Global Hawk Block 30 arrives for ASIP testing

The 452nd Flight Test Squadron here is scheduled to begin a series of developmental flight tests on the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 in February. The aircraft arrived in Edwards on a ferry flight Nov. 16 from the Northrop Grumman Palmdale, CA facility. The unmanned Block 30 aircraft carries the

Global Hawk Block 40 rollout

Global Hawk Block-20 arrives for 18-month testing

Edwards welcomed the first production RQ-4 Block-20 Global Hawk from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., on March 1 to begin 18 months of testing here. The Block-20 is the first of a new series of Global Hawks including Blocks 30 and 40. "It is an exciting day for the Air Force, the

Global Hawk completes 2,000 missions, 30,000 hours

The RQ-4 Global Hawk reached two milestones recently by completing its 30,000th flight hour and 2,000th mission. The Global Hawk performed its first flight here Feb. 28, 1998. In the past 11 years, it has been completing various missions such as test performance and payload evaluations here, and

Global Hawk completes wet runway testing

The Global Vigilance Combined Test Force's 452nd Flight Test Squadron achieved an important milestone by completing wet runway taxi testing on the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle -- the first-ever wet runway testing performed on an unmanned aircraft -- May 3.The purpose of this test was to

Global Hawk icing tests open doors to ease flight restrictions

Whenever the Global Hawk begins a mission, it has to travel through a certain area of the atmosphere that, under certain conditions, can create ice on the aircraft, adding weight and aerodynamic drag.A cloud deck from about 8,000 feet to 22,000 feet is the main concern for the Global Hawk, according

Global Hawk looks slick in wet runway test

At the crack of dawn, a force of Airmen, civilians and contractors work in choreographed precision to conduct a test which will only last one minute. That's what it takes to conduct a wet runway test for the new RQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk at Edwards AFB. The 452nd Flight Test Squadron has been

Global Hawk makes emergency landing

An Edwards RQ-4A UAS made an emergency landing just after midnight here May 28 on Rogers Dry Lake bed, adjacent to the airfield. The block 20 Global Hawk, AF-9, experienced flight control problems while on a local flight test sortie. Pilots performed a unique series of flight control maneuvers and

Global Hawk passes fuel test at 20 degrees

The 452nd Flight Test Squadron pushed the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 to its fuel system limits during a weeklong starvation test here from Oct. 1 to 4. The testing involved tilting the aircraft to a 20-degree attitude while running the aircraft out of fuel inside the weight and balance hanger. "The

Global Hawk returns to flight

The Global Hawk returned to the skies high above Edwards Air Force Base and Air Force officials say the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft is now better than ever. Only three months after experiencing a mishap that should have cost the 452nd Flight Test Squadron the loss of its star