The following is the second in a two part report detailing the status of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program. Part one, which examined the progress of the six flight test aircraft was posted on Thursday.
After incurring two years of costly delays to its flagship program, Boeing is set to begin final assembly of the sixth and final flight test aircraft, paving the way for the first production 787 Dreamliner.
Major supplier partners have delivered the majority key structural components and systems components to final assembly for Dreamliner Six. With these parts delivered, structural partners are, for the first time, able to focus resources solely on preparing production aircraft.
Center fuselage integrator Global Aeronautica, for example, will have the first six production ship sets in its Charleston, SC facility by mid-March.
Airplane seven, which is slated for delivery to All Nippon Airways as JA801A in February 2010, will be the first major engineering blockpoint for the 787 program adding significant weight savings for overall performance enhancement, though the first block one production aircraft are expected to be delivered over the target weight.
Block one production aircraft are expected to be delivered to a mix of Chinese and Japanese airlines.
The second blockpoint for additional design changes and weight savings are expected for Airplane 20. It is believed that Boeing will gain significant weight savings by introducing structural changes to the wing and a revised electric architecture.
Suppliers have described the preparations of airplane seven for delivery to Boeing as more challenging because of the significant design revisions expected to be incorporated for the production standard 787s.
Much of the additional work stems from revisions in the original engineering as a result late design changes for production aircraft that will be incorporated at the first-tier supplier level rather than farther down the supply chain where they otherwise would originate.
For example, a program source tells FlightBlogger that the production aft fuselage sections fabricated by Vought Aircraft Industries is as much 30% different from the first six flight test aircraft delivered.
Several such changes will originate in the center wing box and wing tank fabricated by Kawasaki and Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan. In March 2008, Boeing revealed it would have to strengthen internal structural spars due to premature buckling.
Boeing announced at the time that Airplane seven would be the first aircraft to have that change incorporated at the supplier level, whereas the first six test flight aircraft required a retrofit to be added on the final assembly line in Everett.
In addition, to better enable the coming production ramp up and speed final assembly time, a terminal fitting was relocated from the wings to the integrated center fuselage section, though this change presented a unique challenge to the 787 supply chain.
By relocating the fitting for its first incorporation with airplane seven, Boeing found that the width of the center fuselage had increased causing a “slight interference” with a damage indicator panel within the 747 Dreamlifter’s cargo bay, preventing optimal loading.
The interference was enough to warrant a simple retrofit to the Dreamlifter that will be prepared in time for the first delivery expected in the second quarter. Boeing plans a service bulletin to address this issue across the LCF fleet.
As the program moves into production phase, FAA audits are being conducted to ensure standardization for type conformity of assembly and integration procedures. The aft fuselage for airplane seven, for example, will undergo a wiring conformity audit prior to delivery to final assembly.
Final assembly for airplane seven should begin later this spring.
Image courtesy of Boeing
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This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.