Weather likely to slow down 787 deliveries over next few days

The Everett weather may be looking to put a hold on deliveries for the next few days and may ground aircraft  all together.  The Seattle area is expecting rain....a lot of it as Mt Ranier is forecasted to have 10 FEET of snow but the lower elevations, while not getting that much, will probably be clobbered as well with large amounts of rain.  Boeing is still stuck at 35 deliveries in total to 8 customers.  There has been some movements of assembled aircraft with ZA504 (LN 15) moving to the Runaway storage area and ZA150 (LN 17) moving to the EMC.  In a surprise move, ZA381 (LN 36, B-2726) was moved to the EMC, ostensibly for change incorporation.  This MAY indicate some movement to deliver 787s to the Chinese (China Southern and Hainan) but it's too early to tell.  This aircraft could easily go back to the temporary parking/storage that it had previously occupied. ZA175 (LN 20) finally made it inside the EMC to continue change incorporation and finally ZA287 (LN 52, N26903) was moved to the paint hangar and should be out soon. Interestingly ZA285 (LN 45, N29601) is still out on the flightline even though it was pulled out of the EMC earlier.

With the Thanksgiving holidays coming up along with the rainy weather in the Pacific Northwest, don't expect too much happening out of Everett this week.  There is supposed to be a line move early next week.  Lastly, there is a rumor that Air India will be able to pay for another 787 this week and fly it away from Charleston but so far nothing has happened.

Boeing Statement on ZA006 First Flight

Boeing Photo

Boeing released a statement announcing the first flight of the final test 787. However the first test flight was cut short due to a cooling fluid issue according to a Tweet by Flightblogger. The press release doesn't mention the flight being cut short. It mentions the flight lasting a little over an hour as well as reviews the 787 testing to date. Over 65% of the test conditions needed to certify the Rolls Royce powered 787 have been completed according to Boeing. Boeing has also completed 15 cycles on the fatigue test air frame (ZY998) and need to complete 10,000 by the time first delivery is made to ANA in mid February. Boeing is also looking to increase the production of 787s. The 28th 787 (ZA232) to be built just entered final assembly and the next one, ZA233, will enter final assembly 10 days later on Oct. 14th. This could mean that Boeing is attempting a 3/month production rate. Because of the production 787 already built, Boeing has started to store 787 in an area called Kilo North which is a newly constructed ramp area just south of the Future of flight Museum. Three 787s (ZA150, ZA151, and ZA176) were moved to this area over the weekend.

Flightblogger also has a couple of posting up with regards to today's flight:

Flightblogger: Sixth and final 787 test aircraft completes abbreviated test flight

Flightblogger: Liquid cooling squawk tied to abbreviated ZA006 first flight

Sixth Boeing 787 Makes First Flight, Testing Program Making Good
Progress

EVERETT, Wash., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The final Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner to join the flight test fleet made its first flight today from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The airplane, ZA006, is the second 787 equipped with General Electric GEnx engines to fly.

Captains Christine Walsh and Bill Roberson were at the controls during the 1 hour and 4 minute flight. The airplane landed at Boeing Field at 12:45 p.m. (Pacific time).

"It's great to have our last flight test airplane join the fleet," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "We have been focused on completing the testing required for certification of the 787 with Rolls-Royce engines, because that is the first model we deliver. A great deal of the testing that we've done also applies to the 787s with GE engines and won't need to be repeated," said Fancher.

There is, however, a smaller portion of testing that is unique to the engine/airframe combination. In general, this portion includes noise testing, extreme weather operations, function and reliability, and extended operations. In addition, testing to verify the airplane handles the same regardless of engine type and that the systems work on both models is required.

Some additional flight tests will be performed on one of the production airplanes, the ninth 787 to be built, but it is not considered a full-time member of the flight test fleet.

787 Testing Progress Report

In addition to achieving first flight of ZA006, the Boeing test team has completed a number of flight test milestones in recent weeks.

Boeing wrapped up a series of natural and artificial icing tests, meeting all requirements with no changes required. Pilots reported that the airplane continues to handle well even in the presence of ice.

Flight loads survey testing, which demonstrates the pressure distribution on the airplane structure throughout the phases of flight in a variety of configurations, also has been completed. The team conducted this testing on ZA004 primarily at the airport at Victorville, Calif. Analysis of this testing continues.

A dramatic series of tests that stress the airplane's brakes, called maximum brake energy testing, was completed in late September at Edwards Air Force Base, also in California. ZA001 conducted this testing as well as a series of extreme takeoff and landing conditions including minimum takeoff speed testing. Earlier in the month, ZA001 completed wet runway testing at Roswell, NM.

ZA003 flew to Glasgow, Mont., to complete community noise testing. All results were within expectations.

As a result of these tests and others, all takeoff performance and handling characteristics testing is complete for the initial version of the 787. Additional testing will be required for 787s equipped with GE engines.

The 787 flight test program has logged more than 1,900 hours over 620 flights and completed more than 65 percent of the flight test conditions for 787s with Rolls-Royce engines.

Equally important to the testing required in the air is the ground testing required to certify a new airplane. Boeing has completed well over 4,000 hours of ground testing on the same airplanes that are in the flight test program.

In addition, fatigue testing has started at a test rig in Everett. Fifteen flights have been simulated. Federal regulations require Boeing to conduct twice as many flight cycles as any airplane in revenue service. Boeing plans to have completed 10,000 flight cycles prior to first delivery.

"We continue to be extremely satisfied with the performance of the 787 in its testing operations," said Fancher. "This airplane handles wonderfully and will be a valuable tool for our customers."

How long ZA006 will be out because of the issue that cropped up during flight is unknown at this time.

News from around the 787 world

As the weekend approaches I'm finding out that ZA115 (LN 22) will start final assembly on Monday, April 26th. In advance of that ZA150 (LN 17) the first 787 for Royal Air Maroc was pulled out of the paint hangar and is now on the Everett Flightline at spot 102. I'm hoping to get some pictures soon. It will be the first 787 painted in a livery other than ANA.

There will be a line move presumably this weekend with ZA108 (LN 18) going to the paint hangar to be painted in the livery of ANA and thus making room for the airline's next airplane (ZA115).

In flight test news, I'm hearing that ZA002 should return to the air in about one week and ZA001 should be flying in about 2 weeks. ZA004 is doing some ground tests and should fly tonight or tomorrow.

UPDATE!! The Seattle PI has a great picture (with more to come) of the first 787 painted for Royal Air Maroc. Special thanks to Aubrey Cohen and the Seattle PI for the shout out!

Seattle PI: First Boeing 787 Dreamliner for Royal Air Maroc out in Everett

Matt Cawby has a great picture of the RAM 787 on the ramp at Everett. Click HERE for the pic.

Liz Matzelle posted some wonderful pictures from Paine Field this afternoon Check it out HERE

Current 787 Production and Disposition Tracker

Keep the line moving........

Now that Boeing is well into flight testing let's see how production is coming along on future 787s. As always, readers can scroll down to the bottom of this blog to see where the 787s are from ZA001 to the aircraft that is just starting it's assembly at Everett.

Currently inside building 40-26 there are 4 787s in various stages of assembly. LN 14 is at position 4 and LN 17 has just started final assembly. LN 18, a 787 destined for ANA is the next one and will start final assembly on March 1st after a line pulse on February 28th. Airplane 14 will move to the paint hangar at that time and airplane 13 (for ANA) will be moved out to the Boeing flightline.

Around the middle of March, it is expected that airplane 9 (also for ANA) will complete its side of body mods in the flightline tent and be moved to building 40-24 to occupy a spot that is currently taken up by LN 5. LN 5 will be moved outside to the Everett flightline and LN 10 (for LAN) will be moved into the flightline test for side of body mods.

Looking a little forward, Boeing will be looking to assembly airplanes 19 (for Royal Air Maroc) and 20 (for Japan Airlines) in March

End of the month 787 Update

This morning Boeing launched a 787 flight test dedicated web site so that anyone can keep tabs on the 787 flight test progress. It includes of all things the cumulative flight test hours for the flight test fleet as well as for each individual airplane.

Hey Boeing, who did you get that idea from?

The hours they've calculated are from internal flight times they've calculated and not based on the hours that are posted on flightaware.com (you can link to the flightaware database by clicking on the individual aircraft. The number of flight hours they're calculating is about 3 hours more than what I have posted. I don't know the reason for the discrepancy.

The web site is very extensive and has a lot of information including the flight test roles for each of the 6 test airplanes, video and news reports from the flight test team and pilots, as well as the usual multimedia suspects one comes to expect. Boeing needs to be applauded for providing a greater degree of transparency at this critical stage of the 787 program.

Boeing 787 Flight Test Site

There are a few other tidbits coming out the 787 program through Matt Cawby. He has video of ZA004 gear swing test as well as reporting that the wings for LN 17 was flown in. This may mean that LN 12 has exited the final assembly line. Matt also reported that Boeing conducted VHF radio checks with ZA003. Lastly, Matt also reports that the third 747-8F (and third flight test aircraft) was moved to the Boeing flightline on Wednesday though it still is unpainted.

Matt Cawby's January 28th Posting

Flightblogger: Spirit to ship 787 sections at about a 2/month rate

Flightblogger sent out a few Tweets this afternoon about Spirit's prodcution of the 787 forward fuselage sections. Spirit will deliver 10 - 12 787 section 41s this year (2009) to Boeing (they've delivered 3 thus far this year).

They say that they are capable of making 7/month right now but they'll be doing 2/month for the 2nd half of 2009 and for 2010 or until Boeing give them a go for increasing beyond the 2/month rate. The last section they'll deliver this year will be for LN17.

So that automatically says that Boeing expects to produce 2 787s per month until the end of 2010 it seems though if they could up that rate before the end of 2010 I'm sure they'll do that. To me that doesn't sound very promising for their earnings in 2010.

Spirit does plan to up production to 7/month later on but didn't give a time frame as to when that will happen. Boeing has said that it expects to hit 10/month production rate sometime in 2012.

Jon posted an update to his blog:

Jon's Spirit Update