Alenia Aeronautica completes ultimate load tests on Boeing 787 horizontal stabilizer

Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company, has successfully completed the “ultimate load testing” of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner horizontal stabilizer. The test has been carried out at the Laboratory of Structural Tests at Alenia’s Pomigliano plant in Naples in the presence of Boeing engineers. The test is a fundamental step as part of Boeing’s 787 certification efforts, and is key to clearing the Dreamliner for first flight. During the test, the stabilizer is subjected to the aerodynamic loads that could be experienced by the aircraft during flight in the most severe circumstances.