Boeing 787 touches down

FARNBOROUGH, England – Boeing Co.’s long-anticipated 787 jet touched down on British soil yesterday, tipping its wings to the crowd and building buzz at the Farnborough International Airshow, the industry’s premier event.The arrival of the blue-and-white 787 after years of delay underlined hopes that the two-year downturn in the aviation and defense industry is nearing a bottom. Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney claimed that the 787 would be “the way planes are going to be built for the next 80 years”.In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today’s similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today’s fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity. Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience. Boeing has announced that as much as 50 percent of the primary structure – including the fuselage and wing – on the 787 will be made of composite materials. (AP/Boeing.com)