Boeing commences production of the first larger Dreamliner 787-9

June 4, 2013 Comments Off on Boeing commences production of the first larger Dreamliner 787-9 198 Views

Boeing has commenced final assembly of the first 787-9 Dreamliner, the newest variant of the new generation largely composite aircraft.

The 787-9 is the longer version of the existing 787-8 with its fuselage stretched by 20 feet increasing the aircraft length to 206 feet. The 787-9 will be able to carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers).

The first flight of the 787-9 is scheduled for the second half of 2013, and first delivery is expected in early 2014, to launch customer Air New Zealand. About 40% of all Dreamliner orders, 355 aircraft, are for the -9 variant from 20 airline customers. However, Air India is not one of them.

Boeing will build the first three 787-9s on its Temporary Surge Line in Everett to allow for smoother integration of the 787-9 into the production system while continuing to ramp up production across the 787 program.

In the photo above, courtesy Boeing, the vertical stabilizer on the first 787-9 reflects the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) livery, last modified for the 737 MAX.

About Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

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