News Release Issued: June 8, 2009 4:00 PM EDT

Boeing Completes 787 Intermediate Gauntlet Testing

EVERETT, Wash., June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) has completed the intermediate gauntlet phase of testing on the first 787 Dreamliner.

During the testing, pilots and engineers simulated multiple scenarios using all airplane systems as if the aircraft were in flight, including power, avionics and flight controls. Test scenarios ranged from standard flights to single and multiple systems failures during flights.

Intermediate gauntlet testing included about one week's worth of operations on the airplane and hundreds of discrete test conditions.

"The team has done an incredible job supporting an exhaustive test regimen," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "I couldn't be more proud.

"We will continue to take a hard look at the results, make adjustments and finish up our testing so we can get to first flight."

Beginning June 9, at noon PDT (7 p.m. GMT), video highlights including the road to gauntlet, gauntlet testing highlights and a tribute to the men and women conducting the gauntlet testing can be found at The Boeing Company and Boeing's New Airplane.

PARIS -- According to multiple sources, Boeing has identified Tuesday, June 30th for 787 first flight.

However, program sources indicate that the timeline laid out by Boeing represents a zero-margin plan to achieve first flight by the close of the month, and say milestones could occur earlier than planned.

The June 30th target also represents the last day of Boeing's quarter long window of achieving first flight, before it slips into the second quarter of 2009.

Boeing Commercial Airplane CEO Scott Carson said today that the first flight window is now open and expects the first 787 to fly within the next two weeks by the close of the month.

FINAL GAUNTLET PREPARATION + TESTING

The schedule has ZA001 preparing for the final gauntlet during the coming week, followed by at least two days of final gauntlet testing early next week.

TAXI TESTS + FINAL INSPECTION

At the conclusion of the final gauntlet, Boeing will further inspect ZA001 in preparation for the 787s first roll under its own power with taxi tests late next week and into the weekend. Once again, ZA001 will undergo its final top-to-bottom, wingtip to wingtip inspection before its first flight which is tentatively scheduled for the last day of the month at 10 o'clock in the morning Pacific time.

On June 12, Boeing installed the trailing static pressure cone to calibrate the static air pressure error of the aircraft's pitot-static system during flight. The cone generally trails the aircraft 1 to 1.5 times the length of the wingspan. The system is required by Part 91 of the FAR "where precision flight calibrations are used to quantify or verify altimetry system performance."

According to Aviation Week, report that tests conducted this past weekend were expected to include checks of the 787's stall warning system as well as the interface between the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and its electronic engine control (EEC) system. Adding that additional fuel system verification tests on ZA001 set for today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Tupolev EPIC FAIL! All of Boeings communications have been the 787 would make first flight in the second quarter of 2009. The second quarter of 2009 ends on June 30. If this does not happen, this will be a major embarrassment for Boeing. Any first flights after June 30, will officially fall under the third quarter of 2009. Based on this communication, I would say Boeing is starting to position another delay notice.

Friday, June 19th to Sunday, June 21st

A series of 6 major ground tests.

The six tests were originally set to be completed by Saturday evening, a clear indication of how volatile the schedule is as Boeing pushes to get ZA001 into the air by the end of June.

They are broken into blocks of three.

The first covers cover primary flight control system “axis” testing, which is to finish Saturday.

The other focuses on functionality check out tests of the flight control management system and should wrap up by Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, Pat Shanahan is supposed to have a flight readiness review on Saturday, June 20th.

With that review done and the last of the ground test blocks completed, the airplane will enter the last major phase of its testing — final gauntlet.

That 48-hour procedure will push ZA001 through a continuous series of final system checkouts using a software load developed to address minor issues that arose during the first two test phases — factory and intermediate gauntlet.

Monday, June 22nd to Wednesday, June 24th

Final gauntlet testing lasting 48 hours.

This testing meant to get a final check of all the 787's systems using a new release of the software that was modified after factory and intermediate gauntlet testing was completed and the necessary changes identified and written into the code.

Thursday, June 25th to Friday June 26th

This is the analysis of the data gathered by all the testing and final top to bottom and front to back inspection of the 787.

Saturday, June 27th

When flight managers are satisfied with that analysis, ZA001 will be ready to roll under the power of its Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines for the first time.

It does so in low- and high-speed taxi tests. The first are cautious approaches to the fact that the nearly 400,000 lb. aircraft is moving under its own power.

This is an all day affair which will start with low-speed taxi tests gradually building up to high-speed taxi test and (ultimately) ending with the rejected take off (RTO) tests.

The RTO tests will bring it to Vr — rotation speed — in which the nose wheel lifts off the runway slightly but with the main landing gears staying in contact with the ground.

Those tests, all conducted at Paine Field near the Everett factory, should only take one day.

Sunday, June 28th - The BIG DAY!

If all goes well with the testing and analysis of the previous 9 days, this would be the day that ZA001 takes to the air.

Mike Mecham reports that the plan is to fly the 787 for about five and a half hours but the first flight may last much longer than that.

ZA001 will land at Boeing Field in downtown Seattle where it will be based for the remainder of the test program and where the test flight team is based.