Yesterday afternoon in Everett, shortly after ZA001 activated its auxiliary power system for the first time, ZA002 emerged freshly painted from Paint Hangar 45-03 wearing the company colors of 787 launch customer Japan's All Nippon Airways.
ZA002 rolled out of Building 40-26 on May 4, after completing ground vibration testing, following more than a year of final assembly operations on Boeing's 787 Final Assembly Line.
The aircraft rolled to the fuel dock wearing US test registration N787EX and will be the second 787-8 to fly an estimated three weeks after ZA001 first takes to the sky, says Boeing.
Even though it wears the colors of an airline customer, Dreamliner Two does not currently have a final operator, as the first six flight test aircraft were not taken up by launch customers, preferring to opt for early production aircraft that would have been available earlier.
Very special thanks to Liz Matzelle for the video.
ZA002 rolled out of Building 40-26 on May 4, after completing ground vibration testing, following more than a year of final assembly operations on Boeing's 787 Final Assembly Line.
The aircraft rolled to the fuel dock wearing US test registration N787EX and will be the second 787-8 to fly an estimated three weeks after ZA001 first takes to the sky, says Boeing.
Even though it wears the colors of an airline customer, Dreamliner Two does not currently have a final operator, as the first six flight test aircraft were not taken up by launch customers, preferring to opt for early production aircraft that would have been available earlier.
Very special thanks to Liz Matzelle for the video.
on May 13, 2009 8:48 AM | Reply
These things are popping out like popcorn! Yumm I've been following up the Paine Field blog waiting for the picture he claimed this morning!
Now he has 2 pictures up, and you have the rollout video. Great stuff. An exciting month for the 787. Soon we will hopefully see ZA003 heading towards the paint factory.
on May 13, 2009 8:57 AM | Reply
She looks stunning!
on May 13, 2009 9:18 AM | Reply
What a beauty... Look at the surfaces!!! The are like mirrors! I think, after this beauty starts commercial flights, all the other "birds" in the sky will just look absolete... Look at cockpit windows!!! Everything looks so perfectly matched with the surfaces... It's the new ERA in airplane building!
on May 13, 2009 11:50 AM | Reply
It's very small isn't it. Still cute though - I eat it !
on May 13, 2009 12:32 PM | Reply
to road First flight B787 very very pretty.thanks jon.
on May 13, 2009 1:26 PM | Reply
I must say i'm impressed by the comet-like nose. even the front wheels are set in a way that makes it look so comet-like. I guess, like the saying goes, we have to go back to move forward.
"The 787 has indeed now crossed the bridge."
on May 13, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply
A beautiful looking airplane,with such graceful wings.
on May 13, 2009 2:38 PM | Reply
In a couple of months all this waiting will be forgotten. Finally seeing this beauty coming out in full airliner colors is a sight so welcoming.
To Malena Ernman, it just looks small because the windows are so big. It creates an optical illusion.
on May 13, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply
It's nice to finally see things rolling. Let's hope Boeing finally has it's head out of the ground and has it's "game face" on. Here's fingers crossed that first flight and the flight test program go well.
on May 13, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply
Pretty bird. They sure don't want to reveal much about those engines, do they? Someone made a nice parallel with the nose of the Comet. Funny, too, how the A350 (second iteration) nose shape changed to almost exactly the same thing after the Boeing design was revealed.
on May 13, 2009 5:16 PM | Reply
It'll be interesting to see how the other test aircraft are painted. It makes sense to paint one for ANA since it is good marketing for them and builds on the Boeing-ANA relationship.
Will they paint them based on who is getting theirs first (#3 would be painted for Royal Air Maroc) or maybe they will paint them for the customers who have the most orders?
on May 13, 2009 6:06 PM | Reply
My guess is that they won't change any of the planned paint schemes. For one thing, the flight control surfaces arrived painted and balanced for those specific liveries, it would be a pain to repaint and rebalance them. Also, you just can't make anything with the sheer momentum of the Boeing Company slow down or change directions this quickly, they would need months just to get the bureaucracy to acknowledge there might be a need to choose a new paint scheme. I wish they'd gone with Jon's idea, but I'm not at all surprised that they're just forging ahead as they'd planned for years.
on May 13, 2009 6:09 PM | Reply
Outstanding! What a beautifull aircraft the 787 is.....can't wait to see the first flight!
on May 13, 2009 8:36 PM | Reply
I remember reading once before that if an airplane looks terrific, it probably is.
on May 13, 2009 11:56 PM | Reply
This is brave of ANA - the aircraft hasn't flown yet. IF (I REPEAT - IF!) something were to happen in testing and this particular aircraft WERE to crash, it would have ANAs branding on it and could be disastrous for the company.
Having said that, it does look quite nice!
on May 14, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply
Liz M-
I agree, it would be difficult to change paths at this point in time, so I guess it will be especially interesting what happens with the Northwest aircraft since: 1- Northwest doesn't exist anymore and 2- Delta is unsure about what they want to do.
on May 15, 2009 1:15 AM | Reply
As of now I no longer see ANA ZA002 on the flight line. In the two lastest shots on the 787 watch and a previous shot with ZA001 in the background. You can't see the ANA painted 787...Where did it go? :( It looks so nice to see 2 787s on the flight line.
on May 15, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply
My guess: back into 40-24 to have the cowlings remounted and perhaps additional work done as well.
on May 19, 2009 7:37 PM | Reply
Good guess Liz.
on May 21, 2009 10:42 PM | Reply
what a nice aircraft, can't wait 'till i see it fly.