Friday, October 12, 2012

Boeing gets a break in the weather, send up 3 787s for flight tests

For the last few days Boeing has been trying to fly two 787s on their first (B-1) flights.  The weather in the Pacific Northwest has been an issue  but the flight test team caught a break today and were able to send up two planes today along with a third 787 making its C-2 (customer acceptance) flight.

Both ZA511 (LN 63, JA816A) for ANA and ZA382 (LN 43, B-2727) for China Southern made their B-1 flights today as Boeing attempts to deliver them by month end.  Additionally ZA264 (LN 75, ET-AOS) made its second customer (C-2) flight today. It is hoped that this airplane should deliver late next week.  It is also hoped that Boeing will be able to deliver ZA238 (LN 54, VT-ANJ) to Air India.  This airplane also needs to fly customer flights but should be able to do so during the coming week if the schedule delivery is to take place in about 10 days of so.  Boeing isn't scheduled to deliver another 787 from Charleston until November so they have time to conduct B-1 on the next 787 built there (ZA239, LN 60, VT-ANK for Air India), I suspect a B-1 flight of this airplane around the end of the month. Another 787 that is expected to be delivered is LAN's 2nd 787.  That airplane is scheduled for an Oct. 18th delivery but has made only one test flight.  Boeing will need to do a couple more flight as well as LAN customer flights in the next 6 days.  This one may actually slide into the following week.








5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will ANA #16 make it this month? ET and LAN should be quite safe bets. AI is a bit sceptical since every delivery is such a pain. When does Boeing have enough? Dont order planes if you dont have the finances!

LN44 for ET should also start to fly and deliver in november I guess, ET seems to want its frames as fast as possible.

Anonymous said...

I guess BOE5,LN5 is fling with GENX PIP2? It is to enter into service 2013 iirc.

With PIP2 the ge engone will be very close to spec.

Trapperpk said...

BA has announced final assembly has begun for their first 787, yet I see no mention on your charts of this event. Do you have information like LN number or position in the factory?

Macius said...

Andrew, they need to prepare shipments first - fuselage parts and so on. And this is the thing they are working on now. Final assembly is the last step - it will not happen until early next year, given that first airframe is to be delivered around may.

TurtleLuv said...

wonder why line 78 is pictured at the EMC on kpae.blogspot.com. I thought post line 66 didn't need any modifications.

also do you think UA can meet their plans to have two planes active by Nov 4th? a second frame has yet to go up in the air and i'm starting to doubt it.