Flying Magazine reports, “In February and March, Beta Technologies flew its all-electric CX300 production aircraft on a six-week, 25-state, 8,000 nm barnstorm across the U.S. Now, the manufacturer is kicking off a European Grand Tour.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Tag: Aviation
Japan’s Skymark Airlines to Purchase Six 737 Max 8s
Flight Global reports, “Skymark Airlines is to acquire six Boeing 737 Max 8s, in an orderbook top-up for fleet renewal purposes. The deal, which was approved by the Japanese carrier’s board on 22 May, is valued at Y143.4 billion ($997 million) at list prices, and includes the purchase of CFM International engines.”
Full Story (Flight Global)
Boeing Increases 737 MAX Production Rate
Reuters reports, “Boeing expects to stabilize 737 MAX production at 38 airplanes a month over the next couple of months, its Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Quality Doug Ackerman told reporters on Tuesday. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration capped output at 38 airplanes a month after a mid-air panel blowout in a nearly new 737 in January 2024.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Boeing Resumes KC-46 Deliveries to U.S. Air Force After Fixing Cracks
Air & Space Forces Magazine reports, “Deliveries of Boeing’s KC-46A Pegasus tanker to the U.S. Air Force have restarted following a roughly three-month pause imposed after cracks were found in at least two brand-new aircraft. The Air Force and Boeing said the issue was not a safety-of-flight concern, but the problem was only the latest in a series that have plagued the 767-derivative, which has suffered through quality issues, delays, and cost overruns dating back years.”
Full Story (Air & Space Forces Magazine)
Air Force Provides First Look at YFQ-42 ‘Fighter Drone’
The War Zone reports, “We now have our first actual look at General Atomics’ YFQ-42A ‘fighter drone’ prototype. The YFQ-42A, as well as Anduril’s YFQ-44A, are being developed under the first phase, or Increment 1, of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, and both designs are expected to make their maiden flights later this year.”
Full Story (The War Zone)
Video
The YFQ-42A drone by General Atomics
(Techno Thunder; YouTube)
Joby Achieves Testing Milestone with Simultaneous Flight of Two eVTOL Aircraft
CompositesWorld reports, “Joby Aviation Inc. (Santa Cruz, Calif., U.S.) has successfully flown two of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft simultaneously for the first time, marking another important milestone in the company’s flight testing program.”
Full Story (CompositesWorld)
Video
Joby Aviation’s Two Aircraft Flight
(Joby Aviation; YouTube)
Citation CJ4 Gen3 Program Progresses toward Certification with P1 Flight
Aviation International News reports, “Textron Aviation has completed the first flight of a second Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen3 test aircraft, marking a key milestone in the program’s path toward certification. Designated P1, the second test jet provides a platform focused on evaluating avionics, human factors, and cabin systems. The flight, conducted from the company’s Wichita facilities, lasted 3 hours 29 minutes and reached FL450 and 305 knots.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Horizon Aircraft Achieves Milestone with X7 eVTOL Forward Flight
Aerotime reports, “Canadian-based Horizon Aircraft, an advanced aerospace engineering company which is currently developing what will become one of the world’s first hybrid eVTOL aircraft, announced on May 15, 2025, that the large-scale test prototype of its Cavorite X7 aircraft has achieved its first full-wing transition, successfully making the transition from vertical to forward flight – a major milestone in the development of any VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Video
Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7 A
(Techno Thunder; YouTube)
Draft Documents Indicate Pentagon Considering Big Changes to ICBM, Drone Wingmen programs in FY25
Breaking Defense reports, “Following the passage of a year-long continuing resolution (CR) in March, the Pentagon has considered big changes for marquee Air Force programs like the service’s new nuclear ICBM and futuristic drone wingmen, according to draft budgetary documents. The draft spending plan, which was previously reported by other outlets and obtained by Breaking Defense, includes a proposal for the Air Force to slash over a billion dollars in planned spending for the troubled Sentinel ICBM and funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Air Force Says F-47 to Have 70% Better Combat Radius than F-22
Defense One reports, “The Air Force’s F-47 fighter jet will fly some 70 percent farther without refueling than today’s F-22s, allowing tankers to stay farther from the fray—a key advantage in a potential Pacific conflict. The planned sixth-generation fighter will have a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles, according to an infographic posted Tuesday on X by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. Combat radius refers to the distance an aircraft can travel and still have enough fuel to return to its base without refueling.”
Full Story (Defense One)