The Plane with a Parachute

The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS™), standard equipment on every Cirrus aircraft, is indicative of the visionary commitment to general aviation safety. The parachute system is designed to protect pilots/passengers in the event of an emergency by lowering the aircraft to the ground after deployment. CAPS™ revolutionized general aviation safety by providing an additional measure of safety to occupants, similar in theory to the role of airbags in automobiles. No other certified general aviation aircraft manufacturer in the world provides this safety feature as standard equipment.

In the event of an in-flight emergency, pulling the red CAPS™ handle on the ceiling inside the cockpit deploys a solid-fuel rocket out a hatch that covers the concealed compartment where the parachute is stored. As the rocket carries the parachute rearward from the back of the airplane, the embedded CAPS™ airplane harness straps release from the fuselage. Within seconds, the 55' diameter canopy will unfurl, controlling the aircraft rate of descent. The final landing is absorbed by the specialized landing gear, a roll cage and Cirrus Energy Absorbing Technology (CEAT™) seats.

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Virgin Galactic - Not Immune to Failure

This is of course is understandable given that they are designing a completely new system for space exploration. The left main landing gear on Virgin Galactic's space tourism jet collapsed as it landed after a test flight in the Mojave Desert Thursday, federal aviation authorities said. No injuries were reported. Two Federal Aviation Administration inspectors were on the scene to examine WhiteKnightTwo, a four-engine jet that will serve as the mothership for Virgin's passenger-carrying spaceship Virgin Galactica. No one was hurt, they plan to study it, gather all the data and details, and press on.

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ICON Aircraft -The Sport Flying Revolution

A revolution is occuring in aviation. The development is a collaboration between an F-16 pilot and a banker turned skateboard designer. The team at GP enjoys a healthy dose of vehicular obsession, be it by land, sea or air. This will be the first time the public will be able to experience the A5 amphibian model in person, and even more importantly – place their own orders in person. The ICON is a 2 seat, sport amphibious light sport aircraft that will carry two passengers up to 300 nautical miles at 120 mph powered by its 100 horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine. The A5 will make aviation more accessible and affordable than ever before – not to mention an absolute blast. A Sport Pilot license (the category of license required to fly the A5) requires just 20 hours of in-flight training. Even more interesting is the fact that the ICON A5 has a folding wing setup allowing you to trailer the aircraft. The A5 will take off and land in either water or tarmac with its retractable landing gear. Inside you’ll be encompassed in it’s sports-car like cockpit complete with GPS, stereo, high visibility wrap-around canopy, and LCD multifunction display. The ICON A5 is no dangerous luxury toy, the A5 also has a complete airplane parachute in addition to an arsenal of safety features. The company has announced that customer deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2011, with an estimated base price of $139,000.

155 dead in India plane crash

India conveyed its condolences to Pakistan over the plane crash near Islamabad that killed all 155 people on board. In a message to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, external affairs minister S.M. Krishna "conveyed deep condolences on behalf of the people and government of India to the people and government of Pakistan, especially to the bereaved families", the external affairs ministry said in a statement. All 155 people on board were confirmed dead when an aircraft of a private airline crashed on Wednesday morning amid heavy rain in the wooded Margalla Hills skirting the Pakistani capital. The Airblue flight 202, flying from Karachi to Islamabad, suddenly lost contact with the airport here and crashed near the popular Damanekoh resort in the Margalla Hills at about 9.45 a.m.

Gulfstream 650 -The fastest civil Jet

Boasting a top speed of 956 km per hour, the Gulfstream 650 will be the fastest civil jet in the world. The BR725 engines are manufactured by the well known Rolls Royce. It will be equipped with a full kitchen and bar and may be equipped with a variety of entertainment features including satellite phones and wireless Internet. To provide better usage of the internal volume, Gulfstream designers rejected the usual circular fuselage cross-section in favor of an oval which uses a flatter lower portion. The aircraft uses a very thin wing design to help the G650 maximize its speed. The same design is used for the Boeing787. To prevent dehydration the height of the cabin was reduced. Passengers won’t have to face ear problems during landings and takeoffs.

Question: How much will this Jet cost us?

The G650 will cost around $60 million. The aircraft, which is to make its first flight in December, will complete the test and certification program for European and American authorities by the end of 2011. Customer deliveries will start as of January 2012.

Airbus merges with BMW

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus launched the twinjet interiors Expo for the A350 aircraft. The Interiors Expo in the 2006 exhibition in Hamburg featured luxurious interiors by BMW. Airbus has linked with BMW Designworks Group to design a new interior on the wide body A350. The ultra luxury cabin will boast high end luxury features such as projection into the ceiling to match whatever atmosphere is required by the passengers, views such as the night sky, mood lighting settings to transform from daytime to nighttime. In the entrance area there is a dome that will give passengers the feeling of spaciousness or openness. BMW has also put together some fine-looking seats and a generally swank interior for this A350, even in the cockpit. The A350 is currently being develpoped and is scheduled to enter into airline service in 2013. The launch customer for this aircraft will be Quatar Airways.

A closer look at the Cirrus Vision

Cirrus Vision SF50 -The Personal Jet of your Dreams

Cirrus Aircraft is known worldwide for its distinctive composite-bodied propeller airplanes. The Cirrus Vision is equipped with a Ballistic Recovery Systems parachute and will be made of a composite material. Cirrus began taking $100,000 deposits for the aircraft in 2006. Initially, as a public relations exercise, the company gave deposit holders a drawing of the aircraft in the form of a jigsaw puzzle, one piece at a time. On 28 June 2007, the entire puzzle was completed, and the aircraft's configuration was unveiled. The aircrafts maximum cruise speed is around 345 miles per hour and it can fly for 1770km with reserve fuel. The aircraft is quiet, equipped with the most modern sound suppression available. This mid sized jet is larger than single engine prop plane but smaller than Citation or Learjet. Its V-tail gives it a unique one of a kind look. This jet is also ideal for family outings as it was designed not just to be a typical business aircraft. As of June 2010 Cirrus reported that they had 431 orders for the aircraft. On December 27 2007 Cirrus Design secured a lease for a former Northwest Airlines hangar at Duluth International Airport, indicating that it will use the 189,000-square-foot building for construction of the Cirrus jet project. The Cirrus Vision SF50 will cost you somewhere around $1.7 million and is expected to be ready for delivery by 2013.

Spaceport America

A unique business requires a very special home and Virgin Galactic will have just that at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Governor Bill Richardson and Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic and the State of New Mexico announced that they had reached an historic agreement which would see the building of a state funded $200m spaceport on a 27 square mile area of land in the southern part of the New Mexico "the Land of Enchantment". Virgin Galactic will establish its headquarters and operate its space flights from Spaceport America, the world's first purpose built commercial spaceport which is now under construction. Spaceport America will provide cutting edge facilities and a wonderful location for fledgling astronauts to realize their dreams.

www.spaceportamerica.com