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Rudder of Boeing 787 made in China |
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14:32, July 12, 2007 |
Fourteen years after the launch of the Boeing 777 in 1993, Boeing's newest aircraft - the 787 "Dreamliner"- took off from Seattle, in the United States, at 6:30 pm Beijing time on July 9th.
Chinese passengers will be able to experience the 787 "Dreamliner" in China as soon as next year.
50 percent of the plane is made of synthetic materials
Boeing 787 productions began in 2006, underwent assembly and testing in 2007, and will be certified, delivered, and ready for operation in 2008. Although it is not available for public display; the 787 "Dreamliner" has received a large number of orders from the Boeing Company.
Despite the difference in the upward-inclined wing, the Boeing 787 is not very different from other aircraft in appearance. In fact, it contains a lot of important technical innovations. Fifty percent of the main structure of this aircraft, both the fuselage and wings, consists of carbon fiber composite materials, instead of the traditional aluminum; 15 percent of the structure is made of titanium. It is the first civil jetliner made of carbon fiber composite materials. This construction makes the Boeing 787 lighter and capable of bearing more corrosion than similar models of aircraft.
Moreover, the Boeing 787 is 20 percent more fuel efficient than similar models of aircraft when it makes long distance flights. Therefore, its use will also greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Dreamliner" aircraft's rudder made in China
Chinese aircraft manufacturers played an important role in the production of the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner". The first "Dreamliner" aircraft's rudders, fuselage fairing and leading edge of the vertical tail, were all made in China. At the end of last year, the Harbin Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company, the HaFei Group, was officially recognized as the world's sole supplier for Boeing 787 fuselage fairing; and it will take the responsibility of supplying these products from 2007 to 2021. On February 2nd of this year, HaFei's first Boeing 787 fuselage fairing was delivered to the Boeing Company.
Boeing has also signed a production contract for Boeing 787 composite material rudders, 737 aircraft front boarding gates, and automatic emergency exits on aircraft wings, with the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co.LTD.(CAC), of China's Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I). At the end of last month, the world's first Boeing 787 aircraft rudder was completed by the CAC and was delivered to the American Boeing company. This rudder is now the largest civilian aircraft composite material part produced by China. It is 10.7 meters long and 3 meters wide. In addition to China, many other countries including Japan and Canada are involved in the manufacture of the Boeing 787.
Chinese passengers can experience the aircraft next year
The Boeing 787 aircraft will begin initial trial flights in late August or September. China's airlines have ordered 60 aircrafts that will be delivered and put into use next year. Liu Xian, chief pilot of China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. (CSN), said that CSN's first 787 aircraft will be used in August 2008; and it is expected to fly along domestic routes to Guangzhou, Shenyang, Urumchi, as well as along intercontinental routes.
The Boeing 787 is a medium size aircraft. There are three models of this aircraft, for medium and long distance flights; carrying 210 to 330 passengers; and with a price range of US$146 million to US$200 million. Recently, the total number of orders, globally, of the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" reached 677, which makes the aircraft one of the most successful new models. The date of delivery has been set for 2015.
By People's Daily Online
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