From Boeing
Boeing continued to make steady progress toward the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner, completing the first engine runs on the all-new airplane. The occasion marks the first all-electric start of a commercial jetliner engine on a twin-aisle commercial jetliner; the engines had been started electronically in test facilities earlier.
Engine runs began at 9:30 [...]
Boeing successfully started the 787’s twin Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines today. This is a critical milestone to the eventual first flight which should happen shortly.
Stay tuned for daily updates.
The first Chinese-assembled Airbus A320 completed its first flight today at 14:56 local time.
The aircraft took off from Tianjin airport at precisely 10:42 and landed back at the airport four hours and 14 minutes later at 14:56.
(Image courtesy Airbus)
Boeing released this picture of the main fuselage of the new Boeing 747-8 under construction.
British Airways and Emirates will take delivery of an improved version of the Airbus A380 from 2012 offering a slightly better payload/range performance through a modest increase in maximum take-off weight.
Here are some conceptual pictures of the interior courtesy of Boeing.
Boeing is expected to start activating the hydraulic system on ZA001, the first 787, later tonight, suggesting that main engine start-up is imminent. The event effectively marks the start of intermediate system gauntlet tests, and if confirmed will therefore represent a major stride towards first flight.
The beginning of hydraulic tests follows the first-ever start of [...]
Boeing has painted its second test aircraft in the livery of All Nippon Airways (ANA), the 787 programs launch customer.
Airbus will deliver just two more A380s this year than in 2008 after revealing plans to scale back production in the wake of the impact of the downturn on demand. It has also warned that the current tough trading conditions could require further changes.
The airframer says A380 deliveries in 2009 have been cut from 18 [...]
Boeing’s much-delayed 787 Dreamliner has lost another 25 orders to the aviation downturn, the planemaker revealed on its order Web site Thursday.
With just weeks to go before its first flight, the Dreamliner program has now lost a total of 57 orders since the beginning of the year and taken in only one new Dreamliner order [...]
