ANA Boeing 787 No RR Engines, originally uploaded by moonm.
The first 787 Dreamliner to enter airline service with Japan’s All Nippon Airways arrived on the Everett flight line late last week. The aircraft is currently buttoned up for storage while its flight test brethren are receiving the wing fix and will eventually be registered JA801A. Boeing has said the aircraft – ZA100 – will have a limited role in the flight test program to validate some weight saving structural changes. ZA100 entered final assembly in Everett in mid-June.
In addition, production standard 787s will not receive their engines for many months for two reasons. First, they are the most expensive single part of the aircraft and waiting to take delivery is good for the bottom line. Second, Boeing and Rolls-Royce are using ZA004 to test an upgraded version of the Trent 1000 to meet fuel burn targets before incorporating the changes into the production fleet. According to Boeing’s latest schedule, delivery of JA801A, the seventh flying 787, is planned for late next year.
As you can see, only the tail is painted so far, begging the question: Is ANA getting a new and/or special livery for its first 787?
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.