Sat, Apr 24, 2010
787 Undergoing Extreme-Weather Testing In Florida
The 787 Dreamliner has begun a series of extreme-weather tests
at Valparaiso, FL. A special hangar at the McKinley Climatic
Laboratory at Elgin Air Force Base allows the airplane to
experience heat as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit and as low as
minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the airplane is stabilized at either the hot or cold
temperatures, flight test technicians will follow the Airplane
Maintenance Manual to perform the steps required to prepare the
airplane for flight release and operate under these conditions.
Sensors and monitors will allow the test team to determine if all
systems hardware and software operate as expected.
Cold-weather testing is being conducted first, with preliminary
hot-weather testing to follow. Additional extreme-weather testing
will be conducted later in the flight test program.
"We have Dreamliner customers who will operate the 787 in a wide
variety of environments throughout the world," said Scott Fancher,
vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing
Commercial Airplanes. "This testing is about ensuring that the
airplane meets the expectations of our customers."
A crew of approximately 100 people traveled from Seattle to
support the test operations on ZA003, the third 787 airplane to be
built.
The McKinley Climatic Laboratory is the second remote testing
location for the 787 Dreamliner. The second airplane in the fleet,
ZA002, performed a variety of tests in Victorville, CA, last month.
The testing in Florida is expected to last nearly two weeks.
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