Scaled Composites

Old School is in the skies again! Scaled Composites is returning this Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance aircraft to its role as a developmental testbed. Learn more at scaled.com/2024/10/04/old… #flighttest #reflight #testbed #flying #experimentalaircraft #OldSchool #firebird

Yesterday's first flight of Model 437 Vanguard was Test Pilot Brian Maisler’s first time conducting the first flight of a new aircraft type! Learn more at scaled.com/portfolio/vang… #FirstFlightFridays #FlightTest #TestPilot #M437Vanguard #pilot #flying

By using our advanced digital engineering methods to build new wings for @ScaledC’s Model 437 Vanguard, we brought engineering rework on the project down to less than one percent. Learn more: news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/…

Scaled is excited to share that this morning we conducted the first flight of the Model 437 Vanguard, demonstrating @northropgrumman's Digital Pathfinder wings with test pilot Brian Maisler in command. Learn more at scaled.com/2024/08/29/fir… #FirstFlight #FlightTest #M437Vanguard

The Model 309 Adam was a proof-of-concept aircraft Scaled developed for Adam Aircraft Industries to explore a push-pull twin-engine for safer handling in the event of an engine out. #FirstFlightFridays #twinengine #proofofconcept #adamaircraft

In the mid-1990’s, Scaled Composites built X-38 atmospheric test vehicles for NASA – a prototype of an astronaut crew return vehicle for the International Space Station. On March 12, 1998, a B-52 carried one aloft to drop for its first “free flight”! #FirstFlightFridays #NASA

On March 5th twenty years ago, GlobalFlyer made the first step towards setting records when Jon Karkow took it up for its first flight! Learn more about GlobalFlyer at: buff.ly/3VatrTq #FirstFlightFridays #20thanniversary #20yearsago #flying #worldrecord

Want to listen through the hangar doors for Scaled Composites’ “secret sauce” and how we prepare for first flights? Greg Morris and Pete Siebold chat with the team on the Airplane Geeks Podcast this week: buff.ly/4c0JJnN #airplanegeeks #secretsauce #podcast #interview

February 23rd is the anniversary of the X-47A’s first flight in 2003 – Scaled built the airframe for this kite-shaped UCAV demonstrator before delivering it to Northrop Grumman for systems installation and flight test. Learn more at buff.ly/3SAqsjY #FirstFlightFridays

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are some more Scaled Valentines for the airplane fans in your life. #valentinesday #valentinesday2024 #letsbefriends

Phoenix, built as the Firebird Demonstrator for @NorthropGrumman, made its first flight on February 9, 2010! This aircraft is optionally-manned and in 2011 proved out its autonomous flight capabilities with a safety pilot on board. #FirstFlightFridays #FirebirdDemonstrator #OTD

Model 429 “Dash-1” is a UAV Scaled built to demonstrate a new construction technique: with a 9.5 foot wingspan, this small aircraft was catapult launched into its first flight on February 6, 2020! #FirstFlightFridays #UAV #experimentalaircraft buff.ly/3Us5Aya

Scaled has been involved in all sorts of flying vehicles over the years, even balloons! Global Hilton was an 8-foot carbon-fiber spherical gondola for Dave Melton and Dick Rutan’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe by balloon in 1998. #FirstFlightFridays #gondola #balloon

The CM-44 was a boxy little canard-pusher aircraft built for California Microwave Inc. – its first flight was piloted by Mike Melvill in February of 1987! #FirstFlightFridays #Canard #FlightTest

Microlight holds a special place in Scaled’s history as the very first flight: flying this canard in January of 1983 is how we started our record of one first flight per year, which we still maintain! #firstflightfridays #microlight #history #aviation #airplane

Happy New Year! 2023 was an exciting year within our hangars, and Scaled is looking forward to what 2024 will bring! #happynewyear #newyear

Happy Holidays to all!

Happy first day of Winter! While Scaled rarely gets snow in the desert, we still spruce things up with some themed decorations - like paper snowflakes based on Scaled airplanes! #wintersolstice #hellowinter #papersnowflakes #craft #snow

Today in 2003, SpaceShipOne celebrated the centennial of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in style – with its first powered flight! #20thanniversary #WrightBrothersDay #firstflights #spaceflight #OTD

Applications close soon for Scaled’s Summer of 2024 Flight Operations internship – if you want to join us next summer, get those applications in quick! Apply now: scaled.com/internship/ #flightopsintern #flightoperations #internship #intern #2024intern