COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 26, 2010 – The fourth Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ZA004, has been stationed in Colorado Springs, Colo., for several days for a short series of high-field-elevation tests. Earlier this month another 787 conducted touch-and-go maneuvers in Colorado Springs.
The tests, which have to be conducted at an airport with a high elevation, follow tests on the same airplane over the weekend in Mesa, Ariz., done at a low-elevation airport in hot weather.
The 787 flight test fleet, currently comprised of four airplanes, has logged more than 840 hours of flying in the last six months. Two more airplanes are expected to join the flight test fleet soon.
MESA, Ariz., May 25, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its first landing at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport this weekend. ZA004, the fourth 787, is undergoing a short series of tests that require a combination of hot weather and low-altitude conditions. A crew of nearly 75 is supporting the airplane to ensure smooth operations during testing. The stay in Arizona is expected to last only a few days.
The 787 flight test fleet, currently comprised of four airplanes, has logged more than 820 hours of flying in the last six months. Two more airplanes are expected to join the flight test fleet soon.
EVERETT, Wash., May 12, 2010 – The first General Electric GEnx engines on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner came to life Monday with initial engine starts. Customers can choose between the GEnx engines and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power their 787s.
“This is another exciting step in our progress on the 787 test program,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 Program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our partners at GE have worked diligently to ensure their engines are ready for the testing that is going to occur both before first flight of ZA005 and throughout the flight test program.”
Video of the engine run is available at www.boeing.com.
Following engine testing, ZA005, the fifth 787 to be built, will undergo a series of ground tests similar to those conducted on the first 787s to ensure that it is ready for first flight later this quarter.
About the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
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.
Fifty-seven customers around the world have ordered 866 787s since the program was launched in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history.