Boeing News
Boeing 747-8 Takes Maiden Flight
The AP (2/9) reports, "Boeing Co.'s giant 747-8 freighter - the biggest plane the company has ever built - successfully completed its first flight Monday, a year later than originally planned." Over "5,000 employees, customers, suppliers" witnessed the flight, which lasted over three hours. "Monday's flight around western Washington began a testing program that will involve more than 1,600 flight hours. As pilots checked basic handling and engine performance, the plane reached a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet and speeds as high as 264 miles per hour."
The Wall Street Journal (2/9, B3, Sanders) reports that there have been few orders for the plane so far. Furthermore, even when deliveries begin, according to the article, Boeing will have to contend with an improving market that has grounded a lot of older planes that could come back into service. According to the Christian Science Monitor (2/9, Belsie), the "maiden test flight was almost certainly smoother than its economic prospects." The current economic climate is "a tough environment for manufacturers selling big new airplanes like the 747-8, especially with hot competition from the Airbus 380 on the passenger side of things." However, the plane "boasts some innovative technology that should win it customers when the international economy improves."
The Seattle Times (2/9, Thompson) notes, "There was plenty of pride and competitive spirit among those watching the redesigned jumbo jet's first flight. Many workers spoke of Boeing's rivalry with Airbus." Meanwhile, "some workers looked forward to a potential high-profile sale - one to the President. Air Force One is either of two aging 747s, and there was hope on the tarmac that the government would be ordering a few VIP versions of the redesigned jet."
Bloomberg News (2/9, Ray) reports test pilot Thomas Imrich reported "four 'squawks,' minor advisories that won't prevent the plane from flying again, Imrich said." The Seattle Post Intelligencer (2/9, Cohen) "Aerospace" blog reports, "Boeing's first 747-8 Freighter flew great and flew like a 747 in its first trip Monday, according to its pilots." AFP (2/9), Reuters (2/9), Wired (2/9, Paur) "Autopia" blog, CNET News (2/9, Terdiman), and Puget Sound Business Journal (2/8, Lamm, Wilheim) also covered the story.
