Boeing 787 (partie 2)

According to sources, Boeing's latest schedule, thus far, has the 787 program starting F&R and ETOPs flight testing on June 9th. This information comes on the heels of ZA102 restarting flight tests after several months going through re-work and change incorporation at ATS Hangar 3 in Everett.

This aircraft flew a 50 minute check flight and landed back at Everett. No word yet on first delivery date but it is anticipated that ETOPs and F & R testing should take about a month followed by type certification for the Rolls Royce powered 787. Currently Boeing is 95% through the certification program for the Trent 1000 powered aircraft and 75% complete on the GEnx-1B powered version of the 787. Delivery of the first GE powered 787 to Japan Airlines is expected about a month or so after delivery of the first 787 to ANA.

Albaugh makes first formal mention 787-10X - dubbed as such - adding 43 seats to the 787-9. "Same wing, same engine, more people" adding "I believe this will be an airplane we will probably do."

Boeing aims to deliver the first 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways (ANA) in August or September, following a test aircraft's maiden flight in Japan in July as part of a simulation of revenue operations.
The airframer will work with ANA to deploy the second flight test aircraft, ZA002, on flights within Japan during the week of 4 July to "simulate in-service operations across several airports in Japan in a service ready operational validation", said Boeing.
The flights are expected to be operated between Tokyo Haneda airport and airports in Osaka (both Itami and Kansai airports), Okayama and Hiroshima. Boeing said the flights will show the aircraft's "readiness to enter service on a commercial basis".
"We've put the airplane through its paces in a rigorous flight test program," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 programme. "Now, as we get closer to first delivery, we'll prove out its capabilities and reliability in a revenue-like environment."
The airframer, which had said it was targeting first delivery in the third quarter following several delays to the 787 programme, said it plans to deliver the first aircraft to ANA in the "August to September timeframe".
ANA's president and CEO Shinichiro Ito said the carrier is "eager" to introduce the 787 to Japan. "Giving our employees the opportunity to gain experience with the airplane will help ensure a smoother entry into service later this year."
During the July validation, ANA's maintenance crews will also practise maintenance and servicing of the 787. "This will include typical ground servicing activities, fit checks of airplane jacks and maintenance hangar stands, towing and refueling the airplane, and other routine maintenance operations," said Boeing.

ANA to get first 787 in August or September
Boeing aims to deliver the first 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways
(ANA) in August or September, following a test aircraft's maiden flight
in Japan in July as part of a simulation of revenue operations.The
airframer will work with ANA to deploy the second flight test aircraft,
ZA002, on flights within Japan during the week of 4 July to "simulate
in-service operations across several airports in Japan in a service
ready operational validation", said Boeing.The flights are
expected to be operated between Tokyo Haneda airport and airports in
Osaka (both Itami and Kansai airports), Okayama and Hiroshima. Boeing
said the flights will show the aircraft's "readiness to enter service on
a commercial basis"."We've put the airplane through its paces in
a rigorous flight test program," said Scott Fancher, vice president and
general manager of the 787 programme. "Now, as we get closer to first
delivery, we'll prove out its capabilities and reliability in a
revenue-like environment."The airframer, which had said it was
targeting first delivery in the third quarter following several delays
to the 787 programme, said it plans to deliver the first aircraft to ANA
in the "August to September timeframe".ANA's president and CEO
Shinichiro Ito said the carrier is "eager" to introduce the 787 to
Japan. "Giving our employees the opportunity to gain experience with the
airplane will help ensure a smoother entry into service later this
year."During the July validation, ANA's maintenance crews will
also practise maintenance and servicing of the 787. "This will include
typical ground servicing activities, fit checks of airplane jacks and
maintenance hangar stands, towing and refueling the airplane, and other
routine maintenance operations," said Boeing.http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/05/26/357216/ana-to-get-first-787-in-august-or-september.html

Boeing's 787 fatigue test airframe has passed the critical 10,000 cycle milestone, solidifying a regulatory requirement to maintain ahead of the fleet leader in simulated takeoffs and landings, say program sources.

The airframe, dubbed ZY998, first began its fatigue trials in September 2010, parked behind the Everett factory in a custom test fixture designed to simulate the normal stresses on an aircraft during flight.

Each cycle, representing one takeoff and one landing, includes flexing of the various structures, as well as repeated pressurizations expanding and contracting the aircraft's composite primary structure fuselage.

The airframer expects to certify the 787 for 44,000 cycles in its lifetime, but is required to double that margin during the testing, which must remain 10,000 cycles ahead of the flying fleet leader. Boeing will push ZY998 to as many as 165,000 over the next three years to determine the long-term structural life of the 787.

Going forward, Albaugh said the manufacturer is receiving "strong interest" in the 787-10X, which will be a 5.5 meter stretch of the 787-9 with a capacity of between 290 and 330 passengers, about 40 more than the 787-9. Albaugh asserted that the 787-10X's economics are "brilliant," with operating efficiency 10% better than the A350-900 and 5% better than the A350-1000

Boeing roughly defines 787-10X performance
The conceptual Boeing 787-10X, a stretch of the 787-9 due for entry
into service in 2013, will have seating for 320 passengers and a range
capability of 6,900nm (12,600km), said Boeing Commercial Airplanes
vice-president of business development Nicole Piasecki.
The aircraft would be roughly 15% bigger than the 62.8m (206ft)-long
787-9, and would have a maximum take-off weight almost equivalent to the
787-9's at 251,000kg (553,000lb) with similar structures, along with
notional 76,000lb thrust (338kN) from twin General Electric GEnx or
Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
"The seat mile economics on this airplane are phenomenal. They are
11% better than our estimate of the A350-900 and they are over 5% better
than what the A350-1000 is today," said Piasecki, whose comments came
before Airbus announced a 4,000lb increase in thrust, a maximum take-off
weight increase from 298,000kg to 308,000kg, and a corresponding 400nm
range boost with 350 passengers or another 4,500kg in payload.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/06/23/358738/paris-boeing-roughly-defines-787-10x-performance.html

lish flag-carrier LOT has unveiled a revised livery as it celebrated the arrival of a Boeing 787 at its Warsaw base.
Its new colour scheme will strongly feature elements of the current livery, including the large stylised lettering on the fuselage and the familiar bird logo.
LOT was among the first customers in Europe to agree to take the twinjet. It will configure its 787s with 18 business-class, 21 premium-economy class and 213 economy-class seats.
The cabin will include audio-video in-flight entertainment, including Internet access, said LOT, after the 787 touched down in the Polish capital having appeared at the Paris air show.
"Being the first European airline to receive the modern 787, LOT has decided to use this opportunity to refresh the livery of its aircraft," it added.

he level of ETOPS certification dictates the required distance of an aircraft operating on a single engine or other flight critical failure from a diversion airport.
The airframer did not immediately have details on the rule change or the nature of the software adjustment, but said no new rule-making stemmed from the November 2010 fire aboard test aircraft ZA002.
Further, the changes are unrelated to the Rolls-Royce Package A engine, which suffered an uncontained failure in August 2010, prompting changes in both hardware and software. Neither manufacturer has detailed what those changes entailed.
Airplane Nine, ZA102, is the lead aircraft for F&R tests, which are scheduled to take 300h and include the ETOPS evaluations which are measured in test points.
"We've flown all of the ETOPS test points in Boeing testing," said Scott Fancher, 787 programme vice president and general manager in a Paris air show interview, with the same points now set to be repeated for certification credit.
"The team has created a solid plan for accomplishing the hours and test points required for F&R and ETOPS testing in support of delivery to our customer ANA in the August to September time period," said Fancher.
Boeing will conduct an additional F&R/ETOPS trial period on the GEnx test aircraft, ahead of that engine-airframe certification, and said it has not yet finalised the plan for the GE engines, or a target for completion.