von ST. LOUIS — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] Silent Eagle flight demonstrator aircraft F‑15E1 completed a successful first flight on July 8 from Lambert St. Louis International Airport. During the 80-minute flight, F‑15E1 opened and closed its left-side Conformal Weapons Bay, which contained an AIM-120 Instrumented Test Vehicle (ITV) missile. The ITV was not launched.
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| Silent Eagle flight demonstrator aircraft F‑15E1 Source: Boeing Company Click to enlarge |
“The Silent Eagle demonstration flight validated our initial engineering design approach,” said Boeing F‑15 Development Programs Director Brad Jones. “Our intent was to verify all systems are operational in a flight environment. This flawless flight allows us to move into the next phase. In the next couple of weeks, we will ferry F‑15E1 to the test range and launch an AIM-120.”
“Everything about the flight went according to plan,” said Boeing F‑15 Chief Test Pilot Dan Draeger. “We saw nothing unusual during the flight, and we cleared the desired flight envelope needed to fire the missile at the test range; that is pretty much unheard of on a first flight.”
The Silent Eagle is an innovative design solution developed in response to international customer requirements for a cost-effective, high-performance fighter aircraft to defend against future threats. The F‑15SE offers unique aerodynamic, avionic and Radar Cross Section reduction features that provide the user with maximum flexibility to dominate the ever-changing advanced threat environment. The aircraft’s Conformal Weapons Bays can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weapons.
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Contact:
Patricia Frost
F‑15 Communications
Office: 314–234-6996
Mobile: 314–705-0895
patricia.a.frost@boeing.com
