Bombardier made the first flight of a Global Express in the UK's Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR)configuration on 3 August. The aircraft - a Bombardier development airframe - is fitted with a long canoe fairing under the forward fuselage for the synthetic aperture moving target indicator radar, and a satellite communications antenna fairing on the upper fuselage. The flight, from Bombardier's flight test centre in Wichita, Kansas, lasted 3.3h during which the aircraft flew to 25,000ft (7,600m) and reached 250kt (460km/h). The first of five ASTOR aircraft will be delivered to prime contractor Raytheon at its Greenville, Texas, facility next year for systems integration.
Source: Flight International
