First KC-46A test aircraft takes shape in final assembly By Eric Fetters-Walp “It’s pretty amazing. It’s a great airplane, and I think we’ll sell these for years and years.” – Steven Olson, mechanic, Tool Engineering With three major fuselage sections moved into the 767 Final Body Join area of the Everett, Wash., factory, Kyle Babcock drilled the first few rivet holes to begin joining the forward and aft sections. It’s something he does routinely, but on the morning of Nov. 14, this task had special significance. The sections he began riveting together are part of the first test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling tanker, the KC-46A. “It’s awesome. I’m so happy we were able to land the contract and further the company’s future with this airplane,” said Babcock, a leader for the 767 program’s upper structures team. The aircraft being assembled in Everett are derivatives of Boeing’s 767 jetliner, which will eventually be finished as aerial refueling tankers at Boeing Field in Seattle. Boeing will build 179 tankers for the U.S. Air Force between now and 2027 if all options under the current contract are exercised. Following a prolonged contract bidding process, years of planning and five months of production work, the entry of the first next-generation tanker into final PHOTO: The first KC-46A test aircraft is shown in the production line at the Everett, Wash., factory. The wings had not yet been joined to the fuselage. BOB FERGUSON/BOEING BOEING FRONTIERS / DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014 27
Frontiers December 2013—January 2014 Issue
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