» » Boeing 787 Dreamliner Completes First Flight With GE Engines – Update

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Completes First Flight With GE Engines – Update

(RTTNews) – Aerospace and defense giant Boeing Co. (BA) announced late Wednesday that its 787 Dreamliner, powered by General Electric Co.’s (GE) GEnx-1B engines, has successfully completed its first flight. The airplane referred to as ZA005, completed a three-hour fourth-eight minute flight over the state of Washington, and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle.

In a statement, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Scott Fancher said, “We’re pleased to introduce the fifth Dreamliner to the flight-test fleet and to start flight testing with GE engines. It’s taken the collective resources and dedication of our teams to get to this day. There’s just nothing like a first flight to validate that it has been worth the sacrifices we have all seen our teams make in the past several years.”

GE aviation noted that the first flight of the GEnx-1B engine follows the February first flight of the GEnx-2B engine, which has logged more than 1,800 flight-hours on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft. The company added that GEnx will be the world’s only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of carbon fiber composites, and will reduce noise levels by 30%. GE believes the first 787 with the GEnx will be delivered early next year.

“The GEnx engine program has been designing, developing and testing the engine for five years so today’s events are a testament to the team’s extraordinary efforts,” said Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx program.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE, added that the GEnx is part of GE’s “ecomagination” product portfolio, which evolves around GE’s commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers’ environmental and operating performance.

On May 12, Boeing conducted the initial engine starts with the first General Electric GEnx engines on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Following engine testing, the fifth 787 to be built, underwent a series of ground tests with the new engine, similar to those conducted on the first four 787s with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to ensure that it is ready for first flight.

Chicago, Illinois-based Boeing noted that the sixth, and final, 787 to join the flight test program is expected to fly before the end of July.

It was on December 15, 2009 that the newest member of Boeing’s commercial jetliners, 787 Dreamliner referred to as ZA001, took its maiden flight from Everett, Washington-based Paine Field and safely landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The first flight was powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.

Boeing had then noted that five other 787s will join in the flight test program, among which two will be powered by General Electric GEnx engines. Meanwhile, the company added that customers can choose between the GEnx engines and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power their 787s.

The 787 Dreamliner is more than two years behind schedule. The aircraft was originally scheduled to enter service in May 2008, but production had been delayed multiple times due to strike by mechanists and a supply chain delays. The aircraft’s maiden flight, originally planned for September 2007, took place on December 15, 2009.

According to Boeing, fifty-six customers around the world have ordered 860 787s since the program was launched in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010, with the first one to Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co.

The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed for better flying experience for passenger, greater efficiency to better serve the point-to-point routes and additional frequencies passengers prefer. It has larger windows, bigger baggage bins and advances in the cabin environment, including lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and cleaner air. More important of all, the airplane provides 20% higher fuel efficiency than airplanes of comparable size, and provides airlines with up to 45% more cargo revenue capacity.

BA closed Wednesday’s regular trading session at $67.03, down $0.45 or 0.67% on a volume of 4.45 million shares, lower than the three-month average volume of 6.70 million shares.

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