A KC-46 offloading fuel to a C-17 during a flight test. Photo courtesy of Boeing
Boeing has finished 95% of the testing it must conduct on its new KC-46A Pegasus tanker before it can start delivering the refueling jet to the U.S. Air Force.
In those tests, the program has amassed almost 3,000 flight hours, completed more than 1,600 contacts during refueling flights and transferred almost 2 million pounds of fuel.
The remaining 5%, which Boeing said it expects to wrap up in the coming months, will try out a software enhancement to the remote vision system (RVS). It will also lead to the certification of initial fuel-receiver aircraft, company program officials told reporters during a tour of Boeing’s Seattle-area tanker facilities May 3.
“Overall, we’ve come a long way,” said Jeanette Croppi, Boeing’s KC-46 test program manager. “We have a little bit more to go.”
Provided by Rockwell Collins, the RVS is a camera system that allows the operator to determine if the refueling boom or centerline drogue system is working properly. The enhancement, which began flight tests in mid-March, is designed to …
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