Boeing has delivered the first Super Hornet test
aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration
squadron.
The unpainted aircraft now enters the flight test
and evaluation phase at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in
Maryland.
Boeing expects to deliver a total of 11 aircraft
for the squadron in 2020.
“The Super Hornet is an iconic representation of
excellence in naval aviation,” said ret. Admiral Pat Walsh, vice
president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing. Walsh
flew with the Blue Angels from 1985 to 1987 as the Left Wingman
(#3) and Slot Pilot (#4). “As Boeing continues to support the
operational fleet of Navy Super Hornets, we are excited to see
this platform enter a critical phase of its journey to joining the
team.”
The flight demonstration squadron has flown Boeing
or Boeing-heritage aircraft for more than 50 years, starting with
the F-4J Phantom II in 1969, and then moving to the A-4F Skyhawk.
The team currently operates the F/A-18A-D Hornet.
Boeing converts F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets
into Blue Angels at the company’s Cecil Field facility in
Jacksonville, Florida.
Major modifications include the addition of
an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that
enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time,
civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras and adjustments
for the aircraft’s center of gravity.
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