General Aviation/Helicopter News

The first BelugaXL has passed the Ground Vibration Test (GVT), a requirement for certification of the aircraft that paves the way towards its maiden flight in summer 2018. The objective of this test is to measure the dynamic behaviour of the aircraft and confirm theoretical models of various flight conditions, such as maneuvering, flying in gusty conditions and landing. The test data also helps clear the aircraft’s flight envelope. The GVT of the BelugaXL was performed by ONERA in collaboration with DLR over eight testing days using several hundreds of external accelerometers while the aircraft was stimulated by external shakers or seismic exciters.

The BelugaXL was launched in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. The new oversize air transporters are based on the A330-200 Freighter, with a large re-use of existing components and equipment. The first of five BelugaXLs will fly in summer 2018 and enter into service in 2019.

Building the future at Boeing requires looking decades ahead at what could be possible, and innovating now to make it happen. That’s the impetus behind Boeing’s first passenger-carrying hypersonic concept that was debuted at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference in Atlanta this week.

The passenger concept could have military or commercial applications; this is just one of several hypersonic vehicle concepts spanning a wide range of potential applications company engineers are studying. Engineers are working companywide to develop enabling technology will position the company for the time when customers and markets are ready to reap the benefits of hypersonic flight. “We’re excited about the potential of hypersonic technology to connect the world faster than ever before,” said Kevin Bowcutt, senior technical fellow and chief scientist of hypersonics. “Boeing is building upon a foundation of six decades of work designing, developing and flying experimental hypersonic vehicles, which makes us the right company to lead the effort in bringing this technology to market in the future.”

The Airbus Perlan Mission II the world’s first initiative to pilot an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history again yesterday in El Calafate, Argentina, by soaring in the stratosphere to a pressure altitude of over 62,000 feet (60,669 feet GPS altitude). This set a new gliding altitude world record, pending official validation. The pressurized Perlan 2 glider, which is designed to soar up to 90,000 feet, passed the Armstrong Line, the point in the atmosphere above which an unprotected human’s blood will boil if an aircraft loses pressurization. This marks a second glider altitude world record for Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock, the same two Perlan Project pilots who soared the Perlan 2 to 52,221 feet GPS altitude on Sept. 3, 2017, in the same remote region of Argentine Patagonia. The 2017 record broke a previous record that was set in 2006, in the unpressurized Perlan 1, by Perlan Project founder Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett.

Volga Dnepr Antonov AN-124-100 landing at Mirabel

Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada has started delivering the PW127G powerplants to Airbus Defence and Space in support of Canada's Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project. The new engines will be fitted on board Airbus C295 aircraft. When the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) takes delivery of them they will be redesignated as the CC-295. The DND said that they are expected to receive the first of 16 CC-295 aircraft by the end of 2019. The DND intends to replace its existing search and rescue (SAR) fixed-wing aircraft with the CC-295. "We celebrate this milestone with national pride," said Frédéric Lefebvre, vice president of regional airlines sales and marketing at P&WC. "We're a company of proud Canadian heritage, and we're honoured to play an important role in maintaining the safety and well-being of our fellow citizens."

For those who love widebody commercial!

Forbes article on the MC-21

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedree...g-and-airbus-models-report-says/#3d3110173836

SpaceShip Two from Virgin Galactic is almost ready to head to the edge of space. The target area is the Mesosphere which is an area of the atmosphere that exists about 30 million above the earth. To put this in perspective... the International Space Station (ISS) orbits above the earth at roughly 200 miles.

The Saudi Arabia Flight Academy has made a big order to Diamond for 60 Diamond aircraft for flight training use. The contract covers both single and twin-engine Diamond aircraft and falls in line with the country's 2030 vision to have a new slew of pilots. The aircraft models specifically are the twin DA42-VI and single DA40 NG. The agreement includes delivery of all 60 airplanes over a five-year period. Delivery of the first 12 will start in February 2019. The announcement was made at the recently held Middle Eastern [North Africa] Business Aviation Association (MEEBA) in Dubai.

Oklahoma State University (OSU) announced the selection of the technologically advanced Cirrus Aircraft SR20 as an addition to its existing Aviation Program fleet. This is the first partnership between Cirrus and OSU, resulting in five new aircraft for the well-established aviation program. "We are excited to partner with Cirrus and add to our fleet," said Lance Fortney, Program Manager for the OSU Flight Center. "As our program continues to grow, it’s important for us to upgrade our fleet and equipment so that we can continue to deliver the highest quality learning experience for our students. Having brand-new airplanes that are considered the safest training aircraft on the market is a key selling point for our program and will help us attract the best and the brightest to OSU."

First test passenger sent to the edge of space with Virgin Galactic.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/22/virgin-galactic-sends-its-first-passenger-to-the-edge-of-space/

Boeing [NYSE: BA] today awarded a $3 million grant to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to accelerate pilot training and aviation maintenance programs. Boeing's investment will create a permanent endowment to fund annual scholarships for flight training, maintenance training and certification costs related to the pilot training and aviation maintenance programs. Scholarship dollars will be made available to all students – with a focus on increasing the number of women, military veteran and minority students enrolled in both programs. Speaking at the 18th Annual U.S. Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg emphasized the need for increased collaboration within the global aerospace industry to address the growing demand for commercial pilots and technicians.

"It's essential that industry and higher education work together to increase the pipeline of aerospace talent. Our partnership with Embry-Riddle demonstrates Boeing's commitment to the continued growth and diversification of the global aerospace industry," said Muilenburg. "Through this grant, we'll help more students – with more diverse backgrounds – learn with greater efficiency and perform more effectively once on the job."

Over the weekend Scaled Composites flew the largest aircraft in the world. The Stratolauncher made its first flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port. The aircraft is a composite aircraft with two fuselages and powered by 6 engines. To give an idea as to the immense size of this aircraft, it has 28 wheels in its landing gear.

A World War II era B-29 Stratofortress nick named 'Doc' has been moved into its permanent home in a new hangar in the general city that it was originally built. This B-29 is one of only two airworthy B-29 Stratofortress aircraft in the world today.

The BelugaXL program has grown by one more than originally intended. The BelugaXL was designed as a larger and more capable transport for new Airbus commercial aircraft large components. It was to replace the old Airbus A300-600STs. Five BelugaXLs were intended to be built, at present six are now in service to match ramp-up demand for the A350 and A320neo (family) line.

Ukranian court orders five Volga Dnepr Antonov An-124 seized.

Five of he company's An-124s has been ordered seized by the Ukranian court. Alleged unauthorized maintenance checks were carried out on the An-124 by the airline."According o Antonov Design Bureau, the investigators and the court, the admission of the An-124 to the further operation is a violation of the provisions of the ICAO Convention on international Civil Aviation and Airworthiness guidelines. The seizure of property is allowed in order to ensure the safety of physical evidence and compensation for damage caused by the crime", said Roman Marchenko, Ilyashev & Partners law firm who is representing the Ukranian manufacturer.

An22 engine start with flames coming out the back!

A look at many of the planes grounded and parked up as a result of the corona situation.

Mix of plane types spotting at Frankfurt. This person does some really nice videos.

Icon Aircraft the maker of the Icon A5 Amphibious Plane is constantly pushing safety training when it comes to these airplanes. In the past there have been a few crashes of these airplanes and for 2020 the manufacturer is including some training with every purchases of an A5. As part of our continued emphasis on pilot safety, a voucher for transition training is included with any A5 aircraft purchased in 2020. ICON has two transition training courses available, TX-L for landplane pilots transitioning to the amphibious A5 and TX-S for experienced seaplane pilots to learn about what makes the A5 unique. Transition training is available at our ICON Flight Center locations in Vacaville, CA and Tampa, FL as well as through ICON Flight Training Partners across the U.S.