Reuters reports, “Electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Monday, the latest company to join the rush to tap a record-breaking bull run in the equity market. Easing trade tensions, robust stock markets and pent-up investor demand have combined to create one of the busiest windows for listings in years, with technology, aerospace and green energy firms leading the charge.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Tag: Aviation
Mississippi State University Testing Aurora’s Tactical eVTOL Drone to Aid First Responders
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Researchers at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory are flying Aurora Flight Sciences drone, SKIRON-X, as part of a project designed to assist first responders. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is leading a groundbreaking initiative to advance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for emergency response operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, provided its Group 2 UAS, SKIRON-X, as the project’s test platform.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
B-21 Flight Test Pace Speeds Up as USAF, Northrop Plan to Increase Production
Aviation Week reports, “The second B-21 flight test aircraft has already flown a second time since its delivery sortie from Northrop Grumman to the U.S. Air Force, as the company says the bombers are increasing their pace of tests that have validated their predictions. The company and the service are finalizing plans on how to use congressionally added funds to increase production capacity for the bomber, says Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Belgian Air Force’s First MQ-9B Performs Debut Flight
Defense Daily reports, “The first of four General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones ordered by the Belgian Air Force arrived at Florennes Air Base last month and had its debut flight on Tuesday, according to General Atomics. Linden Blue, the CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. said that the initial flight ‘ushers in a new era of information dominance for Belgium.’ The MQ-9B is a successor to the U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)
Boeing Delivers First of Two 777 Jets to China’s Suparna Airlines
Reuters reports, “Boeing delivered on Wednesday the first of two 777 freighters ordered by China’s Suparna Airlines, the U.S. planemaker said on Thursday via its official WeChat account. It marks the first new-build freighter handed to a Chinese carrier since the U.S.-China tariff war began.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Achieves 7,000-foot Milestone
Military Aerospace reports, “Archer Aviation Inc. in Salinas, Calif., announced that its Midnight aircraft completed its highest altitude flight to date, reaching 7,000 feet as part of ongoing envelope expansion testing.”
Full Story (Military Aerospace)
US Air Force Chief Says F-47 is Being Built and Will Make First Flight in 2028
Defense News reports, “The Air Force’s first F-47 fighter is now being built by Boeing, and the advanced jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday. Allvin, speaking at the Air and Space Forces’ Air, Space and Cyber Conference, said that Boeing’s team worked quickly to start manufacturing the sixth-generation fighter after their selection was announced in March.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Lockheed’s Skunk Works Unveils Vectis Stealth Drone
Breaking Defense reports, “Lockheed Martin’s secretive Skunk Works advanced development arm has unveiled a new project — a stealthy autonomous drone it calls Vectis that Lockheed intends to fly by the end of 2027. The first Vectis prototype is currently ‘in progress,’ but is envisioned as a large ‘Category 5’ reusable drone designed to be customizable to match shifts in the threat environment, said OJ Sanchez, Skunk Works’s vice president and general manager.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
NASA Invites Students to Submit Proposals to Fix Aviation Maintenance
Flying Magazine reports, “U.S. college students have the opportunity to score NASA internships by sharing ideas for aviation maintenance technologies. The space agency on Friday announced the theme for its 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies competition—“RepAir: Advancing Aviation Maintenance” for commercial passenger and cargo operations. Teams of collegiate students are invited to submit proposals that incorporate automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies. Their objective is to devise a solution that could improve maintenance efficiency, safety, or costs and be implemented within the next decade.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Uber Partners with Flytrex On Food Delivery by Drone
CBS News reports, “Your next Uber Eats order could get delivered to you via drone. Uber Technologies announced Thursday it is partnering with Flytrex, an autonomous drone delivery system, to fly food deliveries to its customers. The company said it would roll out the service in U.S. Uber Eats pilot markets by the end of the year.”
Full Story (CBS News)
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Uber Eats Drone.
Drone News; YouTube