787 Ultimate Wing Loading Test

This is a video by Boeing on the satisfactory completion of the wing loading test on the 787.  Click on the title above to go to the Boeing website for the video. The wing is bent upward to show that the composite wing will not break when subjected to 150% of the load the airplane could ever be expected to see during it's lifetime.  As you watch the video, notice how much the wing bends.  It flexed upward 25 feet from its normal position.  If you've ever sat in a window seat and watched the wing flex when we encounter turbulence, I'm sure you've never seen it bend this much.  This shows just how much the airplane can take without actually breaking.  This is considered a major milestone  in the testing process, especially when you consider one of the major delays  during the 787 program.  Over a year ago, during a similar preliminary test, the wing was bent to about 100% of the load she would ever see, and some damage was found during the post-test analysis.  There was damage to the area where the wing joins the aircraft body.  Boeing worked very hard to come up with a fix and adapt it to the aircraft that were already built and to those still on the assembly line.  This was the major reason first flight was delayed until just a few months ago.  The fix proved to be adequate, as shown by the successful completion of this test.

This is great news, as my company is the North American launch customer for the 787.  If the rest of the flight testing is completed on schedule, we can expect to receive our first aircraft sometime in the middle of next year.

I recently finished training on the 737, adding to my already long list of type ratings.  Will I try to bid for the 787?  That's a good question.  I think for now, I will enjoy where I'm at.

I'm sorry that I have been so absent on this blog.  As I just said, I have been busy with transition training from the 757 & 767 to the 737.  The training took a few months to complete and I also packed up my home in Atlanta and moved to Houston.  I'm sure you all know how fun moving is.  So far, I have been getting settled in and love the area I'm in.  If you have been a frequent reader, I thank you so much for checking back.  If you are a new reader, I hope you'll go back and check some of the stories in my old posts.  I have come up with some good ideas that I would like to write about in the near future, so I hope you will all come back and have a look.

If you have a question about the airlines or flying, I hope you will send them to me.  I would be more than happy answer your questions.