Another major milestone was completed on February 5 when P-8A Poseidon test airplane T1 completed stores (weapons) ground vibration testing.
During the month long series of tests, 18 different weapons configurations were loaded onto the test aircraft. For each test condition, external shakers induced vibration of the aircraft’s wings, stabilizer and stores to verify the stores’ effect on the P-8A’s fuselage. The aircraft’s response was measured with more than 100 accelerometers and other external devices.
“T1 responded as predicted throughout the rigorous set of tests,” said Chuck Dabundo, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager. “This is a major milestone for the team and paves the way for in-flight testing and verification of the P-8A’s weapons capabilities.”
The Boeing P-8 team completed a successful ground vibration test of the full aircraft, minus weapons, in May 2009.
T1 is one of five test aircraft being assembled and tested as part of the System Development and Demonstration contract Boeing received in 2004. When it arrives at Pax, T1 will test flying qualities, performance, loads and in-flight refueling.
Aircraft T2 has undergone the complete installation of an APY-10 radar antenna on December 2, 2009 and will be the primary mission system flight test plane in terms of verifying the performance of all the aircraft sensors.
Aircraft T3 will test ground stores and separation testing. According to Boeing, airframes S1 is the static test article — static testing began in May 09 and will continue through 2010; S2 is the fatigue test article — assembly nearly complete in the factory.”
The U.S. Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013
