A majority of the primary structure is made of composite materials, most notably the fuselage.Ĭomposite materials have many advantages. The 787 is 50 percent composite by weight. The chief breakthrough material technology on the 787 is the increased use of composites. Selecting optimum materials means analyzing every area of the airframe to determine the best solution based on the operating environment and loads experienced over the life of the airplane. The materials selected for the 787 Dreamliner provide the lowest operating costs over the life of the airplane. This advanced fly-by-wire system also is the key to Smoother Ride Technology – unique to the 787 family - which senses turbulence and adjusts control surfaces automatically to dampen its effects before it reaches the passengers. Normally used to dip the wing up or down to turn in flight, ailerons on the 787 also adjust automatically to help optimize the wing during takeoff and cruise. During cruise, the wing trailing edge automatically adjusts upward and downward to continually optimize the camber for maximum efficiency. The 787's fly-by-wire control system is so advanced that it optimizes the shape (or 'camber') of the wing automatically to save the most fuel. Used on commercial airplanes for decades, fly-by-wire systems are highly reliable and feature multiple independent backup systems in case of a failure. Computer processors translate these signals and move the control surfaces accordingly to move the airplane. Instead of a mechanical system of cables and pulleys that move the control surfaces on the wing and tail, fly-by-wire systems translate pilot inputs into electrical signals. The 787 Dreamliner family features an advanced fly-by-wire flight control system.

3 deck airplane