Excalibur Rising: 2Excel's FCAS/GCAP Flight Test Aircraft Takes Shape | Aviation International News

Farnborough Airshow 2024

Excalibur Rising: GCAP’s Flight Test Aircraft Takes Shape

The modified Boeing 757 will fly with a first round of antenna fairings installed

2Excel — 2Excel is taking an iterative approach to modification of the 757 flight test aircraft, testing the side and central fairings before returning the aircraft to Lasham for further modifications.

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

July 23, 2024

The Excalibur Flight Test Aircraft (FTA) assigned to the UK’s Future Combat Air System project and the tri-national Global Combat Air Program is taking shape on schedule. 2Excel Aviation is outfitting a Boeing 757, a former airliner, to carry the sensor package being developed for the FCAS and subsequent GCAP.

Leonardo serves as the UK’s industrial sensor lead in the UK and tri-national programs and has worked closely with 2Excel in defining the FTA’s configuration. Both companies expect that the FTA could appear at the next Farnborough Air Show in its full fairing configuration, and with some elements of the FCAS/GCAP’s Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects & Integrated Communications System (ISANKE & ICS) installed.

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