The KC-46A tanker. (Boeing)
OKLAHOMA CITY (Tribune News Service) — A test flight Friday will be the latest hurdle for Boeing's KC-46A tanker.
The Wall Street Journal reports the advanced, but troubled plane will kick off the long series of test flights from Boeing's Paine Field in Everett, WA that are expected to last at least four months. The first test will include attempts to refuel five different kinds of aircraft from the Navy and Marines, along with Air Force planes.
The $50 billion project has been bogged down with problems primarily centering on its fuel delivery system. The WSJ reports Boeing has already incurred $1.2 billion in cost overruns during the planes development.
The KC-46A is a replacement for the aging KC-135. Deliveries from Boeing to the Air Force on the first 18 planes is slated for August of 2017. Further problems, including poor test results, will likely delay that delivery.
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