SpaceShipTwo Makes Fifth Glide Flight

Fourteen and a half minutes from drop altitude to touchdown gives a fair amount of time to check things out.  It's encouraging that the boss actually manned a crew station this time.  It may be sort of a "checkride" for the plane, pilots, and processes, which means that the airplane may be nearing the point where it is ready for the next step.

http://www.space.com/11472-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-longest-glide-test-flight.html

Bell OH-58 Kiowa Also "Forever Young"

A new engine, transmission, and rotor system?  What the heck else IS there besides the seat cushions?  This is a new plane for all intents and purposes.

http://blogs.star-telegram.com/sky_talk/2011/04/-bell-makes-first-flight-of-oh-58-upgrade-demonstrator.html

Hawker Beechcraft 400-XPR Certification Tests

Systems testing remains the unsung backbone of the flight test profession as well as on-going improvements to aircraft capability and safety.  The real truth is that if you could put all the F-35 black boxes into Cessna Caravan and  put on a hard point or two to hang special delivery packages, you'd have 85% of the capability in all areas except stealth.  (Okay, 85% may be a little high, but you get the point.)  Anyway, the 400-XPR cert program now revolves around systems testing, so they've bumped up the fleet to get it done.

http://www.amtonline.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=13281

Soloar Impulse Is Back in the Air

It is perfectly reasonable to ask what possible use a single seat airplane the size of Rhode Island will ever be, but the same question could have been asked about The Spirit of St Louis or the Voyager.  It will be a long time before we find out where this really goes.  I'm looking forward to finding out.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/133511/20110412/solar-powered-airplane-test-flight-photos.htm

The flight apparently lasted about 2 hours.  You can get further details, as well as a list of sponsors, at the following link.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-18/solar-plane-backed-by-deutsche-bank-flies-for-two-hours-in-bern.html

MD-500 Composite Rotor First Flight

This helicopter is almost like the C-130, always being renewed, never really getting old.  In fact, there are several helos that probably fit into this category.  The Blackhawk is also being updated for service with several countries.

http://www.verticalmag.com/control/news/templates/?a=16666

B-747-8 Structural Loads

Loads testing is always a challenge.  I don't envy the FTEs in the back on this kind of sortie.  The front is infinitely better!  Take a look at the video.  They act like they're having fun, but you can bet they all had a very light meal before going on this ride.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110411/BLOG01/110419984

Gulfstream G-650 NTSB So Far

According to the current NTSB Preliminary, the airplane was performing a take off with a simulated engine failure to determine take-off distance requirements at minimum flap setting.  You can get (a few) more details by looking it up on the NTSB Mishap Query website.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20110403X03645&key=1

Some witness reports implied that the plane was at a very high angle of attack as the sequence began, and that crosswinds were significant.