Aerotime reports Boom Supersonic is “determining whether a 12th test flight of its XB-1 demonstrator is needed before its first attempt at breaking the speed barrier. On January 10, 2025, XB-1 reached speeds of Mach 0.95 during a 44-minute flight over the Mojave Desert with Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg at the controls.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Tag: first
ULA Preparing Vulcan Rocket for First National Security Mission
Spaceflight Now reports, “Less than a month after the second of two planned certification launches, United Launch Alliance is getting a Vulcan rocket ready for its first national security mission: United States Space Force 106 (USSF-106). On Monday, ULA shared photos of the 109.2-foot-long (33.3 m) booster being hoisted into the Vertical Integration Facility to begin the stacking process. In the days and possibly weeks to come, the 38.5-foot-long (11.7 m) Centaur 5 upper stage will be added along with four solid rocket boosters and the payload fairings.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Air New Zealand Becomes First Major Carrier to Pull Back from Climate Goal
BBC News reports, “Air New Zealand has abandoned a 2030 goal to cut its carbon emissions, blaming difficulties securing more efficient planes and sustainable jet fuel. The move makes it the first major carrier to back away from such a climate target. The airline added it is working on a new short-term target and it remains committed to an industry-wide goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
Full Story (BBC News)
Embraer’s Eve Unveils First Air Taxi Prototype
Flying Magazine reports, “Eve Air Mobility, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi subsidiary of Embraer, this week joined a select group of eVTOL manufacturers. At the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., Eve unveiled its first full-scale eVTOL air taxi prototype, assembled at Embraer’s test facility in Brazil’s São Paulo state.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Eve Air Mobility Unveils First Full-Scale eVTOL Prototype
Aerotime reports that Eve Air Mobility “has announced the roll-out of a prototype of its first full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to the Eve Air Mobility statement, the remotely operated variant of the eVTOL aircraft will now undergo a series of thorough tests.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
BAE Systems Reveals Autonomous Collaborative Platform Demonstrator
FlightGlobal reports, “BAE Systems has revealed the design of an autonomous collaborative platform (ACP) demonstrator which it aims to fly within the next two years.” Showcased as “a sub-scale model at the World Defense Show near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the aircraft builds on the company’s earlier work in designing a Concept 2 vehicle unveiled in July 2022.” According to Steve Reeves, head of business development and strategy (platforms) at BAE’s FalconWorks technology accelerator, “We have been carrying on our many decades of investment in uncrewed systems, and are displaying our latest iteration of an ACP concept.” Roles for the platform “could include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and electronic attack, with the asset also potentially to carry air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons within two internal bays.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
Report: Space Investment Bounced Back in 2023, Increased M&A Expected into 2024
CNBC reports that investment in the space sector “bounced back last year, rebounding closer to the record high of 2021, according to a report Tuesday by New York-based Space Capital.” The firm’s fourth-quarter report “found that space infrastructure companies brought in $2.6 billion of private investment during the period. That brought the sector to $12.5 billion in total investment for 2023, well above last year’s $9.3 billion raised but still below the $15.3 billion brought in during 2021.” Top raises during the “fourth quarter included funds announced by space companies Firefly Aerospace, Ursa Major, D-Orbit, Stoke Space and True Anomaly.” Anderson told the outlet “we expect to see even more” merger and acquisition activity in 2024.
Full Story (CNBC)
Elliott Aviation Delivers First King Air Upgrade
Aviation International News reports that Elliott Aviation “has performed its first completion and delivery of the Garmin Autoland upgrade in a King Air B200.” Designed as a safety measure, the Autoland system “in an emergency situation can take control of an aircraft and autonomously land itself at the nearest suitable airport.” According to Elliott, the modification “represents the next chapter in the evolution of the Garmin G1000 NXI package for the King Air family.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Dassault’s First Falcon 6X Business Jet Enters Service
Aviation International News reports Dassault announced that on November 30, the company’s “Falcon 6X began flying for its new owner. … Dassault did not reveal the identity or location of the 6X launch customer.” The 6X, with a maximum range of 5,500 nm, was launched in February 2018 “after the 5X program was canceled due to problems with the in-development Safran Silvercrest engine. The 6X is 20 inches longer than the 5X, to accommodate the 6X’s more powerful Pratt & Whitney PW812D engines.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Overair Working to Complete First Air Taxi Prototype
An article in Aerospace America describes Overair’s facility and examines the eVTOL aircraft the company is producing and the differences from its competitors. Company Co-Founder and CEO Ben Tigner believes the company’s rotor design and proprietary technology will be what drives Overair’s success in a competitive market. Overair’s aircraft will use large rotors, and therefore require less than competitors like Joby, Archer, and Volocopter – using only four rotors while others use as many as 18. The rotors are large, but lightweight due to their utilization of carbon fiber composite.
Full Story (Aerospace America)