Monday, January 31, 2011

Is Boeing almost all done with 787 flight testing?

Sometimes you get clues from the most interesting sources. In this case the clue is from Dinesh Keskar, president of Boeing India and a statement he made to the Hindustan Times. I'm not sure if it's true but if it is, then it is notable with regards to how much testing is left. Here's what was in the Hindustan Times:

The Dreamliner flight test programme, he said, was in full swing with the aircraft having completed 2500 hours and another 300 hours were needed to be done after which they will get the Federal Aviation Administration certificate.

“Once that is obtained, which we are expecting this summer, then we can begin deliveries all over the world,” he said.
Boeing has since accumulated just under 2700 flight hours on the 787 (as of yesterday) which implies another 100 flight test hours. I have to take it with a grain of salt though. It is unclear if Dinesh Keskar was including any ETOPs testing in that 300 hours (which Boeing has not yet started). I tend to think that it is not included and that ETOPs testing will add a couple hundred more hours to the total. Still I'm waiting to hear back from Boeing as I did put this question to them.

Read the Hindustan article:

Hindustan Times: Boeing will deliver 787 Dreamliner to AI this year

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