Final flight test 787-9 flies

The third and final 787-9 flight test aircraft, and the first to be powered by General Electric GEnx engines, has made its first flight.

Flight test aircraft ZB021 took off from Paine Field, Everett at 12:15 pm local time on Tuesday before landing 2 hours and 44 minutes later at Seattle’s Boeing Field. Boeing says it will use ZB021 to test engine performance as well as aircraft handling characteristics such as low-speed performance and braking.