Entrepreneurs Tap Into Airborne ISR Testing Needs

In an era of austerity, it might be counterintuitive to suggest that aviation and defense subsystems and equipment manufacturers could save money by doing more flight testing. But this is the pitch that a small company operating from this quiet, art deco-styled airfield in the heart of Britain has turned into a viable and growing business. At its core is an idea that has the potential to revolutionize aerospace development. “When I was in the military it felt like test and evaluation went: develop, develop, develop, develop, test, fail; redevelop, redevelop, test; is that good enough?” says Chris Norton, cofounder of 2Excel Aviation. “Instead of that, our big idea is to go: develop, test; develop, test; develop, test. So you make fewer mistakes, you don't go down blind alleys, you don't create something that nobody wants.” ...