Boeing Dreamliner 'coming to life' (Part 1 of 3)

Seattle PI ^ | 27 June 2006 | James Wallace

[Yo-Yo]

I love it when a plane comes together!

[Yo-Yo]

Ping?

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

The other day I was coming off a drop when my $4000 composite mountain bike cracked.

Never seen that happen with an aluminum one.

I hope this doesn't happen to Boeing.

[Cinnamon]

Pong?

[Moose4]

Here's the funny part about that worldwide press junket. They took the press to the assembly sites in Italy, Japan, and South Carolina...not in a brand-new BBJ, or anything like that. Nope. They used an almost-forty-year-old Boeing 727-100 that used to belong to Andre Agassi.

And it broke down in Japan.

Read more here: http://www.bizbuzzmedia.com/blogs/flight_international/archive/2006/06/23/2663.aspx.

}:-)4

[Moose4]

787 ping.

}:-)4

[ozzymandus]

"Dreamliner"? Sounds like something from a 1930's car ad.

[Shermy]

One fuselage built in four places in three different countries?

Doesn't sound good.

[RonF]

Sounds to me like the first couple of 787s made should be used to freight 787 parts.

[geezerwheezer]

This airplane looks as though it will kick Airbus square in the a$$ ! Good for Boeing, and good for us!

[phoenix0468]

It may have been a defect. I have seen Aluminum frames crack under stress, mainly at the welds, which are a weakness in Aluminum frames. Composite is much stronger and lighter. I would take your bike to the shop and complain like hell, that really shouldn't have happened.

[Abathar]

I was thinking the same thing, I hope the whole thing was designed strictly in metric so that everyone is on the same "screen" so to speak.

[phoenix0468]

Honestly, the 747 is still doing that. If you've read news lately on sales the 747 still beats Airbus. At least the last news I have read.

[Turbopilot]

What's up with the "fixed trailing edge" highlighted at a couple points in this piece? The trailing edge of the wing can't be fixed, can it? I've heard of spoilerons for roll control but I don't see how this airplane could land and take off at any kind of reasonable speed without flaps.

[llevrok]

Interesting.

Boeing's HQ left Seattle partially over traffic congestion in the Puget Sound area (Renton to Everett).

Most every thing in the 787 will be flown to Everett, skipping I-5.

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Charleston, S.C., the fuselage gets assembled

South Carolina Ping

Add me to the list. | Remove me from the list.

[untrained skeptic]

Sounds like your bike had a manufacturing defect, or was simply not designed to handle the stress you placed on it.

Aluminum frames can crack.

I suspect that the plane's wings will be designed and manufactured to handle the stresses they will need to withstand, and will be routinely inspected to catch possible problems before the become dangerous problems.

Mountain bikes just don't have the same kind of critical design, manufacturing, and maintenance requirements. Even obscenely expensive mountain bikes.

Sorry to hear about your bike though. Is the manufacturer fixing it under warranty?

[Gorjus]

What's up with the "fixed trailing edge"

It's the part of the trailing edge that's not part of the primary load-carrying structure. There are fixed pieces which hold the actuators for the flaps, the flap tracks, etc.

The distinction is really about purpose - load-carrying or not - since it's not realy obvious when you look at a simple sketch. However, the next time you fly, look out the window. You can see the wing box pretty clearly, plus the parts that move. All the rest is 'fixed trailing edge.'

[freedumb2003]

I was at the Boeing store in Seattle the other day and picked up some cool 787 magnets (I collect them).