Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
australian aviation logo

First RAAF P-8A takes shape at Renton final assembly line

written by australianaviation.com.au | April 21, 2016


Warning: Undefined array key "image-size-770" in /data/www/upgrade/australianaviation.com.au/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/australianaviation/functions.php on line 1310

Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /data/www/upgrade/australianaviation.com.au/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/australianaviation/functions.php on line 1310

Warning: Undefined array key "image-size-770" in /data/www/upgrade/australianaviation.com.au/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/australianaviation/functions.php on line 1310

Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /data/www/upgrade/australianaviation.com.au/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/australianaviation/functions.php on line 1310

Boeing has released two photos of the first Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft undergoing final assembly at the manufacturer’s Renton facility just outside Seattle.

The first photograph, taken on March 11, shows the wings being joined on the aircraft, while the second photograph shows the tail being added.

This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
Login
Become a Member
To continue reading the rest of this article, please login.

or

To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today!
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
PRINT
$49.95 for 1 year Become a Member
See benefits
  • Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
  • Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
PRINT + DIGITAL
$99.95 for 1 year Become a Member
$179.95 for 2 years Become a Member
See benefits
  • Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
  • Access to the Australian Aviation app
  • Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
  • Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
  • Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
  • Daily news updates via our email bulletin
DIGITAL
$5.99 Monthly Become a Member
$59.95 Annual Become a Member
See benefits
  • Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
  • Access to the Australian Aviation app
  • Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
  • Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
  • Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
  • Daily news updates via our email bulletin
The first RAAA P-8A in production at Boeing's Renton facility. (Boeing)
The first RAAF P-8A in production at Boeing’s Renton facility. (Boeing)
This photo, taken on March 16, shows the tail being added to the P-8A. (Boeing)
This photo, taken on March 16, shows the tail being added to the P-8A. (Boeing)

Acquisition of eight P-8As for the RAAF was approved in 2014, while the recently released Defence White Paper’s accompanying Integrated Investment Program (IIP) revealed that, “Eight Poseidon aircraft will be introduced in the early 2020s, with seven additional aircraft to be acquired in two tranches to bring the total to 15 aircraft by the late 2020s.”

Approval of the first of those additional tranches of P-8s was subsequently announced by Defence Minister Senator Marise Payne at the RAAF’s Air Power Conference in Canberra in March.

“The first of the Poseidons is expected to be delivered late this year and 12 aircraft will be in service by 2022,” Senator Payne told the Air Power Conference.

==
==

The P-8A is based on the Boeing 737-800 commercial aircraft. The fuselage is built at Sprit AeroSystems as a dedicated P-8A alongside the commercial 737 fuselages in Wichita, Kansas while final assembly is on a specific P-8A line at Boeing’s 737 factory in Renton, Washington State. Mission and sensor systems are then installed at Boeing Field, Seattle

 

You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member today!

Comments (5)

  • Harry

    says:

    Sexy

  • Sean

    says:

    Will it stay in the states ?

  • Alan

    says:

    I like the way they put a big picture on the fuselage …. guys this is what its meant to look like …
    except the plane is arse about ! …. 🙂
    Nice.

  • Dave Thomas

    says:

    A great aircraft for our off shore defence, and search and rescue opp’s. Teamed with say the Triton MQ-4C we will have a product unequalled in our Asia/Pacific area.

  • aviatorman

    says:

    Its amazing to see that Boeing’s work is never done…. they just keep on producing aircraft. The photo’s remind me of the factory at Renton way back in 1961 when 707’s were the line. Back then Seattle was in full swing and its ‘ Space Needle’ had just begun along with Monorail…. then along came Bill Gates and the rest is history.

Comments are closed.

Momentum Media Logo
Most Innovative Company
Copyright © 2007-2025 MOMENTUMMEDIA