Aviation Today

1 week ago | aviationtoday.com | Matthew Beinart

Airbus U.S. said May 20 it recently completed a second demo to inform its work on the Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program, which follows a recent announcement it’s working with L3Harris Technologies on the effort to develop an unmanned version of the UH-72 Lakota aircraft. L3Harris will serve as the lead systems integrator on Airbus’ team for ALC, which is offering the uncrewed MQ-72C for the program to develop an unmanned cargo-carrying platform.

1 week ago | aviationtoday.com | Calvin Biesecker

Hermeus on May 27 said its Quarterhorse Mk 1 unmanned aircraft successfully flew for the first time, a key milestone on the startup’s path to developing high-Mach and hypersonic aircraft. The May 21 flight and landing at Edwards AFB, Calif., came about five months later than the Atlanta-based company had hoped. The main goal of the company’s test campaign is to validate high-speed takeoff and landing.

1 week ago | aviationtoday.com | Rich Abott

Anduril Industries’ UK subsidiary this week announced it is leading a team with Archer Aviation to bid for future military and civil flight opportunities with the latter’s Midnight electric vertical Takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Other partners announced in this team include Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis.

3 weeks ago | aviationtoday.com | Frank Wolfe

The range of the U.S. Air Force’s prototype autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is to be at least 700 nautical miles–greater than the 590 nautical mile range of the Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter by Lockheed Martin and the 670 nautical mile range of the service’s F-35A Lightning II, also by Lockheed Martin. A May 13 graphic released by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.

3 weeks ago | aviationtoday.com | Calvin Biesecker

Lithium-sulfur battery developer and manufacturer Lyten on Thursday said it is launching an initiative to bring its lightweight, domestically-sourced batteries to the drone industry. Battery cells produced by Lyten were used to power a Titan Dynamics unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for more than three hours in a test that included various maneuvers and speeds up to 86 miles per hour, the California-based company said.