Gizmodo: boeing 787 dreamliner

Boeing Dreamliner First Flight Video: IT FLIES!

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:36:19 EST

They made it! It flies! IT FLIES! After countless tests, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is finally flying. As in, taking off, going around a few times, and then landing without any problem. Here's the first video. And another one here:

It has been long way since we saw it complete for the first time but, after all the delays, the first commercial airliner fully made of composite materials is now a reality. [Gizmodo Dreamliner Coverage]

When Big Toys Break: Boeing's Dreamliner Delay Explained

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:09:00 EDT

Everything seemed OK a few days ago, but as you probably know already, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and its orgy room have been delayed once again. Airplane expert Jon Ostrower explains why their toy broke again.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Is this thing ever going to fly? [Flight Global and Flight Global]

Dreamliner Starts Its Engines for the First Time

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Remember the Boeing 787 Dreamliner? You know, the eternally-delayed wonderplane? Well, rejoice because it has started the engines in a huge puff of smoke. All on its own, which is a first according to Boing:

The occasion marks the first all-electric start of a commercial jetliner engine on a twin-aisle commercial jetliner; the engines had been started electronically in test facilities earlier.

OK, Boeing, if you say so, I believe you. They used the Auxiliary Power System to power the start of its two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Now, what I really want to know is when are they testing the orgy room. [Flight Global]

Dreamliner First Power-On, All Systems Nominal

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:59:00 EDT

After all the problems and delays with in the 787's manufacturing, they have finally powered-on the aircraft and completed all the start up tests. In this picture you can see Boeing's test technician Dave Haskell plugging the aircraft to an external power line. The power-on of all the electrical systems in the aircraft, including the orgy room and the cockpit—which you can see up and running after the jump—is a major milestone towards the completion of the plane and its first flight later this year.

The testing sequence lasted for a week, and was designed to "demonstrate the distribution, conversion, control and consumption of electric power on board the airplane. Completion also verifies the accuracy of the installation of systems on the first 787."

[Dreamliner in Gizmodo]

Dreamliner's Carbon Composite Body Unsafe? Wired Science Calls Bullshit

Charlie White — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:42:43 EDT

We told you the other day about Dan Rather's TV blather about how the Boeing 787 Dreamliner "could be unsafe" because of its carbon composite airframe, but now there are lots of experts disagreeing with that report. Aaron Rowe at Wired Science calls it "a cheap shot at Boeing," and chides the mainstream news media for following along like sheep without questioning Rather's assertions. In Rowe's scathing and carefully reasoned article, he pretty much exposes Rather's claims as nothing but scaremongering poppycock.

In the TV report aired on HDNet Tuesday, Rather said that an aluminum body is safer than a carbon fiber airframe because it's not brittle, won't shatter on impact and doesn't emit poisonous chemicals when it's burning. Rowe counters that by pointing out the plethora of toxic fumes to worry about if a plane crashes no matter what its airframe is made of, and then astutely points out that military aircraft, race cars, train cars and sports cars have been constructed of carbon composite for years and have been subjected to horrific forces that in some cases show carbon fiber holding up even better than aluminum.

Rowe also got in touch with Cirrus Design which has been building aircraft out of composite materials for years, and that company's experts add that in some cases composites have better energy absorption in an impact than aluminum.

Rowe has now updated his post with even more experts chiming in to agree that Rather's assertions weren't worth the HD they were broadcast on. It's a great read that gets right at the truth. [Wired]