Also: TX Bell Buy, FAA Selects Eight Pilot Projects, Semper Fly Helicopters, F-16s Retire A new five-seat, turbine-powered, multi-bladed helicopter for the entry-level market will be exclusively powered by Safran’s new Arrius 2D. Building on the success of the two-seat Cabri G2, the GrandCabri G5 is designed with a versatile cabin capable of accommodating a pilot and up to four passengers. The G5 can carry out a large range of missions and provide an intermediate helicopter between light piston trainers and heavier turbine models. It’s official: Hermeus has flown its supersonic drone prototype, dubbed the Quarterhorse Mk 2.1, for the first time. The aircraft, roughly the size of an F-16 and powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, took to the air on March 2. The silhouette looks intentionally familiar. The Mk 2.1 features a delta wing designed for supersonic aerodynamics and a variable inlet system that aims to keep airflow stable as speeds increase. Infamously ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is asking roughly 500 furloughed pilots to come back, hoping to somewhat stabilize staffing before summer hits. The situation has been on the rocks after Spirit’s temporary, bankruptcy-fueled furlough craze led a higher-than-expected number of pilots to voluntarily step back. All this — and MORE in today’s episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
