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Boeing Co. unveiled plans for the first test flight for its 787 Dreamliner as early as next week in a critical milestone for the overdue jetliner seen as the future for the aerospace giant.
Boeing announced late Thursday that the Dreamliner's maiden flight could come as early as Tuesday, depending on a number of factors, including final taxi testing, weather and clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The highly anticipated flight would come after more than two years of delay due to production problems that have pushed back delivery of the first plane to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways to late next year.
The Chicago-based company is betting the cutting-edge Dreamliner is the winning vision for global commercial aviation, as it wrestles with European rival Airbus for market dominance.
The mid-size, twin-engine 787 Dreamliner is the company's first new model in more than a decade. About half of the aircraft is made of lightweight composite materials, such as carbon fiber-reinforced resin, the company says, compared with 12 percent on its 777s, contributing to fuel efficiency.
Boeing says the Dreamliner will use 20 percent less fuel than today's airplanes of comparable size.
Boeing said that the Dreamliner is set to fly in a "window" opening Tuesday at 10:00 am (1800 GMT) at Paine Field near its plant in Everett, Washington state.
"We've already put the fuel into the airplane," Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach told AFP, adding that the operation occurred in recent days.
The first-flight date before year-end confirmed Boeing's latest calendar, as announced in June after a fifth delay in the 787 Dreamliner program to fix a structural problem.
Boeing launched the Dreamliner program in April 2004 and initially had planned to deliver the first airplane to ANA in the first half of 2008, a delivery now set for late 2010.
Boeing said Thursday it had completed the review and analysis of a November 30 static test on a modification to fix a structural problem on the side of the aircraft.
"I am happy to report that the program has validated the airplane structure for the 787 Dreamliner," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program.
Fancher also said that the 787 team has completed final gauntlet testing on the first airplane.
"We are very pleased with the results of this final functional testing. With the successful completion of static testing and this functional testing, our focus now moves to first flight."
Boeing is facing stiff competition in the commercial aviation market from Airbus, a unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.
Airbus is working on a new long-range A350 plane aimed at competing with the Dreamliner and expected to fly in mid-2013.
Boeing says it has 840 orders on its books from 55 customers for the cutting-edge plane, which it claims is the "fastest-selling all-new jetliner in aviation history."
United Airlines announced Tuesday it would buy 25 Dreamliners, as well as 25 A350s, with the option to buy 50 more of each aircraft.
Airline companies that have announced cancelled orders for the delay-plagued 787 include Russian carrier S7, Dubai-based aircraft leasing company LCAL and Australia's Qantas.
Shares in Boeing closed 1.07 percent higher at 55.60 dollars in New York.
The Dreamliner first-flight news was "soothing some concerns that the company may delay its latest forecast of executing a test flight by the end of the year," Charles Schwab & Co. analysts said in a note to investors.
