Boeing 787 First Flight

[Chris Fultz]

Today was the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
First flight is a major event for an airframer and engine manufacturer.

Boeing and Rolls-Royce are both supporters and sponsors of FIRST and other technical / education initatives to make sure events like this continue to happen.


http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html

"Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the first Boeing 787 will be joined in the flight test program in the coming weeks and months by five other 787s, including two that will be powered by General Electric GEnx engines.

The 787 Dreamliner will offer passengers a better flying experience and provide airline operators greater efficiency to better serve the point-to-point routes and additional frequencies passengers prefer. The technologically-advanced 787 will use 20 percent less fuel than today's airplanes of comparable size, provide airlines with up to 45 percent more cargo revenue capacity and present passengers with innovations that include a new interior environment with cleaner air, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting and other passenger-preferred conveniences."

copied from Boeing.com

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[Bob Steele]

Our school watched the webcast in mass.
The flight was cut short a little by weather.
Great alliance between Boeing and Rolls Royce.
We are lucky to have both support our school.

It was a good day...our Boeing mentors collectively breathed a sigh of relief..

20% more fuel efficient than other airliners...
Now to see how fast they can get built...

Bob Steele
Head coach Skunkworks and proud instructor from
AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL - Seattle

[ttldomination]

That's a truly amazing plane. You would think that after the launch of the Airbus A380, anything else would simply be dwarfed, but it seems that innovations in technology to improve overall passenger experience and envrionmental friendliness are as pertinent as size.

A great plane.

[Sam Gadbury]

What I think is amazing about this new airplane, is that Boeing and Rolls Royce probably used many of the same strategies to develope that plane as us FIRST teams use to develope a new robot every year!

What a great program.

[Rc Soarer]

I left school after first period to go over to the Future of Flight Museum to see it. It is amazing how much the wings bend upwards when it flies.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Rc Soarer

It is amazing how much the wings bend upwards when it flies.

If you think that's a lot, check out the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, or the Rutan Voyager. (Almost all large aircraft, and all modern airliners have very flexible wings.)

I've heard this same comment a lot recently; I wonder if it's generally a reaction to the idea that the 787 uses relatively new structural technologies, and an (unfounded) expression of uncertainty regarding its strength?

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Rc Soarer

I left school after first period to go over to the Future of Flight Museum to see it. It is amazing how much the wings bend upwards when it flies.

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

If you think that's a lot, check out the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, or the Rutan Voyager. (Almost all large aircraft, and all modern airliners have very flexible wings.)

I've heard this same comment a lot recently; I wonder if it's generally a reaction to the idea that the 787 uses relatively new structural technologies, and an (unfounded) expression of uncertainty regarding its strength?

If memory serves the U2 also had that quirk. I would bet that the U2 doesn't though.*

I know in some aircraft (cannot speak specifically because I can't recall) the space in the wings is used to store fuel, this makes the wings bow down on takeoffs. Not sure if the 787 is doing the same thing.

While we are talking about nifty technologies on airplanes, the B-52 is unique in that it is among the only (I think it is the only) aircraft to currently use a crab system on its landing gear. When landing a plane that size in a cross wind the pilots will point the nose into the cross wind and let the wheels rotate so they can land. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stonefaction/237071351/.


*For anyone who doesn't catch it there are 2 planes in the Wikipedia search for U2.

[Phoenix Spud]

This is awesome news for all international teams who "enjoy" those long flights to the USA to compete!

[Chris Hibner]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

I know in some aircraft (cannot speak specifically because I can't recall) the space in the wings is used to store fuel, this makes the wings bow down on takeoffs.

Basically, ALL airplanes store fuel in the wings. There are some exceptions, but they're not that common. Most transport category aircraft also store fuel in a center tank between the wings as well, but the fuel from that tank usually does not go straight to the engines - it gets pumped out to replenish the wing tanks, and THEN it goes to the engines. The pumping to the wing tanks is done for structural reasons (see if you can figure out why).

As far as wing flexibility goes, most large transport category airplanes have highly flexible wings. In fact, you can typically bend the wings upward until they touch (no kidding) before they snap. If you do any structural analysis of long members, you'll find that things can bend to what looks like an awful lot with very little stress. Most long members are actually designed to meet deflection limits, rather than stress limits.

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

If memory serves the U2 also had that quirk. I would bet that the U2 doesn't though.*

I know in some aircraft (cannot speak specifically because I can't recall) the space in the wings is used to store fuel, this makes the wings bow down on takeoffs. Not sure if the 787 is doing the same thing.

While we are talking about nifty technologies on airplanes, the B-52 is unique in that it is among the only (I think it is the only) aircraft to currently use a crab system on its landing gear. When landing a plane that size in a cross wind the pilots will point the nose into the cross wind and let the wheels rotate so they can land. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stonefaction/237071351/.


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It is interesting that the F104 from whence the U-2 came.... with the addition of the big glider wings.... had wings so thin that they could not put the fuel in them. On the Starfighter... fuel had to be stored in the fuselage...

Another great product coming to you from the Skunkworks!!
(The real one....)

[byteit101]

and it runs VxWorks! (the cRIO runs VxWorks as its OS)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VxWorks (scroll down to Notable products using VxWorks)

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by byteit101

and it runs VxWorks! (the cRIO runs VxWorks as its OS)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VxWorks (scroll down to Notable products using VxWorks)

Very cool
Spirit and Opportunity use it too!!

R

[DonRotolo]

The real technical achievement hasn't been mentioned here yet.

The 787 was designed and developed in software, with almost no models being built before Job 1 started.

Read that again. Then think about this: It's not all that crazy to completely design your robot in Inventor, fabricate the individual pieces from plans, and assemble a functioning mechanism with no prototypes. No physical ones, at least: All prototypes are in software.

That's how the real world does it.

I see teams build a robot and the CAD kids go up to it with rulers, measuring what's been built so they can put it into CAD. That's backwards, of course. CAD is for what is going to be, not for what already exists.

[ICntIHaveRbtics]

Originally Posted by Sam Gadbury

What I think is amazing about this new airplane, is that Boeing and Rolls Royce probably used many of the same strategies to develope that plane as us FIRST teams use to develope a new robot every year!

What a great program.

I love FIRST to real-world connections =]
I'm writing that one down!

my grandfather and father are both pilots, and we're working on restoring an airplane in my very own garage [a cessna 170] so anything aviation facinates me. the new boeing is just INSANE! I'd almost want to fly somewhere just to take a trip on it...and then fly back! =D

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

The real technical achievement hasn't been mentioned here yet.

The 787 was designed and developed in software, with almost no models being built before Job 1 started.

Read that again. Then think about this: It's not all that crazy to completely design your robot in Inventor, fabricate the individual pieces from plans, and assemble a functioning mechanism with no prototypes. No physical ones, at least: All prototypes are in software.

That's how the real world does it.

I see teams build a robot and the CAD kids go up to it with rulers, measuring what's been built so they can put it into CAD. That's backwards, of course. CAD is for what is going to be, not for what already exists.

Don,

The 777 was actually the first plane to do this.