Howmet Aerospace Closes $452.6 Million in ESOP Shelf Registrations and Lifts 2026 Revenue Guidance

Starfighters Space, Inc. has completed the first flight hardware for its reusable airborne testing platform, Wind Tunnel in the Sky, under a production agreement with Italian engineering company Robby Moto Engineering S.R.L. The precision-manufactured components are now en route to the company's base at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where they will be assembled into two modular underwing flight articles measuring 3.65 meters long and 178 millimeters in diameter. The flight articles are based on a proven military air-launch vehicle form factor compatible with existing F-104 underwing pylons, with interchangeable nose sections, tail assemblies, fin configurations and payload compartments for rapid adaptation to different customer missions. Following assembly in Florida, the hardware will undergo ground handling and processing workflows, aircraft integration tests and captive-carry flight evaluations before supporting customer missions, and it also supports future STARLAUNCH missions. Starfighters Space operates the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ supersonic aircraft, at Kennedy Space Center and the Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas.

Hangyu Technology announced that the company plans to invest in a research, development, and production capacity improvement project for aero-engine and gas turbine ring forgings at the Shawen Ecological Technology Industrial Park in Guiyang National High-tech Zone, with a total investment of approximately 600 million yuan, including 545 million yuan in fixed asset investment and 55 million yuan in working capital. The project construction period is 60 months, with construction expected to start in June 2027 and formal production to begin in June 2032. Funding will come from the company's own funds and self-raised funds. The company stated that this investment aims to enhance independent research and development capabilities, expand business scale, and increase market share. The announcement also cautioned that the project implementation still requires preliminary procedures such as land acquisition, project approval, and environmental impact assessment, and there are risks of delay, change, or termination.

Woodward has been selected to provide the actuation system for Airbus' ground-based Folding Wing research demonstrator. The company will supply a complete wing actuation system, including a power delivery unit, a high-power hinge actuator, and several additional components, to be tested at Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany, and Bristol, U.K. The scope also covers support for trade studies with Airbus on design elements such as hydraulic or electric power for the system. Jon Geisheimer, Vice President and General Manager of Electromechanical Systems and Electronics at Woodward, said the company's hydraulic and electromechanical capabilities give customers options as they develop the best solution for the application. Airbus' demonstrator explores technology that would let wings fold and lock during taxi to fit existing airport gate infrastructure, requiring a larger folding portion of the wing than current aircraft use.

RBC Bearings is seeing persistent strength in its aerospace and defense markets, with revenues from the segment surging 36.9% in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 to $225.4 million, following year-over-year growth of 32.9% in fiscal 2026. Within the segment, commercial aerospace revenues rose 21.8% while defense market revenues climbed 64.6% in the fiscal first quarter, helped by missile and space applications orders and the July 2025 VACCO Industries buyout. The company ended the fiscal first quarter with a backlog of $2.3 billion, which it expects to act as a tailwind for the segment. RBC anticipates net sales of $505-$515 million for second-quarter fiscal 2027, a year-over-year increase of 10.9-13.1%, driven by strength across both its Aerospace & Defense and Industrial segments. Among peers, Howmet Aerospace saw defense aerospace revenues rise 11% year over year in the second quarter, constituting 15% of company revenues, while GE Aerospace's Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment revenues increased 16% year over year to $3.4 billion in second-quarter 2026.