Another Angle showing ZA003’s New Paint Job, originally uploaded by The Boeing Company.

Boeing (Chicago) will conduct the fourth segment of the 787 Dream Tour beginning on March 1. Stops will include visits to cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In addition, the Dream Tour airplane, the pictured “ZA003”, will be featured at the FIDAE Air Show in Santiago, Chile, in late March to kick off the fifth segment of the tour.

The March schedule includes the following stops:

March 1-4: Toronto, Canada, to visit Air Canada and local suppliers.
March 4: Boston, Mass., in support of Japan Airlines, which has announced that it will offer 787 service on the Tokyo-Boston route.
March 5-7: Newark, N.J., to visit United Airlines and its local stakeholders.
March 8-9: Mexico City, Mexico, to visit Aero Mexico.
March 10-12: Phoenix, Ariz., to visit Honeywell, other suppliers and Boeing employees.
March 13: San Diego, Calif., to visit Goodrich and other suppliers.
March 14-15: Long Beach, Calif., to visit leasing companies, Boeing employees and suppliers.
March 15-17: Salt Lake City, Utah, to visit Boeing employees and suppliers.

The Dream Tour airplane is outfitted with the 787’s special cabin features, including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Dates and locations for additional tour stops will be announced approximately one month in advance. At many of the stops, local media will have the opportunity to participate in tours of the airplane and discussions with Boeing executives and pilots.

For updates on the 787 Dream Tour, including videos, photos and reports from the tour stops, visit http://www.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour.

Copyright Photo: Boeing.

“Before” Picture of the Third Boeing 787, ZA003 , originally uploaded by The Boeing Company.

Boeing (Chicago) this month will begin the second segment of the 787 Dream Tour, with four stops planned in the U.S. and Ireland.

The January schedule includes the following stops:

Jan. 20-23: Wichita, Kan., to visit partner Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing employees.

Jan. 23-25: Rockford, Ill., to visit partner Hamilton Sundstrand.

Jan. 25-27: Dublin, Ireland, to visit airline customers, leasing companies, financiers and other stakeholders.

Jan. 27-30: Huntsville, Ala., to visit Boeing employees.

The Dream Tour airplane, ZA003, is outfitted with the 787’s special cabin features, including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Dates and locations for additional tour stops, which are planned through April, will be announced approximately one month in advance. At many of the stops, local media will have the opportunity to participate in tours of the airplane and discussions with Boeing executives and pilots.

For updates on the 787 Dream Tour, including videos, photos and reports from the tour stops, visit http://www.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour.

Copyright Photo: Boeing.

Boeing (Chicago) reached a new milestone with the construction of the first 787 Dreamliner at its new North Charleston, SC second-line plant. The company announced its first South Carolina-built 787 put weight on wheels for the first time on December 18.

The airplane moved on its landing gear, via tug, to the next production position where electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems installation and testing will continue over the next several weeks. Installation of the airplane’s engines and interior will begin soon.

Boeing South Carolina remains on schedule for its first 787 Dreamliner delivery in the first half of 2012.

Air India will take delivery of this first SC-produced 787.

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. As a result of innovative technologies, the airplane offers unparalleled operating economics, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. More than 800 787s are on order by more than 50 airlines, a testament to the airplane’s unique capabilities.

Copyright Photo: Boeing.

Boeing (Chicago) has established two world records with the 787 Dreamliner, setting new marks for both speed and distance for the airplane’s weight class.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the first airplane to provide both long distance capabilities with mid-size capacity (210-250 passengers in a three-class seating), allowing airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. The airplane is 20 percent more fuel efficient than similarly sized airplanes.

The sixth 787-8 registered as N787ZA (msn 40695), designated as ZA006, powered by General Electric GEnx engines, departed from Boeing Field in Seattle at 11:02 a.m. on Dec. 6 and set the distance record for its class (440,000-550,000 lbs.) with a 10,710 nmi (19,835 km) flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh, with credit for 10,337 nmi (19,144 km). This record had previously been held by the Airbus A330 based on a 9,127 nmi (16,903 km) flight in 2002.

Following an approximately two-hour stop for refueling in Dhaka , the airplane returned to Seattle on a 9,734 nmi (18,027 km) flight. The airplane landed at 5:29 a.m. on December 8, setting a new record for speed around the world (eastbound) with a total trip time of 42 hours and 27 minutes. There was no previous around-the-world speed record for this weight class.

The 787 carried six pilots, an observer for the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), and operations and other Boeing employees – 13 people in total.

Flight routing on the first segment of the journey took the airplane from Seattle across the U.S. to Nantucket. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the airplane entered European air space at Santiago, Spain, and proceeded down the Mediterranean, across Egypt to Luxor, across the Middle East and over India to Bangladesh. On the second segment, the Dreamliner flew over Singapore , the Philippines and Guam before entering U.S. airspace over Honolulu and returning to Seattle.

Boeing holds world records for longest distance flights in five weight classes with records set by the KC-135, 767-200ER (extended range), 777-200 and 777-200LR (longer range). The 777-200 also holds the speed record for its weight class.

Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker.

Boeing (Chicago) introduced the 787 Dreamliner to China today.

The airplane will be in China December 4 through 11, with stops in Beijing, Guangzhou and Haikou , “where Chinese customers, partners, government officials and media will experience the revolutionary technology and passenger innovation firsthand” according to Boeing.

The airplane, ZA003, was originally used for flight testing but has been elegantly refurbished to showcase the standard capabilities and features of the 787.

Copyright Photo: Boeing. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as N787BX (msn 40692) and referred to by Boeing as “ZA003” arrived today (December 4) at the Beijing Capital International Airport, making its debut in mainland China, one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation and travel markets. It also marks the start of a six-month worldwide Dream Tour with the all-new jet.

A new look for ZA003, originally uploaded by The Boeing Company.

Boeing (Chicago) will begin a six-month “Dream Tour” with a 787 Dreamliner. According to Boeing, “customers and partners around the world will experience the revolutionary technology and passenger innovation offered on the first new airplane of the 21st century.”

The December schedule for the 787 Dream Tour includes six stops in Asia , Africa and the Middle East :

December 4-11 : China with stops in Beijing , Guangzhou and Haikou to visit customers, partners, and government officials including representatives from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Air China, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Co. (CAC).

December 11-16 : Africa with stops in Addis Ababba, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya to visit Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

December 16-19 : Middle East stop in Doha to visit Qatar Airways.
Specific dates for the subsequent segments of the tour will be announced about one month prior to the events. Additional tour stops are being planned for January through April 2012 and will be detailed in future announcements.
Many of the stops will include opportunities for local media to tour the airplane and talk with Boeing executives and pilots.

Aviation enthusiasts can follow the progress of the 787 tour at www.newairplane.com. Videos, photos and reports from the tour stops as well as an inside look at the airplane, will be featured beginning with the first stop next week.

The Dream Tour airplane, ZA003, (N787EX) has been retrofitted with special interior features designed to highlight the unique cabin features and performance capabilities of the Dreamliner. The flight test equipment on board ZA003, the third 787 to be built, has been removed and a stunning new interior has been installed (see above). The airplane also has received a refreshed Boeing livery.

Visitors will be greeted by the spacious signature 787 entryway sky light and gathering area. The LED lighting, standard on all 787s, will be demonstrated throughout the tour airplane. Visitors will experience the dynamic affect of this new technology to make meal time more enjoyable, sooth passengers during restful periods and gently wake them following a long flight.

Visitors also will find a luxurious business-class cabin with a dozen lay-flat seats, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section. A large open space between the two economy class sections allows Boeing to spotlight the features of the 787 with displays and demonstrations. The exterior of the airplane has been repainted in the standard Boeing livery.

Copyright Photo: Boeing.