Boeing 787 Undergoes First Battery Functional Test

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 07:55 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner successfully completed its first two-hour test flight using a redesigned lithium battery system.
The flight marks a step towards resolving issues that led to the grounding of the 787 fleet on January 16 due to previous battery fires.
The new battery system incorporates improved insulation and a containment/venting system to prevent overheating and smoke.
Boeing plans at least one more test flight before the 787 is cleared to resume regular passenger service.

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A Boeing 787 completed a two-hour flight on Monday in the first test of the troubled airliner’s redesigned lithium battery system.

The Dreamliner departed Everett, Washington, just after noon local time and flew along the Pacific coast into Oregon before returning to land at Paine Field. Afterward Boeing said the flight went “according to plan.”