It's official, the boeing 7E7 is now the 787!

There were many rumours this would happen, and finnaly it did!
This followed the 60 787's planes order from severel chinese airlines today.

I'm glad it's 787 now! It looks more official... more boeinglike! ;)

Thank goodness, 7E7 sounded silly.

Thank goodness, 7E7 sounded silly.

Agreed! :yes:

Yes, 787 is much more practical, like A3XX to A380.

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128g.jpg

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128h.jpg

One thing I've found interesting about the 787 is its variant numbering scheme. You have the 787-8 and 9, but also the huge gap between 3 and 8. They probably have plans for all those numbers. Based on past history, I would estimate the following table. I'd like to emphasize that it is total speculation, except for the models in bold, which are official.

787-200 Shortened Short Range?
787-300 Baseline Short Range
787-400 Stretched Short Range?
787-500 Super-Stretched Short Range?
787-600 I have no idea.
787-700 Shortened Long Range?
787-800 Baseline Long Range
787-900 Stretched Long Range

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128g.jpg

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128h.jpg

I love the 787 but why did they "saw off" the top of the "shark tail?" It looked better with a pointy rounded off tail at the top.

The 787-900 will have quite a huge range, I think it would be, a flight from Auckland-Mumbai non stop.

^ Auckland - Heathrow over/via Alaska / Arctic? (isn't that the main Kiwi-UK route?)

Yeah, but now with the ANZ Beoing 747-400s they transit in Los Angeles and soon a new route from San Francisico to London will be made, this year I hope. The new 777-200s will have a larger range, and plan for direct routes to China and India.

i think 7E7 sounds better...E can stand for economy...efficient..extended range...evolution ..etc...besides Boeing is eventually going to run out of names they have to come up with a new naming method...

^They can always start over with the 808.

^They can always start over with the 808.

Boeing's 800-series should be next-generation powered aircraft, like hydrogen subsonic or scramjet. Hopefully the aviation industry will start turning away from fossil fuels soon before fuel prices rocket. :)

I love the 787 but why did they "saw off" the top of the "shark tail?" It looked better with a pointy rounded off tail at the top.

Because the 787 is supposed to look like a dolphin instead of a shark.

http://www.petandwildlife.com/dolphins/images/stockmystore/dolphin_candle.jpg

Boeing's 800-series should be next-generation powered aircraft, like hydrogen subsonic or scramjet. Hopefully the aviation industry will start turning away from fossil fuels soon before fuel prices rocket. :)

LOL Boeing will hit 800 long before it, or the rest of the world, gives up on oil.

^ So true... we sure do love that oil. :cheers:

^Great use of smiley.

Asia lifts Boeing's hopes for Dreamliner
Company says region's carriers account for 70pc of 'overwhelming' order level
Russell Barling
28 April 2005
South China Morning Post

Asian airlines may elevate Boeing back to its position as the world's No1 commercial aircraft manufacturer this year, with regional carriers accounting for 70 per cent of present orders for its new Dreamliner aircraft, the company said yesterday.

In the year since Boeing's sales team took the B787 to the market, it has received 237 firm orders and commitments - worth US$28.44 billion at list prices - and another 429 "active proposals", mostly from Asia.

Michel Bair, vice-president of the B787 programme, said orders had "clearly exceeded expectations" for the aircraft, which will not make its first commercial flight until mid-2008.

"We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the market response," Mr Bair said during a conference call yesterday. "We are starting to struggle with the availability of [delivery] positions. We are fully booked for 2008 and 2009; we have a couple of slots left in 2010, and 2011 and 2012 are filling quickly."

All the sales activity prompted Boeing's head of commercial aircraft sales, Scott Carson, to tell Reuters earlier this month: "We'll beat them [Airbus] this year."

The list price for the middle of three versions of the new aircraft - the B787-800 - is US$120 million per unit. But analysts say they are probably moving for closer to US$80 million, putting the value of the firm orders at closer to US$19 billion.

Manufacturers routinely offer discounts to kick-start a new product's sales momentum, a fact acknowledged by Mr Bair yesterday.

"We'd love to get catalogue prices for our aircraft, but that's not the way it works nowadays," he said.

China, which Mr Bair said played a role in the B787's design capabilities, has been responsible for 60 of the firm orders and commitments to date. Japan's All Nippon Airways was the launch customer with 50 units of the shorter range 787-300 version, while on Tuesday Air India brought South Asia into the equation with an order for 20 Dreamliners, valued at US$2.4 billion at list prices.

"Geographically, about 70 per cent of orders are coming from the Asia theatre," Mr Bair said. "The Asian carriers are doing so well in such a robust market that the orders are skewed that way."

The 17 member carriers of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines yesterday said the number of international passengers they carried had continued to expand in the first quarter, up an aggregate 7 per cent on last year's strong performance.

Boeing designed the B787 as a replacement for its ageing B767. According to Mr Bair, it can fly 2,500 nautical miles further than its predecessor, burns 20 per cent less fuel and carries 50 per cent more cargo.

The "vast majority" of the orders so far have been for the B787-800 version, which can carry 217 passengers up to 15,700km.

A commitment from Cathay Pacific has eluded Boeing.

"We are talking to them," said Mr Bair. "They are in a unique position because of the flows in and out of Hong Kong, which tends to have them look at larger rather than smaller aircraft. But we are talking to them."

Boeing said last night its first-quarter earnings fell 14 per cent to US$535 million.

I noticed this on the Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/2075910/) forum which has a link to this forum (http://www.ifdg.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=10334) and they have pictures of the final design of the 787. I'm not sure if they're kidding or being truthful but if this is the final design of the 787, I'm severely dissappointed. It looks like a funky version of the 767. :(

What happened to the cool tail, sleek nose and the interesting shape of where the tail and elevators meet?

New???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/new_787_R54eh.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/new_787_R54dh.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/new_787_R54ch.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/new_787_R54bh.jpg

Original Design:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/boeing-787-5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/Boeing_7E7_New.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/boeing-7E7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Texas90/Boeing-787-Model.jpg

I hope this isn't true. If so I wanna write a letter to Boeing about it, not that they would listen or even read it. :p

^ I read an op-ed piece a while back saying Boeing would probably remove those "unique" exterior features once they finalized the design. They were put on initially to entice buyers [and apparently some SSC forumers too.] :rofl:

I am sooo disappointed with the final 787. I can understand losing the shark fin tail, but they totally ruined the nose. It looks like a chunk now.

I am sooo disappointed with the final 787. I can understand losing the shark fin tail, but they totally ruined the nose. It looks like a chunk now.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. If this is REALLY what boeing wants to shell out as the final design, let Airbus make the A350 look like what the 787 was supposed to be.

^ Yes the finalized design sucks. They might as well call it the "767 Advanced."

.. So would anyone care to explain why Boeing's spent $12 Billion on a plane that looks the same as existing planes they've made? :)

[Granted they've already made up that difference in orders already... but that still seems a bit steep.]

What are the advantages of a carbon composite body? Are they more difficult to repair in the even they're damaged?

What are the advantages of a carbon composite body? Are they more difficult to repair in the even they're damaged?

According to the Boeing website, the lightweight composite materials in the aircraft will provide resistance to fatigue and corrosion. Also, the obvious advantages in fuel savings due to the weight reduction.

This plane is still going to be deliciously AWESOME because of its interior, with LED lighting instead of flickering fluorescents, huge windows so you don't have to scruntch down to look out, and those cool polarized window shades that operate at the push of a button. It will certainly be by far the best cabin out there as far as modern technology! :) :) :) :)

Wichita Business Journal - 2:04 PM CDT Thursday

The Boeing Co. has the inside track on a jet purchase by LOT, Poland's national airline, according to a Thursday online report by Reuters.

Boeing and Airbus officials declined to comment of the deal. LOT is looking for long-range planes to replace its current fleet of six Boeing 767s, which are used on the carrier's international routes.

The two companies are engaged in a fierce battle for new orders in a highly competitive commercial passenger aircraft market.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) is pitching its new 787 Dreamliner, which will have lower operating costs than the 767 because of its higher fuel efficiency.

For its part, Airbus is working on sales of its new A350, a long-range version of its mid-sized A330, and its answer to the 787.

Parts of the 787 will be made at Boeing Wichita. Airbus has a design and engineering center in Wichita's Old Town district.

Boeing won a number of recent customer orders despite competition from Airbus, including major orders from Air India and Air Canada.

The 787 is due to begin deliveries in 2008. So far, the company has more than 200 orders for the aircraft.

So what's the actual differance between the 767, 777 & 787 - ie why is Boeing introducing what appears to be a thrid model into the same market place.

Or am I missing the point?

767 = mid-range 200-300 seats airplane
777 = long-range 300-400 seats airplane
787 = long-range 200-300 seats airplane and very efficient with fuel

northwest airlines had buyed 68 dreamliners (18 firm orders and 50 options)

YES, the bussiness of boeing is going to be good this year!!!

So what's the actual differance between the 767, 777 & 787 - ie why is Boeing introducing what appears to be a thrid model into the same market place.

Or am I missing the point?

The 787 will largely replace the 767 and open-up a new niche in long-range medium-capacity routes. The 777 is for higher capacity routes and for the longest routes.

Wichita Business Journal - 10:10 AM CDT Friday

Ken Vandruff

Northwest Airlines Inc. placed firm orders for 18 of the Boeing Co.'s new 787 Dreamliner with options for an additional 50.

The deal is valued at $2.2 billion at list prices, although airlines routinely negotiate discounts. Boeing (NYSE: BA) will deliver six 787s each year to Northwest (NASDAQ: NWAC) starting in August 2008 and continuing until 2010. The airline will be the first North American carrier to operate the jet.

Boeing says it has a total of 255 orders and commitments for the 787 from 20 airlines around the world.

The forward section and engine struts for the 787 will be built in Wichita. Boeing is in the process of selling its Wichita and Oklahoma commercial airplane operation to Onex Corp. (TSX: OCX.SV). The two companies have a long-term agreement to continue the 787 work once Onex assumes ownership of the facilities.

Polish airline wants Boeing 787

By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER AEROSPACE REPORTER

Despite intense lobbying by France, Germany and Britain, the national airline of Poland will buy Boeing's 787 rather than a competing jet made by Airbus.

LOT Polish Airlines notified Boeing that it will order six of its 787s as replacements for its Boeing-made but aging 767s, an industry source confirmed yesterday. The decision ends one of Europe's most closely watched order of battles because of the political pressure that was applied from both sides of the Atlantic.

The Boeing win represents another setback for Airbus, which has lost a string of recent competitions to Boeing and its 787, a twin-engine, superefficient jet slated for service starting in 2008.

An official announcement from LOT is likely within a couple of weeks, the source said. Boeing declined comment.

LOT has never bought planes from Airbus, although the LOT fleet includes smaller regional jets. LOT uses its five 767s on trans-Atlantic routes to the United States to serve the large Polish-American community.

Poland joined the European Union last year, and it had been pressured by French President Jacques Chirac to show loyalty by buying planes from Airbus. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also weighed in on behalf of Airbus

Earlier this year, after a meeting with Chirac, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said he would seriously consider the arguments made by France, Germany and Britain for buying Airbus planes.

But Poland also has a strong political alliance with the United States. In January 2003, Poland, along with other former communist countries, signed what was known as the "letter of eight," which supported President Bush's war plans against Iraq -- a war strongly opposed by France and Germany, Poland's most important trading partners. Poland later sent a few thousand troops to Iraq.

The Polish government owns 68 percent of LOT, and even though the carrier had said it would order new jets based on an independent evaluation of which planes are best for LOT, few industry observers believed that politics would not be a major factor.



Poland already has made one aircraft decision in favor of the United States that upset Europe, especially the French.

In January 2003, about the same time Poland was signing on in support of the Bush administration's war plans, the Polish government announced it would buy nearly 50 F-16s from Lockheed Martin. The deal, worth about $3.5 billion, was a blow to France, which was offering its Dassault-built Mirage. Europe's Gripen fighter was also rejected.

Poland was criticized in Europe for buying American-made fighters while at the same time seeking better conditions for entry into the European Union.

To win the fighter competition, Lockheed Martin had promised offsets -- investments in Polish industry -- that could be worth several billion dollars to the country's economy.

Such agreements are also standard practice by Boeing and Airbus to help them win jetliner deals with other countries. It is not known what kind of offset package Boeing may have offered as part of its bid to LOT.

Airbus reportedly was prepared to increase its purchases of goods from Polish aviation companies -- from about $12 million now to perhaps $20 million per year.

Initially, Airbus offered LOT its A330-200 as a 767 replacement. The A330-200 is bigger and newer than the 767 and was winning most of the sales for midsize jets until Boeing started development of the 787.

LOT was considering the A350, a yet-to-be-built long-range derivative of the A330 that will incorporate a new wing and the fuel-efficient engines being developed for the 787, as well as the A330, which is available now.

Boeing has won 255 firm orders or commitments for its 787. But the A350 is off to such a poor start -- just 10 planes from a single airline -- that some industry analysts believe Airbus may have to rethink its strategy and develop a more expensive all-new jet, rather than a derivative, to compete against the 787, which will be the industry's first jetliner with a composite wing and fuselage.

Airbus has said it is not concerned and expects to have 50 A350 commitments by the Paris Air Show next month and 100 by year's end.

Given that LOT chose Boeing's 787 in the face of the political lobbying by Europe is another indication that the A350 is struggling to gain traction with airlines

But LOT does have a long history with Boeing.

It was Boeing-built jets that helped transform LOT into what it is today. It has a fleet of more than 50 planes and a route structure serving 31 countries.

In operation since 1929, LOT entered the jet age in 1968 when it acquired Soviet-built Tupolev planes. Later, it bought Illuszyn jets for new long-haul routes.

In 1988, LOT decided to replace its Russian fleet with the twin-aisle 767. It was the first airline in Central or Eastern Europe to operate the Boeing jet. Later, in 1992, LOT ordered Boeing 737s for shorter routes.

LOT had said it wants to reduce its costs by about 20 percent and the more efficient 787 will help.

EVERETT, Wash., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) has selected JAMCO Corp. to provide flight deck interiors -- including a stowage area, linings and the stowage consoles near the seats -- and the flight deck door and bulkhead assembly for the all-new 787 Dreamliner. These awards are in addition to the lavatories contract awarded earlier this year.

"Boeing has a long relationship with JAMCO. They are repeatedly winners of our top recognition awards for quality and performance," said Mike Bair, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "It's natural for them to be a part of the 787 team."

Takashi Kawashima, president and chief executive officer of JAMCO, said, "It is our great honor to have been selected to supply elements of the interiors for this very exciting aircraft. This contract underscores JAMCO's reputation for top-level quality and integration capabilities. We are very confident in our ability to supply excellent products."


Additional Information:
Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

The 787 is a family of three super-efficient airplanes that will provide
passengers with a better flying experience, including an improved cabin
environment with more room and more conveniences. The 787-8 will carry 223 passengers in three classes of seating with a range of up to 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 kilometers). The 787-3, a model of the 787-8 optimized for shorter flights, will carry 296 passengers in two-class seating on ranges up to 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 kilometers). The 787-9, a longer version of the 787-8, will carry 259 passengers in three classes with a range of 8,300 nautical miles (15,400 kilometers).

About JAMCO Corporation:

Tokyo-based JAMCO provides aircraft interior monuments and is a leader in lavatories and galleys throughout the world. JAMCO has received many
recognition awards from Boeing, including Boeing Supplier of the Year in 2002. JAMCO is a three-time recipient of Boeing's President's Award, and a nine-time recipient of Boeing's Pride in Excellence Award.

767 = mid-range 200-300 seats airplane
777 = long-range 300-400 seats airplane
787 = long-range 200-300 seats airplane and very efficient with fuel


Thanks

Can someone give me a timeline of when:

- First flight
- First delivery of fuselage by the modified 747
- First plane wholly built

Thx :)

Can someone give me a timeline of when:

- First flight
- First delivery of fuselage by the modified 747
- First plane wholly built

Thx :)

is this about the 787 or about the 747lcf (large cargo freighter)??

^ The first and last are referring to the 787. Sorry I didn't make that clear. :)

I noticed this on the Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/2075910/) forum which has a link to this forum (http://www.ifdg.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=10334) and they have pictures of the final design of the 787. I'm not sure if they're kidding or being truthful but if this is the final design of the 787, I'm severely dissappointed. It looks like a funky version of the 767. :(


That's called marketing, but wait until you'll see the airlines colour on the plane, you might be even more disapointed. At least, airbus is being honest with its design projects

Welcome to the cruel world...

AVIATION SALE OF DREAMLINERS

Boeing aims to sell 400 more 787s

Having secured 255 orders and commitments for its new mid-sized fuel-efficient 787 jet from 20 airlines around the world, Boeing is actively chasing orders for another 400 units from 25 other carriers.

The US airplane maker is betting heavily on the new jetliner in its belief that there would be worldwide demand for as many 3,500 units of such type of aircraft, worth some US$400 billion over the next 20 years.

Boeing Commercial Airplane expects to capture more than half of the demand for the aircraft, the medium-to-long-haul with seating capacity in the range of 200 to 300, over the period with its 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing's new aircraft is, for the time being, directly pitched against European rival Airbus' A330 and A340 currently in operation, as well as the future A350 which Airbus hopes to put into service by 2010, only two years after the 787.

Speaking in Bangkok yesterday, Randy Tinseth, director for product and services marketing at Boeing, said one of the biggest appeals of the 787, formerly known as the 7E7, was its fuel efficiency, with consumption 20% lower than for similar-sized airplanes, thanks partly to the use of composite materials in the fuselage which shed some weight.

The 787's fuel burn per seat is claimed to be 20% lower than for the A330-200 and 40% lower than the A330-400, according to Mr Tinseth.

By using more composite materials in the fuselage, he said the jet would burn 20% less fuel than comparable planes.

The 25 carriers which Boeing has sent out proposals to has the potential demand for 400 units of the 787, which comes in three versions with capacities ranging from 220 to nearly 300 passengers and a flying range from 6,500 km to 15,700 km.

Boeing described the demand for the 787, with a catalogue price of about US$120 million, as unprecedented in the duration of one year after the aircraft was officially authorised for sale.

The latest 787 order was placed by Northwest Airlines for 18 units. The single largest order Boeing has received to date is 50 units from All Nippon Airways.

Thai Airways International, one of Boeing's targeted customers, has yet to place any orders for the 787 model.

Boeing did not discuss the development cost of the 787, nor how many planes it needed to sell to justify the development cost.

Production of the 787, recognised by its distinctive nose, wings, tail, and engine cowls, bigger window and larger overhead bins, is slated to start in 2006. The first flight is expected in 2007 with certification, delivery and entry into service in 2008.

Meanwhile, the US plane maker has begun to draw airlines' attention to the latest version of its jumbo jet, dubbed 747 Advanced, Boeing's answer to Airbus' gigantic double-decker A380 though at a smaller scale.

Details of the modernised jumbo were scarce though Mr Tinseth said the 747 Advanced would be derived from today's B747-400, the main staple for long-haul high-capacity aircraft among international airlines, with new fuel-efficient engines and upgraded cabin with more passenger seats (34).

Besides, the 747 Advanced was claimed to beat an A380's trip cost by 19%. Boeing is working with airlines and freight carriers on the development of the 747 Advanced.

Can someone give me a timeline of when:

- First flight
- First delivery of fuselage by the modified 747
- First plane wholly built

Thx :)

First Flight: 2007
First delivery of fuselage by the modified 747: i don't know
First plane wholly built: 2008

After the 787 design disapointment Im not surprised if that fuel savings that Boeings claims for the 787 are also a... disapointment!

i've heard that the airbus a380 is 20% cheaper per seat than a normal airplane, and the boeing 787 is 20% cheaper per seat than the a380.

so boeings 787 is around 40% cheaper than a normal airplane (like the 767)!

says who?

says who?

i've forget who had said that.
but i think i read it or something on the internet...

After the 787 design disapointment Im not surprised if that fuel savings that Boeings claims for the 787 are also a... disapointment!

Where'd you hear this?

and the boeing 787 is 20% cheaper per seat than the a380.

I highly doubt that... Not because I don't believe the 787 will be extremelly fuel eficient (it will for sure), but just because the 380 is much bigger, which means the costs per seat are much lower than on smaller jets.

Where'd you hear this?

i don't know, but i can check the history of my pc...

I highly doubt that... Not because I don't believe the 787 will be extremelly fuel eficient (it will for sure), but just because the 380 is much bigger, which means the costs per seat are much lower than on smaller jets.

I've actually been in another discussion in an aviation forum, and most of those guys (many of whom fly or have flown airliners) have said the 787 could have comparable economy to the A380. Though, no one thought the oft-quoted 20% savings would apply to 787 vs A380.

However, this all depends on the following:
A) A verly low maintainence design for the 787.
B) Engines that really do consume far less fuel than the massive turbofans that power the A380.
C) A faster turnaround time for the 787 (including the rapid load and unloading of passengers)
D) Ugly stewardesses on the 787 that don't get paid as much. ;)

But there's no way to tell until both aircraft of gone through operational testing.

have said the 787 could have comparable economy to the A380.

That's possible. It's just like you said... we must wait and see.

D) Ugly stewardesses on the 787 that don't get paid as much.

:rofl:

Travel Daily News
Thursday, May 12, 2005


Boeing and Japan Airlines (JAL) completed contracts for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 30 Next-Generation 737-800 passenger airplanes, agreements worth $5.3 billion at list prices. JAL also has options for 20 more 787s and 10 more 737s.

Japan Airlines sees the 787 Dreamliner as its next generation mid-sized twin aisle airplane, replacing Boeing 767s and Airbus A300-600s. The 737s will replace and expand JAL`s single-aisle fleet. JAL announced it had selected the 787 last December and the 737 in February.

"This is a very special day for Boeing and Japan Airlines, two great companies that are working together to build the future and who share a solid understanding of the aviation market," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President for Sales Larry Dickenson. "The 787 will provide JAL the best in efficiency, economics, and reliability for medium-to-long-range operations, and the 737 provides the lowest operating costs with the best reliability in its class."

JAL is one of 20 airlines that have announced orders and commitments for 255 Dreamliners. Completing the JAL agreement brings to 112 the number of 787s under firm contract. The 787 will be the key airplane on several of JAL`s domestic and international routes. The 787 will "provide outstanding flexibility in route planning and a wonderful flying experience for passengers," according to Japan Airlines.

The airline selected the 737 because of its confidence in the airplane`s technology, flexibility, reliability, and economic and environmental performance.

The 787 family includes three airplanes seating 200 to 300 passengers that fly between 3,500 and 8,500 nautical miles (6,500 to 16,000 kilometers). The 787 will use 20 percent less fuel than today`s comparable airplanes and will offer passengers a new interior environment with higher humidity levels, wider seats and aisles, larger windows, and other conveniences.

Boeing launched the 787 in April 2004. Production will begin in 2006. First flight is expected in 2007 with certification, delivery and entry into service in 2008.

The Next-Generation 737 features the newest technology in its class and is the category leader in reliability and operating costs. The 737-800 generates more revenue than the A320 by carrying up to 12 more passengers and approximately one-half ton more cargo. Its industry-leading reliability rate, fuel efficient performance, and quick turn-around time make it ideal for airlines around the world.

MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is to be the principal partner for the United States' Boeing corporation in designing the new Boeing 787 Dremliner, Boeing international contacts vice-president and regional president for Russia and the CIS Sergei Kravchenko said at the Dreamliner show presentation on Monday.

"Hundreds of Russian engineers from the Moscow-based Boeing design center handle about 30% of designing the fuselage nose cone and about a third of the pylons of the Dreamliner. Half of them are made of composite materials," he said.

According to Kravchenko, Boeing has signed an over $3 million contract with the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) for making an experimental test bench for static and dynamic tests of life-size fuselage panels of the new plane.

"The Russian test bench will test eight fuselage panels of composites for the Boeing 787," he said.

The TsAGI facility will reproduce all the complicated load modes of the real fuselage in service, he said.

Within the Dreamliner program, Boeing also cooperates with the Russian Academy of Sciences and All-Russian Aviation Materials Institute (VIAM).

The advantage of Russia boasting unique intellectual potential in information technologies and research is the reason why Boeing cooperates with the Russian aviation industry for the Dreamliner, Kravchenko stressed.

The volume of the market of the Dreamliner, which is to replace the 767 model, is estimated at 3,500 planes in the next 20 years.

Russia-Boeing Dreamliner cooperation is underway within the framework of the agreement signed in November 2004 between the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry and the Boeing company.

Japanese to develop 35 percent of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

TOKYO, May 26 (AFP) - Boeing signed an agreement Thursday to give Japanese heavy engineering firms 35 percent of the construction of the next-generation 787 Dreamliner on which the US aviation giant is staking its future.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Fuji Heavy Industries, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed the deal which they hailed as a boost for the aerospace engineering industry in Japan.

Signing the agreement, Boeing vice president Mike Bair said Mitsubishi will be the first outside company to build wings of a Boeing aircraft.

Details and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Boeing has received orders and commitments for 261 Dreamliners from 21 airlines around the world for the fuel-efficient jet which faces a tough challenge from the A350 of rival European company Airbus.

Boeing plans to deliver the first batch of 95 Dreamliners in 2008 through 2009, Bair said.

Japan showed an early interest in the Dreamliner, with its top two carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines ordering a combined 80 of the planes.

Mitsubishi Heavy has already announced investment of 80 billion yen (770 million dollars) to build wings for the Dreamliner, with about half the funds used to set up a new factory in Nagoya.

Japan's Bridgestone will also make the tires for the 787 as it has for earlier Boeing planes.

The Japanese participation had led to allegations by the European Union that Japan was indirectly subsidising the Dreamliner project.

Shanghai Airlines shareholders approve purchase of nine Boeing B787 aircraft
01 June 2005

BEIJING (AFX) - Regional carrier Shanghai Airlines Co Ltd (SHA 600591) said its shareholders have approved a proposal to buy nine B787 aircraft from Boeing Co.

The airline said earlier that the catalog price for a B787 is 120 mln usd and it expects to gradually take delivery of the 787s within the five years starting from 2008.

Separately, Shanghai Airlines said its proposal to seek a one-year loan of 200 mln yuan from Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd, a state-owned investment firm, has also been approved by its shareholders.

No further details were provided.

Shanghai Airlines said several days ago that it has postponed a plan to raise 600 mln yuan via a 150 mln yuan-denominated shares issue, mainly due to the country's slumping stock markets.

Shanghai Airlines booked a 49.38 mln yuan loss for the first quarter, compared with a 47.08 mln net profit a year earlier on the back of higher jet fuel costs.

American Airlines CEO : Not Eager To Buy New Boeing Jet
8 June 2005

DALLAS (AP)--American Airlines is unlikely to buy Boeing Co.'s (BA) next jetliner until the money-losing carrier returns to profitability and can get better credit terms, American's chief executive said Wednesday.

Gerard Arpey said American considers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, due out in 2008, 'a very intriguing airplane,' but added that American likes to pass on the first model of new jets.

Arpey made the comments during an investors' conference. He also emphatically renewed American's vow to fight an effort by rival Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) to make long-haul flights from Dallas Love Field, which would compete with American's flights at nearby Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Arpey accused Dallas-based Southwest of trying to exploit its 'monopoly' at Love Field, where flights are limited to Texas and seven nearby states by a 1979 law called the Wright Amendment.

'Southwest can start tomorrow from DFW and compete with American, and I suspect if the Wright Amendment isn't repealed, that's what they'll do,' Arpey said.

Although American's parent, Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. (AMR), has lost more than $7 billion since the beginning of 2001, it has one of the strongest balance sheets in the U.S. airline industry, prompting an analyst to ask Arpey whether American would buy the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Last month, Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC) announced it would buy 18 787s - at a cost of $2.2 billion - for long flights and buy options for another 50.

Arpey said it didn't make sense that AMR should invest in new planes as it struggles to turn a profit.

'We've got to take the airplanes we have today and drive them to profitability,' Arpey said. Once the company is profitable, he said, it could get better terms on loans for new aircraft.

Boeing did not immediately return two calls Wednesday.

Shares of AMR were up 3 cents, or 0.3%, to $14.03 in recent trading, near the high end of a 52-week range of $6.34 to $14.95. Boeing shares were down 99 cents, or 1.5%, or $64.29.

"...American Airlines is unlikely to buy Boeing Co.'s (BA) next jetliner until the money-losing carrier returns to profitability and can get better credit terms..."

... I think Boeing'll have the 787's successor out by the time AA gets their ship righted. :) :) :)

AA has the worst type of aircraft. The inside is all broken......never riding AA!

^ Yes of their 800-some aircraft fleet, roughly half are MD-80s. They're flying death traps relying solely on careful maintenance of the T-tail because McDonnell-Douglas violated safety redundancy rules when designing it, (See Alaska Airlines Flight 261). :bash: :bash: :bash:

Boeing-Airbus Rivalry Dominates Air Show

The Associated Press
June 6, 2005


Aircraft of all descriptions are arriving for the Paris Air Show, but the global aerospace industry's main gathering looks certain to be dominated more than ever this year by its biggest rivalry: the Boeing-Airbus dogfight.

Planes and helicopters have been flying in since early this week to take their places on the tarmac at Le Bourget, north of Paris, where they will go on display Monday alongside aeronautic and military hardware ranging from flight simulators to missiles.

Among them, the Airbus A380 "superjumbo" is bound to get the most attention at its first air show appearance - even as the European aircraft maker is struggling to maintain the lead it took from its U.S. rival two years ago.

The 555-seater A380, which arrives Sunday, represents Airbus' bet on a strong market for very large planes, while Boeing Co. sees more demand for long-range, mid-size jets like its fuel-efficient 787, which enters service in 2008.

After a slow start, Boeing's "Dreamliner" has drawn a surge of orders and commitments, to a total of 266. But the Airbus A350 - the European company's answer to the 787 - is having trouble getting off the ground, with just 10 nonbinding orders to date, and a trans-Atlantic trade dispute threatening its planned funding.

Airbus' top plane salesman John Leahy had vowed to close some of the 787's lead, saying more than 100 A350 orders would be clinched in time to be announced at Le Bourget.

But his task cannot have been made any easier by the apparent setback to the A350 announced Wednesday, when parent company European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. said the program was on track for a final go-ahead "by the end of September" - instead of next week, as many had expected.

Airbus spokesman David Velupillai declined to say Friday whether the earlier target stands and would not elaborate on reasons for the new September deadline - although EADS said Wednesday it was keen to avoid straining resources for other aircraft programs.

Airbus recently admitted that the first A380s will be delivered up to six months late, and several of its 15 early customers said they will seek compensation under the terms of their contracts.

Plans to use cheap loans from European governments to fund one-third of the A350's euro4 billion (US$4.9 billion) development cost are also at the center of a bitter trans-Atlantic trade dispute over plane subsidies, after Washington filed a complaint against the EU at the World Trade Organization last month and Brussels reciprocated.

No final decision has been announced on whether the government aid will be used - a factor that Randy Baseler, Boeing's vice president for marketing, believes could be holding the A350 back.

"I don't think they can announce the launch of an airplane and then apply for aid afterward," Baseler told The Associated Press on Friday. "So that might be a reason they're delaying too."

In a three-class configuration, Airbus says the A350 will carry a maximum of 285 passengers 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 kilometers). By comparison, the larger of the two long-haul 787 versions will carry 259 passengers 8,300 nautical miles (15,400 kilometers), Boeing says. Scale models of both planes will be on show at Le Bourget.

The newest addition to Boeing's airliner family, the 777-240LR, flew into Le Bourget early Friday and will be part of the static displays, featuring a total of 1,916 exhibitors from 41 countries.

There will also be 238 real working planes and helicopters present - an 18 percent increase on the last Paris Air Show in 2003, when the industry was still suffering the aftershock of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On the military side, aerobatic performances by rival fighter planes will help to underscore the dominant theme of trans-Atlantic competition.

Louis Le Portz, chairman and CEO of Le Bourget organizer PLBpe, said both the Rafale fighter from France's Dassault Aviation and Boeing's F-15 Eagle will be among some 60 aircraft that stage display flights. The two planes are competing for a lucrative deal to supply 20 fighters to Singapore's armed forces.

The air show opens to the public for three days on June 17, after four days reserved for industry visitors and government delegations.

^ Yes of their 800-some aircraft fleet, roughly half are MD-80s. They're flying death traps relying solely on careful maintenance of the T-tail because McDonnell-Douglas violated safety redundancy rules when designing it, (See Alaska Airlines Flight 261). :bash: :bash: :bash:


I don't know why I see alot of hate for the MD80. To be honest it's my favorite aircraft, actually the MD90 but I'm happy to be flying on some American MD80's in a few weeks. Long live the DC9/MD80/90/Boeing 717!!!



Speaking of the Boeing 787, since it's made of composite materials, is Amercian gonna have to actually paint the aircraft a shiny metal color if it wants to keep it's livery? I wonder what the basic color of the 787 is since all other plane before it seem to use some type of metal skin.

Boeing Mulls Boosting 787 Production In 2008, 2009
13 June 2005

PARIS (Dow Jones)--Boeing Co. is considering boosting the number of 787 airplanes it will make in the first two years of production in order to meet demand.

Mike Bair, Boeing's head of the 787 program, said in a briefing at the Paris Air Show Monday that he's looking at ways to hit target production levels more quickly in 2008 and 2009. Currently, Boeing plans to make 95 787s in those two years. [ 13-06-05 1244GMT ]

Bair said he's only considering accelerating the pace of ramping up production at this point, not the target production level. He declined to say what that target level might be, or how many more 787s the company might produce in 2008 and 2009 by accelerating the ramp-up.

"The marketplace would eat as many as we could produce," he said. "At this point it is: What is a prudent ramp-up speed?"

Bair said it's possible that some airlines will be deterred from ordering 787s now if they cannot get any for years, but other airlines are eager to get production slots. "At a certain point, you say: If I can't get a plane until 2014, then I'll wait," he said.

Bair added that hastening the ramp-up involves accelerating production by all of Boeing's suppliers.

^ By that time all Boeing'll have are the 737, 777 and 787 production lines. It's entirely feasable to ramp up production for 787s since the demand is so high for it right now! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Boeing Discusses Progress On 787 Dreamliner
Bernama
June 14, 2005


KUALA LUMPUR -- Boeing during a briefing at the Paris Air Show reported strong progress on many aspects of the all-new 787 Dreamliner that make the airplane more appealing to passengers and airlines.

Boeing's 787 Vice President and General Manager, Mike Bair highlighted the airplane's new air purification system, which will provide cleaner air during flights, as one advance passengers will truly appreciate.

Passengers will notice a difference," Bair said.

"They will feel more refreshed after their 787 flights. It may be difficult for passengers to recognize the differences between today's airplanes, but the 787 will be distinct.

From its larger windows to its unique interior architecture, and from its lower cabin altitude to its cleaner air, passengers will enjoy their flights on a 787."

During the briefing, Bair also provided an update on the progress being made in the design and development of the new airplane.

"We have built four developments composite barrel sections at this point and are entirely convinced that we have our manufacturing solutions in place," Bair said.

Most recently the team in Wichita built a nose section as part of the development effort.

In Everett, the 787 team is building part of a full-scale wing box to demonstrate the manufacturing techniques and support certification of the new airplane.

"It is a true testament to the team that we have created and proven these techniques in so short a period of time and with truly outstanding results," Bair said.

He credited the innovative and integrated Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) toolset developed by Paris-based Dassault Systemes with providing a real competitive advantage.

"Our international team is better equipped to develop solutions, consider alternatives and make decisions thanks to our digital toolset," Bair said.

"Even now, one year before we start building our first airplane and two years before it flies, we know that our designs are optimised and achievable."

Although the 787 has significantly more advances compared to previous airplanes, the team has reduced the development cycle by one year thanks in large part to the digital toolset.

He added that the market response to the 787 is "validation" that the team is getting it right.

"We have the right airplane at the right time," Bair said.

"Its fuel efficiency, range, cargo capability and improved maintenance make it very attractive to airlines. The number of customers and their diversity in terms of geography and business models highlight the 787's ability to meet the different needs of different airlines."

"The team is humbled and motivated by the market response. We are working diligently to meet the expectations of our customers. They have put their trust in us and we will perform," he added.

Boeing, Vietnam Airlines Complete Boeing 787 Dreamliner Purchase Agreement

La Société
June 22, 2005


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Boeing Company and Vietnam Airlines today signed the firm agreement for the purchase of four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners by the national airline of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The signing ceremony, held at the Department of Commerce, included Vietnam Airlines President and CEO Nguyen Xuan Hien and Alan Mulally, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The event was witnessed by Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez.

Vietnam Airlines plans for the 787 to be its future mid-sized, twin-aisle jetliner. The new airplanes, which are valued at $500 million at list prices, are scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010. The agreement also includes purchase rights for 11 additional airplanes in the 2010 - 2013 time frame.

Vietnam Airlines became the eighth announced customer and a member of the launch team for the 787 in December 2004. Customer announced orders and commitments for the 787 now total 252 airplanes, including 128 under firm contract.

"This is another great step as Boeing and Vietnam Airlines continue to build our strong, long-term working together relationship," said Mulally. "The competitive advantages of the 787 Dreamliner will help Vietnam Airlines continue its incredible growth and the development of its global route structure."

Vietnam Airlines plans to use the 787-8 to expand its route system and to replace some existing airplanes. The airline has not made an engine selection.

"We are looking forward to operating the 787 Dreamliner," said Nguyen. "The superior efficiency of the 787 will allow Vietnam Airlines to further develop our route structure to include city pairs that would otherwise not be financially viable, while providing the best comfort to our passengers."

Boeing jetliners comprise Vietnam Airlines' entire long-range fleet. The carrier operates seven 777-200ERs and three 767-300ERs. Four of the 777s have been purchased directly from Boeing; the remaining 777s and the 767s are leased.

Vietnam Airlines has a significant international route system, connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to major world cities including Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Sydney and Melbourne, Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, Manila and many others.

The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry around 223 passengers in a tri-class configuration on routes of 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 kilometers). The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than any similarly sized airplane and will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85.

General Electric and Rolls-Royce are developing the engines for the new airplane, which will feature a standardized engine interface, allowing either manufacturer's engines to be installed at any time on the airplane. The new engines are expected to contribute as much as eight percent of the increased efficiency of the new airplane.

New Boeing airplanes chief says 787 still on schedule
By DAVE CARPENTER
6 December 2006

CHICAGO (AP) - Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner remains on schedule for its first test flight next summer and for delivery to airlines in 2008 despite the ongoing challenge to make it lighter, the new head of the company's commercial airplanes unit said Wednesday.

Scott Carson told an investment conference in New York that Boeing has 435 firm orders for the new jet from 35 customers along with another 21 nonbinding commitments. The continuing demand makes it "the very strongest product launch in the history of this industry," he maintained.

Boeing officials have said since earlier this fall that they need to trim the 787's weight significantly from parts scattered throughout the entire plane, in some cases switching from aluminum to titanium, in order to meet its promises for greater fuel efficiency.

Carson, the unit's sales chief until September when Alan Mulally left to become CEO of Ford Motor Co., said the first six 787s, all test aircraft, will be above weight specifications. All the company's energies are focused on the seventh and a plan is in place to get the weight off, he said.

Boeing shares rose 10 cents to close at $90.83 on the New York Stock Exchange, near last month's all-time high of $92.05.

Sizzling demand for the 787 coupled with lengthy delays involving Airbus' planned A380 superjumbo have enabled Boeing to seize momentum and close the gap on Airbus in the commercial airplane market. But Carson, making his first formal presentation to Wall Street, expects the competition to remain intense and said his company must fight complacency with things going so well.

"People say, 'Well, you're in a favorite position to Airbus because they're struggling,'" he said. "I say Airbus emerges from this stronger than they've ever been in, and we better be ready for it."

Asked when the largest U.S. carriers are likely to order new planes again, Carson said he expects UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. to be ready in late 2007 or 2008.

Boeing 787 looks more attracitive than Airbus 380!! Will Thai order Boeing 787 or not?? Hopefully, thai airline will get boeing 787 instead of Airbus 380 if 6 orders of 380 cancelled soon!!

^^ Lufthansa just placed 20 orders of the 747-8 passenger version today. I'd rather Thai order those! 787's already secured some 400 firm orders anyway... time for a 747-8 passenger version boost!

EVERETT, Wash. , Dec. 06, 2006 -- Customers, partners and employees gathered at the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Everett factory today to celebrate the virtual rollout of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the program's progress over the last year.

Mike Bair, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, hosted the event.

"Today's virtual rollout is the culmination of many months of effort by thousands of team members at Boeing and its 787 partners," said Bair. "Through the use of our new digital toolset, provided by Dassault Systemes, the team has proven the ability to manufacture 787 designs."

While the detailed analysis and demonstrations created by the team remain proprietary for competitive reasons, the program did share a number of engineering-based simulations ranging from part installations to the final assembly factory flow in Everett.

"The engineering data behind these simulations gives us confidence in our assembly processes and our ability to meet our commitments to our customers," Bair said. "Our tools have enabled us to model the entire production process from our partners' factories to our own. We have found errors in simulation that would have been costly to find in production and have been able to design corrections quickly to keep the program on track."

For many of the partners, the simulations were paired with footage of actual work on their first test and production parts.

During the ceremony, Bair said that the first production wire bundle had been delivered from Labinal to Korean Air's Aerospace Division for installation in the wing tip being manufactured in Korea.

In addition, the program unveiled the new paint scheme for its 747-400 Large Cargo Freighters and announced that those airplanes will be named "Dreamlifters."

"The Dreamlifter is a vital tool that allows us to create a production flow around the world that is very efficient," said Bair. "We look forward to receiving the second Dreamlifter from EGAT in Taiwan early next month. It will arrive in Seattle already painted and ready to participate in the ongoing flight test program."

Additionally, the program unveiled the Dreamliner Gallery, a new facility in Everett, Wash., that provides 787 airline customers a more streamlined approach to airplane configuration.

"The Gallery provides a single location for airlines to configure their 787s," said Bair. "All catalog selections will be physically present in the Gallery for customers to see, touch and evaluate prior to selection. Previously, this was done at various locations around the world."

Also in preparation for the airplane's entry into service, Boeing is working with ANA and Northwest Airlines on a Service Ready Operational Validation program that will happen at the end of the flight test program and prior to first deliveries. A 787 will be used on actual airline routes, replicating the rigors and demands of commercial service.

"This is similar to the programs we have used with great success on other programs," said Bair. "It is one of the last steps we take to ensure that the airplane, the airlines, and the infrastructure are ready for 787 revenue service."

Bair congratulated the team for a spectacular 2006 and reminded everyone that 2007 is when many of the program's major milestones must be completed.

"We open our Everett factory next year and start producing airplanes," Bair said. "We will have our rollout and first flight and will begin the flight test program. Every year has been important as we move toward starting deliveries in 2008 but next year will be the most demanding experience for many of us.

"This is why we came to work for Boeing," he added, "to create new airplanes that bring new levels of performance to our customers and new levels of comfort and convenience to the passengers of the world.

"It's a challenge, no doubt about it. This is the team, all of us together - our customers, our partners and each of us - who will bring this airplane to life. It's an amazing journey from where we started just four years ago. But the best part is yet to come."

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program
2006 Major Accomplishments
All factories begin part production
Wing test box complete and testing under way
Major systems laboratories opened and running
On-time start of major assembly
Large Cargo Freighter first flight and flight testing
First production wire bundle shipped
GoldCare Lifecycle Support Solution offered for service
25 percent of systems for airplane No. 1 shipped
Virtual rollout
First 787 VIP models sold
Orders and commitments increase to 458 airplanes from 37 customers


(source: boeing)

LOT Polish Airlines will be the first airline
in Europe to take delivery of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliners
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/bissinger83/050907g.jpg

i find it kinda funny how those first renders of the 7E7 (at the time) illustrated a whizzbang airplane, which looked noticably different than the usual airplane, it looked cool... and now it has lost all that...

Last news from a source from boeing netherlands.

There is placed an order for 82 boeing 787's by an arab airline.

EK?

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/aircraft_thumbs/787_middle.jpg

First Choice Airways will base two Boeing 787s at Glasgow International. They will operate their current routes to the USA and Caribeban plus new routes to Brazil, other south American destinations and Indian Ocean destinations.

FlyGlobespan are also looking into the Boeing 787, they currently use a mix of Boeing 737-800, Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 767-300 for transatlantic routes.

Last news from a source from boeing netherlands.

There is placed an order for 82 boeing 787's by an arab airline.

EK?

Hmmm.....maybe some Boeing 787-10s? That would be cool. :cheers:

SEATTLE, Dec. 06, 2006 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today confirmed that UK-based carrier and integrated-tour operator First Choice Airways has ordered an additional two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners with deliveries beginning in 2011. This order previously was listed on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries webpage attributed to an unidentified customer.

First Choice, the European launch customer for the 787, placed its first order for six 787s in July 2004. With today's announcement, First Choice now has eight 787s on order. Boeing will deliver First Choice's first 787 in the first quarter of 2009.

"The additional 787s are integral to providing our customers the most comfortable air-travel experience possible in an environmentally responsible way," said Chris Browne, Managing Director, First Choice Airways. "Thanks to its unique cabin environment featuring a more spacious interior, bigger windows and higher humidity, we firmly believe passengers will prefer the First Choice 787 product. From a business perspective, the 20-percent improvement in fuel efficiency will benefit our bottom line and facilitate our growth into new markets."

First Choice's 787s will be powered by all-new GEnx engines developed by General Electric.

"This follow-on order from our European launch customer First Choice speaks volumes about their belief in the exceptional benefits the 787 will bring to their passengers," said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are delighted they are furthering their commitment to this innovative airplane which incorporates the most advanced materials and technologies available today to airlines around the world."

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, when it enters service in 2008, will provide passengers with a better flying experience. Inside the airplane, passengers will find bigger windows and more stowage space, and experience cleaner air and a higher humidity. The improvements in cabin altitude combined with higher humidity and cleaner air create an overall improvement in passenger comfort.

Using 20 percent less fuel per passenger than similarly sized airplanes, the 787 is designed for the environment with 20 percent lower emissions and quieter takeoffs and landings.

As of Dec. 5, Boeing has received 458 orders and commitments for the 787 Dreamliner

(source: Boeing)

Last news from a source from boeing netherlands.

There is placed an order for 82 boeing 787's by an arab airline.

EK?

I've just heard that the order might be from Etihad. The order is for about 67 aircrafts. So i don't know from where the number 82 comes from(maybe 67 Firm + 15 Options). Strange, for an airliner with a fleet of 19 planes at this moment. They're also negotaiting about an order of 747-8I's.

I dont know if this true, but EK is clearly missing the boat if Etihad orders 67 aircrafts.

Hmmm.....maybe some Boeing 787-10s? That would be cool. :cheers:

If EK orders the plane, then there are orders for the dash 10.
If EY orders the plane, then there are probably no orders for the dash 10.

i find it kinda funny how those first renders of the 7E7 (at the time) illustrated a whizzbang airplane, which looked noticably different than the usual airplane, it looked cool... and now it has lost all that...
I think the aircraft was made to look more conventional because it had something to do with the dynamics?? Not sure.....

i find it kinda funny how those first renders of the 7E7 (at the time) illustrated a whizzbang airplane, which looked noticably different than the usual airplane, it looked cool... and now it has lost all that...

I don't think it has lost it's luster at all. If you look at the airplane it is replacing, you'll find that it is indeed a big step up. I thought the initial renderings looked kinda silly anyways.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/78932506-S.jpg

http://www.asd-network.com/data_news/ID7977_300.jpg

Boeing Schedules 787 Dreamliner First Flight For Q2 2009; First Delivery For Q1 2010
December 12, 2008 12:53 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- Boeing has announced an updated schedule for its all-new 787 Dreamliner programme that moves the commercial jet's first flight into the second quarter of 2009 and first delivery into the first quarter of 2010.

The new schedule reflects the impact of disruption caused by the recent Machinists' strike along with the requirement to replace certain fasteners in early production airplanes, it said in a statement.

"Our industry team has made progress with structural testing, systems hardware qualification and production, but we must adjust our schedule for these two unexpected disruptions," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson.

Prior to the strike that halted much of the company's commercial airplane work from early September into November, the 787 was to make its first flight late in the fourth quarter of 2008, it said.

First delivery was slated for the third quarter of 2009, said Beoing.

"We're laser focused on what needs to be done to prepare for first flight," said Pat Shanahan, 787 programme vice-president.

"We will overcome this set of circumstances as we have others in the past, and we understand clearly what needs to be done moving forward."

Included in the preparations for first flight, Shanahan said, are finalising and incorporating remaining engineering changes and completing systems testing, qualifications and certification.

Boeing is evaluating the specific impact of this delay on customer delivery dates and will provide customers with updated schedules once completed.

The company is also determining any financial impact from this schedule change and will incorporate that into updated financial and overall airplane delivery guidance that will be released at a later date.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=377836

lovely plane

in the Shiphol plaza you can find the HerpaWings B787 Model already ;)

FACTBOX-Buyers of delayed Boeing Dreamliner

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Boeing Co pushed back the schedule for its troubled 787 Dreamliner for the fourth time on Thursday, making its new plane almost two years late and further angering airline customers and risking cancellations.

Here is the list of airlines waiting for deliveries of the lightweight, long-range jet which was designed to save fuel.

787-3

-----
All Nippon Airways 30
JAL International 13
TOTAL 43
787-8
-----
Aeroflot 22
Aeromexico 2
Air Berlin 25
Air Canada 14
Air Canada 23
Air China 15
Air Europa 8
Air India 27
ALAFCO 22
All Nippon Airways 20
Avianca 12
Aviation Capital Group 5
AWAS 6
Azerbaijan Airlines 2
Biman Bangladesh Airlines 4
Boeing Business Jet 5
British Airways 8
C.I.T. Leasing Corporation 10
China Eastern Airlines 15
China Southern Airlines 10
Continental Airlines 8
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise 15
Ethiopian Airlines 8
Gulf Air 16
Hainan Airlines 8
Icelandair 4
ILFC 67
JAL International 22
Jet Airways 10
Kenya Airways 9
Korean Air 10
LAN Airlines 18
LCAL 12
LOT Polish Airlines 8
Monarch Airlines 6
Northwest Airlines 18
PrivatAir 2
Qantas 15
Qatar Airways 30
Royal Air Maroc 4
Royal Jordanian 4
S7 Group 15
Shanghai Airlines 9
Sky Peace Limited 1
Thomson Airways Plc 12
Travel Service 1
TUI 11
Unidentified Customers 28
Uzbekistan Airways 2
VALC 8
Vietnam Airlines 8
TOTAL 644

787-9
-----
Air New Zealand 8
Air Pacific 8
Arik Air 7
Boeing Business Jet (private clients) 4
British Airways 16
Continental Airlines 17
Ethiopian Airlines 2
Etihad Airways 35
ILFC 7
LAN Airlines 8
LCAL 9
Nakash 2
Qantas 50
Singapore Airlines 20
Virgin Atlantic Airways 15
TOTAL 208

(Source: Boeing order data as of end-November 2008)

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Bill Rigby)

FACTBOX-Boeing 787 models and backlog

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Boeing Co pushed back the schedule for its troubled 787 Dreamliner for the fourth time on Thursday, making its new plane almost two years late and further angering its airline customers and risking cancellations.

Here are the basic specifications and order backlog for each of the three types of Dreamliner being developed by Boeing.

----Orders---- List Engines
Pass. Range Units Value Price No./Choice
787-3 290/ 3,000/
330 3,500 43 $6.4b $149m 2 GE/RR
787-8 210/ 8,000
250 8,500 644 $104.3b $162m 2 GE/RR
787-9 250/ 8,600
290 8,800 208 $40.5b $195m 2 GE/RR

Production: Everett, Wash.

NOTES:

The 787-3 is a domestic version for the Japanese market.

The total value of orders in the backlog is expressed in billions of U.S. dollars at current average list prices.

Range is in nautical miles. 1 nm = 1.852 km.

Engine suppliers:

GE = General Electric

RR = Rolls Royce

FACTBOX-Global supply chain for Boeing's 787

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Boeing Co pushed back the schedule for its troubled 787 Dreamliner for the fourth time on Thursday, making its new plane almost two years late and further angering its airline customers and risking cancellations.

The project has been hit by a series of problems with suppliers and shortages of parts, aggravated by a recent machinists' strike at Boeing.

The U.S. planemaker is pioneering a new way of making its latest carbon-composite aircraft, outsourcing most of the structure and components to companies around the world and assembling the pieces at its plant in Everett, Washington.

Here is a list of some of the biggest suppliers on the 787, where they are based and what they are producing.

UNITED STATES

General Electric (engines, electronics via Smiths UK)

Spirit Aerosystems (forward fuselage, flight deck, nose)

Honeywell International (flight control electronics)

Rockwell Collins (flight deck display)

Hamilton Sundstrand, a unit of United Technologies (internal power systems)

Vought Aircraft Industries, owned by Carlyle Group [CYL.UL] (aft fuselage)

Goodrich Corp (wheels, brakes)

Moog Inc (flight control actuators)

Hexcel (composite materials)

Alcoa (fasteners)

BRITAIN

Rolls-Royce (engines)

Ultra Electronics (wing ice protection)

GKN (composites)

FRANCE

Latecoere (passenger doors)

Messier-Dowty, part of Safran (landing gear structure)

Thales (in-flight entertainment system)

GERMANY

Diehl (cabin lighting)

ITALY

Alenia Aeronautica, part of Finmeccanica (horizontal stabilizer, central fuselage)

JAPAN

Toray Industries (carbon composite fiber)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (wings)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (forward fuselage)

Fuji Heavy Industries (centre wing box)

Bridgestone (tyres)

Matsushita (cabin services system)

SOUTH KOREA

KAL-ASD, a unit of Korean Air (raked wing tips)

SWEDEN

Saab Aerostructures (cargo doors)

Sources: Boeing, supplier companies.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby, Tim Hepher)

Nice to see that Bangladeshi airline getting a 787. Bye bye to DC10.

Royal Air Maroc (Morocco) will be the first airline in North Africa to take delivery of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, there is 7 units in order.

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q4/051206g.jpg

Russia's S7 cancels Boeing 787 order

NEW YORK, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia's S7 has become the first airline to cancel a major contract for Boeing Co's (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner, as the country's airlines face their worst-ever financial crisis.

The order for 15 787s, due to be delivered in 2014, was worth about $2.4 billion at list prices. The cancellation is a blow for Boeing, whose new, lightweight jetliner has not yet left the ground and is about two years behind schedule.

S7, the main domestic rival to Russia's flag carrier Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), will seek to lease the planes instead, the company said on Thursday.

"S7 retains interest in using the Dreamliner and at the moment is looking into receiving the planes under a leasing scheme at an earlier date, for which it is in negotiations with several leasing companies," it said, without naming the leasing company.

Russia's airlines were hit hard by high oil prices and global economic turmoil, which left about a dozen of them unable to fly last year.

The resulting crisis prompted Russia's government to create a new state giant, Russian Airlines, to absorb crippled carriers.

Boeing, which has faced a series of production problems on the 787 and a two-month strike last year by its assembly workers, is expecting more cancellations from airlines this year as the demand for flights wanes.

The plane maker warned on Wednesday that an airline had canceled a 787 order, but did not say which.

Boeing shares were down 4.5 percent to $41.30 in late morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Melissa Akin and Bill Rigby; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=17877

source (text):
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN2929048920090129

source (picture):
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/01/29/321816/s7-confirms-787-cancellation-but-considers-lease-instead.html

like the RAM 787s livery

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Moves to Flight Line for Testing
May 04, 2009 10:44 AM

http://web7.bernama.com/bernama/newspic/bu/050309-K64686-01-The%20first%20Boeing%20787%20Dreamliner%20moves%20from%20paint%20hangar%20out%20to%20fuel%20dock%20at%20Boeing%20facility%20in%20Everett,%20Wash.jpg

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will fly later this quarter has moved to the flight line.

Fuel testing - the first in the next phase of extensive checks the airplane must undergo - will begin in the next few days.

"We are making great progress, and moving ever-closer to first flight," Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 Dreamliner program, said in a statement from Everett Sunday.

In recent weeks, Fancher said, the 787 (designated ZA001) completed a rigorous series of tests including build verification tests, structures and systems integration tests, landing gear swings and factory gauntlet, which is the full simulation of the first flight using the actual airplane.

He said with Chief Pilot Mike Carriker at the controls, the simulation tested all flight controls, hardware and software.

The simulation also included manual and automatic landings and an extensive suite of subsequent ground tests.

"These results give us confidence in our ability to move into further gauntlet testing using either ground power or the airplane's engines or auxiliary power unit. This is a significant milestone on the path to first flight," Fancher said.

All structural tests required on the static airframe prior to first flight also are complete.

The final test occurred April 21 when the wing and trailing edges were subjected to their limit load - the highest loads expected to be seen in service.

The load is about the same as the airplane experiencing 2.5 times the force of gravity.

"We continue to analyze the data, but the initial results are positive," Fancher said.

Ground vibration testing, which measures the airplane's response to flutter, also concluded on the second flight-test airplane, designated ZA002, at the end of this week.

All the necessary structural tests required prior to first flight now are complete.

Now on the flight line, ZA001 will undergo additional airplane power and systems tests as well as engine runs.

After completing final systems checks and high-speed taxi tests, the airplane will be ready for first flight, which is on schedule for later this quarter.

The 787 Dreamliner has orders for 886 airplanes from 57 customers.

-- BERNAMA

Source: http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=408505

I was going to post the same. Finally the 787 is moving into the advanced flight testing phases. Late june will be the first flight, but much will be accomplished in the next 6-7 weeks.

I can't wait to see it fly!!

Actually, I'm quite surprised that the 787-8 have significantly more orders than the 787-9.

^^

why? There are many examples of streched versions with shorter range that get less orders.

A321, 767-400ER.

The -3 looks like it'll be a big hitter. Minus the winglets ofcourse. I guess a -3X version may be introduced for airlines out side of Japan.

really happy about this new roll-out :banana:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128h.jpg[/QUOTE]

I know all logo of china!! is Air China(Beijing)~Eastern Airline(Shanghai)~Southern Airline(Guangzhou)~Hainan Airlines(Hainan)~Shanghai Airlines(Shanghai)~Xiamen Airline(Xiamen)

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/050128h.jpg

That's an old render. The real thing doesn't look anywhere near as cool as this. This plane was HOT!!!

Only one engine on each side? That's a bit odd for carrier that size.
I guess technology has really improved?

^^ It's not huge... The 777 for instance is a lot bigger than the 787.

But then, technology has improved quite a lot :)

That's an old render. The real thing doesn't look anywhere near as cool as this. This plane was HOT!!!

I still prefer the actual tail :cheers:

I still prefer the actual tail :cheers:
I like the curvature on this render, but I do prefer the APU exhaust of the actual plane.

Only one engine on each side? That's a bit odd for carrier that size.
I guess technology has really improved?
Planes this size have always be twins - A330, 767. Mind you, this plane is much smaller than the 777, also a twin.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1381/809259677_ec70434b46_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/815906729_6f53ae26aa_o.jpg

http://www.digitaltechnews.com/news/images/2007/07/10/787_dreamliner.jpg http://www.articlesextra.com/main-fotos/boeing-787-dreamliner-passagierraum.jpg

http://www.fea.ru/pictures/boeing_787_Dreamliner_inside.jpg

http://www.flightsafrica.co.uk/blog_images/boeing-787-dreamliner.JPG

Boeing Postpones 787 First Flight
June 24, 2009 10:19 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- Boeing on Tuesday announced that first flight of the 787 Dreamliner would be postponed due to a need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft.

The need was identified during the recent regularly scheduled tests on the full-scale static test airplane. Preliminary analysis indicated that flight test could proceed this month as planned. However, after further testing and consideration of possible modified flight test plans, the decision was made late last week that first flight should instead be postponed until productive flight testing could occur.

First flight and first delivery will be rescheduled following the final determination of the required modification and testing plan. It will be several weeks before the new schedule is available. The 787 team will continue with other aspects of testing on Airplane #1, including final gauntlet testing and low-speed taxiing. Work will also continue on the other five flight test aircraft and the subsequent aircraft in the production system.

Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said a team of experts has already identified several potential solutions.

"Consideration was given to a temporary solution that would allow us to fly as scheduled, but we ultimately concluded that the right thing was to develop, design, test and incorporate a permanent modification to the localized area requiring reinforcement. Structural modifications like these are not uncommon in the development of new airplanes, and this is not an issue related to our choice of materials or the assembly and installation work of our team," Carson said.

Boeing's financial guidance will be updated to reflect any impact of these changes when the company issues its second quarter 2009 earnings report in July.

-- BERNAMA

Source: http://bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=420309

Japan's ANA 'disappointed' with new delay in Boeing Dreamliner
23 June 2009
Agence France Presse

Japan's All Nippon Airways, the launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, said Wednesday it was "disappointed" with a fifth delay in the first flight of the next-generation plane.

Boeing Tuesday delayed the first flight and delivery of its 787 Dreamliner to reinforce the structure of the aircraft, the latest setback in a programme seen as a key to the US aerospace giant's future.

"We are disappointed that the first flight of the 787 will be postponed, and urge Boeing to specify the schedule for the programme as a whole as quickly as possible," All Nippon Airways (ANA) said in a statement.

Boeing had planned for the much-delayed Dreamliner to have its maiden flight by June 30 on a schedule that would allow delivery of the plane to ANA in the first quarter of 2010.

ANA has ordered a record 50 of the jets. The early 2010 launch was already roughly two years later than initially promised.

Boeing: No 787 Cancellations From Asia Customers
24 June 2009

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Boeing Co. (BA) said Wednesday that it doesn't expect any order cancellations for its 787 Dreamliner passenger jet from its Asia Pacific customers after the company postponed for the fourth time the plane's first flight because of structural problems.

"We had some cancellations in the past because of the economic downturn, but I don't see any tied to this issue," Yvonne Leach, a Boeing spokeswoman for the 787 told Dow Jones Newswires.

Asia Pacific Airlines contacted by Dow Jones expressed concern over the latest delay of the aircraft but gave no indication about order cancellations.

Leach said that Boeing is in talks with the Asia-based airlines that have ordered the 787 regarding compensation, but declined to say how much this would cost the company.

The 787's first flight was supposed to take place next week, but engineers decided to push it back because unexpected stresses recently discovered would affect the aircraft's maneuverability.

No new date for the first flight or the plane's delivery dates were given. Boeing has more that 800 Dreamliners on order and Japan's All Nippon Airways (9202.TO) is the launch customer. The carrier was supposed to get its first 787 in the first quarter of 2010.

"I can't speculate on the first flight or the new delivery schedule...this is a design issue. It's not going to be a huge setback, it's literally a handful of parts that we need to design and put on the plane. It's a manageable problem."

"But the engineers have to go back and figure out a solution. Once they have it we will have to go through the whole process - design, fabricate the parts and test them. It could be time consuming," she added.

She said engineers will take several weeks to assess the problem and only then Boeing will announce a new date for the first flight and a new delivery schedule.

She also said that a second 787 production line was being considered by Boeing to speed up deliveries "but no decision has been taken."

A senior engineer with an Asian airline which has ordered the 787 said the latest setback could take months to resolve.

"There is no guidance from Boeing and it's difficult to say how long it will take. Boeing is very good with design issues and they will come up with a solution. But if new parts have to be designed and tested, I would say months rather than weeks," he said.

Leach believes the 787's setbacks, which is almost two years late, won't prompt airlines to switch to the Airbus A350, the 787's main competitor whose first delivery is scheduled for 2014.

"The customers with a long-term view will stay with us," she said.

Derek Sadubin, chief operating officer of Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, a Sydney based think tank, said Asian carriers will have mixed feelings about the latest delay.

Carriers like those in India and airlines with weak balance sheets will not be too concerned, but others that need the plane for a competitive advantage like ANA and some Chinese carriers will be quite concerned, he said.

"Some will be quite relieved as they can defer there capital expenditure plans till market conditions improve. But if fuel prices start rising, the 787 becomes an efficient machine that airlines will need," he said.

"But the main game for Asia-Pacific airlines at the moment is to preserve cash," Sadubin added.

Apart from ANA, Asia Pacific customers of the 787, include Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Korean Air and major Chinese and Indian airlines.

ANA said in a statement that it was "disappointed that the first flight of the 787 would be postponed, and urge Boeing to specify the schedule for the program as soon as possible."

ANA also said that it will continue talks with Boeing on compensation for the delays including the latest one, and that it will probably seek to reduce the purchase price of the new jet as compensation.

A spokesman at Japan Airlines Corp. (9205.TO) said there is no change in its order for 35 787 jets with an option to buy 20 additional airplanes, and doesn't know yet how long they have to wait because of the latest delay.

Singapore Airlines Ltd. (CAL.SG) said it has not been informed by Boeing of any change to the delivery schedule. The carrier has ordered 20 787s and the first delivery is scheduled for 2013.

Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) said it remains confident that it can meet its timetable for deploying the Dreamliner.

Qantas is "finalizing" its review of its expected 787 deliveries, having firm orders for 65 of the aircraft and rights for an additional 50, Qantas spokesman Simon Rushton said. It was expecting its first delivery in "mid 2010."

"We are disappointed with this news and were advised of the development by Boeing overnight," Rushton said.

"We are confident that we can still meet our proposed timetable," he said.

New Zealand Ltd. (AIR.NZ) also said that it was disappointed by news of the delay and was awaiting advice from Boeing if it would affect the delivery schedule. The carrier is the launch customer of the 787-9 aircraft and has eight panes on order with the first delivery set in early 2013.

Korean Air Co. Ltd (003490.SE) said it has received no official delay notice from Boeing for its 10 B787 Dreamliners - four slated to arrive in 2011 and six later.

India's Jet Airways (532617.BY) said it doesn't expect any delay in the delivery of its 10 787s on order.

"Our delivery dates are far off," Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Jet's chief executive, told Dow Jones Newswires by phone. "Boeing might come on track with their delivery schedule. We do not foresee any delay in delivery of the planes," he said.

Jet is scheduled to get its first delivery in 2011.

Chinese Airlines - Air China (0753.HK) with 15 Dreamliners on order, China Southern (1055.HK) with 10 and others like China Eastern (CEA), and Hainan Airlines - were not immediately available for comment.

how come there is a second deck in 787?

-nvm-

how come there is a second deck in 787?

there are some wrong pic: that is a B747-800 render

:cheers:

Qantas cancels order for 15 Dreamliners

June 26, 2009 - 1:09PM
Australia's Qantas cancelled an order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, citing dramatic changes to the global economic environment.

"Qantas announced its original B787 order in December 2005, and the operating environment for the world's airlines has clearly changed dramatically since then," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Joyce said the cancellation, which would save Qantas three billion US US dollars, had not been influenced by the delay of Dreamliner's inaugural flight earlier this week due to a design flaw.

The statement said Qantas and Boeing had also agreed to postpone delivery of a further 15 Dreamliners.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8163038.stm

Boeing eyes Dreamliner solution

Page last updated at 18:53 GMT, Wednesday, 22 July 2009 19:53 UK


Planemaker Boeing says it has found a "technical solution" to a problem which had delayed the appearance of its new 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

However, Boeing did not say when the plane would fly. Last month, Boeing said it had delayed the maiden flight of the Dreamliner once again.

Boeing also reported a 17% rise in second-quarter profits to $998m (£417m), helped by its defence unit.

Overall sales rose 1% to $17.15bn, with defence sales up 9% to $8.7bn.

The Chicago-based company said that it had received 57 new orders during the period, but that 52 existing orders had been cancelled.

Revenue impact

Last month's delay of the Dreamliner was the fifth time the launch date had been put back. The long-range, medium-sized plane is already more than two years behind schedule.

Releasing its second-quarter results, Boeing said it would reveal a new delivery schedule for the 787 in the current financial quarter.

"The 787 programme has identified a technical solution to the previously announced requirement to reinforce an area within the side-of-body joint, and is currently evaluating alternative ways to implement that solution," Boeing said in a statement.

"The company expects to complete its assessment of the schedule and financial implications during the third quarter."

However, analysts were disappointed that Boeing did not announce a permanent fix to the problem.

"As expected, the 787 now looks increasingly likely not to fly at all this year - if that's the case, with 777 production decreasing next year and the likelihood of no 787 deliveries, the impact on revenues for 2010 could be profound," said aerospace analyst Saj Ahmad.

During the second financial quarter the Dreamliner programme had new orders for 13 planes, but orders for 41 planes were cancelled.

The firm said that total confirmed orders were now for 850 aircraft from 56 customers.

Both Boeing and Airbus face dwindling orders for new planes as the global recession hits demand for air travel and cargo services. ..

The Seattle Times
Boeing news

Friday, August 14, 2009 - Page updated at 04:30 p.m.
Boeing stops work on 787 fuselages made in Italy to fix wrinkled skin


By Dominic Gates
Seattle Times aerospace reporter

Boeing's technical problems with the 787 Dreamliner go beyond the upper wing join issue publicly acknowledged by the company.

Engineers have discovered wrinkles in the fuselage skin just behind the wing that will require repair work on all the completed fuselage barrels.

Boeing minimized the flaw as "microscopic wrinkles in the skin plies" in just two locations near a fuselage door and said the problem can be fixed with "a simple patch."

"The modification has already been designed and is being installed now (in Charleston,) South Carolina, and will be installed at completed sections in Italy and Everett," Boeing said in a statement.

Still, the wrinkling is serious enough that Boeing's engineers ordered the supplier of the affected section — Alenia of Italy — to stop work on new fuselage barrels until they can complete the fix of the manufacturing process.

Boeing issued a stop-work order June 23, the same day executives announced the indefinite postponement of the Dreamliner's first flight. Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said that timing was a coincidence, and the first-flight delay came because of an unrelated problem with the upper wing join.

"This [fuselage problem] was not a safety-of-flight issue and would not have caused a delay in first-flight timing," Gunter said.

Stop-work order

The stop-work order states that the already completed fuselage barrels on airplanes from at least No. 7 through No. 29 will have to be repaired. Alenia has already scrapped two fuselage barrels and sectioned portions of them in an attempt to understand the defect.

The problem arises in the manufacture of the longitudinal rods called stringers, used to stiffen fuselage skin.

The edges of the stringers are stepped, and Boeing's specifications require accuracy in the manufacture of those steps to within one-hundredth of an inch.

"Boeing engineering evaluations of the cross-sections provided by Alenia," according to the stop-work order, showed the stringer edges on all the barrels from Dreamliner No. 7 onward "well in excess" of the required dimensions. Airplanes Nos. 5 and 6 are still being evaluated, Gunter said.

If the stringer-edge steps are the wrong depth, the skin around the fuselage wrinkles. When the fuselage subsequently bends — as when an airplane lands, for example — a wrinkled skin could cause the fiber layers to separate and tear, requiring expensive repairs by an airline.

[...]

Boeing has promised to come up with a new schedule for first flight and delivery by the end of September.

more:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2009658959_boeing14.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-first-flight-787-1213dec13,0,4080573.story

Boeing 787 Dreamliner prepares for maiden flight
But hurdles remain for vaunted airliner, 2½ years behind schedule

By Julie Johnsson

Tribune reporter

December 13, 2009

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is expected to reach skyward for the first time this week, achieving an important milestone for Boeing Co.

The Chicago-based plane-maker also will gain an opportunity to shift focus to the aircraft's promise and away from the production muddles that set the 787 2 1/2 years behind schedule, costing Boeing billions of dollars.

But more hard work lies ahead for Boeing's engineers before the 787 lives up to the lofty expectations that it will be a game-changer for its fuel savings and long range, which spurred a record 840 orders worth $140 billion for the plane.

The Dreamliner's maiden flight is expected to take place Tuesday morning, sources said, providing the weather cooperates, final tests go smoothly over the weekend and the Federal Aviation Administration gives its approval.

Boeing's customers, suppliers and workers will line the runway adjacent to its giant factory in Everett, Wash., to see the plane depart on a test flight that should end four to five hours later at Boeing Field, south of downtown Seattle.

"It's a reason for a quick glass of Champagne and a prompt return back to work," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with Teal Group, a Virginia-based consulting and market research firm. "At this stage, it really comes down to the aircraft's performance and not their ability to get it airborne."

The company's next major task will be to gain federal certification for the 787 in time to deliver the first aircraft to launch customer All Nippon Airways by the end of 2010 as spelled out by Boeing's latest production plan, the jet's seventh.

Boeing says it is confident it can meet that timetable given the extensive testing on the plane's systems and materials. But analysts think the company likely will need more time to iron out any kinks that come to light during flight-testing. The plane hasn't always performed as computer models predicted, notably failing a stress test on the wing that forced Boeing to call off a planned first flight in late June.

In a Dec. 7 research note, analyst Joseph Nadol of investment bank J.P. Morgan predicted an additional two- to three-month delay, saying, "The 787 still has a tough road ahead to certification and initial deliveries."

Responded Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx: "We are working hard to meet our commitments and get our airplanes to customers who need them."

Until the Dreamliner logs thousands of hours in the air, no one will know whether it lives up to its promise: a midsize plane that offers 20 percent fuel savings over today's aircraft and a range of up to 8,200 nautical miles, which would allow it to fly nonstop from Chicago to Sydney.

Over the past 30 years, Boeing has had a strong track record for delivering airplanes that performed as promised with relatively few glitches.

"I think traditionally we've been able to continue to press the state-of-the-art technology and then get (the plane) into service and where it has been delivered as advertised," said James Bell, Boeing's chief financial officer, at an investor conference last week. "I can't think of a program that we've had in our company's history where we inserted a lot of technologies that at some point wasn't successful and put into the hands of our customers."

But analysts worry that the 787 might break with precedent, given that it uses new materials, a new flight deck and other technological systems, as well as a manufacturing process that leans heavily on third-party contractors.

"It's difficult to really know until we get this flight-test program under their belt whether that was wise or, in hindsight, over-ambitious," said John Strickland, a London-based independent air transport consultant.

Unexpected production and performance are commonplace for new airplanes:

--Airbus' A380 jumbo jet was delayed two years because of wiring issues and is running two years behind schedule.

--Software glitches in Embraer's E190 jets, which are part of JetBlue Airways' fleet, were quickly corrected by the manufacturer. But the problems prompted pilots to nickname the plane the E-180 "because they left the gate and circled back with great regularity," said aviation consultant Robert Mann.

A key issue for Boeing in the months ahead will be to make sure the 787 weighs within a reasonable amount of what it had promised airline customers.

A plane's heaviness affects its economics, from how much fuel it consumes to how much cargo and how many passengers it is able to haul.

Boeing has acknowledged that the first 787 to roll off its assembly line is overweight but hasn't said by how much. Analysts note that some glitches that have come to light have forced Boeing to add more metal to the plane, potentially increasing its weight.

Boeing has said that it expects to pull out weight from the design by the 20th aircraft that rolls off its manufacturing line, since the early aircraft are typically "over-engineered."

In a preliminary planning document for airports released Thursday, Boeing revealed that the maximum takeoff weight for the 787 would be about 3 percent heavier than it had promised. Industry sources said that increase was within the range expected for a new aircraft and didn't signal new problems. In fact, it could mean the opposite, that the plane's structure was stronger than Boeing had anticipated.
"It means we've decided we can carry more fuel," Proulx said of the weight gain. "It does help us meet our range goals."

jjohnsson@tribune.com


Fleets through the years
Chicago-based United Airlines has changed its planes with the times: chicagotribune.com/unitedplanes...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8408144.stm

Boeing 787 passes key structural tests

Page last updated at 12:59 GMT, Friday, 11 December 2009

Boeing has announced that its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner aircraft has passed final structural tests and is almost ready for its first flight.

The company said in June that a side body section of the plane's structure needed reinforcing. It is now satisfied that the modifications are a success.

There has been a series of delays in the 787's development, which is running almost two years behind schedule.

Boeing has said it hopes to deliver the first plane by the end of 2010.

Fuel efficient

"I am happy to report that the programme has validated the airplane structure for the 787 Dreamliner," said Scott Fletcher at Boeing.

"We are very pleased with the results of this final functional testing. With the successful completion of static testing and this functional testing, our focus now moves to the first flight."

The 787 Dreamliner is a hugely important plane for US-based Boeing in its long-standing rivalry with Europe's Airbus.

It was first unveiled in July 2007 and is the firm's first all-new jet since 1995.

It is designed to make use of carbon fibre to make it much lighter and more fuel-efficient than traditional aluminium planes.

Earlier, Airbus's A400M military transport plane finally took to the skies in Spain for its first test flight.

The programme was launched by parent company EADS six years ago, but has also been dogged by a series of delays and soaring costs.

The first plane was due to go into service this year, but is running at least three years behind schedule.
..

2 movies of the high speed taxi tests from december 12th.

Movie1 (http://www.luchtvaart.tv/video.php?id=11113)
Movie2 (http://www.luchtvaart.tv/video.php?id=11114)

*excited like a small kid with a box full of sweets*

787-10X Development study ????? :eek: ......

http://www.radarvector.com/uploaded_images/787-10X-779064.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/815906729_6f53ae26aa_o.jpg

Whats the airline logo at the bottom, far end? It looks like the Royal Bank of Scotland logo...

^^ It's the RBS logo.

RBS Aviation Capital ordered 25 the planes for several customers, but they have already cancelled this order earlier this year because of their bad financial situation.

First Flight Today! Cant wait!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_on_bi_ge/us_boeing787_flight_test
Boeing determined 787 will finally fly

By GEORGE TIBBITS, Associated Press Writer George Tibbits, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 47 mins ago

EVERETT, Wash. – Weather permitting, Boeing Co. plans to finally get its new 787 jetliner into the air Tuesday, more than two years after it had intended.

The test aircraft completed its ground tests during the weekend, including a 150-mph dash down the runway at Everett's Paine Field during which its nose gear briefly lifted off the pavement. Tuesday morning, pilots Michael Carriker and Randall Neville hope to take the 787 on a four-hour flight over Washington state, beginning the extensive flight test program needed to obtain the plane's Federal Aviation Administration certification.

Before landing at Seattle's Boeing Field, the two-member crew will perform a variety of basic tests and systems checks, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes spokesman Jim Proulx. "They will essentially make sure that the airplane under normal circumstances flies the way it's supposed to fly," he said.

Proulx said good visibility, no standing water at the two airports and gentle or no wind are needed for the initial flight, but he noted it was raining when Boeing's previous all-new airplane, the 777, made its first flight 15 years ago.

Tuesday's forecast called for rain, 10 mph winds and a cloud ceiling at about 1,500 feet, National Weather Service meteorologist Ted Buehner said — nothing to prevent a modern jetliner from flying.

The plane is the first of six 787s Boeing will use in the flight test program, expected to last about nine months and subject the planes to conditions well beyond those found in normal airline service. Chicago-based Boeing, which has orders for 840 787s, plans to make the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways late next year.
The 787 is a radical departure for Boeing: About 50 percent of the plane is made of lightweight composite materials, with large sections produced by suppliers around the globe and assembled by Boeing at Everett. The plane, Boeing says, will be quieter, produce fewer emissions and use 20 percent less fuel than comparable aircraft, while passengers will enjoy a more comfortable cabin with better air quality and larger windows.

But the program has been plagued by ill-fitting parts and other problems. The first flight was supposed to be in 2007 with deliveries the following year, but Boeing has been forced to push that back five times — delays that have cost the company credibility, sales and billions of dollars. Most recently, Boeing said it needed to reinforce the area where the wings join the fuselage, with tests completed on that fix just two weeks ago.

An eight-week strike last year by Seattle-area production workers also hampered the program and was a factor in Boeing choosing North Charleston, S.C., in October as the site for a second 787 assembly line.

The 787 remains Boeing's best-selling new plane to date, though some airlines have been forced to cancel or postpone purchase plans due to the weak global economy.

The version being tested will be able to fly up to 250 passengers about 9,000 miles. A stretch version will be capable of carrying 290 passengers and a short-range model up to 330.

___

Just a few minutes left!
I'm such a geek.

The first Boeing 787 is airborne!

:):banana:

Get real-time updates from Boeing by logging onto http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html and click on "webcast" on the top right.

The first Boeing 787 is airborne!

:):banana:

:banana:

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4mf7ARGdyTc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4mf7ARGdyTc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Here is another video
vtfbNEkJ0BU

What a gorgeous plane. I'm so happy for Boeing and proud of the Seattle based engineers working at the Boeing facilities. Great jobs guys!!

The flight was cut short because of the bad weather, but the landing was perfect.

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Beautiful aircraft and incredible bend on the wings.

Cant wait to see her operating commercial flights from my local airport. :cheers:

^^ It's the RBS logo.

RBS Aviation Capital ordered 25 the planes for several customers, but they have already cancelled this order earlier this year because of their bad financial situation.

Thank you for the information. :)

I had no idea RBS were in the business of buying aircraft. Going by recent news and events, I wonder if we will actually get to see the 787 in the colours of FlyGlobespan and even British Airways?

Finally it takes off, and it even landed too ! Excellent news for aviation, even for those who like the A380.

Anyone know when it will make the world tour of airports?

Heres an article in Australian media:

Boeing 787 Dreamliner touches down after test flight
By staff writers From: NewsCore December 16, 2009 7:56AM
http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/boeing-787-dreamliner-jet-takes-off/story-e6frfq80-1225810814465

BOEING'S new 787 Dreamliner jet has landed safely after concluding a maiden test-flight that lasted about three hours.

The 787 airplane took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington at 10.27am local time in front of hundreds of company employees.

In Pictures: The Dreamliner's first flight (http://www.news.com.au/travel/galleries/gallery-e6frflw0-1111119655150)

It landed at 1.35pm local time.

As Boeing's next-generation, wide-body jet, the plane is made largely out of lighter composite materials - about 50 per cent of its entire weight - to increase fuel efficiency and extend its flight range.

The first flight of the revolutionary new "green" passenger jet comes after more than two years of production problems that pushed back delivery of the first plane to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways to late 2010.

Problems with its production process and unforeseen complications in its composite design caused Boeing to postpone its maiden flight five times, with the latest delay in June. The plane was originally scheduled to fly in September 2007.

The first flight is "a big boost for the company psychology, and will give investors a bigger sense that the technical [problems] they have been undergoing have been resolved", said analyst Phillip Finnegan at the Teal Group, an aerospace and defense consulting firm.

The tested aircraft can carry up to 250 passengers for approximately 14.484km.

Boeing’s stock has had a rocky ride for the year as the recession and drop in air-traffic demand worried investors about delivery deferrals and cancellations.

:banana:

:banana:

I can't wait to fly on an American Airlines 787-9 :)

I can't wait to fly on an American Airlines 787-9 :)

Im guessing they will paint it gray right? I know it wont be shiny lol.

Im guessing they will paint it gray right? I know it wont be shiny lol.

Here is an image I found on Google. Looks pretty good to me. :)

http://i47.tinypic.com/2m4ra84.jpg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-dreamliner-boeing-1216-dec16,0,7884002.story

787 takes the 1st step to fulfilling its promise
Dreamliner 'truly changes the game,' says Boeing official

By Julie Johnsson

December 16, 2009

EVERETT, Wash. - -- For the first time, a passenger jetliner with a body and wings made of superhardened plastics took flight on Tuesday, a milestone that promises to usher in a new era in aviation, more than two years behind schedule.

A crowd of 12,000 workers and dignitaries lining Paine Field outside Boeing Co.'s sprawling manufacturing and assembly complex here watched in suspense as the 787 Dreamliner roared down the runway, lifted its nose into the air and then flew north, trailed by two chase planes.

The jet circled over Puget Sound for three hours, as 787 chief pilot Michael Carriker and co-pilot Randy Neville tested the plane's state-of-the-art wing and electronics systems in a series of turns, climbs and descents. The exercise was cut short as foul weather moved over the Seattle area, to the pilots' frustration.

"It felt like we flew into the future of the Boeing Co.," Carriker told reporters after the 787 landed at Seattle's Boeing Field.

The airplane's maiden voyage was the moment of truth for Chicago-based Boeing's executives and engineers. While the sophistication and computer simulations of modern aircraft manufacturing practically guaranteed a successful first flight, Boeing's decisions to build the plane with space-age materials using a global supply chain have stretched the company's abilities to the brink.

The result has been both a record 840 orders worth $140 billion and a series of nightmarish production problems that caused delay after delay and cost the company billions of dollars.

The attraction of the plane is its fuel efficiency and passenger comforts. But still to be determined is whether this model, the Boeing 787-8, is the game-changer, or whether that role will be fulfilled by planes still to come, like its larger cousin, the 787-9.

"We really won't know how this airplane performs in terms of the total package until if flies thousands of hours," said aviation consultant Robert Mann.

The 787 certainly looks sleek, with its scalloped engines and delicate wings that mirror a hawk's silhouette. But the first models to roll out of Boeing's Everett assembly line aren't quite the clean concept sketched out by Boeing designers in 2003.

Their composite frames have been studded with titanium, as Boeing learned by trial and error that the aircraft needed to be reinforced. That increased use of metal raises questions about whether Boeing will be able to deliver early aircraft to the weight and cost savings it promised.

"The 787-8 appears to have evolved from a once-elegant composite design to one saddled with carbuncles of heavy titanium added throughout for strengthening," wrote Heidi Wood, aerospace analyst with Morgan Stanley in an Oct. 20 research report.

She predicts that the first 787, due to be delivered to launch customer All Nippon Airways by the end of 2010, could be delayed until the following spring as Boeing works out the weight issues.

One solution to the 787's weight gain, she said, may be for Boeing to convince customers to shift orders to the larger 787-9, where it will be easier for Boeing engineers to shed weight from the plane's design. The problem is that about three-quarters of the orders placed for the 787 are for the smaller plane.

"To the casual observer, experience says despite the big challenges, can get it done as they have before," Wood said. "We concur that the 787 will get righted, but not likely on schedule."

Boeing executives say they will meet their deadlines and point to a supply chain that has started to work in sync, important given that about 80 percent of the plane's manufacturing is outsourced to third-party contractors.

The large use of composites employed by Boeing in the 787 and by France-based Airbus SAS in its A350-XWB, due to hit the market four years from now, promise to transform the experience of flying.

[B]Aviation observers compare the improvements in technology with the introduction of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which opened up trans-continental flying to the masses in the 1970s, or the first generation of jetliners that replaced propeller-driven aircraft and shortened flights during the 1950s.

"We are confident that we have created an airplane that truly changes the game," said Scott Fancher, Boeing vice president and general manager of the 787 program.

The new planes have oversize windows that are designed to make the aircraft feel roomier. Replacing metal with stronger and more flexible composites will enable the oxygen piped through the planes to be a richer mix that's more comfortable for passengers, more humid and closer to the air at sea level.

The planes, coming as trade barriers to overseas air travel tumble, will also change how airlines operate, analysts predict.

International carriers will no longer have to concentrate long-range flying on hubs or high-traffic routes, where there's sufficient demand for flying to fill Boeing 747 jumbos seating upward of 300 people. The midsize 787 is designed to fly as far as those jets, while consuming about 20 percent less fuel, enabling carriers to economically link smaller cities.

"The first flight of the 787 is a real achievement, and it underscores the continual advancements in commercial aircraft that come about because of healthy competition," Clay McConnell, vice president of Airbus, said in a statement saluting Boeing.

At least four 787s were parked within sight of onlookers at Paine Field on Tuesday. The second 787 is due to fly later this month. Inside the giant factory, workers are assembling the 14th Dreamliner, wrote aerospace analyst Howard Rubel in a Monday research report.

At 9:50 a.m. Pacific standard time, the Dreamliner's engines started, and a few minutes later it pulled away from a parking space that placed it next to a 787 painted in the colors of All Nippon Airways.

Helicopters gathered overhead, including one loaded with IMAX camera equipment, part of a movie that will document that aircraft's birth.

The 787 rolled to the south end of the airport at a stately pace. And then as pilots Carriker and Neville ran through preflight tests one last time, two chase planes flew over the field in tight formation and then circled back.

They provided an honor guard to the 787 as it roared into action.

"The airplane flew beautifully," Neville said. "There were no surprises."
..

The flight was cut short because of the bad weather
Yes, that's a pitty for pictures and video.
But this plane look great: this is a good new for aviation.

4jTYDa1JzoE

Congrats to Boeing. Despite many problems leading to delays they finally managed to stick to their 2009 end promise.

There's some amazing aerial footage by chase planes here -> http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/188422.asp?source=mypi

:banana:

Congrats to Boeing. Despite many problems leading to delays they finally managed to stick to their 2009 end promise.

There's some amazing aerial footage by chase planes here -> http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/188422.asp?source=mypi

beautiful :banana:

yep, awesome!

I can't wait to see this aircraft flying regularly up in the sky all over the world. It looks fantastic as it ascend to the sky on it's first test flight.

That has to be the sexiest civilian aircraft, especially when it will have its gear up.

..some interiors pics?

Anyone got a flight schedule? When is it going on tour?

The second Boeing 787 Dreamliner has moved to the flight line to begin fuel testing. This is the second of six 787s being used in the flight-test program.

Each of the six flight-test airplanes will be used for a specific set of tests during the flight-test program. This airplane, designated ZA002, will focus on systems performance. Like its predecessor, ZA001, this airplane has successfully completed a rigorous series of tests while still in the factory.

ZA002 features the livery of the Dreamliner’s launch customer, ANA (All Nippon Airways) of Japan.

http://blog.flightstory.net/wp-content/uploads/ana-787-1.jpg

http://blog.flightstory.net/wp-content/uploads/ana-787-2.jpg

^^ Sweet :)

The second Boeing 787 Dreamliner has moved to the flight line to begin fuel testing. This is the second of six 787s being used in the flight-test program.


Very nice Images.

I think I saw this one on the Boeing tour in Everett,
but they dont allow any photos on the tour :(

Any images from inside the planes?

Nice to see Dreamliner in other livery, not that old Boeing's shape.

Found a video of the ANA 787............


GtiVa71nIrc


OdVnLtrqA2c

Would really suck to put your livery on a test aircraft in case the aircraft has an accident.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_on_bi_ge/us_boeing787

Boeing tests inside of new 787

By GEORGE TIBBITS, Associated Press Writer George Tibbits, Associated Press Writer – Wed Feb 3, 7:26 pm ET

EVERETT, Wash. – Boeing Co. designers and marketers are betting that a lot of subtle changes in the interior of their new 787 jetliner will add up to strong passenger demand to fly on the plane.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes on Wednesday showed off the first 787 with a passenger cabin installed. The plane, the third 787 to be built, is among six that Boeing is using in its flight test program this year.

While the other aircraft will test flight characteristics and aircraft strength, this plane, scheduled to fly later this month, is dedicated to cabin features and safety — the "passenger experience" as Boeing describes it. Everything on board, from the ventilation system to the coffee pots, must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration before 787s can go into passenger service.

Bigger windows that are dimmed electronically, mood lighting, more spacious lavatories and other features all were carefully chosen to please passengers, said Tom Galantowicz, the company's director of 787 interiors. Among the "very simple things," he said, are more convenient latches on the larger overhead baggage bins.

The bins, which swing up and away, also allow more headroom. Lavatories have imitation tile floors and toilet seats that close electronically — no need to touch should the previous occupant thoughtlessly leave it up.

The initial 787-8 model will carry 210 to 250 passengers on routes of up to 9,400 miles, such as New York to Hong Kong. Aircraft comfort becomes important on such long flights.

Airlines especially want to attract higher-paying business-class passengers for those flights, said Kent Craver, Boeing's regional director for passenger satisfaction and revenue.

"Business passengers tend to chase the aircraft equipment they like and they will actively seek out those aircraft types," he said.

Boeing undertook an unprecedented global study of airline passengers to see what they liked, said Blake Emery, Boeing's director of differentiation strategy.

"We were looking for the deep psychological needs that people have when they're inside an airplane," he said.

The research, Emery said, found that people making their first flight were fascinated, while experienced, economy-class passengers said they wanted "no one in the seat next to them, and they slept all the way."

The 787, with its higher ceilings and more space just inside the doors, presents "an architectural welcome" for passengers who have just endured a cramped, crowded jetway, Emery said.

The cabin's LED lights have a full range of colors, with airlines able to pick different lighting schemes during the flight, including a sky blue while boarding and "warm lighting" to make the food look better. Cabin pressure is lower than in earlier aircraft, which should make people feel better during and after a flight, designers said.

Boeing officials say many of these features could be adopted in their other models, including the 737.

The test plane is spartan, with only economy-class seats and its midsection filled with nine racks of electronics and workstations for engineers. Orange test wires run throughout the cabin and several windows have been replaced with test instruments.

Besides making sure all the passenger comforts work, the jet will test cabin safety systems, including oxygen masks, evacuation slides and methods of fighting onboard fires, said Derek Muncy, a flight test engineer.

In the air, engineers will fill its 135 seats with passengers to check air circulation and to see how the cabin responds to their body heat. They also will load the galleys with food and drink and cook 100 meals while airborne, Muncy said.

The 787 is the first passenger jet to be made mostly from composite materials. Boeing says it will use far less fuel, be quieter and produce lower emissions than comparable planes and should save airlines money on maintenance.

The first flight of the 787 was in December, after which Boeing began its nine-month test program. Late this year, Japan's All Nippon Airways is to receive the first plane to be put into service, more than two years overdue because of production problems and other glitches that have cost Chicago-based Boeing billions of dollars.

So far, Boeing has produced 12 787s at its Everett plant, with four more on the assembly line. Customers have ordered 851 of the jets.

..

Would really suck to put your livery on a test aircraft in case the aircraft has an accident.

So, the company leaders will on the plane with us. :lol:

Anyone knows when VN will start receiving their 787's? I believe that they are the 7th Airline to order! :)

I've been looking for lavatory shots of the 787. Can anyone direct me to them?

in ANA Livery looks stunning

I've been looking for lavatory shots of the 787. Can anyone direct me to them?


It's a old picture but the only one I know.

http://www.usatechguide.org/images/787-Dreambathroom.jpg
USATechguide (http://www.usatechguide.org/blog/dream-toilet-for-boeing-787-dreamliner/)

I prefer the late Concorde.

It's a old picture but the only one I know.

http://www.usatechguide.org/images/787-Dreambathroom.jpg
USATechguide (http://www.usatechguide.org/blog/dream-toilet-for-boeing-787-dreamliner/)
danke

I noticed the 787 wing is more angled(upwards) than most aircraft.

^^ Yeah, when I saw it I thought it was gonna break...

From wikipedia:

"Raked wingtips are a feature on some Boeing airliners, where the tip of the wing has a higher degree of sweep than the rest of the wing. The stated purpose of this additional feature is to improve fuel efficiency, climb performance and to shorten takeoff field length. It does this in much the same way that winglets do, by increasing the effective aspect ratio of the wing and interrupting harmful wingtip vortices. This decreases the amount of lift-induced drag experienced by the aircraft. In testing by Boeing and NASA, raked wingtips have been shown to reduce drag by as much as 5.5%, as opposed to improvements of 3.5% to 4.5% from conventional winglets.[11] An increase in wingspan is generally more effective than a winglet of the same length, but may present difficulties in ground handling. For this reason, the short-range Boeing 787-3 design currently calls for winglets, instead of the raked wingtips featured on all other 787 variants."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingtip_device#Raked_wingtip

0f9zjYpAVmU

great, thanks for posting

Boeing 787 test plane forced to make unplanned landing

Full story here (http://www.kgw.com/news/business/Boeing-787-test-plane-forced-to-make-unplanned-landing-84980537.html)

ZA004 had its first flight today. Third test plane in operation.

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2010/02/video-za004-is-airborne.html

AEROFLOT

http://www.airlinercafe.com/profiles/787/Aeroflot787-8.jpg
http://www.airlinercafe.com

http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/03/boeing-787-dreamliner-reaches-testing-milestone.html


Boeing 787 Dreamliner wing test looks 'positive'
Published on March 29, 2010 7:45 AM


Dow Jones Newswires | Boeing Co. said the results of a key airworthiness test for its long delayed 787 are "positive," but it will be weeks before the aircraft maker can say whether it's a success.

The aircraft maker said Sunday the test involved flexing the jet's wings while applying loads to the frame to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the airplane could experience in flight. The wings were pushed up about 25 feet during the ground test performed at Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory.
The test took more than two hours, and thousands of pieces of data were collected to measure wing performance.

Boeing, based in Chicago, says the data will be reviewed over the next several weeks.

Boeing has been testing the plane and its systems for more than three months, after production delays and problems with carbon-fiber composite materials used in the plane put it nearly three years behind schedule. The first test plane made an unplanned landing last month after an engine lost thrust.

Japan's All Nippon Airways is scheduled for the first delivery of the 787 later this year. Boeing says airlines around the world have ordered 851 of the aircraft.

The largest 787 model has a range of up to 3,050 miles and can carry as many as 330 passengers.

Click here to sign up for breaking news, business and sports alerts.

..

ANA 787 pictures

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/0/9/0/1670090.jpg

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/6/4/7/1667746.jpg

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/4/0/1/1659104.jpg

0f9zjYpAVmU

Nice video, thanks for posting it. :cheers:

That 3,000 miles range can't possibly be true. I thought the largest one would have a range of around 7-8,000 miles.

3,050 miles is the max range for the 787-3, the journalist just didn't look at the right graph, as usual.

0f9zjYpAVmU

i found this
[youtube]FCASHg5R9Qc[youtube]

i found this
FCASHg5R9Qc

fixed

How many test hours are still needed in order to start deliveries to the carriers?

How many test hours are still needed in order to start deliveries to the carriers?

Its not just the test hours but the number of tests both to qualify the plane and set the parameters (manual) for future pilots who would be using the plane like minimum take-off speed,flutter testing,etc and various checklists of what to do if certain things happen.

Normally takes about a year or 1.5yrs depending on the number of test planes and how well the tests go. Only after all these tests are verified both by the company and the aviation authorities can delivery start.

Yeah they have to fly around the world finding special conditions to fly in to meet all of the test requirements.

787 looks great with the ANA dress

Omg aviation is so slow :lol:

LOT Polish Airlines - new paint on new Boeing 787
http://www.bartrozalski.com/files/b787.jpg
:)

Its not just the test hours but the number of tests both to qualify the plane and set the parameters (manual) for future pilots who would be using the plane like minimum take-off speed,flutter testing,etc and various checklists of what to do if certain things happen.

Normally takes about a year or 1.5yrs depending on the number of test planes and how well the tests go. Only after all these tests are verified both by the company and the aviation authorities can delivery start.

Thank you for the answer, but I knew that. :)

I was just wondering about the remaining time, since the delays have now reached a relevant number and the firsts deliveries have been already postponed a lot.

btw, hope we'll see the first ANA's 787 ASAP. :cheers:

When boeing's going to make Boeing 797?????????

When boeing's going to make Boeing 797?????????

I think they should firstly finish with 787 and 747-8 that will take place at 2015-2016.

When boeing's going to make Boeing 797?????????

What's the next number going to be, 807? 7107? I dunno.

Guess Boeing kinda dug themselves in a corner. :lol:

What's the next number going to be, 807? 7107? I dunno.

Guess Boeing kinda dug themselves in a corner. :lol:

haha. Maybe they will go back with the "New 707" and start again.

haha. Maybe they will go back with the "New 707" and start again.
When it was still the 7E7, Boeing considered starting with 808... So I guess that's where they'll go.

This is, IMO, the third best looking civil aircraft currently in operation after the B737s and the B777s.

This is, IMO, the third best looking civil aircraft currently in operation after the B737s and the B777s.

I gotta add the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. :)

When it was still the 7E7, Boeing considered starting with 808... So I guess that's where they'll go.

i think they are going to start with 2707 (like de sst) i read in a magazine, that the number 8 in boeing belong to the spice products

LOT Polish Airlines - new paint on new Boeing 787
http://www.bartrozalski.com/files/b787.jpg
:)

like the second one

I gotta add the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. :)

^^ Neh, they're okay but they're not as sleek and sexy as the other three. :D

What's the next number going to be, 807? 7107? I dunno.

Guess Boeing kinda dug themselves in a corner. :lol:

Same goes for Airbus. A390 and then what? A400? Boeing 808 sounds like the most probable to me.

Same goes for Airbus. A390 and then what? A400? Boeing 808 sounds like the most probable to me.
There's actually an Airbus A400.

^^ Neh, they're okay but they're not as sleek and sexy as the other three. :D
Boeing 737? U're serious? It's horrid looking. Don't get me wrong, it's a functional plane but that's nothing nice about it.

I prefer the B777, B787, A330 and A340NG.

There's actually an Airbus A400.
There's still quite a bit left to go... Like A360, A370 and A390... Pretty much enough for another generation of aircraft (not including the A350).

When boeing's going to make Boeing 797?????????

The real question for me it's : when they will replace the oldish B737 ?
This plane is far away from the A320 !

There's actually an Airbus A400.

Oh whatever, I thought this thread was about civilian aircraft. Boeing has plenty of military numbers like B52 etc.

The real question for me it's : when they will replace the oldish B737 ?
This plane is far away from the A320 !

All they have is upgraded it to ER status which is probably a quick change of engines, plus there is a revamped interior reminiscent of what 787 will get.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/737family/index.html

Oh whatever, I thought this thread was about civilian aircraft. Boeing has plenty of military numbers like B52 etc.



All they have is upgraded it to ER status which is probably a quick change of engines, plus there is a revamped interior reminiscent of what 787 will get.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/737family/index.html

Yes, it's a good refurbishment ! but Boeing have to replace this aircraft in order to scale down the fuel consumption, modernise the electronic and insert numeric fly-by-wire, use composite materials and because the exterior design is outdated !

B737 : 1968
A320 : 1987 :nuts:

737 is the ugliest plane in the world. I hate it so much, I actually do my best to avoid it.

When boeing's going to make Boeing 797?????????
Do you mean the blended wind body
Who knows....?

http://www.adventurelandtravel.com/B797.jpg
http://www.adventurelandtravel.com/797v380.jpg

This model already fly...but it's a bit too small.
http://www.quicfoto.com/attachment/200908/4/92_1249366909ziK4.jpg

^^ looks like a stingray!!!

Yesssssssss :cheers:

First 787 for Royal Air Maroc :

9IqVZ0hQ3PM

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0527-united-787-20100526,0,6950049.story

United's merger with Continental bumps it to front of line for new Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Unknown is whether already-late jet will meet deadline, perform as promised

By Julie Johnsson, Tribune reporter

8:56 p.m. CDT, May 26, 2010

United Airlines may have been the last major U.S. carrier to order new airplanes, but its passengers would be among the first to experience Boeing's 787 Dreamliner if the United-Continental merger goes according to plan.

The new carrier, which would retain United's name and be run by Continental CEO Jeff Smisek, would be the launch customer in the Americas for the much-delayed but potentially game-changing 787, sources said.

If the deal is derailed, that honor would go to Continental Airlines, which said Wednesday that it will take delivery of its first 787 in August 2011. That's about five years before United is due to receive the first of 25 Dreamliners it ordered late last year.

Billed as ground-breaking, the Dreamliner is designed to burn 20 percent less fuel than similar midsize jets and produce 20 percent fewer emissions. Its composite frame, more flexible than conventional aluminum fuselages, allows more humidity in its passenger cabins, lessening the effects of jet lag.

Continental is scheduled to receive six of the 25 new 787s it has on order next year, giving it a jump on other North American carriers with global ambitions. Continental plans to launch its first 787 service on Nov. 16, 2011, flying to Auckland, New Zealand, from Houston, the largest hub of the new carrier and the focus of its early expansion plans.

It's too early to know whether the 787s would arrive from Boeing bearing the Continental or United brand, said Continental spokesman Dave Messing.

Merging airlines typically don't begin to combine brands and repaint fleets until well after their deal closes, said aviation consultant Robert Mann. United and Continental executives expect to wrap up their deal by late 2010, provided their merger isn't subjected to lengthy scrutiny by antitrust regulators.

But it remains unknown whether the 787, more than two years late, will meet its latest deadline and perform as Boeing has promised, and the uncertainty has prompted some carriers to cancel orders or to take later deliveries after problems are ironed out.

Continental vaulted ahead of Delta Air Lines on Boeing's 787 delivery schedule after Delta gave up the early production slots that it inherited by buying Northwest Airlines, the original U.S. launch customer, sources said.

But the first planes off a manufacturer's assembly line frequently fall short of expectations, arriving heavier than anticipated. That lessens a jet's range or lowers fuel savings, analysts said.

Rumors about the 787's performance has swirled as Boeing has reinforced the jet's composite frame with metal in places, potentially increasing its weight.

"The view is it's been compromised, although nobody knows by how much," Mann said.

Boeing has conceded it had weight issues with the first few 787s, but said it is resolving those problems with significant design improvements that start with the 25th Dreamliner.

The Auckland flight, the longest in Continental's schedule, would put the new jet to an immediate test. The 7,400-mile journey appears tailor-made for Continental's 787, which will seat 228 people. That route is unlikely to draw enough passengers to consistently fill a jumbo jet, but is too long for other midsize planes.

Continental's jets will include the upgrades, said Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter, and should have the 787-8's maximum range of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles. The new Auckland route "is easily within the capabilities of the airplane," Messing added.

Delta, meanwhile, is exploring alternatives to the 787 to handle its overseas flights. Delta CEO Richard Anderson told analysts earlier this year that the Atlanta-based carrier is "technically" still a 787 customer but is "in negotiations with Boeing to figure out what's going to happen with those positions."

Some observers think Delta may be holding out for the next Dreamliner model, the 787-9, which will carry more passengers and travel longer distances.

"I suspect Delta is going to cancel or convert" its order, said aerospace blogger Jon Ostrower. He thinks Delta will likely add more Boeing 777-200LRs to its fleet.

jjohnsson@tribune.com

..

Yesssssssss :cheers:

First 787 for Royal Air Maroc :



wow :okay:

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/boeing_787_pictures/Airlines_that_have_ordered_the_Boeing_787.jpg

Yesssssssss :cheers:

First 787 for Royal Air Maroc :

<snip>

Holy shit...that's nice! I miss the RAM on the tail though.

Looks like it doesn't have the engines yet. Yellow weights hanging off the wings.

even Jetstar and Uzbekistan go for 787? did'nt know that :dunno:

:cheers:

Uzbekistan Airways is biggest air company in Central Asia.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0704-boeing--20100703,0,4259627.story

Composite material used in Boeing 787 raises safety questions

By Dominic Gates, McClatchy/Tribune news
July 4, 2010

When a Boeing 777 lost power and crashed short of the runway at London Heathrow Airport in 2008, the landing gear collapsed, and a strut pierced the passenger floor. Yet apart from one broken leg, there were no serious injuries.

When an Airbus A340 landing in bad weather skidded off a Toronto runway in 2005, it broke into pieces and caught fire. But in the minutes before flames engulfed the jet, all 309 people on board evacuated safely.

Though such accidents don't always end so well — in May, 158 people died when a Boeing 737 slid off a runway in India — today's metal airliners are designed to be survivable in a crash landing.

How will Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, the first airliner with a body built largely from carbon fiber infused with epoxy resin, fare in such a crash?

The new material is tough. But hit hard enough, it breaks rather than bends. And in a fire, the epoxy resin burns.

One early Boeing computer simulation was disturbing.

In 2005, as design of the Dreamliner advanced, a Boeing analysis showed a crash that is survivable in a largely metal 777 would be deadly in a 787: The impact would shatter the bottom of the 787 fuselage and deliver a jolt severe enough to kill all the passengers.

A Boeing engineering manager called the outcome a "potential showstopper" for the Dreamliner.

Chicago-based Boeing says a key design change and subsequent physical tests prove the final Dreamliner design is now as safe as a metal airplane.

And while a few critics remain concerned, the Federal Aviation Administration is close to certifying the jet as safe to fly passengers.

When an auto company develops a new car, it must run more than a dozen full-scale crash scenarios, witnessed by safety officials. Every test destroys a car.

But running full-scale tests of big jets crashing is considered impractical, as well as too expensive. As a plane heads toward a crash on land or water, there are too many possible impact variations to test every scenario.

So today's metal airplanes have been certified largely using computer simulations. Manufacturers validate their virtual results with smaller-scale physical tests: flexing the wings and stressing fuselage panels to their breaking point.

The FAA and Boeing agreed in advance on exactly what testing was needed to prove the 787's safety.

The 2005 Boeing document that laid out the deadly Dreamliner crash scenario was an early mathematical analysis, prepared by structural-dynamics experts in the company's Phantom Works research unit.

A computer-generated drawing from the internal report shows that in a simulated crash, the 777's metal lower fuselage crumples. But the rest of the airframe, including the floor of the passenger cabin, is intact.

In the composite-plastic 787, by contrast, the lower fuselage is shattered, with multiple holes. And the passenger floor has broken away from the fuselage and collapsed, leaving passengers with little chance of reaching an exit.

In addition, the Boeing study projected that the impact on passengers would be much more severe in a 787.

The highest survivable impact in a crash landing is considered to be about 20g, meaning a nearly instantaneous deceleration equal to 20 times the acceleration caused by gravity.

The study projected that at a vertical descent rate of about 15 miles per hour, the average peak impact on a passenger's spine would be 15g in the 777.

In the 787, though, that impact would be 25g, the study concluded.

In March 2005, Phantom Works project manager Vince Weldon sent an e-mail to Boeing's chief technology officer, Jim Jamieson, flagging the simulation as "very dire."

An aeronautical engineer, Weldon worked for 46 years in aerospace, half of those at Boeing. At Phantom Works, he assessed the use of advanced composites for future airplanes, though he had no direct role on the 787 program.

Weldon's concerns were examined by a panel of Boeing technical experts chosen from outside the 787 program. Its review endorsed the jet's composite-material design.

"He raised questions. They were investigated," said Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter. "We did not proceed with the design until we were sure it was safe."

In 2006, Boeing fired Weldon after an allegation that he used a racist remark about a superior in the course of pushing his concerns internally. Weldon, 72, denies that and says the accusation was a way to discredit and get rid of him.

Boeing made structural changes after the 2005 analysis that dramatically improved the jet's crash safety, said Mark Jenks, a vice president on the 787 program.

It redesigned rows of short wedge-shaped support posts beneath the cargo floor so they progressively collapse on impact, absorbing energy and reducing the impact felt in the passenger cabin.

Paolo Feraboli, an assistant professor at the University of Washington and director of its Lamborghini Lab for studying advanced composite structures, who worked for Boeing on the 787 program, said the support posts "fail in a very progressive, very stable, very energy-absorbing fashion."

With the change, Boeing's computer model now projected a much better impact result.

But unlike homogeneous metals, multilayered composites are very difficult to simulate accurately on a computer, Feraboli said.

"We don't currently have the knowledge and the computational power to do a prediction based on purely mathematical models," he said.

So to convince the FAA that its computer model matches real-world results, Boeing performed some physical tests not required on previous metal planes.

In 2007, Boeing performed a key "vertical drop test" of a partial fuselage.

An 8-foot-long section of the fuselage's bottom half, with full luggage containers beneath the passenger floor, was dropped from 15 feet onto a thick steel plate. It hit at an impact speed of around 20 miles per hour.

That's about 10 times the typical vertical descent rate when a big jet lands, and three times the rate its landing gear is required to withstand.

Videos of the test show the fuselage section slamming into the ground and completely flattening along the bottom, evidently fractured and broken, since the plastic doesn't bend. Beneath the passenger floor, small bits of the fuselage support structure fly off.

But in contrast to the 2005 computer model, everything above the cargo floor appears solid. The crucial passenger cabin floor and its supports remain intact.

And Boeing said sensors at the passenger seat showed the impact forces were survivable.

"The integrity of the floor area and overall extent of the damage were all within the bounds we expected and required," Jenks said.

He wouldn't disclose the impact forces recorded at the passenger seats. But he said the results validate the 787 design.

"This structure is as good as the 777," Jenks said. "That's what the model is showing when we finalized the design and then ran this test."

The drop-test outcome raises an additional issue: performance in a post-crash fire.

While the aluminum of a metal plane crumples on impact, composites tend to fracture or shatter. In a crash like that of the A340 in Toronto, would the 787 fuselage keep fire, smoke and toxic fumes from penetrating to the interior and overcoming passengers?

The good news is fire tests conducted by the FAA in 2007 show that plastic composites like those used in the 787 stand up to fire much better than metal.

But that may be irrelevant if fire and fumes can enter through holes in a shattered hull.

A fuel-fed fire can melt through an aluminum panel in about a minute. With an added layer of thermal insulation inside the fuselage wall, the fire barrier holds up a further four minutes. That required five-minute total provides passengers time to get out.

But the type of composite plastic on the Dreamliner will resist burn-through and provide protection from the fire for longer than five minutes, even without insulation.

While the epoxy resin in the composite material ignites and burns, the mat of carbon-fiber layers chars like wood to create a protective barrier that holds back the fire.

Ali Bahrami, head of the FAA's Seattle office dealing with commercial-airplane certification, said the agency's tests showed the carbon-fiber composite not only resisted burn-through impressively but also prevented toxic gases from penetrating inside.

"Composite structure is performing better than metal and insulation together," Bahrami said, adding that "with composites, you provide a longer time to get out."

Boeing ran a series of lab tests, applying an external fire to a panel of the 787's composite material, with similar results.

"Because there are things that are new about this, we've gone way, way beyond what might have been basic requirements," Jenks said. "I'm personally extremely confident and comfortable."

Composite-materials expert Derek Yates is not convinced.

In an unpublished paper, Yates dismissed the FAA fire tests because they were done on an intact fuselage, which is not typical in a real crash.

Yates, 74 and retired, worked for Lockheed on the Trident missile, which had the first primary aerospace structure made from composite plastic. From 1997 to 2000, he consulted for Boeing.

Yates' views on the composites' fire threat stem from work he did in the 1970s with NASA that resulted in FAA rules effectively banning the use of epoxy-based composites from aircraft interiors because of the fire hazard.

All airliners entering service since 1990 comply with that ban.

Yates is concerned that a 787 fuselage's underside will shatter in a crash, just as depicted in the 2005 simulation.

One worry is that as the plastic fuselage slides along the ground after the initial impact, the broken underside of the hull could rip open, creating holes through which toxic fumes and smoke from burning composite material might pour in.

Yates asked the FAA during the public comment phase of the 787 certification process to require a fire test with a full-scale ruptured fuselage, rather than an intact panel. His idea is to test if toxic fumes from burning composites will be substantial and penetrate any rupture.

The FAA rejected the request, Bahrami said, because in a post-crash conflagration, "the fuel fire is by far the biggest problem," not the burning of the composites in the fuselage skin.

Jenks said that after the drop test, the bottom of the composite plastic fuselage was "crumpled, creased, cracked and fractured," but with only "small holes" in the skin.

"There weren't big, gaping holes," Jenks said. "I don't think there's any reason to believe there'll be more holes per se in a composite fuselage."

Dan Mooney, Boeing vice president of development for the 787-8, said the composite fuselage doesn't break like glass.

"It doesn't shatter and disperse in lots of pieces," Mooney said. "It tends to hang together by the fibers."

Mooney said Boeing's tests show the burning of the plastic resin won't add significant risk.

In February, Boeing issued official guidelines telling airport firefighters they can use standard techniques to put out a 787 fire, adding that "from a toxicity perspective, the composite structure … poses no greater hazard than an aluminum fuselage."

Boeing has completed all its 787 fire testing and submitted the results to the FAA for certification.

"We believe we're done," said Mooney.

FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the agency's review of Boeing's data on a 787 crash impact and fire is almost complete. Certification is expected this fall.

"We don't anticipate any problems or unique difficulties with the remaining work," Kenitzer said.


...

Uzbekistan Airways is biggest air company in Central Asia.

Flew them a couple of times last month. They NEED the upgrade, good lord the TU154b that I was on was a total POS, but I am glad I got to fly on one, those planes are not long for this world, sort of the thing you tell your kids about. A320s are on their way to the Uzbek fleet this year and that will be the end of the Tupelovs.

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/boeing_787_pictures/Airlines_that_have_ordered_the_Boeing_787.jpg The NWA logo needs to be changed to the Delta logo. ;-) I'm so excited for Delta getting 787 aircraft!

Flew them a couple of times last month. They NEED the upgrade, good lord the TU154b that I was on was a total POS, but I am glad I got to fly on one, those planes are not long for this world, sort of the thing you tell your kids about. A320s are on their way to the Uzbek fleet this year and that will be the end of the Tupelovs.

The TU-154 was the first plane I flew on back in 2000. It's really an amazing aircraft. The sound that comes from the engine...is indescribable. No Western aircraft can match that.

Boeing 787 test effort reaches 1000h, GE to deliver 2% improvement

Boeing is fast approaching the halfway stage in the 787's flight-test programme, having recently achieved the important milestones of 1,000h in the air and the introduction of the second engine option in to the trial effort.

Meanwhile, General Electric says that an upgrade planned for introduction next year will deliver a 2% fuel burn saving and bring the 787's GEnx-1B performance in line with, or ahead of, the original target.

The 1,000h point was passed on 16 June, as the first of two GEnx-powered Dreamliners joined the four Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered 787s engaged in the flight-test programme. Boeing estimates that it is "about 40% through the test conditions" required to certificate the initial variant of the all-new jetliner. The programme is expected to eventually accumulate 3,100 flight hours.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=34725

"More work remains, but we are seeing excellent progress in flight test," says Scott Fancher, vice-president and general manager of the 787 programme. "We are making solid progress on the ground testing required on the flight-test fleet as well," he adds.

GEnx general manager Tom Brisken says that the two-and-a-half-year programme delay allowed GE to reduce the shortfall in GEnx fuel burn from a reported 4% to "closer to 2%". This deficit will be addressed, and possibly beaten, with another upgrade package to be introduced in the third quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile, Brisken says that a full understanding of the airframe/engine performance and fuel burn of the GEnx-2B-powered Boeing 747-8 is about a "month or two" away. He declines to comment on suggestions from industry sources that the GEnx-2B is also 2-4% behind its fuel-burn target.


http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/22/343525/boeing-787-test-effort-reaches-1000h-ge-to-deliver-2.html

Horizontal stabiliser gaps force 787 inspections and reduced flight envelope

Boeing has imposed a temporary operating limitation (TOL) on its five flying 787 test aircraft after structural gaps were discovered in the aircraft's horizontal stabiliser.

The horizontal stabilisers, which are built by Alenia Aeronautica in Foggia, Italy, have "issues with improperly installed shims and the torque of associated fasteners", says Boeing.

Programme sources say the gaps, which the shims are intended to fill, range between 0.25 and almost 0.5cm, and were first found near where the rear spar meets the stiffened centre box panel that joins the two rear wings that make up the horizontal stabiliser.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=34782

While Boeing maintains that the fleet has not been "grounded", the company has decided to not fly each aircraft as it undertakes one to two day inspections of each aircraft before returning to flight test operations. If issues are discovered amongst its test fleet, the aircraft can still fly, but with a reduced operating limit that is specified by the airframer and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

"An inspection and rework plan already is implemented for airplanes in production. For those airplanes requiring rework, we expect it will take up to eight days for each airplane," says Boeing.

Shims, or engineered fillers, are traditionally used to fill structural gaps that naturally occur during manufacturing, and the ones used to fill gaps in the horizontal stabiliser became compressed after fasteners were over-torqued as a means of pulling the surfaces together.

Using fasteners to augment structural shims introduces a "pre-load" condition and reduces the long-term fatigue life of the structure if the issue goes unaddressed.

Many of the production 787s in Everett, Washington, where final assembly takes place, have already had their elevators removed for the inspections, say area observers.

The company maintains "it is not unusual for these issues to arise in the course of production programmes - they are identified, dispositioned and dealt with through our normal processes".

However, the setback is another in a series of quality control issues that have arisen from the facilities of its Italian supplier.

On 23 June 2009, Boeing issued a stop work order to Alenia's Grottaglie, Italy operations after wrinkles in the composite skin of the aircraft were found above door frames on fuselage barrels.

The airframer says that this "issue will be addressed within the existing programme schedule" and the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways remains on track for first delivery later this year.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/25/343682/horizontal-stabiliser-gaps-force-787-inspections-and-reduced-flight.html

Vietnam Airlines switches 787 order to -9s

Vietnam Airlines expects it will have to wait until 2015 to receive its first Boeing 787 after switching its 16-aircraft order from the -8 to the stretched -9 due to unexpected performance limitations on the original model.

The government-owned flag carrier first ordered four 787-8s in 2005 for delivery from 2009. In 2007 Vietnam Airlines ordered four more 787-8s and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing ordered eight 787-8s on behalf of the carrier.

Vietnam Airlines CEO Pham Ngoc Minh says its 787 deliveries have since been delayed six times by Boeing and the carrier has had to switch to the -9 because the -8s no longer meet the carrier's performance requirements. Minh explains the -8s are now too heavy to economically operate long-haul routes from Vietnam to Europe and North America.

"The -8 doesn't meet the performance guarantee as they told me," Minh told Flightglobal on the sidelines of this week's SkyTeam meeting in New York. "We found the -8 is a heavy -8; it's not the original -8 they committed to."

The bigger 787-9, which follows the 787-8 in development, is now scheduled to enter service at the end of 2013. But Minh says Boeing is only offering Vietnam Airlines -9 slots from 2015.

He says Vietnam is trying to speak to Boeing about moving up to earlier 787-9 slots but so far it has been difficult to get a firm plan from the manufacturer. "They've delayed six times already. I don't know how many more times they will delay," he says.

For now Boeing still lists all 16 787s ordered by Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing as -8s. It is not clear why Boeing has not formally changed the order to -9s but the manufacturer could be waiting to conclude a re-negotiated deal with its Vietnamese customers that may also include new Boeing 777s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=34741

Minh says waiting until 2015 "is not our requirement" and "in the interim we continue to negotiate with Boeing".

He adds Vietnam Airlines is now looking to expand its Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A330 fleets to fill the gap caused by the extensive delivery delays to its 787s. Vietnam Airlines also has 10 A350-900s on order but Minh says these are not scheduled to be delivered from 2014, or only slightly ahead of the carrier's first 787-9.

Minh says Vietnam currently operates 20 widebodies - 10 777-200s and 10 A330s - but its fleet plan includes at least 40 widebody aircraft by 2015. Vietnam requires the 20 additional widebodies over the next five years - plus another 15 to 20 widebodies in the 2015-2020 timeframe - to meet an ambitious expansion plan that will see the carrier launch new routes to Australia, Europe and North America.

"With manufacturers it's sometimes difficult for me to push them, especially for next-generation because for next-generation they have certain difficulties. But the market is there and we have an ambitious plan," Minh says. "We can't wait. We have to add more A330s and maybe more 777s until the time we can replace all of it."

He adds Vietnam Airlines plans to use its 787-9s and A350-900s on similar missions but the carrier needs to acquire both types because neither manufacturer has enough slots to meet the carrier's requirement for 55 to 60 widebodies by 2020.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/24/343611/vietnam-airlines-switches-787-order-to-9s.html


****

Btw, Boeing 787 will perform in the Farnborough Airshow so we can expect some nice videos and pictures of it

AIRSHOW-Boeing reaffirms latest 787 guidance

England, July 17 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) said its chief executive had not altered the latest delivery guidance on the 787 Dreamliner after a newspaper said he had expressed confidence in delivering the plane by end-year, as planned. Boeing last week said deliveries could slip into 2011 but that no decision had been taken. [ID:nN15224632] In a summary of an interview given to European Sunday newspapers by Boeing CEO Jim McNerney, released on Saturday, Germany's Welt am Sonntagsaid: "The Boeing chief was also confident that the first Dreamliner 787 can be, as announced, delivered by the end of 2010."

A Boeing spokesman clarified that McNerney had stuck to the same script on deliveries as the 787 general manager last week.

"Mr Mcnerney made clear that the intention remains to deliver the first 787 before the end of the year, but he said that the flight test programme is tight and that it is possible delivery could slip by a few weeks into January," Boeing spokesman Charlie Miller said on Saturday.

"This is exactly what the head of the programme (Scott Fancher) said last Thursday," he added.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE66G05Y20100717

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100718/bs_nm/us_airshow_boeing787

Dreamliner makes first overseas landing

By Kyle Peterson Kyle Peterson – Sun Jul 18, 12:21 pm ET
FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) – Boeing Co's new 787 Dreamliner touched down in Britain on Sunday on its first trip outside the United States, thrilling hordes of eager planespotters who came out to see the breakthrough carbon-composite plane.

A media circus ensued as Boeing executives, including CEO Jim McNerney, emerged smiling from the plane, though McNerney did not actually fly to England with the plane, instead getting on board after landing.

Social media was active with blow-by-blow coverage of the arrival, pointing to the intense interest in the plane not only within the business but also in the flight-enthusiast community.

The 787 is expected to take the spotlight at next week's Farnborough Airshow. Last-minute technical issues had raised fears in recent weeks that the plane might not make its long-anticipated trip to the show, but the plane arrived doing a flyover with a "tilt and wave" before landing.

Boeing executives have said they aim to deliver the first Dreamliner to Japan's All Nippon Airways by the end of 2010, but they have cautioned that the delivery could be delayed to early 2011.

Speaking to reporters later in London, Jim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, reiterated that caution, saying Boeing still hopes to achieve its year-end goal but deliveries could move to next year.

GO FLYING

Speaking after landing the plane, test pilot Mike Bryan told reporters that landing on Farnborough's "short" runway after the nine-hour flight reminded him of his time landing on aircraft carriers in the Navy. But he was full of praise for the plane, which he flew from Seattle with 16 crew and a full compliment of flight-testing systems.

"One thing I can say right now is we could literally put fuel in it and passengers could go flying in it," he said.

The plane he flew -- Dreamliner No. 3 -- will never see regular passenger service, though. It is one of three test planes strictly for that purpose. The next three test planes to be built, however, are expected to eventually be sold.

The aircraft promises greater fuel efficiency and its lightweight materials and innovative design have captured the imagination of the industry.

Yet flight testing has been going more slowly than expected after the twin-engined passenger plane made an inaugural flight last December -- which itself was the subject of frenetic global media coverage.

Deliveries of the long-range passenger jet to the first Japanese customer have been delayed by more than two years due to production problems.

(Writing by Ben Berkowitz, Editing by Jeremy Laurence and David Holmes)
,,

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/3/2/7/1743723.jpg

Art of 21st century ... Dreamful 787...16093km flying length

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_111n.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_121n.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_131n.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_141n.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_61n.jpg

[B]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_121n.jpg



Umm... how much would a seat here cost? :lol:

Art of 21st century ... Dreamful 787...16093km flying length
<snip>
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-07/20/12350624_61n.jpg

Nice. :cheers:

Boeing loses 26 orders for 787 and other jets

Cancellations outnumber new orders for 787s this year.

By Michelle Dunlop
Herald Writer
The Boeing Co. dropped orders for 26 aircraft, valued as much as $5.8 billion, from its order tally Thursday.

Boeing reduced its backlog by 15 787 Dreamliners, 10 777s and one single-aisle 737. With this latest 787 cancellation, Boeing now has more cancellations for its delayed Dreamliner this year than it has new orders. Boeing has received 32 cancellations for its 787 since the beginning of 2010 and just 28 orders.

Chicago-based Boeing is aiming to deliver the first 787 later this year to Japan's All Nippon Airways -- more than two years behind schedule. However, company officials hinted last month that the delivery of the 787 might slide into early 2011.

Although Boeing doesn't comment on order cancellations, it no longer lists an order for 15 787s for Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.

Boeing and the carrier had confirmed the Dreamliner order in late 2007 when the United Arab Emirates-based leasing company made a splash by placing a $29 billion aircraft order split between Boeing and Airbus. Industry observers have been skeptical of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise's ability to keep those orders due to the leasing company's financial woes.

Boeing added orders for two 737s -- one for a business jet and the other from an undisclosed customer. The new orders and cancellations bring Boeing's year-to-date net order total to 255. The company has received 319 gross orders and 64 total cancellations.

Also Thursday, Boeing reported that it had delivered 41 aircraft in July, including 10 Everett-built 777s. Through the end of July, Boeing has delivered 263 aircraft; 211 of those deliveries were of Boeing's popular Renton-built 737.

Boeing's shares dropped 54 cents Thursday to close at $68.71.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100806/BIZ/708069977

Afresh delays in 787 scheme - Boeing faces claim on 787 delays from Air India

Boeing insiders indicated the company has decided to push back the first flight of the sixth and final 787 flight test aircraft to Sept. 12, while on another front the manufacturer is facing a $1 billion claim from Air India related to 27 delayed Dreamliners the carrier has on order.
The latest challenges to hit the 787 program come as Boeing continues to target the 2010 fourth quarter for first delivery to ANA even as it warns that first deliveries could slip into 2011 (ATW Daily News, July 29). While final assembly has started on the 26th 787 designated for Air India, the airline reportedly has submitted a $1 billion claim against Boeing for compensation for delivery delays. According to India Today, it has the backing of the Indian government in seeking compensation from Boeing, although the US government is pressuring it to soften its line.

Initial 787 deliveries to Air India were due to start in 2008 but the first aircraft is now scheduled to be delivered in March 2011. The airline is planning to use 787s to replace aging aircraft including A310s and 747-400s.

Boeing has acknowledged that the margin on the 787 flight test program has thinned considerably. Its plan to put the sixth flight test aircraft in the air by the end of July did not come to fruition. According to company insiders, ZA006's first flight is now targeted for Sept. 12.

The first five flight test aircraft have completed 463 flights spanning 1,446 hr. The high-time aircraft is ZA001 with 159 flights and 466.7 hr.

source:"Air Transport World"
http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-components/news/boeing-faces-claim-787-delays-sixth-flight-test-aircraft-wont-fly-u

Boeing incorporating change to cut drag in 787 tail

While Boeing inspects 787-8 Dreamliner horizontal stabilizers for manufacturing flaws, the company also is looking at an innovation on the stabilizers to cut drag on its stretch 787-9, Aviation Week's Guy Norris reported Thursday.

Hybrid laminar flow control involves sucking boundary layer air through tiny holes in the skin of the leading edges of the vertical and horizontal tails, helping to delay the transition of the air from smooth, laminar flow to turbulent flow, Norris wrote. If it works, he added, Boeing will feed the technology back into the 787-8.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/217810.asp?from=blog_last3

Boeing gets OK to start 787 pilot training courses

NEW YORK — Boeing Co. said Monday it's been given approval by the Federal Aviation Administration to start pilot training courses for its new 787.

The Chicago company called the approval a "significant milestone" as it ramps up to start flight training.

With the 787 pilot training courses, pilots can transition to the new airplane in five to 20 days, depending on experience. Boeing 777 pilots can qualify to fly the 787 in as little as five days, given the high level of similarity between the two airplane types.

The 787, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner, is made of many composite materials designed to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient than comparable planes already in the sky. Its development has been plagued by delays, and the first delivery is now scheduled for late this year to Japan's All Nippon Airways.

The Chicago-based company's most popular plane remains the workhorse 737.

There are currently five Boeing Training & Flight Services locations around the world in Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Seattle and Gatwick, UK.

'Package A' Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 suffers engine failure

In early August, a production standard 'Package A' Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine suffered an engine failure while on the test stand at the company's Derby, UK facility. The 'Package A' engines do not incorporate upgrades planned for the 'Package B' engines, which will bring the specific fuel consumption target within 1% of planned spec.

Rolls-Royce says: "We have had an engine failure on a test bed in Derby. We are now investigating in detail and have made good progress in understanding the issue. We do not anticipate any impact on the programme."

Industry sources say the failure, which is believed to have been uncontained, occurred in early August on a production 'Package A' model Trent 1000 engine that will power early 787-8 aircraft for launch customer All Nippon Airways, and has been initially traced to the single-stage intermediate pressure (IP) turbine. The IP turbine in conjunction with the IP compressor supplies the electrical power for the 787's systems.

Boeing has yet to comment on the event, but it appears that 787 flight testing will not be impacted. ZA001 through ZA004 are all powered by the 'Package A' Trent 1000s. ZA004 will be outfitted with the 'Package B' engines later in the flight test program.

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2010/08/package-a-rolls-royce-trent-10.html

Boeing 787 Interior

0f9zjYpAVmU

^^ It's like a 5th time this video is posted in this thread

Uh-oh!

(Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) has pushed back delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner by several weeks due to a delay in the availability of a Rolls-Royce (RR.L) engine which is needed for the final phases of flight testing.

The U.S. planemaker now expects to deliver the carbon-composite plane, already delayed by more than two years, to launch customer Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) (9202.T) by the middle of the first quarter of 2011.

Boeing previously said the first delivery would be made a few weeks into 2011.

The delay comes after a Rolls' Trent 1000 engine blew up earlier this month at a test site in Derby, central England, forcing the company to temporarily close the facility.

"The delivery date revision follows an assessment of the availability of an engine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall," Boeing said. "Flight testing across the test fleet continues as planned."

Boeing added it was working with the British engine maker to ensure engines were made available as soon as possible but that the delay would not affect its financial outlook.

A Rolls-Royce spokesman said it was "working closely with Boeing to expedite delivery in support of their program schedule."

Shares in Rolls-Royce were 1.3 percent down at 552 pence by 0820 GMT. Boeing shares closed 0.5 percent higher at $61.33 on Thursday in the United States.

"REGRETTABLE" DELAY

Boeing had initially aimed to deliver the first Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways by the end of 2010, but last month pushed the delivery date back to a few weeks into 2011, citing technical issues.

ANA called the delay "regrettable" and said it was keen to know when Boeing would be able to deliver its second 787.

ANA has ordered 55 of Boeing's latest jetliner, eight of which the planemaker has promised to deliver by April 2011.

Deliveries of the long-range passenger jet to ANA have been delayed by more than two years due to production problems.

The Japanese carrier said it did not include revenue from the 787 in its business plan this year so there would be no change to its profit outlook for the year ending March 31.

The Dreamliner promises greater fuel efficiency and its lightweight materials and innovative design have captured the imagination of the industry.

Yet flight testing has been going more slowly than expected after the twin-engined passenger plane made an inaugural flight last December.

A spokesman for Australia's Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) said it was too early to say what impact the delay would have on it.

Qantas in July brought forward its 787 delivery schedule, saying it would receive the first 50 of the aircraft it has on order in mid-2012. (Additional reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Tim Kelly and Mark Potter)

Chronology: Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner

Boeing Co said the first delivery of its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner has been pushed to the middle of the first quarter of 2011 from the fourth quarter of 2010 due to engine availability.

Boeing, the No 2 plane-maker behind EADS unit Airbus, has been struggling with a range of supply, manufacturing and design problems, made worse by a two-month strike at Boeing's Seattle-area plants last year.

The following events show the slow and bumpy progress of the revolutionary, carbon composite aircraft, which is key to Boeing's financial success.

2002 - Boeing drops its Sonic Cruiser concept, responding to airlines' calls for greater fuel efficiency rather than extra speed.

June 2003 - Dubs its new carbon-composite airplane the Dreamliner.

Dec 2003 - Approves an initial version of the plane with the temporary name 7E7, the E standing for "efficiency."

Jan 2005 - Gives plane official designation 787.

July 2006 - Popularity of 787 design forces Airbus to go back to drawing board on its competing A350, relaunching it as the A350 XWB (extra wide body).

Jan 2007 - Boeing CEO Jim McNerney says plane is on target for first test flight around end of August 2007 and first delivery May 2008.

June 2007 - Boeing says first test flight may slip to September 2007, while still on schedule for first delivery in May 2008.

July 25, 2007 - Boeing shares hit all-time high of $107.80, boosted by strong 787 orders. Company says plane is running slightly behind in certain areas but holds to schedule.

Sept 2007 - Boeing puts back first test flight by about three months because of a shortage of bolts and problems with flight control software. Shifts flight target to mid-November to mid-December 2007; keeps May 2008 delivery target.

Oct 2007 - Announces longer delay, due to continued production problems, pushing first test flight to end-March 2008 and putting back first delivery by about six months to late November or December 2008.

Jan 2008 - Boeing announces further three-month delay due to problems with unnamed suppliers and slow assembly progress. Pushes back test flight to end-June 2008 and first delivery to early 2009, making plane about nine months behind original schedule.

April 2008 - Sets first test flight for the fourth quarter of 2008 and first delivery for the third quarter of 2009, about 15 months behind the original schedule.

Sept. 6, 2008 - Boeing's assembly workers go on strike over contract terms, shutting down Boeing's Seattle-area plants. They return to work in early November after 58 days out.

Nov. 4, 2008 - Boeing says first flight delayed by strike, will not happen until 2009.

Dec. 11, 2008 - Says first flight now set for second quarter of 2009 and first delivery in first quarter of 2010, making the plane about two years late.

June 2009 - Boeing reports 59 total cancellations for 787s, with net orders for 866 of the planes.

Aug 27, 2009 - Sets new timetable, with first flight by the end of 2009 and first delivery in fourth quarter of 2010.

Dec. 15, 2009 -- Dreamliner makes first test flight.

Aug. 27, 2010 - Boeing says first 787 delivery will be in the middle of the first quarter of 2011.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world-news/chronology-boeings-troubled-787-dreamliner_481487.html

I think March, 2011 will be the final deadline. I was walking around the factory the other day, and the ANA planes seem to be progressing along nicely.

ANA, JAL, Air Marroc, and Air India will be the first deliveries.

ANA B787

http://i51.tinypic.com/vshstg.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/fkv13b.jpg

http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?aircraft=Boeing+787&airline=-2&country=-2&photog=-2&category=-2&year=-2&keywordrange=all&keywordlimiter=2&keywords=&sort=1&genre=1&size=-2&mainsearch=search&displaymode=1&display=15

:drool:

lookin' fwd to see her in service

Royal Air Maroc B787

http://i56.tinypic.com/m9q9om.png

http://paineairport.com/kpae.htm

very nice, happy for RAM :applause:

Looking forward to flying this and the A380.

Btw, aren't those windows supposed to be 50% larger? they don't look like they are or perhaps just the angle of the picture

Great plane I expect this jet will be very popular with airlines. Great design.

ANA B787, background JAL B787

http://i54.tinypic.com/2l8iujd.jpg

http://www.airliners.net/photo/All-Nippon-Airways/Boeing-787-8-Dreamliner/1780687/L/&sid=0146480f0a930b07def2461b7522fd50

Sixth Boeing 787 Takes Flight, Company Reports ‘Good Progress’ with Test Program

The sixth and final Boeing 787 to join the flight test fleet flew for the first time yesterday from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The airplane, ZA006, landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field as planned, but two hours earlier than expected. A Boeing spokesperson said a maintenance message during the flight forced Captains Christine Walsh and Bill Roberson to cut short the mission “as a precautionary measure.”

ZA006, the second 787 equipped with General Electric GEnx engines to fly, took off from Paine Field at 11:41 a.m. local time and landed at Boeing Field one hour and four minutes later.

“It's great to have our last flight-test airplane join the fleet,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We have been focused on completing the testing required for certification of the 787 with Rolls-Royce engines, because that is the first model we deliver. A great deal of the testing that we’ve done also applies to the 787s with GE engines and won’t need to be repeated.”

Boeing noted, however, that a smaller portion of testing unique to the engine/airframe combination includes noise trials, extreme weather operations, function and reliability and extended operations. Furthermore, the 787 team must verify uniformity of airplane handling and systems function regardless of engine type.

Boeing said it plans to conduct some further flight tests with one of the production airplanes, the ninth 787 built, but that it does not consider that airplane a full-time member of the flight-test fleet.

Boeing reports that the Dreamliner team has completed a number of flight-test milestones in recent weeks, including a series of natural and artificial icing tests. The trials indicated no need for changes, it added, and pilots reported that the airplane handled well despite the presence of ice.

The company has also finished flight loads survey testing, which demonstrates the pressure distribution on the airplane structure throughout the phases of flight in a variety of configurations. The team conducted that testing on ZA004, primarily at the airport at Victorville, Calif. Analysis of this testing continues.

Boeing completed a series of tests that stress the airplane’s brakes, called maximum brake energy testing, in late September at Edwards Air Force Base. It used ZA001 to conduct that testing, as well as a series takeoffs and landings under extreme conditions, including minimum takeoff speed testing. Earlier in the month, ZA001 completed wet runway testing at Roswell, N.M.

The third Dreamliner, ZA003, flew to Glasgow, Mont., to complete community noise testing. All results fell within expectations.

Boeing reports that it has completed all takeoff performance and handling characteristics testing for the Rolls-Royce-powered 787. It will need to perform some further testing with the two 787s equipped with GE engines.

The 787 flight-test program has logged more than 1,900 hours over 620 flights and completed more than 65 percent of the flight-test conditions for 787s with Rolls-Royce engines. Boeing has also completed “well over” 4,000 hours of ground testing on the same airplanes involved in the flight-test program.

Meanwhile, fatigue testing has started at a test rig in Everett, where Boeing has simulated 15 flights. Federal regulations require the company to conduct twice as many flight cycles as any airplane in revenue service. Boeing plans to have completed 10,000 flight cycles before first delivery.

Source (http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/sixth-boeing-787-takes-flight-company-reports-good-progress-with-test-program-26645/)

See also the video for the 787 tail drag, wet runway and crosswind tests. (http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/223655.asp)

Hello sorry I'm bringing a topic that has nothing to do with the 787 but I want to know why airbus has gained so much market against boeing I know that from 2001 to 2010 airbus has been selling more aircrafts than boieng... I want to know why? most ot the companies this days use A320 instead ot 737... or now A380 instead 0f 747... why has boeing been left behind bye the airlines??? I love boieng... 777 is an ass kicker... 373 is a great en reliable aircraft... can someone explain me the reasons...? tnx!

Hello sorry I'm bringing a topic that has nothing to do with the 787 but I want to know why airbus has gained so much market against boeing I know that from 2001 to 2010 airbus has been selling more aircrafts than boieng... I want to know why? most ot the companies this days use A320 instead ot 737... or now A380 instead 0f 747... why has boeing been left behind bye the airlines??? I love boieng... 777 is an ass kicker... 373 is a great en reliable aircraft... can someone explain me the reasons...? tnx!

The answer is simple. Airbus sold more planes.

When airbus first came about, Boeing did not see them as a threat.

If Boeing ever got their big butts moving on the 787 we would see more orders for Boeing. They just keep on delaying the 787 and more airlines are seeing Boeing not as reliable. The first 787 flight for airlines was suppose to more than 2 years ago. Yet Boeing still has no commerical 787 flying yet. We still see the 787 on Airliners.net on the ground get fixed or worked on. But no commerical flights. If I was a airline CEO I would choose Airbus for airplanes. Airbus seem to be doing well with the A380. Cant wait to fly in one on an intl route.

I think it looks good

:dance:

If Boeing ever got their big butts moving on the 787 we would see more orders for Boeing. They just keep on delaying the 787 and more airlines are seeing Boeing not as reliable. The first 787 flight for airlines was suppose to more than 2 years ago. Yet Boeing still has no commerical 787 flying yet. We still see the 787 on Airliners.net on the ground get fixed or worked on. But no commerical flights. If I was a airline CEO I would choose Airbus for airplanes. Airbus seem to be doing well with the A380. Cant wait to fly in one on an intl route.

Some things in the delays were out of their control. Ie. Fasteners. Plus this is the first commercial aircraft to be built mainly with composites, it's a new technology, they were bound to run into obstacles.

You do realise the A380 suffered from delays in production too, don't you? It looks like the A350 may be delayed too. It happens.

Discussion (http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4971554/) about another possible delay of 787 developement:

The report states that issues such as "a flight deck window popping sound discovered during flight test, addressing cabin condensation issues, reworking passenger doors, resolving workmanship issues on the aircraft's horizontal stabiliser and incorporating changes to the Trent 1000 engine, are among the issues that add up to slide the deliveries to the 787's earliest customers well into 2011 or potentially even 2012."

My 787 Dreamliner (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=66642647&postcount=264) pictures made during the visit to Amsterdam.

Boeing has told several of its early 787 customers about delivery delays of up to 10 months, industry sources tell AVIATION WEEK.

Full story here (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/awx/2010/11/05/awx_11_05_2010_p0-267220.xml&headline=Boeing%20Tells%20Carriers%20About%20More%20787%20Delays)

I posted this in a new thread, which I maybe should have put here.

DALLAS – A Boeing 787 jetliner made an emergency landing after smoke was detected in the main cabin during a test flight over Texas.
A Boeing spokeswoman said Tuesday that the plane landed safely and the crew was evacuated after landing in Laredo.
Emergency personnel were called. Boeing said it was still gathering information about the incident.
Boeing has said it will deliver the first production models of the 787 to airlines next year. Development of the aircraft is running about three years behind schedule after a series of delays.
The fuselage of the 787 is made of composite material designed to produce a lighter, more fuel-efficient plane.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101109/ap_on_bi_ge/us_boeing_test_flight

Another story about the emergency landing... maybe Boeing workers been too distracted watching the news of the A380 engines?

Any ideas about the cause?

Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing on test flight
From: NewsCore (Travel News at News.com.au), by Staff Writers, November 10, 2010 11:16AM
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/boeing-787-dreamliner-makes-emergency-landing-on-test-flight/story-e6frfq80-1225950834353#ixzz14tO43wbI

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/07/14/1225891/464650-aus-bus-pix-boeing-dreamliner.jpg (http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/07/14/1225891/464650-aus-bus-pix-boeing-dreamliner.jpg)
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its long-waited first flight in December 2009. Picture: AFP

A BOEING 787 Dreamliner aircraft made an emergency landing in Texas during a test flight after smoke was reported in the cabin.

After the pilot noticed smoke, "the crew continued its approach and landed safely at the airport," Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said.

"Emergency personnel responded. The crew safely evacuated the airplane."

In pictures: Aboard the Dreamliner

The 30-plus people aboard the aircraft were taken off using emergency slides, The Seattle Times reported.

Ms Gunter said it was too early to determine whether the incident would change the long-delayed aircraft's delivery schedule.

Laredo is approximately 150 miles southeast of San Antonio, on the border with Mexico.

The jetliner has been plagued by problems since the program launched in 2004 and is currently more than two years behind schedule.

Faulty parts built by Boeing's suppliers, including problems with the aircraft's tail, have caused many of the previous delays - in a change from normal production, Boeing has relied on suppliers from around the world to build large portions of the plane, before assembling the parts itself.
Boeing has 863 orders from 56 companies worth about $150 billion for the 787.

Customers include Qantas, which has ordered 50 of the aircraft with hopes of expanding its budget airline, Jetstar, into southern Europe.
The next-generation, wide-body plane is the first passenger jet to be largely built from lightweight and environmentally friendly composite material.

With a list price of around $US161 ($186) million for a basic model, it is configured in two versions - a 787-8 carrying 210-250 passengers and a 787-9 carrying almost 300 people.

http://www.news.com.au/images/icon_galleries.gif In pictures: Aboard the Dreamliner (http://www.news.com.au/travel/galleries/gallery-e6frflw0-1111119655150)


.

http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-components/news/boeing-reportedly-set-announce-another-787-delay-after-inflight-fir

Boeing reportedly set to announce another 787 delay

Boeing is set to announce a seventh delay in its 787 program, possibly pushing delivery out by another nine-months—at least—after the inflight electrical fire to its ZA002 on Nov. 9 .

On Thursday, Air Lease Corp. founder and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy, who ordered the 787 when he was Chairman and CEO of ILFC, told Bloomberg at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Panama City that the 787 will “definitely” be postponed a seventh time. “It’s a big setback for Boeing,” Udvar-Hazy said.

Boeing has now flown ZA001 and ZA005 back to Seattle from Rapid City, S.D. and Victorville, Calif. The company is tight-lipped on the status of the investigation but insiders at Qantas engineering told ATW they believe there is a “significant problem.” The Qantas Group has 50 787s on order and its Jetstar division was supposed to get delivery of its first aircraft in mid-2012 to launch nonstop services between Singapore and Europe and Australia to the US. Initially, when the order was placed, the airline group was to receive one a month from August 2008.

On Wednesday, Morgan Stanley-NY analyst Heidi Wood forecast that Boeing would not be able to deliver the 787s until 2012 in a worst case scenario, as flight testing won’t resume until early next year. Wood’s base case assumption is second half 2011.

Critical to Qantas and many other Dreamliner customers is that the 787s are supposed to replace their 767s, which are now high on hours; further delays will tax maintenance capabilities. Because the 787 delays have been rolling, few have taken investment decisions to upgrade fleets of 767s. One exception is Air New Zealand, which has given its six 767-300ERs an interior makeover with seat-back videos for all passengers while adding winglets.

The delay if confirmed will be good news for Airbus, which has chalked up over 1,100 orders for its A330.

Last year, Airbus built an all-time high of 76 A330 aircraft and has 374 yet to deliver.

:bash::bash::bash: