Military BWB transport closer to reality

[ATTACH=CONFIG]253300[/ATTACH]

The data will be used to determine the control effectiveness of the elevon mounted on the trailing edge of the upper clamshell door, as well as the likely ability of the BWB’s flight control system to handle center-of-gravity changes during cargo drop missions.

The clamshell doors are mounted on hinges located behind the aircraft’s rear spars and actuated by units attached to fixed ribs on either side of the doors themselves. “We have done the weight estimates and believe it is a pretty efficient design,” says Princen. The design also shows that the closure angle of the symmetrical door can be achieved in a shorter distance than under a conventional upswept tail. “The whole configuration works well in all these different areas, and it is a real enabler for the BWB,” he says.

Source:
AviationWeel.com via SecretProjects.co.uk

I don’t vape! 😉

Regarding the engine nozzle, yes an IR suppression device with mixed flows.
That all that we can say for now without speculating too widely.

Anyhow, it’s cosmetic. How long can it be airborne per day? 8hr?

OPINION: Norway H225 crash probe raises troubling questions

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/opinion-norway-h225-crash-probe-raises-troubling-qu-436887/

The frankly startling revelation that parts sourced from one of two suppliers have a failure rate three times as high as the alternative is troubling; that no one thought to analyse this data before last year’s Norway crash is almost beyond belief.

Source:
FlightGlobal.com

Intesting

Sixth aircraft joins KC-46A tanker test fleet

“Adding another tanker will help us to become even more efficient and significantly improve our ability to complete test points,” says Jeanette Croppi, its KC-46A tanker test team director. Boeing has so far logged 1,600 flight hours with its previous five aircraft since the first flight of a 767-2C prototype in December 2014. The fleet has also made more than 1,200 wet contacts during which fuel has been transferred to a variety of receiver aircraft.

Source:
FlightGlobal.com

‘There’s a part of Israel in every F-35’

for the remaining 25 aircraft pre-approved for Israel by Washington, Israel Air Force officials are beginning to speak openly about its desire for the F-35B-Short Takeoff and Landing (STOVL) model.

“We understand that [STOVL] brings a different concept for fighter planes in general and for the F-35 in particular… I expect we will be involved in this here in Israel as we go forward,” Brig. Gen. Eyal Grinboym, commander of the F-35’s home base at Nevatim, told the same air power gatherin

[…]
for North, the title of his lecture to the gathering was simply “F-35B STOVL,” further indication of the growing interest here in the short-takeoff and landing variant. In an interview prior to his conference address, North declined to say how far along the firm was in discussions with Israel on potential acquisition of the F-35B.

Nevertheless, North, a former commander of U.S. Air Force operations in the Pacific and Middle East theaters, said the B-model offers unique added value in scenarios where assets may have to operate from dispersed locations.

“The recent US Tomahawk strike into Syria demonstrates that fixed airfields could be destroyed or made unusable for a short period of time. So the B-model, with short takeoff and vertical landing, is a phenomenal platform that brings operational flexibility.”

WoW!

Source:
DefenseNews.com

Quadcopters: the latest addition to Marines’ toolkit

Bringing [quadcopters] in of varying sizes from nano up to larger systems adds to the toolkit from which the Marines can operate.

If I’m operating in a densely urban environment … a fixed-wing system may have to be pushed to a little bit higher orbit, and you don’t always necessarily have eyes on the target. But a quadcopter or a [vertical takeoff and landing] system gives you that perspective to maintain eyes onto those targets.

Source:
C4isrnet.com