boeing

EVERETT, Wash.--"Ready, ready, go."

With those words, blasted from a public address system at Paine Field here, Boeing's first 747-8 Intercontinental revved its engines and began its high-speed roll down the runway for takeoff.

And at 9:58 a.m. PDT today, the all-new model of Boeing's most iconic passenger plane took to the air for the first time, trailed by two T-33 chaser planes and cheered on by hundreds of Boeing employees.

Piloted by Mark Feuerstein and Paul Stemer, the plane took off into a clear sky and quickly banked left, headed for … Read more

EVERETT, Wash.--The skies are clear, the sun is out, and the plane is ready. Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental is all set for its first flight.

With a two-hour window for the inaugural flight starting at 10 a.m. PT today, it appears that all is go for inaugural flight of the all-new version of Boeing's most iconic passenger jet. The flight comes about 13 months after the February 8, 2010, first flight of the 747-8 Freighter.

Thousands of Boeing employees and families, as well as fans of the 747, and a cadre of press will be on hand … Read more

Boeing announced today that its all-new 747-8 Intercontinental, the longest passenger plane in its history, is expected to take its first flight on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the aviation giant said that the plane--which it unveiled in a huge ceremony just last month--had passed what is called final gauntlet testing, which "simulates flight conditions to test systems and ensure flight readiness," Boeing said in a release, adding that as part of the testing process, its test pilots "put the airplane through its paces."

Over the next few days, then, the plane will be subjected to &… Read more

There's nothing the world likes more than a good radiation scare. Mobile phone health panics are quiet at the moment--which could be permanent, like the microwave oven cancer flap that went into spontaneous remission and stayed there. Instead, the burgeoning world of in-flight entertainment beckons as the next fear factory.

Take this story from the generally sensible Flight Global publication: "Wi-Fi interference with Honeywell avionics prompts Boeing action." Sounds quite scary, especially since it's a report on a problem uncovered during certification for Aircell's Gogo, an in-flight passenger Internet system. In-flight Internet is the next … Read more

Apple's iPad may soon find its way onto your next commercial flight, and not just in the cabin as an entertainment device. Major airlines and a charter jet company are considering using the tablet as a way to replace both paper navigation charts and laptops on the ground and during flight.

So far, no U.S. airline has adopted iPads exclusively, but Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines are testing the device for navigational purposes. Alaska spokeswoman Marianne Lindsey told the Seattle Times that the carrier is running a trial program with a select group of pilots. Calls made by CNET to the Alaska Airlines press office were not returned at the time of this writing.

Switching to iPads or other tablet devices would cut down on paper, and on the equipment pilots have to carry. While some specially designed laptops, or "electronic flight bags," can weigh up to 18 pounds, the current iPad weighs just just 1.5 pounds (the recently announced iPad 2 is a tad lighter). What's more, instead of receiving new paper charts every few weeks, pilots could receive updates electronically. … Read more

The decade-long war is over: EADS North America has conceded defeat to Boeing in the campaign to capture a multibillion-dollar deal to build a new aerial tanker for the U.S. Air Force.

Last week, the Pentagon announced that it had selected Boeing to build the next-generation KC-46A tanker in a long-term arrangement that could eventually be worth $30 billion. For starters, the Chicago-based aerospace titan is getting $3.5 billion to build the first four of a projected 179 of the new tankers. It has to deliver 18 by 2017.

"Boeing was a clear winner," Deputy Defense … Read more

EVERETT, Wash.--The 787 Dreamliner program may be three years behind schedule and battling a legacy of delays, but that isn't stopping Boeing from building the next-generation airplanes one after another.

Yesterday, as the last act of a three-day media extravaganza timed to Boeing's Sunday unveiling of the 747-8 Intercontinental, I got a chance to take a first-hand look at the Dreamliner assembly line.

By now, the story of the 787 is well-chronicled. Originally unveiled on July 8, 2007, (07/08/07) the plane was supposed to take its first flight later that year and begin carrying passengers … Read more

EVERETT, Wash.--Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange and white instead of the company's traditional blue and white--Boeing unveiled its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental here today.

With the formal unveiling, the aviation giant made it clear that its 787 Dreamliner is hardly its only card in the global commercial aviation poker game.

Billed as the most fuel-efficient and cheapest airliner to operate in the world, the new plane seems poised to join its predecessors in the 747 line as an iconic representation of what air travel can and should be.

And while preorders of the 747-8 Intercontinental are … Read more

EVERETT, Wash.--The 747-8 Intercontinental is here.

Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange, instead of blue, Boeing pulled back the wraps on the next-generation of its iconic 747 line. Touting the plane as being able to carry more passengers longer and faster, and at better fuel and cost efficiency than other commercial planes, Boeing is hoping to make a big splash in the industry with the new plane.

CNET was on hand for all the festivities. Please stay tuned for a full story and photo gallery on the big event. But for now, enjoy this photo of the … Read more