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787 Dreamliner wing section passes test

Boeing employees clean a 787 Dreamliner wing on May 19, 2008 in Everett, Washington. The Dreamliner, the first new Boeing jet in 14 years, is being built in the 42-acre factory and is slated for its first flight sometime late in 2008. (UPI Photo/Jim Bryant)
Boeing employees clean a 787 Dreamliner wing on May 19, 2008 in Everett, Washington. The Dreamliner, the first new Boeing jet in 14 years, is being built in the 42-acre factory and is slated for its first flight sometime late in 2008. (UPI Photo/Jim Bryant) | License Photo

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.

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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.

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