Boeing 787 Dreamliner

[Dodicicilindri]

Il 787 supera i 900 ordini:

Boeing has surpassed the 900 order mark for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner program, the company says.

The airframer added 15 additional 787 Dreamliners to its 2008 order book, bringing the total to 910 firm orders. The order is attributed to an unidentified customer and is listed on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website.

A Boeing spokeswoman indicated the order is for a new customer, bringing the total to 59. The variant of 787 was not specified.

The updated order total also reflects 2 new 777 for an unidentified customer.

The 787 Dreamliner is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2010.

fonte: flightglobal.com

C'è anche il logo celebrativo:

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Sono solo voci riportate da un blog del settore (anche se in altri casi tali voci si sono rivelate fondate), ma sembra che la reale causa dei ritardi accusati dal 787 sia la delaminazione dell'ala in fibra di carbonio:

What's up with this wing delamination claim?

Yesteday, Boeing cited two causes to explain the latest 787 delay:

The new schedule reflects the impact of disruption caused by the recent Machinists' strike along with the requirement to replace certain fasteners in early production airplanes.

I'm not one for rumors, but I feel as though the following comment left on the Seattle PI blog on December 12 deserves some attention:

Posted by

unregistered user

at 12/12/08 12:49 p.m.

The real reason for the delay is we've found that the carbon composite wings on the static test specimen is delaminating and therefore the flight test airplanes need NDT testing after ripping all the systems out. This is an elementary failure in structural design.

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Smentito il problema della delaminazione:

What's up with this wing delamination claim? It's not true! - FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis

Meno male, e speriamo di poter vedere presto volare questo magnifico aereo.

[Dodicicilindri]

Forse ad aprile il primo volo:

First 787 to roll out for repaint in February, fly in April

Monday December 22, 2008

Boeing 787 watchers will see some "action" at the Everett plant by mid-to-late February, insiders say, with word from the factory floor indicating that the first aircraft, ZA001, will have all fastener issues resolved by the end of this month and will be rolled out for repainting at the end of February.

Repainting should be completed by March 2 and the aircraft turned over to flight testing. According to sources, Boeing has penciled first flight in for late April (ATWOnline, Dec. 12). The second flight test aircraft is expected to have fastener work completed by the middle of February, but apparently it will not fly until late July.

While first flight appears to be firming by the day, the certification program could be slowed by completion of the balance of the flight test aircraft. Boeing's original plan called for a compressed 10-month program with five aircraft, but it is not clear how quickly it can get those aircraft into the air.

However, the delay has given the company the opportunity to be well ahead on the balance of the certification program, 80% of which does not involve flight testing. Also, unlike other aircraft programs, Boeing and US FAA have agreed on all issues relating to 787 certification. The manufacturer is planning to brief analysts and media on Jan. 28 when it announces its full-year 2008 results.

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Un'altra buona notizia:

FAA Accepts 787 Maintenance Plan

Monday, December 22, 2008

Agency accepts Boeing premise that wide use of composites and integrated systems architecture requires fewer inspections

One of Boeing's big selling points for the 787--its maintenance plan that promises lower operating costs because of fewer trips to the maintenance shop--has received FAA approval.

The FAA Maintenance Review Board has accepted Boeing's premise that the wide use of corrosion and fatigue resistant composites in the airframe and the new airplane's highly integrated systems architecture will require fewer of the time-consuming inspections and less maintenance than current generation aircraft, such as the 767.

In all, Boeing expects the 787 to save 30% in direct cash operating expenses over 767-era airplanes. In many cases, maintenance schedule intervals are twice as long for the 787.

For instance, the first external structural inspection for a 787 is set at six years of normal service rather than just three years for the 767. Similarly, the first internal structural inspection is planned at 12 years, rather than six on the 767.

The Maintenance Review Board's approval is part of the aircraft certification process. First flight is expected in the second quarter of 2009 and first 787 deliveries in 2010. Both are about two years behind the original schedule.

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I ritardi del 787 stanno causando problemi anche qui da noi, nello stabilimento di Grottaglie dell'Alenia:

di FULVIO COLUCCI

TARANTO Ferie forzate per i lavoratori dello stabilimento Alenia Composite di Grottaglie, ma la crisi economica non c’entra. Problemi tecnici nell’assemblaggio delle fusoliere prodotte in provincia di Taranto, per la costruzione del Boeing 787, hanno costretto allo stop circa metà dei 500 dipendenti, assunti con contratto a tempo indeterminato, nei mesi di novembre, dicembre e gennaio.

Così anche lo stabilimento aeronautico, fiore all’occhiello dell’innovazione tecnologica, si è dovuto piegare “alla riduzione dei turni” racconta il segretario della Uilm Uil Rocco Palombella, ripetendo: «Su circa 500 dipendenti, il 50 per cento è rimasto a casa». Cosa succede all’Alenia? «C’era un difetto nei fori in cui alloggiare i bulloni di montaggio della fusoliera - racconta Palombella -, ma anche in altre realtà industriali che contribuiscono alla costruzione del Boeing 787 sono stati riscontrati problemi: per esempio alla pavimentazione del velivolo. Si tratta di difetti di progettazione: la Boeing nella fase di ideazione non avrebbe specificato bene la pratica operativa da utilizzare per la realizzazione dei fori. Non sono, quindi, disguidi imputabili allo stabilimento tarantino o alle maestranze anche se incidono pesantemente sui ritardi nella produzione».

«A un certo punto l’azienda si è chiesta - prosegue il segretario della Uilm - come far fronte ai problemi. Sono rientrati a Grottaglie un buon numero di trasfertisti per accelerare i lavori di smontaggio delle fusoliere, ma riportare 20 fusoliere in America era economicamente gravoso. Così, alla fine, Alenia ha deciso di invare 130 dipendenti negli States, a Charleston dove avrebbero potuto smontare e riparare i pezzi, tornando in Italia con il know-how necessario a completare il lavoro. Ora l’azienda vuole incontrare i sindacati e credo ci comunicherà il ritorno a Grottaglie di altri trasfertisti. Noi, però, siamo preoccupati perché, diciamolo francamente, il rischio è che i dipendenti Alenia restino senza lavoro. E' un problema serio perché era già prevista la fase di raddoppio dello stabilimento con un piano di assunzioni per altre 300 persone. Il primo Boeing 787 doveva essere pronto a gennaio 2007 per le prove. Poi è slittato tutto e solo dopo sei mesi di prove l’aereo può essere commercializzato. I sindacati temono per il futuro dei lavoratori.

Queste difficoltà di collaudo pesano. Noi - conclude - rifiutiamo l’arrivo di altri trasfertisti, preferiamo la formazione di chi già lavora a Grottaglie; altrimenti si potrebbero creare sperequazioni nei trattamenti economici e negli inquadramenti, oltre ai timori di impoverimento professionale delle maestranze se altri, tra i tecnici di alto profilo, decidessero di seguire chi già è andato via».

«Alenia non si tocca. A Grottaglie devono restare la direzione e la produzione» dichiara il sindaco Raffaele Bagnardi. Il primo cittadino teme «manovre per far tornare in Campania la “testa” del progetto, lasciando solo le “braccia” in provincia di Taranto. Il parlamentare del Pd, Ludovico Vico, chiede a presidente Vendola di «darsi una mossa» perché Alenia non subisca i contraccolpi della crisi. Infine, l’onorevole Pietro Franzoso (Pdl) avverte: «Pur se in ritardo, il progetto Alenia decollerà. Il centrosinistra e i sindacati fanno solo demagogia».

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Qualche novità ufficiale sul progetto, per bocca del capo progettista Tom Cogan.

In particolare, l'ingegnere si sofferma sul fatto che per irrobustire i punti di giunzione fra le sezioni di fusoliera 41/43 e 46/47, è stato necessario eliminare i finestrini corrispondenti, in quanto ripristinarli sarebbe stato difficile e avrebbe portato ad un ulteriore aumento di peso:

Boeing Rules Out 787 Window Change

Friday, January 09, 2009

AviationWeek.com

Fuselage-join issues mean designers would have had to conduct complex, weight-adding redesign; impact seen as minimal

Boeing plans to complete firm design configuration of the stretched 787-9 version in the second half of 2009, but to save weight, it will not be restoring window positions lost as a result of fuselage join issues.

The passenger windows on the initial production 787-8 aircraft are missing a window on each side at locations fore and aft where the pre-assembled fuselage Sections 46/47 and 41/43 are mated. Although designed with a continuous window line, the mating area between the sections required strengthening when attached, forcing Boeing to omit the window along the join line.

Re-design studies showed that strengthening the fuselage join area to re-insert windows was "very complex" and would cost "hundred of pounds" in additional weight, says Tom Cogan, the former 787 chief project engineer, who became director of airplane product development in July 2008.

The loss of a window in the forward Section 41/43 join is not considered a major setback as this is close to the 'door two' galley and lavatory block which does not need one.

The missing window further aft by the Section 46/47 join is a more serious issue, as this section of the cabin is for seating only. However, Cogan says at least one seat row on existing Boeing products is currently blanked off because of air conditioning ducts running up the inside of the fuselage, and that airlines have always adapted to this.

Ironically, Boeing made special efforts to widen the windows on the 787 cabin by taking advantage of the fuselage structure's composite material to route internal systems through narrower spaces between windows than would have been possible on a conventionally built airframe.

Cogan, who was speaking at the New Horizons forum organized to coincide with the AIAA aerospace sciences meeting in Orlando, Fla, this week, acknowledged that the program continues to face "big challenges, but by and large it is looking very positive."

Cogan had been on the 787 and preceding Sonic Cruiser since 2001, describes his appointment away from the troubled program as "a bitter sweet change," but adds the change allows him to take stock of the progress made-to-date.

"It is going well for the most part but obviously we are not where we wanted to be on the schedule. The things we were most worried about, like being the first large aircraft to be made out of composite, and whether we knew how to do it, or if we could make it work, turned out not to be the real issue. As it turns out it, it is the small things like fasteners that keep an aircraft from flying. It is something we tried to pay attention to and one of the things that caused us to be late. But our customers are hanging with us because they know this is a good aircraft they need. They're being patient and it will fly."

Cogan adds the broad target remains of mid-2009, though internal Boeing schedules point to a first flight target of late April.

Cogan also acknowledges the baseline aircraft "is a bit heavier than what we thought. We set a very aggressive target and we learned things along the way such as having electro-magnetic interference protection and designing for that and other changes we added a bit more weight. This does detract a little bit from performance but we still think it will be around 20% more efficient than anything today."

Being more specific, however, Cogan clarifies this adding "compared to the 767 it's not quite 20%, but in that order. Analytically we're doing quite well, but we just don't know how well until we fly. All the indications are today that we'll get it."

As for lessons learned, Cogan fell short of the criticism of the program partnerships meted out by former 787 vice president, Mike Bair, following his 2006 departure from the effort. He did, however, acknowledge the need for some change.

"As for the model we used on international collaboration we'd absolutely do it again, though there are some details we'd probably fine tune a little bit - this was a first on this scale. We'd also worked with a lot of these partners on the 777, though in hindsight we'd change a few things, but just fine tune it. What's important for us is to draw on that intellectual property - we think we have the best technology available

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L'altra sera, mentre riantravo a Lecce da Taranto mi è passato sulla testa, in corto finale, a Grottaglie, il DreamLifter, per la miseria quant'è grande,e che rumore, sarei curioso di vedere l'A380 live da qualche parte.

Mi fa piacere che qui non si parla solo di auto.

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Vero, il Dreamlifter è proprio un bestione

In quanto al 380, anch'io spero di vederlo presto. Da dicembre 2009 Emirates sostituirà sulla tratta Fiumicino-Dubai il 777 con l'A380. Credo che quella sarà la prima occasione di vederlo live in Italia.

Infine, ti ringrazio per l'apprezzamento delle discussioni di aviazione. Sai, io sono un appassionato, e mi piace condividere con voi il mio entusiasmo.

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Con me sfondi una porta aperta, purtroppo non ho mai visto un AirShow degno di questo nome, comunque c'era un angolino presso l'aeroporto di Brindisi dove ogni tanto andavo a guardare decolli e atterraggi, e durante la guerra in Kosovo vedere formazioni di 5 F16 in decollo con il post acceso, faceva venire i brividi, oppure C17 GlobeM a pieno carico decollare in circa 450mt ruote staccate, notevole. Scusa per questa digressione che poco c'entra con le chicche tecniche che proponi, vai avanti così che ti seguo