Sat, Jun 26, 2010
"Workmanship Issues" Identified On The Dreamliners' Horizontal
Stabilizers
After some very successful initial flight testing, the
Dreamliner program has been dealt a bit of a setback, as Boeing
recently identified a workmanship issue with the 787's horizontal
stabilizers. Some airplanes apparently have issues with improperly
installed shims and the torque of associated fasteners, and Boeing
says the finding requires inspection of all airplanes and
rework if discrepancies are found.
The company says it has already implemented inspection and
rework plan for airplanes in production. For those airplanes
requiring rework, Boeing says they expect it will take up to eight
days for each airplane. the company says it is not unusual for
these issues to arise in the course of production programs - they
are identified, dispositioned and dealt with through normal
processes.
Boeing insists that reports that the fleet is "grounded" are
incorrect. The company has made the decision to inspect the
horizontal stabilizers on all flight test airplanes before their
next flights to ensure any rework is completed as quickly as
possible. Inspections are expected to take one to two days.
The Seattle Times reported that the stabilizer issue was first
discovered last week. Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach told that
paper that the planemaker "made a decision to be prudent and do the
inspections" before flying again. The improperly installed shims
could have led to a "lower than expected longevity" for the joints
in the horizontal stabilizer. The Italian manufacturer Alenia
builds the tail assembly for Boeing.
Boeing says it expects that the issue will be addressed within
the existing program schedule, and that the 787 remains on track
for first delivery to ANA by the end of this year.
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