ZA001 - May 19 (Top) - May 17 (Bottom)All eyes are on Everett this week with ZA001's arrival on the flight line.
The aircraft appears to be holding to plan right now with with several program sources indicating the first start of the aircraft's twin Rolls-Royce engines could be as little as hours away.
Additional staff from Rolls-Royce are on site in Everett to support the early runs to idle, while program officials are going through final checks and approvals that would give ZA001 the green light.
The weather could be a deciding factor in commencing engine runs today with heavy rain and even hail reported in the area of Paine Field.
When the engines are first started, the protective storage oil inside the engine will burn off creating a cloud of thick white smoke, a regular occurrence for the first run of a new engine.
Photo Credits Liz Matzelle (top) & Lee Karas
UPDATE 8:31 AM ET: This page has independently confirmed that ZA001 underwent thrust reverser, APU fire system and ram air turbine (RAT) tests during the day on Tuesday followed by APU runs into the evening. RAT tests weren't initially planned until Thursday, but appear to have been carried out today ahead of the plan.
Video Courtesy Liz Matzelle.
on May 19, 2009 7:10 PM | Reply
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4417267/
Matt Cawby reports:
"Three functional checks completed on N787BA today during first shift:
Thrust reverser deployed (right side)
RAT deployed
APU fire shutdown test
Each test was conducted 10 times."
on May 20, 2009 3:19 AM | Reply
Jon,
"The aircraft appears to be holding to plan right now"
How does this vibe with all the day-over-day delays that have been posted here and on Guy Norris'"Things with Wings" over the past weeks? Intermediate gauntlet was supposed to be started by end of April, final gauntlet was supposed to be finished by mid-May. So how does it "appear to be holding to plan" right now?
Not that it matters for the 787 program in the grand scheme of things, but inquiring minds want to know...
on May 20, 2009 3:22 AM | Reply
Just last night, I read rumors of fuel tank leaks and fuselage damage. So, this news is like music in my ears! Man, I wish I could be a fly in that cockpit when they start those trrents for the first time.
on May 20, 2009 9:14 AM | Reply
Hope we ge another video of this milestone, from the starting of the engines.
on May 20, 2009 9:56 AM | Reply
I read the rumors of fuel issues as well...
Thankfully, Jon is on the ball with rumor control.
Keep up the wonderful work, FlightBlogger!
on May 20, 2009 11:27 AM | Reply
IAD787 posted on Airliners.net that there is no fuel issue but a hydraulic line was broken by accident by a person working on the plane. "5000 psi and 30gpm leak went through a close out panel. All fixed 100%".