A second Boeing 787 Dreamliner has completed its first flight, Boeing reported Tuesday.
The jetliner "took off from Paine Field in Everett, completed a two-hour flight and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle," Boeing said on its website.
"Captain Randy Neville was at the controls for the flight, with Chief Pilot Mike Carriker operating as co-pilot. Neville and Carriker took the airplane to an altitude of 13,000 feet (3,962 m) and an airspeed of 200 knots, or about 230 miles per hour," Boeing said.
Boeing's first new 787 Dreamliner made a three-hour successful maiden flight on December 15, with more than 12,000 people, including Boeing employees and journalists, witnessing the test flight, delayed for two years.
During that flight the Dreamliner flew at an altitude of some 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) and at a speed of 180 knots (333 kilometers per hour).
An extensive program of flight tests by six new aircraft lies ahead.
Over 50% of the wide-body, twin-engine Dreamliner's weight is made of light composite materials - carbon fiber reinforced plastics.
It can carry up to 330 passengers to distances of up to 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) and is expected to be some 20% more fuel-efficient than similarly sized airplanes.
Boeing launched the Dreamliner program in 2004. According to its website, 55 customers worldwide have ordered 840 787s. Russia's Aeroflot intends to buy 22 new jetliners. First deliveries are expected to start in late 2010.
WASHINGTON, December 22 (RIA Novosti)
