Billions pour into Middle East aviation at growing showRECORD deals worth a reported $100 billion and huge expansion plans for Middle East aviation boosted the Dubai Airshow at the beginning of November.Airlines based in the Gulf ordered 140 aircraft worth a reported $40 billion during the show. On the opening day of the show, Emirates Airline announced it had signed a massive order for 93 commercial aircraft, including 78 from Airbus and 12 ... more

A SPECIAL protective tape to prevent Robinson rotor blades delaminating has now gained its FAA Supplementary Type Certificate (STC).Airwolf Aerospace has been awarded FAA STC SR02491CH to prevent permanently the leading-edge skin delamination.The main rotor blade skins begin to separate at the skin-to-spar bond line on the lower surface near the blade tip. It can occur when the bond line is exposed due to excessive erosion of the blade fini ... more

THE Queen's Helicopter Flight has chosen to replace its current Sikorsky S-76, now almost ten years old, with... another S-76, this time the very latest C++ model."The new S76C++, which will continue to provide the Royal Family with a helicopter travel service for official engagements, was chosen as most closely meeting the mission requirements, providing the best value and producing the lowest carbon footprint of the three short-liste ... more

SO you'd like a Javelin jet but don't the $3 million required and, anyway, it's at least three years away from delivery. Enter the Viperjet, a kitplane costing a fraction of the price - and it's available any day soon.The Viperjet is the dream of American brothers Scott and Dan Hanchette and resembles the Northrop T-38 jet trainer used by the US military. It's a two-seater, with a luxurious cockpit and glass panel, and can climb at 10,000 f ... more

Staggering fees levied on UK's small engineering companies SMALL aviation engineering companies are facing huge rises in fees paid to the CAA, according to one of LOOP's partner maintenance firms. The rises are so steep some firms may not stay in business.Maurice Colson, of Colson Aero Services, told LOOP, "I am seriously worried about the level of ever increasing charges. Increases usually introduced by stealth and without adequate cons ... more

TEN years after Cirrus certified its first aeroplane, the SR20, it has had a makeover - the 'G3' treatment. Central to the 200hp SR20-G3 is a new, larger wing, with a carbon-fibre main spar. The re-engineered wing has allowed an increase in the useful load, and extra features have now been incorporated. There are three models: the fully-loaded SR20-GTS from $366,900, SR20 from $276,690, and the VFR-only SRV from $214,900. The new models wil ... more