This "Tube" is not flying on schedule...

Seems all the new big airframes are delayed right now. The 787, the A350 & A400M. Better to delay things to get the bugs dealt rather than push out a product that is going to be problematic through it's service career. Lessons learned on some of the aged out tubes from the past and more recently the nightmares of the A380. Get it right, then sell it. Not get it right after you sell it!

Aircraft bonded structures are nothing new. The technology used today compared to 25 years ago is quite improved. You're going to see just about everything made of composite/synthetic structures in the future. :wiggle:
 
Aside from Cessna and Piper, and a few others, all GA airplanes now are composites of one sort or another. Diamond, Cirrus, etc. And, you cant buy a round-dial cockpit new from any large GA manufacturer unless its a special request. They're all Avidyne or Garmin glass cockpits as standard equipment.
 
I live about 15 miles from the factory here in Washingon and even visited it. They have 6 787's on the production lines in various stages of compleation, and two of them already rolled out onto the flight line. Its getting VERY close. I was hoping to catch the first flight this week, but sadly it looks like I wont. I hope they get all the bugs worked out, since the first 6 "test models" are also prodution models! There will be 0 dedicated test models on the 787. Once they are done with the first 6, they recondition them and sell them to the airlines (with a discount).
 
With add-on aircraft I can handle being a bit of a beta tester until the few remaining bugs are worked out but in real life I appreciate the delay in releasing an aircraft as I don't want to beta test with my life on the line.
 
I wish them luck! last winter GE had one of the engines mounted on their 747 for cold weather flight test up here in Fairbanks. We are waiting for the 747-8 as one of the lead customers. You don't hear too much about it but apparently they are still putting along with it. I just hope the 787 guys aren't having to chase loose electrons about, always a concern in the electric jets.....

Cheers: T.
 
I saw the last 747-400 take off a few weeks ago for flight testing, still in bare ALU!

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