Test aircraft makes appearance in Wichita
A test aircraft for the U.S. Navy made a stop in Wichita on Monday, giving workers at Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems a chance to see the plane they helped to build.
The P-8A Poseidon is derived from the Boeing 737-800, and it's used for anti-submarine warfare, but it can also be used for search and rescue operations and other missions. The Navy plans to buy 117 of the planes. Boeing received a $1.6 billion contract for the production of the first 6 aircraft, and then another $1.7 billion award was received for another 7 planes.
Boeing and Spirit employees in Wichita worked on the fuselage, the airframe tail sections and the struts for the Poseidon. The project engineering director for Spirit, Mike Schwamman, said it was exciting to see the plane. The P-8A business development manager for Boeing, David Robinson, said this will be the next generation capability for maritime aircraft, and he said the plane has performed better than planned. Robinson said the planes will be based in Jacksonville, Florida.
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