Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

23 April 2026

MILITARY AVIATION

The Gray Eagles evolve — ELINT upgrade for the US Army MQ-1C ER UAVs

On 15 April, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced on its website that it had signed a contract with the US Army to upgrade the MQ-1C Gray Eagle® Extended Range (ER) with an ELINT sensor. This will improve the [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Cessna 510 Citation Mustang

Cessna 510 Citation Mustang (c/n 510-0270, OK-KUK), Pardubice airfield, June 2025. In 2002, during the National Business Aviation Association convention, Cessna publicly disclosed for the first time its latest development, the Model 510 Citation Mustang. Designed as a light business [...]
AIR SHOW NEWS

The 2026 air show season opens in Plasy

The new air show season in Central Europe opens this coming weekend in Plasy, the Czech Republic. It has already become a tradition that Den ve Vzduchu (Day in the Air), organised every year on the last weekend of April, [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

17 April 1934 – first flight of the Fairey Swordfish

On 17 April 1934, the prototype of the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber performed its maiden flight, with test pilot Chris Staniland at the controls. In 1933, the Fairey Aviation Company initiated the development of a new three-seat naval aircraft. Designed [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Operationalising the Shift to Air Defence: Key Outcomes of the 2026 NATO Air Chiefs’ Symposium

On 10 April, Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) reported on its website that it had recently hosted the first of its biannual NATO Air Chiefs’ Symposia (NACS) for 2026. The event represents a vital strategic forum where Allied and NATO Partner [...]

From active duty to history – a short review of military aircraft retirements in 2025

FEATURED

14 January 2026

The year 2025 marked aviation history with several notable farewells to iconic military aircraft. These included both well-known workhorses from the Cold War era and relatively newer designs that proved ineffective in the modern combat [...]

First ever wingsuit foil soaring flight with altitude gain

DREAMERS AND DOERS

26 November 2025

In its press release published on 19 November 2025, the Red Bull company announced that Austrian wingsuit pioneer Peter Salzmann had once again pushed the boundaries of what is possible in human flight. This time, [...]

FEATURED