Monthly Archives: July 2018

Equator P2 Xcursion makes short hop ahead of planned trials on the water.

A startup aircraft company in Norway has completed a successful maiden flight with the first-ever electric amphibious aircraft, according to the firm, Equator Aircraft Norway.

The first “fully balanced” flight of the Equator P2 Xcursion prototype was flown by test pilot Eskil Amdal and observed on the ground by Equator employees, according to the company. The aircraft took off from Runway 22 at Norway’s Eggemoen Technology Park at 70 knots and flew down the runway at 100 knots at an altitude of about 30 feet before landing. Two more test flights were carried out the next day.

“It was a fantastic day for the team, and marks the real beginning of the test program for the aircraft prototype,” said designer and CEO Tomas Brødreskift in a statement. “We are now looking forward to gaining actual flight data, and not to mention look forward to putting the aircraft on the water as soon as possible. We are thrilled to see the aircraft perform as expected, and can’t wait to test the aircraft further.”

The P2 Xcursion is a prototype that has been in limited development since 2010. It has the ability to land both on land and water. It boasts better performance than other land planes due to its small electric motor, low float wings, and aerodynamics, according to Equator.

The current prototype can fly for approximately 35 minutes on a charge, with further development promising aircraft that can fly for at least an hour and 45 minutes. A hybrid configuration of the Xcursion will give it an endurance of five to six hours.

Source: Flying

The deal mirrors a similar move by Airbus with recent deal to take control of Bombardier’s CSeries program.

A mega deal that some wondered whether it would ever come to fruition is now a done deal. Boeing is taking control of Embraer’s commercial jetliner business, agreeing on Thursday to pay $3.8 billion for a larger slice of the global plane making pie that puts the world’s biggest plane makers on a collision course after rival Airbus inked a similar deal to take over Bombardier’s CSeries jet program.

Boeing said it will own an 80 percent stake in Embraer’s commercial airplane and services business. Embraer will retain the remaining 20 percent in the joint venture valued at $4.75 billion.

Boeing and Embraer have been working on the tie-up for months, but worries in Brazil about the partnership with the U.S. giant made it unclear whether a deal would be struck. Workers at Embraer plants in Brazil have protested over the deal recently.

Under the memorandum of understanding announced by both companies, management will be based in Brazil, but the venture will be controlled by Boeing, which is based in Chicago.

The companies also said that they would form another joint venture focused on “new markets and applications for defense products and services,” such as Embraer’s KC-390 military plane. Embraer executives said the Brazilian company would have a majority interest in the defense unit but that the details haven’t been worked out.

Boeing will pay Embraer $3.8 billion in the all cash sale. Embraer Executive Jets, maker of the Phenom, Legacy and Lineage lines of business jets, will remain a separate company.

The deal is expected to close by late 2019 pending regulatory approval. Embraer has the right to force Boeing to buy the remaining 20 percent of the joint venture at any time over the next decade.

Source: Flying