I’ve perhaps lost count at the number of emails I receive weekly asking me a question I do not have an answer for. The question doesn’t bother me in the slightest, the lack of an answer does.
Why has ZA006, the second GEnx-powered 787, not flown yet?
With its first flight now internally slated for early October, the aircraft has slipped again from its original target of June.
I’ll admit to having spent a lot of time searching for the answer, chasing leads, digging deeper, only to find explanations and facts that don’t line up or cannot be independently confirmed. Some working theories are just that, theories. Collections of facts that lead to certain, uncertain conclusions. The most frequently occurring theory points to arduous paperwork and meeting production level conformity of structure and software for FAA certification.
Boeing simply offers that ZA006 is experiencing non-descript “challenges”, but adds the aircraft is not a priority for the Rolls-Royce certification program that is supporting first 787 delivery to ANA in mid-February. The “not a priority” position is an admittedly surprising one after such extended delays in preparing the aircraft for service. The “not a priority” statement has replaced “software” as the official explanation from Boeing.
Boeing’s 787 Flight Test website says Airplane Six, which is is not a fully instrumented aircraft, is tasked with electromagnetic effect (EME), high intensity radiated field (HIRF) and extended twin engine operations (ETOPS) testing. All those tests are duplications carried out by another test aircraft, specifically ZA003.
So to answer the original question to explain the delay, I simply don’t know how, but I do know that some of those who will read this post do.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.