Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has won the 2011 Robert J. Collier Trophy for excellence.
The National Aeronautic Association awards the trophy to the air or space vehicle that represents the greatest aeronautic achievement in the U.S. The value of the vehicle must have been demonstrated by use during the previous year, according to information from Boeing.
The 787 completed flight testing and was certified last year. The first delivery was to ANA of Japan.
“It’s not often in a career that we have the chance to make history – to do something big and bold that will change the world in untold ways and endure long after we are gone,” Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement. “The men and women of Boeing, working with our partners around the world, poured their hearts into designing, building and delivering the 787 Dreamliner. It was a long and sometimes difficult journey. We’re deeply honored to receive this award.”
The Collier Trophy was first awarded in 1911.
Past winners include Orville Wright; the U.S. Mail Service; Howard Hughes; Chuck Yeager; the crew of Apollo 11; Russ Meyer and Cessna Aircraft; Burt Rutan and SpaceShipOne; and the International Space Station.
Built largely with lightweight composite materials, Boeing says the 787 is 20 percent more efficient.
Sixty customers have placed orders for 868 Dreamliners, making it the fastest-selling widebody airplane in commercial aviation history, Boeing said.
