777-200LR Flight Test Journal: Archives

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30 June 2005

On remote

Ed Cogswell

Flight Test manufacturing maintenance manager

Preparing for a remote Flight Test program - such as the one we just completed with WD001, the first 777-200LR Worldliner - is quite an undertaking. It's all about preparation and flexibility.

Our first trip to Edwards Air Force Base with this airplane began May 11, and if the weather cooperated and everything went perfectly, we were to finish around the end of May and be done. Well, everything did not go perfectly. We returned to Seattle early and ended up making two more trips to Edwards to finish up.

It wasn't disappointing, exactly. It's just the way things go in Flight Test. It would have been disappointing if, when things didn't go perfectly, it had led to schedule delays. But our program is set up so that if something unforeseen happens, such as uncooperative weather, everything is in place to run tests that aren't dependent on conditions.

It sounds simple, but it isn't. You can't make changes on the fly. The airplane must be configured specifically for whatever test is to be run, and proper equipment has to be available and in place. This is especially challenging on a remote because it also means you probably had to bring the equipment with you in the first place. Planning is critical, because if something is not available, it could cause delays.

So, we start planning about a month before we leave. I start by putting together a basic list of what I think we'll need, based on my experience and the test requirements. I send that list out to the various team leaders, and they talk to their mechanics, electricians and avionics technicians and add their input to the list until we come up with something we think is reasonable.

But just because we want to take something along doesn't mean it's available. So, we have to make arrangements to have things shipped when they do become available.

Once we decide what we're taking, the next step is deciding how to get it there. Sometimes you can put almost all of the stuff you need on the airplane. That's the ideal situation. In some cases you have to ship some things, and that requires more coordination.

One way or the other, we get the job done. We also know that Murphy's Law applies. Even though you take along huge containers full of everything you think you could possibly need, you'll end up needing something that you didn't bring along. Therefore, we always bring along a top-notch expeditor who's responsible for interfacing with Seattle and getting those parts to us when we need them.

With the proper planning and with good people, remotes can run very efficiently. Often more efficiently than when we test in Everett or Boeing Field. We're hoping to duplicate that efficiency this summer in Seattle, and we'll talk more about that as we go along.

28 June 2005

Approaching mid-point

Joe Kranak

Chief Engineer, Test and Validation, 747, 767, 777

As we close out the month of June, this might be a good time to update the status of the two airplanes and of the flight test program overall.

WD001, the first 777-200LR Worldliner and the airplane that is doing the majority of the certification testing, recently returned from its third deployment at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Completion of testing at Edwards is important because it means that flight conditions where we approach the edges of the envelope are now behind us.

Top among these types of tests is validation of the aircraft's minimum controllable speed while on the ground - Vmcg as it's known among the test community. These tests are required for certification of all multi-engine aircraft. When completed successfully, they demonstrate that an airplane remains controllable should an engine fail on its takeoff roll.

Edwards is among the best places in the world for these tests because the extra-long and extra-wide runways provide ample space for the flight crews to "set up conditions," and there's plenty of room to recover following their completion.

For Vmcg testing, the 200LR is configured with ballast and fuel to simulate a normally loaded aircraft. It's positioned on the runway, and take-off power is applied to both engines. When the aircraft has reached a sufficient speed, the power to one of the two engines is "chopped" with no advance warning to the pilot. The pilot must maneuver the airplane to a safe stop without swerving laterally outside of a 30-foot limit on either side of the runway centerline. As expected, the 777-200LR Worldliner (and pilots) performed flawlessly.

Having completed testing at Edwards, WD001 will continue its demanding test flight schedule through the remainder of the summer around the Seattle area - although brief excursions to remote locations will also be required.

Meanwhile, WD002, which is primarily supporting marketing activities, recently completed a successful 10-day appearance at the Paris Air Show. It is now in the early days of a World Tour where it's showing off its premium interior, auxiliary fuel tanks and other enhancements to VIPs in government, finance and the airline industry. Last week WD002 performed static displays and flight demos in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Islamabad, Karachi, and Doha.

This week, stops will include Beijing followed by Hong Kong and Taipei. Upon its return to Seattle, and after its crew and support personnel reacquaint themselves with home and family, the airplane will undergo routine maintenance before beginning its assigned tests in support of overall type certification.

The pace at which both airplanes have been performing has exceeded all the expectations set at the beginning of the program. Here's where we are so far:

Both Test Teams have been performing on a par with the best championship-caliber Indy 500 teams. In flight testing, just as in top-rung racing, track conditions and weather can significantly affect the outcome. The best teams overcome the unexpected by having a strategy and plan in place to deal with contingencies well before the race begins.

Similarly, our Test Directors, John Corrigan and Kevin Caldwell, and their pit crews led by Pat Bairey, Ed Cogswell, Mike Davis, Scott Hagen, Dave Ingebright , Clint Johnson, and Dennis Quinlan have been able to respond to the unexpected and keep the program on track. Their pre-planning has prevented weather conditions, runway closures, and other unforeseen events from affecting our overall schedule.

As we approach the mid-point of the program, our energy level is only increasing.

21 June 2005

Conversation pieces

Jeff Perrine

777 interiors supervisor

When you walk into a 777 and look around, everything you see is the result of the work that my team does. We start from the bottom - carpet, seats, sidewalls, lavs, and galleys. That's what we do, and, for a number of reasons, it was more complicated on WD002, the second 777-200LR Worldliner that was shown off at the Paris Air Show last week and is now on a World Tour.

Teague, our supplier partner, did a beautiful job designing and building the interior, and about 80 percent of the time things fit pretty well. The other 20 percent, of course, kept us on our toes.

My favorite part was the section of Airbus seats that we installed as a comparison. They look cramped and uncomfortable next to the Boeing seats and should be a real conversation piece as the airplane visits cities around the world.

The carpet was a big challenge. Normally the carpet comes in 50 or 60 smaller pieces. For this airplane, it came in one big piece and a dozen or so smaller pieces. It was a lot of work, but the finished product made it worthwhile.

When work needed to get done on the weekend, our people - even the ones who usually turn down weekend work - stepped up to do it because it was our signature going on it. They didn't want someone from another shop working on it. We were put behind schedule several times because we were waiting for this to go in or that to go in, but it all came together and it looks beautiful.

It sure is a gorgeous plane inside and out. It really shows everything that Boeing has to offer, and we're proud to be a part of it.

16 June 2005

Pulling it together

Steve Morton

777 functional test manager

I want to share a little bit about what we call "functional testing." This can be a very interesting adventure in the flight testing of an airplane.

Flight Test always seems like a long journey, and sometimes you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a plane like WD002, it's an even bigger test because there are so many more things involved.

But it helped a lot that just about everyone on the team has been doing this for a long time. It's great when you're surrounded by people you can count on. And the communication regarding this plane was outstanding.

We were pleasantly pleased that there were no issues when we did the initial "power on." When we turned on the hydraulics, there were a few leaks, but nothing of major significance.

One of the memorable times for us was working with Flight Test on an Engineering Work Authorization (EWA). The test required an increase of 400 lbs. to the normal hydraulic system pressure. This special test condition allowed engineering to check clearances so as to ensure that their design would prevent contact with structure, even at extreme vibration levels.

It took quite a few people to orchestrate the event, but we pulled it off. I think we only found one issue that we ended up having to tag and work out. It was a big success for us.

Still, it takes a lot of resilience on a lot of people's parts to be successful. It takes a lot of patience when you're dealing with an issue and you want to get something done, but you can't, because you have to wait for someone else to do what they need to do.

Even so, it seemed like we were always able to pull all the right people together, to find the information we needed and figure out the root cause of whatever might be holding us up.

I made a special point to call the manager out on the flightline to see how the first flight went because I knew everyone on our team would be interested. There were only 15 flight squawks and nothing major.

One of the pilots even told me the plane wanted to fly faster than they would let it! That's the kind of thing that makes it all worthwhile.

14 June 2005

Interior focus

Dave Ingebright

Supervisor, Flight Test manufacturing, WD002

Putting a new aircraft or derivative, like the 777-200LR Worldliner, through the Flight Test program is intense and demanding for everyone involved. It's also very exciting.

My team is working with WD002, the second Flight Test airplane. The first airplane, WD001, carries the major load for certification testing. And although WD002 will not play as large a role in certification, my team and I will have an equally demanding job - with a different focus

WD002 is much more involved in marketing activities. Right now it's at the Paris Air Show. And when it's finished there, it will continue on a World Tour. This airplane will host media, airline officials, financial VIPs and government leaders from around the world. So everything has to be perfect - and it will be.

The interior of WD002 was specially designed and is really something to see. There are several high-definition monitors in an area reserved for press and customer briefings. There's a section of advanced interior accommodations. And to provide a comparison, there's a small section of A340-style seats on board to contrast with the roominess and comfort of the 777 family.

Even the ceiling of this airplane got some special treatment. It features star patterns and mood lighting to simulate sunrise, midday and sunset. Not only are these features going to be appealing to passengers, we hope they will also help eliminate "jet lag" on long flights.

During the past few months, as this airplane was going through final assembly, my crew and I met with each production shop and explained the special needs for the Paris Air Show and the World Tour. These are unusual modifications, but they serve a good purpose. This airplane is going to go out and help sell more airplanes.

It was fun to watch the team's eyes light up when we told them that. Everyone works very hard on each airplane that comes out of the factory, but people really get excited when they know that this is going to be a showpiece.

I hope to report back during the World Tour. I'll let you know how it all goes.

10 June 2005

Whatever it takes

Mike McGuire

Factory integration leader - derivatives, on special assignment to the 777-200LR program

WD002 arrived at the Paris Air Show this morning after its first intercontinental flight. It's an amazing milestone for this airplane, and I'd like to tell you a little bit about how our team helped make this a reality.

In the past, Flight Test airplanes have been known to get hung up as they go through our production line. That's mostly because the people working on them tend to focus on their regular jobs while the "special needs" that come with Flight Test airplanes get pushed back.

So, for the 777-200LR program, we tried out a new idea that worked well. So well, in fact, that we're going to use it again in the future.

Basically, we put together an "attack team" of about 15 employees from all over Everett. Top-notch mechanics and electricians. I had the pleasure of leading this team, and they did a great job. We focused on flight configuration jobs and let the factory focus on the production work. We basically made sure that everything that needed to be done was getting done on time. I don't know if we would have made our goals if it wasn't for this team. Our motto on this airplane basically became: "Whatever it takes."

We also spent time up-front integrating our flight test build plan with our production build plan prior to loading major assembly. Our industrial engineers and shop leads focused on all critical-path jobs to ensure they were completed on time. Communication early and often was the key.

This plane was especially challenging because not only is it a Flight Test airplane, but it features some special enhancements that will be used in marketing activities, including a customized interior and auxiliary fuel tanks, which will be used for the world record flight attempt later this year.

Our support team had a lot of work to do to define and coordinate engineering activity and its potential impact on our supply chain. WD002 had the shortest flow from fuel to first flight of any 777 and we met this milestone on time.

You take a lot of pride in everything you do at Boeing, but especially on a project like this. You watch the first flight and it's kind of like watching your child head off to grade school for the first time. And when you're driving home from work you know that this airplane is one of the great products that's going to help us win the competition with Airbus.

09 June 2005

Seeing WD002 out the factory door

Kirk Foster

Industrial engineering methods analyst

Editor's note: As airplane WD001 works through its Flight Test program at Edwards Air Force Base in California, we turn our attention for the moment to the second 777-200LR Worldliner, WD002. We'll be checking in with some of the people who made sure this airplane came together on time.

Putting together something as large and complex as a 777 is always a challenge. It's a testament to the people who work on the program every time one of those airplanes rolls out of the factory doors.

Trying to get a test flight airplane, like WD002, the second 777-200LR Worldliner, out the door elevates the challenge to a whole new level. You're mixing a bunch of changes and new requirements into the normal production system and trying to minimize the disruptions.

WD002's story is an example of what can result when the right people and the right plan come together. There was a lot of planning, a lot of teamwork and some innovative ideas that really worked well.

One of my main jobs is to help with the communication between the design and manufacturing sides. We build a lot of schedules to make sure that there is enough time between each step so that the job can get done.

The Flight Test Team did a great job in developing the work packages and solving issues before they impacted production.

It all resulted in the beautiful airplane we're working with today.