Honeywell Aerospace is known for its ground-breaking research in
aviation technology. The Phoenix-based firm offers products and services to major planemakers, the
business jet market, and even the general aviation market. To examine its products and innovations,
Honeywell relies on a fleet of highly modified aircraft capable of handling
rigorous tests and quality checks. The firm’s Boeing 757 is one such airplane
that has proved to be a reliable workhorse over the years. Let’s take a look at this unique jet.
The 757 in question entered service in 1983 with Eastern Airlines
and was just the fifth 757 to roll out of the Boeing factory.
The now 38-year-old airplane joined Honeywell in 2005 with the registration N757HW.
Joe Duval, Director of Flight Test Operations at Honeywell, calls the aircraft a generic flying
testbed. To put it simply, it’s essentially a flying facility that tests the products that
Honeywell Aerospace produces. Duval calls it generic because the airplane isn’t restricted
to testing any one particular type of technology - and certainly nothing specific to the 757.
Instead, it caters to a range of products meant for general aviation.
This 757 often stands out from the crowd with a third pylon placed on the right-hand side,
aft of the flight deck. This is used when Honeywell performs airborne engine tests.
The only minor drawback of this added feature is that it produces extra drag,
slightly reducing the aircraft’s range.
Except for a couple of engineering stations with a few seats, the airplane is devoid of
any significant interior fitting and has cables visibly running along the airframe.
This means it’s 15,000– 20,000 pounds lighter than other 757s. Duval calls it “an aircraft
with great performance, robust airframe, and a big envelope for the center of gravity.”
Every project requires the aircraft to be modified, so it takes some time to prepare
it for any new kind of test. Usually, any given flight tests more than just one piece of tech.
For instance, if a test flight is made to examine an engine,
chances are it could also be testing a weather radar system simultaneously.
The 757 testbed aircraft has been at the forefront
of some significant tests performed by Honeywell Aerospace over the years. It
has performed more than 800 tests in 30 countries with Honeywell so far.
The 757 has come in really handy in developing and upgrading the firm’s advanced airborne
weather radar IntuVue RDR-4000. In 2018, Honeywell deployed the aircraft fitted with this weather
radar in the Asia-Pacific region during the southwest monsoon season. For three weeks,
it collected important weather data in Thailand, the Bay of Bengal, Australia, and Singapore.
The company also uses the 757 to test most of the engines it produces, including the HTF series,
TFE731, and TPE 331- powerplants that are used in both military and corporate aircraft. Indeed,
the engines of the Embraer Legacy 450/500 were tested entirely on this 757!
Looking at all this, it’s pretty clear that with the right modifications and adjustments,
this unique Boeing 757 can be transformed from a standard commercial airliner to a sophisticated
aircraft capable of testing some of the most innovative products in the aviation sector.
Have you ever seen this aircraft for yourself? Let us know by leaving a comment!