Aviation International News reports, “Leonardo has made the first flight of what it described as the UK’s ‘first autonomous full-size helicopter,’ the ‘Proteus’ technology demonstrator. The milestone was reported on January 16 by the Royal Navy, which is working with the Italy-based aerospace and defense group on the project.”
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Breaking Defense reports, “Joby Aviation flew a demonstrator of a new hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for the first time, which it plans to pitch to military customers through an agreement with L3Harris, the company announced today.”
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Breaking Defense reports, “Defense tech startup Anduril’s prototype bid for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program achieved its first flight, the service announced [Friday]. The YFQ-44A drone flew ‘at a California test location’ at an undisclosed time today, the Air Force said in a press release. The drone is the second to reach the flight testing stage for the Air Force’s drone wingman program, following General Atomics’s YFQ-42A that took off for the first time in August.”
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Aviation Week reports, “NASA began flight tests of its needle-nosed X-59 Quesst quiet supersonic research aircraft with a 1 hr. 7 min. initial sortie from Palmdale, California, to the nearby Edwards AFB on Oct. 28. Flown by NASA X-59 lead pilot Nils Larson, the much-anticipated first flight of the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft began at 8:14 a.m. Pacific time with an unrestricted climb from Palmdale’s 12,000 ft.-long runway 07/25.”
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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.”
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Aerotime reports, “NASA says the futuristic-looking X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is closing in on its first flight, with engineers conducting final checks of safety systems as the program moves from ground testing toward the all-important flight-test phase.”
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Flying Magazine reports, “Boeing’s fifth 777-9X made its first flight Tuesday, launching out of Seattle Paine Field International Airport (KPAE) in Everett, Washington, just north of Seattle. According to the Seattle Times, the aircraft lifted off at approximately 11 a.m. PDT. It is classified as a production airplane, with its primary function being to determine if certain features of the aircraft work as expected.”
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Aviation Week reports, “Kratos Defense and Security recently completed the first flight of its Thanatos stealthy uncrewed combat air vehicle, proving out the aircraft’s basic design as the company now focuses on flying a fully integrated system. Steve Fendley, president of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, tells Aviation Week the company hopes to learn more about the system as it evolves over the next 6-12 months. The company would not say when the first flight occurred, just that it was within the past several months.”
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Vertical Magazine reports that the first Royal Canadian Air Force Bell CH-146 Griffon to have completed the CH-146C Mk II upgrade “has performed its maiden flight, the manufacturer has announced. The modification to the RCAF’s CH-146 Griffons — a variant of the Bell 412EP — is being completed under the Griffon Limited Life Extension (GLLE) project, which is designed to extend the fleet’s service life to at least 2031.”
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Flying Magazine reports, “The second Cessna Citation Ascend test article has completed its first test flight, advancing development of the business jet program, according to Textron Aviation. The milestone flight for the aircraft—called P1—on Wednesday over Wichita, Kansas, follows that of the Ascend prototype, which completed its first flight in 2023, making the P1 aircraft the first conforming production flight test aircraft, Textron said.”
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