If you’ve ever wanted a helicopter but saw it as a pipe dream akin to wanting to be a fireman as a kid, then have we got something to show you. Aviation company Yuneec have released their Electric Sport Airplane. All of the fun of a helicopter but without any of the hassle! No carbon emissions, no outright danger. The Yuneec ESA E430 hopes to be mass released by 2011. The company is currently cranking them out in China. The plane holds two passengers, and only costs $2 per hour of flight fuelwise. Not bad. The nifty air gadget costs around $89,000. Oh, and, buy me one.
Ah. The bright blue nostalgia of the Cold War. Hiding under tables during school. Sylvester Stallone blowing up tons of stuff. Good times. Let’s relive them! How? Well, by purchasing a Cold War era jet of course. These bad boys are revamped, so fly like a dream and will take out the commie bastards you want. These $5 million Russian Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker jets have a top speed of Mach 1.8. It also has a thrust ratio greater than 1:1. That means you can increase speed even if you are flying straight up. Great for bone-chilling and violent maneuvers! These revamped jets also feature some modern accouterments, including GPS and a training program for newbies. At a cost of just $5 million each, they are the perfect gift for any Cold War obsessive. Win one for the gipper!
Tired of flying the old fashioned way? Wishing your favorite airliner had more in common with a cruise ship than an airplane? Airbus has just the ticket. Their new flagship(flagplane?) the Airbus A-380 is quite a site to behold. The French company’s latest model features jet bridges that carry you to your cabins, fold-out coach seats that are more couch than seat, comfy socks, sleep masks, massage machines, touchscreen monitors and even a full featured bar. This way going to visit grandma is more of a treat than a hassle. The A-380 is in service now. Of course, your grandma will have to live in Europe. Aint that the way it always goes.
Luxury product manufacturer Hermes has teamed up with Eurocopter to create, you guessed it, a high-end helicopter. You may be thinking “Aren’t helicopters luxurious already?” You’d be right, but isn’t there always room for improvement? Why settle for a simple weather copter when you could ride in style with this beauty? The EC135 features a large cabin that seats five people, a pilot and a good amount of luggage and necessities. The entire production is pure Hermes, featuring a beautiful interior an the charmingly designed exterior shown above. The price? Only about $4 million. Flight enthusiasts should get on this. Christmas is coming.
This is for you would-be aviators out there. Bear Aircraft LLC has finally released their hotly anticipated all metal, high-performance, 360 HP radial M-14P powered, tandem seating, Warbird styled, Bear 360 aircraft. You read that right. Warbird styled. That’s cool. The plane was co-designed by prestigious Russian aircraft designer Sergey Yakovlev and American combat fighter pilot and world champion air racer Skip Holm. Look at that! Americans and Russians working together. The cold war really is over. The Bear 360 cruises at 288 mph for up to 1,000 miles and holds two passengers plus their luggage. It’s time to learn how to fly, folks.
Times are tough for us all. Donald Trump is selling his flashy Boeing 727-100 Executive aircraft. The jet recently has recently shown up on controller.com, a site devoted to plane sales. This jet has some interesting quirks. It’s designed to be your standard 134 seat passenger plane, but Trump had it renovated so it only seats 24. That’s a lot of leg room. Also, for those Trump obsessives out there, there is a giant “Trump” painted on each side. Your friends will have to believe you.
The plane has been in the air since 1968, having first been operated by American Airlines. Being as it’s been around 40 years, it has a lot of mileage but Trump indicates it has seen the best of care. We are inclined to agree. After all, Trump takes wonderful care of his hairpieces. Ooh, snap!
Rockwell Collins has always been an innovator regarding in-flight entertainment, so this announcement comes as no surprise. The company has developed a system that will allow customers to access their iPods and similar devices via digital output devices located near every seat. Customers can listen to music and watch movies on a real screen instead of the small ones provided by the iPods. The digital outputs also function as a charger. Pretty cool. This new integration is available on Rockwell Collins’ Digital Total Entertainment System (dTES) and Enhanced Total Entertainment System (eTES) for twin aisle aircraft.
Tommy Dodson, vice president and general manager of Cabin Systems for Rockwell Collins, said…
Our solution complements our dTES, and eTES systems by allowing passengers to take advantage of the systems’ superior display and audio capabilities, while allowing them to truly personalize their entertainment experiences while they fly.
The Boeing Business Jet dubbed BBJ is a multipurpose plane. It can go from a luxury business airliner to a full out transport plane in less then 8 hours. Clientele like heads of state, corporations and private, uber-rich individuals who want to quickly change from transporting VIPs, staff or troops to delivering disaster-relief supplies or configuring for medical evacuation. With the new Overhead Space Utilization kit that adds 75 square meters of space, the plane offers room for transporting tools, race cars or equipment for touring bands and musicians. The OSU kit is installed post production above the main cabin ceilings between doors three and five and includes stairs from the main deck to the space above. BBJ owners receiving their airplanes after mid-2011 will reduce fuel consumption by 2 percent through a combination of airframe and engine.
Eurocopter has delivered the Hermes helicoper for the price tag of $6 million bucks. Falcon Aviation Services of Abu Dhabi has made the leap to own this ultra luxe copter. The model is based on the Eurocopter model EC135. The brown and cream craft is adorned in the signature Hermes orange accents. The handcrafted interior has plush leather and a sliding glass partition separate this from the utilitarian Hoverwing Hovercraft. This sweet ride is reserved for people with deep pockets who prefer to ride in the utmost luxury.
UAE’s own Etihad Airways is paving the way with luxury air travel. Etihad is going above and beyond from its new Diamond First Class Cabins, to now a flight simulator. The Boeing 777 simulator is available to the public in Dubai between Tuesday 5 and Friday 8, May 2009, do visit the Ibn Batutta Mall’s China Court to test your flying skills. This simulator is a flight fanatics dream, especially when coached by two Boeing trainers along side. This simulator can also allow the local airline to get a sneak peak at any aviation talent in the area. This experience is free of charge, so if your in town give it a try.
