Flightglobal reported a number of first flights in 2008 which kickstarted a range of flight test programmes. Not in any particular order here is how we reported the milestones....
MARTIN JETPACK
Crowds packed Aeroshell Square to see the first-ever manned jetpack flight at AirVenture – and it was over before most onlookers could see... Read on.
See FlightBlogger's jetpack coverage
PHENOM 300
The Embraer Phenom 300, performed its first flight yesterday from the Embraer's Gavião Peixoto test runway.
The first Phenom 300, serial number 99801 is expected to enter service in the second half 2009.
CESSNA CJ4
Cessna Aircraft flew its CJ4 business jet for the first time on 5 May from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.“We tested quite a number of the systems on the aircraft, including the autopilot, and all performed very well,” said senior engineering test pilot Dan Morris, speaking after the 2h 22min flight.
The CJ4’s test instruments were monitored using telemetry at Cessna’s engineering centre at Mid-Continent Airport, where the aircraft landed.
CIRRUS SJ50 VISION
Cirrus has flown into the jet world and its SJ50 Vision arrived in Oshkosh for its first public outing less than four weeks after its first flight.
PIPERJET
Piper Aircraft has successfully flown its prototype six-passenger single-engine PiperJet from the company’s home base in Vero Beach, Florida.
ECLIPSE 400
The company that introduced the first very light jet has disclosed today developing an even lighter, single-engine aircraft currently called the Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ).ARJ21
- PICTURES: China's ARJ21 completes first flight
China's new regional jet aircraft, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's ARJ21-700, has successfully completed its first flight.
China's first indigenous regional jet, the ARJ21-700, finally completed its first flight this week, around six months later than originally scheduled.BOEING 777F
Boeing's 777 Freighter completed its 3.5h maiden flight from the airframer's Everett plant near Seattle on 14 July.
SUKHOI SUPERJET 100
- Sukhoi Superjet takes to the air
The first flight of the 95-seat PowerJet SaM146-equipped 98-seater from the KnAAPO plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in far eastern Russia lasted 1h 5min.
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At the controls were Sukhoi Civil Aircraft's chief test pilot Alexander Yablontsev and test pilot Leonid Chikunov. During the flight the Superjet 100 climbed to 4,000ft (1,200m)
WHITEKNIGHTTWO
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo mothership WhiteKnightTwo made its historic 59min maiden flight at about 08:16 local time on 21 December from Mojave air and spaceport, reaching a maximum altitude of 16,000ft (4,880m).
MA600
Xian Aircraft's MA600 turboprop has completed its first test flight as part of its efforts to gain Chinese certification.
Xian Aircraft has so far only built one MA600 and according to an employee for the company's marketing department only one is needed for the test programme because the MA600 is very similar to the Xian Aircraft MA60 which already has Chinese certification.
Bombardier CRJ 1000
After initial test flights from Mirabel, the CRJ1000 - which was created through the modification of the CRJ900 prototype - has moved to Bombardier's flight-test centre in Wichita, Kansas.
It will be joined by the first production CRJ1000 to prepare for entry into service and review by the flight operations evaluation board which comprise pilots from Transport Canada, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The 100-seater is due to enter commercial service in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
