The Boeing 787
developed as the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner, (from
January 28, 2005 will be known as the Boeing 787
Dreamliner) is a super-efficient airplane with
new passenger-pleasing features. It will bring
the economics of large jet transports to the
middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel
than any other airplane of its size. Customers
will enjoy forty- to sixty-percent more cargo
revenue capacity.
In addition to
improving airplane performance and team
efficiency, computational fluid dynamics and
wind tunnel testing contribute to safety, the
ultimate design goal.
More than
15,000 hours of wind tunnel time will be logged
to develop the Boeing 787.
Boeing 787
Configurations:
- Boeing
787-300 Dreamliner, optimized for shorter
flights, will carry 290 - 330 passengers in two
classes up to 6.500 kilometers.
- Boeing
787-800 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250
passengers in three classes, with a range of up
to 15.700 kilometers.
- Boeing
787-900 Dreamliner, a longer version of the
787-800, will carry 250 - 290 passengers in
three classes up to 15,400 kilometers.
The Boeing
Company's board of directors has approved the
formal launch on April 26th, 2004 of the new
Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet based on
firm order for 50 787s from ANA (All Nippon
Airways) and the overall strong business case
for the new airplane. The ANA order is the
largest launch order in history for a new Boeing
commercial jet. Production has began in 2006.
Boeing announced on January 16,
2008 that first flight of the 787 has been moved
from the end of the first quarter of this year
to around the end of the second quarter to
provide additional time to complete assembly of
the first airplane. Deliveries are now expected
to begin in early 2009, rather than late 2008.
Large Boeing 787 assemblies will
be transported to the final assembly site on
board modified 747-400s. This transport plan
will result in saving of 20 to 40 percent over
traditional shipping methods and reduce the
amount of time it takes the large parts to
arrive at the final assembly site from as many
as 30 days to only one day. Boeing estimates the
savings of using air transport instead of
shipping will be recouped within the first few
years of production of the 787.
