Aviation International News reports, “Gulfstream has officially begun the flight test program for its G400, successfully completing its first flight on August 15. The large-cabin twinjet departed Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) at 9:04 a.m. and returned just under three hours later having reached a top speed of Mach 0.85 and an altitude of 41,000 feet. The flight was conducted using the manufacturer’s supply of blended sustainable aviation fuel.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: Begins
Vertical Aerospace Begins Ground Testing New Air Taxi Prototype
Flying Magazine reports, “U.K.-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace is back to testing aircraft. The manufacturer has begun ground testing a new, more advanced full-scale prototype of its flagship VX4 air taxi after an initial prototype was damaged during an uncrewed flight test last year.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Boeing MH-139 Nuclear Security Helicopter Enters Operational Service
FlightGlobal reports, “An operational US Air Force unit has for the first time received one of the new Grey Wolf helicopters, which will replace the Bell UH-1N in supporting physical security at the service’s nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile silos.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
Artemis II Crew Begins Training
SPACE reports that the Artemis II crew has begun training for the mission. The astronauts will “be the first humans ever to fly atop NASA’s Space Launch System megarocket and ride in the agency’s Orion spacecraft.” The four Artemis II astronauts “are NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover (the first Black astronaut to leave low Earth orbit), NASA mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman on a moon mission) and Jeremy Hansen (the first Canadian to go beyond Earth orbit).” Wiseman, Glover and Koch “all have accumulated many months of experience on International Space Station missions and in many cases set records.”
Full Story (SPACE)