Boeing’s 
Phantom Ray uninhabited aircraft test bed has arrived at Edwards AFB, Calif., for flight testing. The aircraft did not make the 1,800 mile journey to Edwards from St. Louis on its own power, but rather carried in a special cradle atop a modified NASA 747 used to ferry space shuttles. In fact, Phantom Ray became the first aircraft other than the space shuttles to hitch a ride on the shuttle carrier aircraft. On the day before the Dec. 14 ferry ride to Edwards, Boeing engineers conducted a test ride from St. Louis’ Lambert International Airport to verify that both aircraft were aerodynamically and structurally safe for the West Coast journey, according to the company’s release. Succeeding in this endeavor was “a real feat of engineering,” said Phantom Ray program manager Craig Brown. Phantom Ray completed ground taxi tests in St. Louis in November.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.