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