Scott Nicholas
Boeing has added a sixth aircraft to its tanker test program to help expand the company’s capacity to conduct ground and flight-test activities.
The company said Tuesday that it conducted test activities on the new KC-46A multi-role tanker to evaluate the aircraft’s capacity to operate through radar- and radio tower-produced electromagnetic fields.
“Adding another tanker will help us to become even more efficient and significantly improve our ability to complete test points going forward,” said Jeanette Croppi, Boeing KC-46A tanker test team director.
“We are also re-configuring one of our 767-2C aircraft into a tanker, which means we soon will have four KC-46 tankers in test.”
Boeing’s test aircraft have recorded more than 1,600 flight hours and 1,200 “contacts” throughout refueling flights performed using F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10 and KC-10 aircraft.
