Watch: Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 stuns world with eyepopping vertical takeoff.

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Hanoi: June 13, 2015: For aviation enthusiasts, this is a video that is un-missable. It serves as a reminder that planes, commercial or military, can do wonders and perform magic in the air. Not to forget those tiny humans, sitting in the cockpit, maneuvering these giant metal birds.

On Thursday, Boeing released a spectacular video, showing it’s flagship 787-9 Dreamliner performing a near-vertical take-off and then some really great gliding and swerving movements before returning to the ground. The video was a rehearsal ahead of the Paris Air Show where Boeing’s expert crew will be doing some superb flying.

The video starts off with the crew walking towards a glistening Vietnam Airlines Dreamliner, sitting on the tarmac. And then the camera pans to the side as the aircraft starts hurtling on the runway, preparing to take-off. Before you know it, the camera swings into the air, capturing the plane as it does a fascinating near-vertical takeoff (Why near vertical? I’ll explain later) into the sky. For a person, who has always found the takeoff a nerve-wracking affair, my mouth literally dropped.

As the plane rose into the sky, the front wheels locked themselves in and the aircraft got ready to do some brilliant manoeuvres. In the next forty seconds, the aircraft glides through the air, making some sharp turns and banks. The movements are all effortless and overall impressive.

Now, before you watch the video, here are a couple of facts about the aircraft. The 787 Dreamliner, according to Boeing, is a twin-engine jet that can seat anywhere between 250-350 people. It has a state-of-the-art flight deck and is designed as a fuel-efficient aircraft. Most importantly, the aircraft is said to be light-weight and is thus capable of performing swift manoeuvres.

As far as the near vertical take-off is concerned, this is what a 767 pilot told CNN: “Some of what you’re seeing on takeoff is a trick of perspective. It looks like the takeoff is at a near vertical 90 degree angle — trust me it’s not.”

He adds that under lightweight conditions, the aircraft is capable of performing steep ascents, and that there is nothing ‘dangerous’ about it.

 

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