Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Monday, June 22, 2026
FAA Investigates Runway Incursion at Boston Logan After Delta Go-Around
A Delta Air Lines aircraft was forced into a go-around at Boston Logan International Airport on June 20, 2026, after air traffic controllers cleared an American Airlines aircraft onto Runway 27 while Delta was landing on Runway 33L. The crossing runway paths created an acute collision risk that triggered Delta’s go-around manoeuvre. The FAA has opened a formal investigation into the incident. The Airport Surface Detection Equipment-X (ASDE-X) ground radar system — which monitors aircraft movements on airport surfaces and alerts controllers to potential runway conflicts — is under scrutiny as investigators examine whether clearance coordination procedures were followed.
Sources: Aviation A2Z
Airbus A350-1000ULR Begins Flight Test Campaign as Qantas Sets October 2027 for Project Sunrise
Airbus has launched the flight test campaign for the A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range), a structurally modified variant built for Qantas’s Project Sunrise non-stop service between Sydney, London and New York. Qantas confirmed on June 19, 2026, that commercial service will begin in October 2027. The ULR variant features a modified rear fuselage section with an integrated auxiliary fuel tank to extend range for the world’s longest commercial routes. More than 1,000 sensors have been installed on the test aircraft to characterise structural loads during the campaign, providing data Airbus needs to certify the structural modifications ahead of the planned 2027 entry-into-service.
Sources: CNN Travel
L3Harris Unveils VC-25B Bridge Presidential Aircraft After Record 10-Month Conversion
The United States Air Force has unveiled the VC-25B, a Boeing 747-8 aircraft converted to serve as a presidential transport bridge while new purpose-built VC-25C aircraft are developed. L3Harris Technologies completed the conversion in approximately ten months — a compressed schedule for military-grade modifications. The aircraft, donated to the United States by the Qatari royal family in 2025, underwent extensive structural and systems upgrades at L3Harris facilities to meet presidential mission requirements, including communications hardening and security installations. Now designated Air Force One when the president is aboard, the VC-25B entered a commissioning and certification flight phase following its June 19, 2026, public unveiling.
Sources: The Aviationist
NASA AACES Studies Identify Laminar Flow and Cryogenic Propulsion as 2050-Era Aviation Priorities
NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) program has yielded five industry and academic studies outlining technology pathways for ultra-efficient commercial aircraft targeting entry-into-service around 2050. Published in Aviation Week on June 19, 2026, the studies — conducted by teams including Aurora Flight Sciences, JetZero, Electra.aero and Pratt & Whitney — identify natural laminar flow wings and cryogenic propulsion as the leading technology candidates. Aurora’s Single Fuel Methane concept, one of the five AACES designs, pairs a laminar-flow wing with underfloor cryogenic fuel tanks. Cryogenic propulsion and laminar flow together rank highest across all five team reports.
Sources: Aviation Week
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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