The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner flew for the first time Friday at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, completing a flight of four hours and 58 minutes, the company said.
The jet took off about 9:38 a.m. in front of an audience of 6,000 employees, FlightGlobal reported. It was the first Boeing-designed commercial airplane to make its first flight outside the Seattle area, according to the trade publication.
Boeing Test & Evaluation Capts. Tim Berg and Mike Bryan flew the airplane and tested its flight controls, systems and handling qualities, Boeing said.
“From takeoff to landing, the airplane handled beautifully and just as expected,” said Berg, Boeing’s chief 787 pilot, in the company’s announcement.
The 787-10 is the newest and longest model in the Dreamliner family, an 18-foot stretch of the 787-9, and Boeing will assemble it only in North Charleston. The airplane debuted at the site Feb. 17 at a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump.
Friday’s flight opens a months-long flight test campaign aimed at certification, FlightGlobal reported. Boeing said customer deliveries will begin in the first half of 2018.
The first test airplane is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines, according to FlightGlobal. Because of the longer fuselage, Boeing added a semi-levered landing gear to keep the tail from striking the runway on takeoff, the publication reported.
“The 787-10’s first flight moves us one step closer to giving our customers the most efficient airplane in its class,” said Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The 787-10 has 149 orders from nine customers, Boeing said: launch customer Singapore Airlines, Air Lease Corp., All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, GE Capital Aviation Services, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and United Airlines.
Boeing says the jet will deliver 25% better fuel use per seat and emissions than the airplanes it will replace, and 10% better than competing jets today.
