Posted on 06/23/2009 8:46:35 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
Before the markets opened Tuesday morning, Boeing issued a shock announcement that the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner has been postponed again. The company cited a structural defect prompting "a need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft." Though Boeing chief executive Scott Carson is quoted in the statement saying that "structural modifications like these are not uncommon in the development of new airplanes," the issue appears serious. Adding to the impact of the delay is uncertainty: Boeing said it will be "several weeks" before it will even come up with a new schedule.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
As a pilot friend always quotes...”better being down here wishing you were up there,....than being up there wishing you were down here!!!”
And the author has *what* evidence to back this up? Sounds like he's planning to short Boeing stock.
I’m starting to have a little nagging concern way back in my mind about graphite airplanes ...
The 787 program is full of usless “managers”. Back 20 to 30 years ago when the 757, 767, etc. were being designed, project and program managers had engineering credentials and years of aviation experience.
Today, Boeing is full of program and project managers that have ZERO engineering or aviation experience but have that all important 6 week course for project manager certification or a cute resume of “consulting”.
It all went from what you can do to who you know and who you blow. Corporate yuppies at their worst.
Serves them right, that is what they get for building 70% of the plane OVERSEAS!
And too much plastic, way too much plastic.(composite)
I already know all the advantages of composites from racing experience. I just do not like its failure scenarios when it does go kabooey.
I wonder if they are installing some “reinforcements” with concerns about the Airbus unkown crash causes in the Atlantic?
65% of plane is manufactured across globe
Sure hope all involved used same units
Yup.
The areas affected are where the wing made by Mitsubishi in Japan is joined to a part of the center fuselage body made by Fuji, also of Japan.
Yeah, like I would ever be able to afford one of those seats. Lets see a picture of last class.
During a tour of the plant that question was brought up. Boeing’s answer was: “We give your country jobs so your airlines should buy our planes” ... and they do .... the downside of that is those jobs should be here ... BOTOH ....
This announcement is terrible news for Boeing and the US aircraft industry. It is unbelievable that a major flaw was not detected until shortly before the expected first flight. This failure may jeopardize the entire program.
How do they know?
“And too much plastic, way too much plastic.(composite)”
Many airplane designes use it and it works perfectly. The B-2, F-117, Diamond aircraft, and many others all use it without any failures.
Hey, don’t knock the MBAs. They know how to run any business. Just ask them.
(When talking about MBAs, the word “run” is always followed by “into the ground.”)
Mediocre But Arrogant.
Noteworthy Aerospace Ping.
I’m not at all surprised in the delay of first flight, but I am stunned it is because of a structural issue. I wonder if something major broke on the fatigue airframe?
Up until this announcement, Boeing has been running Gauntlet tests on Z-001, fully expecting first flight to be accomplished befure June 30 (which was Boeing’s stated target if first flight “in first quarter 2009.” June 30 is the last day of the first quarter.)
Only a fool would be shocked by this.
ML/NJ
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