Boeing completes static test of 787 dreamliner
Boeing, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jet liners and military aerospace products has completed the static test necessary to validate the side-of-body modification made to the 787 dreamliner.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its maximum seating capacity is between 290 and 330 passengers, depending on variant. Boeing states that it will be more fuel-efficient than earlier Boeing airliners and will be the first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction.
The 787’s all-composite fuselage makes it the first composite airliner in production. While the Boeing 777 contains 50% aluminum and 12% composites, the new airplane uses 50% composite (mostly carbon fiber reinforced plastic), 15% aluminum, and other materials. The 787 fuselage is made up of composite barrel sections joined end to end. Each fuselage barrel will be manufactured in one piece. This will eliminate the need for some 50,000 fasteners used in conventional airplane assembly.
Full analysis of the test results is expected to be concluded in approximately 10 days. A successful test result is needed to clear the airplane for its planned first flight next month.
During the test on the 787 Dreamliner static test airframe, the wing and trailing edges of the airframe were subjected to its limit load – the highest loads expected to be seen in service. The load is about the same as 2.5 times the force of gravity for the wing.
A successful result is crucial for Boeing to ensure the recovery of the Dreamliner program. The delays have caused Boeing to displeasing its customers. Last week, on BBC’s Hardtalk, Akbar al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO, expressed his frustration with Boeing. He is threatened canceling any further orders with the aircraft giant if more delays occur. Many long standing Boeing customers have purchased competitor Airbus’s A330 further eroding Boeing credibility.
On November 11, 2009, it was reported the “wing-fix” had been installed on the first production model, and that a first flight was now expected in late December 2009, potentially shortly before Christmas.On November 13, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing found signs of delamination surrounding “freeze plugs”. Freeze plugs are metal bolts that are immersed in liquid nitrogen, then expand at room temperature after being inserted into holes in the composite fuselage. Boeing engineers judged the test plane not safe to fly before addressing this issue.
