Boeing Finally Tests Their 787 Dreamliner And Redesigned Lithium-Ion Battery In Flight

Two months after their Dreamliner was grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, followed by the rest of the airline world, Boeing finally made it first test flight on Monday with its redesigned lithium-ion batteries installed.

"The flight was intended to confirm that the batteries work as intended for the plane's electrical system, including all backup systems and landing gear," according to Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel, speaking to USA Today.

The flight took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 3:11 p.m. ET and landed at 5:22 p.m. ET. According to FlightAware.com, the flight headed west to the Pacific Coast, south along the coast and then back to the airfield. The flight rose to 39,000 feet at speeds up to 517 knots, according to tracking by FlightAware.

"Following the completion of the functional check flight, we will analyze the data from the flight and prepare for certification ground and flight demonstration in the coming days," Birtel said. "The plan is to conduct one certification demonstration flight," reported USA Today.

Boeing still has a long road ahead of them to get their 787 approved for passenger flights and then back in the air, but with their executives admitting that they may never figure out what caused the lithium-ion battery to catch fire on an Air Japan flight, on Jan. 7th, at Boston's Logan International Airport, just getting to test their plane is a big step of them.

Even with this acknowledgement, Boeing is hopefully that the new and improved battery with more glass insulation between the cells to prevent overheating, a fireproof steel shell around the batteries to prevent a fire from erupting and a titanium tube to carry flammable electrolytes and smoke off the plane will be the answer the FAA and airliners around the world are looking for to get their Dreamliner back in commission.