Category: FlightBlogger

What’s going on at Alcoa? Removing temporaries causing damage?

“Working with Alcoa on a daily, hourly basis to get the fasteners we need. The set up puts out one wad of bolts at a time. Substitute (flightworthy) fasteners being used, they however add weight to the aircraft.”

“700something fasteners left to install.”

What type of new tests for 787?

Composite material testing. Standard certification testing is ahead of us. More electric architecture is being tested with really good results.”

Dominic Gates: Have you located everything you’ve needed to locate on Dreamliner One? What about damage when removing the parts?

“Not indicative of follow on aircraft. No worries about how follow on aircraft will be. Partners are focused. Under size fasteners used as to not damage structure.”

Carson:

“1-3 month delay would have little impact on contracts.”

Fasteners missing, how many?

“Thousands not installed or unavailable. Primary problems in wings and center wing box.”

“Less than half of flying is for certification. It’s for our own information purposes. Four planes flying by early 2008.”

Is the electronic tracking systems broken?

“No. All the digital tools have done what we’ve expected them to. The airplane goes together perfectly. We didn’t digitally simulate missing thousands of fasteners.”

James Wallace: What’s up with the documentation work? Time line for aircraft entry to the test program?

“You can’t do anything on an airplane if you don’t have paperwork. Fasteners jumbled up the way the airplane was put together. You can’t rush it, you gotta get it right.”

“Follow on airplanes will go into flight test program every two to three weeks.”

How do you intend to keep your credibility? (first A380 comparison)

“Tell the world exactly what’s going on with the program. You won’t know what you have to deal with until you have to deal with it. We’ll get this airplane in the air, and we’ll get to flight test.”

When will the supply chain be fully ready?

“We’re focused on modular build. 10-20 units before we get the work re-sequenced.”

Questions:

Flight test sequence for program?

“Unchanged, this delay is eating into the buffer that was built in to the program.”

Higher speed flight. 24/7 Flight test program to be expected.

What extent did the roll out add to current challenges?

“Roll out NOT a factor. We didn’t have a handle on it until it showed up in the factory.”

Flight Control System

To be delivered later this month. Working with Honeywell and adding resources to ensure that all challenges are met.

Accomplishments and Weight Status:

Static rig will move to 40-23 late this month.
Trent 1000s certified August 8, GENx coming alone nicely.
Some partners have already started work on airplane 10.
RTO brake tests goals met.

Weight production plans. LN7 will be on the scales at target weight next year.

Now open to questions.

Bair:

Major Issues

Traveled work
Two factors
1. Global fastener shortage
2. Documentation didn’t match what arrived from suppliers.

3rd airplane will be fatigue test. Delivery in October confirmed.