Fifth test flight for Boeing 747-8 Freighter

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing says it has successfully conducted the first flight of the fifth 747-8 Freighter earlier this month.


The aircraft, coded as RC523, took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, for a 3.5 hour flight before returning to Paine Field.


The flight included a standard 2.5 hour "B1" flight profile that Boeing conducts on all production airplanes prior to delivery, plus an hour of engineering testing, said a report on PRNewswire.


"The airplane performed well," said Andy Hammer, test programme manager for the 747-8. "It was a fine start to the test plan for this airplane."


This is the fifth 747-8 Freighter being used in the flight-test programme. Boeing said that each aircraft is used for a specific set of tests, with this particular plane focusing on functionality and reliability testing.


The aircraft is expected to be based at Paine Field throughout its test plan.


A report by London's AirCargo News said that Boeing's second test aircraft that took flight just over a year ago examined new navigation equipment.


It said that Boeing found a buffet problem with the third test aircraft, involving turbulence coming off the landing gear doors interfering with the inboard flaps. The fourth 747-8 Freighter was said to have been used to conduct non-instrumented, or minimally instrumented, tests.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)