The 787 Dreamliner is heading to AirVenture next month and will be open for public touring for the first time ever, EAA representatives have confirmed.** **
The visit will mark the Dreamliner’s first public showcase in North America and will provide AirVenture visitors with the chance to be the first aviation enthusiasts anywhere to catch an inside glimpse of the new design.
With quieter engines and a structure comprised of 50 percent composite materials, the 787 brings a variety of technological advances to the midsize market. It boasts 20 percent less fuel consumption than other airplanes of its size, as well as a smaller carbon footprint, emitting 20 percent fewer emissions than similar airplanes.
Visitors at Wittman Regional will have the opportunity to step inside the airplane’s twin-aisle cabin, which can seat between 210 to 290 passengers, depending upon the model. At the Paris Air Show this past week, Boeing officials also suggested they may be looking at building a bigger 787 model that can contend with Airbus’s A350-900 and A350-1000.
With all its impressive performance stats, the Dreamliner’s North American debut is a long-time coming. First approved by Boeing directors in 2003, the company hoped to complete the 787’s first flight in 2007. A series of delays postponed the program’s progress, however, and the Dreamliner did not take to the air until December 2009. First deliveries of the airplane are expected to occur in August or September of this year.
Despite these delays, eagerness to see the much-anticipated airplane has not waned. Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the 787 either in flight or on static display should plan on attending Oshkosh on Friday, July 29. The Dreamliner is scheduled to arrive at EAA AirVenture 2011 at 9:30 a.m. that morning and will depart later that afternoon after the air show.
