The first KC-46A - tanker that will be delivered to the US Air Force next year - successfully completed the first flight and related tests at sea yesterday, taking off from Paine Field airport to 10: 32 and landing after about three hours and a half.
"Today's flight is another milestone for the Air Force / Boeing team and helps us get closer to delivering the operational aircraft to the armed force"said Colonel John Newberry, director of the KC-46 program for the US Air Force.
During the test, Boeing testers raised the aircraft to an altitude of 39.000 feet and performed operational checks on engines, flight controls and environmental systems, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Prior to subsequent tests, the team will conduct a post-flight inspection and calibrate the instrumentation.
"We are very proud of the aircraft and state-of-the-art capabilities it will provide to the US Air Force", said Mike Gibbons, vice president and program manager of the KC-46A of Boeing."We still have a lot of hard work to do, including the completion of FAA certification activities, but the team is working to ensure that at the time of delivery the tanker confirms - as a minimum - customer expectations".
The KC-46 is the seventh aircraft in the KC-46 program to have flown. The previous six, which are currently used for testing and certification, have accumulated 2.200 flight hours and made 1.600 "contacts" to date during refueling flights with F-16, F / A-18, AV-8B, C-17 , A-10, KC-10 and KC-46.
The KC-46, derived from the 767, is assembled in the Everett plant. Boeing is currently under contract for the first 34 of a total order of 179 tankers destined for the US Air Force.
The KC-46A is a multi-role aircraft capable of supplying all allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international air refueling procedures and can also carry passengers, goods and patients.
