Posted by John McHale
EVERETT, Wash., 30 March 2010.Boeing (NYSE: BA) completed the ultimate-load wing up-bending test on the 787 Dreamliner static test unit. During the testing, loads were applied to the airframe to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the airplane is ever expected to experience while in service. The wings were flexed upward by approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) during the test.
The initial results of the ultimate-load test are positive, Boeing officials say. More extensive analysis and review are required before the test can be deemed a success.
"The test program has been more robust than any conducted on a Boeing commercial jetliner," says Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "It has taken countless hours of hard work by the Boeing team and our partners to work through the static test program. Everyone who has been involved in this effort over the past several years should be very proud of their contributions to ensuring the safety of the 787 Dreamliner.
"We are looking forward to the technical team's report on the details of the test results," Fancher says. It will take them several weeks to work through all of the data.
During each second of the more than two-hour test, thousands of data points were collected to monitor the performance of the wing. Key data points are monitored real-time during the test, but all of the data will be evaluated in the weeks ahead.
The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed to meet the needs of airlines around the world in providing nonstop service between mid-size cities with new levels of efficiency. The airplane will bring improved levels of comfort to passengers with larger windows, bigger baggage bins and advances in the cabin environment, including lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and cleaner air. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for later thisyear.
