B787 Wing Box Redesign
For those who are interested...
From ATW;
Boeing redesigns 787 center wing box, no further delay confirmed
Friday March 21, 2008
Boeing admitted yesterday that it has "found the need for some improvements" on the 787, specifically in the center wing box, and that the fixes are underway for those aircraft undergoing assembly.
The company did not confirm whether the extra work would result in another delay. "It is a normal part of the development of a new airplane to discover need for improvements, and that is what we are experiencing on the 787," a Boeing spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement.
"Boeing is working its normal processes for developing a new airplane. The test process is working when issues are discovered and we are reacting appropriately by implementing normal design validation and fixes when we find issues," the statement continued, adding that "the center wing box issue has been addressed." The manufacturer said the fix is being installed on six 787s at its Everett factory, four of which are in final assembly. The solution will be incorporated from the start for the seventh aircraft and beyond.
The statement followed a story in the Financial Times in which a Boeing spokesperson acknowledged "some redesign work" in the wake of comments from ILFC Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy at this week's JPMorgan Transportation and Aviation Conference in New York. The leader of the world's largest aircraft lessor said the state of the 787 program was "not pretty" and that he anticipated a further six-month delay as a result of problems with the center wing box, which were unidentified. The Boeing spokesperson told FT that "things are more complex than what [Udvar-Hazy] said."
Boeing is expected to update the 787's progress and announce a delay, if any, in late March/early April. Two weeks ago, Goldman Sachs issued a client note indicating that some sources believed a further three-month delay would push first delivery back to the 2009 third quarter
ATW