WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (AFP) - Key facts about Boeing's proposed "Dreamliner" 7E7 jet, 60 of which will be sold to Chinese airlines under a deal signed Friday:
-- The jet will have a cruising speed of Mach 0.85 (647 miles/1,050 kilometers per hour).
-- With a range of up to 14,500 kilometers (7,800 nautical miles), the Dreamliner will use 20 percent less fuel than any other plane of its size through engine improvements and the use of lighter composite metals for structure, according to Boeing.
-- The aircraft will be able to carry between 200 and 300 passengers, depending on the configuration.
-- The Dreamliner will be 56 meters (182 feet) long and have a wingspan of 59 meters (193 feet).
-- The jet is designed to have a maximum takeoff weight of 205,588 kilograms (452,500 pounds).
-- Boeing expects the first flight of a 7E7 in 2007, with the plane to enter service in 2008.
-- Boeing plans an "open architecture" interior design to allow for extra passenger space and facilities.
-- Engineers are looking at incorporating systems that will allow the airplane to self-monitor and report maintenance requirements to ground-based computers.
-- Boeing forecasts a need for 2,000 to 3,000 airplanes in the 7E7 market segment over the next 20 years.
-- Large parts of the jet will be made in other countries for assembly in the United States. Boeing is working with Hawker de Havilland in Australia; Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Japan; and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy.
01/28/2005 19:58 GMT - AFP