Unmanned flight record is set for Zephyr. It flew for 82 hours and 37 minutes from the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
The previous record for an unmanned flight was 30 hours and 24 minutes. A Northrop Grumman Global Hawk set that record in 2001.
Launched by hand, Zephyr is an ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre aircraft. By day it flies on solar power generated by amorphous silicon solar arrays no thicker than sheets of paper that cover the aircraft’s wings. By night it is powered by rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries, supplied by SION Power Inc, which are recharged during the day using …read more

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — June 25, 2008 — Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) certification for the Eclipse 500. With this certification, the Eclipse 500 can now operate in conditions in which ice is known to be present.

Looks like Piper is jumping onto the Personal Jet bandwagon with the newly introduced Piper Jet (known as the PiperJet). The single engine turbofan will be capable of reaching speeds of 360 knots and altitudes of about 35,000 feet. You and five of your friends will be able to fit in the cabin (or six of your friends if you don’t want a toilet). The PiperJet will transport you about 1,300 miles and can store about 800 pounds of fuel.
Blockquote>”The PiperJet breaks the mold in offering an unparalleled blend of performance and luxury,” said Piper President & CEO James K. …read more

Eclipse Aviation announced this week that the Eclipse 500 should receive FAA certification by the end of the quarter. They also expect EASA certification by the end of the year.
“It’s amazing to see the Eclipse 500 excitement build as we near certification and first customer deliveries,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “Certification testing is progressing exceptionally well, and the Eclipse 500 is proving out the robust design, reliability and performance that it was built to deliver.”

The Eclipse 500 has seen 1,700 hours of flight testing, 700 of those in the past month.

Diamond has completed their first test flight of the Diamond D-Jet and have continued with more tests following the successful first flight. The first flight was Tuesday and lasted just over one hour.
During that time the Diamond D-Jet climbed to 12,000 feet and performed several engine and systems operational tests.
“We are absolutely delighted with this flight”, said Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft, who flew the chase aircraft.“The test flight went exactly as planned. What more could you ask for? Our crew did a fabulous job and we are very grateful for the support received from Williams, Garmin, Parker, Argotech …read more

Cirrus, manufacturer of the current best selling single engine aircraft officially announced they are planning a jet aircraft… but they said it will not be a VLJ as everyone has anticipated.
Instead, they are planning a “personal jet” that may even be powered by a single engine. Cirrus believes this jet will bridge the gap between high performance piston aircraft and VLJs.
Dale Klapmeier, executive vice president and co-founder emphasized CIRRUS’ idea of a personal jet will be an airplane designed around the pilot. “Easy for the pilot to fly, easy to operate in all environments, and just like the …read more

N505EA, the fourth out of five test aircraft in Eclipse Aviation’s test fleet landed gear-up after a test flight in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The cause of the accident and the extent of damages are not yet known.
Eclipse Aviation is flying their five test aircraft nearly nonstop in an effort to receive FAA certification as soon as possible. The Eclipse 500 VLJ (Very Light Jet) currently has over 2,200 orders and cost $1.3 million. FAA Certification is expected in early 2006.