Programme Moves to EMD Phase
On 28 June, the US Air Force and Boeing completed the inaugural flight for the service’s first T-7A Red Hawk trainer, marking the start of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the programme.
During the 63-minute flight in one of the five EMD aircraft to be delivered to Air Education and Training Command for further testing, the USAF/Boeing pilots validated key aspects of the platform, demonstrating the agility of the first USAF advanced trainer to be digitally designed, built and tested.
The T-7A, which will replace the service’s ageing T-38 fleet, will enhance aircrew training through:
- Improved pilot readiness: the all-new advanced pilot training system uses high resolution ground-based training systems and simulators to deliver robust and realistic integrated live, virtual and constructive training capabilities;
- Safety: model-based engineering enabled testing throughout the aircraft’s design and manufacture process, helping ensure safety before the first flight. The T-7A’s cockpit egress system is the safest of any trainer to date;
- Mission flexibility: with open architecture software and digital fly-by-wire controls, the T-7A supports training for a wide variety of fighter and bomber pilots, and can evolve as technologies, threats and training needs change.
“This first flight with the Air Force represents our team’s commitment to delivering a new level of safety and training for fighter and bomber pilots […] We remain focused on engineering ways to better prepare warfighters for changing mission demands and emerging threats,” commented Evelyn Moore, VP/GM Boeing T-7 Programs.
The T-7A moved from firm concept to flight testing in just three years. A combination of model-based engineering, 3D design and advanced manufacturing increased first-time quality by 75% and reduced assembly hours by 80%.
