Boeing unveils 787 Dreamliner amid order flurry

By Bill Rigby

EVERETT, Washington (Reuters) - Boeing Co. (BA.N) unveiled its lightweight, carbon-composite 787 Dreamliner on Sunday in front of 15,000 cheering employees, customers and suppliers, capping a weekend of hype and a flurry of orders for the new fuel-efficient plane.

The elaborate unveiling ceremony, at the company's Everett, Washington plant, gave the crowds their first full look at the mid-sized, long-range jetliner, which is Boeing's first all-new plane in 12 years and has already attracted more than $100 billion in orders.

Thousands more watched the event -- hosted by former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw -- live at Qwest Field stadium in nearby Seattle, and Boeing broadcast the ceremony worldwide on satellite television.

The gleaming, freshly painted jet was pulled into the main doors of Boeing's plant to resounding cheers, after an hour-long introduction involving live picture feeds on a massive screen from teams working on parts of the plane from Japan, Italy, South Carolina and elsewhere.

Apart from its swept back, upward tilting wings, the plane did not look radically new on the outside. But beneath the just-dried paint the structure is made up of 50 percent carbon composite materials and another 15 percent titanium, making it much lighter and fuel efficient than existing jetliners of the same size.

After the ceremony, the audience of Boeing employees, aviation industry VIPS and media surged around the plane, with hundreds congregating under the fuselage to reach up and touch the glossy carbon.

"I love it," said a Boeing wing mechanic who asked not to be named, admiring the plane. "I'm looking forward to flying on it."

It got the nod of approval from industry bigwigs too.

"It's a beautiful sight," said John Plueger, chief operating officer of leasing firm International Lease Finance Corp., the biggest buyer of the plane with 74 on order. "It looks very smooth, well proportioned."

The plane is not scheduled to begin flight testing for at least another six weeks, and still needs its internal power and control systems fitted and functioning. It also needs about 1,000 temporary fastening bolts replaced by permanent ones, which Boeing said it will start work on immediately.

AIRBUS CONGRATULATES

The use of fatigue-resistant and rust-free composite materials means air in the cabin can be more humid, leaving passengers less dried out and jetlagged after a long flight.

The twin-engine plane, which seats nine-abreast in coach, can carry 210 to 330 people in its three models of various sizes. Prices range from $146 million to $200 million.

The lighter weight and newly designed engines made by General Electric Co. (GE.N) and Rolls-Royce Plc (RR.L) mean air carriers will save about 20 percent on fuel costs.

Airlines have jumped at the plane after years of struggling to turn a profit. Boeing is rapidly closing in on 700 orders, and says a customer placing an order now would have to wait until 2015 for delivery.