I’ve posted about the ongoing testing of the J-2X a few times in the past. The J-2X is planned to be the upper stage engine for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS). There have been a couple of test firings since my last post. The first is a short duration firing:
The second is a record-breaking firing, running over nineteen minutes in duration. That’s far longer than the J-2X will need to fire in operation on a typical launch. Things are looking good so far for the J-2X:
I’ve fallen a couple of weeks behind in posting Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Test Pilot Tuesday videos, so here is today’s video along with the previous two weeks that I missed. Sorry for the lack of posting recently, several things have been going on, not all of them good unfortunately, which have occupied my time and energy somewhat. Just to say it, I’m fine personally. I don’t want to go into specifics since it isn’t really something for this blog and one of the major issues involves someone else’s health, so it isn’t my place to give out details. Anyway, I’m still around and will post what I can. Thanks for sticking with me.
And now the videos:
And while we’re on the topic of the F-35, the first flight of the F-35B out of Eglin AFB in Florida occurred on May 22. The flight marks the beginning of Marine Corps F-35B operations at Eglin.
The Airbus Military A400M airlifter program has suffered a number of delays and setbacks over the life of the program, putting it years behind schedule, but things seem to be picking up steam. It isn’t out of the woods yet, there have been some engine troubles recently, but a fifth aircraft has joined the flight test program as it accelerates toward certification. And with the introduction of the fifth aircraft, Airbus too the opportunity to film some eye candy of all five flying in formation. That’s not something you see often.
I covered the Boeing Phantom Eye long-endurance UAV back in March when it began taxi tests. Now the Phantom Eye has made it’s first flight, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, in a successful start to the flight test program. The Phantom Eye is a hydrogen-fueled UAV designed to operate at high altitude, up to 65,000 feet, for days on end. The demonstrator being tested is designed to remain aloft for up to four days, while the larger planned production model would have a ten day endurance. Fueled by hydrogen the Phantom Eye’s engines produce only water as a combustion byproduct, making it a very green aircraft. Here’s the first flight:
With that endurance at high altitude the Phantom Eye can provide persistent surveillance of an area – for disaster recovery, military operations, environmental monitoring, etc. It can also operate as a communications relay, a pseudolite or virtual cell tower to provide communications in an area where it is otherwise lacking. For example, it could handle cell phone communications in a disaster area where the cell phone towers have been knocked out, until normal coverage can be restored. With a payload of 2,000 pounds the production model will be a versatile craft.
Eurocopter is bringing their X3 compound helicopter demonstrator, which I’ve mentioned previously, to the US, and they’ve released a couple of videos to promote the event. They give us a close look at the aircraft, which still looks weird to me with the stub wing mounted propellers, but it seems to perform well. In the first video we also get a little bit of a look at the massive Antonov An-124 which is apparently transporting the X3 to the US.
They’ve also posted a kind of highlight reel of their military NH90:
