Boeing announced on Wednesday that it has completed the detailed design of the 787-10, the third and longest member of the Dreamliner series, two weeks earlier than planned. The program is on track to begin major assembly of the widebody airliner in 2016, the manufacturer said.
With the detailed design completed, Boeing can now release for fabrication or procurement the information needed to build parts and tools for assembly of the aircraft. It expects to begin major assembly of the 787-10 next year, followed by first flight in 2017 and first delivery in 2018.
To date, nine airlines and aircraft leasing companies have placed orders for 164 of the 787-10, which represents 14 percent of all 787 orders, Boeing said.
The manufacturer officially launched the 300-to-330-seat stretched version of the Dreamliner at the Paris Air Show in June 2013. The stretch is accomplished by incorporating front and rear fuselage plugs that extend the 787-9 fuselage by 18 feet, making room for up to 40 more passengers. The range of the 787-10 is 6,430 nm (11,910 km).
Ninety-five percent of the design and build of the 787-10 and 787-9 will be identical, Boeing said. “With the 787-10, we are building upon our experience and the 787-9 design itself to create this newest member of the super-efficient 787 family,” said Ken Sanger, Boeing vice president of 787 development. “We have optimized the design for the needs of the market and are excited as we look forward to production.”