It was not the best of days for the team at Virgin Orbit, but it was an educational one.
After having to scrub a launch attempt on Sunday, May 24th, due to sensor issues, the VO team, finally had the chance to launch a rocket from the belly of their 747 carrier aircraft, 'Cosmic Girl' on Memorial Day. However, while they finally had the chance to release a rocket in real life, things went bad shortly thereafter. The LauncherOne liquid-fueled two-stage rocket angled skyward about 27°, as expected, at the moment of release. After a 4-second freefall, the first stage engine, NewtonThree, was supposed to ignite and allow the vehicle to accelerate to more than 8,000 miles per hour before staging and allowing the second stage to finish the trip to orbit. It was supposed to... but like many things in rocket testing, it didn't. After several years of engineering milestones and flight testing, Waco Aircraft has announced issuance of full FAA Certification on the WACO YMF-5F, the new-production open cockpit biplane on amphibious floats. Based on the Tailwheel YMF-5, the Amphibious YMF-5 is
handcrafted by a team of specialized artisans in Battle Creek, MI. A wing walk has been added to the right wing and grab handles have been integrated into both lower wings for effortless docking from either side. The frame receives an epoxy coating to prevent corrosion, and all hardware & cabling are stainless steel - ideal for both freshwater & saltwater operation. It is also the only WACO with landing gear controls! The Aircraft Electronics Association released its first-quarter 2020 Avionics Market Report. In the first three months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales amounted to $660,428,548.41, or more than $660 million as reported by the participating companies. The figure represented an 8.8% decrease in total sales compared to the first-quarter 2019 amount. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Airborne 05.27.20 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Wednesday, May 27th, 2020... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Host Sophie Hurlock. Sophie is supported by ANN Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, as well as ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell. This episode covers:
- Virgin Orbit Addresses Failure of First Launch Attempt
- WACO YMF-5F Certified!
- AEA Unveils First-Quarter 2020 Avionics Market Report
- NBAA, Coalition Petition FCC to Reconsider Approval of Ligado 5G Network
- Embry-Riddle to Resume Face-to-Face Instruction on June 30
- Coast Guard Aircrew Rescues 2 From Aground Houseboat In Napa River
- UND Announces Plans For A Phased Restart Of Flight Training
Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!
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