India's HAL LCA NP-1 Fighter Makes Maiden Flight

India's LCA has been in the inventory for a while now.  Moving to a Naval variant is the obvious next step, but only provided that the users are happy with the land-based version.  Apparently they are.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/maiden-flight-of-lca-navy-carried-out-successfully/991439.html

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/economy/article3361167.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

Can NASA Aeronautics Regain its Research Leadership Role?

Every organization has to change with changing circumstances or risk extinction or irrelevance.  NASA's Aeronautics arm has been under severe budgetary and political pressure for quite a while, and neither of those pressures show any credible signs of letting up.  In my opinion, NASA Aeronautics has gradually been moving from a role of pointing the way ahead to industry ("Here's the way you need to go.") to a role of simply supporting an industry that has already selected the path forward and needs someone to perform portions of the work to get them there ("Oh, you want to go that way?  Let us help.")  Is this wrong?  I'm not sure, but I don't think so.  I think it is just a fact of life in austere times.  The U.S. has very few industries that have continually sustained a positive contribution to our pitifully negative trade balance.  The aircraft produced in the U.S. provide a huge bright spot in those darkening economic numbers.  Hopefully NASA can continue to support that fact, as leader or as support, in whatever way budgets allow.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=36857

Lisa Airplanes Akoya Luxury Amphib Tests Progress

What a cool looking plane!  And the concept of hydrofoils rather than floats opens the door to huge increases in cruise speed.  All that said, eyeballing the configuration leaves me curious about the CG location.  I've got to believe that the horizontal tail is really an aft wing that produces positive lift like the Quickie.  That opens questions about longitudinal stability and stall characteristics, which are currently under test.  Maybe that's why it comes with an integral ballistic parachute?

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2012/04/16/akoya-testing-continues-materials-choices-frozen/

Worldwide Flight Test Summary... Was it Useful?

A few months back, this blog carried a feature listing recent and on-going flight test activities along with location and contact information to learn more about the tests.  I watched for feedback on that feature and got very little.  Then I stopped updating it and I got no complaints.  The table was a bit of work to assemble, but if viewers found it helpful the work would be worth it.  If any of you would like to see that return, please add a comment and let me know.  I'm also open to suggestions on how to make it more useful (without making it a lot more work).

Thanks!

Sukhoi Su-35S Passes Flight Test Milestone

The stealthy fighter has shown some pretty impressive performance.  The altitude of 59,000 feet is particularly interesting, since most Western manufacturers won't send a pilot above about 50K' without a pressure suit.  That kind of altitude also says something about the plane's ultimate mission.  The over-the-horizon sensor range from that altitude is huge, but there is little point putting a stealthy platform that high and turning on the radar since everyone within 500 miles will see you, so the plane starts to sound more line an intel-gathering platform than a fighter.  This implies something about the Russian comsat constellation.  Interesting stuff!

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2012/04/05/500th-test-flight-for-Russian-fighter/UPI-92051333646840/

Insitu's Scan Eagle Flies Newest Fuel Cell

UAVs, Systems, Electric Propulsion, Energy Storage...  This flight test program seems to incorporate all the current hot-buttons of 21st-Century aircraft.  Recent activity from Boeing and Aerovironment has showcased hydrogen-fueled power generation using engine technologies.  Insitu has gone back to the fuel cell.  Tougher technology, but fewer moving parts... the reliability wagers are hitting the table, so place your bets.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hydrogen-powered-fuel-cell-flies-scaneagle-2012-04-05

Dassault Falcon 2000S Amassing Test Hours

After a year the plane has accomplished 100+ flights and about 300 hours.  A very brief rundown is provided at the link below.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dassaults-new-falcon-2000s-reaches-flight-test-milestone-2012-04-05

Tecnam Completes P-2010 First Flight

This small company appears to be on the rise with a growing line of general-aviation aircraft.  Their high-wing twin was recently featured in several aviation magazines, now they have completed a first flight on a nice-looking single reminiscant of the Cessna Centurion.

http://www.eaa.org/news/2012/2012-04-13_tecnam.asp

Dutch PAL-V Roadable Gyrocopter Enters Developmental Tests

Looks like this Dutch project has the potential to enter the flying car market as well.  Another company, Samson Motorworks in California, was recently working on a fixed wing flying three-wheeler, but they have been very quiet lately.  With recent advances in materials and propulsion, things could get crowded.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/04/pal-v-flying-car-makes-successful-maiden-flight.html

Terrafugia's Transition Roadable Aircraft Production Representative Model Flies

After a lot of dickering with the FAA, it looks as though Terrafugia (if you're into Latin, the name means "flee the ground") is getting closer to having a real product for the flying car enthusiast.  The video at the link below is basically a marketing video, with no data or dialogue, but if you watch carefully you can learn a bit about the plane.  Pretty close-coupled, with serious dihedral, you can see a what looks like a fairly extended dutch roll on takeoff leg at about 0.7 Hz.  No sign of it in the "up and away" footage.  It also seems to have a bit of a pitch bobble on landing, although it seemed to be quite happy to touch down in a flat "four point" attitude, and the ground-rated shocks had no problem.  At a price estimated to be around that of a new 172, it may truly have a market.  Guess we'll see.

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/04/02/latest-flying-car-makes-first-test-flight/?mod=google_news_blog

Airbus A-400M Test Team Fills Corners of TOLD Charts

Oftentimes takeoff and landing data charts are based on projected data, or they simply stop at the points where testers had to stop their testing, leaving the operator to guess what kind of performance the plane might deliver.  The fact is that data for takeoffs, particularly rejected takeoffs or engine-out tests of minimum control speeds, can be very risky.  Landing tests that involve maximum performance braking are also high pucker-factor work.  I suspect that some of these tests were part of the A-400M deployment to Bolivia.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=493396&Itemid=1

NASA's General Atomics UAV Flies with ADS-B

This is one of those articles that initially seems like a yawner.  No new technology was involved, and no hazardous maneuvers were being flown, but the combination of UAV and ADS-B is very much akin to backup cameras on large vehicles or high-end cars.  It may enable UAVs to do things safely that they could not do before.  There are a lot of issues with flying UAVs in the National Airspace, but the primary concern is their ability to sense and avoid other aircraft.  ADS-B is another arrow in that quivver.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326103341.htm

Diamond Makes First Flight on DA52

This is an upgraded version of the original DA50.  The article at the link below even gives some rare "first flight" performance data.  It almost appears to have swept wings, but I think that's just an illusion due to a fairly pronounced dihedral.

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=7bda34a9-f608-43a0-83bd-7764a0294ca9

P-8A Poseidon Tests ITT Compressed Air Weapons Release System

Using compressed air rather than explosive cartridges could simplify a lot of ground ops associated with weapons loading.  It's not clear whether the air is provided in pre-charged cyliders, or if it is generated on-board.  Either way, it is certain to add weight as compared to the current approach, both in the air source, as well as at the ejector foot, which will probably have to be bigger to give the same ejection velocity.  For planes like the P-8, there is probably ample weight budget to work with, but not so for fighters or helos.  Sounds interesting.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/itt-exelis-ejection-system-successfully-completes-first-airborne-weapons-separation-test-2012-03-19

Cessna Will Try a Streamlined M2 Test Program

Already moving on to engine relights at altitude, the M2 test team plans to take less time and use fewer test assets than is typical for similar bizjet test programs.  Getting stuff to market fast and keeping test costs down makes good business sense, but only if the team can be darn sure that they will catch potential problems.  A lot of folks belkieve that the concurrency approach used by the F-35 team is part of the reason for serious structural and software issues surfacing late in that program.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/bav/2012/03/19/05.xml&headline=Cessna%20Launches%20M2%20Flight%20Test%20Program