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.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Tag: First Flight
Aurora’s Centaur Aircraft Completes In-Air Data Collection
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences has carried out flight testing with its Centaur optionally piloted aircraft (OPA), based on a certified twin-engine general aviation aircraft. Centaur is equipped with an EO/IR camera, maritime surveillance radar, and Automatic Identification System payloads.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Navy Eyes First Test Flight of MQ-25 In Spring 2025
Defense Daily reports, “After Boeing delivered the first MQ-25 Stingray to the Navy in February for testing, a lead official said Monday the service is on schedule for the first flight test with that platform in spring 2025.”
Full Story (Defense News – Subscription Publication)
After the Concorde, a Long Road Back to Supersonic Travel
An Ars Technica report discusses the possibility of achieving supersonic flight without loud booms, noting that NASA is working on it. “The X-59 is being built to do a series of supersonic test flights over American cities to boom people living there.” Then NASA will collect feedback “from those on the ground and compile it into a data pack for the aviation authorities, the FAA and the International Civil Aviation Administration.” That data is then expected to be “part of a push to lift the ban on supersonic flight over land and replace it with an acceptable noise standard.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Boom’s XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator Takes Flight for First Time
Aviation Week reports, “Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator—the world’s first privately developed faster-than-sound civil aircraft—for the first time at Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on March 22.” The successful flight “marks a step toward the development of the company’s planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner later this decade.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
General Atomics’ XQ-67A Makes First Flight
Defense One reports, “General Atomics’ new air combat drone has flown, another step toward what the Air Force is calling the ‘first of a second generation’ of autonomous aircraft.” First flight occurred February 28 from “General Atomics’ Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale California, AFRL officials announced.”
Full Story (Defense One)
Video
General Atomics introduces its XQ-67A
(General Atomics; YouTube)
NASA’s X-59 Moves Past Delays Towards First Flight This Year
Aviation Week reports that despite problems “that delayed the X-59 Low-Boom Flight Demonstration program from its scheduled flight debut in 2021, no obvious obstacles stand in the way of the aircraft flying for the first time in the late spring or early summer.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Airbus Helicopters Uncrewed VSR700 Completes First Test Flight Campaign
Aviation Week reports that Airbus Helicopters’ uncrewed VSR700 rotorcraft “has completed its latest flight test campaign, demonstrating its ability to take off and land in fully automatic mode on a French Navy frigate.” The flight test campaign “took place Oct. 2-9 on board the Provence frigate off the Mediterranean coast.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
GAMA Report Says General Aviation Recovery Sluggish but Positive
AirInsight reports that GAMA “released its shipments and billings report for the second quarter of 2023, and the results are mildly positive for the general aviation market.” The recovery “is slow but positive through the second quarter.” Year over year “through Q2, business jet deliveries are up 2.4%, and the total value of shipments is up 1.5%.” However, as compared with 2019, the industry “remains behind pre-pandemic levels in 2019 in business jet deliveries.” By contrast, the helicopter market “has rebounded significantly, with turbine helicopters now exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 13.4% and 23.4% higher billings.” Business jets “have the highest prices and drive revenues for the industry.”
Full Story (Airinsight)
Bristow Conducts First Flight Test in Beta’s Alia
Aviation Week reports that global helicopter operator Bristow “has conducted its first test flight in Beta Technologies’ Alia in support of its orders for both the conventional- and vertical-takeoff-and-landing versions of the electric aircraft.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)