Video Proof: 747-8F Program Stalled & Dragging Behind - What Next?

 Relax, Boeing still plans to deliver the first 747-8F (Freighter) to Cargolux in mid 2011, and while that is well behind the original schedule, the variety of nagging issues seems to be clearing up pretty fast. They've got several 747-8F's in the air now for the flight test phase, and as this video shows, the 'stalling' and the 'dragging behind' are actually real elements of the testing process - so they're a really good sign.

 It's pretty cool to see Boeing's biggest airplane ever going thru stall tests! They're actually pretty uneventful, but if you watch closely, it's interesting to see how far and how rapidly the cockpit drops during the stall. Being way out front on a pretty long arm means there's some significant movement there... probably about as wild a ride you'll ever get in a 747. And it's always awesome to see VMU tests with the tail of these huge airplanes dragging down the runway. If you missed the 787 VMU video, check it out now. 

 Back in June 2010, Boeing finally entered the 'million pound club' when the 747-8F took off at 1,005,000 pounds. Since then, they've upped it a bit to 1,010,000 pounds. And while weight milestones like this really don't mean much, it is good to see that this latest version of one of the greatest airplanes ever built is definitely adding new levels of performance and capability. I'm thinking it's gonna be very sucessful.

 Lastly, I really like how the Freighter differs from the passenger model (named the 747-8I or Intercontinental) in that the hump on the Freighter is the old shorter version like we used to see on all 747's way back in the day. The now common extended upper deck makes great sense for added pax capacity but it's not the most beautiful shape ever made. The almost nostalgic look of the Freighter hump not only makes this version easy to distinguish, but it looks gorgeous! BTW, the Intercontinental version should be ready for its first flight before long - stay tuned.

 
One of the flight test 747-8F's in launch-customer Cargolux livery  (photo: wiki)