PHILO LUND MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 9926. Boeing 737-7ES Peace Eagle (N356BJ c/n 33962)
Photographed at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, USA, March 5, 2010, by Philo Lund

Boeing 737-7ES Peace Eagle

06/30/2010. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "On June 4, 2002, a contract was signed between the Turkish Under-secretariat for Defense Industries and a Boeing-led team, to develop a new airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) system for Turkey, similar to the Wedgetail AEW&C system being developed for Australia, but with a Turkish-unique computing system and ground segment. Initially six aircraft were required (later reduced to four), based on the 737-700 airframe these were designated Peace Eagle.

The first aircraft, N356BJ, first flew November 17, 2004, in standard configuration, the 'wedgetail' Northrop Grumman MESA radar aircraft was fitted in May 2005. The remaining three are being modified by Turkish Aerospace Industries, the first flew in July 2008. However, a series of problems, including electronic equipment and software, have delayed the program by at least three years, and the first aircraft is expected not to be delivered before 2011."


Created June 30, 2010