FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 18, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its international debut landing at the Farnborough Airport at 9:09 a.m. (local time) in support of the Farnborough International Airshow that begins Monday.
“It’s an honor to showcase the 787 here at the Farnborough Airshow,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “I can’t think of a finer stage on which to present this highly anticipated airplane.”
This is the first international trip made by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane came nonstop flight to Farnborough, U.K., from Seattle.
“We took advantage of the flying time to conduct some flight testing on the way,” Fancher said. “We’re taking every opportunity to complete our testing requirements when we fly.”
The 787 Dreamliner is built by an international team and will provide airlines around the globe with a new level of efficiency in operations, with a 20 percent reduction in fuel use when compared to similar-sized airplanes. The 787 also brings a new level of passenger comfort to travelers including bigger windows and more personal space as well as an environment designed to help them arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed.
Boeing executives and members of the board of directors, dignitaries from the United States and U.K. and a wide variety of media were on hand to welcome captains Mike Bryan and Ted Grady as they stepped off the airplane and welcomed visitors aboard. About a dozen people traveled on the airplane to conduct testing during the flight.
Fancher and other Boeing executives will provide a media briefing on the 787 at the airshow’s main press chalet at 10 a.m. (local time). The airplane, referred to as ZA003, will depart Tuesday afternoon, July 20.
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
Ground effects testing video
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.
“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.