simulator if they’re difficult.” Each of the early MAX test flights is trailed by a chase plane, a former T-33 or T-38 military jet trainer, which carries a flight-test photographer and pilot. They wear parachutes and occupy ejection seats. The photographer is responsible for documenting each flight with photographs, video or high-speed video. It’s no easy job trying to capture images at jet speed or through a reflective jet canopy, said John Parker, Boeing photography and video team leader. “You can’t throw just any photographer into a chase plane; he or she needs to know what’s going on,” Parker said. “It’s not for the faint of heart. You have to be prepared for anything to happen—they’re testing for the unknown.” MAX flight testing so far has been noteworthy for its efficiency, according to David Loffing, engineering integration chief engineer for the 737 MAX. Planning that began four years ago has significantly reduced the hours needed to push the airplane through the process, he said. Instrumentation was installed and calibrated in the factory, a big timesaver. Test data have been gathered for multiple groups rather than gathered at multiple times. The number of hours spent testing the MAX has dropped nearly in half from the Next-Generation 737 flight-test program in 1997, Loffing said. Program-to-program teamwork has been the key, preventing unforeseen delays and uninterrupted testing, he said. “It’s been the engineering team working really tight with our factory operations,” Loffing said. “When the flight-test airplanes started coming through the factory, we were there, asking, ‘What are the issues and how can we help?’ As a result, we got a very clean airplane out of it.” • DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM 16 | BOEING FRONTIERS
Frontiers May 2016 Issue
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