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Chicago based, Boeing announced today that it has reached a major milestone in the design of the all-new 787 Dreamliner. The team has completed 25 percent of the releases required for the program. This means that one quarter of the pieces of information to build parts and tools for assembly have been completed and released to manufacturing organizations for fabrication or procurement.

"We have seen tremendous progress by our international partners and the Boeing team working on the detailed design of this airplane.  Twenty-five percent release signifies that the largest elements -- like fuselage and wing skins -- are defined from the tooling requirements to the specific raw material elements."  ~Mike Bair, vice president and general manager of the 787 program.

The 787, scheduled for delivery beginning in 2008, provides passengers with a better flying experience and operators with a more efficient commercial jetliner. Using 20 percent less fuel per passenger than similarly sized airplanes, the 787 is designed for the environment with lower emissions and quieter takeoffs and landings. Inside the airplane, passengers will find cleaner air, bigger windows, more stowage space and improved lighting. To date, 29 airlines have logged 393 orders and commitments worth more than $55 billion at current list prices since the 787 launch in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the most successful commercial airplane launch in history.

Yahoo! News