B1s Are Back

It looks like 747-8 flight testing is starting to pick up around KPAE, finally. Line 1495 (RC009) A6-PFB (unconfirmed tail) for Abu Dhabi Amiri (BBJ) went up for a B1, and then line 1490 (RC510) LX-VCJ for Cargolux did too. Line 1481 (RC548) HL7623 for Korean Air Cargo should finally get a B1 in soon as well.

Here is line 1495's B1, by moonm:

(UPDATE: Line 1481 is up in the air. Finally after 6 months of neglect. In the comments Piotrek says it's HL7623 and is likely correct.)

In random news, KLM MD11 PH-KCD (to be retired this year with the other three remaining KLM MD11s) has ~85,000 hours and ~13,000 cycles. Man I felt like a dork asking the captain, but he was cool and read it right off the ship's logs.

KPAE Backed Up With 747-8s, D-ABYL Delivers

Line 1492 (RC031) D-ABYL, #10 for Lufthansa delivered on Thursday. Lufthansa should take #11 in the next couple of weeks. Here's D-ABYL arriving in Frankfurt, Germany:

Deliveries need to pick up indeed, because a rather substantial backlog has built up over the past six months or so at Paine Field. It seems a lot of cargo operators are in no hurry to take their frames. There are twelve frames sitting at KPAE currently, and only two are older frames. Cargolux has two ready to start test flying. NCA has three frames in waiting (one has flown, one needs engines, one needs engines and paint). Their last delivered, line 1479 (RC525) JA15KZ, hasn't flown since her delivery flight almost a month ago according to FlightRadar and FlightAware. They must be having some logistic or scheduling problems, because it shouldn't take a month to get a freighter into service. It'll be interesting to see how quickly Silk Way takes up the two frames currently on the flight line earmarked for them. One bit of good news is that line 1481 (RC548) HL7623 for Korean Air Cargo finally has engines and paint.

Hopefully, along with the slower production rate, this 747-8 backlog can clear out over the next two to three months.

First Flight for HL7624

Line 1488 (RC549) HL7624 for Korean Air Cargo finally got up in the air today for a first flight. Meanwhile older frame line 1481 (RC548) HL7623, also for Korean Air Cargo sits unpainted and without engines at the tower apron for over six months now. Fair? No! Line 1488 should deliver before year's end.

Photo by Matt Cawby

Bonus pictures of 787 line 26 VT-ANB returning from her first flight after sitting over three years from rollout off the FAL. And as you guys may know by now, that just floats my boat.