Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Friday, June 19, 2026
Lockheed Skunk Works and Divergent Reveal Additively Manufactured One-Way Attack Drone Built in Under a Year
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division and manufacturing partner Divergent Technologies have revealed Project Dragonfly, a jet-powered one-way attack unmanned aircraft system built entirely through additive manufacturing and robotic assembly. The collaboration produced a platform with a nine-foot wingspan and 400-pound gross weight, advancing from concept to first article in under twelve months. Divergent’s DAPS platform generates structural components without conventional tooling or fasteners, compressing schedule and reducing supply chain dependence. The effort builds on Lockheed’s 2024 strategic investment in Divergent and demonstrates that additively manufactured structural components can meet the aerodynamic loading and performance requirements of high-speed combat aircraft without relying on traditional manufacturing infrastructure.
Sources: The Defense Post
National Academies Urges FAA to Treat In-Flight Cosmic Radiation as Occupational Hazard for Airline Crews
A congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine urges the FAA to treat in-flight cosmic radiation as an occupational hazard and revise its approach to monitoring and protecting flight crews. Commercial airline crews receive among the highest occupational radiation doses of any U.S. workforce because high-altitude flight reduces atmospheric shielding against high-energy cosmic particles. Current FAA monitoring and communication practices are inconsistent and insufficient compared to protections covering other radiation-exposed worker categories. The report calls for formal oversight standards, improved career-exposure tracking, clearer crew education on dose management, and practical mitigation strategies accounting for altitude, latitude, flight duration, and solar activity.
Sources: AIN Online
FAA Proposes Airworthiness Directive for Airbus AS355 Helicopter Tail Rotor Component Misidentification
The FAA proposed an airworthiness directive on June 18 for all Airbus Helicopters AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N helicopters, targeting incorrect identification of tail rotor drive fan wheels and impeller second stage components during production. The proposed AD requires operators to verify part serial numbers and amend log cards of affected components, then perform a one-time borescope inspection to confirm consistency between records and installed parts. Components that cannot be reconciled must be replaced or re-identified. Loss of traceability for these rotating tail rotor parts could allow undetected fatigue failure, with a potential consequence of loss of helicopter control. The FAA accepts comments through August 3, 2026.
Sources: Federal Register
FAA Publishes Multiple Airworthiness Directives for the Airbus AS350 and EC130 Helicopter Family
The FAA published multiple final airworthiness directives on June 16 targeting the Airbus AS350 helicopter family, including separate ADs covering AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, and AS350D variants, and additional directives for AS350B2, AS350B3, EC130B4, and EC130T2 models. The directives address safety conditions including primary structural component integrity and tail rotor system reliability. All carry an effective date of July 21, 2026, prompted by corresponding EASA directives issued in 2024 and 2025. Operators must review applicable AD documentation for their specific variant and perform required inspections and corrective actions to prevent conditions that, if unaddressed, could result in loss of control of the helicopter.
Sources: Federal Register
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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