Dreamliner flight test makes the mark Boeing Photo

Boeing’s fleet of four 787 Dreamliner test airplanes continues to amass accomplishments on the way to its first delivery in the fourth quarter 2010. As of April 28, the Dreamliner fleet had completed more than 175 flights for a total of more than 526 hours in the air. Meanwhile, the fleet’s progress allowed the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to grant expanded type authorization, clearing the way for FAA personnel to participate in future test flights and data collection. Boeing also finalized the airplane’s aerodynamic configuration based on test performance. Extreme-weather testing was underway on the third flight-test Dreamliner at a U.S. Air Force facility at this writing.