The first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer for the U.S. Air Force has completed its 1,400-mile cross-country flight to Edwards Air Force Base in California to begin its next phase of flight testing.
The T-7A, identified as the APT-2, is the first production aircraft to roll off the assembly line, flown by a joint US Air Force and Boeing crew.
The T-7A Red Hawk made stops at Air Force bases in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona for refuelling, giving base personnel a sneak preview of this new advanced trainer before its final destination at Edwards. Boeing previously delivered the first Red Hawk to the Air Force on 15 September.
“This is a pivotal moment for the T-7 programme,” said Evelyn Moore, vice president and program manager, T-7 programmes. “Bringing the T-7A Red Hawk to the heart of the U.S. Air Force’s test community at Edwards for dynamic flight testing will prove the jet’s performance as an agile and safe trainer for future pilots.”
Once the Air Force test pilots have familiarised themselves with the aircraft, they will extend the flight envelope, starting with flutter tests. Two more Red Hawks will follow to evaluate various flight attributes and systems in rigorous tests.
“Like most test programs, we’ll have discovery and we’ll overcome it quickly,” said Col. Kirt Cassell, division chief, U.S. Air Force, T-7A Red Hawk program. “This is the right team to go after any challenges we find.”
The collaboration in the cockpit represents the construct of the T-7A Integrated Test Force, which will see Air Force and Boeing team members working shoulder-to-shoulder to rapidly test and certify the aircraft. The T-7A team has been leveraging digital transformation through Distributed Test Operations since 2019. This method allows seamless networked capability between Boeing’s facilities in St. Louis and mission control rooms at Edwards.
In 2018, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support. The T-7A will replace the Air Force’s ageing T-38 aircraft. The last T-38 Talon to come off the Northrop assembly line was in 1972, more than 50 years ago.
The name “Red Hawk” honours the legacy of Tuskegee Airmen and pays homage to their signature red-tailed aircraft from World War II.
