Model Airplanes

One of the odd aspects of modern air travel is that it’s not really getting any faster. Ever since British Airways retired its money-losing supersonic Concorde in 2003, airlines have generally stuck to top speeds of around 615 miles per hour. That’ll get you from New York to San Francisco in five or six hours, depending on the winds, but you can’t find a plane that will get you there significantly sooner.

We’ve largely learned to tolerate our slow, boring aircraft. But there’s a compelling case that we shouldn’t — that air travel should actually be much, much quicker.

Right now there are a host of energetic startups and NASA engineers working on sleek new supersonic jets that could fly twice as fast as today’s commercial planes, if not faster. These jets would be major upgrades on the noisy, fuel-squandering Concordes of old, and they could be ready within the decade.

When you talk to people working on these super-fast planes, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement. Take Blake Scholl, the CEO of Boom, a startup that’s working with Virgin Galactic to put a new supersonic business jet into service by the early 2020s. He envisions a day when anyone could cross the Pacific or Atlantic in just a few short hours. “It changes how you think about the world,” he tells me.

“In aerospace, there are two great passions,” Scholl says. “You either want to build rockets and go colonize Mars

Article source: http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/11/2/13409324/supersonic-flight-concorde

IRRRB staff members have asked the agency’s board to approve the loan to Albuquerque, N.M.-based ACC Manufacturing Inc., which makes composite parts for its parent company, One Aviation.

The board, which will meet Monday in Eveleth, also is being asked to approve another $293,000 to the Grand Rapids Economic Development Authority for improvements at the ACC site.

The money will buy an existing hangar at the airport to house about 20 employees of ACC, said state Rep. Tom Anzelc, DFL-Balsam Township, who is IRRRB board chairman.

The company eventually would relocate to a larger facility at the airport as part of a $9 million project.

One Aviation is the parent company producing the Eclipse jet and also hoping to produce the Kestrel turboprop aircraft. It’s headed by Alan Klapmeier, the former Duluth aviation executive who co-founded Cirrus Aircraft.

“We’re hoping this will be Phase One of a much larger project that will lead to the manufacture of the entire airplane in Grand Rapids,” Anzelc said.

The parts made in Grand Rapids would be used in the Eclipse jet, which is already in production in New Mexico, said Mark Phillips, IRRRB director. But Phillips agreed that the long-term goal is to see One Aviation build its Kestrel plant at Grand Rapids as well.

“This is a specific, standalone deal to supply the Eclipse,” Phillips said. “No one is hiding the fact we’d like to someday see them build the Kestrel on the Iron Range. But this project isn’t tied to

Article source: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/transportation/4136048-klapmeier-led-aviation-company-line-get-irrrb-loan

Gulfstream Aerospace this week is unveiling the first full production example of its new G500 large-cabin business jet, featuring an all-new cabin interior. The aircraft’s appearance here in Orlando for the NBAA show comes as the manufacturer prepares to begin the final certification phase of flight testing in early January en route to FAA and EASA approval in 2017, followed by service entry, ahead of schedule, later this year.

Also on display at the NBAA event is a new cabin mockup for the larger G600 model, which is expected to make its first flight, ahead of schedule, during the remaining weeks of 2016. With a high degree of commonality between the two new long-range jets, the G600 is expected to enter service in 2018.

The G500 featured on the NBAA static display became the fifth example (designated P1) of the new model to join the flight test program on August 5. Its role will be to validate the interior design of a production-grade cabin, focusing on the form, fit and function of fittings and furniture, as well as factors such as noise, comfort and passenger interface. Missions flown include cold and hot weather operations, as well as overnight flights, turbulence and durability testing.

Serial production of the G500 is now underway at Gulfstream’s expanded production facilities in Savannah, Georgia. A flight simulator for the new model is already in use at the FlightSafety International training facility in the same city.

Gulfstream’s very substantial

Article source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-10-31/g500-powers-towards-certification-g600-close-behind

One of the odd aspects of modern air travel is that it’s not really getting any faster. Ever since British Airways retired its money-losing supersonic Concorde in 2003, airlines have generally stuck to top speeds of around 615 miles per hour. That’ll get you from New York to San Francisco in five or six hours, depending on the winds, but you can’t find a plane that will get you there significantly sooner.

We’ve largely learned to tolerate our slow, boring aircraft. But there’s a compelling case that we shouldn’t — that air travel should actually be much, much quicker.

Right now there are a host of energetic startups and NASA engineers working on sleek new supersonic jets that could fly twice as fast as today’s commercial planes, if not faster. These jets would be major upgrades on the noisy, fuel-squandering Concordes of old, and they could be ready within the decade.

When you talk to people working on these super-fast planes, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement. Take Blake Scholl, the CEO of Boom, a startup that’s working with Virgin Galactic to put a new supersonic business jet into service by the early 2020s. He envisions a day when anyone could cross the Pacific or Atlantic in just a few short hours. “It changes how you think about the world,” he tells me.

“In aerospace, there are two great passions,” Scholl says. “You either want to build rockets and go colonize Mars

Article source: http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/11/2/13409324/supersonic-flight-concorde