Boeing Dreamliner nears first flight

BOEING’S 787, the much delayed Dreamliner, is nearing its first flight, officially said by the company to be before the end of June.  There is an outside possibility it could make a sensational debut at the Paris – Le Bourget Air Show which starts Monday 15 June but this would mean a disruption to the certification programme, something Boeing might consider overall worthwhile.  Latest reports from Seattle confirm that the first prototype (designated ZA001) has completed a rigorous series of tests including build verification trails, structures and systems integration checks and landing gear swings.  With Chief Pilot Mike Carriker at the controls, all flying controls, hardware and software were tested.  A simulation included take-off plus manual and automatic landings.  During a video conference 787 VP and Chief Project Engineer Mike Delaney said Boeing has "a couple of key things left to do before gaining an experimental flight certificate from FAA to begin flight testing.” www.boeing.com/commercial

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