page_title: Boeing 747-8
section_title: Flight testing and certification
hierarchical_section_title: Boeing 747-8 / Development / Flight testing and certification
caption_attribution_description: Boeing 747-8 first flight Everett, WA.
context_page_description: The Boeing 747-8 is a wide-body airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the latest and largest variant of the 747.
  After introducing the 747-400, Boeing considered larger 747 versions as alternatives to Airbus' A3XX.
  The stretched 747 Advanced was launched as the 747-8 on November 14, 2005, for a market forecast of 300 aircraft.
  The first 747-8F Freighter performed its maiden flight on February 8, 2010, and the passenger 747-8I Intercontinental followed suit on March 20, 2011.
  The cargo version was first delivered in October 2011 and the airliner began commercial service in June 2012.
  Its fuselage is stretched by 18 ft to 250 ft, the longest airliner until the 777X-9, first flown in 2020.
  While keeping its basic structure and sweep, the wing is thicker and deeper, holding more fuel, and wider with raked wingtips.
  Powered by the more efficient General Electric GEnx turbofan of the 787 Dreamliner, its maximum take-off weight grew to 975,000 lb, the heaviest Boeing airliner.
  The Freighter version has a shorter upper deck and it can haul 137 t over 4,120 nmi.
  The airliner version can carry 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration over 7,790 nmi.
context_section_description: The 747-8's first engine runs were completed in December 2009. Boeing announced the new model had successfully completed high-speed taxi tests on February 7, 2010. On February 8, 2010, after a 2.5-hour weather delay, the 747-8 Freighter made its maiden flight, taking off from Paine Field, Washington at 12:39 PST, and landed at 4:18 pm PST. Boeing estimated that more than 1,600 flight hours would be needed in order to certify the 747-8.  The second test flight in late February, a ferry flight to Moses Lake, Washington, tested new navigation equipment.  Further flight testing was to take place in Moses Lake, conducting initial airworthiness and flutter tests, before moving to Palmdale, California, for the majority of flight tests, so as to not interfere with 787 flight tests based out of Boeing Field in Seattle.
  By March 11, 2010, the 747-8F had flown thirteen flights covering a total of 33 hours.  On March 15, 2010, the second 747-8F first flew from Paine Field to Boeing Field, where it was briefly based before moving to Palmdale to continue flight testing with the first −8F. On March 17 the third −8F made its first flight and joined the test program.
  During the flight tests, Boeing discovered a buffet problem with the aircraft, involving turbulence coming off the landing gear doors interfering with the inboard flaps. Boeing undertook an evaluation of the issue, which included devoting the third test aircraft to investigating the problem. The issue was resolved by a design change to the outboard main landing gear doors. In early April 2010, Boeing identified a possible defect in one of the upper longerons, a main component of the fuselage. According to Boeing, the parts, manufactured by subcontractor Vought Aircraft Industries, were, under certain loads, susceptible to cracking. Boeing said that the issue would not affect flight testing, but other sources stated that the problem could impact the operating envelope of the aircraft until it was fully repaired. Two other issues found during testing were oscillation in the inboard aileron and a structural flutter, which had not been resolved as of 2010.  Combined, these problems slowed flight testing and used up almost all the margin in Boeing's development schedule.
  On April 19, 2010, the second flight-test aircraft was moved from Moses Lake to Palmdale to conduct tests on the aircraft's engines in preparation for obtaining a type certification for the aircraft. The remaining aircraft in the test fleet were scheduled to move to Palmdale during May.  It was reported on June 3, 2010, that an engine on the second 747-8F was struck by a tug during a ground move. The engine cowling was damaged, but there was no damage to the engine itself. After repairs, the aircraft moved into fuel efficiency testing. It was announced on June 14, 2010, that the 747-8 had completed the initial phase of flight-worthiness testing and that the Federal Aviation Administration had given Boeing an expanded type inspection authorization for the aircraft.
  By the end of June 2010, the three 747-8Fs that composed the flight-test program had flown a total of over 500 hours and had completed hot-weather testing in Arizona.  In June 2010, Boeing determined that a fourth −8F aircraft was needed to help complete flight testing. It was decided to use the second production aircraft, RC503, to conduct the non-instrumented or minimally-instrumented tests, such as HIRF and Water Spray Certifications. The aircraft, painted in delivery customer Cargolux's new livery, first flew on July 23, 2010.
  On August 21, 2010, a 747-8F proved the variant's capability by taking off from the runway at Victorville, California, weighing 1,005,000 pounds (455,860 kg). Its design maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 975,000 pounds (442,253 kg). The fifth 747-8F joined the flight-test effort with its first flight on February 3, 2011. On September 30, 2010, Boeing announced a further postponement, with the delivery of the first freighter to Cargolux planned for mid-2011.
  The 747-8 passenger version took to the skies over Everett, Washington
caption: The prototype Boeing 747-8F during flight testing
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