Boeing begins final phase of Dreamliner testing
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Boeing has started the final stage of flight testing for its long-awaited 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft has started Function & Reliability (F&R) testing and extended operations (ETOPS) demonstrations – the final phase of flight testing prior to certification of the model.
“We are ready for this final phase of flight testing,” said Scott Fancher, Vice President & General Manager of the 787 program. “The team has created a solid plan for accomplishing the hours and test points required for F&R and ETOPS testing in support of delivery to our customer ANA in the August to September time period.”
F&R testing simulates various operations for the plane, in a realistic airline-like flight environment. ETOPS refers to extended operations for flights that are more than 60 minutes away from a suitable landing field. During ETOPS demonstrations the company validates the aircraft’s ability to safely divert for a variety of reasons, including those with one engine shutdown.
In addition to F&R and ETOPS testing for the 787 with Rolls-Royce engines, Boeing continues certification testing on 787s with General Electric engines and will conduct a separate F&R/ETOPS test program for that version of the aircraft. Other activities will continue on the flight test fleet to support Boeing objectives including examining potential technologies for the 787-9 and testing engine improvement packages.
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