Boeing has got some major swag to show off at this year's Paris Air Show with its new Dreamliner 787-9.
Ahead of the annual industry showcase to kick off on June 15, Boeing released a rehearsal video of its latest addition to its Dreamliner 787 line of sleek, fuel-efficient airplanes.
The video, which Boeing says was filmed over Moses Lake in Washington, shows the passenger jet taking off from the runway at an angle so steep it looks like it's taking off at a vertical angle. From the inside, you'd probably grip the sides of your seat in fear as the Dreamliner defies gravity. From the outside, you'd probably drop your jaw at the sight.
The pilots of the Vietnam Airlines plane then go on to flaunt the Dreamliner's "technical maneuvers," making precipitous dips and banks in mid-air so smoothly, as though it was easy as pie to do such a thing.
The video is certainly a feast for the eyes for all who care about aviation, but at least one expert thinks the vertical takeoff is simply a trick of the eye. Patrick Smith, a Boeing 767 pilot and blogger at AskThePilot.com, says a mere 20-degree angle at takeoff is already "pretty strong" with passengers on board. The nearly vertical angle of the Dreamliner seems pretty impossible.
"Some of what you're seeing on takeoff is a trick of perspective," Smith tells CNN. "It looks like the takeoff is at a near vertical 90-degree angle - trust me, it's not."
Smith acknowledges that the plane likely had a steeper than normal ascent since it presumably had no passengers, a light fuel load and no freight, "but not to the extent the video seems to show," he says. Still, he says performing such a feat is "perfectly natural" and "nothing dangerous," as long as the plane is carrying a light weight and if done only for demonstration purposes.
"If they're pushing the envelope and having fun, they might be going a bit past what the command bars are showing," he says," but just temporarily - again, it's the Paris Air Show!"
This isn't the first time Boeing posted videos of the Dreamliner 787-9 making such eye-popping ascents. Last year, Boeing shared a video of the jet making another nearly vertical takeoff during a rehearsal for the Farnborough Airshow.
Boeing boasts of its Dreamliner line as its competitor to the Airbus A330. The Dreamliner 787-9, in particular, has a fuselage stretched up to six meters to accommodate more passengers and cargo while maintaining 20 percent more fuel efficiency over other airplanes.
