RotorWay had been manufacturing recreational kit-built helicopters for forty years. They moved into a brand new manufacturing facility in Chandler, Arizona earlier this year and recently unveiled the A600 Talon, their latest homebuilt kit. The Talon is no toy - the company has sold over 800 helicopter kits and this design incorporates dozens of improvements to the company's proven Exec 162F model.
The 2-seat A600 Talon has a cruise speed of 100 mph, a service ceiling altitude of 10,000 ft and a two-hour range. Customers can choose between two RotorWay-built power plants: the standard RI 600N (147 HP) or the supercharged RI 600S (167 HP). RotorWay lists a minimum build time of 300-450 hours, but expect the process to take longer than planned.
This machine is a complete redesign that incorporates a state-of-the-art glass cockpit by MGL Avionics, Kevlar skid shoes, inertia seat belts, a reinforced tail boom with shaft driven rotor, and a next-generation FADEC electronic engine control system with full component redundancy. In the event of a malfunction, a redundant system is engaged automatically. Useful load is 535 lbs, including a 100 lb baggage compartment. The new aircraft also boasts a larger landing gear that offers easier access to the optional accessory pod.
The introductory price for the A600 is $97,500. The machine is sold as four sub-kits, allowing you to spread the purchase across months or even years. RotorWay also offers excellent on-site flight training to ensure that your first flight isn't your last.

The 1-26 is almost Soviet in its rugged simplicity: a fabric covered tube fuselage with detachable aluminum wings is designed to be assembled from its trailer in a mere half hour (although you'll need a handful of people and a few wrenches). The design encourages gentle landings, because if you hit the ground hard the entire airfield hears the wings flex with a sound not unlike dropping a pair of oil barrels. It's also a good aircraft to reinforce the importance of a tight five-point harness: I'm just under six feet tall and there's only an inch or two of clearance between my head and the canopy - a little turbulence is enough to bump my noggin unless I'm well cinched down. Many 1-26's are still in the air at soaring clubs around the world and I heartily recommend taking one for a spin (literally).
Back in the 40's Lockheed-Martin had a design group that were autonomous within the company. They had control over their own budgets, staff, procedure, and were able to jet through the bureaucracy that plagues any large organization. Through this radical approach, this secret group within Lockheed-Martin was able to deliver essential technology faster than ever. They continue to operate to this day.
The four engine de Havilland Comet (named after their 1930s racing aircraft) first flew on July 27, 1949, ushering in a new age of sleek and speedy transportation. The aircraft entered commercial service in January 1952 and quickly became a favorite of elite travelers, capable of cruising at over 400 mph (twice the speed of propeller driven aircraft).
The Skyacht is currently undergoing tethered testing, with its first free flight scheduled for August 2006. The prototype is powered by a tail-mounted 24 HP gasoline engine that's capable of propelling this monster at a maximum speed of 12 mph (in other words, you'll need absolutely calm weather unless you want to float off on a moderately terrifying cross-country adventure).
