The larger version of the company's original 787-8 jetliner completes 5-hour test flight, hitting 288 mph and an altitude of 20,400 feet. September 17, 2013 8:59 PM PDT Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner takes to the skies on its maiden test flight on September 16, 2013. (Credit: Liem Bahneman/Airchive) Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner, a larger version of the company's original 787-8 jetliner, completed its first test flight Tuesday. The 787-9 jet completed a 5-hour, 16-minute maiden flight when it landed at 4:18 pm PT at Boeing Field in Seattle. Some 20 feet longer than its predecessor, the 787-9 can accommodate up to 290 passengers, 40 more than the original 787-8 jetliner. "Today's first flight marks a significant milestone for our team, including our partners," Boeing CEO Ray Conner said in a statement. Boeing has said Air Zealand will be the first recipient of the new aircraft, sometime in mid-2014. Related stories Boeing rolls out 787-9 Dreamliner Boeing shows off first fully painted 787-9 Dreamliner U.K. investigators focus on transmitter in Heathrow 787 fire The jet reached an altitude of 20,400 feet and an airspeed of about 288 miles per hour during today's flight, which tested the aircraft's systems and structures. Boeing said the jetliner's onboard equipment transmitted real-time data to the company's flight-test team in Seattle. "We accomplished a lot in this flight, and it went really well," 787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan said in a statement. On the specifications front, the 787-9 is an improvement over its predecessor, flying roughly 300 nautical miles longer while burning 20 percent less fuel. Boeing built the 787 with carbon-fiber composites instead of aluminum, which saves substantial weight. However, the Dreamliner project has also been marked by periodic setbacks. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the 787 for fourth months after smoke and fire problems related to its lithium ion batteries surfaced in January. Also, earlier in this summer, All Nippon Airways discovered wireless problems with the Dreamliner's fire extinguishing units for the aircraft's engines.
The larger version of the company's original 787-8 jetliner completes 5-hour test flight, hitting 288 mph and an altitude of 20,400 feet.
Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner takes to the skies on its maiden test flight on September 16, 2013.
(Credit: Liem Bahneman/Airchive)
Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner, a larger version of the company's original 787-8 jetliner, completed its first test flight Tuesday.
The 787-9 jet completed a 5-hour, 16-minute maiden flight when it landed at 4:18 pm PT at Boeing Field in Seattle. Some 20 feet longer than its predecessor, the 787-9 can accommodate up to 290 passengers, 40 more than the original 787-8 jetliner.
"Today's first flight marks a significant milestone for our team, including our partners," Boeing CEO Ray Conner said in a statement. Boeing has said Air Zealand will be the first recipient of the new aircraft, sometime in mid-2014.
Related stories
- Boeing rolls out 787-9 Dreamliner
- Boeing shows off first fully painted 787-9 Dreamliner
- U.K. investigators focus on transmitter in Heathrow 787 fire
The jet reached an altitude of 20,400 feet and an airspeed of about 288 miles per hour during today's flight, which tested the aircraft's systems and structures. Boeing said the jetliner's onboard equipment transmitted real-time data to the company's flight-test team in Seattle.
"We accomplished a lot in this flight, and it went really well," 787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan said in a statement.
On the specifications front, the 787-9 is an improvement over its predecessor, flying roughly 300 nautical miles longer while burning 20 percent less fuel. Boeing built the 787 with carbon-fiber composites instead of aluminum, which saves substantial weight.
However, the Dreamliner project has also been marked by periodic setbacks. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the 787 for fourth months after smoke and fire problems related to its lithium ion batteries surfaced in January. Also, earlier in this summer, All Nippon Airways discovered wireless problems with the Dreamliner's fire extinguishing units for the aircraft's engines.
