Boeing yesterday announced completing initial engine starts on the first General Electric GEnx-1Bs installed on a 787, moving the flight test programme one step closer to inducting the fifth out of six aircraft.
Fight test aircraft ZA005 completed the milestone test on 10 May, several months after the GEnx-1B wrapped up certification testing aboard a modified Boeing 747 owned by GE.
"This is another exciting step in our progress on the 787 test programme," Boeing vice president and general manager Scott Fancher says in a statement.
ZA005 now enters a series of ground tests ahead of first flight scheduled before 1 July, Boeing says.
Boeing is offering the 787 with a choice between the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and GEnx-1B engines.
The Rolls version, selected by launch customer All Nippon Airways, was the first to enter flight test. The Trent engine is installed on the first four flying aircraft in Boeing's airworthiness certification programme.
Two pairs of GEnx-1B engines will be installed on ZA005 and ZA006 to complete certification scheduled before end-year.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
