Reuters reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration’s tougher oversight of Boeing will continue indefinitely, the agency’s outgoing head said on Friday, nearly a year after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in mid-air. The Jan. 5, 2024 incident prompted FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to cap production at 38 737 MAX planes per month and temporarily ground 170 airplanes. The incident exposed serious safety issues at the U.S. planemaker and contributed to the departure of its then-CEO Dave Calhoun.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Tag: Aviation
China Unveils New Advanced Combat Aircraft
Aviation Week reports, “New Chinese combat aircraft broke cover in a flood of social media photos and videos on Dec. 26 showing them in flight and revealing two new examples of China’s evolution as an aerospace innovator. One new aircraft appeared in social media posts revealing a large, three-engine warplane with a cockpit and diamond-style wing with no vertical tails. Yaw control appears to be managed by Northrop Grumman B-2-style split rudders.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Post-Strike, Boeing Focusing on Production Output
Aviation Week reports, “New fuselages moving into the first Boeing 737 MAX final assembly line positions Dec. 6 signaled day-to-day work on the company’s most important product was back underway following the end of the machinists strike in early November. Boeing’s new priority is ramping up production and factory capacity across its commercial programs while staying true to its pledge to maintain quality.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Airbus A321XLR GTF Engine Receives FAA Certification
Flying Magazine reports, “Pratt & Whitney has received FAA certification for the GTF engine that will power the Airbus A321XLR. According to a Monday news release from Connecticut-based RTX—Pratt & Whitney’s parent company—the engine type certificate was updated to include the A321XLR after being granted Thursday for the PW1100G-JM engine.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Aviation Completes FAA Aerostructure Tests
Aerotime reports, “Joby Aviation has completed a series of major aerostructure tests to gain certification approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In a press release published on December 17, 2024, the company announced it has completed static load tests on the tail structure of its electric air taxi. These are the first major aerostructure tests done with FAA representatives present for credit.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Stratolaunch TA-2 Set to Make First Reusable Test Flight
Aviation Week reports, “Stratolaunch is recycling for another attempt at the first reusable test flight of the Talon A hypersonic testbed after aborting a mission off California on Dec. 13. The planned test of the second Talon (TA-2) was to have been the first under Stratolaunch’s five-flight block buy…”
Full Story (Aviation Week – Subscription Publication)
Boom XB-1 Technology Demonstrator Getting Closer to Supersonic Milestone
Aviation Week reports, “Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 technology demonstrator probed deeper into the transonic speed regime during its ninth test flight from Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on Dec. 13, paving the way for an attempt to reach and exceed Mach 1, now targeted for early 2025. Piloted by Boom chief test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, the XB-1 expanded the altitude envelope to over 27,700 ft., continued tests of the Flutter Excitation System (FES), and reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.87.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Sikorsky to Demo its Autonomous UH-60 Black Hawk for US Marine Corps
Flight Global reports, “Sikorsky will fly its Optionally Piloted Vehicle variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk for the US Marine Corps throughout 2025, showcasing the potential to convert rotorcraft into uncrewed, autonomous aircraft capable of executing resupply and medical evacuation missions.”
Full Story (Flight Global – subscription publication)
Boeing Secures $450.5M for Japan F-15 Super Interceptor
Aerotime reports Boeing has been awarded $450.5M by the USAF to modernize Japan’s F-15J fleet, incorporating advanced radars, electronic warfare, and mission systems. The uprades “will significantly enhance Japan’s air defense fleet’s operational capabilities and situational awareness. Additionally, the Japan Super Interceptor variant will have the capability to launch Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).”
Full Story (Aerotime)
US Naval Air Systems Command Grounds V-22 Ospreys After New Incident
Aerotime reports, “The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has issued an operational pause for all Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flights across the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force as of December 6, 2024. The decision, first reported by AP, follows a precautionary landing of a US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) CV-22 Osprey on November 20, 2024, at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, likely due to a material failure.”
Full Story (Aerotime)