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Inside and outside Boeing's 787-10

Boeing's new 787-10 had its world premiere at the Paris Air Show. Climb aboard with CNET to experience this strikingly modern aircraft.

Kent German
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
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Boeing's 787-10, the newest member of the company's Dreamliner family, made its world debut at the Paris Air Show this week. 

Visible here are airliner's raked wings, which are a 787 signature feature. The wingtip in the lower right is from Boeing's other new aircraft, the 737 Max 9.

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The wings offered some shade from a boiling hot French sun. 

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Another feature of the Dreamliner is its blunted nose. The 787-10 wiil be built solely at Boeing's factory in Charleston, South Carolina.

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The 787-10 is 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer than the 787-9, letting it carry 40 additional passengers in a typical configuration and 15 percent more cargo.

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The original Dreamliner, the 787-8, first flew in 2009. This aircraft rolled out of the Boeing factory last February and took to the skies for the first time in March.

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An airstair gave access to the cabin and a bit of relief from the sun.

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As with most aircraft, the 787-10's doors open outward.

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Looking down the fuselage gives a great view of the full sweep of the aircraft.

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The 787-10's modern cockpit.

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LCD displays show flight information.

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Pilots guide the airplane using the control columns at each seat.

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The panel between the seats is a mass of buttons and switches.

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Throttles control the aircraft's twin engines.

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As a test aircraft, the first 787-10 isn't like a typical passenger airplane on the on the inside. Bare walls and temporary ceiling panels line the cabin.

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There are some simple passenger seats for observers and technicians who accompany the test flights. When the real seats are installed, the 787-10 will be able to carry between 330 and 440 passengers.

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Much of the interior is given over to instruments that monitor and record flying conditions. 

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Another big feature of a test aircraft are large water tanks that simulate the weight of a full load of passengers, crew and cargo. 

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One set of tanks sits in the forward part of the fuselage while another set is placed in the rear. As the plane flies, water is pumped between the tanks to simulate shifting weight.

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This aircraft is about a third of the way through its testing program.

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Another 787 feature are the electronically controlled window shades. Using the button below each window, a passenger can dim the shade partway to block a bright sun or turn it completely dark for a night flight. The cabin crew can adjust all shades remotely.

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The 787's windows are larger than those of most other commercial aircraft flying.

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On the very back of the 787, just below the vertical stabilizer (or tail), is the auxiliary power unit, or APU. It powers the aircraft when the engines aren't running and is used to start the engines before flight.

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The 787-10's fuselage towers overhead. Like all Dreamliners, the 787-10 is made of composite materials

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The tail is painted to show the "10" designation.

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Each main landing gear has four tires.

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The 787-10 can be equipped with two engines types: Rolls-Royce's Trent 1000 TEN or General Electrics GEnx-1B.

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The scalloped edges of the engine cowlings help reduce noise.

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From behind you can almost see through the engine.

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The 787-10 should begin flying with launch customer Singapore Airlines next year.

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That's it from the 787-10. May you fly in one soon!

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