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Charred debris, possibly belonging to the missing MH370 plane, has been handed to investigators - raising the prospect of a flash fire on board the ill-fated jet. An American amateur investigator handed over several pieces of blackened debris to Australia's Transport Safety Bureau on Monday in what may prove to be a breakthrough in one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history. Blaine Gibson said the material, which had washed up in Madagascar, included what appeared to be an internal panel.

DID Amelia Earhart survive her plane crash? This is the most likely theory, with evidence emerging that she was making contact for days after her plane disappeared.The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) believes Earhart safely landed her plane when it disappeared in 1937 and died as a castaway. During a presentation in the US last month, TIGHAR’s Ric Gillespie backed up all of the group’s theories. Earhart’s plane was last seen on the radar on July 2, 1937. After becoming the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she embarked on a mission to fly...

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Test pilots and engineers from the 416th Flight Test Squadron had the chance to meet face-to-face with one of the squadron’s success stories Aug. 25. The group met with an allied nation pilot trainee who returned home alive after he experienced a g-force-induced loss of consciousness and his F-16’s Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System activated, executing a ground-avoidance maneuver, just as the system was designed to do. The 416th tested and proved the F-16’s Auto GCAS. The pilot, whose call sign is Ocho, and his instructor pilot came to Edwards at NASA’s request. Both...

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is the most expensive procurement program in Pentagon history. It’s been plagued by schedule delays, gross cost overruns, and a slew of underwhelming performance reviews. Last month the Air Force declared its variant “ready for combat,” and most press reports lauded this as a signal that the program had turned a corner. But a memo issued from the Pentagon’s top testing official, based largely upon the Air Force’s own test data, showed that the Air Force’s declaration was wildly premature. Dr. Michael Gilmore’s latest memorandum is damning. The F-35 program has derailed to the...

Hey Guys, I've been checking out some military fly-overs this week in eastern Pennsylvania and today a noteworthy flight took place : I had 5 fighter jets, 3 up front 2 in the back. External tanks, flying about 3000-5000 feet. Throughout the week I've spotted one of these flights everyday. I got a tail marking on one, but it appears they are all different. Can someone help me with a tail ID ? It was yellow on the bottom, Orange on top. It was slanted at less than a 45 degree angle, sloping towards the back. Does this marking ring...

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is officially launching her personal private jet, even allowing reporters to ride with her on the trip to Cleveland, Ohio. Several photos and details of the plane quickly dubbed “Hill Force One” were revealed by reporters as they waited to board the flight. The plane is a 14-year-old Boeing 737 that used to fly for Air Berlin, OrenAir and Corendon Dutch Airlines, according to CNN’s Dan Merica. The plane is separated into four cabins, one for Clinton, one for staff, one for the Secret Service and one for the press. The media have more than...

A WestJet pilot sought medical attention after a laser strike during a flight to Fort McMurray last month, airline officials say. The laser was shone into the cockpit of a WestJet aircraft on Aug. 22, WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said in an email. The flight landed safely in Fort McMurray, but the next flight was cancelled until a replacement co-pilot could be brought in. Pilots are trained to look away to protect their eyes in the event of a laser strike, but the pilot was advised to seek medical attention as a precaution. "A laser has the potential to cause...

Joe Sutter, who was dubbed “Father of the 747” by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, has died at age 95. As the former chief engineer of Boeing’s 747, Sutter is credited with leading the birth of the first widebody airliner, which ushered in the globe-shrinking age of mass air travel.

This year is special when it comes to the relationship between the Viper and the Polish Air Force since it has been 10 years since Poland has acquired this slick airframe, significantly modernizing the inventory which remains at disposal of the military aviation units. The anniversary provides an interesting opportunity to sum up the history of the relationship between the Lockheed’s jet and the Polish Air Force. Within the Polish Air Force, the F-16 “Jastrząb” (Jastrząb – Northern goshawk – is the Polish name for the F-16 jet) is being used for a variety of missions, including air-superiority, close air...

ockheed Martin's (LMT) F-35 wowed crowds at the Farnborough Airshow in the U.K. last month... Despite ongoing concerns about its development, the stealth fighter continues to reach key milestones, and production will hit full speed in a few years. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman (NOC), which is a major subcontractor on the F-35, has locked down the other key piece of the Pentagon's combat aircraft upgrade cycle, winning the B-21 contract last year to build replacements for Cold War-era Boeing (BA) B-52s. With the $400 billion F-35 and $80 billion B-21 contracts in hand, Lockheed and Northrop would appear to have established...

The latest, upgraded, version of Russia’s Mi-28H “Night Hunter” helicopter gunship will be virtually invulnerable to enemy fire, Zvezda TV reported. Even though it looks much like its predecessor, the Mi-28NM “Super Hunter” boasts the latest and most innovative materials available and is armed with the most advanced active defense systems money can buy. The “Super Hunter” is also equipped with circular-view radar previously installed on export models only. However, according to the makers of “Super Hunter”, the NO25E radar offers a notable improvement over even the export-oriented unit. Another thing making the souped-up Mi-28NM so special is its unique...

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a USD39.3 million contract related to the development of a laser-based self-defence system for the US Air Force (USAF). The contract, which was awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on 23 August, is for the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) Turret Research in Aero-Effects (STRAFE) programme. Northrop Grumman will develop and deliver an advanced beam control system for integration as part of a complete laser weapons system into a tactical pod for USAF fighter aircraft.

The world's longest aircraft - the Airlander 10 - has been damaged after nosediving on landing during its second test flight. The 302ft (92m) long aircraft - which is part plane and part airship - was damaged during the flight from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire.

Encounter Report from November 6, 1944 Cool historical document Chuck Yeager shoots down an ME-262 and damages 2 more.

After photos leaked of Northrop Grumman and BAE System’s new T-X trainer offering, Boeing and Saab revealed their own T-X sneak peak this week. A few shadowy glimpses of the trainer appeared over four videos posted on Boeing’s new T-X website over the weekend. The clean sheet design has two engine inlets, a high mounted wing and a conventional, vertical tail. That design marks a departure from Boeing’s original V-tail concept the company put forth before partnering with Saab. The new aircraft’s design is also unique from the Boeing T-45 Goshawk used by the US Navy. Boeing’s T-X bid not...

How long does it take to prep and fly a large plane? It is not trivial. What are the odds they would do all that for a 20 MILE flight. It would cost a fortune too. So. what seems more likely? Instead of just driving there they would prepare a flight plan for a 20 mile flight, drive to the airport, load onto the plane, taxi, fly, and land about 3 minutes later... OR Her rumored medical condition flared up during flight so they immediately landed? The condition she is rumored to have is one that is supposed to prohibit...

On Saturday August 6, I was privileged to attend the unveiling of the memorial to American airmen who fought in World War II at the Wings Over the Rockies aviation museum in Denver, Colorado. Created by Major Frederic Arnold (ret.), an artist who flew P-38 Lightnings in the Mediterranean theater of the war, the monumental sculpture depicts a pre-flight briefing, with the squadron leader at the mapboard explaining the mission plan, while the men of the squadron and the pale ghosts of their fallen comrades listen on. American airmen suffered a horrific casualty rate during World War II, with over...

Two Syrian Su-24 Fencer attempting to fly over a Kurdish-held area in northeastern Syria where U.S. SOF (Special Operations Forces) are operating, get intercepted by U.S. F-22 and encouraged to depart the airspace. Twice in the last few days, Syrian jets performing air strikes close to where U.S. SOF are operating in northeastern Syria caused coalition aircraft to scramble. On Aug. 18, U.S. jets were dispatched to intercept the Syrian attack planes that were attacking targets near Hasakah supporting regime forces fighting the Syrian Kurdish forces. About 300 U.S. military operate in the same area, training Kurdish forces who are...

© Sputnik/ Uliana Solovyova A Sukhoi Su-34 bomber has been named after Lieutenant-Colonel Oleg Peshkov, the Russian pilot who was killed by militants in Syria after his aircraft was shot down by a Turkish fighter jet in November 2015, RIA Novosti reported citing the Lipetsk city administration’s internet portal. “I see this as a sign of respect for a real man, a patriot who loved his Motherland and honestly fulfilled his duty as a military man and a citizen,” said Oleg Peshkov’s onetime commander Colonel Yuri Gritsaenko, who will be piloting the newly dedicated Su-34. On Thursday Oleg Peshkov’s widow...

Northrop Grumman’s entry for the T-X competition was publicly revealed on 19 August in Mojave, California. Dubbed the Model 400, the Northrop bid is powered by a single GE Aviation F404-102D engine with 17,200lb-thrust, according to the US Federal Aviation Adminitration’s aircraft registration database. Scaled Composites, the Northrop subsidiary devoted to rapid prototyping and flight testing, registered the aircraft on 16 June 2015, but the design was kept under wraps for several more months. Images of the aircraft on Twitter show an aircraft with a prominent, single vertical fin and a nose section similar to the T-38. Northrop revealed a...