Boeing 787 Dreamliner will take first flight on Monday

Boeing delivers the first 787 Dreamliner on Sunday. The first one goes to Japan’s All Nippon Airways, which has been printing the 787 logo and “We Fly 1st” on its business cards for years. The new jet, which was supposed to be flying passengers three years ago, has been delayed by production and design problems.

Boeing expects to deliver a combined 25 to 30 of the 787s and new 747-8 this year. To meet the high demand Boeing has set an ambitious goal of building 10 per month by the end of 2013. No one has ever made a large plane that fast. The 787 list price runs between $185 million and $218 million.

Instead of the usual aluminum skin, most of the 787 is covered in carbon fiber, basically a high-tech plastic that is strong but lightweight. Military planes and portions of other jetliners have used that material for years, but this is the first time so much has been used on an airliner. The cabin is pressurized to the equivalent of 6,000 feet, instead of the usual 8,000 feet. That means air pressure will be closer to what passengers are used to on the ground. And without corrosion-prone aluminum skin, the humidity can be kept higher.

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