EVERETT, Wash., March 28, 2010 – Boeing today completed the ultimate load wing up-bending test on the 787 Dreamliner static test unit. During the testing, loads were applied to the airframe to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the airplane is ever expected to experience while in service. The wings were flexed upward by approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) during the test.
Initial results of the ultimate load test are positive. More extensive analysis and review are required before the test can be deemed a success.
“The test program has been more robust than any conducted on a Boeing commercial jetliner,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It has taken countless hours of hard work by the Boeing team and our partners to work through the static test program. Everyone who has been involved in this effort over the past several years should be very proud of their contributions to ensuring the safety of the 787 Dreamliner.
“We are looking forward to the technical team’s report on the details of the test results,” said Fancher. It will take them several weeks to work through all of the data.
During each second of the more than two-hour test, thousands of data points were collected to monitor the performance of the wing. Key data points are monitored real-time during the test, but all of the data will be evaluated in the weeks ahead.
787 Dreamliner Background
The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed to meet the needs of airlines around the world in providing nonstop service between mid-size cities with new levels of efficiency. The airplane will bring improved levels of comfort to passengers with larger windows, bigger baggage bins and advances in the cabin environment including lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and cleaner air. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.
EVERETT, Wash., March 14, 2010 – Boeing has added the fourth 787 Dreamliner to its flight test fleet with the completion of the first flight of ZA003. The airplane departed Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 10:55 a.m. (Pacific time) and landed at 2:01 p.m. at Boeing Field in Seattle.
Captains Ray Craig and Mike Bryan piloted the airplane on its three hour and six minute flight. ZA003 is the final 787 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to enter the flight-test program.
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“We’ve done a significant amount of ground testing on the new systems on ZA003 in preparation for first flight. Engineering, manufacturing and flight operations have really pulled together as a team to enable first flight,” said Craig. “It has been very rewarding to watch the Boeing team pull together in support of this milestone.”
ZA003 is the only 787 in the flight test fleet that will include elements of the passenger interior features including cabin and crew support systems. The 787 is introducing new passenger amenities and provisions for a more comfortable flying experience. Among the new features are improved lighting, bigger stowage bins, larger windows with electrochromatic shades and redesigned lavatories with easier access.
In addition to demonstrating that the interior meets certification requirements, ZA003 will be used to conduct tests on systems, noise performance, flight-deck operations, avionics, electromagnetic effects, high-intensity radio frequency response and extended operations (ETOPS).
“The Boeing team is doing great work. We’ve established a good pace of accomplishment on the program,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “The priorities are clear and the entire team is focused.”
Capt. Mike Bryan is a 787 engineering project pilot for The Boeing Company. In this position, Bryan is responsible for conducting the flight test program on ZA003, the fourth 787 airplane to enter test.
Capt. Raymond “Ray” Craig is a 787 engineering project pilot for The Boeing Company. In this position, Craig is responsible for conducting the flight test program on ZA003, the fourth 787 airplane to enter test.
VICTORVILLE, Calif., March 9, 2010 – The second Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ZA002, landed in Victorville, Calif., at 10:53 a.m. (Pacific time) today. This marks the beginning of the first flight test operations outside of Washington state for the program.
The airplane will be stationed at Victorville for approximately three weeks. The crew will conduct ground effects testing among other activities.
During ground effects testing, the pilots fly the airplane very close to the runway to gather data regarding the aerodynamic effects and performance of the airplane during the takeoff and landing phases of flight. Quantifying this performance is part of the certification requirements for all new airplanes.
“Victorville’s airfield is the former George Air Force Base,” said Randy Neville, chief pilot for ZA002. “There is ample ramp space for parking and plenty of on-site facilities. There is a long runway, and with plenty of level, clear land along the approach to the runway. We can operate there without disrupting air traffic control or other commercial aircraft.”
A crew of more than 150 employees will be stationed at Victorville while the airplane is there. These include the flight test engineers and support personnel required to prepare the airplane for each day’s flights and to monitor performance and test equipment.
“Our confidence in the reliability of this airplane grows day by day,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “Taking the airplane out of state for the first time is a big step, but one we’re ready for.”
Capt. Randy Neville is chief pilot for ZA002, the second 787 to enter the flight test program.