Successful Test Flight Gets Second Flight Test Article Into Program

A Boeing P-8A Poseidon test aircraft (T2) took off from Renton Field, Friday, to begin its first flight. T2 took off at 10:32 a.m. Pacific time and landed two hours and 56 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle at 1:28 p.m.

The flight plan for T2, painted in its new U.S. Navy livery, included a flyby of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., to give Navy personnel a close-up look at the Poseidon. The Navy is purchasing 117 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3Cs.

The anti-submarine warfare aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet as pilots performed airborne systems checks such as engine accelerations and decelerations, autopilot flight modes and auxiliary power unit shutdowns and starts.

Boeing's team is developing the P-8A Poseidon for the U.S. Navy. The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As with the first test aircraft to be delivered in 2009. Initial operational capability is scheduled for 2013. In January 2009 Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing believes there are numerous other opportunities for international sales to countries currently operating P-3s or similar maritime patrol aircraft. International interest has been expressed by a number of countries.

The team started production on the first of five test aircraft December 11, 2007 at industry partner Spirit AeroSystems’ Wichita, Kan., facility. Fuselage assemblies come together on Spirit’s existing Next-Generation 737 production line. Spirit delivered the first fuselage to Boeing in late March 2008 and final assembly of the aircraft began the same day in Renton, Wash. On-schedule assembly milestones that followed included wing-to-body join and the start of a moving line in May, completion of “power on” and engine installation in June and completion of final assembly in July. 

T2 is the third of five test aircraft being assembled and tested as part of the System Development and Demonstration contract that Boeing received in 2004. T1, the program’s first test aircraft, completed its first flight on April 25.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.navy.mil