EVERETT — The Boeing 787 glided down the runway under its own power for the first time Tuesday.
The Dreamliner performed a series of low-speed taxi tests at Paine Field in Everett.
“It’s fantastic,” said David Reese, a senior Boeing Co. manager. “It’s just wonderful. We think the airplane is real pretty. The sound of the engine is so soft.”
Reese watched the tests with a small crowd of people gathered atop the Future of Flight Aviation Center. Others watched from the museum’s parking lot, their faces pressed against a chain-link fence.
A cloud of smoke billowed from the plane when the pilot pounded the brakes.
“Well it stops,” Reese said. “That’s good news.”
The 787 was on the runway for several hours, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Boeing engineers still need to pore over data to determine how the plane performed, spokeswoman Lori Gunter said.
“Boeing is a really conservative company, so you’re not going to hear us say everything went great,” she said. “We’re going to have to go through all the data before we say how things went.”
The plane practiced low-speed taxiing, which generally involves speeds of up to 100 knots per hour. That’s the equivalent of 115 miles per hour. Planes typically need to travel between 120 and 130 knots per hour to reach take-off speeds, Gunter said.
The Dreamliner rolled up and down the runway at different speeds while flight test engineers studied various functions, including steering and braking. A van trailed the plane with more flight test staff, to make sure every part of the 787’s white and blue exterior looked right.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” aerospace photographer Matt Cawby said, as he snapped photos. “It’s cool to see it out on the runway. There it is.”
The test runs came two weeks after Boeing Co. executives delayed the 787’s first flight. The plane was scheduled to take to the air by the end of June. A new schedule hasn’t been released.
In the coming days, the 787 will undergo more systems tests. High-speed taxi tests should take place shortly before the plane’s inaugural flight.
“Every milestone is important,” Gunter said. “Every step forward is important. This one is particularly nice because it’s visual and a lot of people could see it. A lot of the progress we make is on-paper-progress, but this one’s very visual.”
Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292, kmanry@heraldnet.com.
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