Boeing’s second 747-8 passenger plane finishes taxi testing

Published 4:12 pm Monday, April 25, 2011

The Boeing Co.’s second 747-8 passenger plane completed high speed taxi testing in preparation for its first flight, the company said today.

Boeing plans to deliver its first 747-8 passenger plane, called the Intercontinental, later this year.

The first Intercontinental made its first flight in March.

Aviation Week has this update on Boeing’s flight test programs. The company has its 747-8 freighter and passenger planes in flight test as well as its 787-8. Boeing hopes to deliver the first of each of those aircraft by year’s end.

Boeing says its second 747-8I will be used mostly for testing interior systems as well as fuel consumption testing. The Intercontinental test program will log 600 flight hours.