Fueling First flight of the tanker test aircraft marks significant program milestone by james wallace Three days after Christmas, a 767 took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., on its first flight. That’s nothing unusual, of course. Boeing’s Everett plant is the production home of the 767. But this flight made aviation history. The 767-2C was the first test aircraft for the KC-46 tanker program. The flight, lasting just over three and a half hours, represented a significant step in Boeing’s commitment to deliver a new air-refueling tanker—the KC-46A Pegasus—to the Air Force. And it marked another milestone in Boeing’s long legacy of developing and building tankers for the U.S. Air Force. “Getting in the air is a really critical step in the life of this program and Photo: The tanker program’s first test aircraft completed its inaugural flight in December. Monica Wehri | BoeinG 14 Boeing Fronti ers
Frontiers February 2015 Issue
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