Boeing, US Navy successfully complete test flight of unmanned aerial refueler
The passing of this important step is giving the unmanned aerial refueler hope for a promising future.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFBoeing and the US Navy have for the first time flown the MQ-25 T1 test asset with an Aerial Refueling Store. (Credit: Boeing)
For the first time, Boeing and the US Navy flew the MQ-25 T1 test plane with an Aerial Refueling Store (ARS) mounted under its wing to test its aerodynamics, and it was a success.The passing of this important step is giving the unmanned aerial refueler hope for a promising future.“Having a test asset flying with an ARS gets us one big step closer in our evaluation of how MQ-25 will fulfill its primary mission in the fleet – aerial refueling,” said Capt. Chad Reed, the US Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager.The flight was conducted by Boeing test pilots operating from a ground control station at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill.Future flights will continue to test the aerodynamics of the aircraft and the ARS at various points of the flight envelope, eventually progressing to extension and retraction of the hose and drogue used for refueling, said Boeing in a statement.First introduced by Boeing in 2018, the aircraft completed its first test flight in September 2019.
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