Airbus, maiden flight for the first C295 bound for India

Il first C295 intended forIndia successfully completed its maiden flight thus marking a significant milestone towards delivery, which will take place by the second half of 2023. The tactical aircraft took off from SevilleSpain, on May 5 at 11.45 local time (GMT+1) and landed at 14.45 after a 3-hour flight.

The first C295 for India represents a significant achievement

“This maiden flight is a significant achievement for the first Make in India aerospace programme. With the Indian Air Force set to become the largest C295 operator in the world, this program exemplifies our commitment to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF),” he said. Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems di Airbus Defence and Space.

India has purchased 56 C295s in September 2021 to replace the IAF’s AVRO fleet. The first 16 aircraft will be assembled in Seville and delivered to the customer in condition “fly-away”. The next 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India, as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

This program will significantly contribute to the development of the country’s military industrial ecosystem, from production to assembly, testing, delivery and maintenance throughout the aircraft’s life cycle. The C295 program comprises a total of 280 orders by 39 operators, an element that makes it an unequaled aircraft within its weight class and mission.

Airplane taking off at sunset. Silhouette of a big passenger or cargo aircraft, airline. Transportation

An artificial intelligence flew a military plane for 17 hours

An artificial intelligence he flew the trainer aircraft Lockheed Martin VISTA X-62A for over 17 hours. The plane VISTA (which stands for Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft), uses software to simulate the performance characteristics of other aircraft. But in this case, he emulated a human pilot.

Lockheed Martin reports that the flight took place during a trial period in December. This is the first time AI has moved a tactical aircraft, according to the company. This test will be the first of many: the goal is to test aircraft that will be able to fly autonomously.