今年九月底，由波音公司與美國(guó)空軍合作研發(fā)的KC-46A Pegasus空中加油機(jī)成功完成4小時(shí)的首飛任務(wù)，飛機(jī)從佩因機(jī)場(chǎng)起飛，降落在西雅圖的波音研發(fā)中心。在此次飛行之前，該項(xiàng)目的首架飛機(jī)767-2C從2014年12月開(kāi)始首飛，至今已完成了150小時(shí)以上的飛行測(cè)試。
在剛剛完成的這次飛行中，波音的測(cè)試飛行員檢查了發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)、飛行控制系統(tǒng)與環(huán)境系統(tǒng)的運(yùn)行情況，并將飛機(jī)帶至最高飛行高度3.5萬(wàn)英尺。KC-46A配備兩臺(tái) Pratt & Whitney發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，推進(jìn)力為65,000 lb，計(jì)劃用于代替美國(guó)空軍KC-135 Stratotankers加油機(jī)。
“現(xiàn)在，我們開(kāi)始進(jìn)行自由飛行穩(wěn)定性測(cè)試，以及飛桁與機(jī)翼空中加油吊艙(WARP)的飛行控制測(cè)試。之后KC-46將完成空中加油測(cè)試，并與其他軍用飛機(jī)進(jìn)行聯(lián)絡(luò)，”美國(guó)空軍KC-46系統(tǒng)項(xiàng)目總監(jiān)Col. Christopher Coombs表示。
波音公司KC-46空中加油機(jī)副總裁兼項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理Tim Peters表示，“預(yù)計(jì)今年晚些時(shí)候”可開(kāi)展C節(jié)點(diǎn)測(cè)試。C節(jié)點(diǎn)測(cè)試意味著權(quán)威機(jī)構(gòu)將評(píng)估一個(gè)項(xiàng)目是否達(dá)到了“工程與生產(chǎn)開(kāi)發(fā)階段”的完成要求，并準(zhǔn)備好進(jìn)入“生產(chǎn)與部署階段”。
與此同時(shí)，波音還將在進(jìn)入下一系列的飛行任務(wù)之前開(kāi)展飛行后檢驗(yàn)與儀器校準(zhǔn)，在此期間對(duì)加油機(jī)的飛桁與WARP系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行部署。KC-46將于今年年底啟動(dòng)為美國(guó)空軍的數(shù)架飛機(jī)進(jìn)行空中加油的任務(wù)。這些飛行任務(wù)的結(jié)果，加上任務(wù)系統(tǒng)展示以及剛剛完成的地面貨物處理測(cè)試結(jié)果，將共同決定項(xiàng)目是否成功通過(guò)2016年的C節(jié)點(diǎn)評(píng)估。
波音公司于2011年與美國(guó)空軍簽訂了共同設(shè)計(jì)并研發(fā)下一代空中加油機(jī)的合同。為此，波音公司開(kāi)發(fā)了4架測(cè)試機(jī)。兩架配置成767-2C機(jī)型，另外兩架則是KC-46。這兩架KC-46將作為全配置加油機(jī)接受美國(guó)聯(lián)邦航空局與軍方的認(rèn)證評(píng)估，而767-2C將在完成飛行測(cè)試后升級(jí)成KC-46A配置，并添加空中加油系統(tǒng)。
KC-46A的定位是多用途空中加油機(jī)，它不僅可以為符合國(guó)際空中加油協(xié)議的所有聯(lián)盟軍隊(duì)的飛機(jī)加油，而且還能運(yùn)載乘客、貨物和病人。總之，波音計(jì)劃在2017年前為美國(guó)空軍建造179架KC-46加油機(jī)，目前正在努力于“要求資產(chǎn)到位日”之前完成生產(chǎn)目標(biāo)——該節(jié)點(diǎn)要求在2017年8月之前部署完畢18架飛機(jī)及必要的配套設(shè)備，為作戰(zhàn)需求提供支持。
作者：Jean L. Broge
來(lái)源：SAE《航空工程雜志》
翻譯：SAE 上海辦公室
KC-46A tanker completes its first flight
The Boeing and the U.S. Air Force team behind the development of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker completed its first flight near the end of September, a four-hour flight that began at Paine Field and culminated at Boeing Field in Seattle. The first flight follows ongoing flight tests of the program’s first aircraft, a 767-2C that completed more than 150 flight test hours since making its first flight in December 2014.
During the most recent flight, Boeing test pilots performed operational checks on engines, flight controls, and environmental systems and took the tanker, being developed to replace the USAF's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers, to a maximum altitude of 35,000 ft. The tanker is powered by two Pratt & Whitney engines with 65,000 lb of thrust.
“We’ll now begin free air stability tests and flight controls of the boom and wing aerial refueling pods (WARPs) before conducting aerial refueling tests where the KC-46 will make contact with other military aircraft down the road,” said Col. Christopher Coombs, USAF KC-46 System Program Manager.
Tim Peters, Boeing KC-46 tanker Vice President and Program Manager, says the tanker program is on track to begin Milestone C testing "later this year." Milestone C is the point at which authorities determine whether a program has met all of its exit criteria of the Engineering & Manufacturing Development Phase and is ready to enter into the Production and Deployment Phase.
In the meantime, Boeing will conduct a post-flight inspection and calibrate instrumentation prior to the next series of flights, during which the tanker boom and WARPs systems will be deployed. Before the end of the year, the KC-46 will begin conducting aerial refueling flights with a number of U.S. Air Force aircraft. Those flights, along with the mission systems demonstrations and a recently completed ground cargo handling test, will support the planned Milestone C decision in 2016.
As part of a contract awarded in 2011 to design and develop the next-generation tanker, Boeing is building four test aircraft—two are currently configured as 767-2Cs and two KC-46A tankers. The KC-46s will fly as fully equipped tankers through the FAA and military certification process, while the 767-2Cs enter flight test prior to receiving their upgrade to the KC-46A configuration and the addition of their aerial refueling systems.
The KC-46A is being developed as a multirole tanker that can refuel all allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures and can carry passengers, cargo, and patients. Overall, Boeing plans to build 179 KC-46 aircraft by 2017 for the USAF and is keeping pace toward meeting the Required Assets Available date—a milestone requiring 18 aircraft and all necessary support equipment to be on the ramp, ready to support warfighter needs by the August 2017.
Author: Jean L. Broge
Source: SAE Aerospace Engineering Magazine
波音公司制造的KC-46A Pegasus加油機(jī)從華盛頓州埃弗雷特潘恩機(jī)場(chǎng)首飛。KC-46A是一種多用途加油機(jī)，能夠與所有盟軍與國(guó)際聯(lián)軍的飛機(jī)相兼容并為其空中加油，同時(shí)還能夠運(yùn)輸乘客、物資與傷病員轉(zhuǎn)運(yùn)。
KC-46A Pegasus加油機(jī)完成首飛后在西雅圖在波音機(jī)場(chǎng)著陸。
波音公司將對(duì)首飛后的KC-46A進(jìn)行全面檢查及儀器校準(zhǔn)工作，并為接下來(lái)的一系統(tǒng)飛行進(jìn)行準(zhǔn)備，同時(shí)飛桁及機(jī)翼空中加油吊艙系統(tǒng)將被安裝。