General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, manufacturer of the Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, announced the availability of a new trailing arm design for the Reaper’s main landing gear. The company is currently in contract talks with the Air Force to retrofit the existing fleet with the arm, company spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz told the Daily Report. The new gear is one of several features that the company is including in the Reaper Block 5 configuration. Among it benefits, the arm design enables a 30-percent increase in landing-weight capacity, has a maintenance-free shock absorber, and provides provisions for automatic takeoff and landing capability and for anti-lock brake system upgrades. The new gear underwent full qualification, fatigue, and flight testing in January 2011. Kasitz said any new MQ-9s would be delivered with the new gear installed after production cut-in.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American
