The Boeing 787 wide-body long-haul aircraft belongs to a new generation of aircraft. It was built to replace the already obsolete model 767.
The main difference between the Boeing 787 and its predecessor is its design. For the first time in the history of aircraft construction, fifty percent of composite lightweight materials were used in this model.
History
Starting the program to create a new aircraft model forced the decline in sales of such long-range airliners as 747-400 and 767. This happened in the nineties of the last century. Boeing has accepted two new models for consideration. One of them was a more fuel efficient version of the 747-400. This is the 747X model. The second version of the project involved the development of an aircraft that would consume no more fuel than the Boeing 767, but at the same time be able to reach speeds of up to 0.98 M. However, airlines greeted these models coolly.
In early 2003, Boeing presented a project for a new 7E7 twin-engine aircraft. The model was developed using Sonic Cruiser technologies. The company announced that this liner belongs to the new Yellowstone family.
New program
Yellowstone is Boeing's project to replace the existing range of civil aircraft with a high-tech series. The design of the liner used lightweight composite materials. Instead of hydraulic systems, electrical systems are used. These models are equipped with fuel-efficient turbojet engines.
The Yellowstone program consists of three sections. The first one is Y1. It involves the replacement of aircraft with a capacity of 100-200 passengers. The Y2 project is designed to introduce new models of long-haul liners. To date, this program has been fully completed. The Boeing 787 was her brainchild.
The company is also working on the Y3 project. Models are being developed to replace the ultra-long-range 747 and 777 aircraft, which have a passenger capacity of 300-600 people.
Dreamliner
In 2003, the Boeing Company held a competition for the best name for the 787 model. Almost half a million people have chosen the Dreamliner option. Already in April 2004, a launch customer was found for the Boeing 787. They became the carrier company All Nippon Airways. She ordered fifty aircraft at once, which were supposed to be delivered by the end of 2008
"Boeing-787" (see photo below) is an innovative product in the field of aircraft construction. For the first time in its design, aluminum was replaced with lightweight composite materials. This decision made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the liner, and therefore make it economically profitable.
Boeing has developed the Boeing 787, the technical characteristics of which allow the airliner to consume twenty percent less fuel than the 767 model, and be forty percent more efficient. This became possible after the installation of modern engines and the adoption of modern aerodynamic solutions in combination with advanced schemes. And already at the end of 2004, 237 liners of the 787th model were ordered from Boeing. In 2012, it agreed to supply four Boeing-787 aircraft to Transaero.
Production
In December 2003, Boeing management decided that the Boeing 787 would be assembled in the state of Washington, in the city of Everett, at a plant that was built in the late sixties of the last century in order to produce 747- yu model.
However, a slightly different solution was applied this time. The company did not assemble aircraft from scratch. Part of the work was given to subcontractors. This has significantly reduced the production time. The final assembly should, according to the company's calculations, be carried out in three to four days. At the same time, it is necessary to involve from eight hundred to one thousand two hundred people in this process. Thus, Japanese subcontractors produce the wings, Italian subcontractors produce the horizontal stabilizer, French subcontractors produce the wiring, Indian subcontractors develop software, and so on. Cargo liner model 747 delivers parts to the factory.
Boeing-787 aircraft were created with the participation of Japan. Companies from this country have worked to createalmost thirty-five units of the liner. This project was supported by the Government of Japan for an amount equal to two million dollars. Assembly of the first Boeing 787 began in May 2007
Tests
The Boeing 787 took off for the first time on 2009-15-12. The flight lasted about three hours. After that, the company developed a nine-month test schedule. Six aircraft took part in flight testing. Four of them were equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines, and two with GE GEnx-1B64 engines. In March 2007, he successfully passed the wing loading test, which was increased by one hundred and fifty percent over the standard for three seconds. Subsequently, the liner passed temperature tests and was somewhat modified in connection with the identified shortcomings. The Boeing 787 was certified on August 13, 2011 by the US Federal Aviation Administration. On October 26, 2011, the liner made its first commercial flight.
Constructive solutions
Fifty percent of all elements that make up the fuselage of the Boeing 787 are made up of materials containing carbon fiber. That is why this aircraft is much lighter and stronger than those liners, in the production of which aluminum is used. Composites are 50% carbon fiber, 20% aluminum, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and 5% other components.
When assembling the Boeing 787, ultra-efficient and low-noise General Electric GEnx-1B and Rolls engines are usedRoyce Trent 1000. In the first of these, the turbine blades and casing are made only of composite materials. That is why the engine is able to create a working thrust at a lower temperature. As a result, there is a reduction in hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere.
The Boeing-787 has a longer wing length than other models. In addition, anti-icing equipment, flap mechanism and other systems are mounted as a single unit. This makes maintenance easier and less likely to break.
The company has developed three modifications of Boeing-787. These are 3, 8, 9 and 10 models. Each of them has some differences in specific technical parameters. Only the fuselage diameter (5.77 m), height (16.9 m), maximum flight altitude (13100 m) and highest speed (950 km/h) are the same for all.
Cockpit
For ease of control, the aircraft is equipped with multifunctional displays. They are in the cockpit. Management is carried out using an electrical remote system. It includes two screens, which display the layout of the gate, taxiing, as well as a map of the area. Transparent indicators are installed in front of the windshield of the cab. They allow you to control instrument data without blocking visibility.
The aircraft is equipped with an automatic diagnostic system. It sends real-time data to the ground repair service. In this case, a broadband radio communication channel is used. This system is designed forpredicting the occurrence of certain problems in aircraft mechanisms, which reduces the time for repairs and diagnostics.
Passenger compartment
Boeing 787 capacity depends on its configuration. From 234 to 296 passengers can board the aircraft.
Designed in the Boeing 787 aircraft, the cabin is very comfortable for passengers. The usual plastic curtains are replaced here with electrochromic dimming in the porthole's smart glass. Interior lighting is amazing. Its intensity is adjusted by the crew depending on the flight phase.
In the 787th model, the size of the toilets has been increased. Now they can be used by people in wheelchairs. The upper luggage racks have more capacity in the cabin. Each of them can hold four suitcases. The pressure in the cabin is maintained at a level corresponding to an altitude of one thousand eight hundred meters. In a conventional aluminum aircraft, it corresponds to 2400 m. Such comfortable conditions are created thanks to the elastic composite hull of the liner.
Comfortable conditions for passengers in the turbulence zone are maintained by the smooth flight system, which is able to suppress the vertical vibrations of the aircraft. The pressurization system is organized in a new way in the Boeing-787. Its installation made it possible to supply air to the cabin directly from the environment, and not from engines, as was the case in previous models.
