Tue, Mar 02, 2021

ALL Charged Up... X-57 Readies For Initial Test Series

NASA to Begin High-Voltage Ground Testing on All-Electric X-57

NASA is set to start high-voltage functional ground testing of the agency’s first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell, which will perform flights to help develop certification standards for emerging electric aircraft. NASA is also supporting these new electric aircraft by developing quiet, efficient, reliable technology these vehicles will need in routine use. The testing will take place at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, marking a pivotal milestone for the project as NASA proceeds from the component design and prototype phase to operation of the vehicle as an integrated aircraft, taking a critical step closer toward taxi tests and first flight.

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Tue, Mar 02, 2021

Airborne-Unmanned 03.02.21: Falck-Kitty Hawk, Drone Film Festival, Arcturus

Also: ERAU Electric Plane, Collier Trophy, Air Race E Expands, Hydrogen Powered Propulsion

Emergency response and healthcare company Falck has announced a collaboration with Kitty Hawk. The companies will establish a joint innovation platform creating a framework for Project Heaviside, Kitty's Hawk's latest high performance aircraft, to be used in emergency response operations. The new collaboration adds to Falck's drone initiative, Vertical, which aims to assess the potential of drone technology in the prehospital and ambulance services of the future. With Kitty Hawk's Project Heaviside, the company plans to test and evaluate new technologies on a large scale, making emergency healthcare more accessible and affordable. A new film festival highlighting creative content made by aerial filmmakers is set to debut in Southern California this March. The inaugural Southern California Drone Film Festival is set for March 6, 2021 and marks the only event of its kind in California. T

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Mon, Mar 01, 2021

Airborne 03.01.21: ERAU e-Plane, Flying Leatherneck, Citation Excel Upgrade

Also: FAA Vaccine Update, New Glenn Schedule, Collier Trophy Nominees, Van’s Aircraft

After nearly four years of perseverance, the Embry-Riddle's Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) team is celebrating a milestone in its electric propulsion research: its Diamond HK-36 completed a successful taxi test exclusively on electrical power. Dubbed the eSpirit of St. Louis — in honor of Charles Lindbergh’s notion of balance between aviation and the environment — the aircraft serves as a testbed for students to gain experience on the interdisciplinary aspects of mixing electrical engineering skills with aerospace engineering. On April 1, 2021, the United States Marine Corps intends to permanently close MCAS Miramar’s Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. The future of the artifacts, research library, and aircraft, which belong to the Marine Corps, is unknown. We have been told that the closure is for financial reasons, even though the Flying Leatherneck His

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Sun, Feb 28, 2021

New Glenn’s Maiden Flight Has Been Delayed

Current Target For New Glenn’s Maiden Flight Is Q4 2022

As major progress is being made on the New Glenn launch vehicle and its Cape Canaveral facilities, Blue origin admits that the schedule has been 'refined' to match the demand of Blue Origin’s commercial customers. The current target for New Glenn’s maiden flight is Q4 2022. The Blue Origin team has been in contact with all of their customers to ensure this baseline meets their launch needs. This updated maiden flight target follows the recent Space Force decision to not select New Glenn for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Services Procurement (LSP).

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