Boeing Company (The) Commercial Aircraft 787 Dreamliner

The 787 Dreamliner features a state-of-the-art flight deck that balances commonality with the latest enhancements. New technologies are integrated while still maintaining a significant amount of commonality with other Boeing airplanes, particularly the 777. Familiar Boeing controls, displays and procedures all support shorter transition periods to the 787 from other Boeing family members, enabling efficient Mixed Fleet Flying. The 787 flight deck is furnished with a full suite of navigation and communication radios and avionics. There is nothing extra to select, pay for, or certify to qualify a configured airplane as "flight ready." Dual Head-Up Display (HUD), very large flat panel multifunction displays, dual Electronic Flight Bags (EFB), and an electronic check list are provided as standard. The wide-format displays provide a larger map and enhance access to information about the flight and navigation. Also, the new displays are programmable, which means future advancements can be easily incorporated without having to replace or upgrade the display hardware. Conventional Pneumatic Architecture Conventional airplanes use bulky and complex pneumatic systems powered by hot, high-pressure air diverted from the airplane's engines. This requires a complex system of manifolds, valves, and ducts to power secondary systems located throughout the airplane. This system requires constant monitoring and frequent maintenance. It also tends to be inefficient since the bleed extraction ports are sized for the maximum required loads. 787 More-Electric Architecture The 787 design eliminates the engine bleed air system and associated pneumatic system. This improves reliability and overall airplane efficiency by reducing fuel consumption and maintenance costs. The electric system improves efficiency by extracting only the power actually needed during each phase of flight. The 787's electrical systems are automatically monitored by the Airplane Health Management system, improving airplane availability and productivity. Airflow The 787's simple pivot trailing edge flaps allow for much smaller flap track fairings than on conventional aircraft. This gives the airplane highly efficient lift-to-drag characteristics that reduce fuel consumption and costs. In addition, the 787's simple pivot trailing edge has fewer parts for reduced maintenance and provides a lighter and simpler high-lift system without sacrificing performance. Structure The use of composite materials in the wing structure allows the 787 wing to have a higher aspect ratio (the square of the wing span divided by the wing area) than previous aircraft. This high aspect ratio wing design combined with efficiency enhancing raked wing tips allow the 787 to be one of the fastest commercial aircraft (Mach 0.85 cruise speed) while consuming less fuel than today's comparably sized aircraft. Advanced Fly-by-Wire The 787 wing and tail control surfaces are actuated by an advanced fly-by-wire control system. The term "Fly-by-wire" means that electrical signals rather than a mechanical system of cables and pulleys are used to actuate the control surfaces. A system of computing processors translate the pilot's inputs from the flight deck into control surface movements so that the aircraft responds to the pilot's commands. Used on commercial airplanes for decades, fly-by-wire flight control systems are highly reliable and supported by multiple independent backup systems in case of a failure. The 787's advanced fly-by-wire control system allows for automatic optimization of the wing configuration for the lowest fuel consumption possible. The wing trailing edge automatically adjusts upward and downward during cruise to continually optimize airfoil shape or "camber" for maximum efficiency. Normally used to dip the wing up or down to turn the aircraft in the air, the 787's ailerons will also automatically adjust to help optimize the wing during takeoff and cruise. This advanced fly-by-wire control system is also responsible for the 787's unique Smoother Ride technology where control surfaces on the wings automatically deflect upward or downward to dampen the effects of turbulence before it reaches the passengers. Laminar Flow Laminar flow is the smooth, uninterrupted motion of air. Turbulent flow is a more random and unorganized motion. Laminar flow is beneficial to airplane efficiency because it generates less friction or drag on an aerodynamic surface than turbulent flow. At the high speeds encountered by commercial airplanes the air flow tends to quickly become turbulent and cover the majority of the exposed surfaces. Incorporating new technology into the 787 engine nacelles has produced a design that encourages laminar flow over a larger portion of its surface than ever before. The associated reduction in drag reduces fuel consumption. Propulsion The next-generation engine technology of the 787 is provided by Boeing's engine partners, General Electric and Rolls-Royce. Boeing expertise and the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimize engine and airframe integration, minimizing interference drag and capitalizing on the full benefits of these technological advances. The GEnx and Trent engine offerings build on successful product families with proven records of performance and reliability. Each is certified for Extended Operations (ETOPS) "out of the box" at entry into service. The 787's advanced engines incorporate a bypass ratio of about 10, compared to today's engines with ratios of about 7. The higher bypass ratio allows the engine to be quieter for the community and significantly reduce fuel consumption. This lowers cost for the 787 operators and reduces emissions, lessening the environmental impact of the airplane. Chevrons on the nacelles significantly reduce shock cell noise in the aft cabin. The 787 engines are interchangeable at the wing. This minimizes configuration and systems variability and makes it easier and less costly to reconfigure, update or transition the airplane from one fleet to another. Such standardization and simplification increases revenue potential, reduces operating costs and gives the 787 liquidity and strong residual value. 21st Century Fuselage Construction Not only is the 787's extensive use of composites a major advance, but the accompanying technique of fuselage construction is equally innovative. Pioneered by Boeing, one-piece barrel construction method is available only on the 787. This approach represents years of research and development by Boeing into the latest manufacturing processes. Compared with traditional panelized construction, one-piece barrel construction offers lower weight and reduced maintenance costs. Advanced Composite Use The materials selected for the 787 Dreamliner provide the lowest operating costs over the life of the airplane. Selecting optimum materials means analyzing every area of the airframe to determine the best solution based on the operating environment and loads experienced over the life of the airplane. The chief breakthrough material technology on the 787 is the increased use of composites. The 787 is 50 percent composite by weight. A majority of the primary structure is made of composite materials, most notably the fuselage. Composite materials have many advantages. They allow a lighter, simpler structure, which increases airplane efficiency, reduces fuel consumption and reduces weight-based maintenance and fees. They do not fatigue or corrode, which reduces scheduled maintenance and increases productive time. Composites resist impacts better and are designed for easy visual inspection. Minor damage can be repaired at the gate in less than an hour. Larger damaged sections can be repaired exactly like today's aircraft, through bolted repairs, or using a bonded repair. Carbon Sandwich is a special class of composite materials that are fabricated by attaching two thin but stiff skins to a lightweight but thick core like a honeycomb. The core material is normally low strength material, but its higher thickness provides the sandwich composite with high bending stiffness with overall low density. Carbon Laminate is a composite structure that is composed of layers of carbon fiber that are impregnated with a polymer. On the 787, the Carbon Laminate structures are composed of strands of carbon that are formed into a tape that is infused with resin (like a glue). These layers are built up in layers ("laminated") to create the desired thickness and shape of the applicable structure and then cured through a cycle of high heat and pressure over a time period that lasts several hours. Other composites are comprised of various materials that, when integrated together, from a heterogeneous material with advantageous structural properties. Examples of this on the 787 include fiberglass and glass/carbon hybrid.