Boeing P-8A Poseidon Successfully Completes 1st Flight (P3 replacement)
 

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Boeing P-8A Poseidon Successfully Completes 1st Flight

(Seattle, April 27, 2009) -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T-1 successfully completed its first flight April 25, taking off from Renton Field at 10:43 a.m. and touching down at Boeing Field in Seattle at 2:14 p.m. The P-8A performed a series of flight checks, reached a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet, and landed after three hours, 31 minutes in the air.

"This is a significant accomplishment for the P-8A team, as it moves us one step closer to delivering the next maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to the warfighter," said Capt. Mike Moran, P-8A program manager for the U.S. Navy. "Today's flight is a clear demonstration of the program's commitment to delivering this critical capability on time and the result of a tremendous effort by the joint Navy/Boeing team. I commend Boeing for putting its 'A-Team' in place on this program and enabling the Navy to leverage Boeing's experience, expertise and, more importantly, dedication to make this aircraft a reality."

Prior to takeoff, the P-8A team completed a limited series of flight checks, including engine starts and shutdowns. During the flight, test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations, autopilot flight modes, and auxiliary power unit shutdowns and starts.

"This is an exciting day for the P-8A program and a tribute to the hard work of the entire team," said Bob Feldmann, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager. "We understand the needs of the U.S. Navy and maritime patrol community, and we are dedicated to meeting every one of our future milestones on or ahead of plan."

The integrated Navy/Boeing team will begin formal flight testing of the P-8A during the third quarter of this year. Before that, Boeing will paint the aircraft, install additional flight test instrumentation and conduct a series of ground tests.

The P-8A, a derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aviation. The team currently is assembling and testing the first five P-8As.

The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013.

Company Center : The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)

I bet you could fit a lot of Webers on that thing.:)

or weed whackers................or ride-ons...................or Duty free ;)

So it has a bomb bay then? I should do some research.

I thought a FBW side-stick platform would have been safer for low level IMC ops but then again P3 ops have changed a lot over the last 20 years.

I don't like the colour.


(-4)

It may end up fitted with some schmick gear but it's only got two engines, a cramped flight deck and is a sh1tload slower than the P3 running in to the datum. Personally, I think that the B737 airframe was a poor choice.

Looks like you won't be able two shut two down for extended overwater ops...:ooh:

You can shut two down for extended ops - you'll just stay up there forever..
:}

Too right! Just crank up the APU to...oh...700% power output & she's apples! :ok:

(-3)

Going Boeing are you being paid by Boeing for the number of cut and paste Boeing articles you can get on PPrune? :D:D:D

F22, F35, B737 wedgetail, B737 P8 etc?

Just wondering!

Yes,This thing does have a bomb bay, but aft of the mainplane. The P8 will be able to carry SLAM ER, JDAMs and Mk 54 Torps. Interestingly, there will no longer be any need to be down low for a torp drop, given the combination of Mk 54 and JDAM kits. I also understand the Americans have taken out the MAD kit.I guess the maritime role has evolved a lot over the years, its no longer all 'blue water' stuff. I think the new concept touted by USN is Maritime/Patrol/ Reconnaissance and Attack.This new aircraft will be well suited to ops overland (ISR) and will give commanders plenty of flexibility as an 'extra shooter' over theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan.Hopefully the White Paper will give more guidance, but these aircraft would be an enormous boost to RAAF capability.

Nah, I subscribed to asd-network.com Daily News Headlines & when I see articles that I think may be of interest to Prooners, I post them.

Even though I love flying Boeing airliners, I think that Lockheed makes the best aircraft. :ok:

Oh...and another piece of trivia. The P8 Bomb Bay has the same dimensions as the JSF Bomb Bay, so that common weapons can be used in the future.

Apart from some systems fitted its a test of a 737.

Perfect aircraft for a low level visual task on a search and rescue mission 500 miles off Sydney. Good transit speed, excellent endurance, perfect observation platform, and low level performance to match none.

B737 flight: Thrust change, trim-trim-trim, speed change, trim-trim-trim. Not sure if that's ideal at a hundred feet or so...

I would've happily told them that if they'd asked me before they committed all the munny.

(what, no more ASW at 100ft...????)

I'm guessing major bragging rights and free beers for the first guy to shoot something out of the water or sky in a Boeing 737!!!

I know its off topic...
 

But has anyone seen the japs new MPA, the Kawasaki PX. I reckon it looks a winner.

Kawasaki P-X first flight - Airlinebuzz - Commercial Aviation and Beyond! ™

I assume Frank that you had your tongue firmly planted in your cheek when you wrote that. The B737 is marginally faster in transit speed, over 50 knots slower in low level performance, has narrow "slit" flight deck windows for observation and has a higher noise level on the flight deck at high speed. You might have guessed that I'm not a fan of the "slug".

The headline could have been "Boeing successfully test flies 737 - for 5th time this week"

Just because they get the airframe into the air doesn't make it a sub hunter. Wedgetail has been flyable for some time, but an AEW it is not.

Umm going to be some adjustment time required -P3 top of descent, bomb bay heat 'off' = perfect cold beer at arrival.
Don't know about descent from 43000 ft.:uhoh: