Covers Retraction Of Tail And Prop Into Vehicle For Driving

Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Sky, has been granted his eighth design patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and international patent offices for the Switchblade flying car that he designed. This newest patent covers the design of the unique tail fold and retraction mechanism of the vehicle that both flies and drives.

Service Platform Collapses At Russia’s Only Crew-Capable Site

The successful launch of three crew members to the International Space Station on November 27 caused serious blast damage to the pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia’s only active site for crewed spaceflight missions. The launch was otherwise successful in transporting the two Roscosmos cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut safely to the station.

Latest Model Is The Twin-Engine Ultralight MultiCruiser

Hummel Aircraft has been building its all-metal light sport and ultralight aircraft since the early 1980s when James Morris “Morry” Hummel built and for his first aircraft, what became known as the Hummelbird. After a long career in aviation manufacturing and engineering, Morry’s innovations and the company’s technical advancements have provided kit-built aircraft for homebuilders and enthusiasts for over four decades.

Stationed In Albuquerque For Bombardier Training

The Lobo Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, based in Moriarty, New Mexico, is in the process of rebuilding a World War II-era Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan that was used to train bombardier students, and after thousands of those students flew her, the aircraft is being restored to its former glory.

Military Heritage Foundation Housed, Maintained ‘Island Doll’ Since 1980s

The World War II-era Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon “Island Doll” was recently ferried to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as a generous donation from the American Military Heritage Foundation. The Foundation had acquired the aircraft in the mid-1980s and housed and maintained it at the Indianapolis Regional Airport (KMQJ) in Greenfield, Indiana.

Lithium-Ion Batteries Targeting Gulfstream for the First Round of STC Approvals

True Blue Power and 101 Aviation are moving toward a series of STCs that would bring lithium-ion batteries to some of the most widely operated Part 25 business jets, starting with the Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV, and G550. The program centers on the 50-amp-hour True Blue Power TB50: a lightweight lithium-ion unit that cuts weight by roughly half compared to the nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries still common in long-range aircraft. Gulfstream approvals, expected by the first quarter of 2026, will be trailed by a Challenger lineup that spans the 601 through 650, plus several CRJ variants, with additional aircraft types queued through 2027.

Pilot’s Decision To Attempt Takeoff With Frost Covering The Airplane’s Wings

Analysis: The pilot of the light sport airplane was preparing to depart for a cross-country flight. A witness reported that when he arrived at the airport that morning, he saw the airplane on the parking ramp, not moored down, and the engine was running. As the airplane taxied through the ramp area, he saw that it was covered with frost. Soon after the witness had gone inside the airport office, he was notified from an airplane flying over the airport that an airplane had crashed on the runway. A photo of the accident site minutes after the accident revealed that the upper surfaces of the horizontal stabilizers were covered in frost.

Aero Linx: United Flying Octogenarians WELCOME to a most extraordinary group of aviators, the United Flying Octogenarians (UFO). Founded in 1982 with just a handful of pilots, we have grown to around 1,700 members worldwide, all of whom have acted as a certificated pilot in command (PIC) on or after their 80th birthday. We invite you to learn more about who we are. UFO exists to promote longevity, safety and, especially, fellowship among senior pilots. We represent the interests of senior pilots worldwide and aim to inspire youth to fly.  

Convective SIGMET A weather advisory concerning convective weather significant to the safety of all aircraft. Convective SIGMETs are issued for tornadoes, lines of thunderstorms, embedded thunderstorms of any intensity level, areas of thunderstorms greater than or equal to VIP level 4 with an area coverage of 4/10 (40%) or more, and hail 3/4 inch or greater. 

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