Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for first time

Boeing's long delayed new 787 Dreamliner prepares to take to the sky at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The Dreamliner took off at 10:27 am to loud applause from those gathered at Paine Field near Boeing's plant in the western state of Washington Photograph: Paul Joseph Brown/guardian.co.uk

Boeing employees watch the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet at Paine Field In Everett, Washington Photograph: Stephen Brashear/guardian.co.uk

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet taxis down the runway before its long-awaited first flight Photograph: Stephen Brashear/guardian.co.uk

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner accelerates down the runway while taking off on its long-waited first flight at Paine Field In Everett, Washington. The much delayed Dreamliner is made of a plastic composite material that can save up to 20 percent in fuel costs Photograph: Stephen Brashear/guardian.co.uk

The first production Boeing 787 takes off on its inaugural flight at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. on Tuesday. Pilots Michael Carriker and Randall Neville lifted off in the big blue and white jet on a four-hour flight over Washington state, beginning the extensive flight test programme needed to obtain the plane's Federal Aviation Administration certification Photograph: John Froschauer/guardian.co.uk

Boeing employees cheer as a 787 Dreamliner takes off from the runway at Paine Field in Everett, Washington Photograph: Mike Siegel/guardian.co.uk

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes its first flight at Paine Field, Washington. Cheered on by several thousand company employees and public spectators who assembled to see the historic flight, the jet made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic soared aloft in Boeing's blue, white and turquoise colours into the Pacific Northwest sky. An extraordinary sales success when the plane first rolled out in 2007, but a long string of delays had since then pushed today's first flight back 28 months later than the originally scheduled date Photograph: KPA/Zuma/guardian.co.uk

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner takes off on its first test flight with a small plane (top) at Paine Field in Everett, Washington Photograph: Dan Levine/guardian.co.uk

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes its first flight Photograph: KPA/Zuma/guardian.co.uk

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner lands at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, USA, after successfully completing its first test flight. The jet shortened its flight by nearly an hour because of bad weather Photograph: Dan Levine/guardian.co.uk

Boeing 787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker celebrates as he exits a Boeing 787 plane following the inaugural test flight of the plane Photograph: Ted S Warren/guardian.co.uk

Ramp workers walk under a Boeing 787 after it landed Photograph: Ted S Warren/guardian.co.uk

Boeing employees check a Boeing 787 Dreamliner after its long-awaited first flight Photograph: Stephen Brashear/guardian.co.uk

Boeing's long delayed 787 Dreamliner sits on the tarmac after its first flight and landing at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington Photograph: Paul Joseph Brown/guardian.co.uk