Boeing is preparing two new aircraft for inaugural test flights expected in the coming weeks, gauntlet testing a 787 Dreamliner and engine testing a 747-8 this week.
Several delays have pushed the 787 more than two years behind schedule, but it is expected to take to the sky by the end of the year. The 747-8 should be airborne early next year. Boeing’s Randy Tinseth says on his blog that numerous changes made to the 787 during the past several months require repeating many of the tests performed in June and shown in the photo above.
"Since the earlier gauntlet and during the last several months, we made some improvements to further expand the airplane's systems while the team worked through strengthening the side-of-body joint," Tinseth wrote. "What this means is that we need to run some of the tests again. The earlier final gauntlet testing lasted more than a week. It won't run that long this time."
According to Tinseth, gauntlet testing -- a key milestone in the development of any airplane -- started Tuesday evening. It's a dry run that simulates flights while the airplane is on the ground. Systems including engines, flight controls and of course software are first put through the first flight profile to ensure everything is working. This proved difficult during earlier gauntlet testing because of the 787's sophisticated systems integration.
In addition to the first flight profile, the 787 team will introduce several system failures to further test the plane. Once final gauntlet testing is complete, the first 787 off the assembly line, ZA001, will continue on to taxi testing including high-speed runs down the runway at takeoff speed.
The latest guesses on a first flight date are December 15.
Meanwhile, Boeing’s other new airplane, the mostly new 747-8, started its four GEnx-2B engines for first runs this week. The more fuel-efficient engines are part of the same family of engines being used on the 787.
Boeing’s 747-8 will first be flown as a cargo carrier, but the largest 747 ever made will also carry passengers as a competitor to the Airbus A380. Currently nobody is guessing on the first flight date for the newest jumbo jet, but it is expected to happen early in 2010.
Photos: Boeing
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