New Boeing takes to air

Press, 27 February 1984, Page 9

New Boeing takes to air

From

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor, in Seattle

Test pilots no longer wear helmets, flying overalls and parachutes but don welltailored business suits and rest their faith in computers. Just as Boeing’s computers had predicted, a brand new type of aircraft flew successfully on Friday for the first time, watched by hundreds of spectators. The “stretched” version of the 737 took to the air for what was to be a troublefree flight of two hours 57 minutes. Two test pilots, Jim Ssrts and Tom Edrolled the sparkling down the 'produc-

tion plant’s runway at Renton and lifted its 48 tonnes into the air in just under 3000 ft.

The flight was so successful that the scheduled time aloft was extended by an hour.

Yes, they did uncover a few “squawks” (faults), but no, there was nothing serious, the pilots told reporters later.

“We found a couple of minor instrumentation squawks, and we think the interior lighting needs improving, but for a first aeroplane everything else is in excellent shape,” said the pilot-in-command, , Mr Mcßoberts. 9K The 737-300 is 2.6 n&tres

(104 inches) longer than the 737 s used by Air New Zealand, and can carry an additional 20 passengers. Tests proved that it is also a lot quieter.

The plane took off from the field where Boeing began producing its first aircraft 67 years ago and where, during the war years, 817 bombers were rolling out at the rate of 10 a day. It landed at another of Boeing’s fields 13km away, alongside several highly sophisticated war machines of the modern age, the 8707 AWAC earlywarning radar jets. The new 737-300, plus another still on the production line, will now undergo a

vigorous programme of 5700 tests in 800 flight hours over the next nine months before the Boeing is certified as airworthy by the United States Civil Aviation Administration.

The first commercial flights are expected to begin in November and by late next year more than 50 of the planes should be flying with airlines such as United States Air, CP Air, and Western.

Air New Zealand is unlikely to place any immediate order for the 737-300. Its more pressing need is a larger, longer-range aircraft wit® 200 seats plus, such as the Boeing 767.