The first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer for the U.S. Air Force has completed its 1400-mile (2250 kilometre) cross-country flight to Edwards Air Force Base in California to begin its next phase of flight testing.
The aircraft, known as APT-2, is the first production representative jet off the assembly line and was piloted by a joint U.S. Air Force and Boeing aircrew.
The T-7A Red Hawk made stops at Air Force bases in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona to refuel and offer base employees a firsthand look at the new advanced trainer before the final leg to Edwards.
Boeing delivered the first Red Hawk to the Air Force on 15 September.
“This is a pivotal moment for the T-7 program,” said Evelyn Moore, vice president and program manager, T-7 programs.
“Bringing the T-7A Red Hawk to the heart of the U.S. Air Force’s test community at Edwards for dynamic flight testing will prove the jet’s performance as an agile and safe trainer for future pilots.”
Once Air Force test pilots are familiar with the aircraft, they will expand the flight envelope starting with flutter testing. Two other Red Hawks will follow to test various flight attributes and systems as part of a rigorous series of tests.
“Like most test programs, we’ll have discovery and we’ll overcome it quickly,” said Colonel Kirt Cassell, division chief, US Air Force, T-7A Red Hawk program.
“This is the right team to go after any challenges we find.”
In 2018, the US Air Force awarded Boeing a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support.
The T-7A will replace the Air Force’s aging T-38 aircraft.