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Boeing Conducts Inaugural Flight Of First 787 Built In South Carolina By Shane Nolan |
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May 27, 2012 - Boeing marked another 787 milestone as
the first Dreamliner built in South Carolina completed
its first flight. Piloted by Tim Berg and Randy Neville,
the airplane successfully conducted a five-hour test
flight. More than 5,000 Boeing South Carolina employees
watched a live broadcast of the airplane as it took off
from Charleston International Airport.
"This is a proud moment for our Boeing South Carolina
team and for Boeing," said Jack Jones, vice
president/general manager, Boeing South Carolina. "In
April, we gathered on the flightline to watch this
airplane roll out of final assembly. Today, we watched
as this airplane successfully completed its first
production flight - one step closer to delivering our
first South Carolina-built 787 Dreamliner to our
customer."
The production flight test profile tested the airplane's
controls and systems in a series of scenarios designed
to verify the airplane operates as designed. The tests
occurred in all stages of flight beginning prior to
taxi, through final landing and taxi. |
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During the flight, the crew checked the functionality of onboard
systems at high and medium altitudes. They also checked backup
and critical safety elements including cabin pressurization,
avionics, and navigation and communications systems. In
addition, they shut down and re-started each engine during
flight.
"First flight of this South Carolina-built airplane is a
significant achievement and our teammates did a great job
working together to make this happen," said Berg. "The airplane
performed exactly as we expected."
The airplane will be flown to Ft. Worth, Texas to be painted
with Air India's livery before returning to Boeing South
Carolina for a mid-2012 delivery. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a
long-range, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner
developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It seats 210 to 290
passengers, depending on the variant. Boeing states that it is
the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first
major airliner to use composite materials for most of its
construction.
According to Boeing, the 787 consumes 20% less fuel than the similarly-sized 767. Its distinguishing features include a four-panel windshield, noise-reducing chevrons on its engine nacelles, and a smoother nose contour. The 787 shares a common type rating with the larger 777 twinjet, allowing qualified pilots to operate both models, due to related design features. |