Boeing 747-8F relocates for initial airworthiness testing

Boeing's first 747-8F has undertaken its second flight and has been relocated to its temporary home at Moses Lake, Washington for the early phases of the certification campaign.

The aircraft - dubbed RC501- flew on 22 February from the company's Everett, Washington plant to Grant Count International Airport, 220km east of Seattle.

RC501 had been scheduled to depart in the morning, but was delayed due to minor troubleshooting on one of its four GEnx-2B67 engines, say programme sources.

The aircraft reached an altitude of just over FL240 during the 38min flight, which was spent conducting tests of the aircraft's flight controls.

The aircraft will spend its initial airworthiness trials and flutter testing at Moses Lake before transferring to Palmdale, California, at which point RC521 and RC522, the second and third test aircraft, will join the flight test program.

Boeing's newest jumbo freighter first flew on 8 February.

First delivery to Luxembourg-based Cargolux is expected in the fourth quarter.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news