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Explore the latest news and features by our world-class aviation journalists. Stay up to date on the latest military aviation developments, commercial airline news, historic restoration projects, flight simulation releases and much more.
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Historic
Unique Lockheed F-80 ‘takes to the skies’
A CH-47F Chinook returned NF-80C Shooting Star 47-0171 to its Camp Dodge-Iowa Gold Star Military Museum home recently
From the cockpit – T-28 Fennec
Named Fennec – after a desert fox – by the French who used them in anger over Algeria, the T-28S was part trainer and part red-blooded warbird. Dave Unwin reflects on a memorable ‘sortie’ from Duxford
Historic Aviation Quiz: The X-15
With June 8, 2023 marking the 64th anniversary of the first unpowered flight of North American’s hypersonic X-15, we dedicate this week’s historic aviation quiz to the X-Plane that “bounced off the atmosphere” while being flown by one of the legends of mankind…
How to keep an English Electric Canberra
In early 2022 it was announced that Canberra PR.9 XH135 was up for disposal. Ex-PR.9 navigator Ken Delve explains his interest… and how he went on to acquire the aircraft
The Fighter Collection's Gladiator back in the air
Inter-war fighter flies again at Duxford for first time since 2017
Military
US Navy orders more CH-53Ks for USMC and Israel
The US Navy has awarded Sikorsky a $2.7bn contract to build and deliver 35 additional CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopters – comprising 12 Lot 7 and 15 Lot 8 aircraft for the USMC, along with a further eight examples for Israel (adding to the four announced in 2022)
Sierra Nevada to bid for USAF ‘Doomsday Plane’ replacement
Sierra Nevada Corporation is bidding for the USAF’s $8bn Survivable Airborne Operations Center programme – the replacement for the USAF’s ageing fleet of E-4B ‘Nightwatch’ National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, otherwise known as the air arm’s so-called ‘Doomsday Plane’
Commercial
12 mind-blowing animal-inspired aircraft innovations
From shark skin-like fuselage coatings to bat-inspired wings, Tom Batchelor examines some of the latest amazing concepts which could transform how we take to the skies
CPK – an ambitious Polish mobility project
By 2028 this new airport in the centre of Central and Eastern Europe is expected to have an annual capacity of 40 million passengers. Mikołaj Wild, president of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, will discuss the project’s progress at Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam.
Airline cabin crew: your step-by-step career guide
Practicality, personality and perseverance are key attributes for those wishing to join an airline as a flight attendant
Two Virgin Atlantic aircraft go tech stranding passengers for 30+ hours
A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner was forced to divert into Barcelona yesterday (March 8) after suffering an engine malfunction, but this was just the start of a long nightmare for the passengers onboard.
Flight Simulation
Air Combat Simulation – Part 2
In this instalment of our series on air combat simulation, we look at a couple of important topics we need to address before discussing the 'mechanics' of aerial combat. The first is the software you will use to study the subject, while the second covers the hardware, such as the joystick, rudder pedals, throttles and head-tracking.
Daytona Beach for MSFS released
Scenery developers BMWorld and AmSim have teamed up to release KDAB Daytona Beach International Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Wired2Fire’sSim X Valkyrie PC review
We review Wired2Fire’s Sim X Valkyrie PC, quoted as being: “A purebred flight simulation monster from our in-house testing team, it’s the fastest PC in the world for flight sim.”