Boeing 787

Boeing has rolled out the first wide-body, twin-engine 787 Dreamliner manufactured under the increased production rate of seven aeroplanes a month.

The new aircraft is the 114th 787 to be manufactured in total and the 100th 787 to be built at the factory.

Boeing stated that the 787 programme was on track to achieve the planned rate of ten aircraft a month by the end of this year.

The aircraft are currently being built at the Everett Final Assembly facility, the Everett Temporary Surge Line and Boeing South Carolina.

To date, 50 787s have been delivered to eight airlines and Boeing has logged more than 800 unfilled orders with 58 customers worldwide.

The 787 has been plagued by several safety incidents this year, including a crack in the window of a cockpit, an oil leak from a generator inside an engine, a brake problem, and fuel spillage.

US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all 50 787s in-service from January to April following a battery fire on a 787 that landed in Boston’s Logan International Airport and another case of an overheated battery, which prompted Japan’s All Nippon Airways’ jetliner to make an emergency landing.

"Boeing stated that the 787 programme was on track to achieve the planned rate of ten aircraft a month by the end of this year."

In February, Boeing proposed a certification plan for the redesigned 787 Dreamliner battery system, which was FAA-approved in March.

In April, the FAA approved Boeing’s design for modifications to the 787 Dreamliners battery system and some of the operators have resumed commercial flights upon installation of the improvements.

The redesigned battery system included improved insulation of the cells, new design of the internal battery components to lower initiation of a short circuit within the battery, and a new containment and venting system.

Boeing has also ramped up the production of its 737 and 777 jetliners and plans to deliver 645 aeroplanes by the end of this year.


Image: Boeing stated that the 787 programme is on track to achieve a planned rate of 10 aircraft per month by the end of this year. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.

Defence Technology