Just hours after ZA001 vacated Paint Hangar 45-03 across from Boeing's Everett factory, ZA002 filled the open spot to receive its first coat of paint.
ZA002 completed ground vibration testing late last week, pushing the program ever closer to its first flight by the end of June. There is currently no indication about what colors the flight test aircraft will wear after customers ANA and RAM opted for early production aircraft instead of a block of the first six test 787s.
Photo Credit Charles Conklin
on May 4, 2009 6:26 AM | Reply
Jeez, they're just like the busses - wait 2 years, and then two of them come along together !!
Great to see progress and "almost" tangible progress, leading to first flight.
The world awaits !!!!!!
on May 4, 2009 6:58 AM | Reply
nice little aircraft... that is the main competitor for the C-series, is it not?
the princess of the sky...
shouldn't be too complicated to build a single- deck aircraft... ;)
But seriously: Nice looking AC and good luck with the
flight tests!
with greetings from Hamburg Finkenwerder
on May 4, 2009 7:59 AM | Reply
Jon,
Is Aooo2 just getting its first coat and then returning for additional factory gauntlet testing ?
It did not seem that they were so close to A0001 in completion as to warrent moving towards pre flightline testing unless they undergo a different testing schedule.
Could you clarify what is happening with this. Thanks.
on May 4, 2009 12:34 PM | Reply
Hey...Hamburg Finkenwerder, apparently no more difficult than building that dual-deck, Schweine Haxe you call the A380 ;-). Mach's gut!
on May 4, 2009 1:37 PM | Reply
Hey Hamburg Finkenwerder,
Welcome to the site. Even though each of us has our preference, airbus or boeing, in the end we are all in this together advancing the state of the art and making it every so much cheaper to fly to our loved ones and creating new business opportunities.. It seems Airbus, Boeing, Bombiedier, and Embrarer are leading this advancement and keeping everyone on thier toes.
on May 4, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply
Finkenwerder:
Yes it is really very simple. After snapping all the parts together. all you have to do is stuff the .8 cm cable bundle into the 1.0 cm design space. Then start the plane and fly.
on May 4, 2009 5:38 PM | Reply
hey jon its me chris i was wondering what they were goin to paint ZA002?? the boeing livery too perhaps??
on May 4, 2009 7:02 PM | Reply
Made in the USA, right?
Good luck.
on May 4, 2009 7:19 PM | Reply
So, do they use epoxy glue on the two fuselage joins that you can clearly make out? I know this is new territory but this thing reminds me of the plane put together by the guy who used to build model planes in the "Flight of the Phoenix". I guess it'll take some time to get used to not seeing aluminium barrels for fuselages :-).
on May 4, 2009 11:47 PM | Reply
Is the area where this photo and the earlier "roll-out" video shot from accessible to the public? Seems like a nice alternative "spot" to deck of the Future of Flight in the morning hours.
on May 5, 2009 4:37 AM | Reply
some comments:
johnnystick: Exactly, that's why I follow this site.. and i was serious about: good Luck with the flighttests..
roger: This is exactly how we build the "Schweinshaxe" (???) A380. keep it simple.
;)
on May 5, 2009 5:53 PM | Reply
I am with the main comptetitor of Boeing but cannot wait to see the dreamliner fly. Another milestone in our Industry and probably a great passenger experience (as the A380!!)