The Dreamliner flew for the first time yesterday, almost 2-years late but it flew. Video here. The test crew of 2, spent a little over 3 hours dogging weather (yeah, I think Seattle is a great place for this too) and had to cut short the overall flight by an hour. But the test regime has commenced.
The aircraft looks great, the wing sweep while flying is amazing and lends some kind of visual affect that maybe you realize that you are flying. Pretty neat I think.
Boeing expects to have 6 aircraft doing test flights over the next 9 months in order to gain an FAA Type Certification next year. First deliver to an actual cash paying customer, All Nippon Airways is scheduled for the last quarter of next year. Can't come soon enough, Boeing had the chance to bury Airbus in this concept and commercial sector but screwed that pooch. Airbus is producing its XWB A350 in a direct response to the huge market for this size of aircraft. Boeing has sold about 850 of the 787 and is fast setting up a second final assembly facility in Charleston South Carolina to keep more customers for jumping ship to the Airbus. Good on them, can't happen soon enough for me.
BT: Jimmy T sends.
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