The B789 takeoff is just a marketing trick. It could be done with most commercial airplanes of today if properly prepared.

As low a take-off weight as possible (no seating, minimum fuel etc), higher than usual take-off speed and several automated safety systems disabled.

If you look at the video, you can see they reduce the pitch up angle to normal after only maybe 10 seconds.

No commercial airplane has enough engine power to sustain such a rate of climb. Thus they need to level off when the speed decays for not to stall the airplane.

What is quite spectacular about the maneuver is not causing a tail strike, especially since this is the longer version of the B787, the 900 series.

There are a few commercial airliners used to simulate weightlessness which fly extreme climb and sink rate patterns but do this at high altitude.

They are affectionately known as the Vomit Comet.

http://www.gozerog.com/

People are amazed to see this because normally no pilot ever does that. If they did, they'd lose their license and be fired.

Plenty of examples of demonstration flights where pilots take unauthorised risks to do acrobatics with commercial aircraft and end up crashing.

Most famous is probably the A320 crash in Mulhouse (LFGB).

Posted by Herbert on June 14, 2015 08:38

Herbert,

Also by filming from the front produces the impression of an apparent steeper take off in comparison to a true angle of assent if filmed from the side.

Posted by MoW on June 14, 2015 09:31

I agree Alan,
It is one of those few, very simple advertisements where the video alone sells the product without the usual sales pitch and you can also enjoy watching over and over.

Posted by MoW on June 14, 2015 16:52

MoW
and you can also enjoy watching over and over.

===

did you mean a quality XXX movie?

Posted by Sue on June 14, 2015 17:33

I took a closer look at the video and the pitch angle is maintained for about 8 seconds.

It appears as if they took off with flaps 5, which would be used only with very light load.

The angle of the video is also deliberately manipulated. If you look closer, you can see how the runway seems to be tilted downwards, implying the camera was tilted to make the climb appear even steeper than it is. Indeed just as MoW indicates.

I'm no professional pilot but to the best of my abilities I would estimate the pitch up angle was somewhere around 50 degrees.

Nowhere near "straight up" but significantly more than a normal rotation angle of 5 to 8 degrees.

As to the sales value of this video - well, non-industry persons may be impressed but your average Somchai rarely adds a Boeing 787 to his 2 bottles of Chang beer purchase at 7-11.

Those who actually do buy airplanes fully understand what was done, how and above all how meaningless it is.

Great publicity stunt for sure (since it was pulled off successfully) but unlikely to show any financial benefit for Boeing.

Industry professionals understand (with the exception of Al-Akbar Baker, GCEO of Qatar Airways) that tricks like this, delays and even crashes in the development of a new airplane are not uncommon.

Boeing Seven Late Seven sure has had it's fair share of issues but very few have cancelled.

The way the aviation industry operates ensures that whatever problems or flaws there are will be systematically sorted out.

Posted by Herbert on June 14, 2015 18:55

Manowar

is @Manowar your official Twitter account?

Posted by Sue on June 14, 2015 20:12

Sue,
At my age it was better than a XXX movie and a truly uplifting experience.

Posted by MoW on June 14, 2015 20:18

Sue,
No. I'm not on twitter, facebook or any other similar sites. Just Manowar on PW and of course as you know, used to be for Vogue.

Posted by MoW on June 14, 2015 21:23

Herbert,MoW ,Mr Editor

Just to clarify this was not at all any marketing trick and or ploy.This was flown by Boeings own very highly skilled test pilots as practice for the upcoming Paris Air Show where the plane will be displaying its incredible abilities.It is a truely amazing aircraft.

Bruce Orbell

Posted by Bruce Orbell on June 14, 2015 23:23

Bruce,
And the purpose of manufacturers introducing their products to customers at an air show is?
And the purpose of having cameras at specific locations, probably violating minimum separation distances and releasing the video to the public is?
And the purpose of positioning these cameras where they provide an enhanced appearance of how the plane performs and which serves no purpose other than an impressive video is?
So the manufacturer just forgot to place cameras at ground level and include some of this video?
No one doubts the ability of the pilots but remember that even when under manual control, a computer is still doing most of the flying.
The best marketing campaigns work because the audience don't know its one so the producer would be very pleased to read your comment.

Posted by MoW on June 15, 2015 05:36

What a slap in the face to Airbus who actually flew their plane into the woods on its debut. If it ain't a Boeing, I ain't going

Posted by The Flight Mare on June 15, 2015 07:05

TNM,
The Airbus crash was a typical example of over use, control and reliance on technology whereby the computer assumed a situation different to the pilots intention.
Airbus do seem to suffer from these types of issues more often than the opposition .

Posted by MoW on June 15, 2015 07:28

@ TFM

May I remind you that the Airbus crash was caused by pilot error. Boeing came within 30 seconds of crashing their 787 on a test flight because of faulty design.

ANA was a bit luckier and was not in imminent danger of a crash or runaway burn but that accident highlighted the faulty battery design of the 787.

Comments like those you made are infantile. Every airplane manufacturer has their teething problems and we need healthy competition.

Would you like to see a world with only one source for commercial airplanes ?

Boeing makes great airplanes and so does Airbus. Neither is infallible and both go to extreme lengths to resolve any issues there may be to make flying safer for everyone of us.

Posted by Herbert on June 15, 2015 09:03