Trent 1000 engines get ETOPS 330 approval from FAA

Today the FAA gave Rolls Royce its seal of approval for ETOPS 330 (meaning the engine can operate on flights that are 330 minutes from the nearest airport). This is an important milestone but one that should not be confused with the ETOPS approval needed for the airframe (787) and engine (Trent 1000 or GEnx-1B) combination. That testing should start next month along with functionality and reliability testing. Boeing seems to getting close to those needed tests which will be the final set of tests prior to type certification and first delivery to ANA which is still expected in late July.

To add further evidence, ZA102 (LN 9), a 787 that has already flown in support of 787 flight testing and certification has been pulled out of the ATS Hangar 3 to the Everett flightline. It had spent months in the hangar going through change incorporation and re-work in order to participate in the F&R and ETOPs testing. It appears that Boeing is preparing it to resume flight tests.

ZA004 did start the process of swapping out its Trent-1000 package "A" engines on April 27th (starting wit the left engine) and the process should be concluded around May 18th (with the right engine). After some ground testing the aircraft will reenter flight testing probably around early June.

Lastly, Boeing also confirmed that the final version of the software that runs the 787 electrical systems has been installed on all flight test aircraft. This is the final hurdle required by the FAA that allows Boeing to proceed with the final phases of flight testing in light of the fire on ZA002 last November. Currently Boeing says that they are through 95% of the testing on the Rolls Royce powered 787 and 75% of required testing on the GEnx-1B powered airplanes. It should be noted taht flight testing has been muted in teh last few days. I'm trying to find out why.

The 787 is now finally on the road to the home stretch.

Boeing 787 Flight Test surpasses 1,000 flights

Today the Boeing flight test fleet flew it's 1,000th flight when ZA004 took to the air from Yuma Marine Corp Air Station for a 30 minute test flight. To date, Boeing has conducted 1,004 test flights since the program started on De. 15, 2009. Boeing has picked up the flight test tempo and has been flying all the test flight airplanes though ZA102 which had joined the test flight fleet earlier this year has now been sequestered in an ATS Hangar for unknown reasons. It is there with ZA101 which is supposed to be conducting ground tests and this may indicate that Boeing is incorporating changes and/or repairs to these planes before they recommence testing activities.

Another milestone for the test flight fleet is on the horizon with 3,000 flight test hours looming. Currently Boeing has surpassed 2,969 flight test hours. I suspect that this milestone will be reached sometime this weekend as Boeing is starting the final push to complete flight testing.

787 comings and goings

Boeing is going to start final assembly on the 26th Dreamliner either today or tomorrow (ZA 231 for Air India) as there's been a bit of shuffling on the Boeing flight line as well as in the assembly bays and the ATS Hangar which Boeing is using to help reduce the backlog in 40-26.

Meanwhile, Boeing has continued wit some flight testing mainly with ZA002 and ZA003 but they didn't add significant hours though ZA003 did perform a fly by (no barrel roll folks, sorry) during he Seattle Seafair during which the Blue Angels performed. I was informed by Boeing, though, that the Blue Angels toured ZA003 during this past weekend.

You can read more about this in Randy's Journal:

Randy's Journal: 787 Flyover

Lastly, it seems that the first flight of ZA006 is slipping a little bit more again. The date I've heard is now September 12th. This aircraft is suppose to be on the flight line today but I have no confirmation as of yet if it has appeared or not.

More flying and more movements

Boeing continues to fly the 787 test flight fleet aggressively as it attempts to certify the Roll Royce Trent 1000 powered 787 by the end of November for delivery in December to ANA. Thus far the test flight hours are over 1,400 hours with the half way mark (1,550 hours) in sight. I project that Boeing should be at the half way mark by mid August if not earlier. They still need to be very aggressive with the test flights in order to get to the certification goal by late November which is less than four months away. The Rolls Royce powered fleet has amassed over 1,300 flight hours (they are targeting 2,430 hours). The sole GE powered aircraft has also been flying quite a bit in order to get the GEnx-1B powered airplanes into customer hands in early 2011. The majority of 787 customers, thus far, have elected the GEnx-1B engines on the 787. ZA005 has racked up just under 110 flight hours. ZA006 is not expected to join the test flight program until early September. It should be rolled out to the flight line in about 1 week (August 9th is what I'm hearing) where it will undergo preflight ground testing. Sources confirmed that ZA006 is still inside ATS Hangar 3.

Production has slowed a bit though. ZA231 was supposed to have started final assembly in late July is now pushed back to August 9th. Meanwhile ZA103 emerged from the temporary tent hangar on the Boeing flightline and was taken to the ATS Hangar to presumably finish up reassembly tasks. ZA104 has been moved into the spot just vacated ZA103 and is starting it's side of body modifications. ZA115 was taken out of the ATS Hangar and is now on the Boeing flightline with many of the other 787s for ANA. Boeing will be slowing down assembly activities in September to allow the supply chain to catch up and reduce travelled work flowing into Everett.

September should bring some changes though with ZA004 expected to receive improved Trent-1000 (the "package B") with better fuel burn. That would take ZA004 out of flight test for some time while they install and ground test the engines on the aircraft. I would expect that the first production 787s should start getting their engines and interiors around October-November time frame and start flight tests soon after that.

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

787s on the move

According to Matt Cawby's blog, Dreamliner 2 (ZA002, LN2) has apparently completed it's side of body modifications and will be moved out of the temporary hangar on the Everett flightline.

In it's place Dreamliner 4 (ZA004, LN4) will be moved from the ATS hangar where it currently resides into the temporary hangar on the flightline for the modification work.. Dreamliner 1 (ZA001, LN 1) conducted VHF and HF radio checks but no word on when it will be pulled out of the paint hangar.

Since Boeing indicated that the modifications on ZA002 and ZY997 (static test) were to be completed within days, it does stand to reason that Boeing should be able to conduct the wing stress test on ZY997 within the next few weeks since I do believe the mods should be done on that aircraft too.

With Dreamliner 2 moving out onto to the flightline, Boeing will have the following 787s outside:
Dreamliner 2, Dreamliner 6, Dreamliner 7 and Dreamliner 8.

At last report Dreamliner 3 and Dreamliner 4 are at the ATS hangar and Dreamliner 5 is in building 40-24 (767 final assembly line). ZY998 (fatigue test) I believe is also in 40-24.

Matt Cawby's Blog

787 production continuing

Well after a restful (somewhat) Labor Day weekend here's some 787 news. Production is continuing on production standard aircraft and now there is more room in 40-26 to build those production aircraft. ZA004 is due to move out soon if it has been moved out already from the final assembly line to hangar space that Boeing has leased from ATS at Paine Field. ATS is Aviation Technical Services and does heavy checks and other maintenance services to airlines and cargo operators. I think Boeing would put two of the 787s in the ATS hangars in order to perform the side of body fix without effecting current production of the 787. ZA006 should be moving out later this week either to the flight line or to another hangar spot (not sure if it would be a Boeing or ATS hangar). Also of note is that some of the aircraft do not have their engines on. This is to make the installation of the modification easier though the engines are still on ZA002 and ZA004, they were not on ZA005 and ZA006.

This would leave Boeing with three 787 in production at their final assembly line in Everett: ZA100 (LN7) in position 3, ZA101 (LN8) in position 2 and ZA102 (LN9) in position 1. Some parts for ZA104 (LN10) such as the wings and tail section have already arrived but when all the parts are delivered, that airplane will be quickly moved into position 1.

Boeing's LCFs have been busy conducting flights across the supply chain. Now some of these flight could be training flights and/or repositioning of shipping fixtures but undoubtedly there is also some movement of the fuselage sections between suppliers in Europe and Japan and GA in Charleston, SC.