IPMS Column

IPMS has been a part of my life for the last thirty-two years.

Modeller's Notes

Special Hobby’s NF.12

Foreign Falco

Reggiane Re.2000 Export Birds

Locked down... but not out

2020 vision at SIG144

'STICK TO ME LIKE GLUE, AND KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN'

Bill Newton describes building 1/48 models of the real stars of the classic 1969 film ‘Battle of Britain’

And Finally… Call It A Spade

A Long overdue classic

Rare Rearwin

Made in tiny numbers by Piper and Aeronca standards, the beautifully-engineered Rearwin Skyranger proves to be a delight waiting to be discovered

Dr Hill's new helicopter

You’ve seen pictures of concept helicopters before, and most of them never rose from the paper… but this one has a better chance than most of flying in the real world. It’s the Hill HX50, and the designer describes it as a ‘disruptive’ entry into the small helicopter market, offering a step-change for the better in safety, performance, comfort and elegance.

Make mine a turbine!

To say aviation and turbines is a happy marriage is true−albeit mainly in the airline, business aircraft and helicopter world. Light aviation, especially the ultralight segment, remains essentially a turbine free field−apart from noble exceptions, in the form of single-engine jets and ‘experimentals’.

Industry experts say...

Representatives from a selection of Approved Training Organisations look forward to the future of Commercial Air Travel and prospects for professional pilots after the pandemic

Flight training

News from the clubs, schools & ATOs

First airline job

... won and lost after just eighteen months in the right-hand seat. Reflections on the rewards of the hardest work in a lifetime

Safety Matters

Safety Matters and Safety Briefs are based on the AAIB Bulletin and UK Airprox Board reports, with additional material from the US National Transportation Safety Board.

Donegal wins ‘most beautiful airport' - again!

Donegal in Ireland has been named as the ‘world’s most beautiful airport 2020’ – for the third successive year – in a major vote by more than six thousand ‘flying fans’. The award is given as part of the annual Scenic Airports poll conducted by private jet booking service PrivateFly.

Come to Sweden!

A French pilot retires to Sweden, where he enjoys great weather, blissful flights and barbecues – and invites British flyers visit this GA-friendly country

Hybrid-Electric ‘Hawaii Bird' Makes First Flight

Electric aviation company Ampaire flew its second technology demonstrator on 10 September. The aircraft is a refined version of its Cessna 337 ‘Electric EEL’ hybrid-electric power conversion.

THE FEW

The New Tool Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk.I ‘Spitfire Story, The Few’

VLR Mustang

Jonathan Kunac Tabinor builds Eduard’s latest P-51D

The Flying Tank

Rafal Łebioda builds the 1/72 Zvezda MI-24D.

F7F 3P Tigercat

1/32 HPH Models, by: Marek Hlusek

Building Shachak 59

Yoav Efrati Builds the Legendary IAF Mirage IIIC Shachak

US or EASA – which ‘biennial' is best?

Under the FAA BFR scheme, US pilots must pass a test every other year. Over here, you can stay current simply by flying the minumum number of hours, one with an instructor. As the CAA prepares to leave EASA, can it learn something from the FAA?

The youngest Dragon Lady

At nine she was a U2 and stratosphere expert, at sixteen she went solo and at seventeen she got her PPL. Ellie Carter shares her inspiring story with us, and offers some suggestions on how we can attract more young people to GA

Piper's '60s workhorse

It’s dependable, robust, and can take full fuel with all six seats occupied. A landmark of the golden era of GA, the Aztec is a surprisingly pleasant and easy aircraft to fly

SEP over London

Why we should not be doing it! The CAA has a gentle word in our shell-like ear

Latest Microsoft Flight Simulator launched with large GA fleet

After a lengthy wait, Microsoft launched in August its latest Flight Simulator (also known as FS2020), which features up to thirty different types of general aviation aircraft. The simulator, whose first version was released in 1982 (with the extremely simplified graphics available at the time) has been praised by game experts for the extremely high, photorealistic level of graphic rendering.

Flight training

News from the clubs, schools & ATOs

Celera 500L ‘most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world'

Otto Aviation announced at the end of August that the prototype of its Celera 500L has now logged more than thirty successful test flights. The company claims that the Celera is the most fuel-efficient, commercially viable passenger aircraft in the world. Other claims, such as a maximum cruise speed of 390kt, a range of over four thousand miles, and a fuel economy of twenty-five miles per gallon are equally impressive.

Airfields

What's happening at our airfields, aerodromes & airports

Virgin Galactic And Rolls-Royce Aiming For Mach 3

Virgin Galactic and its subsidiary The Spaceship Company announced last month that they plan to build a high-speed aircraft design, and have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in developing engine propulsion technology for high speed commercial aircraft.