UPDATE, 9:05 PM, Sunday April 18, 2009: The LCF arrived today in Everett delivering the first fuselage section (rear fuselage sections 47/48) from ZA100, the first production standard 787. Matt Cawby got a great picture of the section being offloaded the LCF at Paine Field. Click HERE to see the picture.
According to Guy Norris at Aviation Week, the factory gauntlet test is planned to start on April 20th and should finish in the early morning of April 21st. The final software system integration test was passed on April 17th allowing for Dreamliner 1 to proceed with the start of the final systems checkout (on Sunday April 19th) and on to the start of factory gauntlet on the 20th. Guy reported that Dreamliner 1 will be put through 2 set of test during factory gauntlet each lasting 10 hours each.
Also on tap is the testing of the flight test instrumentation system that is on baord the 787 and will be recording all the test parameters during the flight test program. Major systems checkout is also being performed as well as inspection of the flight control surfaces and checking the trim on those surfaces as well as the doors and panels.
In my estimation, Dreamliner 1 can be out on the flight line as early as April 22nd which also happens to be the day that Boeing reports 1st quarter earnings. There will be an earning conference call during which I expect some general news about the 787 schedule to be revealed by Jim MeNerney.
Read Guy's posting here.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
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9 comments:
Uresh,
Given that this information is true, what will the procedures be once the 787 is out on the flightline.
What sort of time frame is there for what sort of flightline tests.
Do they fuel the plane up first? Start the engines afterwards?
Could you try to outline simply what we are to expect.
Sounds like Boeing put alot of effort to accelerate the process so as to be able to announce "Flightline" at their earnings call.
Once the plane is on the flightline, how long could it be before it takes to the air?
Does this mean that "major systems" are all working well or is this just a "stage x" assessment and there has to be other confirmations. When you indicate that the final "software integration" has been completed, what does that really mean.
As far as what happens after the factory gauntlet, Jon Ostrower has an excellent summary to the point of first flight. Read it here:
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2009/03/getting-from-here-to-there-787.html
As far as when first flight takes place...that's anyones guess. Right now Boeing has it listed as TBD.
Reading Jon Ostrower's piece, it appears that all the prerequisites for intermediate gauntlet on the flightline are in place except the Wing Load Limit ( ultimate load) test which is slated for AFTER the first flight.
Seems strange that it takes place after first flight...do you know why?...and is that correct?
Loooking at the intermediate and final gauntlet tests, is it possible to guage how long it appears for them to complete this menu?
I read somewhere where Boing said it could take between 7 & 9 months. Does that sound right if there are no unusual occurances
The ultimate load test is the last static test to be completed - this is the test in which the wings are typically broken. Ultimate load is 150% of the expected maximum load. There is plenty of static testing to be completed before then.
The limit load test will still test the wings to the maximum load expected. Bear in mind that this maximum load is a load which is only ever expected to be met once by a single aircraft out of all 787s which will ever be built.
Is it true that the final load test is done after the first flight?
Why is that...
In Jon Ostrower's description of what the order of the gauntlet tests are, it appeared that all the static tests were to be completed before the intermediate gauntlet test started except for the ultimate load test.
But the recent anaonymous contibution which seems to be knowledgeable, indicated there is still plenty of static testing to go on.
Could you clarify
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