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Witnesses have described their horror at watching a plane 'fall out of the sky and explode' in Brazil on Friday - as experts scramble to make sense of what happened. Dramatic video showed the moment a Voepass Airlines plane came spiralling down over populated areas before crashing behind a cluster of trees, near homes. 'I almost believe the pilot tried to avoid a nearby neighbourhood, which is densely populated,' Daniel de Lima, a resident of Vinhedo near the crash site, told Reuters. All 61 people on board have been reported dead, though relatives are still waiting for confirmation of the...

The Model 437, which was built by Northrop Grumman's subsidiary Scaled Composites, looks like the concept art aside from one very glaring detail. The first images of Northrop Grumman’s Model 437, an advanced air combat drone that could potentially fill the requirement for the Air Force’s and/or Navy’s “loyal wingman” Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programs, as well as those of allies, have hit social media. The relatively small tactical jet looks impressive and is very much in line with the concept renderings we have seen of it, aside from one major detail — it has a cockpit. Yes, that’s right,...

The MiG-35, also known as the “Fulcrum-F,” is a modernized version of the MiG-29 designed as a “4++ generation” fighter. First flown in 2016 and entering service in 2019, it features upgrades like an AESA radar, reduced radar signature, improved engines, and the ability to serve as a refueling tanker. Despite these enhancements, the MiG-35 has struggled to find success, both domestically and internationally.

Air New Zealand has abandoned a 2030 goal to cut its carbon emissions, blaming difficulties securing more efficient planes and sustainable jet fuel.

Three members of the Nelons, a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet and the chairman of the board overseeing the Georgia Department of Corrections, were among seven people killed in a plane crash in Wyoming, according to a statement by a group member who was not aboard the aircraft. The Nelons co-founder, Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter, Amber Nelon Kistler died in the crash Friday afternoon, according to a statement from another daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman. She is the fourth member of the Georgia-based quartet. “Thank you for the prayers that have been extended...

The Su-75 is a single-seater with a Saturn AL-51F-1 engine that can push out Mach 1.8 with a range of 1,900 miles. However, many specs are unknown because this fighter may still be in development stage and is only appearing at air shows as a mockup. The first flight won’t happen until at least 2025. It is a light tactical fighter with five internal weapons bays for various unguided and guided munitions, hopefully, some of Russia’s best air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles. Russia believes it could someday employ a “loyal wingman” concept consisting of a tethering to an unmanned fighter or...

For centuries, humans have been fascinated by flight. In ancient China, kites few to investigate the weather. Inventors such as Leonardo da Vinci developed many ideas about flight, too. Gliders and balloons lifted humans into the sky, but none of the inventions gave a person control of where they flew. Before Powered Flight The physics of flight and propulsion play key roles in who became pioneers. George Cayley used aerodynamics while designing fixed-wing aircraft. His designs would later inspire Orville and Wilbur Wright. Since propulsion is one of the primary requirements to lift a human into the sky for flight,...

(GE Aerospace) A team of advanced propulsion researchers working at GE Aerospace’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, says it has successfully tested its new dual-mode hypersonic ramjet engine. After moving from design to testing in less than 11 months, the cutting-edge engine is expected to dramatically increase the thrust and range of hypersonic aerospace platforms, including missiles and aircraft, for military and commercial applications. “The rapid progression from design to testing underscores our commitment to driving innovation in hypersonic technologies,” said Amy Gowder, president and CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace, in a statement. “This milestone...

The Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered suborbital spaceplane has been cleared for unlimited-speed test flights at an altitude of up to 80,000 ft - Dawn Aerospace The Mk-II Aurora suborbital spaceplane took to the skies last year for its maiden flight with a rocket engine. Now Dawn Aerospace has been give the official nod from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority to undertake test flights at unlimited speeds. "This unlocks the next major performance milestone for the Mk-II vehicle, namely supersonic flight," said Stefan Powell, CEO of New Zealand's Dawn Aerospace. "To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first privately...

A Southwest Airlines jet that experienced “Dutch roll” while flying at 34,000 feet had undergone routine maintenance before being parked outside during a strong storm, after which pilots noticed unusual movements of the plane‘s rudder pedals. Following the incident in May, Southwest Boeing mechanics found “substantial” damage to the plane’s tail, where the rudder is located. However, the National Transportation Safety Board said it had not determined when the damage occurred. According to data from Flightradar24.com, the Boeing 737 Max was grounded for more than a month before resuming flights last week. “Dutch roll” is a swaying, rhythmic combination of...

Ryanair passengers have called their recent trip from Morocco to the U.K. a “flight from hell” after it was forced to land during a “mass brawl” before being canceled altogether. The London Stansted Airport-bound flight was forced to return to Agadir Al-Massira International Airport after less than 40 minutes in the air due to a fight erupting over seating assignments, the Sun reported. The altercation reportedly began when a man in his late 20s asked a woman traveling with her daughter if he could have her seat to be closer to his wife and children. When the woman declined, the...

The emergency door of Air China's CA2754 flight at Quzhou Airport after a passenger opened it, thinking it was the bathroom. ======================================================================================== A passenger opened an airplane's emergency door, thinking it was the restroom, causing an emergency slide to deploy and leading to the flight's cancellation at Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang on Thursday. The incident occurred at 8:45pm at Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang Province on Air China's CA2754 flight to Chengdu. It was the passenger's first time flying, police confirmed on Friday. A passenger told Chongqing Morning Post: "The flight was delayed from its 8:45pm departure due to air traffic...

A road-going helicopter that handles like a go-kart and drives at highway speeds - Pegasus ==================================================================== It drives at highway speeds, handles like a go-kart, transforms from drive to fly mode in three seconds, takes off vertically, and can fly for up to three hours on a hybrid powertrain. This remarkable road-going rotorcraft is now headed to the USA. Based in Melbourne, Australia – but clearly also with a presence in China – Pegasus is now moving its head office and production facilities to Las Vegas. The company says it's been working on its flying car design since 2009. Indeed,...

An open-secret American spy plane has broken cover after the US Air Force released photos of its Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA). Built by DZYNE, the semi-classified drone is now confirmed as deployed and active. The recent unrest in the Middle East, and especially in the Red Sea have been a proving ground for Western military technology, tactics, and policy. The MQ-9 Reapers used for long-range reconnaissance to guard against terrorist attacks on shipping, as well as other on other missions, have been invaluable. Unfortunately, one hard lesson is that the Reaper is vulnerable and at a cost of...

Chinese battery giant CATL says it's successfully flown a 4-ton plane using its ultra-high density "condensed batteries." It now expects to have an 8-ton electric aircraft with a range of 2,000 to 3,000 km (1,240-1,865 miles) operating in 3-4 years. Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited (CATL) is the current world leader in manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles, owning 37% of the entire market share. Nearly every major car manufacturer, from Ford to Tesla, is using CATL batteries. In April of 2023, CATL announced its "condensed battery" packing over twice the energy density of nearly anything else on the market at...

An aircraft mechanic who was contracted to repair Boeing planes has alleged he was labelled a "snitch" and then sacked for speaking up over safety concerns. Richard Cuevas claimed he witnessed substandard manufacturing and maintenance work on a crucial section of Boeing 787 aircraft. Boeing, which has been dogged by questions over whether its safety culture is rigorous enough, said the issues had been investigated and "did not present a safety concern". Lawyers representing Mr Cuevas alleged he reported critical issues that could create a serious public safety risk and has filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the...

Concept art of the new XRQ-73 (Credit: DARPA) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has revealed the official designation of a next-generation X-plane it currently has under development. The aircraft, now officially dubbed the XRQ-73, is part of DARPA’s Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program, which the agency defines as an X-prime program. SHEPARD program manager Steve Komadina said DARPA X-prime programs aim “to take emerging technologies and burn down system-level integration risks to quickly mature a new missionized long endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly.” By utilizing existing hybrid electric architecture and other related...

A Korean Air Boeing 737 Max 8 experienced a sudden emergency shortly after taking off from Incheon International Airport, plummeting 26,900 feet before making multiple erratic loops before stabilizing. The plane, which departed from Incheon International Airport at 4:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, suffered issues with its pressurization system while flying over South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju. According to data from Flight Radar, the plane began descending sharply, dropping nearly five miles in 15 minutes. Commercial jet airliners typically cruise at altitudes ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 feet. So, assuming the aircraft was flying at the upper...

In a bid to acquire a key supplier, Boeing has shifted how it plans to pay for the deal, according to two people familiar with the negotiations, a move that could help the plane maker preserve money as it addresses safety and quality problems. Boeing would use stock instead of cash to buy Spirit AeroSystems, said the two people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the deal. One added that Boeing would pay more than $4 billion for Spirit, which produces aviation parts, including the body of the Boeing 737 Max, the company’s most popular plane. One of...

An eight-year-old girl who was traveling with her parents on a SkyWest Airlines flight to Chicago died suddenly after becoming unresponsive. Despite “aggressive resuscitative efforts” by medical staff to save the girl’s life, she was pronounced dead upon landing. Sydney Weston was lying with her family from Joplin when she suffered a medical emergency, forcing the flight to reroute to Peoria, Illinois. Flight personnel began “rapidly rendering aid” to the girls, according to Peoria County Coroner’s Office. The plane made an emergency landing at General Wayne A Downing Peoria International Airport at 7.02am on Thursday. Medical staff began performing “life-saving...