787
Boeing 787 Dreamliner 'Final Assembly and Delivery' facility at Charleston begins to take shape
Boeing took another visible step toward full 787 Dreamliner production on Monday by placing the first steel column for its Charleston 787 Final Assembly and Delivery facility.
“This new facility will expand our production capability and strengthen the 787 program as we work toward rate,” said Marco Cavazzoni, vice president and general manager of 787 Final Assembly and Delivery, Charleston, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “And that reflects our commitment to our customers, our team and our South Carolina community.”
Today, Boeing Charleston fabricates, assembles and installs systems for 787 aft fuselage sections and joins and integrates midbody fuselage sections from other structural partners. With the new, 1.2-million-square-foot (92,903-square-meter) building, Boeing will perform final assembly and deliver 787s from North Charleston to customers around the world. Construction on the new facility is on schedule, with production due to begin in July 2011. Boeing will deliver the first 787 built in Charleston in first-quarter 2012. To date, 90 percent of the Boeing direct-contracted dollars for the project have been with South-Carolina-based companies.
Ultimate load wing test on 787 Dreamliner completed by Boeing
Boeing have completed the ultimate-load wing up-bending test on the 787 Dreamliner static test unit. During the testing, loads were applied to the airframe to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the aircraft is ever expected to experience while in service. The wings were flexed upward by approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) during the test.
The initial results of the ultimate-load test are positive. More extensive analysis and review are required before the test can be deemed a success.
“The test program has been more robust than any conducted on a Boeing commercial jetliner,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It has taken countless hours of hard work by the Boeing team and our partners to work through the static test program. Everyone who has been involved in this effort over the past several years should be very proud of their contributions to ensuring the safety of the 787 Dreamliner.
“We are looking forward to the technical team’s report on the details of the test results,” said Fancher. It will take them several weeks to work through all of the data.
During each second of the more than two-hour test, thousands of data points were collected to monitor the performance of the wing. Key data points are monitored real-time during the test, but all of the data will be evaluated in the weeks ahead.
Boeing and Turkish Airlines finalise order for 20 Next-Generation 737 aircraft
Boeing and Turkish Airlines have finalised an order for 20 Next-Generation 737 aircraft. The order includes 10 737-800s and 10 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplanes. The 737-900ER will be the latest 737 family member to join the Turkish Airlines fleet. The order is valued at $1.6 billion at current list prices. Turkish Airlines currently operates a fleet of 66 Boeing airplanes, including 58 Next-Generation 737s.
The 737-900ER is the newest member of the 737 family, combining aerodynamic and other design changes to provide more room for up to 215 passengers while retaining the high performance that gives the Next-Generation 737 family world-class flexibility and efficiency.
“The 737-800 is the backbone of the Turkish Airlines fleet and proves its value on a daily basis offering unmatched levels of efficiency and reliability,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737-900ER will fit seamlessly into Turkish Airlines’ operations, sharing the same pilots, systems and nearly 100 percent spares commonality with the airlines’ current Next-Generation 737 fleet. We are also very proud to provide Turkish Airlines’ new 737s with the Boeing Sky Interior, which will be a perfect complement to the carrier’s high levels of service and passenger comfort.”
All of the new Turkish Airlines’ Next-Generation 737 airplanes will be fitted with the latest 737 Boeing Sky Interior. Based on the cabin design of the 787 Dreamliner, the all-new Sky Interior features soft blue overhead lighting, contemporary sculpted sidewalls and window reveals that draw passengers’ eyes to the airplane’s windows, giving passengers a greater connection to the flying experience. The new design offers larger, pivoting overhead stowage bins that add to the openness of the cabin. The bins give more passengers room to store carry-on luggage near their own seats, adding both extra convenience and extra legroom.
Based in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines is one of the fastest growing and prosperous airlines in the world. It carries approximately 25 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 120 international and 37 domestic destinations. The airline was founded in 1933 with a fleet of five airplanes that carried a total of 28 passengers. The airline made its first domestic flight in 1933 and the first international flight in 1947.
Boeing and United Airlines finalise 787 order
Boeing and United Airlines have finalized an order for 25 787-8 jetliners. The agreement includes the opportunity to purchase another 50 Dreamliners.
“Boeing and United Airlines share an 80-year partnership,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “United, which launched the Boeing 777, now begins a new chapter with the 787 Dreamliner, the most technologically advanced commercial jetliner ever built.”
The order is valued at $4.2 billion at average list prices.
“United’s Boeing 787 order represents a substantial investment in our future and will enhance the significant progress we are making in improving the global competitiveness of our company while providing the opportunity to open new profitable markets and serve a broader range of international destinations,” said John Tague, president of United Airlines.
United expects to take delivery of the 787s at the same time it will begin to retire its Boeing 747s and 767s operating on international routes.
The 787 Dreamliner, currently in flight test, will provide greater fuel efficiency, allowing airlines to add new, nonstop city pairs and the additional frequencies that passengers prefer.
The 787 also promises a more comfortable flying experience for passengers. Its innovations include a new interior environment with improvements in air filtration, higher cabin pressurization resulting in reduced physical fatigue, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting and other passenger-preferred conveniences.
The technologically advanced 787 will also provide airlines with up to 45 percent more cargo revenue capacity
Including United Airlines, 57 customers around the world have ordered 876 Dreamliners, making the 787 the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history.
Third Boeing Dreamliner ZA004 joins 787 flight test program
A third aircraft has joined the Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight-test program. ZA004, the fourth flight-test airplane to be built, took off at 11:43 a.m. local time from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The program plan called for ZA004 to fly before ZA003 because the data ZA004 is collecting is needed more quickly both for certification and development of the 787-9.
Captains Heather Ross and Craig Bomben completed a three-hour-and-two-minute flight at 2:45 p.m., landing at Boeing Field in Seattle. Flight-test personnel were also on board to monitor airplane performance.
“Airplane No. 4 operated flawlessly today,” Ross said after landing. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us but I can’t imagine a better start to the flight test program for this airplane.”
Ross will serve as chief pilot for ZA004. This airplane will be used to accomplish the following types of tests: aerodynamics, high-speed performance, propulsion performance, flight loads, community noise and extended operations (ETOPS) and other test conditions.
During today’s flight, the airplane reached an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 m) and an airspeed of 255 knots, or about 293 miles (472 km) per hour. As the testing of the 787 Dreamliner fleet progresses, the airplane will fly at its expected in-service maximum altitude of 40,000 feet (12,192 m) and speed of Mach 0.85.
“We are continuing to make good progress on the flight test program,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 Dreamliner program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The team is staying focused and disciplined in keeping the priority on safety and execution of the plan.”
Second Boeing 787 Dreamliner completes first flight
The second Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ZA002, completed its first flight today. The all-new airplane, which features the livery of the Dreamliner’s launch customer, ANA (All Nippon Airways) of Japan, took off from Paine Field in Everett, completed a two-hour flight and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle.
“We are delighted that the second Dreamliner is in the livery of our launch customer, ANA,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We are honored by the airline’s support and look forward to delivering ANA the first production airplane next year.”
Captain Randy Neville was at the controls for the flight, with Chief Pilot Mike Carriker operating as co-pilot. Neville and Carriker took the airplane to an altitude of 13,000 feet (3,962 m) and an airspeed of 200 knots, or about 230 miles (370 km) per hour. The airplane took off at 9:09 a.m. PST and landed at 11:10 a.m. PST.
This is the second of six 787s being used in the airplane’s flight-test program. Each of the airplanes will be used for a specific set of tests, with this airplane focusing on systems performance. Like its predecessor, ZA001, the airplane is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
“We would like to convey our sincere congratulations to the Boeing team for its achievement of this milestone, and we look forward to the delivery into our fleet next year,” said Shinichiro Ito, president and CEO of ANA.
