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| 737 MAX 8 completing high altitude flight testing in La Paz, Bolivia. Photo: John Corrigan |
[Avionics Today 05-02-2016] The Boeing 737 MAX 8 has completed high altitude flight testing in La Paz, Bolivia, marking the first international trip for the 737 MAX flight-test fleet. The airport’s 13,300-foot altitude tested the MAX’s capability to take off and land at high altitudes, which can affect overall airplane performance.
“The engines and other systems performed well, as expected, under extreme conditions. That’s exactly what we wanted to see,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Flight testing for the 737 MAX is on schedule, according to Boeing. To date, three test airplanes have completed more than 100 flights combined. The fourth and final test airplane will make its first flight in the coming weeks. The program remains on track for first delivery in the third quarter of 2017.