Japan`s defence ministry has taken delivery of Kawasaki Heavy Industries` prototype XP-1 maritime patrol aircraft for a long-term programme of test and evaluation activities. Flown for the first time in 2007, the demonstrator has completed an initial 11-month phase of testing by its prime contractor, which expects to build 70 production P-1s to replace Japan`s KHI/Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions.  

Sikorsky X2 Demonstrator Sikorsky’s futuristic X2 high-speed helicopter technology demonstrator made its first flight today in Horseheads, N.Y., in the hands of chief test pilot Kevin L. Bredenbeck. The single-engined fly-by-wire aircraft features coaxial rotors and a pusher propeller that Sikorsky believes will revolutionize the helicopter world with cruise speeds of up to 250 kts, some 100 kts faster than current production helicopters.  

Angola Angosat Satellite The Angolan government has formalized a project to produce, launch and operate an Angolan satellite dubbed "Angosat". The project also includes the creation of human resources and relevant infrastructures. The Angolan government has approved the contracts for the building, placing in orbit and operation of the "Angosat" satellite signed between Angola`s Ministry of Postal and Telecommunication and the Russian consortium "Rosoboronexport".  

Business-jet Lineage 1000: Masterpiece of Comfort Embraer (Brazil) and Royal Jet, representing the Al Habtoor Group conglomerate from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have signed a contract to purchase one Lineage 1000 executive jet, which will be operated for private use. The Lineage 1000 offers an innovative cabin design with best-in-class materials and a wide variety of interior options.  

Airbus Military Transport Plane A400M At an elaborate unveiling ceremony in Spain, Airbus held a public viewing of the A400M, its multi-purpose military transport plane that it hopes will replace the aging workhorses of many militaries across the world. At the same time, however, the company announced the airplane still faces six-to-12 month delays in deliveries caused by problems encountered in engine production.  

Boeing 777 F World Largest Twin-Engine Freighter The first Boeing 777 Freighter plane has left the paint facility in Everett, Washington, marking another step towards the scheduled launch of the plane into service late this year. The 777 Freighter is an all-cargo version of the 777-200LR Worldliner. 

Embraer Phenom 300 Jet Brazilian Aircraft manufacturer Embraer has finished assembling its first Phenom 300 light-jet. The US$6.65 million plane expected to enter service in the second half of 2009 following a planned series of tests before its first flight.  

Suborbital Spaceship Lynx Californian based XCOR Aerospace has unveiled a two-seater suborbital spaceship the size of a small private plane that the company expects to have airborne in 2010. Named the Lynx, the spaceship will be capable of flying several times each day and give passengers a front-seat ride to the edge of space where they will experience zero gravity and see the curvature of the Earth. 

Gulfstream Introduces G650 Business Jet Gulfstream Aerospace has announced its new flagship business jet - the G650. Propelled by the new Rolls-Royce BR725 engine, the aerodynamically advanced G650 can climb above air traffic congestion and bad weather to an altitude of 51,000 feet and has a range of 7,000 nautical miles at speeds of 0.85 Mach, with a maximum operating speed of 0.925 Mach - fast enough to claim the title of the fastest civil aircraft flying. 

Embraer to deliver its commercial jets for Finnair Embraer (Brazil) has signed Finnair to a new firm order for EMBRAER 190s configured with 100 seats. The total value of the agreement is US$ 112.5 million. The first delivery is scheduled for 2010. The E-Jets continue to form a key part of Finnair’s fleet, enabling them to meet route demand and offer optimum flexibility and comfort.  

Airbus First GTL Powered Flight The Airbus A380 has become the first commercial aircraft to complete a flight using liquid fuel processed from gas. GTL involves converting natural gas, which emits the least carbon of all the fossil fuels, to a liquid fuel oil, which can be used as a fuel substitute, or mixed with regular fuel. Greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% in the EU from 1990 to 2006, causing companies like Airbus, an EADS subsidiary, to research greener alternatives. 

Bombardier Aerospace Learjet 85 The next-generation Learjet 85 will be the first Bombardier Aerospace jet to feature an all-composite structure as well as the first all-composite structure business jet designed for type certification under FAR Part 25. Bombardier sees the choice of a composite structure as providing several advantages including exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, less susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue than aluminum (meaning reduced maintenance and extended service life), superior aerodynamics courtesy of the smooth, rivetless carbon fiber exterior surfaces and allowing for a cabin design that`s taller, wider and larger than any other Learjet yet produced. 

Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo The era of private space travel is another step closer to reality with Virgin Galactic (Great Britain) revealing designs for the craft set to become the flagship of the world`s first spaceline. Virgin Galactic`s spaceliners will be specially-outfitted SpaceShipTwo vehicles. The new spacecraft, designed specifically for space tourism, will be three times the size of Rutan`s SpaceShipOne. 

Bombardier 415 to combat forest fires Bombardier Aerospace (Canada) has received an order from the Government of Spain for two Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft. The contract is valued at approximately $60 million US and includes technical support, training, one Flight Training Device (FTD) and additional equipment for the current fleet. Delivery of the aircraft will begin in 2008.  

Boeing P-8A Poseidon Boeing (USA) has started production on its P-8A Poseidon fuselage, the anti-submarine test plane that will replace the P-3 Orion. The P-8A fuselage sections will be built using the standard processes, which in the end means lower costs and shorter flow-times. Boeing`s industry team is currently performing the program`s System Development and Demonstration phase, which includes building five test vehicles: three flight-test and two ground-test aircraft. 

Embraer to demonstrate a new Phenom 100 mock-up Embraer (Brazil) has demonstrated its new Phenom 100 very light jet. The company displays a full-scale mock-up of the aircraft in the Riana Taxi Aereo hangar. Nearly 700 jets from the Phenom family were sold in over 40 countries. In Brazil, sales have also been remarkably successful, because the jet meets the needs and expectations of this market.  

New CRJ700 NextGen Regional Jets Bombardier Aerospace announced today that GoJet Airlines of St. Louis, Missouri has signed a contract to acquire four Bombardier CRJ700 NextGen airliners. The value of the firm order, based on the list price for the CRJ700 NextGen aircraft, is approximately $137.5 million U.S. 

The world`s biggest jetliner is getting bigger. French Airbus has announced that it plans to build a 900-seat version of its A380 super-jumbo jet. Emirates, the aircraft`s biggest customer, said it would buy the new model. Airbus will begin developing a "stretch" A380 after the standard plane reaches full production in 2010.  

Legacy 600 Executive Jet Embraer (Brazil) will deliver one Legacy 600 executive jet to the Dubai-based trading company Platinum Corporation in August 2008. It will be used to carry executives between the UAE and the company’s bases abroad.  

Airbus A-380: The Largest Airliner in the World The world`s biggest jumbo jet landed safely in Sydney on the 25th of October, completing its long-delayed first commercial flight from Singapore. The double-decker A380 landing was watched by hundreds of airport staff and aviation enthusiasts. 

Falcon 2000DX has exceptional airport performance Dassault Falcon (France) has received approval from both FAA and EASA on its new Falcon 2000DX. The Falcon 2000DX will replace Dassault`s original Falcon 2000 introduced in 1989. The first Falcon 2000DX is already in the completion flow at Dassault`s Completion Center and will enter service in early 2008.  

Pilot’s Dream Aero Toy Store of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has placed firm orders for two Bombardier Learjet 60 XR aircraft (Canada), and a Global Express XRS jet. The Learjet 60 XR aircraft is poised to set new standards in performance, comfort, value and versatility in the worldwide midsize jet market. The aircraft’s higher operating altitudes – certified to 15,545 m – translate to time savings due to better winds and less turbulence. With a high cruise speed of Mach 0.81 (863 km/h), the Learjet 60 XR jet is one of the fastest aircraft in its category.  

Swedish fighters mark the new epoch. Sweden has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. The JAS-39 Gripen (Griffon) is built as one of the world`s first 4+ generation fighters. It remains the only 4+ generation entry in the lightweight fighter type, its performance and operational economics are both world-class.  

Russia’s Aviation Hope Sukhoi Superjet-100 The Sukhoi Superjet-100 plane is to replace the outdated Tu-134 and Tu-154 planes on Russian short and medium-range routes and enter the world market. The airliner was wheeled out of the shops of the plant where the jet will be assembled. It was a presentation of the first readymade aircraft before flight tests. The tests will be carried out in two-three weeks.  

Glorious Victory with Unmanned Air Vehicle The ?124m Taranis unmanned air vehicle (UAV) technology demonstrator programme led by BAE Systems has moved closer to reality. The release of the design models represents a transition from the design phase into the detailed design and manufacturing phase of the programme.  

Japan launched its first lunar probe Japan has launched its first lunar probe today, the latest move in a new race to explore the moon, with China, India and the United States also planning lunar missions.  

Aeroflot-Cargo Updates Its Fleet The Boeing Company has announced that it is converting two MD-11 passenger airplanes into freighters for Aeroflot-Cargo.  

Boeing To Supply Airplane Health Management System To Virgin Atlantic Boeing and Virgin Atlantic Airways said recently that the airline will use Boeing`s Airplane Health Management system to monitor the in-flight condition of its 747-400 fleet.  

When will Dreamliner take off? First flight of The Boeing Co.`s 787 Dreamliner has slipped into October. The further push-back of the first flight from the end of September is mainly a result of the complexity of installing and integrating various systems on the 787. In particular, it is going to take more time than expected to get the critical flight-control systems and software up and running on the plane and "talking" with the other systems. 

SkyCatcher reports increased orders Cessna Aircraft Company has announced recently that orders for its new SkyCatcher light sport aircraft have topped 400 in the first two days of the Experimental Aircraft Association annual meeting, AirVenture 2007.  

Phoenix will look for life on Mars NASA has launched Phoenix probe to its 10-month journey to Mars, where the machine will be searching for signs of life under the surface of the planet. Phoenix was launched from spaceport on Cape of Canaveral, Fla. at 5-26 a.m. on Delta II booster. 

Raptors to protect American sky Lockheed Martin has received an additional $5 billion from the U.S. Air Force for three lots of F-22 Raptor air dominance fighters. This brings the total multi-year contract value to $7.3 billion and extends the production of the aircraft through the year 2011.  

Boeings to pack Indian sky American aircraft major Boeing has raised its projection for India`s aeroplane requirement, saying the country would need 911 new aircraft worth over $86 billion over the next two decades. 

Phyre Technologies Inc to prevent explosions Phyre Technologies Inc has successfully tested a system designed to prevent fuel tank explosions such as that on Trans World Airlines Flight 800, which broke up over the Atlantic Ocean 11 years ago. 

New Century to serve Boeing and Airbus New Century will supply the machining equipment to manufacture large components of the General Electric and Rolls Royce engines slated for use on the new Boeing 787 Airbus A380 and A350 aircrafts.  

Mirage is going to change French Thales is in the process of finalizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., India"s largest government defense manufacturer, for upgrade of 51 Mirage 2000s in India. 

Falcon 7X: supersonic wings of France The first display of Dassault"s long-range business jet, the Falcon 7X, took place in February 2005 at Dassault"s Bordeaux Merignac aerospace production centre. 

Kawasaki rushes into the sky Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. is looking at entering the commercial air cargo plane business and may begin sales from around 2012, the Japanese media reported last week. 

German-Israeli spy plane German defense company Rheinmetall with the help of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will develop new scout-attack system, based on a couple of air drones. The companies signed the related agreement at le Burge aeroshow in front of DOF officials of both countries. 

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner: Dreams Come True In July the Boeing Co. will present its new passenger jet: the 787 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner is considered to be the most technically advanced and hottest-selling commercial jet although it has not flown yet.  

Dassault chooses Rolls-Royce to power new Falcon French aircraft manufacturer Dassault selected Rolls-Royce to provide the engines for a new "super mid-size business jet" that the French manufacturer plans to build.  

A new name at Paris Air Show: Hawker Beechcraft Corp. At Paris Air Show 2007, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. is exhibiting several business aircraft, including three jets–a Hawker 4000, a Hawker 850XP and a Beechcraft Premier IA–and a Beechcraft King Air 350ER turboprop.