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Aviation History
1975
1975 - 0073.PDF
wtutmmumm The B-1 makes first flight The prototype Rockwell Internation al B-1 bomber was airborne for the first time on December 23 when it flew from the company's Palmdale, Calif, facility to the United States Air Force test base at Edwards. The flight, over a triangular pattern, lasted for lhr 20min and the aircraft was taken to 200kt and 10,000ft. Under carriage, slats and flaps were de ployed during the entire flight and the wings remained in the fully forward position. Some basic aircraft and engine handling was carried out and the flight-test telemetry at Edwards checked out. In the left-hand seat for the maiden flight was Charles C. Bock, chief test pilot for Rockwell, and in the right- hand seat was Col Ted Sturmthal, director of the B-1 Joint Test Force at Edwards. Richard Abrams, manager of flight test planning and control at Rockwell, was the flight engineer. The second flight is due to take place some time after January 20 when engine air starts are likely to be done as well as further handling trials. Cruise performance and dry air- refuelling tests are scheduled for flight three and full air-refuelling will be achieved as soon as possible after wards. Extended overwater flights at low level are due to begin possibly as early as flight four or five so wings will have to be fully swept, initially during high-level cruise, before this. Flutter investigation is to begin with the low-level flights and will initially last for about three months. The air craft is scheduled to make about three flights per month which allows plenty of time for extra flights to gather more data or solve problems as they arise. The second B-1 is at present being instrumented for 100 per cent load tests which will probably begin this month and last until August, The third aircraft, due to fly before the second in early 1976, is slightly ahead of schedule at the moment and will probably go into final assembly before the end of January. The B-1 lifts off from Palmdale on its maiden flight (above) and displays its extensive though comparatively simple high-lift devices (below). The most serious mishap during ground tests was the detachment of an intake blow-in door and its ingestion by one engine which had to be replaced. The final I35kt taxi trial was cancelled since rotation, the primary test point, was satisfactorily achieved at about HOkt \
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