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Boeing wraps up 787 test flights for now

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Only 89 minutes? Around the block only? The problems are occuring on trans-Pacific long haul flights. They should be testing at 35K feet for 14 hours. Temperature and pressure could be factors.

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Boeing should have all their own families on the first flight's before they return to commercial operation's and put the public at risk...to prove to the world all is well...

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BuzzBFeb. 12, 2013 - 08:13AM JST

Only 89 minutes? Around the block only? The problems are occuring on trans-Pacific long haul flights. They should be testing at 35K feet for 14 hours. Temperature and pressure could be factors.

Airplanes are usually tested by cycles, not hours, since few incidents ever happen during normal operations. The problems on the batteries had surfaced only after takeoff (within 15 min) and after landing, so there's no reason to assume that operational time is a factor. The two times, after takeoff and landing, also happen to be the times when the batteries are recharged the fastest, with batteries serving only backup purposes during the flight.

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Airplanes are usually tested by cycles, not hours, since few incidents ever happen during normal operations. The problems on the batteries had surfaced only after takeoff (within 15 min) and after landing, so there's no reason to assume that operational time is a factor. The two times, after takeoff and landing, also happen to be the times when the batteries are recharged the fastest, with batteries serving only backup purposes during the flight.

Good point ... so then why only two test flights? They should be testing and testing and testing until the problem re-occurs. Especially since it is apparent that they didn't test enough before releasing the planes at first. It looks less like a normal technical problem and more like a culture problem at Boeing. I know that's harsh, and I wish wish Boeing well, but in complex systems testing is everything.

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CraigHicksFeb. 12, 2013 - 03:25PM JST

Good point ... so then why only two test flights?

That's all FAA will authorize until they get back data and specify what they are looking for next... or perhaps their other investigations turned up substantial leads as to the actual problem.

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tiny-fibers-may-played-role-062302427.html

Looks like the second option was more correct!

Nantel said other factors under investigation include the state of charge of each cell and the method and delivery of that charge, contamination, electrode folds, wrinkles and pinches, "and the assembly of the cells and battery."

The NTSB is also looking at "the total design of the battery, including the physical separation of the cells, their electrical interconnections, and their thermal isolation from each other," she added.

Seems the plane isn't going to be going up on more test runs and it's just the batteries that are going to be grilled extensively. So many armchair JT experts kept saying that the plane is horrible and it can't be the problem, yet NTSB has been narrowing down searches to exactly what battery related issues are at fault.

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I have not heard. Did they locate the "bad" batteries that were changed out earlier by the airlines? There were more than a few. They were routine changed out before the first "fire" incident. That would be a good place to be studying.

I like the concept of this plane. The wife and I were due to go NRT to San Diego in March on one. Now we are re-ticketed on the 777. Other new airships have had issues at their beginnings. Hope the 787 issues are few and short lived.

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The batteries were made by Japan's Yuasa - what sort of explanations ar they offering??

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