The Boeing Co. completed its “ultimate wing load” test on its 787 jet Sunday and will spend weeks analyzing the results.
Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner has been in flight testing for more than three months. The wing load test was performed on the company’s static 787 test plane. During the testing, loads were applied to the airframe to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the airplane is ever expected to experience while in service. The wings were flexed upward by approximately 25 feet during the test.
“The test program has been more robust than any conducted on a Boeing commercial jetliner,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We are looking forward to the technical team’s report on the details of the test results.”
Boeing said it will be several weeks before the full results are ready but initial results looked good. The company plans to deliver its first 787 Dreamliner later this year, more than two years late.
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