Dreamliner set for First Flight on Tuesday

Boeing has officially set 15 December at 1800 GMT for the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner after receiving final approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration, followed by the flight readiness review and successful completion of high-speed taxi tests.

The US manufacturer completed high-speed taxi tests on the first 787 Dreamliner on Friday US time . This is the last in a series of functional tests planned in preparation for first flight.

“Our pilots told me the airplane performed beautifully,” said Mike Delaney, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787. “We’re going through and analysing the data to ensure we’re ready for first flight. From evaluations we’ve done so far, everything looks good.”

During the testing, the airplane reached a top speed of approximately 130 knots (150 mph, 240 kph), and the pilots lifted the nose gear from the runway.

Arabian Aerospace will be covering the first flight on Tuesday evening MidEast time