Mr.v4h. President Barack Obama Pre-flight ground testing of Boeing 787 As Boeing worked with its suppliers on early 787 production, the aircraft design had proceeded through a series of test goals. On August 7, 2007, on-time certification of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine by European and US regulators was received.[75] On August 23, 2007, a crash test involving a vertical drop of a partial composite fuselage section from about 15 ft (4.6 m) onto a 1 in (25 mm)-thick steel plate occurred in Mesa, Arizona;[76][77] the results matched what Boeings engineers had predicted, allowing modeling of various crash scenarios using computational analysis instead of further physical tests.[78][79] While critics had expressed concerns that a composite fuselage could shatter and burn with toxic fumes during crash landings, Boeings test data indicated no greater toxicity versus conventional metal airframes.[80][81] The crash test was the third in a series of demonstrations conducted to match FAA requirements, which included additional certification criteria owing to the 787s introduction of wide-scale use of composite materials.[77] The 787 meets the FAAs requirement that passengers have at least as good a chance of surviving a crash landing as they would with current metal airliners.[82] The first Boeing 787 underwent taxi tests at Paine Field in November and December 2009. The alternative GE GEnx-1B engine achieved certification on March 31, 2008.[83] On June 20, 2008, the 787 team achieved Power On of the first aircraft, powering and testing the aircrafts electrical supply and distribution systems.[84] A non-flight 787 test airframe was built for static testing, and on September 27, 2008, over a period of nearly two hours, the fuselage was successfully tested at 14.9 psi (102.7 kPa) differential, which is 150 percent of the maximum pressure expected in commercial service (i.e., when flying at maximum cruising altitude).[85] In December 2008, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) passed the maintenance program for the 787.[86] On May 3, 2009, the first test 787 was moved to the flight line following extensive factory-testing, including landing gear swings, systems integration verification, and a total run-through of the first flight.[87] On May 4, 2009, a press report indicated a 10–15% range reduction, about 6,900 nmi (12,800 km) instead of the originally promised 7,700 to 8,200 nmi (14,800–15,700 km), for early aircraft that were about 8% overweight. Substantial redesign work was expected to correct this, which would complicate increases in production rates;[88] Boeing stated the early 787-8s would have a range of almost 8,000 nmi (15,000 km).[89] As a result, some airlines reportedly delayed deliveries of 787s in order to take later planes that may be closer to the original estimates.[90] Boeing expected to have the weight issues addressed by the 21st production model.[91] On June 15, 2009, during the Paris Air Show, Boeing said that the 787 would make its first flight within two weeks. However, on June 23, 2009, Boeing announced that the first flight is postponed due to a need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft.[92][93][94] Boeing provided an updated 787 schedule on August 27, 2009, with the first flight planned to occur by the end of 2009 and deliveries to begin at the end of 2010.[95] The company expected to write off US$2.5 billion because it considered the first three Dreamliners built unsellable and suitable only for flight tests.[96] On October 28, 2009, Boeing announced the selection of Charleston, SC as the site for a second 787 production line, after soliciting bids from multiple states including Washington.[97] On December 12, 2009, the first 787 completed high speed taxi tests, the last major step before flight.[98
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