767 Tanker makes first test flight

Boeing and the U.S. Air Force say to have made a successful first flight with the KC-46 tanker aircraft. The plane, a Boeing 767-2C, took off from Paine Field, Washington for a three hours and 32 minutes flight.


The test aircraft will receive its military systems following certification. As part of a contract awarded in 2011 to design and develop the Air Force's next-generation tanker aircraft, Boeing is building four test aircraft - two 767-2Cs and two KC-46A Tankers. The 767-2Cs enter flight test as commercial freighters prior to receiving their aerial refueling systems, while the KC-46s will fly as fully equipped tankers through the FAA and military certification process.

Boeing is on contract to deliver the first 18 of 179 KC-46 aircraft to the Air Force by 2017.

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