How I Long For Thee, Boeing 787

With any luck, followers of Boeing’s newest plane, the 787 Dreamliner, should see its first test flight in the first half of 2009.

The 787 is currently “on schedule,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported last week, and notes that according to the president of Boeing’s commercial aircraft division, the company “continues to work toward the inaugural 787 test flight in the second quarter of this year and the first delivery in the first quarter of 2010.”

This comes after lots of delays and some order cancellations; recently, a Chinese airline threatened to “cancel or postpone delivery of part of its order for nine 787s.”

Let’s hope the wait is worth it. There’s so much I’m looking forward to about this plane. According to Boeing, because 50 percent of the aircraft will be made out of composite materials, it should be stronger and lighter—and thus 20% more fuel efficient, with the help of greener engines and other changes.

Other perks? The cabin should be at a higher pressure, and the air inside more humid. But my favorite detail is this: The windows will be bigger, and they should dim at the touch of a button. For more information, see this aircraft overview from the Seattle P-I, this series of milestones from Boeing (which includes video of a wing break test), or this virtual tour.

©2026 World Hum, All Rights Reserved