787 first flight announced-again and again

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:58 am

Boeing has told Qatar and QANTAS that Z001 will fly sometime between the middle of November and before Christmas (hopefully in 2009).

The wing to center tank mod fix is being installed on Z9997 (the iron mule) and will go through testing very soon-more than that I can't divulge.

For those scratching their collective heads over the line # disparity, Boeing usually assigns a 9000 number to the structural and fatigue test airplanes since it's really doubtful the production will go that long, they built 747's for 40 years and the last 'straight' 747 was L/N 1419. The 747 dash 8 will start over with an entirely new set of L/N's and customer designators.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Sounds like some good news! FYI, I was not one jumping on the bandwagon of denigrating Airbus for A380 production delays. The salesmen are always more optimistic that the engineers! As much of an advance as this aircraft is over it's competitors, teething troubles are expected, and that is exactly why these types of tests are performed.

Quote:

CHICAGO, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) today announced that the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner is expected by the end of 2009 and first delivery is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The new schedule reflects the previously announced need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft, along with the addition of several weeks of schedule margin to reduce flight test and certification risk. The company projects achieving a production rate of 10 airplanes per month in late 2013.

"This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787's game-changing capability in the hands of our customers," said Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney. "The design details and implementation plan are nearly complete, and the team is preparing airplanes for modification and testing."

Based on the revised schedule and other assumption updates, the company has determined that the 787 program is not in a forward-loss position.

However, separate from the updated program profitability assessment, the company has concluded that the initial flight-test airplanes have no commercial market value beyond the development effort due to the inordinate amount of rework and unique and extensive modifications made to those aircraft. Therefore, costs previously recorded for the first three flight-test airplanes will be reclassified from program inventory to research and development expense, resulting in an estimated non-cash charge of $2.5 billion pre-tax, or $2.21 per share, against third-quarter results. This charge will have no impact on the company's cash outlook going forward.

The 787 team working the side-of-body reinforcement has completed initial testing and is finalizing design details of new fittings that are expected to ensure full structural integrity of the joint. The static test procedure that uncovered the issue will be repeated and the results fully analyzed before first flight is conducted. Fatigue testing also will be performed on stringer components to validate the long-term durability of the modification.

The first 787 test airplane and static test unit have been prepared for the new fittings. Installation is expected to begin within the next few weeks.

Boeing will discuss this announcement during a webcast starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT today. That webcast is accessible through www.boeing.com. The company will update its 2009 financial guidance in October when it reports third-quarter results.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:34 am

And I'm certain that AIRBUS is doing exactly what DOUGLAS did so many years ago, sitting back, watching and letting Boeing march out onto the parts of the map marked 'unexplored' to see what pitfalls occur so they can engineer around them as DOUGLAS did with the 707/DC-8 gestation period.

DOUGLAS made some key dimensional decisions to make the airplane bigger and longer and watched Boeing scramble to widen the 707 from 10 feet to 12, then have to redesign the wing size, Boeing didn't make any money on the 707 until very very deep into the 70's and after they had finally amortized all the engineering changes they made to stay even with, or just ahead of the DC-8 while the 8 was built much tougher than it needed to be, which is why 8's are still hauling packages and 707's are all beer cans and lawn furniture. I'm certain that Toulon knows the latest issues with the 787 as soon as Chicago knows, there aren't any secrets in this business-

I'm sure AIRBUS is profiting from the issues Boeing is encountering in being the trailblazer for the first large scale technology leap since Wilbur told Orville that the iron wing just wouldn't work-

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

I am sorry.., the A380 is not a technological leap?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:31 am

No it's not! It's just another example of scaling things up. From a structural point of view, tin is tin whether it's a CESSNA 150 or the 380.
The 380 is another example of what Boeing did with the 747, they scaled a 707 up to twice it's normal size. Don't believe me? Look at the wing plan and profile, the leading edge Krueger flaps, essentially the 747 is just a really big 707 and the 380 is just the same philosophy done with a french twist.
The 787 is breaking new ground in structures for commercial aviation, based upon the previous work done on the B-2. The 747-8 is the last tin airplane Boeing will ever build, development is already under way for the 737's CFRP replacement basing off of lessons learned from R&D on the 87

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

But the A380 is built of component parts from around Europe isn't it?
Something Boeing is trying to replicate with the 787, albeit globally.

How did you all fix the issue with the stringers?

Lockheed/Martin are right on Boeing's tail as well. (no pun intended) with their Skunk Works X-Cargo flight.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:31 pm

Everything these days is a global enterprise in one form or another. For example, the car built in the U.S. that has the most U.S. content is the NISSAN ALTIMA. Ask your Harley riding buddies about the factory installed front forks built by SHOWA, a division of HONDA.
Yes Boeing originally set the 87 up as a global assembly system, and now the chickens are starting to come home to roost.

The Italian unions will go out on strike because someone showed up wearing a blue shirt with a brown belt, but they all file back into the factory for guaranteed by the unions meals, then back to the picket lines. Why? Because they know they have a lifetime job and don't care at all about schedules-

The issue with the wing stringers (and I don't know much beyond whats in the press) was pointed out by Boeing to MHI over two years ago as a potential problem area and Boeing was told 'you no worry, we fix' another place where Boeing gave away the farm to someone who had never designed and built a wing structure that intense.

AIRBUS is indeed having parts built all over the place by partially or wholly owned subsidiaries of EADS all being financed to some extent by the respective governments of the countries of the companies doing the work, so if you are an employee of one of those companies I would imagine you are also some form of government employee and thereby prevented from taking a walk because someone showed up wearing a blue shirt and brown belt.

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787 first flight announced-again and again

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