Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner will finally take to the skies later this quarter following its move out of the hangar and onto the flight line last month. Fuel testing – the first in the next phase of extensive checks the airplane must undergo – will begin in the next few days, according to Boeing.

“We are making great progress, and moving ever-closer to first flight,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 Dreamliner program.

In recent weeks, the 787 (designated ZA001) completed a rigorous series of tests including build verification tests, structures and systems integration tests, landing gear swings and factory gauntlet, which is the full simulation of the first flight using the actual airplane, including all flight controls, hardware and software, with simulated manual and automatic landings.