Boeing's first 787 Dreamliner touches down at Boeing Field in Seattle, about three hours after taking off for its first-ever flight from Paine Field in Everett, Washington.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)SEATTLE--It turns out that Boeing's 787 Dreamliner can land too.
Just three hours after taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., for its first-ever flight, the 787 made a gentle landing in a pouring rain at Boeing Field here. It marked the completion of an extremely vital step for this long-delayed and keenly watched $10 billion project.
As has been well-chronicled, the 787 project has been delayed for more than two years. Boeing rolled out the plane to great fanfare on July 8, 2007--07/08/07--and promised that its first flight was just months away at that point. But structural problems, a machinists' strike, supply chain shortages and cost overruns have forced Boeing into one public delay after another.
But after the aerospace giant got the plane through an essential test last week--the so-called taxi test, in which the plane is sent rocketing down a runway at high speed in order to lift its landing gear off the ground--all systems appeared to be ready to go for the first flight.
And indeed, on Tuesday morning, at 10:28, in front of thousands of company employees and an impressive phalanx of press, the plane took off. And quickly disappeared into a very cloudy sky. That flight was originally expected to last for as much as five-and-a-half hours but was cut short by poor weather throughout the northern Washington state region.
At 1:33 p.m. Pacific time, the plane landed, just minutes after having appeared miles away in the completely overcast sky.
Mike Carriker, Boeing's chief 787 pilot, signals his feelings about the planes long-awaited first flight.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Befitting the public relations nature of Tuesday's developments--and the obvious opportunity for Boeing to pat itself on the back for finally crossing this important milestone--it came as no surprise when, minutes after the maiden 787 was pulled up directly in front of a giant tent where the press corps and countless Boeing employees were waiting, Scott Fancher, the 787 Dreamliner program's vice president and general manager said, "This is a day that changed the history of aviation" and that the 787 has become the "first truly all-new airplane in the 21st century."
Those statements had to do with the fact that the 787 is made from carbon fiber, becoming the first major commercial airliner to be made from composite materials.
Fancher also took the opportunity to claim that the successful flight was a "statement of our nation's competitiveness," a clear poke at Boeing's European arch-rival, Airbus.
During its three-hour-and five-minute flight, the 787 reached a height of about 15,000 feet and a top speed of 207 miles an hour. The pilots had to scuttle their original plan of flying out over eastern Washington state. Chief pilot Mike Carriker said that a scout plane had flown ahead of the 787 in order to check out the intended route but had determined the conditions there were too rough for the tests that Boeing had hoped to execute during the flight.
After the 787 was towed back in and parked in front of the tent, Carriker and co-pilot Randy Neville emerged, beaming. Carriker pumped his arms high above his head and the crowd cheered.
Back on the ground during a question-and-answer session, Carriker joked that, "I thought the landing was pretty good, I don't know about you." And Neville said that the flight had presented the two pilots with no surprises. "The airplane did exactly as we were expecting," Neville said.
Carriker explained that just the act of getting the 787 in the air had gone a long way toward answering diagnostic questions about the plane. "We figured out more things about this airplane in ten minutes of flying," he said, "than we have in probably the last 100 days."
The 787 as it pulled up in front of a tent full of Boeing employees and reporters.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)And amplifying that point, Carriker said that once he and Neville were airborne, they had set out to execute a "very, very, very aggressive plan. In spite of the continuously descending cloud cover that forced the shortening of the flight time, they were able to complete about half of their intended tasks he said.
Still, the bad weather gave the pilots a chance to put the plane through some paces they had not intended until later in a testing program that could last as long as nine months before the planned delivery of the first 787 to All Nippon Airways in late 2010. Neville said that included flying in icy conditions and in strong turbulence.
And there were some very small victories, too.
"We even got to do a functional test of the windshield wipers," Carriker joked.
Asked when the second 787 test flight will be, Carriker said that today's plane--the first of six Dreamliners that have been built--was ready to head back up for another go. But he suggested it would be at least after the new year before the second flight.
At 10:28 a.m. PST on December 15, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner finally took air. It was the plane's first flight, more than two years after it was officially rolled out on July 8, 2007 (7/8/07).
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)EVERETT, Wash.--At long, long last, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is aloft.
On July 8, 2007 (7/8/07), in front of thousands of enthusiastic onlookers, Boeing rolled out the 787 at its mammoth assembly plant here. The aerospace giant promised to change the nature of long-haul flight, making it significantly more efficient than ever before, and promised to showcase the new plane with its first flight just a few months later.
But one delay after another has substantially slowed the 787 program, and even though the plane was brought to the flight line last May, and it was expected that the first flight would take place sometime in the second quarter, that didn't happen. Until Tuesday, when at 10:28 a.m. PST, the maiden voyage of the first Dreamliner finally lifted off from Boeing's Paine Field here, quickly disappearing into a thick cloud cover. The plane is scheduled to land in a few hours at Boeing Field, near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, about 29 miles south.
For Boeing, Tuesday's development is one of its most significant in years. The 787 Dreamliner, which is built from carbon fiber composite materials and has new-style curved wings--allowing it to fly 20 percent more efficiently per passenger than other planes of its size--was meant to be the company's best chance to dominate the next generation of super planes. Originally, said Boeing spokesperson Russ Young, the idea was to build a plane that was 20 percent faster. But eventually, the company decided, after discussions with potential customers, to go for more fuel efficiency.
But the delays--a machinists strike, a problem with the joint between the wing and the fuselage, shortages of parts and supplies, and more--cost Boeing that advantage. And in the interim, archrival Airbus got its much-heralded A380 plane off the ground and into the hands of several carriers. Today, the A380 is flying regularly scheduled service on airlines like Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and others.
Still, with the kind of time and money Boeing has invested in the 787, it was hardly going to drop the program because of some delays. Instead, it fought through the problems and continued forward. Last week, the company completed the last tests necessary to get the green light for the first flight, and today, the plane took to the skies in front of a large audience, some of whom were said to have paid $250 for the privilege of watching. Also on hand were thousands of Boeing employees who had front-row seats alongside the runway.
Of course, while all eyes were on today's flight, there is a great deal more work to do before Boeing can deliver its first 787 to a customer--expected to be All Nippon Airways in 2010 assuming no more major delays--or see the plane carry its first paying passengers.
For one, there are six 787s that will be part of the test fleet, with 34 total test pilots. The planes will be put through a battery of in-air stress tests to determine if the model is ready for prime time. All told, said Young, the six already-built 787s will be put through more than 3,000 hours of test flights. In addition, there will be more than 4,000 of ground tests. Young said either the fourth or the fifth 787--in terms assembly order--will be flying tests with a fully fleshed out interior.
Just seconds after the plane took air, a trail plane flew by, much to the delight of the thousands of people on hand.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Among those tests are:
• A maximum energy refused takeoff, in which the plane is loaded to its maximum weight and its brakes ground down to the minimum level allowed, and then taxi at full speed down a runway before hitting the brakes. One aspect is to make sure there is no fire.
• In-flight stalls, where pilots will make the plane stall at heights of between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet to ensure it is capable of regaining control and stability and that it doesn't go into a spin.
• Engine out on takeoff, where pilots will cut off power to one engine, and make the plane take off in spite of the powerful asymmetrical thrust twists that result.
• Tail-strike takeoff, in which the pilots will get the plane in the air despite striking the tail on the ground on takeoff, causing flying sparks. A wood panel will be attached to the tail to make sure the fuselage isn't damaged.
• Landings in severe conditions, including strong headwinds, crosswinds, and tailwinds.
• Being put through severe temperature extremes.
• Lightning tests, in which the fuselage will be hit with simulated lightning at a lab at Boeing field.
The importance of Boeing's ability to complete these tests and get the 787 into the hands of its customers can't be overstated. Back in 2007, the company touted the fact that it had received 677 preorders from 47 carriers, making it the most preordered airplane in commercial aviation history.
Surprisingly, Boeing said the delays have not forced customers to back out and that today, there are more than 840 preorders. Young said any carriers who backed out did so for financial reasons. "It's a tough time in the industry," he said.
Boeing said its 787 Dreamliner has moved to the flight line at its Everett, Wash., facility, and is on schedule for its first flight later this quarter. This comes after the much anticipated program has been delayed several times.
(Credit: Boeing)After what must seem to Boeing executives, not to mention aviation industry observers, like never-ending delays, the aircraft giant said on Monday that it has moved its much anticipated 787 Dreamliner to the flight line for final testing.
Currently, Boeing said in a release, the airplane--which was first rolled out to the public on July 8, 2007--is on the flight line, meaning it is being put through a series of rigorous tests designed to ensure its flight-worthiness. The next big step will be fuel testing, the company said.
As of Monday, Boeing said, the 787 Dreamliner's first flight is "on schedule" for later this quarter. But that statement belies the fact that the entire 787 program is very far behind its original schedule.
Originally, the plane was supposed to make its first flight in late 2007 and carry its first passenger in spring 2008. Now, it is not expected to carry passengers until at least 2010. Still, Boeing has 886 orders from 57 carriers for the plane, it said.
But several delays, including one the company attributes to a lengthy machinists strike, has caused the program to revise that original schedule. Still, Boeing is clearly eager to get the plane off the ground, and there is no doubt there is widespread interest in the plane's launch.
"In recent weeks, 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," Boeing said in a release Monday. "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."
In addition, Boeing completed all the required structural tests on the plane's "static airframe." The last of those tests was performed on April 21 when its trailing and wing edges were put through limit load tests. That means, Boeing said, that the plane was subjected to the equivalent of the highest loads--about 2.5 times the force of gravity--that could reasonably be expected in service.
Now that the plane is on Boeing's Everett, Wash., flight line, it will be put through additional "airplane power and systems tests as well as engine runs." If it passes those, it will go through final high-speed taxi tests and systems checks, and then maybe, just maybe, it will be ready for its first flight.
For Boeing, if that indeed comes to pass, that would be some good news very long in the making.
On June 22, Geek Gestalt will kick off Road Trip 2009. After driving more than 12,000 miles in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, and the Southeast over the last three years, I'll be looking for the best in technology, science, military, nature, aviation and more in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and South and North Dakota. If you have a suggestion for someplace to visit, drop me a line. And in the meantime, join the Road Trip 2009 Facebook page and follow my Twitter feed.
On July 8, 2007, Boeing officially unveiled its 787 Dreamliner, an event that was largely symbolic, since the date corresponded to the plane's name: 7-8-7. But on Thursday, Boeing said that the plane won't make its first flight until at least the second quarter of 2009.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but on Thursday Boeing announced revised first flight and first delivery dates for its long-awaited and much-anticipated, but also troubled 787 Dreamliner.
The aviation giant said it now expects the first 787 flight during the second quarter of 2009, and the delivery of the first Dreamliner in the first quarter of 2010.
Prior to Thursday's announcement, Boeing had said the first flight would be in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first delivery in the third quarter of 2009. But even those dates differed from what Boeing had predicted on July 8, 2007 (07/08/07) when it suggested at the roll-out event for the 787 that the first flight would be in August or September of 2007 and the first commercial passengers in May of 2008.
In its announcement, Boeing pinned the blame for the latest 787 delays on a machinists strike that shut the program down from early September to November of this year.
Now, the company says it is trying to figure out how the latest delays will affect its delivery plan, and what the financial impact will be.
But one thing is clear: Boeing needs to get the 787 program on its feet and up in the air, to mix metaphors. Yet, while the program has had its share of delays, there was recently a sign that at the very least, it is a fundamentally sound project: an intended-to-be-secret dossier recently put together by Boeing's archrival Airbus about the 787 Dreamliner seemed to indicate that the program was solid.
"(T)ake a look at the document," wrote aviation blogger Jon Ostrower on Flightblogger. Nowhere does it say that the program isn't going to work or that the plane isn't going to fly. At the end of the day, the report is a vindication of the program."
Now, Boeing just needs to follow through on that promise. The world is watching.
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