Boeing 787
Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrives in Arizona
ZA004, is undergoing a short series of tests that require a combination of hot weather and low-altitude conditions
The 787 flight test fleet, currently comprised of four airplanes, has logged more than 820 hours of flying in the last six months. Two more airplanes are expected to join the flight test fleet soon.
Picture: Boeing Model 40 Meets the 787 Dreamliner over Puget Sound
As if finding a ghost among the cumulus, The Boeing Company’s latest addition to its lineage of pioneering commercial airplanes, the 787 Dreamliner, caught up to its ancestor, a Boeing Model 40, in the skies over Mount Rainier south of Seattle.
The fully restored 1928 vintage Boeing Model 40, owned and flown by Addison Pemberton of Spokane, Wash., is the only flyable Model 40 in the world and the oldest flying Boeing aircraft of any kind. The Model 40 not only is notable as Boeing’s first production commercial airplane, but its innovation and efficiency were the deciding factor in Boeing Air Transport (the airline subsidiary of the Boeing Airplane Company) winning the lucrative Oakland-to-Chicago air mail route in 1927. That event set William Boeing on a course that, within just two years, would take him from managing his airplane company in Seattle to presiding over a vast nationwide aviation empire called United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC).
The 787 and Model 40, both the technological leaders of their time, represent 80 years of Commercial Airplanes leadership and clearly illustrate the dramatic progress in airplane design.
During those 80 years, the people of Boeing have introduced innovative technologies that have revolutionized flight and defined the design of all commercial airplanes.
Taking a very short break from the 787 program’s intensive flight test program, Boeing Chief Test Pilot Mike Carriker expertly maneuvered the first 787, ZA001, into formation with the Model 40 at 12,000 feet to allow photographer Ryan Pemberton, flying in an A36 Bonanza, to line up for the striking photo.
“It really took a lot of work and planning,” Carriker said. “When I came alongside the Model 40 against those big puffy clouds it was unbelievable: Here is this 1928 biplane flying with a 2010 airplane side by side. How amazing the history of The Boeing Company is – it was really exciting.”
Qatar Airways appoints Thales to supply In-Flight Entertainment and Communications solutions
Qatar Airways has selected Thales to provide in-flight entertainment and communication systems for the airline’s Boeing 787 aircraft.
The appointment will see Thales supplying the airline its TopSeries system, which features a range of onboard product solutions, including passenger touch screen displays, interface options for personal electronic devices and 3D audio technology.
Qatar Airways will also be the launch customer of Thales’ new passenger handset controller with multi-tasking capabilities. The control unit is an intelligent device that enables passengers to play games and navigate through the in-flight entertainment system using touch screen technology.
Broadband connectivity will be integrated into the IFE system, allowing the potential for every passenger to access current news, sports, social networks and other mobile applications.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the in-flight offering on the airline’s B787 fleet will be a step beyond what is currently available in the sky.
“Qatar Airways is proud to be at the forefront of the aviation industry. Our 787 aircraft will be equipped with the industry’s leading in-flight entertainment and communications technology, and we are looking forward to showcasing to our passengers just why we continue receive awards and accolades for our in-flight product.”
“The airline is continuing to expand at a rapid pace and with the opening of New Doha International Airport in addition to the delivery of our first B787s scheduled for 2011, the future is looking very bright indeed,” Al Baker said.
The Doha-based carrier has outstanding orders of 30 firm and 30 optional Boeing 787-8 aircraft due for delivery from 2011.
Thales’ TopSeries for the B787 is a lightweight design and a leading choice for configuring the B787 aircraft. With the addition of its integrated connectivity features, Qatar Airways takes a leading position in the industry.
Alan Pellegrini, Vice President and General Manager of Thales’ Inflight Entertainment Systems business said: “We are very pleased to be working with Qatar Airways on the installation of IFE and Connectivity on their new B787 aircraft. Our team is committed to their success and desire to bring innovation to their passengers.”
Qatar Airways had previously appointed Thales to provide in-flight entertainment and communications systems for 24 brand-new single-aisle A320 family aircraft as well as six retrofits for A320s already in the airline’s fleet. The systems include touch-screen technology, with seat-back screens in Economy as well as communication tools such as mobile phone connectivity. The airline offers SMS and data services on these aircraft.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 83 aircraft to 89 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and North America. Long-term, the fleet size is set to rise to 120 aircraft by 2013 and destinations served increase to 120 over the next three years. The airline has orders for more than 200 aircraft pending delivery worth over US$40 billion.
Video: Boeing completes first 787 Dreamliner GEnx engine runs
The first General Electric GEnx engines on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner came to life this week with initial engine starts. Customers can choose between the GEnx engines and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power their 787s.
“This is another exciting step in our progress on the Boeing 787 test program,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 Program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our partners at GE have worked diligently to ensure their engines are ready for the testing that is going to occur both before first flight of ZA005 and throughout the flight test program.”
Following engine testing, ZA005, the fifth 787 to be built, will undergo a series of ground tests similar to those conducted on the first 787s to ensure that it is ready for first flight later this quarter.
