The Diamond DA52 twin diesel made its first flight on Tuesday afternoon from the company’s headquarters in Neustadt, Germany. Diamond Aircraft chairman Christian Dries and head of flight-test Ingmar Mayerbuch were at the controls of the Austro Engine AE300E-powered airplane. No abnormalities were reported during the one-hour test flight. Diamond has not yet released a timetable for certification or production of the new seven-seat twin.
Fixed-wing aircraft
April 5, 2012 - 10:05am
Airbus has begun joining the A350 XWB’s 65-foot-long center fuselage with its 69-foot-long front fuselage in Toulouse, marking the official start of the mostly composite airplane’s final assembly, the European manufacturer announced today.
April 2, 2012 - 1:45am
Epic Aircraft announced March 6 that it has been sold to a Russian MRO by the name of Engineering llc and plans to put its kit LT single-engine turboprop aircraft into FAA-certified production. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
March 8, 2012 - 4:00pm
Bend, Ore.-based Epic Aircraft, maker of the Epic LT turboprop single kitplane, was acquired on Tuesday by Engineering llc, a Russian maintenance, repair and overhaul firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Epic Aircraft CEO Douglas King, who remains with the company in this same position, said it is “exciting to be a part of Epic Aircraft’s next chapter.” This next step is FAA certification, and the acquisition will give Epic enough funding to work on a certified version of the six-place turboprop. According to Epic, it will take about three years to certify the airplane.
March 8, 2012 - 4:00pm
The FAA has to set up at least six unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites in the U.S. by the end of June under Section 331(c) of the FAA reauthorization bill that became law last month. Thus, the agency is now asking for public input on the selection process of these sites.
February 14, 2012 - 5:15am
Irkut has brought a full-scale mockup of its nascent MC-21 short- to medium-range midsize airliner to Singapore, giving visitors their first chance to see up-close the shape of things to come in the design of Russian civil aircraft.
February 11, 2012 - 9:25pm
Agusta Westland Tilt Rotor Co. (AWTR) flew an AW609 (née BA609) tiltrotor at Arlington Municipal Airport yesterday. The company also provided an update on the program, which comes in the aftermath of AgustaWestland’s taking over full ownership of the 609 project when former partner Bell Helicopter relinquished its half last November.
AgustaWestland established AWTR to complete certification and bring the AW609 to market, with its U.S. headquarters based at AWTR’s new office-hangar complex at the airport.
January 4, 2012 - 5:10am
The FAA has proposed levying a $777,000 fine against Seattle-based Horizon Air for allegedly operating 32 Bombardier Q400s on 49,870 flights while the airplanes didn’t comply with FARs. The FAA alleges Horizon installed new external lighting systems on the aircraft, but did not conduct required tests for radio frequency and electromagnetic interference before returning the aircraft to service. Horizon operated the aircraft between Oct. 19, 2009 and Mar. 17, 2010, before the FAA discovered the compliance problems during routine surveillance.
November 2, 2011 - 12:49pm
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has commissioned a wind tunnel to help aircraft manufacturers measure the noise levels generated by aircraft landing gear. Industry historically has focused on measuring and reducing the noise generated only by engines.
October 11, 2011 - 12:20am
Work is progressing on Embraer’s newest offering, the midsize Legacy 500, and the Brazilian airframer says it is on schedule to fly the $18.4 million twinjet by year-end.
