Loyal Wingman UAV Conducts First High-Speed Taxi Test | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.12.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.06.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.07.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.09.25

Thu, Dec 24, 2020

Loyal Wingman UAV Conducts First High-Speed Taxi Test

Will Resume Final Taxi Tests And Preparations For Flight In Early 2021

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has completed the first high-speed taxi test of the Loyal Wingman in preparation for first flight.

Boeing test personnel monitored the aircraft’s performance and instrumentation from a ground control station to verify the functionality while the vehicle reached accelerated speeds. The uncrewed aircraft has been undergoing low-, medium-, and high-speed taxi testing at a remote test location in Australia.

“Our test program is progressing well, and we are happy with the ground test data we have collected to date,” said Paul Ryder, Boeing Flight Test manager. “We are working with the Air Warfare Centre to complete final test verifications to prepare for flight testing in the new year.”

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force will resume final taxi tests and preparations for flight in early 2021 when the range reopens.

RAAF Head of Air Force Capability Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts said seeing the aircraft in person during the December trials had been extraordinary.

“There is something very special about testing an aircraft that takes technology to the next level. It is iconic in its own way,” said Roberts. “Experiencing the enthusiasm of the Boeing and Air Force team reminded me of my early career testing aircraft.”

“This is what innovation is all about – working together to achieve many firsts,” she said.

More than 35 Australian suppliers on the Australian industry team have contributed to the aircraft development, including investment partner BAE Systems Australia, which has been embedded with the Boeing test team on-site.

“In the past year alone, we have made amazing strides on this aircraft, taking it from a fuselage to a finished aircraft that has undergone rigorous testing,” said Dr. Shane Arnott, program director of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System.

“Our focus now is on conducting a safe and secure flight-test regimen for the Loyal Wingman program.”

FMI: www.boeing.com/defense/airpower-teaming-system

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.13.25)

“...no entity, whether a division of government or a private company or corporation, may use information broadcast or collected by automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast >[...]

IAG Orders 76 Boeing, Airbus Airliners

Growth And Fleet Replacements On The Way International Airlines Group, a joint holding company between British and Spanish air carriers, announced it has ordered up to 76 new Boein>[...]

FAA Shuts Down ATC Oversight Review Amid Scrutiny

Expert Analysts Scrutinized the FAA’s Oversight of ATC Organization In a move that appears somewhat mistimed (at best…tone-deaf at worst), the Federal Aviation Adminis>[...]

Montana’s ADS-B Privacy Bill Signed Into Law

Community Continues to Push Back Against ADS-B-Facilitated Landing Fees On May 8, a bill to limit frivolous use of ADS-B tracking data was signed into law by Montana Governor Greg >[...]

Newark Falls Victim to More Equipment Outages

Duffy Shares Plans to Scale Back Flights at Newark Liberty International After a ‘telecommunications issue’ with Philadelphia TRACON brought yet another string of delay>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC