Boeing donates first 787 to Centrair

Well I reported sometime ago that Boeing was going to donate ZA001 to a Japanese exhibitor.  Well the question of whom is solved and it is going to Centrair in Nagoya where parts of the 787 are constructed including the center wing boxes.  I expect the aircraft is expected to depart around June 21 or 22nd for Nagoya.  Here's the press release:

Centrair and Boeing are pleased to announce the donation of the first 787 Dreamliner ever made – a flight test airplane known as ZA001 – to Centrair.

35% of the Dreamliner's airframe structure – the main wing, forward fuselage and center wing box – is manufactured in the Greater Nagoya area and transported from Centrair to Boeing's final assembly plants in the U.S. in a specially converted 747-400 freighter known as the Dreamlifter. Centrair is the only airport in Japan served by the Dreamlifter, which means that ZA001 is coming back to the place that literally gave it wings.

Centrair is delighted that Boeing has chosen to donate the historically significant first test plane, ZA001, to Greater Nagoya, which plays such an important role in the manufacturing of the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing donated the third 787 test airplane, ZA003 to Seattle’s Museum of Flight in November 2014, and the second, ZA002, to Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona in March this year.

ZA001 first took to the skies on December 15, 2009 from Paine Field, adjoining Boeing's Everett factory, watched by more than 12,000 people. The last flight of this airplane to Centrair is like a "homecoming" for ZA001.

ZA001 will be put on display at Centrair. Through the exhibition, Centrair expects to raise interest in aerospace – and contribute of this "next generation industry" for the Greater Nagoya region. The airport also hopes that it will spur the imagination of the young people of Japan and the next generation of aerospace pioneers.

Gettin' Busy in the 787 Program

The 787 is getting busy through out the world. Information that I got says that there has been a tremendous amount of resources thrown at Dreamliner 1 and Dreamliner 2 to those two aircraft finished. LN 2 though as not been powered up and probably won't be until well after it is done with vibration testing.

Additionally Dreamliner 5 will start final assembly today and not tomorrow or Wedensday as I first thought. Section 41 (forward fuselage section) is already in position at the join tool and looks like the main fusealge will follow suit shortly.

Lastly, there has been an uptempo of LCF (Dreamlifter) flights. between the major partners which strongly suggests that the 787 production system is getting ramped up again. I've been tracking flight between Charleston, Nagoya and Grottaglie aswell as Everett. I'll continue to look at this trend to see how frequent the flights are and if they LCFs are making any fueling stops (In Anchorage or the UK) which indicates the presence of fuselage sections or wings that are being transported from Japan and Italy.

However, just because these is an increase in LCF flights doesn't necessarily mean that parts are being transported between sites, however it does bode well now that Dreamliner 5 will start final assembly soon.

UPDATE: Scott Hamilton has a story out on the 6 test 787 flying with temporary fasteners for the test flight program. the temporary fasteners will be replaced when the 6 airplanes undergo post test flight modifications in San Antonio. Read Scott's report here.

787 Production Update

UPDATE II (7/30/2008): The start of final assembly of LN 4 has been pushed back to August 4, 2008. The Dreamlifter did not deliver any fusealge section from Wichita. It had a fuselage transport fixture that was returned to Japan yesterday when it flew from Charleston to Wichita then to Everett and then on to Nagoya.

UPDATE (7/28/2008): I just got word that LN 1 should be pulled out of the final assembly building just prior to the start of final assembly of LN 5 (projected to be around end of August). It'll go to building 40-24 (the 767 line) and then around September to the paint hanger to re-paint some of the sections (with all the work in the past year, some of the original paint was sure to have come off with all the assembly activities).

Lastly, one of the Dreamlifters might delivering the forward fuselage for LN 4 to Everett today as it filed a flight plan.


I just got word that the fourth flying 787 (LN 4) will enter final assembly on July 29th; one month later than expected due to the repair to the damage on the main fuselage. This ties closely to what I reported earlier that the two remaining sections (the forward fuselage and main fuselage) should be delivered around this weekend or early next week.

LCFs on the move, possible delivery flights

UPDATE:

The Dreamlifter, reg. number N780BA took off today for Wichita
but soon after takeoff developed a problem with its flap and had to dump fuel
and return to Paine Field. They landed safely.

The 747 Large Cargo Freighters, or LCFs have been on the move. Yesterday one left for a flight to Nagoya. It is unclear if it going to be bringing in any parts but if it is it will bring parts for delivery to Global Aeronautica as Everett is still waiting for parts for Dreamliner 4. It could be returning transportation fixtures back to Nagoya and then fly back with parts for other 787s to be assembled at Global Aeronautica.

Today though a flight plan was filed for an LCF to to fly from Everett to McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS. This is where Spirit Aerosystems manufactures the forward fuselage for the 787. It can be flying there ostensibly to pick up the nose section.

The 3rd LCF is already in Charleston, probably waiting for Boeing's ok to load and deliver the main fuselage for Dreamliner 4 which had been the source of the hold up.

Speaking of Global Aeronautica, they had a 24 hour standdown to review FOD prodcedures. The FAA found violations but did not order the standdown. That order came from management. Given the recent news, this is probably a good idea. See the article from the Seattle Times here.

Finally, Matt Cawby has pictures of the fatigue test site on his web site. This is where the 787 fatigue test airframe will go to start 3 years worth of fatigue testing. Simply put they will simulate a lifetimes worth of flights over the period of three years and see how the airframe responds. Check out his pictures here.

More Progress, Part 2

Jon Ostrower, in his blog, provided more information on power on for Dreamliner 1 as well as the big news that LN 1 has it's complete flight deck including displays, the overhead panel, control yokes but doesn't have it's pilot sets yet.

Additionally, Jon reported that Boeing is targeting mid-June for power on though they are making plans for a late June power on in case they run into issues. If achieved then Boeing will be ahead of it's revised timeline.

Lastly, the Dreamlifter is on its way to Everett (presumably) flying by the way of Anchorage for a refueling stop. One should note that when the Dreamlifter has to stop for fuel in Anchorage (when flying from Nagoya to the US) or in Prestwick, Scotland (when flying from Italy to the US) then it's a good chance that it's carrying parts of the 787 to the US. In today's case, the Dreamlifter is carrying the wings for LN 4 to Everett.