Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has agreed to the permanent display of one of the original 787-8 Dreamliner flight test airplanes at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

This particular 787, test designated as ZA002 and registered as N787EX (msn 40691), is the second Boeing 787-8 to be produced. The airplane flew for the first time on December 22, 2009, joining what would become a six-airplane flight test and certification program for the 787-8. The primary focus of ZA002 was testing systems performance.

Interestingly Boeing registered N787EX with the FAA as a “787-83Q” but later decided to drop all Boeing customer codes in the designation (for the first time) and elected to designate all Dreamliners as 787-8s, 787-9s etc.

Coinciding with the 787 induction, the Pima Air and Space Museum also unveiled its new ‘Women in Flight’ exhibit, commemorating the achievements of female aviators over the past century.

ZA002 is the second of three flight test 787-8s Boeing plans to share with communities and future generations of employees and airplane enthusiasts.

The Pima Air and Space Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum in the United States. The museum maintains a collection of more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globe—including many rare and one-of-a-kind—and more than 125,000 artifacts. The museum is located at 6000 E. Valencia Road, Tucson, Exit 267 off Interstate 10.

Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com. Although N787EX was painted in full ANA colors it was never delivered to launch customer ANA due to being an early model. Delivery aircraft incorporated changes Boeing made as a result of the testing.

ANA aircraft slide show: