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September 7, 2010
- Four of the five Boeing 787 flight test airplanes are
conducting remote test operations this week. ZA005 continues testing
from its base of operations in
Seattle.
ZA001, the first
787, is taking a break from operations out of Edwards Air Force Base in
California
for a week's worth of testing in
Roswell,
N.M. This is ZA001's second visit
to Roswell.
Last month the
airplane conducted wet-runway testing there. Testing in the days ahead
will include rejected-takeoff conditions. ZA001 has been on remote
deployment to Edwards Air Force Base for several weeks, with a focus on
takeoff- and landing-performance conditions.
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The second 787 is
conducting high-latitude and cold-weather testing at
Keflavik Airport in Iceland. "We've been
watching for the right weather conditions for some time," said Scott
Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "The
team was happy to see the forecast in Iceland met our needs and we deployed to Keflavik earlier this
week." The hot weather in
Yuma,
Ariz., with temperatures in excess
of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), has provided the
necessary conditions for another set of tests happening on ZA003. Its
deployment is expected to last about another week.
ZA004 has spent an
extended time operating out of Victorville,
Calif., conducting flight loads survey testing.
This testing measures external pressure distributions throughout the
flight envelope. ZA004 is set to do testing in Glasgow, Mont., after it
wraps up its California
testing. Artificial ice shapes have been affixed to the
leading edges of the wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizer of the
fifth 787 to complete another group of tests required for certification.
Ice-shape testing verifies the airplane's performance in the presence of
ice. Natural ice testing has already occurred.
"Flight test is
staying very busy," said Fancher. "We continue to be very pleased with
the performance of the airplane. We're definitely putting it through its
paces, subjecting it to the harshest environments and conditions to
ensure it is ready for revenue service." The
787 flight test fleet has conducted more than 1,650 hours of flying over
more than 540 flights.
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