Long-Endurance Development Testbed Returns To The Skies

Scaled Composites announced that its Model 355 Old School is returning to the air to once again serve as a developmental testbed.

After several years in storage, Scaled Composites is bringing the Old School back into its test fleet as a developmental testbed with proven extended endurance, up to 11 hours, and its payload flexibility. The Old School was originally built as the Firebird Demonstrator for Northrop Grumman.

The aircraft’s options for payload integration support a total of 1280 pounds, with the primary payload bay behind the cockpit at 24 cubic feet (4’x3’x2’) with an access opening of 45 x 24 inches. Additional internal volumes for payload are available in the cockpit and nosecone.

Old School also has external payload mounting options including above and below the fuselage, the forward tail booms, and hard points beneath the wings. The aircraft has supported an array of test projects such as engine development, sense and avoid, and telecommunications.

Test pilot Dr. Mike McLean was at the controls for the flight. It was his first flight in Old School and he said this about it, “Old School is a great airplane – it is amazing how well built it is to go right back out and do it again. It makes my job easy and speaks to the quality of the design and build that we can go right back into test.”

Scaled Composites was founded in 1982 by Burt Rutan and is located in Mojave, California. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation.

FMI:  scaled.com/