EVERETT, Wash., June 17, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test fleet passed 1,000 hours of testing yesterday. The program estimates that it is about 40 percent through the test conditions required to certify the first version of the all-new jetliner.
“More work remains but we are seeing excellent progress in flight test,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Even more important than the hours we’ve logged are the test conditions we have completed. The team is being very efficient in getting the data we need.
“It’s also important to note that we are making solid progress on the ground testing required on the flight test fleet as well,” Fancher said.
VALPARAISO, Fla., April 22, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has begun a series of extreme-weather tests at Valparaiso, Fla. A special hangar at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base allows the airplane to experience heat as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) and as low as minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 Celsius).
After the airplane is stabilized at either the hot or cold temperatures, flight test technicians will follow the Airplane Maintenance Manual to perform the steps required to prepare the airplane for flight release and operate under these conditions. Sensors and monitors will allow the test team to determine if all systems hardware and software operate as expected.
Cold-weather testing is being conducted first, with preliminary hot-weather testing to follow. Additional extreme-weather testing will be conducted later in the flight test program.
“We have Dreamliner customers who will operate the 787 in a wide variety of environments throughout the world,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “This testing is about ensuring that the airplane meets the expectations of our customers.”
A crew of approximately 100 people traveled from Seattle to support the test operations on ZA003, the third 787 airplane to be built.
The McKinley Climatic Laboratory is the second remote testing location for the 787 Dreamliner. The second airplane in the fleet, ZA002, performed a variety of tests in Victorville, Calif., last month. The testing in Florida is expected to last nearly two weeks.
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. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.
Boeing Achieves 787 Power On
EVERETT, Wash., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has completed the Power On sequence for the first 787 Dreamliner, marking the completion of the next major milestone on the path to first flight later this year.
Power On is a complex series of tasks and tests that bring electrical power onto the airplane and begin to exercise the use of the electrical systems. The 787 is a more-electric airplane with the pneumatic, or bleed air, system being totally replaced by electronics.
“The team has made great progress in bringing the bold innovation of the 787 to reality,” said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “There is plenty of work to be done between now and first flight, but with every step forward we grow more and more confident.”