Dreamliner 1 gets hydraulic power-on

One month after Boeing successfully completed the first electrical power-on of the first 787 Dreamliner, Flight International is reporting that the aerospace giant successfully completed the first power-on of the 787's hydraulic system last week. In a conference call with analysts today Boeing CEO Jim McNerney disclosed the hydraulic system milestone which gets that plastic bird one step closer to a first flight in the 4th Quarter of this year. The test allowed for the first movement of the Dreamliner's hydraulically actuated systems that include the ailerons, rudder, flaperons and some spoilers. The elevator, which is controlled by hydraulics, was not installed at the time of the test. Further tests of the hydraulic systems will include jacking the 787 off the ground to test the retraction and extension of its landing gear. I believe the hydraulic bounce kit is an after-market accessory not installed by the manufacturer.



(Flight International)

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Boeing launches Power On website

Last week, through Randy's Journal, Boeing promised a little more information on Monday regarding the successful power on tests run on the first 787 Dreamliner. And, as promised, Boeing has launched a brand new website dedicated the this power on test. The power on is especially important to the 787 as it will be the most "electrically driven" of any passenger jetliner in history. The site has a pretty cool interactive feature and some interesting video documenting the occasion. It also has some sweet shots of the flight deck, with glass displays lit up for the first time. Now let's see it fly already!

Check it out HERE.

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787 Goes "Power-on" Successfully

EVERETT, Wash., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has completed the Power On sequence for the first 787 Dreamliner, marking the completion of the next major milestone on the path to first flight later this year.

Power On is a complex series of tasks and tests that bring electrical power onto the airplane and begin to exercise the use of the electrical systems. The 787 is a more-electric airplane with the pneumatic, or bleed air, system being totally replaced by electronics.

"The team has made great progress in bringing the bold innovation of the 787 to reality," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "There is plenty of work to be done between now and first flight, but with every step forward we grow more and more confident."

The Power On sequence began in early June with a series of pretest continuity checks to verify that the wiring installed in the airplane had been connected properly. Upon completion of those checks, the Boeing team plugged in an external power cart and slowly began to bring full power into each segment of the system, beginning with the flight deck displays. From that point forward, the pilot's controls were used to direct the addition of new systems to the power grid.

Note: the word "delay" is not found in the above press release. Congrats Boeing.



Photos: Boeing

Edited 2130Z to include photos.

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Lockheed flips the switch on first F-35B

Lockheed Martin announced today that they successfully completed the first power-on test of the F-35B which is the STOVL (Short TakeOff and Vertical Landing) variant of the upcoming Joint Strike Fighter. This milestone gets them even closer to a first flight scheduled sometime around early June. The test, which actually took place on April 18th, was the first time that the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine has ran while integrated to an F-35B airframe. BAE test pilot Graham Tomlinson was at the controls for the engine run that took the F135 all the way up to full military power without afterburner. Tomlinson, a Brit, will also be the first for fly the F-35B. Program officials were quite pleased with the engine run that lasted nearly one hour and included opening and closing the shaft-driven lift fan doors. Can't wait to see this baby hover.

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