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.
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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.
Source: Flight International
