Dreamliner to take flight

The first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will take place by the end of 2009, the company has announced. Boeing also said it hoped to deliver the first plane for service in the last quarter of 2010. There have been a series of delays in the development of the aircraft, and it is now running almost two years behind its original schedule. The new schedule reflects the need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft, along with the addition of several weeks of schedule margin to reduce flight test and certification risk. The company projects achieving a production rate of 10 airplanes per month by late 2013. "This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787's game-changing capability in the hands of our customers," said Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney. "The design details and implementation plan are nearly complete, and the team is preparing airplanes for modification and testing." The 787 is designed to make use of carbon fibre to make it much lighter and more fuel efficient than traditional aluminium planes.