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.
SAN ANTONIO, April 29, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its first landing in San Antonio, April 28 at Lackland Air Force Base. A crew of approximately 70 people traveled onboard the airplane from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida where ZA003, the third 787 airplane to be built, successfully completed a series of extreme-weather tests. Additional thermal test data will be collected while in San Antonio.
Boeing has already announced that modification of some 787s will be done at the San Antonio site.
“It’s great to have the 787 in San Antonio,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Commercial Airplanes. “We are excited to be working with the team there. This is just a short visit for testing but we will be back with more airplanes.”
ZA003 is expected to stay in San Antonio for about two days.
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.
EVERETT, Wash., April 20, 2010 – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Boeing expanded type inspection authorization (TIA) today, clearing the way for its personnel to fully participate in future test flights and for the collection of required flight-test data. Initial TIA was granted Feb.11, which supported the collection of flutter certification data.
The expanded TIA marks the FAA’s confirmation that the airplane and team are ready to collect additional certification data. Boeing achieved the expansion by demonstrating the readiness of the airplane throughout a variety of speeds, altitudes and configurations.
“This TIA expansion is another significant step toward delivering airplanes to our customers. We remain on track to deliver the first airplane to ANA this year,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Commercial Airplanes.
In addition to receiving expanded TIA, Boeing finalized the aerodynamic configuration of the 787.
“We have completed sufficient testing to decide that no additional changes to the external lines or shape of the airplane are required,” said Fancher. “Having an airplane match its expected performance with so few changes is rare and speaks to the maturity of the design.”
The 787 flight-test fleet logged its 500th hour of flying April 16. On Sunday, ZA003, the flight-test airplane outfitted with interior elements, landed in Florida, where it will go through extreme weather testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base.
Flutter testing video
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Ground effects testing video
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Capt. Heather Ross is a 787 engineering project pilot for The Boeing Company. Read More
Capt. Craig Bomben is an engineering project pilot for The Boeing Company. Read More