Boeing completed all flight tests required for type certification of the 787-8 Dreamliner with Rolls-Royce engines on Saturday, Aug. 13. The all-new jetliner is bringing unprecedented levels of fuel economy, maintenance cost improvements, and environmental sensitivity to the marketplace through the use of new technologies including composites, more electric systems, advanced aerodynamics and the latest advancements in propulsion.
“We are very pleased with the performance of the airplane during the Function & Reliability and Extended Operations testing over the last month,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manger of the 787 program. “The Dreamliner continues to demonstrate that we will indeed delivery a truly revolutionary airplane that will be a game changer in the marketplace.”
The final flight occurred Saturday onboard ZA102, the ninth 787 to be built. Capt. Mike Carriker, chief pilot for the 787 program, brought ZA102 back to its home base at Paine Field in Everett at 1:58 p.m. (Pacific Time) following a 90 minute flight that originated in Billings, Mont. During the flight, the 14-person crew completed simulations of a dispatch with a failed generator and failed fuel flow indication.
“When ZA102 returned to Paine Field, it brought back with it the hopes and dreams of the many thousands of men and women of Boeing and our global partners who have worked so long for this day,” Fancher said. “Their hard work and commitment to this amazing airplane has been a true inspiration. We look forward to making our first delivery to our good friends at ANA in September.”
Video highlights of 787 flight testing can be found at http://youtu.be/9yRmwGMNuDo.
Flight testing continues for 787s with GE engines and for Boeing test points not related to certification.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner features a wide array of passenger amenities including larger windows, cleaner air, higher humidity and a lower cabin altitude.
Boeing and ANA completed the 787 service ready operational validation in Japan over the weekend. As part of the validation, ANA pilots, together with Boeing, flew the Dreamliner on routes from Seattle to Tokyo and Tokyo to four airports across Japan, including Osaka (Itami and Kansai), Okayama and Hiroshima. Maintenance and ground crews from ANA also gained experience with the airplane in the simulated operational environment.
“Giving our team a chance to work with the airplane prior to entry into service was very valuable,” said Katsunori Shimazaki, ANA corporate planning senior manager and the airline’s leader of the validation. “Our crews are excited to begin operating the first 787 revenue flights later this year.”
Teams from ANA and Boeing validated more than a hundred procedures, including towing the airplane, conducting fit checks of ground support equipment, staging electronic flight bag data and completing maintenance actions, among other activities.
“The successful conclusion of this effort further validates our plans for entering the first all-new airplane of the 21st century into service with our launch customer ANA,” said Mike Fleming, 787 services and support vice president. “Our teams worked well together and the airplane performed as we expected.”
At each airport, hundreds of enthusiasts and reporters gathered to witness the 787’s arrival from Tokyo. Combined, several thousand people celebrated the Dreamliner’s presence in Japan.
“It has been incredible to see the enthusiasm for the 787 every place we’ve gone,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “With its improvements in comfort and environmental performance, passengers are clearly eager to experience the 787 for themselves.”
ANA’s first scheduled service with the 787 will be either the Tokyo Haneda-Okayama or Tokyo Haneda-Hiroshima route when deliveries begin later this year.
ANA has 55 Dreamliners on order. ANA will deploy the 787 across its route network as an integral part of its strategy to strengthen its position and support its growth and expansion plans.
See video highlights of Boeing and ANA’s service ready operational validation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rlho-kOLog.
Boeing and ANA today began an important validation of their readiness for the 787 Dreamliner’s entry into service.
Throughout the coming days, ANA pilots, together with Boeing, will fly a 787 on actual airline routes in Japan using airline dispatch and flight rules. ANA’s mechanics and ground crews also will gain experience with the airplane in a simulated operational environment.
“ANA is proud to be the first airline in the world that will operate the 787,” said Shinichiro Ito, ANA president and CEO. “The Dreamliner is an integral part of our plans to become Asia’s number one airline and will allow us to bring new standards of comfort and service to our passengers. Validating all of our training and preparations for the Dreamliner is critical to help ensure a smoother entry into service for our passengers and crews later this year.”
The 787 debuted in Asia yesterday with a landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo at 6:21 a.m. (local time). More than a thousand media, ANA employees and aviation enthusiasts gathered to witness the 787’s arrival and welcome ANA pilots Captains Masayuki Ishii and Masami Tsukamoto and Boeing pilots Captains Mike Carriker, Heather Ross and Ted Grady. Sporting ANA’s livery, the 787 flight test airplane ZA002 flew non-stop to Tokyo from Seattle.
“Boeing is honored to celebrate the historic first landing of the 787 Dreamliner in Japan, home of our launch customer ANA and many of our 787 partners,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “ANA is a tremendous airline, and the 787 is a better airplane because of their input and involvement in the program.”
Throughout the week-long validation, the 787 will experience simulated day-to-day airline operations. Maintenance, servicing and flight crew operations will be conducted at five airports in Tokyo, Osaka (Itami and Kansai), Okayama and Hiroshima. ANA’s first scheduled service with the 787 will be either the Haneda-Okayama or Haneda-Hiroshima route when deliveries begin later this year.
ANA has 55 Dreamliners on order. ANA will deploy the 787 across its route network as an integral part of its strategy to strengthen its position and support its growth and expansion plans.
Boeing plans to deliver the first 787 to ANA in the August to September timeframe.
ANA, the 787’s launch customer, today at the Paris Air Show revealed some of the comfortable interior features that passengers around the world will begin enjoying when the Dreamliner enters service with the Japan-based airline later this year.
“We will be introducing two separate cabin designs for our international flights, one for long-haul and one for short-haul,” said Shuichi Fujimura, ANA’s senior vice president, Europe Middle East & Africa. “In both business class and economy class, we will offer high-quality products that will set a benchmark.”
A tall, dramatically lit entryway will welcome ANA’s passengers onto the 787, creating a sense of the sky overhead that continues throughout the cabin. The comfortable business and economy class seats, bigger bins, larger windows and spacious interior that passengers will experience are presented in video and photos released today.
“ANA has been a tremendous partner to Boeing as we worked closely together on the development of this great airplane,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager, 787 program. “We know their passengers will absolutely love the plane.”
Although some of the most innovative technologies on the 787 aren’t visible they will help passengers have more pleasant and comfortable flights. Passengers will feel the difference with the airplane’s cleaner cabin air, lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and smoother ride.
ANA also revealed a special livery for its first two 787s, featuring dramatic placement of the 787 designation on the planes.
Learn more about ANA’s 787s on their website.
The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ZA001, has joined the historic line up of Boeing airplanes on display at the Paris Air Show. The all-new jetliner will be on display for the next two days.
“We are making great progress toward finishing certification of the 787 with Rolls-Royce Package A engines,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “It’s an honor to bring the 787 to the Paris Air Show on behalf of all of the hard working men and women around the world who have designed and built this amazing airplane.”
Tomorrow at 11 a.m. local time, ANA, the launch customer for the 787 program, will make a special announcement from the Boeing airplane display area. In addition, leaders of the international partners contributing to the 787 program will meet on board the airplane, and members from Boeing Team France, the supplier team located in France, will have dedicated time on the airplane.
The 787-8, the first member of the 787 family of jetliners, is a twin-aisle airplane that accommodates 210-250 passengers on routes between 7,650 and 8,200 miles (14,200 and 15,200 km) – making it the only mid-size airplane capable of long-range routes. As a result of innovative technologies, the airplane offers unparalleled operating economics, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.
More than 800 787s are on order by more than 50 airlines, a testament to the airplane’s unique capabilities. Launch customer ANA is expected to take delivery of the first 787 in August or September.
“In this building, our talented Boeing South Carolina teammates are going to assemble the finest, most technologically advanced commercial widebody airplane in history,” said Jack Jones, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina. “Airline customers from around the world will come to the South Carolina Lowcountry to take delivery of their 787s, and we look forward to demonstrating what ‘made with pride in South Carolina’ is all about.”
Boeing’s Site Services Group and BE&K/Turner, the design-build team, were recognized at the ceremony for their work in bringing construction of the building to completion six months ahead of schedule. In addition the BE&K/Turner team has worked 3.7 million labor-hours without a lost time incident. Employees began moving into the new building in May, and final assembly of the first South Carolina-built 787 Dreamliner will begin later this summer.
“Our partnerships with state and local government and industry have made today possible,” said Marco Cavazzoni, vice president and general manager, Final Assembly & Delivery, Boeing South Carolina. “I have a lot of gratitude and respect for every person who has worked hard to help build this new ‘house’ for us. Every person who steps through these doors is making history, and that’s something we should all take pride in.”
In April, Boeing announced that thin-film solar laminate panels would be installed on the roof of the Final Assembly building. This solar installation will provide up to 2.6 megawatts of electrical power for the site and is the largest in the Southeast by production capacity.
The new Final Assembly building features 642,720 square feet (59,711 m2) of covered space, roughly the equivalent of 10.5 football fields. More than 18,000 tons (16,329 mt) of steel and one million cubic feet (28,316.8 m3) of concrete were used in its construction. At full production rate, the South Carolina Final Assembly facility will produce three 787 Dreamliners per month.