First Flight

Boeing's first KC-767A tanker, destined for the Italian air force, has made its initial flight as a fully equipped aerial refueler and will soon leave on its first trip to Europe and display at the Paris air show.

For the 51-min. flight on May 25 from Boeing's Wichita, Kan., facility, the aircraft was carrying both twin wingtip pods for its hose-and-drogue system and a rigid boom in the aft centerline position. The flight was cut short to obey first-flight rules that the aircraft be on the ground an hour before sunset. Takeoff was delayed because of telemetry system problems.

Leon Robert, chief test pilot for the 767 program, and Kent Lund, flight test pilot for tankers, flew the aircraft.

"We got off a little bit later [about 2 hr.] in the day, so we didn't have as much flight time as we would have liked, but we got our hour or so in," says James W. O'Neill, vice president for Boeing's tanker programs. "We lost some time working through data transmittal, so [that we could have] the control room seeing all the data that Leon and Kent were seeing in the cockpit."

"Within a restricted flight envelope, [the tanker] handled very much like a 767-200," says Robert. "The major aerodynamic changes that we [can] expect would come from the wing air refueling pods, the inflight boom and the inflight refueling receptacle up on top of the fuselage. There's not expected to be any change in handling qualities . . . prior to the envelope expansion flights."

The first flight evaluated the aircraft at speeds below stall warning and up to the limits set by structural dynamics where flutter predictions indicate the test crew should be cautious. "For us, that's a little over 250 kt. and a little over Mach 0.65," says Robert. "Next flight will be a full evaluation of the aircraft in all its normal configurations. Then we will be doing some evaluation of aircraft systems . . . in particular for navigation and communications. At that point we're ready to start the basic envelope expansion work, but that will be delayed until after Paris."

The gross takeoff weight is restricted to 395,000 lb. with 300,000 lb. as the operational maximum landing weight. The KC-767 is designed to take off, have an engine failure, fly for 15 min. and make a landing even though over the normal maximum landing weight, Robert says.

"We now have Italy One in flight test and Italy Two, the green aircraft, delivered [early this month] to Naples" to Finmeccanica/Alenia Aeronautica's Aeronavali Capodichino plant, O'Neill says. "They're beginning modification."

Boeing will conduct four or five more flights from Wichita before its transatlantic hop. It will be on static display during the air show and then return to the U.S. for the rest of its envelope expansion flights. The KC-767A and commercial 777-LR will be displayed together not far from the new Airbus A380.

The KC-767A's refueling system will start ground testing in July to be followed by dry and wet aerial hookups in August and September. The first of 12 Italian flight crews will arrive in Wichita to begin training, probably in July, says Lt. Col. Roberto Poni, the Italian air force tanker program liaison officer. Boom operator training is to begin no later than early 2006. Aircrews will also include a loadmaster and flight attendants. When involved in deployments, the aircraft can carry up to 19 cargo pallets on the main deck, three below, up to 200 troops or some combination of the two.

For Poni, who has been with the program since 2000, "it's been like delivering a baby. As soon as we get the aircraft in country we'll need to start working on our pilots first, and then we need to get with Boeing to qualify some receivers. I don't know when initial operating capability will be. It will be difficult with only one aircraft to [complete training] in a short time."

IN ADDITION, the Italian air force has a sophisticated upgrade program planned. The tankers are to receive a complete self-protection suite that sports at least three DIRCM-like infrared jamming turrets and, possibly, an expanded network-centric operations capability with a joint MIDS/JTRS terminal. The latter software radio system ensures the aircraft can exchange data with older, stovepipe communications systems, but also tap into the warfighting global information grid. The KC-767A already has organic Link 16 (in-theater) and satcom (over-the-horizon) connections and an open avionics architecture to make adding new systems easier.

Boeing's new KC-767 makes its first flight equipped with full tanker equipment, including a combination of boom and drogues.Credit: BOEING

Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first tanker after a year of flight trials--in spring 2006--after certification and completion of a 900-hr. flight testing program. The company also is under contract to provide aircrew training. In addition, the U.S. Air Force will provide some boom operator training since the Italian air force currently flies only hose-and-drogue-equipped tankers. The timing is still to be decided by the IAF's air staff and operational unit commanders. Boeing has a five-year contract to support the aircraft from a center at Practica di Mare AFB near Rome. The second aircraft is to be delivered in spring 2006, the third in 2007 and the last by 2008.

The Boeing contract is worth more than $800 million and reflects an IAF discount for being the tanker's launch customer. In addition, Boeing is taking back four 707 tanker/transports now in service with the IAF that are already being eyed by a U.S. private operator of tanker aircraft.

The contract provides a 100% offset package for the Italian aerospace industry. Aeronavali officials say the work so far obtained is worth nearly $100 million and includes converting three of the four Italian tankers and three of the four to be built for Japan. The Italian company hopes to boost this to $300 million by the end of next year through work it could obtain on a dozen or more 767 tankers that Boeing hopes to sell worldwide. Aeronavali's business plan also considers an additional $300 million if the U.S. Air Force ever orders its first 100 767 tankers. The company is expected to invest $30-40 million in order to be involved in this further activity, but no decision has yet been made.

Since Congress savaged the Air Force's plan to lease tankers, the U.S. program has come to a full stop, and the first aircraft that had begun modification to a USAF tanker airframe (still engineless) is being considered for disposal. An analysis of alternatives for tanker options is expected this summer. EADS, possibly teamed with Northrop-Grumman, is expected to offer an Airbus A330 design if a competition materializes.

However, the House Armed Services committee last week proposed legislation to prevent EADS from participating in a future USAF competition. Some USAF officials also have been eyeing the large 777 as a possible option, but no competition has been planned.

"Japan's program [for four tankers] is well over 75% design complete, and the first green aircraft will be delivered to Wichita at the end of the month," says O'Neill. "As far as potential customers, we're still engaged in the United Arab Emirates competition for three tankers. We're having discussions with other countries including South Korea and Saudi Arabia [as many as 10 aircraft each]. There's a potential follow-on buy by Japan [4-8 more]. We're excited about taking it to Paris to see what other customers are interested when we put it on display."