Boeing 787

"The Very Latest in Boeing Technology, Style and Comfort."

The Boeing 787 Dreamliners are the most successful aircraft introduced to the Airline Industry throughout Boeing's history.

To date Boeing claim to have received orders for 896 Dreamliner aircraft from 58 customers worldwide. This would make the 787 the fastest selling wide bodied airliner in all of history.

Variants of the 787 Dreamliner

There will be three variants of the Boeing 787 -

787-8: The base model and the first to enter service in late 2009.
787-9: Will be the longest of the three and is expected to enter service in 2012.
787-3: Will be used for high population density countries and will have a shorter range than the 8 and 9 variants. Entry will be after 2012.

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787 Dreamliners Advanced Technology

Boeing has announced that 50% of the 787's main structure including the fuselage and wing will be made with composite materials.The fuselage itself will be made of one piece. In the past, 1500 aluminum sheets and 40 - 50,000 fasteners made up the fuselage. This will present a lighter and stronger aircraft which automatically reduces maintenance costs.

Electronics will be more advanced. One such improvement is the aircraft will be able to self-examine and report to base any maintenance requirements that need attention.

New engines are being manufactured by GE and Rolls Royce, designed specifically for the Boeing 787 range. The Rolls Royce Trent 1000 will be the engines used in all three variant roll outs. All of the Boeing 787 aircraft will be able to use either engine at any time.

Countries Involved With the 787 Project

In the past Boeing has always been the major manufacturer of their aircraft. However Boeing has outsourced much of the manufacturing processes to several countries.

The fuselage will be built in - Japan, Italy and the USA.

The floor beams are being made in India.

The doors are being made in France and Sweden.

The wings are being assembled in Japan.

The tail is made in Australia.

The landing gear is made in France using Titanium from Russia and brake parts from Italy.

The electronics come from France and the USA.

The engines from the USA and UK.

Comfort Inside the Boeing 787

Passenger comfort has also been the focus regarding the development of the 787 Dreamliner. Improvements to -

Air quality - better filtered with increased humidity (previously not possible with an aluminum fuselage).

Lighting - the introduction of LED lights allows lighting to be altered in color and brilliance which it is believed will assist passengers when flying through different time zones.

Cabin pressure - an increase in cabin pressure again is now possible due to the new, stronger composite fuselage. According to Boeing tests this will reduce tiredness at the end of long flights.

Larger windows - Boeing who currently have the largest aircraft windows (fitted to the Boeing 777 models) are increasing the window size to 18.4" high and 10.7" wide.

Smoother Ride - updated electronic systems will be utilized to automatically correct the effects of wind gusts against the aircraft.

787 Seating Arrangements

As the 787 has not yet entered service a seating chart is not yet available. This will be available approx late 2009 if not sooner.

Dimensions of the Boeing 787

The dimensions and specifications of the 787-9 aircraft are as follows:-

Aircraft Length 63m or 206 feet
Aircraft Height 16.9m or 55 feet 6 inches
Wing Span 63m or 208 feet
Cross Section 5.75m or 18 feet 11inches
Passengers 250 to 290 people
Fuel Up to 138,898 liters or 36,693 US gallons
Cruising Speed 903 km/h (.85 Mach)
Top Speed 945 km/h (.89 Mach)
Range Up To 15,750 km or 8,500nm

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