aircraft

(Newser) - Airbus joined rival Boeing in switching from aluminum to carbon-fiber composites to build its new jetliner’s frame, reports the Wall Street Journal. Boeing has built the new 787 Dreamliner entirely from composites, which are lighter and easier to maintain. Airbus had held out on the A350, claiming its method...

(Newser) - British fighter jets intercepted eight Russian recon bombers today as they approached British airspace in the latest long-distance forays to display Vladimir Putin's renewed virility in air power. Authorities said the aircraft did not enter British airspace, the Guardian writes. Norwegian planes monitored the same eight bombers in international airspace...

(Newser) - New enemies are hovering over America's unmanned drone aircraft—branches of the US armed forces battling each other for control of the high-tech flyers. The Air Force is lobbying Congress for exclusive control over purchasing and developing the spy planes, a move opposed by the Army, Navy and Marines.