Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Eight decades after the Horten brothers initially designed a flying wing during World War II, the Horten HX-2, named in honor of Reimar Horten, flew to the Aero Friedrichshafen show this week. Developed by Horten Aircraft, the two-place prototype flying wing took to the skies this winter and has accrued about 15 flights and six hours, including the trip from Horten headquarters at Kindel Airfield near Eisenach, Germany, to Friedrichshafen.

 


The tailless, fuselage-less blended wing design features a wingspan of 10 meters (32 feet) with winglets at the tips. A rear-mounted 100-hp Rotax 912 powers the aircraft with a pusher propeller. Made of fiberglass and carbon fiber honeycomb composites, the HX-2 carries two fuel tanks, each capable of holding 120 liters (31.7 gallons). All surfaces generate lift.

 


The result is an aircraft anticipated to have a range of up to about 3,500 km (2,175 miles), a cruise speed of 270 km/h (167 mph), and payload of 200 kg (441 pounds), at least in unmanned configuration. Company executives were hesitant to provide firm or further details, saying they will prove out during the flight-test campaign.

 


"Due to its low aerodynamic resistance, the flying wing flies farther and faster than a comparable aircraft with a fuselage," said Bernhard Mattlener, managing director and founder of Horten Aircraft. "The design of the airframe makes it easily adaptable for installing new propulsion technologies we anticipate will become available in the future.”

 


Owned by Flight Design parent Lift Air, Horten was established in 2015 with the dream of bringing the blended wing design to fruition. But for Mattlener, work began nearly 30 years before that, when he collaborated with Reimar Horten (1915-1994) on predecessor designs, the Pul 9 and Pul 10.

 


That designs continued refinement culminated in the HX-2 prototype. Company executives see this as a baseline for multiple possibilities, including battery- or hydrogen-powered and unmanned and VTOL configuration. They have even looked at a twinjet, but that is purely conceptual at this point.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Horten's Flying Wing Flies to Aero Friedrichshafen

The blended wing traces its heritage back to famed flying wing designer Reimar Horten.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

ATR 72 aircraft performs pre-modification flight in Toulouse

Kepplair Starts Converting ATR 72 Into Water Bombers

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

GAMA: Bizjets, T-props, and Rotorcraft Deliveries Up

Hanneke Weitering

Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

Regent Flies Electric Seaglider with Crew for First Time

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Icing approval would open year-round service to northern communities

Horizon Begins Icing Tests for Cavorite X7 eVTOL

Deal to close this year

Bombardier To Grow Manufacturing Capacity with MHICA Buy

David Donald

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

GE Aerospace has tested the GE9X, Leap 1A, Leap 1B, and more with the 747.

GE Aerospace Flies Boeing 747 To Test New Engine Tech

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

More In Aircraft