Boeing already has sold more than 1,000 of its newest passenger jet — the 787 Dreamliner — to more than 58 airlines all around the globe. But hopefully none of them will have to push the aircraft to the terrifying limits exhibited during a test flight at an air show in England last year.
Heart-Stopping Test Flight
During a six and a half minute test flight at the Fanborough International Air show, just outside London, test pilots Randall Lee Neville and Mike Bryan took the 280-passenger jet to the extreme, beginning with a spectacularly steep 30 degree takeoff. Standard takeoffs are at 10 to 20 degrees.
The pair than banked the 206-foot-long jet into a 60 degree bank. Under normal conditions, any bank steeper than 45 degrees is considered an “upset” that can lead to loss of control. The test pilots then flew the 787 over the air show’s reviewing stand while performing a -9 can roll, which rolled the plane’s wings from side to side.
To top it all off, they then executed a touch and go landing, putting the jetliner on the ground before immediately revving the engines and taking off again while banking into a hard right maneuver.
Here’s the unbelievable video:
Terrifying Test Flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Nobody Else on Board
Besides the test pilots, there were no other passengers or crew on board the jet during the test flight and Boeing officials said the exhibition “purposely put the airplane through maneuvers most pilots would never see in their entire careers.” Rather, the purpose was to show off how safe and capable the aircraft is.
What makes the 787 so maneuverable compared to other planes is how its built. It is constructed mostly from lightweight composite materials rather than aluminum. This makes the jetliner lighter and more fuel efficient.
More Passenger Comfort
It also allowed designers to make the airliner more comfortable for passengers because they could include double aisles, bigger windows and higher cabin humidity levels.
The 787 has a wingspan of 197 feet and a cruising speed of Mach 0.85, or 647 miles per hour, according to the airliner’s official stats sheet. Boeing would not reveal the jetliner’s maximum speed.
The plane has a range of 8,300 nautical miles, or 9,551 miles.
It has a maximum takeoff weight of more than half a million pounds and total cargo volume of 5,400 cubic feet.
In the Air Since June
The 767’s first flight was September 17,2013. It was certified by the Federal Aeronautics Administration on June 13 of last year after logging more than 1,500 hours in the air using five planes.
While most of the testing was doing privately by Boeing at the company’s Plaine Field in Everett, Washington, the UK air show offered a rare opportunity for potential customers and the public to see the jetliner perform stunts it would hopefully never have to do in real life.
The first delivery of the 767 Dreamliner was to Air New Zealand on June 30, 2014.