Boeing’s first S.C.-made 787 takes its maiden voyage

Boeing Co ‘s first South Carolina-made 787 Dreamliner lifted off the ground at about 12:04 p.m. today, a soaring achievement for the company’s North Charleston campus and for the state’s aviation ambitions.
The maiden flight will last about five hours, but the work leading up to it goes back years.
It accelerated down the runway, and in a matter of 10 seconds, the Dreamliner was airborne, seemingly without incident. It banked gently to the left as it gained altitude and could be seen headed southeast as it flew over the campus.
Boeing had been shooting for an 8 a.m. takeoff from North Charleston, but late Tuesday night it pushed the timetable back for undisclosed reasons.
The 787 took to the sky less than a month after making its high-profile public debut.
The company rolled out the plane on April 27, and cranked the engines for the first time ten days later.
Delivery to Air India, which ordered the plane and 26 other Dreamliners in 2005 but has endured financial and labor strife since merging with Indian Airlines in 2007, is expected as early as next month.
23/05/12 Brendan Kearney/The Post & Courier

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Categories: Air India May 2012, Foreign May 2012, New May 2012