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http://www.seattletimes.com/busines...rst-flight-of-boeings-787-10-expected-friday/
The largest model of Boeing’s twin-aisle 787 Dreamliner made its first flight Friday morning from North Charleston, S. C.
Unlike the two earlier versions of the 787, which are assembled in Everett as well, this one is slated to be built only in South Carolina.
The plane took off shortly after 9:30 Eastern time, on a flight that lasted nearly five hours as the jet cruised back and forth in loops across the region.
The Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier reported that more than 5,000 Boeing employees and others were there to watch the only Boeing-designed commercial jet to make its first flight outside the Puget Sound region.
“We had a great flight today. This is a really great airplane,” said Tim Berg, the chief pilot for Boeing’s Dreamliner program, according to the Post and Courier. Berg and co-pilot Mike Bryan took the 787-10 to 20,000 feet and found that the plane “performed exactly like we thought it would.”
Later this month the plane will fly to Seattle to continue flight testing, which will be centered at Boeing Field.
Boeing has 149 orders for the -10 model. The largest customers are Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways, each with 30 planes ordered. Singapore added a commitment for another 19 of the planes in February.
Boeing has delivered 521 of the smaller -8 and -9 versions, and has a total of 686 unfilled orders for the Dreamliner family of jets.
Boeing rolled out the 787-10 Feb. 18 at a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump.
At the end of last year, Boeing was building five 787s per month in South Carolina and seven per month in Everett, for a total of 12 Dreamliners per month. But some analysts predict that with a slowdown in new 787 orders, Boeing may have to drop the production rate back down to 10 Dreamliners per month. If that happens, it’s likely Boeing will balance production with five jets made at each assembly site — meaning that North Charleston maintains its current rate while Everett loses two jets per month.
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