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XB-1 Demonstrator Just Shy Of Supersonic On Latest Test
BOOM's XB-1 demonstrator in its most recent test flight nearly went pass the speed of sound. It flew from Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, CA on January 10th, 2025 flying to an altitude of 29,481-feet and reaching MACH 0.95. This 44 minute test flight was number 11 for the XB-1 demonstrator so far and the first flight for 2025...
HEAT Facility Online For Hermeus
Hermeus currently is working on testing demonstrators for supersonic and eventually hypersonic flight. They are at the stage of using their MK-1 Quarterhorse Demonstrator which is coming to the top end of its testing before they transition to MK-2 Quarterhorse to test the vehicle pass MACH 2. Powering the craft is the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine. Hermeus says that there is a shortage of hypersonic test facilities and those that are available are booked up solid so they started to build their own...
Push To Develop eVTOL Infrastructure
With a myriad of eVTOL programmes in the works and at varying stages of development and certification the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector has been pushing ahead. However, it has not been easy with financial issues plaguing some of the top entities in this segment. For example, in recent times JetForums has informed you about German eVTOL manufacturers Lilium and Volocopter all filing for insolvency protection in the last few months...
Piaggio Aerospace Finally Finds New Owner
Italian manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace has finally secured a buyer for the company after a few years of searching for an entity to take over the business. The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy in Italy has approved the takeover by Turkish giant Baykar...
Flight Test Campaign Concludes For EcoPulse
EcoPulse, a distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator developed together between Airbus, Safran and Daher has completed its flight test campaign. Airbus announced the news in December 2024 which resulted in the delivery of crucial insights to meet the decarbonization goals for air transport by 2050...
Current State Of The Supersonic Race
At JF we continually follow news pertaining to the civil supersonic race. Over the last few years there have been a number of contenders that have been at varying stages of development of their respective supersonic craft. Not all have made it to current day in 2025. For example there was Aerion who were actively working on the AS2 supersonic aircraft but they exited the race in 2021 having fielded plans and actually broke ground for building a large superfactory in Melbourne, Florida. Currently, there are three notable names in the race, BOOM Supersonic with their XB-1 demonstrator currently in flight testing...
Volocopter Activates Insolvency Protection
In late October 2024, JF informed you about Lilium activating insolvency protection while it tried to raise more capital to stave off collapse of the company. This was the first German company within the eVTOL air mobility space to be in this position. Now there is news over the holidays of another German company that has resorted to insolvency protection. Volocopter is that second company and had filed for insolvency with the court in Karlsruhe on December 26, 2024 and announcing it on the 30th of December...
Ground Testing For Electric Propulsion Project Between MagniX; NASA Concludes
Electric flight is not only relegated to the slowly emerging eVTOL market but regular aircraft are being adapted for hybrid and full electric flight. MagniX is a company we have covered before and their prowess in the electric propulsion sphere is noted. Currently, they are working with NASA on its Magni650 electric propulsion unit (EPU)...
Uncertainty Looms For Service Entry Of eVTOLs
eVTOLs are still new to the aviation sector and besides pioneering and adapting current battery technologies and also being limited by it there are also many hurdles regarding regulatory, classification and infrastructural facets needed to be overcome. Additionally, many of the manufacturers are running out of cash to continually finance the development and certification of their respective aircraft...
EHang Deliveries Increase But No AOC For Customers
EHang's EH216-S autonomous 2 passenger eVTOL is been delivering at high rates since being certified in October 2023. In a financial briefing on November 18 the Chinese company suggested it delivered 63 units in the three months ending on September 30. This represented a 29% increase on output for the second quarter. This is good news however, no Air Operator Certificates have been granted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for operations of these craft despite the surge in deliveries...
Eclipse Aero Testing Daedalean AI’s Visual Awareness System
Eclipse Aerospace has been out of the news reel for several years but they are back into the cycle with news relating to testing Daedalean AI’s visual awareness system for detect-and-avoid traffic deconfliction scenarios. An Eclipse Aerospace 550 Light jet is the test bed for the technology -as seen below-. There is no certification path as yet and the technology is still in its early days of testing. However, the plan is Daedalean is pursuing an FAA Part 23 supplemental type certificate (STC). That STC will be for the PilotEye visual traffic detection system in collaboration with Avidyne...
Lilium To Initiate Insolvency Protection
Lilium was one of the initial leaders in the eVTOL space and 'til this point has been at the forefront in bringing its eVTOL to market. The German company is on the cusp of having a full-scale prototype to be flying in 2025. However, the company is about to file for insolvency protection as it tries to cue-up further capital to continue its operations...
After 6 Months Rolls Royce Completes Pearl 10X Testing
The Rolls Royce Pearl 10X powerplant will power Dassault's forthcoming Falcon 10X flagship business jet. Rolls Royce recently said that it has now concluded testing on that powerplant after 6 months of rigourous testing. The Pearl 10X took to the skies for the first time back in early April, 2024 attached to a pylon on Roll Royce's 44 year old Boeing 747 test bed...
Textron Aviation Returns To NBAA-BACE 2024
At the start of October Textron Aviation published a press released saying that they are now going to be attending the 2024 NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. Just last month the airframer pulled its presence from this year's show to the surprise of the industry especially after hosting the pre-NBAA-BACE media briefing in Wichita. In a press released date October 2nd, the airframer said that 'In response to customer Feedback', Textron Aviation will return to the 2024 National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) with a static display of industry-leading Citation aircraft...
Third Major Airframer Skips 2024 NBAA-BACE
The 2024 NBAA-BACE due to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada will open its doors next month (October 22-24) with one less major exhibitor. In a stunning revelation, Textron Aviation has pulled out from participating in this year's event. It is also ironic that Textron hosted the pre-NBAA-BACE media briefing in Wichita and will not be taking part in the actual show itself. This will be three major aircraft manufacturers that have decided to skip the 2024 event...
Heart Aerospace Rolls Out First Full-Scale ES-30 Demonstrator
We have been hearing about Heart Aerospace for a while now but the company has not made a flight with a prototype as yet despite all the orders and press they have been receiving. However, the company recently rolled out its first full-scale technology demonstrator. The prototype is already under ground test trials and Heart Aerospace suggests that it will fly for the first time in the second quarter of 2025...
Jacksonville Hypersonic Test Facility Break Ground
It appears that Hermeus is taking the next step in their testing regime with the expected future construction of a hypersonic test facility in Florida. Hermeus is on the path to developing a hypersonic (MACH 5) aircraft they call 'Halcyon' to fly 20 passengers by the next decade. Currently the company is testing what they call the Quarterhorse which is a much scaled-down prototype. The last major update was that the Quarterhorse MK2 iteration prototype was testing the F100 engine...
Second Flight Of XB-1 Completed
On 24th of August Boom Supersonic updated on the progress of the XB-1 program. After the monumental first flight back on March 22, 2024, the second flight has now taken place and carried forward the test program further. During this flight, XB-1’s landing gear was successfully retracted and extended for the first time, which is typical of second test flights. Additional objectives for this flight test were for the XB-1 team to assess aircraft handling qualities and activate a new digital stability augmentation system – or roll damper – for the first time...
Pilatus Aircraft Expanding United States Footprint
The majority of Pilatus Aircraft's facilities are in Stans, Switzerland and has a United States presence already at Broomfield, Colorado but the airframer is now set to invest and expand even further in the U.S. In the short term the airframer wants to establish a sales and service facility at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ) in Florida. In the long-term Pilatus is looking at an assembly plant at the same location! Pilatus executives and Airport Authority officials signed an agreement to develop 17 acres on the north side of the airport for Pilatus to construct a new state-of-the-art sales and service facility...
50 Speed Records In Less Than 50 Weeks For Global 7500
Normally Gulfstream is in the news regarding speed records with their flagship aircraft but Bombardier is increasingly taking that spotlight. Bombardier's current flagship the Global 7500 has now surpassed 50 speed records in less than 50 weeks of operation. Global 7500 has a top speed of Mach 0.925 and interestingly the top 10 of those speed records involved speeds above 1,000 kph...
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