It's getting there

What better topic for my 787th post than the upcoming Boeing 787 aircraft.

It's getting there. I was supposed to by flying, well, now. But that didn't quite work out.

From the Seattle PI:

Since October, Boeing has announced three major 787 delays, but McNerney has said Boeing finally has a revised schedule that it can meet -- first flight in the fourth quarter, initial deliveries pushed back from this month until the third quarter of 2009, and 25 Dreamliners delivered by the end of 2009 rather than 112 as originally planned.

...

Shanahan said the wings of plane No. 1 are complete, and the forward and aft body sections are nearly complete.

The center fuselage section should be completed in June, and then power can be turned on to the plane by the end of that month.

It will be a "photo finish," Shanahan predicted, to complete the work on the first plane and meet the "power on" milestone.

... More

As the price for jet fuel continues to climb, innovative aircraft like the 787 will become more important. Lower fuel consumption will be part of it. But the potential for a much more pleasant flying experience may help people stomach the higher airfare the industry so critically needs to charge.

There are some great resources available on the Boeing website that go into greater detail about the internal finish, larger windows, and sleek design.

It may be a few years before I get to travel on one, but I'm still looking forward to it.

More pictures available here.