Boeing [BA] has begun flight-testing the first KC-46A Pegasus refueling plane that it plans to deliver to the U.S. Air Force, the company announced late Dec. 5.
During the tanker’s first flight, the 767 derivative took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 10:32 a.m. Pacific time on Dec. 5 and flew for about three and a half hours, the company said. The jet climbed to as high as 39,000 feet and underwent checks of its engines, flight controls and environmental systems.
The first flight “is another milestone for the Air Force-Boeing team and helps move us closer to delivering operational aircraft to the warfighter,” said Col. John Newberry, the Air Force’s KC-46 program manager.
Boeing intends to deliver the tanker to the Air Force next year. It had hoped to reach that milestone in December but was slowed by difficulties obtaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (Defense Daily, June 6).
While the program has six other planes, those aircraft are being used for testing and certification. They have flown 2,200 hours and completed more than 1,600 contacts during refueling flights with A-10, AV-8B, C-17, F-16, F/A-18, KC-10 and KC-46 aircraft.
The Air Force plans to acquire 179 KC-46As by 2027 to begin replacing its aging tankers. Boeing is under contract for the first 34 and is slated to deliver the first 18 in 2018.