WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s first T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft on Wednesday landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it’s going to soon start more intensive flight testing.
The T-7 took off Tuesday from Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, facility, where it was built, to start the 1,400-mile trip to Edwards, the service said.
Its Air Force and Boeing pilots stopped at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma and Kirtland Air Force Base in Latest Mexico later that day for refueling and to rest for the night. On Wednesday, they continued onto Luke Air Force Base in Arizona for an additional stop before arriving at Edwards.
“The ferry to Edwards marks a significant milestone for the T-7 program as we enter developmental flight test to search out out just what this aircraft can do,” T-7 program manager Col. Kirt Cassell said in a press release. “I’ve challenged the collective team to maintain up the momentum and teamwork as we still have a protracted strategy to go.”
Boeing said in a separate statement that the T-7′s first test flights at Edwards, after the Air Force’s test pilots grow to be accustomed to the plane, will involve measuring aerodynamic “flutter.”
The service said further tests will measure the T-7′s other flying qualities and the way much load the trainer can bear in flight. Two more Red Hawks are expected to reach at Edwards over the following few months for further testing.
“Like most test programs, we’ll have discovery and we’ll overcome it quickly,” Cassell said in Boeing’s statement. “That is the suitable team to go after any challenges we discover.”
The Air Force plans to purchase 351 T-7s, a jet trainer designed to emulate fifth-generation fighters and permit the service to coach latest fighter and bomber pilots. They’re intended to switch the service’s aging fleet of 504 T-38 Talon trainers, which have been in service for a long time and might’t replicate the flying form of newer fighters similar to the F-22 and F-35A.
In 2018, Boeing received a $9.2 billion contract from the Air Force to supply T-7s in addition to provide 46 simulators and related support.
The T-7 that flew to Edwards this week, often called APT 2, is the primary Boeing delivered to the service. It’s a production-representative aircraft, but is specifically arrange for test flights and evaluation.
In an October interview with Defense News, Cassell said the service hoped to conduct the ferrying flights as early as Oct. 26, though he cautioned that might rely on aspects, similar to weather.
The Air Force said Thursday that it conducted test pilot training in addition to aircraft testing before this week’s departure.
The T-7 program has experienced delays as a consequence of several issues, similar to a potentially dangerous escape system and faulty flight control software. The T-7 is now expected to succeed in initial operational capability in spring 2027, years later than the unique goal of 2024.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.