Key Aero’s Dino Carrara interviewed Captain Joe Duval, Honeywell’s director of Flight Test Operations about the company’s unique Boeing 757 which despite being 40 years old is proving to be perfect for testing the company’s latest engines and aerospace technology
Q. How long have Honeywell Aerospace used a Boeing 757 for test work and why was the type chosen to replace the Boeing 720?
A. We've owned the Boeing 757 since 2005. It was quite a project to replace our previous aircraft, which was a Boeing 720. We looked at plenty of aeroplanes, including other Boeing models, even the 747, and Airbus models. We knew we wanted an air transport-sized aeroplane, because of the engine testing we do. The safest way to do that is to mount the test engine on an aircraft that doesn't rely on the propulsion from the test engine. Having a large aircraft like a 757 is really the safest way to do that so we don’t rely on the test engine for any kind of propulsion.
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