The Missouri-made T-7A Red Hawk will soon be ready to train the next generation of fighter pilots in the U.S. Air Force—a strong and positive sign for Missouri’s robust aerospace and defense ecosystem as the state focuses on a rapid economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. The trainer jet, manufactured by Boeing in St. Louis, recently completed another testing milestone.
The crew of the aircraft turned off its engine mid-flight, 20,000 feet above a testing area, to prove reliability and safety during an in-flight emergency. The aircrew then flew the plane for 48 seconds without power before successfully restarting the engine and landing back at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis.
With each successful flight test, the Red Hawk is reaching its development targets and is set to start rolling new aircraft off the assembly floor soon. The first of more than 350 training jets are expected to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force by 2023.
The T-7 is an all-new training system purpose-built specifically for the Air Force’s mission, giving the U.S. Air Force a flexible design that can adapt as technologies and training needs change. The new aircraft is being produced in Missouri, along with the F/A-18, EA-18, F-15, MQ-25 unmanned refueler, and a large amount of munitions.
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