KC-46 receives first FAA certification

Boeing has announced that the KC-46 received an Amended Type Certificate from the FAA. This certification is for the core configuration 767-2C airframe. It's the first certification required for the aircraft. An Air Force team is working with Boeing on the Supplemental Type Certificate. The Supplemental certification covers the military equipment installed on the aircraft. There are currently 6 aircraft that are flying doing the certification work. They've completed 2200 flight hours, and 1600 contacts with F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10, KC-10 and fellow KC-46 aircraft.

Once both certificates are awarded then Boeing will be able to sell the aircraft to the military and other countries that are interested in them. The Amended Certificate covers the environmental systems, autopilot systems, fuel system, and basic aircraft systems. According to Boeing reports, they are 83% complete with the Supplemental Certificate testing.

The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Boeing’s KC-46 tanker program a certificate that confirms the design of its 767 jet-based aerial refueler is safe and reliable.

The Amended Type Certificate is one of two FAA airworthiness certifications the KC-46 program needs to start selling jets.

“This is a key building block for the KC-46 program in that it retires risk and builds confidence as we continue our test efforts and work to complete the next phase of certification,” Mike Gibbons, Boeing KC-46A tanker vice president and program manager, said in a news release. “... We appreciate the FAA’s collaboration to ensure the aircraft is the best it can be."

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They've completed 2200 flight hours, and 1600 contacts with F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10, KC-10 and fellow KC-46 aircraft.

No C130 ? Strange

a reply to: lowballer

They've got a long way to go. They haven't even thought about any stealth aircraft yet. They haven't done C-5s yet either. A big part of it is receiver availability. They have several of those types in the Washington area, so they are more available.