One of the most anticipated commercial airplanes in recent years made an appearance at the 49th Paris Airshow this week. The first flight-test 787 Dreamliner (ZA001) spent two days on static display on the tarmac at Le Bourget and will take a short tour through Europe before returning to the U.S.
The 787 test fleet has clocked up over 4,000 hours and Boeing says that 97% of flight testing required for certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration is complete.
"We are making great progress toward finishing certification of the 787 with Rolls-Royce Package A engines," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "It's an honor to bring the 787 to the Paris Air Show on behalf of all of the hard working men and women around the world who have designed and built this amazing airplane."
The first customer, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is expected to take delivery of the Dreamliner in August or September (two years behind schedule) and ANA has this week unveiled the livery and cabin design for the first two aircraft to enter its fleet.
The 787 Dreamliner is a mid-size aircraft that can carry 210-250 passengers on long-range routes of between 7,650 and 8,200 miles (14,200 and 15,200 km) at speeds of up to Mach 0.85.
In total Boeing says it has more than 800 orders from more than 50 airlines for the composite-wing-and-fuselage airplane.
