Friday, October 9, 2026
TSB links Dash 8 engine fire to blade failure caused by mechanical resonance
Aviation

TSB links Dash 8 engine fire to blade failure caused by mechanical resonance

Investigator cites 13 similar incidents. Canadian investigators have traced the 2023 inflight failure of a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400’s Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW150A to a fractured low-pressure compressor (LPC) rotor blade. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) links the blade fracture to mechanical resonance that can be exacerbated by factors including…

Japan Airlines extends Embraer parts agreement for E-Jet fleet

Multi-year agreement covers support for JAL subsidiary J-Air’s fleet of 32 E170 and E190 aircraft. Japan Airlines has renewed an agreement with Embraer under which the Brazilian airframer will provide the airline with E-Jet aftermarket support. The initiative provides the airline with maintenance and repair services, and access to an inventory of repairable components located…

Electra demonstrates ‘helicopter style’ operations with EL2 Ultra-Short aircraft

The company flew its demonstrator from several commercial airports in Virginia. US hybrid-electric aircraft developer Electra has completed a series of government-supported flights from US airports demonstrating the ability of its EL2 Ultra-Short aircraft to take off and land much like a helicopter. The recent flights “tested point-in-space procedures and dedicated instrument routings”, Electra said…

Joby completes cross-country autonomous flights with Cessna Caravan

The aircraft took off in California and flew several legs before landing in North Carolina. Joby Aviation, best known as a developer of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, has autonomously flown a modified Cessna Caravan across the US. The milestone demonstrates the operational maturity of autonomous flight technology Joby acquired from Xwing in 2024,…

Aselsan shows integrated EW capabilities on TB2 UAV

Turkey’s Aselsan has demonstrated the coordinated operation of electronic warfare (EW) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems from a Bayraktar TB2 UAV. The live trials took place in Turkey’s Konya province in front of more than 15 international defence delegations. The demonstration integrated electronic support, electronic attack and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capabilities into…

Finland’s first F-35s arrive home with full fleet expected by 2030
Aviation

Finland’s first F-35s arrive home with full fleet expected by 2030

Helsinki plans to field 64 of the single-engined strike fighters. Finland has brought home its first batch of US-made Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters. Two of the conventional take-off and landing variant F-35As landed at Rovaniemi airport on 18 September. The site is home to the Finnish air force’s Lapland Air Wing, which currently operates…

US Air Force retires its last EC-130H
Aviation

US Air Force retires its last EC-130H

The retirement formalises the transition to the new EA-37B jet, which has assumed the Compass Call name. A formal retirement ceremony was held at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona on 18 September to honour the last EC-130H Compass Call, tail 1590, as it conducted its final operational taxi. Taking its first flight in 1981, the Lockheed…

China’s J-50/XDS may be testing new radar

Fighter prototype underlines China’s aggressive push for new capabilities.  Recent images from China indicate that flight testing continues with a secretive, tailless fighter developed by AVIC Shenyang. Tentatively designated J-50/XDS, the new images, from Chinese social media, show the twin-engined jet with an updated radome, that could suggest that the aircraft has been fitted with…