TWICE THE SPEEDSikorsky close to flying X2 demonstrator SIKORSKY has started testing a new breed of helicopter which uses two sets of rotor blades and a pusher propeller.The technology has been dubbed X2 and is expected to help helicopters fly twice as fast. By using two sets of contra-rotating blades (called a coaxial design) and a pusher propeller, Sikorsky believes it can reach 250kt. Ground tests on an X2 prototype using a LHTEC T800 en ... more

IT'S SECOND time lucky for Brits Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill in their attempt to fly a helicopter - a cherry red Bell 407 - to fly to both the South and North Poles.They successfully landed at the North Pole on 20 April, after previously flying to the South Pole in January, and have now made it back to the starting point, Fort Worth, Texas. Three years ago the pair crashed en route to the South Pole and were badly injured - but both we ... more

IT'S SECOND time lucky for Brits Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill in their attempt to fly a helicopter - a cherry red Bell 407 - to fly to both the South and North Poles.They successfully landed at the North Pole on 20 April, after previously flying to the South Pole in January, and have now made it back to the starting point, Fort Worth, Texas. Three years ago the pair crashed en route to the South Pole and were badly injured - but both ... more

Blind microlight pilot Miles Hilton-Barber, 58, has completed his flight from the UK to Australia. He took off from Biggin Hill Airport south of London on 7 March and landed at Sydney's Bankstown Airport on 30 April. The epic 59-day, 13,500 mile journey was made in support of the charity Seeing is Believing which works to prevent blindness in developing countries. Miles lost his sight to a hereditary condition about 20 years ago and he ... more

More exhibitors, more visitors and, most importantly, more deals! Where? The European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), Geneva, 22-24 MayFALCON 7X CERTIFIED  THE big story at EBACE was the recent joint European and US type certification awarded to Dassault for its 'fly by wire' Falcon 7X tri-jet."Certification is a new chapter in the life of every airplane," said Charles Edelstenne, boss of Dassault Aviatio ... more

THE attempt to have a Vulcan bomber flying for the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War appear to have just missed their target.Engineers have been working flat-out to solve the last remaining issues on the Vulcan, service number XH558, which is being worked on at Bruntingthorpe airfield."It was our hope that restoration work would have been concluded in time to enable XH558 to participate in the Falklands commemorative events,' said ... more

KEMBLE is organising a campaign to fight the threatened closure of the airfield.Noise complaints have forced the local authority to issue a writ to close the airfield in January 2008. It says the original 1938 planning permission for the ex-RAF airfield says it will be used for 'flights for the purpose of storage and maintenance'. However, the airfield owners have a letter from the same authority in 2001 saying that planning permission is n ... more

WILL the exciting Evektor Cobra ever go into production? The Czech manufacturer has made prototypes of both its intended versions, the 200hp VUT 100-120i and the 315hp VUT 100-131i, but is now searching for a strategic or financial partner.Evektor says, "By end of 2006 the single-engine Cobra had completed all development tests including an extensive flight testing programme and airplane strength tests. "Evektor has also completed ... more

A LOUSY weather forecast for the first LOOP Beginners Day of the season on 19 May at Bodmin didn't bode well, and on the Friday afternoon we hear aircraft are stuck at Compton Abbas and Bournemouth in poor weather. But no, this is Cornish weather. By early evening it cleared to a lovely evening and Simon Janvrin flew in the T76.By Saturday morning, we can see the sun. There are five pilots waiting to fly and a DR400 is on its way from Bourn ... more

Tom Cassells takes his CAP 232 to top of the Unlimited THE top three pilot's classes from the British Aerobatic Association struggled with the weather at Elvington over the 11-12 May weekend.Most flying was completed on the Saturday when the BBMF also made a triple fly-by for the benefit of York Aviation Museum's crowds. Intermediate pilots had time only for one sequence from which Simon Johnson's Pitts emerged the clear winner of the Ro ... more

LEICESTER CLASSIC AEROS 26 MAYYes, you can win an aeros event in a Cessna 152!THE Classic Aircraft aerobatic event is a chance for aircraft that might not be able to compete at the higher levels of aerobatics. A select foursome made up the field.Each pilot was appointed an experienced 'mentor' to fill-in any knowledge gaps and iron out nerves. First-up Paul Jones in his Bulldog followed Corinne Dennis's best advice by flying a respectable s ... more

WORLD circumnavigator Manuel Queiroz, who flew solo around the world in just 39 days in a single-engine aeroplane last year, has won the Royal Aero Club's Britannia Trophy, one of the world's greatest aviation awards.Manuel has joined a distinguished list of aviators who have previously won this trophy including Sir John Alcock, the first person to fly non-stop across the Atlantic in 1919, Sir Alan Cobham, pioneer of long-distance flying, A ... more

Besenyei v Bonhomme in spectacular wild west US racePETER Besenyei edged past Britain's Paul Bonhomme in a sensational showdown in the US round of the Red Bull Air Race Series on 12 May.Three weeks later, on the other side of the world in Istanbul, Turkey, Bonhomme was again in the final - this time against American Mike Mangold, winner of the 2005 Red Bull Championship.Bonhomme still leads the Series going into the next round, due to be he ... more