ORLANDO, Fla. — Skyship Services Inc. , owner of the Type Certificates for the largest certified non-rigid airships in the world, recently signed a contract that will launch the first of a new era of Skyships. The 200-foot flying machine is being assembled at a hangar facility near Elizabeth City, N.C., that was originally used […]
Aircraft
First flight: Sam LS
The first flight of Sam LS, an all-new design, took place Feb. 26 at Lachute Airport near Montréal, Quebec, Canada. “Liftoff was perfect, in about 300 feet,” said Thierry Zibi, president of SAM Aircraft. “We were not at gross weight, so our climb of nearly 1,300 fpm felt like a rocket.” The test pilot, Raphaël […]
First production flight for Cessna TTx
The Cessna TTx completed its first production flight on Saturday, March 2. The single-engine composite aircraft departed from the Cessna facility in Independence, Kan. and performed the flight in and around southeast Kansas. “The TTx performed exceptionally well,” said Brian Steele, business leader for the TTx. “In the course of the flight, the pilot took […]
First new Citation Sovereign rolls off assembly line
The first production New Citation Sovereign rolled off the production line in Cessna’s Wichita, Kan., manufacturing facility. The New Citation Sovereign is one of six new Cessna aircraft expected to hit the market this year. “This rollout today is proof of Cessna’s commitment to bringing new products to customers in 2013, and demonstrates our strong […]
Historic Flight Foundation’s DC-3 takes flight
MUKILTEO, Wash. — The Historic Flight Foundation, an aviation museum with its flying operations based at Paine Field in Everett, recently launched the inaugural flight of its newest addition: A DC-3. The DC-3 joins a flying collection of military and civilian aircraft from 1927-1957. The Douglas DC-3 is perhaps the most recognizable propeller-driven airliner in […]
Pipistrel selects Dynon for 2013 lineup
For the 2013 season, Pipistrel’s Sinus, Virus and Virus SW lineup now feature Dynon Avionics D-180 instruments as standard equipment. Pipistrel is offering a newly designed extra-large instrument panel on these airplanes as an option. For the flagship Virus SW 100 equipped with the Rotax 912 iS engine, Pipistrel selected the SkyView system as standard. […]
Diamond suspends D-Jet project
Diamond Aircraft recently announced that it had laid off most of its staff, saying it needs several weeks to restructure. Remaining is a support staff needed to fulfill sales of spare parts, provide technical information to owners, and provide airworthiness support. According to a report at AOPA.org, work on the company’s costly prize project, the […]
Cirrus Aircraft’s Vision becoming reality
After years of stagnation, development of Cirrus Aircraft’s Vision SF50 jet is full steam ahead. Introduced at AirVenture in Oshkosh in 2006, the jet’s first flight was in 2008. Then came the economic collapse and the company’s search for new capital, resulting in the sale of Cirrus to China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA). With […]
Piper selects G1000 for Seneca V
Piper Aircraft has selected Garmin‘s G1000 all-glass, integrated flight deck for its twin-class Seneca V model. “We have a strong, long-standing partnership with Piper Aircraft, and we are honored by the confidence they continue to show in Garmin avionics,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “With the G1000-equipped Seneca V, […]