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On September 20, 2024, Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail, marking a major milestone in the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Airborne Early Warning and Control programme.
The flight took place in Birmingham, UK, where over 100 personnel are modifying three Boeing 737 NG aircraft at STS Aviation Services. This event is part of the test and evaluation phase before the aircraft enters RAF service.
The aircraft is currently unpainted and will soon receive its RAF livery after further flight tests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBvULLKaHSk
https://theaviationist.com/2024/09/20/r ... st-flight/A very rare Royal Air Force Boeing 737-700 Wedgetail REG : WT001 , Departing and Landing at Birmingham Airport BHX , after spending several years in the STS Hangar , this was a test flight.
Captured on 20.09.2024.
The RAF’s Wedgetail E7 AEW Mk1 aircraft has taken its maiden test flight from Birmingham Airport in the UK.
Currently unpainted, the aircraft undertook what is known as a Functional Check flight, which tests flying control, engine, and avionics systems following the initial build phase, which took place at STS Aviation Services, Birmingham.
While this was the first flight of the airframe following its conversion to E-7 Wedgetail specification,
the aircraft was actually delivered in 2010 as a Boeing 737-700 Boeing Business Jet registered N384BJ.
In 2012 it was re-registered as B-5273 for use by Deer Jet, a Chinese business jet provider.
Boeing acquired the aircraft in June 2019, placing it back on the US register as N946BC.
It arrived in the UK for military conversion in January 2021.
The next two aircraft, which are undergoing their respective conversions at Birmingham now, will be WT002 and WT003.