Boeing Reschedules Initial 787 Dreamliner Deliveries and First Flight

Boeing press release snipped

Personally, I think that this is the right move to make if there is a
design problem with the wing box. That is the most critical
structural area on the airplane, and an in-flight failure of the wing
box would be a complete disaster. This is the first all-composite
commercial airliner ever designed and built. It absolutely needs to
be done right.

I'm sure that the structural engineers took their best shot at the
initial design, but then realized after testing the initial units that
were produced that something was inadequate and needed to be fixed.
If engineering was easy and could be done without a degree of trial
and error, anybody with a high school diploma could do it!

On a development program like this, every group is racing to get their
stuff done on time, and at the very least ahead of the slowest group.
You never want to be the part of the effort that causes the delay,
it's not fun! It's like the old joke about hikers running from a
grizzly bear. They can't outrun the bear, but they only need to
outrun the slowest hiker...

Fortunately on the 777, we managed to pull everything together on
time. The 787 is more challenging than the 777 for a number of
reasons, and unfortunately they are behind schedule. I guarantee that
there will be a "lessons learned" document that come out after this
project that is pretty hefty.

Dean

On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 11:13:13 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

This is the first all-composite
commercial airliner ever designed and built. It absolutely needs to
be done right.


I couldn't agree more.

Thank you for sharing your insight on the issue.

http://www.newairplane.com/787/en-US...eves787PowerOn
Everett, Washington, June 20, 2008
Boeing Achieves 787 Power On

The Boeing Company has completed the Power On sequence for the
first 787 Dreamliner, marking the completion of the next major
milestone on the path to first flight later this year.

Power On is a complex series of tasks and tests that bring
electrical power into the airplane and begin to exercise the use
of the electrical systems. The 787 is a more-electric airplane
with the pneumatic, or bleed air, system being totally replaced by
electronics.

"The team has made great progress in bringing the bold innovation
of the 787 to reality," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and
general manager of the 787 program. "There is plenty of work to
be done between now and the first flight, but with every step
forward we grow more and more confident."

The power On sequence began in early June with a series of pretest
continuity checks to verify that the wiring installed in the
airplane had been connected properly. Upon completion of those
checks, the Boeing team plugged in an external power cart and
slowly began to bring full power into each segment of the system,
beginning with the flight deck displays. From that point forward,
the pilot's controls were used to direct the addition of new
systems to the power grid.

At each step of the testing, power is allowed to flow into one
additional area and gauges are used to verify that the right level
of electrical power is reached the intended area. "We are very
methodical in ensuring the integrity of the airplane's systems,"
said Shanahan. "In completing the Power On sequence, we have
verified both that the electrical power distribution system is
installed as designed and that it functions as intended."

An inside look at the Power On testing sequence will be featured
on www.boeing.com and newairplane.com beginning Monday at 5 a.m.
PDT.