Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Eight Killed When B-52H Crashes at Edwards AFB During AESA Radar Upgrade Test Flight
An Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, California, on June 15, killing all eight crew members. The aircraft was on a test sortie for the AN/APQ-188 active electronically scanned array radar, part of the B-52 Radar Modernization Program replacing the legacy AN/APQ-166 mechanical radar system. The program is modernizing the B-52 fleet, whose planned service life now extends through 2050 and potentially beyond. The aircraft had previously received the upgraded radar at Port San Antonio before flying to Edwards for continued test operations. A formal accident investigation is underway.
Sources: Aviation Week, Air & Space Forces
Bell Completes First Two Wing Structures for MV-75 Cheyenne II Tiltrotor, Cutting Labor Hours 90% from V-22 Baseline
Bell Textron announced June 15 that it has completed both wing structures for the first two MV-75 Cheyenne II tiltrotor test aircraft, advancing the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program. Built entirely within Bell facilities, the wings incorporate composite skins and spars alongside a tailored aluminum substructure. The first wing required 90% fewer labor hours than the original V-22 Osprey wing built decades earlier; the second wing achieved an additional 40% reduction through manufacturing lessons learned. The completed structures will next be mated with fuselages currently under assembly at Bell’s Wichita facility, advancing the program toward its test flight phase.
Sources: Bell Newsroom, AeroTime
Airbus Reveals A350-1000ULR in Full Livery as Qantas Confirms London for Project Sunrise Launch
Airbus and Qantas revealed the first A350-1000ULR in full livery at Toulouse on June 17 and confirmed London-Heathrow as the inaugural destination for Project Sunrise nonstop services from Sydney, set to launch in October 2027. The ultra-long-range variant integrates an additional rear centre tank into the aircraft structure, extending range by 1,000 nautical miles. A New Generation Air Chiller replaces the baseline A350’s centralized refrigeration with galley-level cooling units, saving approximately 300 kilograms. Over 1,000 sensors are deployed throughout the fuselage to validate cabin comfort on flights of up to 22 hours covering nearly 10,000 nautical miles.
Sources: Airbus Newsroom, AeroTime
NASA X-59 Achieves Mach 1.4 at 55,000 Feet — Mission Conditions for Quiet Supersonic Community Overflights
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft reached Mach 1.4 at 55,000 feet during a June 12 flight, achieving for the first time the speed and altitude it will fly during planned community overflight surveys. The milestone followed the X-59’s first supersonic flight on June 5, when test pilot Jim Less reached approximately Mach 1.1 at 43,400 feet. The X-59 is designed to fly supersonic without generating a loud sonic boom, producing instead a quiet thump that NASA believes could justify lifting restrictions on overland civilian supersonic flight. Months of additional performance testing remain before community overflight data collection begins.
Sources: NASA Quesst Blog, FlightGlobal
UK Launches £219 Million SAF Fund as Airlines Warn of Advanced Sustainable Fuel Supply Shortfall
The UK government launched a £219 million fund on June 17 aimed at boosting domestic development of advanced sustainable aviation fuel. British airlines welcomed the initiative while simultaneously raising concerns about constrained advanced SAF supplies — the segment where production is most technically demanding and supply most limited. The fund is intended to accelerate advanced SAF production capacity in the United Kingdom. The announcement reflects the tension between expanding SAF policy mandates and real-world supply constraints, as the UK government presses ahead with requirements to increase the proportion of SAF blended into aviation fuel sold domestically.
Sources: FlightGlobal
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.