Boeing Identifies Issue With The 787’s Horizontal Stabilizers

 

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Boeing Identifies Issue With The 787’s Horizontal Stabilizers

By Shane Nolan
 
 

June 27, 2010 – Boeing has recently identified a workmanship issue with the 787’s horizontal stabilizers. Some airplanes have issues with improperly installed shims and the torque of associated fasteners. This finding requires inspection of all airplanes and rework if discrepancies are found.

An inspection and rework plan already is implemented for airplanes in production. For those airplanes requiring rework, Boeing expects it will take up to eight days for each airplane.

“It is not unusual for these issues to arise in the course of production programs they are identified, dispositioned and dealt with through our normal processes. Reports that the fleet is “grounded” are incorrect”.

 

Boeing has made the decision to inspect the horizontal stabilizers on all flight test airplanes before their next flights to ensure any rework is completed as quickly as possible. Inspections are expected to take one to two days.

Boeing expects that this issue will be addressed within the existing program schedule and the 787 remains on track for first delivery to ANA by the end of this year. All Nippon Airways also known as Zennikkū or ANA which is the second largest airlines in Japan.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long range, mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It seats 210 to 330 passengers, depending on variant. Boeing states that it is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction. Its development has involved a large-scale collaboration with numerous suppliers.

On January 28, 2005, the aircraft's initial designation 7E7 was changed to 787. Early released concept images depicted a radical design with highly curved surfaces. On April 26, 2005, a year after the launch of the program, the final and more conventional external 787 design was set.

 
Boeing unveiled its first 787 in a roll-out ceremony on July 8, 2007, at its Everett assembly factory, by which time it had become the fastest-selling wide-body airliner in history with nearly 600 orders. By April 2010, 866 Boeing 787s had been ordered by 56 customers.

The aircraft was originally scheduled to enter service in May 2008, but production had been delayed multiple times, and in August 2009, the scheduled service entry date was pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2010. The aircraft's maiden flight, originally planned for August 2007, took place on December 15, 2009 in the Seattle area. The 787 is currently undergoing flight testing with a goal of receiving its type certificate in late 2010.

 

 
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