More developments on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner show positive testing for how much weight the wingspan can take. In a planned test, engineers bent the wings of a ground-test plane using weighted cords attached to the airframe.
The load was 150 percent of what the plane would normally encounter, and so far, the initial results are positive. The ultimate wing load stress test, which deflected the wing upward 25 feet is a milestone for the aircraft, but more detailed results will be coming in the next few weeks.
Currently, the Dreamliner is waiting for certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The new plane’s wings are made of a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic instead of aluminum, which is expected to bend much further than aluminum wings, which most other planes use. Because of the material’ capabilities, the plane didn’t have to be subjected to a test where the wings would actually break – previous tests show that wings break at approximately 154 percent of what it would normally encounter.
