Video – Boeing 747-8 Freighter First Flight

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter successfully took to the sky for the first time Monday Feb. 8.

With 747 Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein and Capt. Tom Imrich in the flight deck, the newest member of the 747 family took off at 12:39 p.m. local time from Paine Field in Everett and landed at Paine Field at 4:18 p.m.

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This flight was the first of more than 1,600 flight hours in the test program for the newest member of the Boeing freighter family. The airplane followed a route over Western Washington, where it underwent tests for basic handling qualities and engine performance. The airplane reached a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet (5,181 m) and a speed of up to 230 knots, or about 264 miles (426 km) per hour.

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Boeing 747-8 Freighter First Flight

Boeing 747-8 Freighter First Flight

Powered by four General Electric GEnx-2B engines, the 747-8 Freighter will transition its testing program to Moses Lake, Wash., and Palmdale, Calif., where the other two test airplanes will join it in the coming month.

Boeing launched the airplane on Nov. 14, 2005, with firm orders for 18 747-8 Freighters: 10 from Cargolux of Luxembourg and eight from Nippon Cargo Airlines of Japan. All told, Boeing has secured 108 orders for the 747-8, of which 76 are orders for the new freighter. Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Emirates SkyCargo, Guggenheim and Korean Air all have ordered the 747-8 Freighter.

Source: Boeing
Photos: Boeing

Video – 747-8 Freighter Taxi Tests Completed

Boeing announced that they completed taxi tests on the first 747-8 Freighter today. The new airplane reached a top seed of approximately 90 knots (103.5 mph, 166.6 kph).

This was the last functional test planned before first flight. First flight of the 747-8 Freighter is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8.

Video: Boeing 747-8F (N747EX) high speed taxi at Paine Field

Boeing 747-8 Freighter First Flight Announced

Boeing announced the first flight of the 747-8 Freighter. The first flight window is planned to open on February 8. This date is dependent on several factors, including final internal reviews, taxi test, receiving the final experimental ticket from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and weather conditions. The first flight of the 747-8 will take place from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, USA.

Boeing 747-8 Freighter Special Boeing Commercial Airplanes Livery

You can enjoy LIVE take-off and landing of the 747-8 Freighter by visiting and exclusive website 24 hours before the flight. Bookmark this site now for easy access: http://747-8firstflight.com

For more up-to-date information, visit:
www.boeing.com
www.newairplane.com

Photo: Boeing