Te`c~h f%re@k

Boeing said on dec 10,2009 that it has successfully completed the final gauntlet test on the first Boeing 787 (ZA001) and that the initial “window” for the maiden flight of a 787 is 10 a.m. PT Dec. 15. By “window,” Boeing means a tentative time that is largely dependent on the weather or last minute technical problems.


“We will not name a date certain, but rather a window of days for the flight to occur, recognizing that a number of circumstances, weather not the least of which, can pull the day forward or push it back,” Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx told me this afternoon before the DEC 10'S announcement.

Indeed, weather would seem the biggest obstacle. Weather.com’s 10-day forecast for Everett, Wash. is rain or snow showers for all but Monday next week. Tuesday is Dec. 15. Everett is the location of Paine Field where ZA001 will take off, representing the maiden voyage for the 787.

The plane is slated to fly for four hours and land at 2 p.m. PT at Boeing Field in Seattle.

All that remains before the flight are taxi and flight readiness tests and receipt of documentation from the FAA. The gauntlet test just completed simulated an actual flight. Also, Boeing said 10 days ago it needed until now to validate the side of body repair which involved reinforcing a small area where the wing attaches to the wingbox.

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