| Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet took to the skies for the first time Tuesday, a relief to the U.S. aerospace giant that pins high hope on the new model in its competition with European rival Airbus.
The Dreamliner took off at around 10:30 a.m. local time (1830 GMT) at Paine Field near Boeing's plant in the western state of Washington, witnessed by some 25,000 people, including Boeing employees, executives of airlines, journalists and members of the public.
The test flight will last about four hours or less and see the aircraft landing at Seattle's Boeing Field. It is the beginning of a series of necessary tests for the new passenger jet to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Boeing plans to deliver the first Dreamliner, which features wide use of lightweight new materials and hence more energy efficient, to Japan's All Nippon Airways in late 2010, more than two years behind the schedule.
Boeing said that the 787, which can carry up to 330 passengers, will provide new solutions for airlines and passengers.
The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane and Boeing has announced that as much as 50 percent of the primary structure on the 787 will be made of composite materials.
According to numbers released in November, Boeing has received 840 orders of 787 from 55 customers worldwide with a total value of 141 billion U.S. dollars, making it the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in the company's history. |
