All About the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Jet
News and Information about Boeing's Newest Commercial Airliner.
News Flash- Voight Successfully Delivers First Aft 787 Fuselage
May 22, 2008
Charleston, SC - Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. successfully delivered its fifth composite aft fuselage section for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on April 13. The fuselage, designated for Airplane #3, is the first airplane shipset delivered by Vought that includes structures and the start of systems components. "We have successfully demonstrated our commitment to the quality and level of completeness of our aft sections to the 787 Dreamliner program, while at the same time effectively reducing the amount of traveled work to Boeing," said Joy Romero, vice president of Vought's 787 division. "In recent reviews with Boeing, they have indicated that Vought is taking the right actions in continuing to improve completeness and adding value to the program." Vought has fabricated a total of 35 fuselage barrels – including the five shipsets that have been delivered to Boeing, seven shipsets that are in work at the Vought facility and one developmental unit – since production activities began in June 2006. This number includes those designated for full-scale static and fatigue testing, which will not be delivered to customers. The company is on track for future deliveries. Each aft fuselage shipset delivered to Boeing consists of two "one-piece composite barrels" (sections 47 and 48). These are fabricated at Vought's new 342,000-square-foot facility here using advanced fiber placement technology. The barrels are then joined together, with electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems components installed prior to shipping to Boeing for final assembly in Everett, Wash. Aft fuselage Section 47 measures 19 feet in diameter and 23 feet long. It is the last passenger section and cargo hold section of the 787, which includes the pressure bulkhead. Section 48 is 14 feet in diameter and 16 feet long. The horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin are integrated into Section 48 at Boeing final assembly.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet (originally conceived as the 7e7 project) debuted in a rollout at Boeing field on July 8, 2007. It boasts many advanced design and comfort characteristics. Among them are the largest windows of any passenger jet, extensive use of ultra-light composites and amenities for the disabled, such as bathrooms with shared walls which can be combined for more room and access. Depending on configuration it will carry between 210-330 passengers with a maximum range of over 8,000 miles. Without a doubt, the Boeing 787 will live up to its name: Dreamliner.
View the Debut of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Rollout on
July 7, 2007
in Everett, Washington USA, site of Boeing Corporation's airfield
and the 787's main production facility. (Time: 02 min., 26 sec.)
Some of the innovative features of the Boeing 787 are:
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•Unique lighting scheme which imitates a typical day as you fly, from sunrise to sunset.
•Overhead luggage bins that are at least 30% larger than comparably sized planes, the largest in their class.
•Passenger windows that, at 19 inches are the largest in their class. In addition, the sunlight shining through is adjustable via a control at the base of the window.
•Cabin pressurization is vastly improved to simulate 5,000 feet in altitude (along with a higher rate of humidity in the cabin air) instead of the typical 8,000 feet found on other jetliners. This results in fewer headaches, cabin fatigue, ear “popping” or other difficulties.
•Consuming nearly twenty percent less fuel than other comparably sized jetliners, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the most fuel efficient jet in its class.
•For the airlines, use of ultra-light composites throughout the airframe means that airframe maintenance costs are reduced by an astounding thirty percent, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner out of service fifty nine percent less than its competitive peers.
•Finally, because of its ultra-light composite construction, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner can take off and land thousands of pounds lighter, drastically reducing lower the landing fees and taxes it pays to airport authorities and governmental entities.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has booked more than 760 orders or commitments and even though each plane's pricetag runs from $146 million to $200 million (US), is the hottest-selling wide-body jet in the world. It is, as the Wall Street Journal states, "a hit" with the fifty two airlines from whom Boeing has obtained firm orders. The maiden flight is scheduled for 2008. The first customer is All Nippon Airways of Japan, who will begin taking delivery in November or December. The first two United States based customers are Northwest and Continental Airlines. Boeing has announced that Northwest will begin taking delivery of their eighteen 787 jets in the first quarter of 2009, with Continental receiving their twenty five Boeing 787 aircraft in 2010.
