Flightblogger: Boeing to add 4 more 787s to test flight program; ZA006 delayed to September 24th

UPDATE: Flightblogger was informed that Boeing will only add two 787s, ZA101 for ground testing and ZA103 for ETOPS testing. The other 2 aircraft will not join the flight test program and will be preparing for delivery.

Word just got to me that first flight of ZA006 is now delayed to September 24th according to Boeing's newest schedule. I'm still trying to ascertain the reason for the delay.

Additionally, according to Flightblogger, Boeing is adding 4 more 787 from the production run to aid in the test flight program. Airplanes 7 through 10 (ZA100, ZA101, ZA102 and ZA530) are to join the flight test program in order to ensure that the current schedule is maintained. All four airplanes are to be equiped with the Trent 1000. The first three airplanes are destined for ANA while ZA530 is for LAN Airlines. According to Flightblogger, these aircraft will have minimal instrumentation needed for flight testing and will be used mainly for ETOPS flights as well as functionality and reliability testing. I do also believe that the performance of the production aircraft will be compared to the flight test airplane performance.

Flightblogger: Report: 787 test fleet to grow from six to ten

Some other 787 tidbits

Trying to get some more infomration on a slow new day today.

ZA001 will be taking to the air today for another flutter test flight today.

Matt Cawby reported in a post that ZA102 (LN 9) has finished its side of body modifications that were done in the Everett flightline tent.

Matt Cawby's 787 Update - March 9

This aircraft will be moved in the next couple of days to building 40-24 to one of the 767 slant positions on the 767 final assembly line to finish reassembly activities. The aircraft that is there now, ZA005 (LN 5) will be moved out to the flightline. Speaking of which, Dreamliner 5 and Dreamliner 6 won't be making their first flights until the 2nd quarter so that mean we won't see the GEnx-1B airplanes up until April at the earliest. ZA530 (LN 10) will be moved into the flightline tent to begin its side of body modifications.

ZA002 has landed in Victorville for a few weeks of flight testing then it'll be back to Boeing Field.

Here's Boeing's press release:

News Release Issued: March 9, 2010 3:59 PM EST

Boeing 787 Begins First Flight-Test Operations Outside of Washington

VICTORVILLE, Calif., March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The second Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner, ZA002, landed at 10:53 a.m. local time today in Victorville, Calif. This marks the beginning of the first flight-test operations outside of Washington state for the program.

The airplane will be stationed at Victorville for approximately three weeks. The crew will conduct ground effects testing among other activities.

During ground effects testing, the pilots fly the airplane very close to the runway to gather data regarding the aerodynamic effects and performance of the airplane during the takeoff and landing phases of flight. Quantifying this performance is part of the certification requirements for all new airplanes.

"Victorville's airfield is the former George Air Force Base," said Randy Neville, chief pilot for ZA002. "There is ample ramp space for parking and plenty of on-site facilities. There is a long runway and plenty of level, clear land along the approach to the runway. We can operate there without disrupting air traffic control or other commercial aircraft."

A crew of more than 150 employees will be stationed at Victorville while the airplane is there.These include the flight test engineers and support personnel required to prepare the airplane for each day's flights and to monitor performance and test equipment.

"Our confidence in the reliability of this airplane grows day by day," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "Taking the airplane out of state for the first time is a big step, but one we're ready for."

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

787 News

Boeing's production of 787 continues as the flight testing program is well underway. Boeing just started final assembly on the 16th airplane destined for LAN. LN 16 is also known as ZA531 (ZA530 is assigned to LN 10).

The current production and aircraft disposition list is below as well as at the bottom of the blog at all times:



Lastly, Flightblogger is reporting that ZA002 should be flying again around now and that ZA001 should be back in the air around Feb. 2, 2010 (Groundhog Day). Finally, ZY998, the fatigue test air frame is finally being moved to building 40-41 where it will go through 3 years of test to see how the air frame will fair over a life time of service.

Flightblogger: Pre-flight and layup: A 787 and 747 Round Up

747-8 still hasn't moved. At last report Boeing wanted to rerun some gauntlet tests. No word on how the retesting has gone or when taxi tests will begin.

Where are the 787s in the New Year?

Future of Flight Photo

Now that the 787 flight test program is well underway, let's update where the fleet is.

LN1 (ZA001) Boeing Flight Test Center, Boeing Field - in flight test
LN2 (ZA002) Boeing Flight Test Center, Boeing Field - in flight test
LN 3 (ZA003) Boeing Paint Hangar, Paine Field (completed Side of Body modifications undergoing fuel tank aqueous wash and painting)
LN 4 (ZA004) Building 40-24, Paine Field (Completed Side of Body modifications, undergoing reassembly after fuel tank aqueous wash and painting)
LN 5 (ZA005) In ATS Hangar
LN 6 (ZA006) In ATS Hangar
LN 7 (ZA100) Boeing Everett Flightline awaiting side of body modification
LN 8 (ZA101) Boeing Everett Flightline awaiting side of body modification
LN 9 (ZA102) Boeing Everett Flightline awaiting side of body modification
LN 10 (ZA103) Building 40-24, Paine Field awaiting side of body modification
LN 11 (ZA104) Building 40-26, position 4 undergoing final assembly
LN 12 (ZA105) Building 40-26, position 3 undergoing final assembly
LN 13 (ZA115) Building 40-26, position 2 undergoing final assembly
LN 14 (ZA116) Building 40-26, position 1 undergoing final assembly
LN 15 (ZA117) Building 40-26, position 0 parts arriving in preparation for Final Assembly

End of the long road for the 787

Tomorrow, weather permitting, the 787 will end an a very long and painful road to first flight. I'll try to keep tabs tomorrow on progress of the weather as it relates to first flight.

Boeing will stream the 787 first flight live on it's web site as well as the newairplane.com web site. But in the meantime, Randy Tinseth, speaking for Boeing on his blog says:

Let's Go!

Great sentiment that is obviously shared! In the meantime Flightblogger has put up a new post describing, in excellent detail, the taxi tests that occurred on Saturday as well as the progress to date as well as a second post describing the test flight regime that ZA001 will be undertaking over the next few months. ZA001 apparently has been fueled for it's first flight.

Read Flightblogger's reports:

Better Know a Dreamliner - Part One - ZA001

ZA001 stretches its legs

Additionally, ZA002 (Dreamliner 2) is progressing towards it's first flight with gear swing tests.

Liz Matzelle captured some great video of this gear swing test:

ZA002 Gear Swing Tests from Liz Matzelle on Vimeo.

Dreamliner 9 is heading to the paint shop at Everett. LN 10 through LN 13, as far as I know, are still in building 40-26 going through final assembly. ZA003 is also going through preps and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this airplane flying next month.

Finally, Aviation Week has a whole section devoted to the 787 first flight as well as featured blog post from Guy Norris and Mike Mecham.

Aviation Week's Boeing 787 First Flight Special Report

787 Countdown to first flight (resumed) Part 7

It's official: 787's First Flight is Tuesday

Boeing Sets Long-Awaited 787 First Flight

Flightblogger: 787 Fleet location

UPDATE (11/22/2009): ZA002 has been moved out to the Everett flightline and it seems that all the wing to body fairings have been reinstalled indicating that reassembly tasks maybe complete. See a picture of the Everett flight line by clicking here.

Flightblogger posted a great summary of where all the 787s are and the status of each aircraft

ZA001/LN1 : In paint hangar undergoing reassembly and should move to building 40-24 (767 line) this weekend to complete those reassembly tasks

ZA002/LN2 : Finish modifications and is in building 40-24 for reassembly tasks

ZA003/LN3 : In building 40-24 under going side of body modifications

ZA004/LN4 : At the ATS Hanger under going side of body modifications

ZA005/LN5 : On the Everett flightline awaiting it's turn for side of body modification

ZA006/LN6 : On the Everett flightline awaiting it's turn for side of body modification

ZA100/LN7 : On the Everett flightline awaiting it's turn for side of body modification

ZA101/LN8 : On the Everett flightline awaiting it's turn for side of body modification

ZA102/LN9 : At the ATS Hangar awaiting it's turn for side of body modification

ZA103/LN10 : In building 40-26 undergoing final assembly

ZA104/LN11 : In building 40-26 undergoing final assembly

ZA105/LN12 : In building 40-26 undergoing final assembly

ZA115/LN13 : In building 40-26 undergoing final assembly

ZA116/LN14 : Parts are arriving (horizontal stab and wings in da house)

Flightblogger : Getting Oriented

Flightblogger: Boeing preparing revised 787 plan

On the heels of ZA002 performing it's slow and medium speed taxi tests (last such tests for a few months), Flightblogger revealed today that Boeing is in the final stages of preparing a document called Z18 (18 for the 18th revision) which outlines construction and schedule of each 787 in the pipeline for Boeing and each one of it's partners.

Flightblogger reveals that first flight for ZA001 may take place between late November and early December. This would equate to a five month delay to the 787 program on top of the other delays. First delivery to ANA would be 4th quarter of 2010. Boeing has yet to reveal it's schedule and should do so in about 5 weeks or so.

The Z18 document is intended to make sure that everyone (Boeing, suppliers, and even customers) are on the same page with regards to assembly production and delivery of each of the 787s that Boeing is committed to delivering including all financial considerations.

The wrinkles are not going to put a wrinkle in Boeing's 787 plan.

With regards to the wrinkle issue, Flightblogger says Boeing is applying the fix to the affected airframes while it has stopped winding fuselage barrels for airplane 30 on out. The permanent fix has yet to be developed though in my communications with Boeing it seems that they would need add additional plies to the affected areas when applying the composite tape before autoclaving the structure. The affected area is the stringer edge step. Until the permanent fix is determined, the resources in Grottaglie will be reallocated to preparing the 13 sections at that worksite for shipping to Global Aeronautica. This will accelerate the preparation of the existing barrels and when Boeing and Alenia are ready to start winding barrels for airplane 30 on out, those resources will be shifted back again to get that work flowing again. It looks like that there won't be any schedule disruptions due to the wrinkle issue.

Flightblogger also says that starting with airplanes 11, 12 or 13 Boeing and it's partners will implement NC 5 (for Net Change 5). This is a standardization of the structural, wiring and systems design across all the suppliers so that travelled work is kept to a minimum and commonality is maxed out when the parts arrive in Everett for final assembly.

It is here where Boeing is hoping (I believe) that there will be no more travelled work in the production system going into Everett and this would form the basis of the production ramp up. Flightblogger says that parts for airplane 10 (LN10) should start arriving at the end of this month. I would expect that airplane 4 and 5 which are in 40-26 would be moved soon to another location so that LN 7 and LN 8 can move down the line and LN 9 can start final assembly though this is be slowed until the side of body fix in installed and tested. Boeing still wants to modify as few planes as possible after the wing-body join.

Flightblogger: What is Z18?