RC001 is out of the paint hanger in full State of Kuwait livery. Looking very "presidential", and much less red and orange. And here I was expecting boring white. Thanks to Matt Cawby.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052113776/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052203161/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052154219/
Update: Just hit a thousand blog views. Takin' over the world, Baby!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052113776/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052203161/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/microvolt/8052154219/
Update: Just hit a thousand blog views. Takin' over the world, Baby!
Matt Cawby also has a very interesting new flight line shot out in which a couple of 747-8 items jump out.
ReplyDeleteFirst, line 1463 for AirBridgeCargo is going to have to be listed in yellow, not dark green. If you look closely, you'll notice that she lacks engines (!). This is much like what happened with line 1459, which rolled out without engines and then ended up in that same stall for a couple months of work.
Now should this come as a surprise? Not really. The press release at the time of the first delivery to ABC states that they were taking three 747-8Fs in 2012 and two in 2013: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/26/idUS217945+26-Jan-2012+PRN20120126
A significant question going forward is whether any other aircraft are going to come off the line in need of such finishing work. Two BBJs are due out soon. It will be interesting to see what happpens to those frames — are they the first -8Is with a clean flow or will they need additional work before delivery like all the previous -8Is?
More thoughts after I get some sleep.
Interesting. I'm still wondering how you can tell which unpainted is which. I see all three in various spots (referencing Cawby's latest flight line photo) but see no identification on any of them. Do you know which frame is the white one behind line 1420? 1432? Or is 1432 still over by the tower?
DeleteTake a look at Matt C's September 1 flight line shot -- again an unpainted 747-8F without engines in the same spot (Stall 202). From the date, that really should be 1463. And given what we've observed previously on 1459 parked in that stall and know about ABC's delivery schedule, I think it's a pretty safe assumption that it's 1463 that was still sitting there in yesterday's flight line photo.
ReplyDeleteThe white one behind 1420 is indeed 1432. If you look at moonm's October 1 flight line shot, she clearly isn't near the tower any more. The more interesting question is why is she suddenly on the flight line. Are they just moving 1432 around or has refurbishment work also begun/will soon begin on it? Hopefully, we'll get an answer to that soon.
Lastly for now, refurb work on 1429 is getting closer to being done. Note that they've taken the big bags off the engines and the work on the slats and tail appears to be complete. Maybe another month or two and she'll be ready for paint. My guess is that the other Cathay frame will undergo refurb in that stall after work on 1429 is finished. Flightglobal listed the dates for the Cathay deliveries in 2013 as April and July, so work on 1433 clearly can't wait until work on 1438 for Cathay or 1435 for Lufthansa is complete.