First Flight of 787 Delayed once Again

Boeing delayed 787 first flight, expected to take place this week, again yesterday, citing "a series of relatively small areas" on both sides of the aircraft's body in the "upper wing join area" that registered stress levels during static testing that "exceeded expectations."

Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson said the manufacturer determined Friday that without reinforcing the areas, the 787 would have to be operated in "such a small envelope" that it "wouldn't be worth it" to start a flight test program that would "not [be] particularly useful to prepare the aircraft for certification." The company did not set a new target date for first flight, saying only that it will announce a new schedule in "several weeks." It did not say whether or how long first delivery to ANA, slated for the 2010 first quarter, would be delayed.

The latest postponement marks the sixth time Boeing has delayed the Dreamliner program and comes after several months in which top executives repeatedly insisted that first flight would take place by the end of the second quarter. At last week's Paris Air Show, Carson reiterated that the company was "absolutely committed" to first flight by the end of this month and VP and GM-Airplane Programs Pat Shanahan told reporters that first flight was "imminent."

"When we were at Paris last week. . .we were of a mind that the aircraft could enter the flight test program," Carson told analysts and reporters yesterday. He revealed that the "anomaly" in question first was discovered "several weeks ago," but until Friday "we thought we had a solution that would allow us to move to the flight test program."

VP and GM-787 Program Scott Fancher said there are 18 1-2-sq.-in. areas on each side of the aircraft that need reinforcement to reduce stress levels. Boeing is working with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which manufactures the 787's wings, and Fuji Heavy Industries, which handles the detailed design and assembly of the center wing box and its integration, to determine a fix. "We're talking about a relatively small number of parts and a relatively simple modification," Fancher said, adding that the solution will likely be "a handful of parts that you can literally hold in your hand that can be added to the structure to provide stress reinforcement." He noted that "several solutions" are being considered.

Once developed, the new parts first will have to be put on the static test aircraft and then on the flight test aircraft. Boeing will need to "proceed with additional [ground] testing" with the new parts before first flight, Shanahan said. Fancher noted that the modifications can be done on the initial flight test aircraft "out in the field" and will be done on all 787s in assembly wherever the aircraft is in the production process.

The fix will be designed to "be retrofitted into the aircraft," Carson explained. He added that while the problem is a "disappointment," it is "quite manageable," and Shanahan emphasized that "this is a structural reinforcement issue, not an issue with materials or workmanship."

(ATWOnline News)