Aircraft

Boeing installs engines to complete final assembly on P-8A

By Stephen Trimble

Boeing has installed the engines on the US Navy's first P-8A Poseidon, essentially completing structural assembly of the 737-based maritime patrol aircraft.

The first of five flight-test aircraft will now be inducted into a months-long phase to complete systems integration ahead of first delivery in the first quarter of 2009.

The integration of the two CFM56-7B engines, which each provide 27,300lb (121kN) of thrust, culminates Boeing's roughly 90-day final assembly process.

© Boeing

The USN plans to buy 108 P-8As, but is on contract only for the first five flight-test aircraft. The type is scheduled to achieve initial operational capability in 2013, but operational demands may require Boeing to accelerate the delivery schedule by one year.