During the roll out of Dreamliner One, I couldn’t help but notice the 787 being assembled in the rear of 40-26. This one will never fly however. It is the static rig (ZY997) that is under construction for structural testing. The wings of this 787, unlike that of the 777, will not be broken. As far as I know, Boeing has decided NOT to break the wings for fear of the carbon fiber atomizing which would require a million dollar (or more) clean up of Building 40-23. The static rig will not have engines OR a horizontal tail plane while it undergoes testing in Everett.
Nose section of ZY997
Section 46
Center fuselage
Left wing root
Look how thin the left wing is. It’s like a pancake.
Where the wing meets the body.
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.