Airbus eGenius Electric Airplane

Looks like Airbus is sponsoring an all-electric GA aircraft that has just begun flight test.  Several other electric aircraft are also linked from the site.  The plane appears to be based on a production motorglider or sailplane, but if so it is heavily modified.  Layout is similar to the Windex 1200C, but with a low horizontal rather than a T-tail.
http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/06/airbus-electric-airplane-concept-makes-first-flight/

HEAT 1X Reached about 2.8 km

I wonder what kind of g-loads the occupant is expected to experience on the way to the target altitude?  A few assumptions and back-of-an-envelope calculations lead me to guess perhaps 8.  That level is beyond the limit of most untrained people to tolerate, but probably within tolerance thresholds for a trained and properly equipped person.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/news-latest/51762-bornholm-rocket-flies-high.html

F-35 Software Shows Promise

Now is when it starts to get tougher.  As systems testing goes into high gear the real dragons will be hiding in the code, not the circuit boards or hydraulic actuators.  Lockheed-Martin seems to feel that they've got a handle on it.  Of course it's their job to be optimistic in public and pessimistic in private.  If the schedule holds, then they were right, if it starts to drag, my money is on software as the most likely culprit.  Stay tuned!

http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/lockheed-martin-chief-offers-f-35-mea-culpa-plus-optimism-29967/

HEAT1X Gets off the pad

Still no hint what altitude was reached, but the team seems happy in this link.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/news-latest/51762-bornholm-rocket-flies-high.html

What is on board for life-support?

A-400M Flight Test Stable Completed

Ship 6 (or is it 5?) rounds out the flight test fleet as tests accelerate.  Future airframes will all be production versions.  A good rundown of what has been accomplised to date can be seen near the end of the link below.

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/airbus-military-and-its-south-african-partners-start-production-ramp-up-for-a400m-as-flight-tests-go-well-2011-06-03

Danish HEAT 1X To go Sub-Orbital

How much did it cost to build this man-rated suborbital space vehicle, including booster and capsule?  Take a guess, then visit the link below.

(Photo Credit: demotix.com)

http://www.demotix.com/news/712645/danish-rocket-scheduled-be-launched-friday-copenhagen

Granted, it was done by volunteers, but jeez!  Here's where you hope that the old saying about getting what you pay for has exceptions.  Let's see how the first flight goes!

Hawker 200 Certification Testing Accelerates

With the addition of a fourth test aircraft, it looks like Beechcraft is ready to step up the pace on FAA certification flight testing.

http://blogs.kansas.com/aviation/2011/06/01/hawker-200-pre-production-plane-makes-first-flight/