Boeng Dreamliner 787 Horizontal stabiliser made in Italy passes static structural testing

Alenia Aeronautica’s chief technical officer, Nazario Cauceglia says of completed and satisfactory static tests in the laboratory at Pomigliano ofthe Boeing Dreamliner 787 tail assembly "we have once again verified the effectiveness of the innovative structural and technological solution adopted for the 787 stabilizer. This is a testament to our company’s capability of managing the whole process of design, development, production and testing of complex composite material components."

Designed and manufactured at the Foggia plant of Alenia Aeronautica the horizontal stabilizer is made of two monolithic co-cured side pieces and one central element, is 20 meters long and, like the 787 fuselage and wings, is made of carbon fiber materials. The co-cured box of the 787’s horizontal stabilizer is, to date, one of the biggest composite monolithic structures ever built for a commercial airplane; and is manufactured in a one-shot autoclave cure cycle starting from 27 uncured components. This process was developed from Alenia Aeronautica’s proprietary technology and represents an innovative production process, making the Foggia facility one of the most important plants in the world for composite material production.

The first production horizontal stabilizer was shipped to Boeing in April 2007.