It may not seem like it, but the last 12 months have been fairly busy when it comes to new civil aircraft—and some not so new—entering flight testing. Among the more than dozen types that have taken to the skies are a handful of that new breed—electric-powered aircraft.
From rotorcraft to air-recoverable unmanned aircraft, combat aircraft to air-launched boosters, and stratospheric pseudosatellites to servicing spacecraft, the past 12 months have witnessed some significant firsts in military aviation and spaceflight.