Boeing and the US Air Force have completed the inaugural flight of the service’s first T-7A Red Hawk, marking the start of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the programme.

During the 1 hour and 3 minute flight, USAF and Boeing validated key aspects of the aircraft and demonstrated the power and agility of the service’s first advanced trainer to be digitally designed, built and tested. The aircraft is one of five EMD aircraft that will be delivered to the Air Force Air Education and Training Command for further testing.

The T-7A will enhance warfighter 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 build to help ensure safety before the first flight. The T-7A’s cockpit egress system is the safest of any trainer.
• Flexibility for any mission: 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,” said Evelyn Moore, vice president and programme manager, Boeing T-7 programmes. “We remain focused on engineering ways to better prepare warfighters for changing mission demands and emerging threats.”

“This is an exciting time for the entire team,” said Kirt Cassell, US Air Force T-7A Red Hawk programme manager. “The Red Hawk’s digital design integrating advanced training capabilities will drastically improve pilot training for the next generation of fighter and bomber pilots.”

The T-7A moved from firm concept to flight testing in 36 months. A combination of model-based engineering, 3D design and advanced manufacturing increased first-time quality by 75% and reduced assembly hours by 80%.

In 2018, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $9.2bn contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support. The T-7A will replace the Air Force’s aging T-38 aircraft.

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