Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes First Flight with GE Engines
The first GE-powered Boeing 787 Dreamliner has completed its first flight after a 3 hour, 48 minute flight over Washington state. The planes use GEnx-1B engines - ZA005. Boeing workers and GE executives gathered in Seattle to welcome the aircraft following the flight.
Captain Mike Bryan said that the aircraft handled like he expected. It was no different than any other 787 flight he’s flown over the last several months, he added, noting that it was smooth, just like they planned and excellent. The other captain on the flight was Mike Carriker.
This inaugural flight for the Genx-1B engine comes after the first flight of the GEnx-2B engine in February. Used on the Boeing 747-8, these engines have logged more than 1,800 flying hours.
Boeing vice president and general manager for the 787 program Scott Fancher says that they are pleased to introduce the 5th Dreamliner to the flight test fleet and to begin flight testing the GE engines. Plans for the 5th Dreamliner called for tests of the GE engine package to demonstrate that the changes made with the new engine wouldn’t affect the handling characteristics of the aircraft, he added.
Boeing believes that the 6th and final Dreamliner will join the flight-test program by the end of next month. These will also be powered by GE engines.
Dreamliner program spokeswoman Yvonne Leach says that the remaining flight test program will include simulations and tests for being struck by lightning, but most of this will be done on the ground. They won’t intentionally seek lightning from the sky, she added.
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