Tag: aircraft

Archer, Korean Air Team to Develop Military Version of Midnight eVTOL

Aviation News Daily reports, “Archer Aviation and Korean Air have partnered to adapt Archer’s Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for military applications, anticipating strong interest from South Korea’s defense procurement agency. The collaboration seeks to convert the proven commercial airframe into a versatile platform for defense forces seeking rapid, low-emission tactical mobility.”
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)

Firefighting A400M Sees First Operational Deployment in France

Aviation International News reports, “France has become the first nation to deploy the firefighting capabilities of Airbus Defence and Space’s A400M tactical transport in a real-world setting. While tests of the modified aircraft were conducted earlier this year, the ongoing blazes in the southwest of the country prompted officials to rush one of the twinjets into firefighting service on July 25.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

FAA Clears Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 Demonstrator for Flight Tests

Aviation International News reports, “The FAA has cleared Heart Aerospace to start flight tests with the X-1 demonstrator for its planned ES-30 hybrid-electric regional airliner program. On Thursday, the start-up announced it has received a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category (SAC-EC), allowing it to start flights from Plattsburgh International Airport (KPBG) in New York immediately.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

NASA Turns Focus to Revolutionary Aircraft Concepts for Mid-Century

Aviation Week reports, “In 2010, U.S. industry completed a series of studies that set NASA’s aeronautics research agenda for the next two decades: hybrid wing bodies, truss-braced wings, hybrid-electric propulsion and high-rate composites. As industry prepares to select technologies for a next-generation single-aisle airliner to enter service in the mid-2030s, NASA has shifted its focus to the horizon to identify concepts and technologies for aircraft entering service in 2050 and beyond.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Solar Impulse 2, Famous for Around-the-World Flight, Crashes Into Gulf Waters

Aerotime reports, “Solar Impulse 2, the experimental solar-powered aircraft which became famous in 2016 after completing a global circumnavigation, has crashed into the sea off the coast of Mississippi on May 4, 2026.  The experimental aircraft was operating for Skydweller Aero, a company developing long-endurance, solar-powered platforms for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. This US-Spanish company acquired Solar Impulse 2 in 2019 and converted it to an unmanned aircraft for use in its own development programs.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

 

 

 Video

The Skydweller aircraft
(New Scientist; YouTube)

U.S. Air Force Extends A-10 Warthog Service Life to 2030

Reuters reports, “The U.S. Air Force secretary extended the life of the A-10 ‘Warthog’ attack plane until 2030, sparing the aging but beloved close air support aircraft that has played an important role in Iran from an earlier retirement deadline of 2026.”
Full Story (Reuters – Subscription Publication)

Japan Conducts First Flight of New EC-2 Electronic Attack Platform

Aviation News Daily reports, “Japan has officially commenced flight testing for its new EC-2 Stand-Off Jammer aircraft, a specialized electronic warfare platform designed to neutralize enemy sensors from a distance. The aircraft successfully completed its first flight on March 17, 2026, marking a critical milestone in the modernization of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s electronic combat capabilities.”
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)