Responding to the overwhelming preference
of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top
aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett
facility near Seattle, Wash.
The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250
passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200
kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on
routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third
787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers
and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650
kilometers).
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to
mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel
efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane
will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly
sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide
bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.
Passengers will also see improvements with
the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to
increased comfort and convenience.
The key to this exceptional performance is
a suite of new technologies being developed by Boeing and its international
technology development team.
Boeing has announced that as much as 50
percent of the primary structure -- including the fuselage and wing -- on the
787 will be made of composite materials.
An open architecture will be at the heart
of the 787's systems, which will be more simplified than today's airplanes and
offer increased functionality. For example, the team is looking at
incorporating health-monitoring systems that will allow the airplane to
self-monitor and report maintenance requirements to ground-based computer
systems.
Boeing has selected General Electric and
Rolls-Royce to develop engines for the new airplane. It is expected that
advances in engine technology will contribute as much as 8 percent of the
increased efficiency of the new airplane, representing a nearly two-generation
jump in technology for the middle of the market.
Another improvement in efficiency will
come in the way the airplane is designed and built. New technologies and
processes are in development to help Boeing and its supplier partners achieve
unprecedented levels of performance at every phase of the program. For example,
by manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, we are eliminating 1,500
aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners.
The Boeing board of directors granted
authority to offer the airplane for sale in late 2003. Program launch occurred
in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Since that time, 45
customers have placed orders for 584 airplanes from six continents of the world,
making this the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's
history.
The program has signed on 43 of the
world's most capable top-tier supplier partners and together finalized the
airplane's configuration in September 2005. These partners have started
detailed design and, with Boeing, are connected virtually at 135 sites around
the world to work toward major assembly in 2006. Eleven partners from around
the world started facility construction for a total of 3 million additional square
feet to create their major structures and bring the next new airplane to
market.
The 787 program will open its final
assembly plant in Everett in 2007. First flight is expected in 2007 with
certification, delivery and entry into service occurring in 2008.