Jon Ostrower is reporting that the factory gauntlet, widely expected to have started by now, has not yet started. It may start by the end of this week. As a consequence, the rollout of Dreamliner 1 probably won't occur until the end of April now.
Also the wings for LN 7 (now ZA100 as Boeing changed the internal designation of the production standard aircraft) have arrived into Everett last night and the rear fuselage should be in by the end of this week. Dreamliner 7 will be the first 787 delivered to launch customer ANA. I suspect that it'll take a month for this airplane to get outside to the flightline because of the three airplanes (ZA004, ZA005, and ZA006) that will be in front of it. Matt Cawby got a great picture of the wings being offloaded the LCF at Everett. Click here for the picture. Click here for Jon's post.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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10 comments:
Uresh,
Thanks for update. Flightblogger indicates that there will be a delay after the factory gauntlet test but before the flight line to have the plane "shop ready" .
Originally it was indicated that the plane would be towed over to the flightline following the test.
What does "shop ready" mean and what is involved. Is it the removal of all prior test equiptment? or something like that.
In any event, it means the arrival at flight line will take some additional time and not be on the flightline on April 15 as previously indicated
Uresh,
You probably know that there is a Boeing Quarterly earnings announcement and Company discussion on April 22nd.
Too bad Scott Carson could not announce that plane #1 was just placed on the flightline
Ok to clarify a few things. 1) Shop ready doesn't mean taking out flight test equipement. Boeing needs that equipement in the airplane taking measurements throughout the flighttest program. Only after theflight test program iscompleted will that equipement be taken out and the airplanesrefurbished for customer use.
Shop Ready means that the airplane has finished all construction and assembly activities by te manufactuing division and is turned over to the flight test team at Boeing. Jon indicated that there is some testing going on with the first 787 prior to the start of the factory gauntlet after which it'll be declared shop complete and towed out to the flightline. I susptect all that won't happen until the last week of April.
The earnings call is in about a week and the only people on the call will be Jim McNearny and James Bell the CFO. McNearny probably will give a short general update on the 787 and the immediate milestones but nothing beyond that.
Clarity...thanks for your update. Very helpful
Do you have any concerns about a delay in the expected date of liftoff which is scheduled for June 2009?
Not yet. They're still a ways off though from that date and anything could happen. What could happen I have no idea but this is a new and complex machine. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.
Uresh,
With all the simulations and testing of programs and based on past experience, how confident can the Boeing Company be that they have finally arrived at flight with an "instrument/plane" that has been scrutinized and tested in many non flight ways.
That is, there is always the unknown, but process of testing should reduce that down to some reasonably small percentage and eliminate alot of error possibilities.
Doesn't the Factory gauntlet test tell alot about the "systems"...
Also, how far along in the actual flight test will things either show up or the realization that there is nothing wrong become evident?
Any guidance will be instructive..
Back to your last blog on the Trent RR engines. Since it is getting closer to its original specifications, will that improve the capacities of the first 20 planes so that even though they are overweight, they will still be fuel saving and distance enhanced?
How "restricted" or "inhibited" will the first 20 787's be. That is, their distance capacity will be shortened...what about fuel efficiency compared to other conventional planes...and compared to the next 20-planes that follow...
In one of your reaponses, you say that "they are still along way from that date ( liftoff)...
Did they not say that they will lift off by the 2nd quarter of 2009...that means at the latest, June 2009.
Do you think that date will hold?
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