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FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

Bell completes first SPINE structural and power upgrades on AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom; aircraft enter flight testing

Bell has finished the first Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) upgrades on the US Marine Corps' AH‑1Z Viper and UH‑1Y Venom, completing structural and power‑delivery modifications. The two H‑1 aircraft have moved into flight testing as the program advances toward USMC evaluation.

2026-03-17T22:39:06.474822-07:00

Aviation Week

Russell "Russ" Meyer Jr., architect of the Cessna Citation family and GARA champion, dies at 93

2026-03-05T01:42:13.791277-08:00

AINonline

GAMA: Business jets lift 2025 general aviation shipments to a record $35.7B

2026-02-18T10:26:34.044275-08:00

Reuters

Textron posts record Q4 as jet deliveries jump 53%, but supply‑chain, profit outlook cloud near‑term pace

2026-01-28T05:19:51.464368-08:00

News Timeline

FlightGlobal

Bell completes first SPINE structural and power upgrades on AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom; aircraft enter flight testing Bell has finished the first Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) upgrades on the US Marine Corps' AH‑1Z Viper and UH‑1Y Venom, completing structural and power‑delivery modifications. The two H‑1 aircraft have moved into flight testing as the program advances toward USMC evaluation.

2026-03-17T22:39:06.474822-07:00

Bell completes first SPINE structural and power upgrades on AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom; aircraft enter flight testing

Aviation Week

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Russell "Russ" Meyer Jr., architect of the Cessna Citation family and GARA champion, dies at 93 Russell "Russ" Meyer Jr., the longtime chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company who led development of the Citation business-jet family and helped secure passage of the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, has died at 93. His tenure reshaped Cessna's strategy and anchored the modern business-jet market.

2026-03-05T01:42:13.791277-08:00

Russell "Russ" Meyer Jr., architect of the Cessna Citation family and GARA champion, dies at 93

Textron

Textron Systems' Damocles VTOL loitering munition wins U.S. Army LASSO prototype agreement Textron Systems won a U.S. Army prototype agreement under the LASSO program to deliver and demonstrate its Damocles loitering munition. The VTOL-configured system pairs a GEN2 explosively formed penetrator warhead with a MOSA architecture for top‑attack strikes without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.

2026-02-25T06:13:53.586907-08:00

Textron Systems' Damocles VTOL loitering munition wins U.S. Army LASSO prototype agreement

DefenseNews.com

USAF passes on light-attack buys; SOCOM may seek up to 75 and will run its own prototype demo The U.S. Air Force has declined to purchase new light-attack aircraft despite industry pitches from Sierra Nevada and Textron. U.S. Special Operations Command could still have a requirement for as many as 75 light-attack planes and plans to hold its own prototype demonstration to vet contenders.

2026-02-19T03:00:50.290703-08:00

USAF passes on light-attack buys; SOCOM may seek up to 75 and will run its own prototype demo

AINonline

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GAMA: Business jets lift 2025 general aviation shipments to a record $35.7B GAMA's preliminary 2025 shipment and billing report shows general aviation deliveries rose 14.6% to a record $35.7 billion, driven by an 11.8% jump in business-jet shipments to 854 units and a roughly 16% rise in billings; turboprops slipped 5.1% to 594 while helicopter deliveries rose ~5.5% to $4.7 billion.

2026-02-18T10:26:34.044275-08:00

GAMA: Business jets lift 2025 general aviation shipments to a record $35.7B

Aviation Week

Cirrus, Textron headline 2025 GA deliveries; Embraer Phenom 300 tops light‑jet for 14th year GAMA’s 2025 delivery data shows Cirrus’s single‑engine Vision SF50 led global handovers while Embraer’s Phenom 300 remained the world’s best‑delivered light jet for a 14th consecutive year. Textron and Bombardier posted strong twin‑engine and midsize results, highlighting sustained demand across key GA segments.

2026-02-18T10:05:58.378785-08:00

Cirrus, Textron headline 2025 GA deliveries; Embraer Phenom 300 tops light‑jet for 14th year

AINonline

Bell Q4: 78 Commercial Helicopters Delivered as Military Revenue Rises 20% and MV-75 Accelerates Bell reported military revenue up 20% in 2025 as its MV-75 tiltrotor programme accelerates toward a targeted first flight in 2026, while the company delivered 78 commercial helicopters in Q4 2025, highlighting simultaneous civil and defence momentum.

2026-01-29T09:37:25.370243-08:00

Bell Q4: 78 Commercial Helicopters Delivered as Military Revenue Rises 20% and MV-75 Accelerates

Reuters

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Textron posts record Q4 as jet deliveries jump 53%, but supply‑chain, profit outlook cloud near‑term pace Textron Aviation posted record fourth‑quarter revenue as jet deliveries rose 53%, driven by stronger aftermarket services and growth in military programs. Management said supply‑chain and workforce constraints persist, its 2026 profit outlook missed estimates, and the new CEO sees defense spending upside from a possible $1.5T Pentagon topline.

2026-01-28T05:19:51.464368-08:00

Textron posts record Q4 as jet deliveries jump 53%, but supply‑chain, profit outlook cloud near‑term pace

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Textron News

Bell completes first SPINE structural and power upgrades on AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom; aircraft enter flight testing

Russell "Russ" Meyer Jr., architect of the Cessna Citation family and GARA champion, dies at 93

GAMA: Business jets lift 2025 general aviation shipments to a record $35.7B

Textron posts record Q4 as jet deliveries jump 53%, but supply‑chain, profit outlook cloud near‑term pace

News Timeline