Boeing 787 Dreamliner Takes To the Skies For the First Time

By John Mahoney Posted 12.15.2009 at 1:28 pm 5 Comments

787 Taxi Test: Over the weekend, preliminary high-speed taxi tests were conducted, with the nose gear lifting for the first time. Boeing

As announced at the end of last week, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has finally made its successful first flight test, just barely making good on the promise to fly before year's end.

787 Takes Off: Taken from the live webcast. Boeing

Despite overcast and chilly weather in Seattle (when is that not the case?), the Dreamliner officially left Paine Field in Everett, WA at around 1:25pm EST. It's now conducting what could be a five-hour test flight off the coast of the northwestern U.S. When the flight is finished, the first Dreamliner is scheduled to land at Boeing Field nearby in Seattle.

The first flight is a crucial step in what has become one of the most complex and beleaguered new aircraft projects ever. Now running a full two years behind schedule, the Dreamliner's first order to Japan's ANA is expected to be delivered no earlier than first quarter 2010.

You can follow along with Boeing's live webcast here.

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5 Comments

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mechtech

12/17/09 at 3:01 pm

How close to reality is the 20% improvement in fuel economy though? These figures tend to be a little optimistic. Also, Boeing may be playing catch up with Airbus's technology as far as the stats are concerned.

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imma_monkey

12/21/09 at 5:12 pm

Shame it doesn't look as sleek as the concepts from 2006.

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Aerrow The Dark Ace

01/04/10 at 9:07 pm

the boeing 777 looks better than the 787

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hitcliff

03/22/10 at 7:52 am

great news! still, I don't understand why airtransport is considered to be the safest one...