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Flight testing of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner continues, and some of the more dramatic tests took place recently at locations around the world. The airplane maker released a video highlighting three of the more unusual takeoff and landing tests, including dragging the 787's tail down a runway.

With sparks emanating from a device designed to protect the fuselage, the 787 flight test team performs the tail-dragging maneuver to find the lowest airspeed needed for the Dreamliner to take off. The speed is known the velocity minimum unstick, or VMU. VMU is something airline pilots will avoid, but it must be known to determine the operation envelope of the airplane.

Boeing chief test pilot Mike Carriker explains the finesse required to gently drag the tail of ZA001 down the runway as well as testing the airplane's braking system on a runway soaked with 50,000 gallons of water.

The video also features more footage from Iceland where the 787 team tested the airplane's crosswind landing capabilities. Because the winds in Iceland didn't last long enough, the Dreamliner will likely have to find another windy day to complete the crosswind testing.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced this week the new 787 will require longer than normal spacing between itself and other aircraft landing at airports. Because of possible wake turbulence issues, the FAA is requiring 10 miles between the 787 and the next aircraft behind it. Longer distances are normally required for heavier aircraft, but this could be a headache for airlines, because more spacing means fewer landings per hour at busy airports.

The FAA calls the distance conservative and it is likely the distance will be reduced to the same spacing as similarly sized aircraft once more data is gathered on the turbulence produced by the 787. The Airbus A380 also required 10 miles spacing early on, but that number was reduced to 6 to 8 miles. Smaller airliners require 4 to 6 miles of separation, depending on the size of the trailing aircraft.

Video: Boeing