Honeywell’s Boeing 757 Testbed Turns 40

Honeywell Aerospace’s Boeing 757-200 testbed turned 40 this year, after more than 800 test flights and 3,000 flight test hours, worldwide.

Thom Patterson

Monday, June 13, 2022 at 04:29 PM ET

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Honeywell’s Boeing 757-200 testbed, N757HW. [Courtesy: Honeywell Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Honeywell's unique Boeing 757-200 (N757HW), celebrating its 40th anniversary, serves as a dedicated flight testbed equipped with a distinctive third engine pylon.
Acquired by Honeywell in 2005, the aircraft is crucial for the in-flight development, testing, and qualification of Honeywell engines, avionics, and communication systems.
The 757 testbed has completed over 800 flight tests and 3,000+ flight hours across five continents, significantly contributing to the advancement of various Honeywell aerospace technologies, including engines, radar, and satellite communication systems.
Despite its age, N757HW remains an indispensable asset for Honeywell due to the irreplaceable nature of real-world flight testing, with no plans for its retirement.

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Look who’s turning 40: Honeywell’s (NASDAQ: HON) unique Boeing 757-200, the well-known testbed—with a third engine pylon jutting out from the right side of its fuselage.

In 1982, this twin-engine classic was the fifth 757-200 to roll off Boeing’s assembly line in Renton, Washington. After beginning its career as a narrow-body passenger airliner with launch customer Eastern Air Lines in 1983, the jet was acquired by Honeywell in 2005 to help develop, test, and qualify Honeywell engines, avionics, and communications systems.