4/13/2009
NEWS BRIEFS
Fastener Inventory Catches Up with Dreamliner Test Flight Schedule

After months of painful delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner could make its maiden test flight by the end of April.

Six flight test aircraft are reportedly at various stages of completion. Boeing is said to have enough fasteners in stock to complete the jets, having overcome supply and installation problems with the specialized fasteners needed to join the carbon fiber sections of the aircraft.

“Fewer than 3% of fasteners installed to date were non-comforming,” a Boeing spokesperson told reporters.

A shortage of fasteners plagued production of the Dreamliner from the start. Boeing announced an initial six-month delay and promptly replaced the head of its 787 program and deploying engineers into the field to help suppliers boost production. The test aircraft had to be delivered with temporary fasteners.

Months later came the news that Boeing was scrambling to replace other fasteners that had been improperly installed. That problem was traced to an engineering error made at the company’s facility in Everett, WA. The bolts in question were used inside the fuselage to fasten titanium structure to carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic composite.

Since then, Boeing machinists have been unable to replace incorrect fasteners in hard to reach places. Boeing has said fasteners that don’t meet specifications are located in non-critical areas and will be replaced following completion of test flights.

A pressurization test revealed a small gap under the heads of thousands of fasteners inside the fuselage. The specification that mechanics consult for precise instructions made proper installation impossible.

Boeing has more than 870 orders for its Dreamliner, which promises to cut fuel consumption by 20%. ©2009 GlobalFastenerNews.com

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