Posted on 08/10/2007 11:25:56 AM PDT by Yo-Yo
Boeing has reportedly pushed back first flight of its 787 aircraft from the end of September into October.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer, citing people familiar with the matter, reports the manufacturer has pushed back the first flight mainly as a result of the complexity of installing and integrating various systems on the 787.
In particular it says it has taken longer than expected to get the critical flight control systems and software up and running, and communicating with the other systems.
Boeing rolled out the 787 last month. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney subsequently said that, while still aiming for a September first flight, the company had put contingency plans in place in case it slipped into October. He maintained that, even with a slip, delivery of the first aircraft to All Nippon Airways in May 2008 would remain possible.
The US manufacturer could not immediately be reached for comment, but the Seattle Post Intelligencer says Boeing would not confirm the first flight of the aircraft was scheduled for October.
“We remain on schedule for entry into service in 2008," Boeing said in a statement to the paper. "The pockets of behind-schedule condition vary. Since recovery plans are in place, our overall assessment is that we are on schedule."
Wiring?
Compatibility issues?
I’m surprised that the reason wasn’t the thousands of temporary fasteners that had to be replaced on the first prototype.
The components for the Dreamliner were delivered without critical prewiring done, and with thousands of temporary fasteners. So wiring and fastener replacement are most likely the cause for the slip.
The avionics should have been integrated in a simulation lab long before now, so I don’t see why they would have difficulty talking to each other in the 787, unless the wires necessary to carry that communications aren’t there yet.
All those USB cords with the different ends attached are infuriating!
Based on what I've read, that seems likely.
Most of the sections are to come to Seattle from their respective suppliers with all the sectional components (like wiring), pre-installed.
But the first one is delivered bare so the engineers can fit everything together and see if any design/process changes will be needed for full production assembly.
Makes sense. Especially on a brand new platform, with new materials and production processes.
One software office was using metric bits and the other was using English bits.
There’s a conversion factor or 25.4/25.0 they forgot about.
Ha ha.
critical flight control systems and software up and running, and communicating with the other systems.
no habla englais
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