Facts About the 787 Boeing Dreamliner

1. Originally, the airliner was to be called the 7E7 (the “E” stood for efficiency), but Boeing decided to change the name to the 787 in order to stay with tradition. There were actually several reasons for the name change to the number sequence that the Boeing planes were famous for. The most obvious was that people are most familiar with the ascending numbers indicating when each Boeing jet was released (707 was the first one and the 777 was the previous before the 787). Another interesting theory (although mostly speculated) is that Boeing incorporated the number ‘8’ because it is considered good luck in China (as it translates to ‘money’). Chinese airlines bought a very large amount of the 787s, therefore seemingly backing up this reasoning.

2. The Dreamliner contains approximately 2.3 million parts, which have been supplied from all over the world. The Boeing 737 had only 400 thousand parts.

3. The size of the windows on a 787 Dreamliner are the largest of any airplane to date, measuring at 47 by 28 centimeters (or 19 inches high). According to Boeing, this makes the 787’s windows 65% larger than any other aircraft window.

4. The cabin is state of the art! Flight attendants and other crew members have the ability to customize the lighting in the cabin – they can simulate a bright daylight or a calm night sky. Even more interesting, the plane has no window shades! Instead, there is a dimming option for passengers.

5. An empty 787 weighs close to 117,617 kilograms. That’s the equivalent of about 29 elephants! The wing span measures at 197 feet (or 60 meters), the length is 186 feet (57 meters), and the height is a total of 56 feet (17 meters).

6. Depending on the model and configuration, the plane sells for approximately $146 to $200 million dollars. According to sources, there have been about 1057 total orders for the 787 Dreamliner (this includes the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 models).

7. Ever heard of Smooth Ride Technology? The 787 senses turbulence and automatically adjusts the wing control surfaces for a smoother ride. Many sensors that are located all around the aircraft constantly measure changes in angular velocity and pressure distribution. Controllers then take in the data, apply software algorithms and determine what actions should be taken next.

8. It flies at Mach 0.85, which translates to about 650 miles per hour.

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