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<< Previous   of   Next >> Michael O’Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) People swarm beneath the first Boeing 787 to touch it during the rollout ceremony Sunday.   ADVERTISEMENT   What's next The first 787 still needs some things installed before the plane flies. The first flight is expected in mid-September. The company hopes to have six 787s in tests by the end of the year, and the 787-8 should receive flight certification for the Federal Aviation Administration next spring. Boeing says it will deliver the first Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways of Japan in May 2008.   Related Stories • Dreamliner Debut - Audio slideshow 7/9/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, July 9, 2007 New jet has long way to go By Michelle Dunlop, Herald Writer Millions of viewers, a media frenzy, a debut fit for a rock star: The Boeing Co.'s 787 finally has shown its face to the world. Now what? A new airplane's rollout draws plenty of attention. It's the first time jet customers, suppliers and the public get to look at the new aircraft. But there's still much to be done before Boeing delivers the first Dreamliner to Japan's All Nippon Airways next May - an event that will be the true test of how well Boeing's global production line works. During the next 10 months, the Dreamliner has several hurdles to clear: its first flight, FAA certification and first delivery. When Boeing showed off its 787 on Sunday, the plane wasn't capable of flying. Months ago, Boeing officials acknowledged that many major pieces of the Dreamliner arrived without wiring or without the plane's systems installed. Boeing's Scott Carson, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters at the Paris Air Show that he believes the Dreamliner will make its first flight in mid-September, slightly later than the August timeframe Boeing officials had originally planned. "The airplane will fly when it's ready to fly," Bair has said. Paul Nisbet, analyst with JSA Research, suggests the first flight is the event to watch. "That will be much more meaningful," Nisbet said. Still, Boeing's rival Airbus flew its first A380 before the planemaker announced significant setbacks with the superjumbo jet's wiring. As a result of miscommunications among its factories, Airbus has pushed back deliveries on the A380 by an average of two years. The delay cost its parent company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., more than $6 billion in profits. The reason Airbus was able to fly its A380 before realizing extensive production problems is because plane manufacturers tend to build the first few jets differently than they will once the production line is up and going, Nisbet said. Typically, the first new jet is "almost like a prototype," he said. Both Boeing and Airbus typically rework the first several planes produced as they work through first flight and certification. Boeing has condensed its certification timeframe for the 787 compared with previous plane programs. The company plans to meet its deadlines by having more planes ready for test flight than it did with the 777 and 767. Bair estimates having all six of the Dreamliners it will use for the Federal Aviation Administration certification in flight testing by the end of this year. Additionally, Boeing says the similarities between the 787 and 777 will speed up the process with the FAA. With those major goals still to achieve, perhaps Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney best put the company's position in perspective while speaking at Boeing's investors conference. "What we're single-mindedly focused on is executing the 787," he said. Reporter Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454 or mdunlop@heraldnet.com.

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