Was the maiden flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner successful?
After more than two years of delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner took to the sky for the first time Tuesday, taking off under cloudy skies and heading west over Puget Sound carrying the company’s future with it. Thousands of people, including seemingly everyone who works for Boeing, cheered as the plane decked out in Boeing’s livery lifted off at Paine Field. The flight came exactly six years after Boeing greenlighted the next-generation airliner, marking a major milestone for a program plagued by setbacks, delays and labor squabbles. But Tuesday’s flight of 787 Dreamliner test plane No. ZA001 couldn’t have gone any more smoothly. Sources: http://www.wired.
EVERETT, Washington, United States — Fighting its way through more than two years of delays, Boeing’s latest aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, is scheduled to take its maiden flight Tuesday. “We think it’s a game changer because it provides so much value to the customer,” Jim Albaugh, Boeing executive vice president and CEO, said in a CNN interview. “We think this is going to be a very efficient airplane. It’s going to change the way people travel.” Despite the delays, Boeing’s first new commercial airliner in over a decade will still be relevant, Albaugh said Monday. “It’s more environmentally friendly, it’s more efficient, uses less fuel, it’s going to cost the operator less to fly, it’s going to allow the passengers to pay less and feel better when they land.” Boeing’s claims of the Dreamliner’s much-touted efficiency are tied to its design. It’s the first major airliner to be made of mostly composite materials. Boeing has staked its reputation on claims that the aircraft’s relatively
The year was 2007. Boeing rolled out its massive new jet, the ultra-efficient, long-range Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Aviation fans (including myself) were on our toes, awaiting for the maiden flight. Fast forward two years. At approximately 1:28 PM on 15 December 2009, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally took to the skies on its maiden flight — a test flight. Though a successful take-off occurred today, the jet is far from entering service. Thirty-four test pilots will fly six Dreamliners on an array of test flights, some of which include rejected takeoffs, in-flight stalls (I’ve experienced a few of these in flight school — they were not fun!), and tail-strikes. As of this writing, the 787 is still in-flight. Pilots Michael Carriker and Randall Neville at planning to fly the aircraft on a four-hour flight over Washington. Videos after the break. Sources: http://erictric.
