Boeing’s 747-8 progresses

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11 March 2010

Boeing says that it has completed initial airworthiness testing on the new 747-8 Freighter.
 

March 11: Boeing says that it has completed initial airworthiness testing on the new 747-8 Freighter, enabling test engineers to now be on board future flights to expand the flight test envelope.

Since the first flight 13 more have been achieved with the aircraft reaching an altitude of 30,000ft (9,144m) and a speed of Mach 0.65. Initial stall tests and other dynamic manoeuvres have been run, as well as an extensive checkout of the its systems.

"This is a critical milestone in our test and certification plan," said Andy Hammer, test programme manager for the 747-8. "With the addition of the other two aircraft in the near future, the test programme will ramp up significantly." The 747-8 will be taken to more than 43,000ft (13,106m) and a speed of Mach 0.97 in the near future and beyond expected operational conditions. In all, 3,700 hours of testing will be done using three test aircraft over the next six months.

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