Watch Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Perform Incredible Vertical Take Off Ahead Of Paris Air Show
The video shows Boeing test pilots pushing the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to perform an unusually steep climb. The pilots fly the passenger jet up into the sky almost vertically immediately after takeoff.
The test pilots, according to the Daily Mail, performed the remarkable stunt earlier this week in Washington ahead of exhibition of the passenger jet at the 2015 Paris Air Show to hold next week.
The angle of ascent demonstrated in the video is far steeper than what any pilot would normally attempt during regular commercial flights. But Boeing uses the opportunity of the test flight to show off the capability of the new jet.
After takeoff at an angle so steep that the plane almost does a backflip, the pilots perform other flight maneuvers that demonstrate the passenger jet’s agility despite its size.
Boeing captured a video of the practice flight and posted it to YouTube on June 11, 2015.
The new $250 million Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is 20 feet longer than its predecessor, the 787-8. Extension of the plane’s fuselage by 20 feet allows it to carry a greater number of passengers and freight – 280 passengers at 43,000 feet over a distance of up to 8,500 nautical miles at a speed of 510 knots.
Due to its efficient engine design, the plane consumes 20 percent less fuel than its predecessor, according to Mike Sinnett, head of product and development for Boeing.
“If you can save 1 percent of fuel burn in an aircraft then the airlines are willing to pay for it.”
The fuel efficiency of the jet is enhanced by its special light-weight construction. According to Stuff.co.nz, it is made up of 50 percent composite, 20 percent aluminum, 15 percent titanium, and 10 percent steel.
Thirty customers worldwide have ordered more than 500 Boeing 787-9s. The plane flown by Boeing’s test pilots in the video belongs to Vietnam Airways. The pilots will fly the plane at the 2015 Paris Air Show before it is delivered to Vietnam Airways.
Air New Zealand was the first airline to introduce the new passenger jet to its customers in 2014, according to Stuff.co.nz.
The 51st Paris Air Show will take place at the Le Bourget Airport in France from June 15 to June 18. The Daily Mail reports that airlines, military customers, and manufacturers will attend the air show, the longest-running of its kind in the world.
Russian customers will also attend, but Russian pilots will not be allowed to fly due to current sanctions against the government of President Vladimir Putin.
[Images: YouTube/Boeing]
