Lockheed-Martin F-35A Drops 2000-Pounder, AMRAAM

This is a major milestone.  The typical weapon of choice has been the 500-pound Mk-82 for decades, and the plane was designed to carry the SDB small diameter bomb internally which weighs in at much less than that.  Pickling off a 2000 pounder from the internal bay says a lot about the flexibility of the airframe.  The video in the link below is worth watching, since it also shows a few of the tests that are used to build up to this kind of stores clearance.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-f-35-lockheed-martin-20121017,0,6197167.story

The same test team apparently followed the air-to-ground clearance work with an air-to-air AMRAAM release just a few days later.

http://blogs.star-telegram.com/sky_talk/2012/10/f-35a-test-aircraft-successfully-completes-air-to-air-missile-release-test.html

Airbus A-400M Begins Air Refueling Tests

The plane takes on more and more of an operational flavor as it performs multiple dry hookups behind a typical refueling platform.  This work can get exciting.  During early C-17 AAR work, the plane entered a very pronounced lateral pilot induced oscillation that required a major rework of the control system in the AAR mode.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/a400m-advances-refuelling-trials-with-french-transall-377753/

Saab Gripen E/F Under Test in Switzerland

In all likelihood, the work they are doing is part of the transition from the developmental testing performed by the manufacturer to operational testing being done by the customer.  The Swiss pilots will begin to develop the tactics and procedures that will work best for their intended use of the aircraft.  The F-5 is a fun little airplane, but it is certainly time to bring a replacement on-line.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/40241/?SID=68007f8443a23c04d1b4fa3d96b391ed

DoD C-130s Doing Low-Level Container Delivery Work

Cruising along on the deck to test delivery systems at high speed has got to be a hoot.  You can bet the loadmaster is NOT going to step on one of those rollers that close to the ramp.  As a side note, that golfball on the tower in the first picture has been "destroyed" by more simulated weapons deliveries than you could count.  I've "blown it up" at least 50 times myself over the years during avionics systems tests or USAF Test Pilot School training sorties.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3A0ee92bdc-5c4b-4867-ada1-0ce8ecc49699

Gulfstream G-650 Takeoff Crash Blamed Largely on Management

Company spokesmen say that shortcomings asscociated with flight test processes have already been addressed.  One piece of the solution has been the establishment of a flight test safety review board.  This would typically be composed of knowledgeable experts who are not directly involved in the project under review.  Similar boards are used in military and NASA flight test programs to make sure that the teams aren't falling prey to the Project manager version of "Get-there-itis".  Done properly, this alone should help immensely.

http://www.wtoc.com/story/19790058/ntsb-report-on-g650-flight-test-crash-details-multiple-causes

Boeing Uses American 737-800 for Combined Test Program

This link is worth taking a bit of time to examine.  It seems that Boeing is not only testing multiple technologies simultaneously on a single production airplane, but they are using an airplane that has already been delivered to a customer.  Some interesting ways to keep costs down and accelerate testing.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_10_08_2012_p40-499957.xml&p=1

NASA Northrop-Grumman Global Hawks Prepare for Automated Air Refueling

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center has gained a reputation for being near the leading edge on automated air refueling, so it's no surprise that DARPA has asked them to help figure out how to do it with their long-duration UAVs.  At $33M just to perform the tests, it starts to provide a feel for just how expensive the sensor suites on the proposed real-world missions must be.  Otherwise, you'd just swap out aircraft on patrol and they would both carry the needed sensors.  If the test articles are operated in a manner like operational specimens, the automated system reliability must be high, because operational pilots typically "fly" these airplanes from a keyboard with little opportunity for actual "stick and rudder" inputs.

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/multimedia-release----two-global-hawk-unmanned-aircraft-fly-in-close-formation-move-ahr-program-cl-20121005-00556

Budget Realities Forcing Changes to Military Flight Test

Although the article at the link below appears in "Air Force" magazine, the realities it describes began making themselves felt across the entire DOD several U.S. administrations ago, when Dick Cheney cancelled the U.S. Navy's planned stealthy attack aircraft for budget overruns.  The history behind the Air Force's current approach to flight test, and the sobering forecasts for its future, are very illuminating.  This article includes no active flight testing, but it is very much worth the time to read, nonetheless.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2012/October%202012/1012test.aspx

UK CAA Runs First Autogyro Flight Test Course

I'm sure that this is not being done in any of the military test pilot schools, and I have heard of nothing to indicate that civilian schools like the National Test Pilot School are doing a specialized autogyro class.  (Although I imagine that gyrocopters and such are at least mentioned during the NTPS Rotary Wing flight test course.)  Perhaps the EAA should take a look?

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=14&pagetype=65&appid=7&mode=detail&nid=2174

Augusta-Westland AW-101 Begins Avionics Sea-Trials

Lockheed-Martin is prime for a major series of upgrades to the Merlin fleet.  Recent flights have begun to put nav systems through their paces.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-royal-navys-merlin-hm2-helicopter-clears-carrier-trials-377118/