Boeing begins T-7A Red Hawk trainer production

Just four months after Triumph Aerospace Structures Red Oak loaded the first wings parts into an assembly jig, production of the advanced trainer has begun at Boeing's St. Louis facility

T-7A Red Hawk advanced training jet production has begun at Boeing's St. Louis, Mo., facility. It's the first e-series jet to be digitally designed, built and tested along a digital thread, increasing production quality and reducing assembly time.

The T-7A Red Hawk advanced training jet was fully designed and engineered using 3D model-based definition and data management systems. The new process uses less drilling, which shortens the time required to build the aircraft and improves the quality in manufacturing.

The U.S. Air Force designates any aircraft manufactured using digital engineering with an "e-" prefix in order to showcase how innovative processes are part of design and development.

The T-7A Redhawk is the advanced trainer for future U.S. Air Force pilots.