Boeing 787 Update - Why ZA001 & ZA002 Are Currently Stored At Palmdale, Their Fate, And Now, New ZA003 Information.

ZA001 & ZA002 Photo Courtesy Joshua Trujillo, SEATTLEPI.COM

Were you curious about the fate of 787 prototypes ZA001 and ZA002 and why they are currently in storage at Palmdale, California (PMD)?  We were too, so we did some investigative reporting, and after some poking around and some generous bribes, we finally got an answer to the fate of both aircraft (and as a bonus, the fate of ZA003, as well) from our new "Man on The Inside." 

"The 787’s are here for storage purposes. The aircraft sitting on Stall 2 is the first 787 built and flown, ZA001. It is the one with the Boeing livery paint scheme. The other one that we just moved, (ANA Airlines) was on Stall 1. It is the 2nd aircraft built (ZA002) and flown. Both are the Dash-8 models. We brought them here since we ran out of room at Everett and North Boeing Field to store them. So we relocated them here for about 8-12 months. We also needed the Rolls Royce engines off these two airframes, since we needed more testing and Dreamliner World Tour sales support spares for ZA003 (3rd 787). Once we can get another set of engines back (hopefully in Aug-Sep), we will hang them on the 1st aircraft and fly it back to Seattle for some big party up there. Once they are done with that, that airframe will be flown to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. for the museum. 

ZA002, the ANA bird, will eventually be sent to the Tokyo Museum of Flight for eternal display.  

ZA003, once it completes the World Tour, (after Farnborough), will return to Seattle and be decommissioned and put in the Boeing Museum of Flight at North Boeing Field." 

Remember, you read it here first, folks.  We may celebrate all things Totally Jacked Up, but we also keep our ear to the ground for interesting news.

Darryl Bustamante, President and CEO Totally Jacked Up Aircraft Photos