Aviation Week reports that a “Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider flew a test sortie from Edwards AFB, California, on Jan. 17, notching the second acknowledged flight of the second-generation stealth bomber.” Defense News reports US Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said, “Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 combined test force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners.” According to Defense News, “Northrop Grumman has built or is in the process of building at least six test B-21s, including this first bomber. The B-21 program is now in the engineering and manufacturing development phase, and the test aircraft are production-representative platforms, meaning they are being built on the same line with the same tools, technicians and processes as production bombers. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is to be the first base to receive a Raider, scheduled for delivery in the mid-2020s.”
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Tag: flight testing
Joby Concludes Flight Testing with Pre-Production eVTOL
FlightGlobal reports, “US air taxi start-up Joby Aviation has concluded the pre-production flight test programme that it launched four years ago, now transitioning into a production-focused phase of development.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
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)
Air Force Says B-21 Flight Testing and Production ‘Continues to Make Progress’
Flying Magazine reports, “The B-21 Raider ‘continues to make progress’ in flight testing and production, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday. The stealth strike bomber was unveiled in December 2022 and officially moved into low-rate production earlier this year. In January, Northrop Grumman said six B-21 bombers are in various stages of final assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale, California.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
B-21 Raider Undergoing Flight Testing
Defense News reported that the “B-21 Raider took to the air for the first time in November, nearly a year after its public debut in California. In 2024, the U.S. Air Force’s next stealth bomber could take even greater steps.” The first B-21 Raider “flew to Edwards Air Force Base on Nov. 10. It is now undergoing flight testing, which also includes ground tests and taxiing.” The USAF has “confirmed at least six B-21s are in various stages of construction by Northrop Grumman or are undergoing tests. The program is now in the engineering and manufacturing development phase, the service said in November, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is expected to receive its first Raider in the mid-2020s. The service plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, an advanced stealth bomber, to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers. It will provide the service with new abilities to conduct penetrating deep-strike missions, and the aircraft will be able to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Textron Unveils Denali Turboprop Single
Aviation Week reports that Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft Denali “is making its public debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, where the new turboprop single attracted a stream of interest at the manufacturer’s chalet.” The P2 aircraft on display “is one of three flying Denalis undergoing flight testing; the fleet has accumulated 1,500 flight hr. to date.” First announced in July 2016, the Denali’s development “has been slowed by supply chain issues and delays in certification of its new, 1,300-shp GE Aviation Catalyst engine, the first clean-sheet turboprop engine design in the past 50 years.” The Denali will also “feature Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite with integrated Autothrottle and Autoland.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)