Catchup blog post: Boeing Future of Flight

[theducks]

A preface.. a week or two ago, Boeing rolled out the first 787-8f. I wasn't a fan of the livery, and said so on twitter. The twitter rep for Boeing's Future of Flight noticed this, and invited me down to have a look at it in person, and take the tour of the factory, for free *Squee* :D

So we rented a car, and lizbyrd and her parents and I headed off down there.

Well, back up a second. I rented a Red, 3.5L V6 Dodge Charger. It was a freakin' awesome car, with only 2400kms on the clock (we did another 380kms). Shame it was raining most of the day. Second hand prices aren't too bad either. Hmm! :D

I went on the tour in 1999 with my mum, but I didn't have the plane-nerd background I do now, so I knew this was going to be different. Also, we almost got crashed into in a high speed car chase back in 1999, which fortunately didn't happen this time. The whole concept of being able to drive to another country for a day trip is cool. Back in 1999, they had a small shop in the middle of a parking lot. They now have a huge exhibition center + store. The exhibition center has all sorts of cool stuff to walk up to and touch and feel, such as a 747 tail, GE90 engine, a 787 carbon fibre re-enforced plastic section 41-43 or so and a 727 cockpit.

The tour starts in the 747 assembly hall, where they were making line number 2 - 6 of the 747-8f. I was reminded once again just how amazingly complex building a plane is. And that building is something else.. it's huge, and contains a mix of offices and assembly areas and cafeterias. I'd kind of like to work there, much in the same way that as a concept, working in an Apple store would be cool. You then hop back in the bus and go onto the 777/787 production area. Also interesting to see.

All up on the tour, I saw:

• N787EX - First 787 (as well as the next 12 or so in production)


• N7808A - First 747 Dreamlifter


• N747EX - First 747-8f (as well as the next 6 in various stages of production)


• A6-ECX - New 777-300 delivery flight for Emirates


• .. and some other stuff

So I've now seen the first 737, 747, 757 and 787. The first 727 is also at the Paine Field Airport, but I didn't see it. Eventually I'll see it and the first 707..

All up, good fun.

Comments

[tygati.livejournal.com]

I know nothing of planes, I only know I love to fly. ^__^ Lucky trip, though!

[lizbyrd.livejournal.com]

Hang around here long enough and you'll pick up all kinds of random plane info, I assure you. /o\

[velithya]

ahahaha

[funjon.livejournal.com]

If you count the 367-80 (Dash-80, the prototype 707) as the first, it is at the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Dulles Field in DC. Not only have I seen it (three times!), I've touched it! :)

[theducks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd really like to go to the Udvar-Hazy annex :) Maybe next year we'll head out to DC at some point

And yes, I count the 367-80 as the first 707 :)

[velithya]

Nice work on the free tour! Guess you got to see the factory after all eh :)