Boeing 787 Takes To The Air
It’s been a long road to reach this point.
Challenges, delays, deferrals, cancellations and penalty payments and so much more behind the scenes.
But it’ll be worth the effort if the 787 can indeed live up to, or even exceed its intended performance parameters.
Aside from the 3000-plus flight hours that the six test 787’s must undergo towards earning certification, Boeing’s other eye will be firmly fixed on getting the 747-8F airborne and ensuring that the production system for both widebodies takes center stage next year.
The setbacks to this program will almost certainly be as vivid as first flight, for the here and now, a truly game changing airplane has taken flight and with it, it spawns a new generation of airplane that will follow.
All images courtesy of Boeing
Last image owned/copyright of FleetBuzz Editorial.com.
Everyone connected to the program will be acutely aware that the real litmus test(s) for the 787 have only just begun.
To get here, it’s taken a lot of patience.
All that remains now is for the flight test program to follow in the successful footsteps of the 777.
More on the 787’s first flight here with exclusive images from Randy’s Journal here.
84 comments December 15th, 2009
