787 Dreamliner wing section passes test

EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co., said a prototype 787 Dreamliner wing section has passed a stress test by a substantial margin.

The company put the 50-foot wing section to the test on Saturday. It broke, but it broke under force "well in excess" of test requirements, Boeing said.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires the wing to withstand forces 150 percent higher than it is likely to ever encounter in flight, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Wednesday.

Engineers now have to decide whether to go the extra mile and break a full 197-foot long wing, a test that is not required, the newspaper said.

"We haven't crossed that bridge yet," a company spokeswoman said.

Boeing released a video of the stress test, which is available online at goto.seattlepi.com/r1801.

Boeing did not say how much force it took for 55,000 pound wing section to break, fearing the public would have a debate on the number out of proper context, the newspaper said.