The first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base to begin U.S. Air Force flight testing. The flight showcased the new advanced trainer aircraft to future US Air Force fighter and bomber pilots. The first tests will be those of flutter while the device will be subjected to an expansion of its flight envelope.
The first T-7A Red HAwk at Edwards AFB
The first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base to begin U.S. Air Force flight testing. The flight, which crosses or rather flies over the United States, made it possible to present the new advanced training aircraft to future fighter and bomber pilots of the US Air Force. The first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer aircraft for the US Air Force has completed its 1,400-mile (or approximately 2,592 km) “cross-country” flight to the legendary Edwards Air Force Base in California to begin its next phase. flight tests.
APT-2 ready for…
The aircraft, known as the APT-2, is the first representative mass production aircraft to roll off the assembly line and was flown by a joint crew of the US Air Force and Boeing. The T-7A Red Hawk stopped at U.S. Air Force bases in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona to refuel and provide base employees with a preview of the new advanced trainer aircraft before the last step towards Edwards. Boeing delivered the first Red Hawk to the Air Force on September 15. “This is a pivotal moment for the T-7 program,” said Evelyn Moore, vice president and head of T-7 programs. “Bringing the T-7A Red Hawk into the heart of the U.S. Air Force test community at Edwards for dynamic flight testing will prove the jet’s performance as an agile and safe trainer for future pilots,” she added.
…A flight test campaign which begins with flutter tests
Once U.S. Air Force test pilots become familiar with the aircraft, they will expand the flight envelope starting with aeroelastic coupling testing. Two more Red Hawks will follow to test various flight attributes and systems in a series of rigorous trials. “Like most test programs, we will have some findings and we will overcome them quickly,” said Col. Kirt Cassell, U.S. Air Force division chief, T-7A Red Hawk program. “This is the right team to meet any challenges we face.” In 2018, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainer aircraft, 46 simulators and support. The T-7A is intended to replace the Air Force’s sleek but aging Northrop T-38 Talon.
