical parachutes for aircrew came into usage during World War 1 and were subsequently extended to the cushioned descent of large supply payloads where an aircraft cannot land. But it took another seven decades before the parachute was commercially available for an aircraft via Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS), the whole-airplane parachute company. Initially for ultralights and small aircraft, the parachutes have been growing in strength and capability ever since and late last year BRS released a parachute to cover the Cessna 182 line of aircraft. This week, the company’s pioneering aviation work was recognised when it received a prestigious Laureate Award from Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. Each spring since 1956, Aviation Week publishers have honoured individuals and teams who have made lasting contributions to the advancement of aerospace. Read More
NASA Flight Tests Validate Active Aeroelastic Wing Design Concept
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March 26, 2005 A flight research project that put a 21st century twist on a century-old technology -- a high-tech derivative of the Wright brothers' wing-warping method of controlling an aircraft's turning ability -- can be summed up in two words: "It works!" That was the conclusion of project manager Larry Myers as flight tests in the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., neared their end. Jointly sponsored and managed by NASA, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Boeing's Phantom Works, the AAW project is evaluating active control of lighter-weight flexible wings for improved maneuverability of high-performance military aircraft. Read More
Mach .925 performance in a two seater business jet
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April 1, 2005 It takes but a glance at the Javelin personal jet to understand that it was born from the intense desire to offer military performance to the general aviation market. The existence of a market prepared to pay US$2.5 million for a two-seat jet aircraft capable of .925 Mach (1130 kmh) is now verified as the Aviation Technology Group (ATG) is holding 80 firm orders for the Javelin accounting for the entire first year of production. Initial customer deliveries of the FAA-certified Javelin are slated for early 2007 so if you get your order in now, you’ll still be waiting until 2008 to be the first in your neighbourhood to have one of these beauties. Read More
The Silent Aircraft initiative
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March 28 2005 The Cambridge-MIT Institute has begun a fascinating initiative that brings together leading academics from Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with leaders in the civil aerospace and aviation industry to develop the design for a plane that is radically quieter than current passenger aircraft. CMI’s ‘Silent Aircraft’ project has a bold aim: to discover ways to reduce aircraft noise dramatically, to the point where it would be virtually unnoticeable to people outside the airport perimeter. This initiative is bringing together leading academics from Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with representatives from all parts of the civil aerospace/aviation industry. This unique community will be working together, sharing knowledge and developing the design for an aircraft whose noise emissions would barely be heard above the background noise level in a typical built-up area. Read More
Boeing's swing-tail Large Cargo Freighter
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March 20, 2005 The process of designing and building aeroplanes is a complex task as Boeing’s development of the super-efficient 787 Dreamliner amply demonstrates. The 787 Dreamliner uses composite fuselage sections built as full barrels to reduce the number of parts and improve aerodynamic performance and fuel efficiency. So they had to design and build a new plane to carry the parts from their points of manufacturer all over the world. The pregnant-looking Large Cargo Freighter is a modified 747-400 that will serve as the primary means of transporting major assemblies to the 787 Dreamliner final assembly site in Everett, Washington.
An "affordable" personal jet aircraft
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March 15, 2005 The Sport-Jet is a single-engine, all-fibreglass, pressurised aircraft designed for single-person operation by a pilot trained in piston-powered airplanes. The Sport-Jet is powered by a single turbofan in the 1,350-pound class (such as Pratt & Whitney PW615 or Williams International FJ-33) will cruise at 340 knots at 25,000 feet (above 95% of all weather), and can carry four persons (plus pilot) over 1,000 nautical miles. Certification of the Sport-Jet is anticipated two years from now and it is expected to sell for under US$1 million when it reaches market late in 2007. Read More
The BAT 3 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
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March 12, 2005 The MLB Bat is a small, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that has capabilities typically found only in much larger and more expensive UAVs. The Bat is a complete UAV system that can operate autonomously, deliver high quality video imagery, and fits into two suitcase-sized containers. The aircraft operates autonomously, has a 6-hour duration, and telemetry range of up to 10 miles and can be launched from the roof of a car. Currently being evaluated to assist in protecting the soldiers traveling the dangerous dusty roads of Iraq, the Bat has many potential applications in peacetime operations too. Read More
World's Longest-Range airplane makes first flight
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March 9, 2005 The first Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner, the world's longest range commercial airplane, today completed its first flight and began a test program that will lead to its first delivery in January 2006. The 777-200LR is the fifth 777 model but with it's long range capabilities, it is capable of connecting any two cities in the world nonstop. It can carry 301 passengers up to 9,420 nautical miles (17,445 kilometres). Read More
Boeing's Newest Fighter Aircraft Makes First Flight
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March 8, 2005 Boeing's newest fighter aircraft, the lethal F-15K Strike Eagle made its first flight in St. Louis earlier this week. Flown by Boeing Chief F-15 Test Pilot Joe Felock and Chief Weapons Systems Officer Rick Junkin, the F-15K completed an aggressive speed run easily surpassing Mach 2, accomplished both engine shut-downs and restarts, and breezed through instrument and avionics checks of primary backup systems. Read More
First non-stop and non-refueled, around-the-world solo flight
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March 7, 2005 Steve Fossett and the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer have achieved their aviation world record for their non-stop and non-refueled, around-the-world solo flight. After 67 hours and 1 minute of gruelling sleep deprivation and 12 unappealing diet milkshakes, Steve finally touched down in front of an excited crowd of public and press at Salina Municipal Airport at 19:48:56UTC on March 3, despite having some very worrying problems earlier in the flight. Read More
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer attempts first solo, non-stop, non-refuelled circumnavigation of the world
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March 3, 2005 The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer pilot by Steve Fossett is currently attempting to set a world record for the first solo, non-stop, non-refuelled circumnavigation of the world. The rules state that the record attempt must start and finish at the same airfield, cross all meridians of the globe and must not be less than 23,000 miles. As this is being written, the flight is past the half way mark and looking like it will achieve its aims. You can check Steve’s progress here
AirTanker selected as preferred bidder for British Tanker Aircraft Programme
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March 1, 2005 Air refuelling is a vital military capability that enables armed forces to rapidly deploy offensive, defensive and combat support aircraft, as well as troops and equipment, over long distances, as quickly as possible. The importance of air refuelling has been demonstrated over many years and the announcement earlier this week that AirTanker was to become the preferred bidder for the UK RAF replacement program highlights just how capable airtankers have become. The new A330 FSTA tankers will each be able to deliver 65 tonnes of fuel in their air-to-air refuelling role, at a distance of 1,000 miles from base, following up to two hours on station. All of the fuel, including that consumed by the A330 FSTA itself, is carried entirely within existing tanks in the wing and tail, leaving the whole cabin free for some 295 seats in a troop-transport role, and its entire cargo hold free to carry military equipment on pallets or in containers. Read More
Grumman TBM Avenger: Classic Warbird
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A pristine example of the most famous torpedo bomber of World War Two is to join the throng of vintage warbirds appearing at the Australian International Airshow 2005 from March 15-20. A Grumman TBM Avenger, owned by Queensland-based warbird collector Randal McFarlane, is a rare example of this classic marque. The aircraft will take part in a special Airshow tribute to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two. Read More
The Joint Strike Fighter on show at Australian International Airshow
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February 24, 2005 The future of military aviation, the potent Joint Strike Fighter, will be featured at to the Australian International Airshow in March where a full scale and technically detailed replica of this massive and imposing warplane will be on static display for close inspection by military decision makers, aeronautical engineers and the general public to inspect the aircraft. It will be equipped with the latest computerised control and combat systems. Read More
The Jetpod gives vision to the future of flight
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The Jetpod is a Very Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing twin-jet aircraft, can cruise at 300 knots (350 mph, 550 kmh) and requires just 125 metres to take-off or land using a combination of horizontal and vertical thrust. The Jetpod takes off then reconfigures from a VQSTOL jet into a fast-jet accelerating to 350 mph in just a few seconds. Just 16 months from first flight, the jetpod could represent the future of transport. Read More
New Medium Altitude Endurance UAV to deliver better real-time reconnaissance to soldiers in urban battle zones
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February 2, 2005 - Northrop Grumman has successfully completed the first phase of flight testing a demonstrator version of a new medium altitude endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Soldiers in urban battle zones could receive more timely and complete information about enemy forces from low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with the technologies being developed. Read More
George's new helicopter ... US101
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January 29, 2005 George W is updating the fleet all round it seems. Just a few days ago we saw the new presidential limousine, and now comes the news that a new Presidential helicopter has been selected to provide a safe and secure "Oval Office in the Sky." Unlike Cadillac One, the selection process for the Presidential helicopter has been ongoing for some time. The fleet of helicopters currently used by the president includes 30-year old aircraft that were designed in the sixties, fielded in the seventies and no longer has the growth capability to incorporate the equipment necessary to provide suitable presidential support in the post 9-11 environment. Read More
Airbus twin-deck resort in the air
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JANUARY 23, 2005 One of aviation history's most important aircraft was unveiled last week when the Airbus A380 superjumbo, the world's first full-length twin-deck aircraft debuted at a ceremony in Toulouse, France. The A380's forte is capacity - 50% more than a 747 - and depending on the seating configuration, can carry up to 800 passengers on a long haul flight. The A380 is also fuel efficient, and experts predict that in the maximum 800 seat configuration, it will be nearly half the cost per seat to an airline for a long haul flight. Not surprisingly, the marginal existence of most airlines in the global aviation industry has seen them respond positively to the A380 and Airbus has already taken 149 orders at US$280 million per plane.
Super Spook gets a new set of eyes
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January 15, 2005 "Super Spook", one of the scariest monsters in the theatre of war, is getting an upgrade. Starting life as an overweight and slow transport plane, most folks didn't think it could cut it in the heat of battle. But filled with massive firepower, and given phenomenal eyesight (via sensing systems) it can accurately deliver a 'wall of metal' day or night. Now the lastest Spooky is to get Lockheed Martin's Gunship Multispectral Sensor System GMS2,
GMS2 integrates third-generation infrared sensing technology with image intensified low-light TV cameras and a suite of lasers to enable the AC-130U to more accurately 'paint' targets so the intelligent weapons system (that seeks the reflected energy), can be even more deadly. Read More
Preparations for world's first human landing WITHOUT a parachute
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January 3, 2005 Jumping out of a plane without a parachute is not something we recommend but that's exactly what B.A.S.E. jumper Jeb Corliss has been doing to help pave the way for the world's first landing attempt without a parachute.
Up to now, he's been testing speeds and fall rates in the wing-suit so that he can determine what's required to be able to land the wing-suit without a parachute. Corliss and Go Fast! - sponsored test pilot Luigi Cani teamed up to gather the data. Jeb flew in free fall donning a parachute alongside Luigi, who was at the controls of the world's smallest and fastest parachute-known as the ICARUS VX-39. The two were able to gather data using GPS systems attached to Luigi that tracked exact forward speeds, exact fall rate and the glide angles so the calculations could be done to determine what apparatus would be needed for a safe landing. Read More
Da Vinci's Ornithopter ready to fly after 500 years
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December 3, 2004 Humankind has dreamed of flight since ancient times, but until now most attempts to fly by flapping wings, either using human muscle or mechanical power, have failed. Over 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci conceptualised a self powered flying machine that would achieve both lift and thrust with flapping wings alone and named it the "ornithopter". Now, hot on the heels of the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers pioneering air flight and the recent X Prize won by Burt Rutan for civilian, privately funded space flight, a team of scientists, engineers, and historians in Toronto have taken on the challenge to make Leonardo's orinthopter dream a reality. Read More
Flying taxi service to offer sky-high commuting
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November 29, 2004 UK based company Avcen has unveiled an flying-taxi concept aimed at giving urban commuters an aerial alternative by 2010. The "Jetpod" is a small twin-jet aircraft with a new VQSTOL (Very Quiet Short Take-off and Landing) technology that reduces noise emissions by up to 50% and enables short-distance air travel in built up urban areas. Requiring just 125 meters to take off and 300 meters to land, Avcen hopes busy metropolitan cities will embrace the Jetpod, building elevated runways above harbors, roads and railway tracks to handle arrivals and departures from "park-and-fly" terminals located in the suburbs. Read More
CT2K ultralight for personalised long-distance travel
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November 23, 2004 The CT2K ultralight sports aircraft is so compact it almost looks like a toy. Yet with only a 9.3m wingspan, 2.16m height, 6.22m width and 262kg (empty) weight, it can travel over 2,000 km on a full tank. German designers and manufacturers Flight Design has been selling the ultralight CT2K plane throughout Europe and now it is flying high in over a dozen countries in a resurgence of personalised, ultralight flight. Read More
Multi-vehicle and voice controlled UAVs take off
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November 8, 2004 Recent advances by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have seen the development of a manned-to-unmanned aircraft guidance system that allows remote multi-vehicle operations and voice activated control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In the first flight test on August 24, two Boeing X-45As were flown simultaneously under the supervision of a single operator as part of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program. Read More
Skyblazer dual mode 'Flying Car' concept
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November 8, 2004 Automobiles and airplanes were both inventions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both technologies were heralded as examples of technical progress and both carried the promise of great personal freedom that is still being explored today with the possibility of dual mode 'flying cars'. These futuristic concept vehicles have been covered in gizmag before, notably the Moller M400 Skycar, and now another prototype is being proposed by Robin Haynes with his 'Skyblazer roadable aircraft'.
The X45-C Unmanned Aerial Bomber
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November 2, 2004 Boeing has shown the first full-scale mock-up of its largest UAV, the X45-C. The new machine was debuted at the Farnsborough International Air Show in the UK. The model represents what the X-45C will look like when completed at the company's St. Louis manufacturing facility in 2006. Assembly of this revolutionary aircraft began in June and it is scheduled to make its first flight in 2007. Boeing previously built two X-45A vehicles, now being flight-tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Read More
Man flies like a bird - a jet-powered bird!
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October 8, 2004 Man has been attempting to fly for around 2400 years yet has only begun to master the process in the last century. In the history of flight, 2004 is shaping as a good year. One of the pioneers of human flight, Yves Rossy, recently achieved a landmark which went largely unheralded. Rossy’s feats might well go down among the most daring as well as momentous in aviation history. Rossy made headlines in 2003 when he flew 12 kilometres for the loss of just 3000 metres of altitude, achieving his feat by jumping out of plane wearing three metre, carbon fibre wings. Read More
