Wright Flyer Replica Lost During Test

Okay... This is a tough one.  It is tough because we lost two fellow flyers.  It is also tough for me because even though we still don't have a cause I'm going offer a brief thought on it.  Commenting early like this is dangerous, perhaps even stupid, but here it is: Try your absolute best not to let flying (or testing)  become routine.  A very experienced instructor pilot once told this (at the time) young instructor that "It's the student you trust that is going to kill you."

The same is probably true of airplanes.  Be careful out there!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43957399/ns/us_news-life/

F-35C Cat Tests are Under Way

The first ground-based catapult launch is in the books.  A few of the expected follow-on tests are described near the end of the link below.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20110728/NEWS01/110728018/-No-heading-

U.S Army's HALE-D Airship Falls Short

Every time I watch an airship effort hit a wall (maybe six in the last fifteen years) I become more and more convinced that there are some fundamental things that we just don't understand about this class of vehicle.  Every airship team does some quick calculations, concludes that it will work, then promptly crashes and burns when they try it for real.  I admit that I am not at all smart on the subject, but it repeatedly seems that those of us who ARE smart... aren't as smart as they think they are.  This is apparently a TOUGH challenge, and I'm not sure that any of us fully understand why.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019454/US-Armys-150m-super-blimp-high-altitude-airship-crash-landing-hours-launch.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

F-35B/C Test Status

Some good info on the latest test points at the following link.  Also some hopeful thoughts on how the system will integrate inputs from multiple sensors.  Schenk opens Pandora's box a bit when he acknowledges that the system may be asked to reconcile conflicting data regarding "friend or foe" status.  Some software programmer deep in the bowels of a defense contractor may ultimately be deciding who I shoot (or make myself vulnerable to) based on ambiguous information.  I'm not saying that's bad, I'm just saying that this stuff is going to be VERY hard to V&V!

http://www.sldinfo.com/?p=21778

Indian LCH by Hindustan Aeronautics

The vehicle is a major upgrade to an earlier model.  The second prototype has now flown, and some of the test points are listed in the link below.  The work is typical of a vehicle at this stage of flight test, but what is a surprise is that the aircraft is actually getting lighter.  Not only that, it is also apparently exceeding specs regarding payload capacity.  What does HAL understand that is so hard for the rest of us?

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/test-flight-of-combat-helicopter-successful-1.843076

F-35C Moves Closer to Carrier Launch

There's a first time for every critical maneuver.  This will probably be a land-based test catapult shot once the crews confirm hardware compatibility between the carrier-version of the F-35 and the test catapult systems.  Once it's been done over terra firma, sea trials will probably follow.

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2011/07/f-35c-test-aircraft-validates-catapult.html

USAF C-17 Testers Expand Airdrop Envelope

60,000 pounds in 4 seconds is pretty sporty, especially considering that at 35,000 feet everyone in the plane was probably pressure-breathing 100 percent oxygen.  Not only that, engine stall margin up there at airdrop speeds is less than you would like, so a pitch-up due to failure of the new flight controls could lead to a simultaneous triple emergency: flight controls, CG, and engines.  Good on you guys!

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/display/avi-wire-news-display/1461374911.html

F-35 Sensor Fusion

The idea of using inherent computational capacity to speed up integration of new sensors may indeed be a "game-changer" (although the term has gotten a bit over-used in the last decade).  If it works it will be an awesome door-opener for pre-planned product improvement, but I stand by my earlier blog comment that if anything delays the flight test schedule, software will be the most likely culprit.  Good luck, guys!

http://www.sldinfo.com/?p=21495

HondaJet Model 420 to Begin High AOA Work

Looks like things are about to get more exciting as production-representative airplanes go into stall testing.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/awx/2011/07/13/awx_07_13_2011_p0-347482.xml&headline=Honda%20Aircraft%20Offers%20Production%20Update

MV-22 Osprey vs Okinawa Prefectural Assembly

It seems that the Assembly thinks that since a plane in the flight test phase nine years ago had problems that it must still represent a hazard.  Does this also mean that they want the U.S. to ban all future Toyota imports because a few had problems three years ago?  What about banning ALL cars because in the 50s none of them had seat belts?  Get a clue, people!  The plane may indeed be unsafe, but you don't base that determination on the performance of flight test articles a decade ago.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110715a7.html

B-747-8 High Altitude Testing Snubbed

You won't believe what the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority told Boeing when the company asked to perform some testing there!  I can understand the concern for snarling traffic.  If they'd left it at that I would have been right with them, but for them to say that working with the single most experienced commercial aircraft manufacturer in the world might "tarnish their image" pretty much makes the ECAA the punch line of their own joke.  Go figure...

http://www.newsdire.com/news/1946-boeing-asks-ethiopian-permission-to-conduct-b747-8-test-flights.html

Moving This Week!

My family and I are making a move from one side of the Rockies to the other, so updates will continue to be sporadic for a couple more weeks.  Please keep checking, because we WILL be updating regularly again soon!

Thanks for checking us out!