Author: Jon Ostrower

It took all of 24 hours after it was first reported the 747-8 and 787 would require larger separation distances than its predecessors. The initial rule called for 10nm separation between the aircraft, significantly more than the 4-6nm currently required for spacing. Dominic Gates of the Seattle Times was the first to report on the change.

I have had an editorial policy in place over the last year to not directly post industry produced videos when other independently produced content was available. That being said, and knowing full well I’m about to make an exception to that policy, I wanted to share Boeing’s latest 787 Flight Test video highlighting the testing that 787 test aircraft underwent at Edwards Air Force Base, Roswell Air Center and Keflavik Airport.

This is the first footage the company has shared of ZA001‘s Velocity Minimum Unstick (VMU) or tail-strike test that measures the take off performance of the aircraft. Additionally, the video shows the ZA001’s wet runway and ZA002‘s crosswind testing (More Video). 787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker provides some technical background about the nature of the tests and the different tasks flight crews undertake to demonstrate and define the performance boundaries of the new jetliner.

Video Credit Boeing

ZA006 – Registration: N787ZA – Serial No: 40695 – Final Assembly: 3/14/09

Not since ZA001, has a first flight of a 787 been shrouded in such mystery. ZA006, the last of six flight test aircraft, and second GEnx-1B-powered 787 is set to take to the sky Monday on its first flight. This is the first, first flight since June when ZA005 flew for the first time. ZA006 had planned to fly in June, though the aircraft’s maiden sortie had been inexplicably delayed several times, pushing its first flight to more than 10 months after the flight test program first began in December.

Boeing declined to specify which of its test pilots will ferry ZA006 from Paine Field to Boeing Field by way of Moses Lake and will offer the names following the completion of the flight.

ZA006, which has a minimum data system, will primarily be tasked with lightning/eletromagnetic effects (EME) and high intensity radiated field (HIRF) testing. In addition, the aircraft will be tasked with further extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) testing, as well as systems functionality and reliability (F&R) evaluations.

Put simply, ZA006 is batting cleanup for the 787 flight test program, capturing a battery of miscellaneous tests required for certification.

One little known fact about ZA006 is that when fuselage sections showed up in Everett for final assembly, the doors were already painted.

While that seems unremarkable, you should know that they were painted in the Dreamliner livery, as they came right off of ZA001 following the July 2007 roll out.

Video Credit Liz Matzelle

Well, it looks like that grainy 737-900ER (N53442) photo was legit after all. As of October 1, the transition of Continental Airlines to United Airlines began in earnest, starting with the unveiling of four aircraft painted in the new United colors. Whatever your opinion on the new livery, it appears that it is here to stay. A 737-800 (N78285), 757-200 (N29124) and United Express ERJ-145XR (N12157) all wear the merged carrier’s colors.

For those of you keeping count, that makes three distinctly different United color schemes in operation today. If I’m not mistaken, the Delta had three at once with the transition from the classic widget, to the barely-widgeted colors, and finally to the infamous Deltaflot scheme.

If you happen to find yourself on a United or Continental flight in the near future, the combined airline’s new CEO, Jeff Smisek, who previously lead Continental, is now featured in the company’s updated safety videos.

If you prefer safety announcements with a little more sparkle, look no farther than Cebu Pacific. I personally think they nailed it.

Photo Credit Phil Hyde

Last Night in Japan: Obligatory Godzilla Reference, originally uploaded by flightblogger.

TOKYO — I had to. Word on this street is that it’s a favorite spot of a certain vice president of marketing. It’s my last night here in Japan and we are out exploring the city with a chance to breathe after a non-stop week. I’ll be making a near dawn trip to the Tokyo fish market early Saturday then off to Narita for ANA 2 back to Dulles.

It’s been a fascinating, insightful and jammed visit to Asia and I’ll have complete write ups and comprehensive updates from the five 787 suppliers I visited in South Korea and Japan. Much more ahead.

Sayonara and onward!

FlightBlogger, out.

NAGOYA — Not long ago, I wrote about Boeing’s 300-seat dilemma and what to do about its declining share of the 777-200ER sized aircraft market. The ascent of the A350-900 had blunted sales for the 301-seat jet, while Boeing’s customers swiftly shifted their buying patterns to the larger 365-seat 777-300ER. It appeared judging by the sales figures alone that Boeing had abandoned the -200ER, allowing its -200LR to exist as a ultra-long range niche.

Though let me suggest an alternate line of thought. Boeing has already replaced the 777-200ER and its name is the 787-9. Boeing marketeers would say that the 787-9 and 777-200ER sit next to one another in the product family and that a conceptual 787-10, a further stretch, would best fill the role of the -200ER.

While the sales numbers tell one story, the actual specifications of the 787-9 tell a very different one. Let’s start in the cabin.

While the 777-200ER airframe is 209ft 1in (63.73m) long, compared to 206ft 1in (62.82m) for the 787-9, passenger cabins are virtually identical with only 23in (59cm) difference in length. While its not a perfect comparison with requirements for lavs and galleys, as well as space around exits, a cross-section that provides nine-abreast seating on both aircraft can provide similar layouts with a 3.2in narrower aisle and 1.3in narrower seat on the -9.

Boeing says that the majority of 787 customers have selected nine-abreast seating in economy, allowing them to go to a near-777-style configuration. At eight or nine-abreast seating in economy, Boeing has created a platform that may be able to compete directly with both the A350-800 and -900. Yes, it snug at nine-abreast, and yes you may lose a row or two in the process, but now let’s get under those composite floor grids for the next comparison.

The forward cargo volume of the 787-9 is identical, yes identical, to the 777-200ER. There is room for 2,490sq ft which can accomodate 6 96x125in pallets. In the back of the aircraft, the 787-9 can fit 16 LD-3 containers compared to 14 on the 777-200ER, a difference of 320sq ft. Put simply, belly space is room for revenue that doesn’t require a meal and whatever is lost in the cabin can be compensated for underneath.

Now a quick look at performance. Assuming nearly equivalent passenger counts and an increased cargo capacity, the 787-9, a lighter airframe than the -200ER, can fly 8,135nm compared to 7,725nm for the -200ER on 14,220 11,792 fewer gallons of fuel.

ANA’s conversion of 15 787-8s to -9s for high-density domestic operations may be a good indicator of the start of a more overt trend toward replacing the -200 and -200ER sized aircraft with the -9. ANA plans to configure the 787-9s with around 400-seats and while not directly stated, the only other 400-seat domestic configuration in the carrier’s fleet is the 777-200 with 418-seats in two-classes.

By 2013 when the 787-9 enters service, ANA’s average 777-200, of which the carrier has 16, will be approaching 15 years old. A 777-200 operating in domestic configuration for short hops has significantly more cycles than a -200 or -200ER operating on long-haul missions, causing ANA’s -200s to age considerably faster.

As the 787-9 gains more clairty into 2011, we could see Boeing shift the larger Dreamliner into a spot once reserved for the 777-200ER. By all outward appearances the configuration of the aircraft points to its future ambition. 

NAGOYA — In an announcement promising more details on October 18 at the upcoming National Business Aviation Association show in Atlanta, Bombardier has given the green light to develop a new large cabin business jet.

So what’s known about this new Global? Not much.

Industry sources indicated today that General Electric has been
selected to power the new Global, though what engine specifically
remains unclear.

We do know this aircraft started its life with the M170 codename and may potentially be named the Global Express II, a stretch or clean sheet design that will match the Gulfstream G650.

BREAKING: 747-8F first delivery delayed to mid-2011, originally uploaded by flightblogger.

NAGOYA — Boeing’s jumbo 747-8 freighter schedule has buckled again following an assessment of the cumulative impact of an underperforming aileron actuator and structural flutter.

The delay, which slips the first delivery to Cargolux from late 2010 to mid-2011, adding six months the already delayed delayed program, while providing another black eye to the Boeing at a time when it continues to work to restore its credibility with suppliers and customers following a string of delay announcements to the 747 and 787 programs.

Boeing says a fifth flight test aircraft will be added to the flight test program. The company did not disclose which production aircraft would serve in a flight test role, though Boeing already added a fourth, RC503, to the certification campaign in July.

The airframer first hinted at a potential slip to 2011 at the Farnborough Air Show, and slowly confirmed details as to the cause of the program’s troubles.

The 747-8F flight test campaign, which kicked off on 8 February, has been beset by on-going technical discoveries, including a vibrating outboard landing gear door, and most recently two primary issues: a limit cycle oscillation (LCO) of the inboard aileron power control unit (PCU) manufactured by Nabtesco, which has now largely been resolved, and a 2.4Hz structural flutter that occurs at a mid-weight near cruise speed.

The airframer says: “while neither issue requires structural changes to the airplane, they have led to disruptions to certification testing, which the program was unable to offset within the prior schedule.”
 
Boeing has tasked RC522 to test a fix for the flutter with a technique the company has dubbed the ‘outboard aileron modal suppression system’ or OAMS, an engineering law that is designed to dampen the flutter and improve the stability and control of the aircraft.
 
“We understand the issues encountered in flight test and are working through the solutions,” says Pat Shanahan, Boeing vice-president, airplane programs.

Shanahan, who in addition to his responsibilities overseeing the company’s commercial program, has taken a direct program management role on the 747-8, following the 28 August ousting of program vice president and general manager, Mohammad ‘Mo’ Yahyavi.
 
The schedule for Boeing’s first 747-8I, currently in wing to body join, was not altered, with first flight and entry into service holding at first and fourth quarter 2011, respectively.

Previous delays to the 747-8F program were announced in November 2008 and October 2009.

NAGOYA — Good morning from one end of the 787 supply chain. I arrived here Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday afternoon today after a quick flight from Busan. The next two days will include visits to the Japanese Heavies; Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Fuji. As quick refresher: Mitsubishi makes the wings, Kawasaki makes Section 43 forward center fuselage and Section 45 wheel well, Fuji makes the Section 11 center wingbox and integrates the wheel well to create Section 45/11.

All sections are delivered to the US via Dreamlifter. Section 43 and Section 45/11 are flown together to Charleston for integration with Italian Sections 44 and 46, while the wings make their way to Everett for the final join to the fuselage.

That being said, there’s a lot going on the 787 universe this week, so let’s get right to it:

Rolls-Royce Presents Trent 1000 Recovery Plan
The Seattle Times and Bloomberg reported on interviews with Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh on the state of the pending Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 investigation and resolution. Albaugh says that the company will begin pouring over Rolls-Royce’s resolution for the intermediate pressure turbine issue that caused the August 2 engine failure. Albaugh was optimistic that the RR solution would address the issue.

Airplane Six Just About Ready To Fly
Here in Asia, George Maffeo, vice president of 787 supplier management, told us that ZA006 is likely to fly “within the next week”. Program sources indicate that first flight of final dedicated 787 flight test aircraft – the second powered by GEnx-1B engines – is slated to fly on or around October 5. This date has been sliding backward and forward, so October looks to be the month for ZA006, just not sure exactly when.

Schedule Float Nearing An End
Parts for Airplane 28 have been
arriving this week in Everett from Wichita and Charleston, marking the
end of the 18-manufacturing day float in the 787 production schedule.
The float was intended to allow suppliers to further catch up and
deliver structural sections to a higher level of completion of assembly. Factory sources say one frequently missing item from 787 shipsets, passenger doors, have arrived installed on the center fuselage of Airplane 28.

Forward
fuselage Section 41 arrived from Wichita on Monday, followed by the
center fuselage from Charleston on Tuesday. The restart of deliveries
also marks a step increase in 787 production to just under three 787s
built per month.

Also, when the 787 line advances on Sunday to
make way for Airplane 28, Boeing will officially begin storing 787s by
the new K1 taxiway and Kilo North Ramp by Future of Flight. Five ANA (14,
15, 18), JAL (21) and RAM (19) 787s are expected to find their way
over for extended storage.

Airplane Eight Gets Its Motors
In other Trent 1000 engine news, Boeing’s eighth 787, ZA101, the second production aircraft slated for ETOPS ground testing, received its engines from Rolls-Royce earlier this week. Serial numbers 10018 and 10019 have been fitted under the wings of ZA101, which will eventually be delivered to ANA.

Max Energy RTO Tests A Wrap
All indications coming from outside and inside Boeing say the weekend’s max brake energy rejected take off tests were passed with flying colors, which is an ironic pun because ZA001 never left the ground during its two-day trials at Edwards Air Force Base in California. With the choice of two different carbon brakes from Messier-Bugatti and Goodrich, the tests were split between last Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Airplane 9 Gear Swings
In an indication of nearing completion, Airplane Nine, the lead production ETOPS aircraft, underwent gear swing tests on Monday evening.

Program sources say the aircraft has been outfitted with two zones of economy class seating. One forward zone with eight-abreast seating between doors one and two, and a second rear zone between doors three and four with 96 eight-abreast economy seats. Adding that the outboard seats are laid out with 32in of seat pitch, while the center seating is configured at 31in. Whether or not this will be one of the two the final configurations for ANA’s 787 remains unclear, however, it appears Airplane Nine will be delivered in a high density configuration for domestic operations. Though, what is going in between doors two and three remains unknown.

In other Boeing news…

747-8F Schedule Revision
All signs point to an announcement coming later this week or next week. Delay estimates range anywhere from three to nine months.

Re-Engining 737 Not Dead, Just Delayed Until 2011
In those same Seattle Times and Bloomberg articles, Albaugh has said that the 737 customer base has overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new narrowbody over a re-engined aircraft. Albaugh indicated that the decision could slip in to 2011, but the lack of enthusiasm and urgency from Boeing is a good sign of where the airframer’s head is at.

747-8F Flutter Fix Testing
RC522 has been flying the flutter track over eastern Washington the past week evaluating a new fix for the 2.4Hz structural flutter that has contributed to the significant delay in the 747-8F program’s first delivery. The fix called OAMS – outboard aileron modal suppression – provides structural dampening and seeks to restore the full range of stability and control of the aircraft at all weights and speeds.

747-8I Wing Body Join
RC001 is in the wing body join position inside Building 40-22 undergoing systems installation ahead of the final body join which will begin in mid-October.