Tag Archives: N7874

Boeing conducts the world’s first flight with ‘Green Diesel’ as an aviation biofuel

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has completed the world’s first flight using “green diesel,” a sustainable biofuel that is widely available and used in ground transportation. The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane yesterday (December 2) with a blend of 15 percent green diesel and 85 percent petroleum jet fuel in the left engine.

“Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable aviation biofuel more available and more affordable for our customers,” said Julie Felgar, managing director of Environmental Strategy and Integration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We will provide data from several ecoDemonstrator flights to support efforts to approve this fuel for commercial aviation and help meet our industry’s environmental goals.”

Sustainable green diesel is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and waste animal fats. Boeing previously found that this fuel is chemically similar to HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) aviation biofuel approved in 2011. Green diesel is chemically distinct and a different fuel product than “biodiesel,” which also is used in ground transportation.

With production capacity of 800 million gallons (3 billion liters) in the U.S., Europe and Asia, green diesel could rapidly supply as much as 1 percent of global jet fuel demand. With a wholesale cost of about $3 per gallon, inclusive of U.S. government incentives, green diesel approaches price parity with petroleum jet fuel.

“The airplane performed as designed with the green diesel blend, just as it does with conventional jet fuel,” said Capt. Mike Carriker, Chief Pilot, Product Development and 777X, Boeing Test and Evaluation. “This is exactly what we want to see in flight tests with a new type of fuel.”

Green diesel is among more than 25 new technologies being tested by Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator Program aboard 787 Dreamliner ZA004 (N7874). The program accelerates the testing, refinement, and use of new technologies and methods that can improve aviation’s environmental performance.

On a lifecycle basis, sustainably produced green diesel reduces carbon emissions by 50 to 90 percent compared to fossil fuel, according to Finland-based Neste Oil, which supplied green diesel for the ecoDemonstrator 787. The flight test was coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, and EPIC Aviation blended the fuel.

Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 N7874 (msn 40693) taxies past the camera at Boeing Field in Seattle.

Boeing conducts remote 787 testing

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle, Wichita and Charles) is conducting remote testing of its 787 test aircraft. Four of the five Boeing 787 flight test airplanes are conducting remote test operations this week. ZA005 continues testing from its base of operations in Seattle.

ZA001, the first 787, is taking a break from operations out of Edwards Air Force Base in California for a week’s worth of testing in Roswell, NM. This is ZA001’s second visit to Roswell. Last month the airplane conducted wet-runway testing there. Testing in the days ahead will include rejected-takeoff conditions. ZA001 has been on remote deployment to Edwards Air Force Base for several weeks, with a focus on takeoff- and landing-performance conditions.

The second 787 is conducting high-latitude and cold-weather testing at Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

The hot weather in Yuma, AZ, with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), has provided the necessary conditions for another set of tests happening on ZA003. Its deployment is expected to last about another week.

ZA004 has spent an extended time operating out of Victorville, CA, conducting flight loads survey testing. This testing measures external pressure distributions throughout the flight envelope. ZA004 is set to do testing in Glasgow, MT, after it wraps up its California testing.

Artificial ice shapes have been affixed to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizer of the fifth 787 to complete another group of tests required for certification. Ice-shape testing verifies the airplane’s performance in the presence of ice. Natural ice testing has already occurred.

The 787 flight test fleet has conducted more than 1,650 hours of flying over more than 540 flights.

Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp. One of the test aircraft, the fourth (ZA004), Boeing 787-881 N7874 (msn 40693) taxies past the camera at wet Seattle (Boeing Field-King County).

Boeing to inspect its Dreamliners and the horizontal stabilizers

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle, Wichita and Charleston) will inspect its test fleet of 787 Dreamliners for any faulty workmanship issues involving the horizontal stabilizers.

Read the full report from Reuters:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp. Test aircraft 787-881 N7874 (msn 40693) taxies at Seattle (Boeing Field-King County).

Boeing completes 1,000 hours of 787 Dreamliner testing

Boeing’s (Chicago, Seattle, Wichita and Charleston) 787 Dreamliner flight test fleet passed 1,000 hours of testing yesterday (June 17). The program estimates that the testing program is about 40 percent through the test conditions required to certify the first version of the all-new jetliner.

Follow the progress of 787 flight test at http://787flighttest.com.

Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp. Boeing 787-881 N7874 (msn 40693) passes the camera at Seattle (Boeing Field-King County). It will be eventually delivered to ANA.