Dreamliner Takes Flight: The ABCs of the 787 by Laura Jackson

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flew for the first time on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. I watched – albeit on television – in awe and amazement as the aircraft lifted off the runway into the cloudy sky above western Washington. In celebration of this historic event, This week I look at ABCs of the Dreamliner.
A is for Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), the launch customer of the Boeing 787; ANA is scheduled to take delivery of the aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2010.
B is for Boeing Field, the site of the first test landing of the Boeing 787; landing occurred at 13:33 PST on December 15, 2009.
C is for Mike Carriker, the chief pilot for the December 15, 2009, test flight.
D is for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
E is for Everett, Washington, home to Boeing’s largest manufacturing plant and the site of the final assembly of the 787.
F is for fiberglass, one of the composite materials that makes up the Boeing 787.
G is for game changer – the 787 is anticipated to change the way people travel.
H is for hawk; the silhouette of the Boeing 787 has been compared to this elegant bird of prey.
I is for inspiring – the achievements of aviation inspire me every day.
J is for Jamco, a Japanese company that is supplying the lavatories on the Dreamliner. Innovations being considered for the lavatories include diaper-changing stations and antibacterial surfaces.
K is for 180 knots (207 miles/333 kilometers) per hour, the top air speed of the December 15, 2009, test flight.
L is for the lightweight composites that make up 50 percent of the total weight of the 787.
M is for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., the Japanese company responsible for the design and manufacture of the 787 Wing Box.
N is for N787BA, the registration for the first test aircraft.
O is for the 840 orders by 55 customers for the Boeing 787.
P is for Paine Field, the site of the first takeoff for the Boeing 787; takeoff occurred at 10:27 PST on December 15, 2009.
Q is for Qatar Airways, an airline with 30 787-8s on order.
R is for the twin Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that powered the test flight.
S is for the 197.4-foot (60.1-meter) wingspan of the Boeing 787.
T is for the twenty percent reduction in fuel consumption that 787 customers will realize.
U is for Uzbekistan Airways, a carrier with two 787-8s on order.
V is for Virgin Atlantic, a customer with 15 787-9s on order.
W is for larger windows on the Boeing 787 – 65 percent larger than on current aircraft.
X is for the A350-XWB, the Airbus-manufactured aircraft under development that will use a majority of composite – it will compete with the 787.
Y is for “It is a joy to fly.” Comment by Randy Neville, engineering pilot for the test flight on December 15, 2009. [Note: emphasis added.]
Z is for ZA001, the designation for the first test aircraft.
Source: Various news reports; Boeing.com; Newairplane.com; wingspan measurements for the 787-8; order number as of December 10, 2009