The Boeing Co. will send its five 747-8 flight test freighters to San Antonio, Texas, to be refurbished prior to delivery, a company spokeswoman said Thursday.
“It’s mostly a capacity issue,” said Lauren Penning, Boeing spokeswoman, explaining why the company isn’t doing the work in Everett.
The jet maker is on schedule to deliver the first freighter mid-year, she said. But the freighters used in flight testing will need work done before the company delivers those aircraft. Flight test aircraft usually have extra wire and special equipment used in flight testing. The company will need to remove the flight test gear and restore the aircraft to delivery condition.
Boeing previously announced it will send some 787s to San Antonio for workers there to fix problems discovered during flight testing, which the company calls change incorporation work.
Penning said that Boeing will do change incorporation work on 747-8 freighters, those built but not used in flight testing, in Everett.
Boeing has 76 orders for its updated 747 freighter.
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