Two From the Desert Enter Service

Yesterday line 1478 (RC509) LX-VCI delivered to Cargolux after a two month stay in the desert. (UPDATE: named "City of Troisvierges")

Today line 1463 (RC604) VQ-BRH delivered to AirBridgeCargo after a six month stay in the desert.

So there's hope for these stored frames yet. They won't all end up like line 1416.

"What's that green stuff?" says VQ-BRH after 6 months staring at sand. Thanks to mzunguwamap.

Rise From Your Grave(yard)

Line 1478 (RC509) LX-VCI for Cargolux has returned from a short (two month) stint of storage at Pinal Airpark. This probably means she'll deliver in September. That's the second frame to come out of storage now, and it's a welcome sign to see that these frames aren't all going to sit around for years like line 1416.

Speaking of 1416, the talk on the net is heavily leaning towards Qantas Cargo taking her up into service by the end of the year. Nothing's a done deal till it's done, but if it does happen I'm gonna have to post the mother of all tributes...

Seeing Red

There's new red on the chart with more to come, frustratingly for us 747-8 watchers. Line 1478 (RC509) LX-VCI for Cargolux is going to sit in the desert for a stretch before being delivered, alongside two other new 747-8s and one new 747-400 (that's been there way too long!). In the near future, up to seven more frames will join them, with ABC, NCA, and Korean all electing to defer their upcoming frames.

There were no more 747-8 orders out of Paris, but I'm savoring the five that Korean Airlines announced. Hopefully later in the year some of these other rumored orders will manifest themselves.

Various

D-ABYI went for her first revenue flight today (that link will only work for about four months after this post). Welcome to the working world "I", may your career last 120,000 hours or more. She's at about 30 hours as of this post; 119,970 to go.

Three frames were up today for test flights: Nippon Cargo line 1479, Cargolux line 1478, and Unclaimed line 1437. Unclaimed is sure hanging around Paine Field for a long time. I'd think she'd be in storage by now. Hopefully that means they're finding her a home...?

An article here has some more detail on 747-8 improvements. A lot we might have heard before. 747 program v-p and general manager Eric Lindblad says that current frames are 5,600 pounds lighter than those originally delivered, and Boeing has identified ways to drop another 1,600 pounds; in all, the savings contribute some 2 percent to operating efficiency. He also says he'd like the total weight loss to reach 10,000 pounds, and perhaps increase the -8I’s range to 8,200 nm, by around 2016. The article also acknowledges that all unfinished frames have been refurbished, so the 747 build team can get back to focusing on building new frames. Well, I guess there's still line 1435.

Come on Paris, give us another 747-8 order!

First and Second First Flights...

Line 1478 (RC509) LX-VCI for Cargolux made its first flight today.

In bigger news, line 1435 (RC021) officially kicked off the new 747-8 test program today, going on its first flight since receiving major modifications to enable the tail fuel tank, as well as brand new and improved engines. This is 1435's first flight in over a year. Improvements scheduled to be tested and certified are the tail fuel tank, engine PIPs (with an "up to approximately 2%" fuel burn improvement), and flight computer improvements. All of these changes, plus substantial weight reduction, should coalesce for the first time in line 1492, resulting in an even more efficient 747-8I (and F as well, minus the tail fuel tank as far as I've heard).

It's a busy Monday at KPAE for sure. Usually a very quiet day, today we have a 747-8F first flight, a 747-8 test program first flight and kick off, two deliveries (a 777 and a 767), and a 787 first flight.