Boeing Finalizes Design for New 787-10 Dreamliner

787-10 Artwork K66148-01

Just months after announcing the ambitious project, plans for Boeing’s latest and longest Dreamliner have moved from the drawing board with an eye on a 2018 delivery date.

This week, Boeing officials announced that plans to manufacture the newest and longest Dreamliner yet are ahead of schedule. Design plans for the 787-10 were approved nearly two weeks earlier than anticipated. Company officials say the quick progress on the monumental project is thanks in part to lessons learned during the design process for the 787-9 Dreamliner. Plans for the 787-10 were said to be an extension of that work rather than a completely new design process.

“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, Head of the Dreamliner program, of Boeing’s latest project. “Through our dedicated team and our disciplined processes, we have optimized the design for the needs of the market and are excited as we look forward to production.”

Company officials say the design’s similarities with the earlier 787-9 Dreamliner will also help to keep the manufacturing process on schedule. The 787-10, described as a “straightforward stretch of the 787-9,” will share 95 percent of the same build and design requirements as its predecessor.

Boeing expects to begin production of the latest Dreamliner in 2016 and the company hopes to complete a successful test flight the following year. Customers should expect delivery sometime in 2018.

When the 787-10 is ready for delivery, it will have a projected range of more than 6,400 nautical miles and promises to be 25 percent more fuel efficient than the aircraft it is designed to replace. Even though production of the 787-10 will not start until next year, Boeing says it has already taken more than 160 orders for its latest Dreamliner plane.

[Photo: 787-10 Dreamliner, Boeing]