Free Republic

Santa Clara County officials and advocates are rejoicing as the federal government agrees to reassess the use of leaded aviation gasoline nationwide. During a news conference Wednesday, County Counsel James Williams announced the Environmental Protection Agency approved a petition from the county and several environmental organizations to evaluate whether leaded fuel used by airplanes is a threat to public health and welfare. Leaded fuel for cars was banned in the U.S. more than two decades ago, but it is still used by some airplanes, including those at the Reid-Hillview and San Martin airports in Santa Clara County. "Today is a...

The carrier variant of the stealthy Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, has deployed onboard an aircraft carrier for the first time in U.S. Marine Corps hands. While the Marines also operate the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B version, the service is procuring the C-model to ensure it can continue with the long-established TACAIR Integration agreement under which it provides squadrons to go aboard the Navy’s big-deck carriers. The addition of the carrier-going F-35C to the Marine Corps inventory also signals a significant boost to the service’s ability to confront high-end adversaries, especially in the Asia Pacific theater.The Marine...

SEOUL: South Korea has grounded its entire fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets, officials said Wednesday (Jan 5), pending a probe into a dramatic emergency landing. After the landing gear on a South Korean F-35A stopped working during a major systems malfunction, the pilot chose not to eject and instead landed the jet on its belly, walking away without any injuries. The heart-stopping incident on Tuesday, at an air force base in the west of the country, has prompted a probe during which South Korean F-35s will be grounded. "With the investigation under way, the entire (F-35) fleet is suspended...

The U.S. Air Force has taken delivery of the first prototype Airborne High Energy Laser, or AHEL, which is set to be flight tested on one of its AC-130J Ghostrider gunships next year. The service hopes to demonstrate the feasibility of adding this directed-energy weapon to the AC-130J's already very diverse arsenal, which could give these aircraft a unique capability to engage ground targets silently and stealthily.Lockheed Martin confirmed yesterday that it had completed factory acceptance testing for the AHEL and then turned the weapon over to the Air Force. The laser will now need to be integrated together with...

CHICAGO, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced a $1 million donation to organizations supporting Hispanic and Latinx communities. The investment package will fund 28 organizations working to strengthen appreciation for Hispanic and Latinx history and culture, increase STEM education curriculum in underserved schools, advance Latinx-focused leadership and workforce development programs and diversify the aerospace talent pipeline.

KINGSLAND, Ga. (AP) — A federal agency said Wednesday it's once again delaying a final decision on whether to permit construction of a launchpad for commercial rockets on the Georgia coast. The Federal Aviation Administration now plans to issue a decision on Spaceport Camden by Nov. 3 “due to ongoing consultation efforts,” agency spokesman Steve Kulm said in a statement. Previously, the FAA had said it intended to make a final determination on the project by the end of July, then shifted its target date to the end of September. Camden County in Georgia’s coastal, southeast corner has spent nine...

Rolls-Royce (OTCPK:RYCEY, OTCPK:RYCEF) is awarded a contract to provide upgraded engines for the U.S. Air Force's B-52 bomber fleet in an award that could grow to $2.6B, the Department of Defense announces, beating out General Electric (NYSE:GE) and incumbent Pratt & Whitney (NYSE:RTX). Rolls-Royce was given an initial six-year $501M base contract to supply 608 engines for installation on the Air Force's 76 active-duty and reserve B-52s, which could grow to $2.6B if all options are exercised

Firefly was attempting to reach orbit, and its Alpha rocket went supersonic moments before the failure, according to the company’s mission control audio. The rocket launched from the SLC-2 complex at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Standing at 95 feet tall, Firefly’s Alpha rocket is designed to launch as much as 1,000 kilograms of payload to low Earth orbit – at a price of $15 million per launch. This puts Firefly in the “medium-lift” category of rockets, pitting it against several other companies including Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit, ABL Space and Relativity Space.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday barred Virgin Galactic from flying its SpaceShipTwo until the agency approves its final mishap investigation report from its July flight or determines the issues do not affect public safety. The FAA confirmed on Wednesday it was investigating a deviation in the descent of the flight of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane that carried British billionaire Richard Branson to the edge of space on July 11....

This is an outdated render; the Leo will use just 16 vertical lift fans of higher diameter, with banks of three in the front and five in the rear. A separate system pushes it forward from the rearUrban eVTOL VIEW 8 IMAGES An electric propulsion specialist and a supercar designer have partnered up on an eye-catching three-seat eVTOL, claiming 250-mph (400 km/h) top speeds and extraordinary 300-mile (483-km) range figures, as well as some extreme flight dynamics and some nifty ideas. Pete Bitar has been working on vertical propulsion systems for decades now. He's got a DARPA contract to develop...

Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected the country’s newly unveiled "Checkmate" warplane on Tuesday. The prototype of the Sukhoi fifth-generation stealth fighter was revealed at the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon, Reuters reported. The show opened Tuesday in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow. Fifth-generation refers to the jet’s stealth characteristics, a capability to cruise at supersonic speed as well as artificial intelligence to assist the pilots, among other advanced features. "What we saw in Zhukovsky today demonstrates that the Russian aviation has a big potential for development and our aircraft making industries continue to create new competitive aircraft designs," Putin said in...

Russia: Russia on Tuesday (Jul 20) unveiled its new Sukhoi stealth fighter jet designed to compete with the US F-35 and capable of striking six targets simultaneously. Dubbed "The Checkmate", the plane was first shown to a reportedly "pleased" President Vladimir Putin before the launch at a biennial airshow outside Moscow. Reports first surfaced that the jet was being manufactured in May last year. According to the launch video it was developed "in record time".

The biggest boondoggle in the history of the world will get even more expensive for U.S. taxpayers unless members of Congress finally decide enough is enough. When the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program launched in 2001, it was hailed as a “high-performance, low-cost stealth aircraft.” Now, $1.2 trillion later, it has proven to be anything but. Despite being the most expensive military program by any country ever, F-35 fighter jets have proven defective, dangerous and largely a useless waste of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. And Congress’ nonpartisan watchdog agency agrees. Last week, the Government Accountability Office released a recommendation to...

UK media on Friday revealed another major military close encounter with a Russian vessel following the June 23 Black Sea warning shot incident – but this time in the Mediterranean where a Russian submarine was said to be “stalking” the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group in the waters. The Telegraph on Friday broke the following based on defense sources: A Russian submarine stalked the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) prompting a helicopter hunt for the vessel, The Telegraph can reveal. Merlin helicopters were scrambled to search for the Russian submarine when the group was passing through the eastern Mediterranean.HMS...

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The U.S. Air Force has released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic and fact sheet on the stealth bomber, which will be stationed first at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City. The rendering highlights the future stealth bomber with Edwards Air Force Base, California, as the backdrop. The Air Force said the 420th Flight Test Squadron based at Edwards AFB will plan, test, analyze and report on all flight and ground testing of the B-21 Raider before the bombers become active at Ellsworth. The Air Force said a B-21 maintenance depot will also be...

The pilots had reported engine trouble, the FAA said.Both pilots were rescued, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The plane was built in 1975, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24. It was not a Boeing 737 Max, the manufacturer’s newest model that was grounded after two crashes in 2018 and 2019.A Boeing 737 cargo plane made an emergency landing in the ocean near Honolulu early Friday after pilots reported engine trouble, the Federal Aviation Administration said.Both pilots were rescued from a debris field, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The FAA said Transair Flight 810 made the emergency landing at around 1:30 a.m....

The US Air Force (USAF) has carried out the flight test of a Skyborg autonomy core system (ACS) on board a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).Skyborg is focused on showcasing an open, modular ACS that can autonomously aviate, navigate, and communicate, and thereby, integrate other advanced capabilities.The two-hour thirty-minute flight test was conducted during the Orange Flag 21-2 Large Force Test Event at Edwards airforce base (AFB) in California.It was part of the Autonomous Attritable Aircraft Experimentation (AAAx) campaign line that aims to test and inform ACS development a sit furthers.The test flight comes just two...

Geneva (AP) —Swiss government agency has announced a proposal to purchase 30 advanced fighters from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. It defeated three rivals to sign more than CHF 15.5 billion ($ 16.75 billion) in 30 years. Seven Swiss executives, the Federal Council, told Congress on Wednesday 36 F-35A fighters from Lockheed Martin and five Patriot ground-based air defense system units from US contractor Raytheon for an additional $ 3.6 billion. Decided to advise to buy. Fran, over 30 years. In a statement, the Pentagon said the purchase was part of a multi-year fleet refurbishment called “Air 2030” by the Swiss...

United Airlines officials announced a commercial agreement with Denver-based aerospace company Boom Supersonic to add aircraft to its global fleet as well as a cooperative sustainability initiative – a move that facilitates a leap forward in returning supersonic speeds to aviation. Under the terms of the agreement, United will purchase 15 of Boom’s Overture airliners, once the aircraft meets United’s safety, operating, and sustainability requirements, with an option for an additional 35 aircraft. The companies will work together on meeting those requirements before delivery. Once operational, Overture is expected to be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon...

The carrier announced Thursday it’s buying 15 planes from Boom Supersonic with the option to purchase 35 more at some point. Boom’s first commercial supersonic jet, the Overture, has not been built or certified yet. It is targeting the start of passenger service in 2029 with a plane that could fly at Mach 1.7 and cut some flight times in half. That means a flight from New York to London that typically lasts seven hours would only take 3½ hours. Earlier this year, United took a stake in eVTOL start-up Archer Aviation while partnering with Mesa Airlines to order 200...