U.S. Navy T2-C Buckeye Finally Retires

What does the retirement of an airplane that was nearly 60 years old have to do with flight test today. What doesn't stand out very much in the article at the link below is that this airplane was used to prepare nearly every USN/USMC flight test aviator for the work that test teams are doing today. The plane was used for departure and spin training at USNTPS, and I can testify first-hand that it could turn the pilots "every which way but loose" in the amazing gyrations that it would enter, survive, and reliably recover from during that training.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/t-2c-buckeye-ends-56-year-navy-career.html

Want to see it in action? Visit the link below. Not shown is my favorite, the roll-coupled inverted departure ...definitely an "E-Ticket" ride.  The puffs of smoke? The engines would cough, but virtually never quit, no matter what you did with the plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3XnBFDE_vQ

Mitsubishi's MRJ Inching Closer to First Flight

The story at this link shares a bit about ground tests that are leading up to first flight. More recent information is that a problem with certain cockpit controls has delayed the planned first flight for a couple more weeks.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201510080043

Lockheed-Martin F-35Cs Start Next Round of Sea Trials

External carriage for a stealthy platform usually negates the majority of the stealth advantage, but in order to add flexibility to the force, the plane needs to be able to carry whatever, wherever. One interesting item in the story at the link below relates to the significant changes that have to be made to the carrier to deal with the F-35. I also found the pictures to be a bit confusing. I'm no expert at how the plane has evolved during development, but the lift fan housing I would have expected to see on C-models was nowhere to be found. Are these C-models, or just stock shots of F-35s?

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lockheed-f-35c-begins-second-round-of-sea-trials-as-417412/

Flight Test in Times of Consolidation: KC-46 as a Case Study

Not a very catchy title for a post, but the subject is very emblematic of the times.  The story at the link below shares how two military bases, two services, and even the Air National Guard, are all working together to get a very high-profile flight test accomplished. Flight test today can be very costly, so innovative approaches to getting it done efficiently will have to be the norm.

http://www.mcchord.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123459849

Airbus Perlan II Glider Maiden Flight Today?

This isn't just another glider. (In fact, "Glider" is probably not even the right term to describe it.) According to the article at the link below, it was scheduled for its maiden flight today.  It isn't clear whether or not the flight took place, but the goals for this aircraft - a 90,000 foot ceiling, without an engine - are pretty ambitious. The project web site says 350 KTAS at that altitude. Not sure if that is supersonic or not, since air temp actually begins to increase at those altitudes.

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/techflash/2015/09/engineless-airplane-built-to-reach-edge-of-space.html

Chinese Caihong-5 UAV Testing Underway

UAV work is becoming more and more typical in today's flight test environment. Also typical with work in China, the report at the link below gives few details regarding the test objectives or results. It is interesting to note that with the same wingspan, basic appearance, and endurance as the MQ-9, the aircraft somehow boasts nearly three times the payload.  I'm thinking that the numbers quoted in the CH-5 article are "useful load" (which includes fuel) rather than "payload" (which does not). Another potential disconnect is the difference between internal vs external payload, so right now it is difficult to make a clear comparison. The plane will almost certainly carry externals, since its mission seems to include ground attack.

http://sputniknews.com/military/20150831/1026398738/china-drone-reconaissance-mission.html

Dassault Neuron UCAV Moves on to Next Phase

The item at the link below is brief, but the story implies that basic flight characteristics have already been verified, and that the most recent focus was on observables. Other crucial capabilities like data links and networking were probably also checked out. The next phase appears to have a more operational focus.

http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/Neuron-UCAV-Concludes-Flight-Test-Campaign-in-Italy_85911.html#.VfZCRX2Ov48

Boeing KC-46 Maiden Flight Delayed

The reason, which became apparent a couple weeks ago, is kind of strange.  Apparently the wrong fuel was used to run some tests on the fuel system itself, and that has led to some delays to replace damaged parts.

The wrong fuel?  Really? How does a tester NOT know what kind of fuel the aircraft burns, and why would he or she use anything else? I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but... Really?

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/boeing-delays-test-flight-of-tanker-20150817-00745

Gulfstream G-500 Prepares for Flutter, Hi-AOA Work

An experienced member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots once said that "High AOA Testing will get you a Kinchloe... Flutter Testing will get you killed."  Looks like Gulfstream is preparing to do both! (Hopefully the pessimistic tester will prove only half-right this time.)

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/labace-gulfstream-g500-resumes-flight-testing-following-415605/

Systems Testing Nears for Israeli C-130H

It seems this timeless airframe will never grow old.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/upgraded-c-130h-nears-test-flight-for-israel-415585/

Airbus Rearranges Duties for Three A320neo Airframes

The story at the link below leaves you a little quizzical. The company seems to acknowledge that some tests have been moved from one platform to another after engine issues grounded one of the test fleet.  This happens all the time, of course, and is one of the reasons that test fleets have multiple testbeds with flexible configurations. But to say "... we simply can't comment..." on which aircraft are doing which test categories is a stronger than typical refusal. I think it translates to "We haven't decided yet," which would have been a perfectly acceptable answer.  Go figure.

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2015-08-10/airbus-sorts-out-a320neo-certification-effort

China's Chengdu Aircraft J20 Stealth Accelerates Testing

As usual, details are sketchy, but the report at the link below implies that Chengdu has added planes to it's test fleet to enable low-rate initial production sooner.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20150725000081

FlightDesign C4 Continues Envelope Expansion

I'm sure those of you still checking the site had decided I must have been hit by a bus, but life has just made it very challenging to keep everything in the air recently.  I could still use a "Guest Blogger" now and then, so for those of you who know me, feel free to get in touch if you would like to do this on occasion and let's talk!  Meanwhile, the story at the link below indicates that flying qualities work is continuing on FlightDesign's follow-on to the CTLS.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2015-07-22/flight-design-c4-expands-envelope

AugustaWestland AW609 Test Progress

The story at the link below is largely marketing, but it also contains a few interesting tidbits about progress of the test program, particularly some autorotation work.  The most interesting item to me: that the Society of Experimental Test Pilots was so impressed with the test work that it awarded its highest recognition to members of the AW609 test team.

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-03-03/agustawestland-build-aw609-philadelphia

Vestel Savunma's Karayel Drone Passes Systems Integration Tests

The article at the link below says that Turkey's indigenously designed and built UAV is ready to enter military service.  The primary mission seems to be ISR, but it apparently also has a weapons delivery mission.  Systems testing continues to be the largest major type of test taking place all around the globe these days.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/isr/2015/03/01/turkish-drone-passes-flight-test-with-payload/24219877/

Solar Impulse II Gets Cranking

At this point the plane has already begun the journey that the tests at the link below were to prepare it for.  It will be at it for quite a while.

http://www.zawya.com/story/Solar_Impulse_2_soars_over_Abu_Dhabi_on_its_first_test_flights-ZAWYA20150301051455/

Sikorsky MH-60R Enters Australian Navy Flight Trials

The picture at the link below seems to show operations with the ship in harbor.  You can be sure it will get more exciting as suitability tests expand to determine the full operational envelope limits for the Helicopter/Ship combination.

http://www.naval-technology.com/news/newsran-starts-romeo-helicopter-flight-trials-4519581

NASA Wraps up Latest Phase of "UAS Sense and Avoid"

This one occured late last year and was first reported online by NASA in late January.  It is the kind of test that is easy to miss, because the systems are unmanned and there is no big contract in the balance, at least not yet.  But it is actually a very big deal.  Details are not clear from the story at the link, but it would appear that the SAA system under test used a combination of ADS-B and TCAS-II as the raw data sources, with the actual test item being a set of software algorithms that had to decide how to use the information.  Looks like the software is eventually intended to be compatible with airborne radar as well.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/Features/acas_xu_paves_the_way.html#.VNvPUVrn-v8

Bombardier CS-300 Added to C-Series Test Fleet

It would seem that Bombardier has quietly picked this program up out of the doldrums and gotten some wind into its sails.  The company info at the link below touts some sales numbers as well a bit of info on the CS-300 maiden flight.  If Boeing can survive exploding batteries, there's no reason Bombardier can't survive software delays or engine oil leaks.

http://www.cseries.bombardier.com/

Raytheon AESA APG-79(V)X F-18 Radar in Testing

Systems tests continue to drive most military testing.  New airframes are more and more rare, but it seems that new black boxes continue to drive combat capability, no matter what the age of your airframe.  Being able to continue keeping an eye out for defenders even while you refine your radar picture of the target area would be a nice capability to have.  Can we make it LPI to?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/latest-raytheon-aesa-radar-soars-in-flight-test-300018622.html

Software-Related Issues Delay Mitsubishi's ATD-X

Built-from-scratch software for the engine control unit seems to be tougher to get correct than anticipated.  Anyone surprised?  I didn't think so.  But what is surprising is the little comment at the bottom of the article that says "No sweat... We'll just shorten flight testing and get it out on schedule."  Really?

http://www.janes.com/article/47768/japan-s-atd-x-first-flight-delayed-by-software-glitch

Lockheed-Martin F-35 Software Testing Lags Behind Schedule

Okay, no one at all familiar with the industry should be surprised by a software delay.  With 8 million lines of code, it would have been a surprise (to the point of shock) if they had been able to MEET the schedule.  What is surprising to me about the article at the link below is the level of detail provided on the current set of issues.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-16/f-35-debut-hobbled-by-flawed-software-pentagon-tester-finds.html