Aerospace & Defense Roundup: July 20

July 21, 2021

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Bell Building UH-1Ys For Czech Republic

Bell Textron has begun assembling the first UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters destined for the Czech Republic, the first export customer for the aircraft. Credit: Bell Textron

First Schweizer Helicopter Ready For Delivery

Schweizer RSG has secured certification for new-build Model 269 helicopters, ending a more than decade-long hiatus in production. Credit: Schweizer

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Beam Flight Shows Potential Of Solar Charging For Electric Aviation

Beam Global, a manufacturer of solar-powered charging stations for the automotive market, has flown an electric-powered light aircraft between five airports in California to demonstrate the potential for zero-emission aviation. Credit: Pipistrel

Blue Origin Launches Passenger Suborbital Spaceflight

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, two guests and the company’s first paying passenger took a 10-min. suborbital spaceflight on July 20, marking the first time a crewed spacecraft made a debut flight without test pilots, test engineers or professional astronauts aboard. Credit: Blue Origin

South Korea Studying Satellite Launch From Commercial Aircraft

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has commissioned a research project to study the feasibility of using a large commercial aircraft as a platform for satellite launch. Credit: Korean Air

UK, France Extend Missile Technology Partnership

France and the UK will continue to collaborate on research and development for future missile technology through a renewed agreement with missile manufacturer MBDA. Credit: MBDA

Turkish Industry Unveils Supersonic UCAV Concept

Turkey’s Baykar Makina has lifted the lid on a jet-powered unmanned combat air vehicle concept the company hopes to fly as a prototype in 2023. Credit: Baykar Makina

TsAGI Reveals Supersonic Commercial Aircraft Demonstrator

Russia’s TsAGI Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute has unveiled a scaled-down mockup of a supersonic commercial aircraft demonstrator at the MAKS 2021 air show that kicked off near Moscow on July 20. Credit: Bartek Kozłowiec

Propulsion Concept To Enable Deep-Space Repositioning For Space Force

Startup Rhea Space Activity is to study a solar-thermal propulsion system capable of rapidly repositioning a deep-space communications spacecraft under a U.S. Air Force small business contract. Credit: Rhea Space Activity

Indonesia Orders Six More T-50i Trainer Jets

Indonesia has signed a contract for a follow-up order of six Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50i lead-in trainer jets, adding to the 14 T-50is currently in service with the country’s air force (TNI-AU).

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Surf Air Orders Up To 150 Grand Caravans For Hybrid-Electric Flight

Surf Air Mobility, a Los Angeles-based commuter airline, plans to purchase up to 150 Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprops from Textron Aviation with plans to convert them into hybrid-electric aircraft for commercial air travel. Credit: Textron Aviation

Tier 1 Testing Certifiable Electric Propulsion Conversion For R44

Having flown a Robinson R44 light helicopter modified to electric propulsion in 2016 as a proof of concept, Tier 1 Engineering is beginning ground tests of its certifiable power train conversion. Credit: Tier 1 Engineering

Russia Presents Checkmate, Claims Unidentified Customer

Russian government and industry officials formally presented the Sukhoi Checkmate fighter mockup to President Vladimir Putin on the first day of the MAKS Airshow on July 20, and told reporters the Light Tactical Aircraft (LTA) has secured an “anchor customer.”

TsAGI reveals supersonic commercial aircraft demonstrator, Russia presents Checkmate, Turkish industry unveils supersonic UCAV concept, propulsion concept to enable deep-space repositioning for Space Force and more. A roundup of aerospace, space and defense news powered by Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN).

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