Ooooooops...Boeing delays 787 launch by 6 months

Boeing have announced that "snags" in completing the assembly of the first 787 airplanes. Deliveries of the Dreamliner are now due in late November or December 2008 for the first customer All Nippon Airways, instead of the May 2008 target date. The first flight is now anticipated around the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Boeing announced a delay in August in the planned first flight of the 787, citing ongoing challenges with out-of-sequence production work, including parts shortages, and remaining software and systems integration activities.

There are also believed to be problems in hitting the weight required.

It is also reported that the rollout plane shell was quickly assembled with temporary fasteners to meet the public unveiling date in early July, and Boeing is still pulling them out and replacing them with permanent ones. This is due to a shortage (!) of Titanium fasteners (or bolts) which are mainly made in California plants of Alcoa. The Shortage is most acute in the center wing box and trade sources point to Alcoa’s Huck Asp (Adjustable sustained preload) lock fastening system commonly used in aircraft such as the Airbus - these were developed by by Cordant Technologies, which Alcoa acquired in 2000.

One example of a complex 787 fitting from AFS is the RFKA9900-13 (SAE AS5550) flareless plug-in union Ring Locked fitting, which was qualified late last year. It’s a high-pressure titanium hydraulic adapter that was selected by Boeing because of its light weight and dual seal protection. It provides up to 49 percent weight savings over the previous design for this application, according to the Alcoa press release. Each 787 uses more than 120 of these parts. (More Alcoa pics here)

“This fitting is designed with a 20º metal-to-metal seal, which is the primary seal between the fitting and mating port, and also incorporates an elastomeric o-ring that acts as a secondary or back-up seal,” Product Management Manager for North America Doug Pyle is quoted in the AFS press release .

This will not impact in any material way on earnings say the company..

This is what Lord Patel said ..."Boeing have taken a massive and daring step. The Dreamliner is a Lego plane, with the bits made worldwide by many, many manufacturers and assembled at Everett, an accountants dream and outsourcers nightmare of logistics. This implies many problems of delivery, quality control, co-ordination all the while dealing with advanced material and manufacturing techniques that have not been attempted before."

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