Boeing Test Planes

Test Planes are always a mystery to outsiders. Except for those living near Seattle or Toulouse, we can probably never get a chance to spot a test plane flying around.

Despite this fact, the activities of testbed aircraft are often highlighted by the aviation community. The numbers of test flights and flight-hours (FH) scheduled and logged; completion of test campaigns; certification progress etc are often marked as milestones, with screenshots of flightradar24 going viral once a test flight is completed.

​ Boeing is having the most test planes in the world- with 28 aircraft active and 376 historic planes. Even though Airbus has only got 28 active planes and 241 historical fleet, they are having some super cool experimental aircrafts.

And what's more, their test planes are REALLY active. With new projects such as

Boeing 737 MAX, 787-10, 777X, A320NEO, A330NEO, A350 heating up - here’s what you should know about test planes before posting IG stories of another test flight next time.

(this article will cover 787, 777X and 757 test planes only. An exclusive analysis on 7337MAX test plane will be posted on Sunday)

Boeing 787-10 (N528ZC ,N565ZC,N548ZC)

Boeing is currently having 5 active Dreamliner test plane, including 3 Boeing 787-10s. This includes 2 RR Trent 1000 powered N528ZC (ZC001) and N565ZC (ZC002) , with GEnx powered N548ZC (ZC036).

N528ZC (ZC001) is the first Boeing 787-10. It is the only 787 painted in Boeing livery (the other two are in plain livery). It has been used for testing stability and control, flutter, auto land, avionics, and propulsion. The aircraft has been having flight tests

(stalling) around Victorville recently. (have a look at the flightradar24

screenshot!)

Though it is not confirmed, ZC001 may be repainted and be the first 787-10 to be delivered to Singapore Airlines. N565ZC (ZC002) is assigned to function and reliability

(or “route-proving”) duties. After the painting work, the Dreamliner will begin system checks, fueling an engine run. Flight tests include AMM validation, fuel-consumption

measurement, performance, and systems (including enhanced environmental control) testing. It is the only 787-10 test aircraft fitted with a passenger-cabin interior.

As for the General Electric GEnx-1B powered N548ZC (ZC036), it is used for aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) validation, flutter, performance and stability and control work. The Dreamliner has been actively participating in flight tests around Moses Lake and Seattle.

Some of you might ask: how about the 787-10 painted in Singapore Airlines livery? In fact, that is the fourth next-gen Dreamliner built by Boeing. Registered ZC003 (LN 622, 9V-SCB), it will undergo painting followed by extensive ground testing for 2017. It will then be placed into storage until March, where it will then undergo flight tests and scheduled to be delivered by April.

In addition to the 787-10, there are currently a total of 3 787-8 test aircrafts. There aren't any 787-9s configured in test beds anymore.

777X

There aren't any test planes for 777X yet. However, its maiden flight is scheduled in the first quarter of 2019, one year before its introduction to Emirates.

​ General Electric has successfully ran its GE9X engine Number 002 before. In addition, much of the avionics, power and other systems ground testings have been completed. The first composite wing assembly was delivered to Everett during October. It will be used for static-test and dynamic fatigue testing.

​ Boeing expects to complete their detail-design work for all -8, -9, and -10 variants before 2018.

By December 2017, Boeing plans to have integrated aircraft systems for representative performance evaluation in an “iron bird” ground-test rig. A ground-test rig is used to confirm the characteristics of all system components, or to discover an incompatibility that may require modifications during early development stages. Additionally, the effects and subsequent treatment of failures introduced in the systems can be studied in full detail and recorded for analysis by using the Iron Bird as a testbed. Through electrical switching with variable interruptions with extensive testing of the complete system assembly, the effects of electromagnetic interference can be evaluated. The Iron Bird has been used on Airbus’ A350 XWBs and C919s.

(the iron bird used for Qatar's Airbus A350-900)

The 777X flight-test campaign will involve four 777-9s, which are to be built during 2018. They will be used for the airworthiness-approval certification program. These are aircraft number 2 through 5, numbers 1 and 6 being the ground-test machines, with two 777-8s later supplementing the campaign.

Development plans feature three main steps in the coming three years: final-assembly start (2018) and 777-9 roll-out (2018); first flight (2019); and initial customer delivery (2020).N565ZC (ZC002) is assigned to function and reliability (or “route-proving”) duties. After the painting work, the Dreamliner will begin system checks, fueling an engine run. Flight tests include AMM validation, fuel-consumption measurement, performance, and systems (including enhanced environmental control) testing. It is the only 787-10 test aircraft fitted with a passenger-cabin int

Boeing 757

And now there’s something you have never heard about- N757A. Being produced at Renton back in 1982, this 35.7 years old Boeing 757-200 is the first 757 built. And interestingly, Boeing has never sold their PW PW2037 powered first 757 to anyone.

Being named ‘catfish’ due to its ironical head, the 757 is used to test the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

In fact, it's nose belongs to F-22 Inside the cockpit contains primary and secondary F-22 displays, as well as a throttle and stick. And on top of N757's cockpit, that ‘mustache’ is actually a sensor wing which generates F-22 electronic warfare (EW) and features communication, navigation and identification sensors (CNI). N757A had its last flight back in October, where it flew around St Louis, MO.

So do you prefer N757A or Honeywell’s 757?

And here are all the test aircrafts of Boeing (787, 777X, 757). If you have any comments or I have made any mistakes (the data outdated really quickly), please send an email to aviation cult! I will be uploading the test aircraft profile of Airbus later on. I may as well do strange aircrafts by Comac, Embraer or other airframe manufacturers if you like it! So please stay tuned... And thank you for reading this article!