***Editor’s Note – This is the first in a new series tracking the assembly of The Boeing Company’s first 747-8 jumbo jet.***
With the center, aft fuselage and empennage sections arriving this weekend in Everett, the early hours of May 8 will see the 747-8’s wings joined to the center wing box marking another key step forward for the fifth generation of Boeing’s jumbo jet.
By the end of last week, Boeing had moved both 747-8 wings from major assembly to seal and test ahead of tonight’s stub join for Airplane 1420.
Once the parts for the major body structure arrive for RC501, as it has been designated, the sections will be built up and then mated to begin the final body join and systems integration process.
The aircraft’s forward section is currently in the Final Assembly Integration Tooling in Building 40-23, where it will remain until it is relocated back to 40-22 for the final body join.
Boeing is targeting a mid-summer roll out followed by an early fall first flight for the 747-8 Freighter, according to program sources.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.