The World of Aviation

EADS displayed a Diamond DA42 which has become the first aircraft powered solely by algae derived biofuels at the ILA Berlin Air Show last week. Tests on the aircraft, which is powered by Austro Engine AE300 engines, showed that the aircraft consumed 1.5 litres per hour less than when powered by Jet-A1 fuel while maintaining

The USAF has placed an order for eight C-27J tactical transports from Finmeccanica, bringing to 21 the total number of C-27Js ordered for the service. Under the previous Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) requirement for the USAF and US Army, as many as 108 C-27Js were to be acquired, but this has been reduced to a

A Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL variant of the JSF has exceeded the sound barrier for the first time. The milestone, achieved by development aircraft BF-02 on its 30th flight, saw the aircraft achieve Mach 1.07 at 30,000ft during a sortie from the US Navy’s test facility at Patuxent River near Washington DC. BF-02 is one

An F-35A static test aircraft has completed full-scale static testing five month ahead of schedule and with zero structural failures. The aircraft, dubbed AG-1, was used to test the structural integrity of the F-35A design and was taken to 150 per cent of its design limits or 13.5 Gs in 174 critical load condition scenarios.

Helicopter rescue operations provided by the Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad (SPRS), based at Sorrento, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, will cease during mid July because of a reduced number of call-outs, high running costs and the retirement of its chief pilot. SPRS management decided to cease helicopter operations and sell its Bell 206L LongRanger, VH-BLV, during

Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that the US FAA has approved the use of the FANS 1/A  datalink on its G450 aircraft, making it the first large cabin purpose built business jet to use FANS. The ability to use FANS 1/A applies to G450 aircraft equipped with the enhanced navigation package, which is available as part