Fri, Feb 22, 2013
Dreamliners Could Be Flying Again In Two Months, Sources Say
Boeing has an appointment with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta Friday to discuss a possible fix for the battery issues that have kept its Dreamliner airplanes grounded for more than a month. Sources close to the company say that if they are approved, the fleet could be carrying passengers again in two months.
The Associated Press reports that the planemaker believes that adding ceramic insulation between the battery cells and other changes, including a modified venting system, would prevent the batteries from overheating and causing a fire. It is not expected that Huerta will immediately give approval to the re-design, but at least it would be a starting point for a discussion of what standards Boeing will need to meet as it designs and tests the repair before installing it on the affected planes.
But the fix does not get to the root cause of why the batteries overheated in the first place, which has not yet been determined. Boeing's hope is that by proposing a safer design they can get the airplanes back in the air, and start to make inroads on a delivery backlog that is eating away at its cash reserves.
The proposed repairs would also include increasing the spacing between the battery cells, and modifications in the way they are installed in the airplane to reduce the effects of moisture, vibration, or swelling of the cells. It would also include a system to vent any hazardous material to the outside of the airplane, and monitor individual cells rather than the system as a whole.
Boeing thinks it could rebuild the battery systems on planes already in service by the end of March, but there is no guarantee that the FAA will approve the changes that quickly.
(Dreamliner image from file)
More News
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The T-6 Racing Association The T-6 Racing Association is all about T-6‘s and racing. Our mission is to bring great racing to our fans in Reno and other venues wher>[...]
Also: Electra Aero, AMO-CBP v Smugglers, Naval King Airs, Boeing Deal To the surprise of everyone involved, Waco Kitchen shut down both airport operations with little warning and h>[...]
Also: WACO Kitchen Bails, French SportPlane Mfr to FL, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Innovation Preview Bobby Bailey, a bit of a fixture in sport aviation circles for his work with>[...]
Also: Virgin Galactic, B-29 Doc to Allentown, Erickson Fire-Fighters Bought, FAA Reauthorization After dealing with a big letdown after the unexpected decision by Skyreach to disco>[...]