Boeing 787 - Less Weight with More Efficiency

Courtesy of www.boeing.com

First in 12 years: Boeing's new creation - 787 Dreamliner - an ultra-light jetliner made of carbon-composites, making it more environmental friendly and more fuel-efficient.

The new plane was unveiled on Sunday in Everett, Washington State, US with about 15,000 employees, company's customers and suppliers present at the ceremony. This was the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its appearance before the crowd.

The first look at this jetliner could not present a perfect distinction from earlier models of Boeing, yet the company assures that it is completely different from other planes. The difference is what the plane is made of: 50% of the structure is made of carbon-composites, 15% titanium, 20% aluminum, 10% steel and 5% of other materials. This makes the plane extremely light and more efficient if comparing it with existing planes of the same size. If talking about figures, it is worth mentioning that Boeing 787 will consume 20% less fuel and will produce 20% less emissions.

According to Boeing, the air in the cabin will be more humid and the passengers will live through a more pleasant flight due to the use of special composites, which are more fatigue-resistant and rust-free.

Boeing didn't hesitate to use modern technologies when designing the plane's interior. At the beginning of 2007 the engineers introduced wireless technologies in the plans to build a modern entertainment system inside the aircraft, thus getting closer to 'losing weight' due to less cable used inside the plane.

However, the Dreamliner is not 100% ready for its first flight. According to Boeing, the 787 will not take off for at least another six weeks as there are internal power and control systems to be installed and over 1,000 temporary bolts to be replaced by permanent ones. Boeing has started the works immediately after the presentation.

Even though the Boeing 787 hasn't made its first flight, the company has already received about 30 proposals for over 650 airplanes, which is equivalent of over $100 billion.

The first flight of the Boeing 787 is planned for August-September 2007. The first air company to use the 787s will be All Nippon Airways from Japan. This company plans transporting sport fans to the Olympics in Beijing that summer.