20 years ago the first US Air Force B–2 Spirit stealth bomber, a tailless, bat-like flying wing named The Spirit of America, lifted off for its maiden flight from Air Force Plant 42. That historic flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base lasted just over two hours, but it would alter forever the face and nature of modern air warfare.
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One of the Royal Australia Air Force's (RAAF) most significant fighter jets, the CA-27 Sabre, made its first flight in 16 years at the Temora Aviation Museum in New South Wales, after more than three years of restoration and servicing.
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A UK Chinook Mk3 helicopter successfully completed its first test flight in at MOD Boscombe Down during the flight testing and evaluation phase of the Mk3 reversion program. A Boeing-led team in conjunction with key suppliers QinetiQ and GE Aviation Systems Ltd, and in close collaboration with the Royal Air Force, is reverting eight Mk3s for compatibility with the RAF fleet of 40 Mk2 Chinooks.
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An United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasts off with NASA's LRO/LRCOSS mission from Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on June 18, 2009. The mission is expected to relay more information about the lunar environment than any other previous mission to the moon.
LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission at a polar orbit of about 31 miles, or 50km, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon. Its primary objective is to conduct tests to prepare for future exploration of the moon. LCROSS will search for water ice on the moon by sending the spent upper-stage Centaur rocket to impact part of a polar crater in permanent shadows. LCROSS will fly into the plume of dust left by the impact and test and measure the properties before also colliding with the lunar surface.
Pictures courtesy: Pat Corkery, ULA
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Testing Times
The wingless B-45: Test pilot John A. Harper looks back at August 14, 1952
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Focus on innovation
The seventh annual Aerospace Testing, Design and Manufacturing Show returned to Munich, Germany
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