Boeing 787 news

[Desert Rat]

The 787 is going to BKK early feb

[RoMax]

The 787 is going to BKK early feb

Indeed, and also Singapore. BKK and SIN are part of Segement 3 of the Dream Tour.

[tsv]

Boeing is embarrassed. Air India’s accounts became public last week with the airline noting that it paid just under US$110m for its first 787. The list price, available on the internet, is US$193m.

is this not because they bought 787's without engines?

Confucias say 787 safer without Engines

[earthman]

Confucias say 787 safer without Engines

Not to mention the better than advertised fuel burn.

[Desert Rat]

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... =editorial

Very interresting news....looks like there will be some spider net in the 747-8 trim tank!!

[sn26567]

ANA faces bumpy start to long-haul 787 service

All Nippon Airways first long-haul international service with its Boeing 787 has faced a rocky start since 21 January with two of its ten flights operating between Tokyo-Haneda and Frankfurt, Germany cancelled due to technical issues with the new aircraft.

ANA cancelled flight NH204 on 26 January and NH203 30 January. Other 787 flights to Germany operated on 21, 23, 26 and 28 January.

On the days when the 787 is not operating, ANA deploys a 777-200ER to service the route.

Source: http://paper.li/Flightglobal/flightglobal

[Squelsh]

787 glitch may pressure Boeing production outlook
.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/ ... 2U20120206
.

Boeing Co (BA.N) faces fresh questions over whether it can meet what was already viewed to be an overly ambitious production schedule for the 787 Dreamliner, after the aerospace company said it had found a problem with the jet's fuselage.
(..)
"We don't know if this will impact production," EarlyBirdCapital Managing Director Alex Hamilton said. "But if you have to go back and correct something and possibly change production going forward, it seems to have a good chance, in our opinion."
(..)
"We have the issue well-defined and are making progress on the repair plan," Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber said on Sunday. "There is no short-term safety concern. Repairs, should they be needed, will be implemented in the most efficient manner possible."

Lefeber declined on Monday to say how many airplanes are being inspected, saying only that Boeing was working its way through the production line. A report from Flightglobal said three planes were affected.
(..)
Boeing has delivered five Dreamliners, all to its launch customer All Nippon Airways (9202.T). ANA said is has inspected the aircraft and that they are operating normally.

Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at Virginia-based Teal Group, said problems related to the 787 are often magnified in the public eye because the plane incorporates new technology.

"There are people who are concerned about the use of composites. It's a minority view," Aboulafia said.

"Delamination, of course, goes to the very heart of the risk associated with this particular technology - composite materials in primary structures," he said.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Rob Stallard said the shimming issue spoke to the integrity of the composites used to make the 787, but he did not think it was a serious issue that would disrupt the program.

"When you think of the big problems we've seen on the 787 over many, many years, this just looks like noise," Stallard said. "I'm sure these things happen in the development programs all the time."

Via: Reuters, FEB 6

[RoMax]

After ZA001 was retired from its short career, Boeing now confirmed that ZA002 (the second test plane in ANA colors) is flying to Palmdale, California for decommissioning and retirement.

The current status of the other test planes:
- ZA003 is performing trips around the world to market the 787 (The DreamTour), soon it will appear on the Singapore Airshow for the first time
- ZA004 is the last RR powered 787 test plane and this one stays ready for performing specific tests, often including new technology that is tested for the 787-9 and/or will be used on the 787 (or other programs) later. But it's uncertain if Boeing will keep this plane for testing, they may sell it to a VIP customer.
- ZA005 and ZA006 are the two GE powered 787's, they are not really bussy anymore. They do some additional testing for the GE certification and tests for Boeing only. Normally they will be sold to VIP customers. The last part of the GE certification is performed by ZA236, a production aircraft for Air India.

About this final GE testing, Boeing confirmed on Monday that they finally started the final phase of the GE ETOPS and F&R certification testing. But they didn't mention the amount of hours to be flown. Boeing claims they will deliver the first GE powered 787's this quarter and internal sources say they want to deliver the first two JAL 787's at the end of this month. But this seems very unlikely...first they have to finish testing (ETOPS and F&R testing on the RR powered 787's took about 3 weeks), than the FAA needs some time to finalise the certification and than Boeing has to deliver. And the new problems that were announced last weekend may delay further. So end of this quarter...hopefully...end of this month...don't think so.

[RoMax]

Boeing is used to 'write' things in the sky during F&R/ETOPS testing and after they wrote things with the 787 and 748, they are now writing '787 followed by the Boeing logo' with a 787-8 with GE engines. Again this is part of the ETOPS testing.

At this time they have done 9 hours and they are working on the logo, 10 hours should follow...so a flight of 19 hours.

http://nl.flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE236

[sn26567]

Another delay: ANA postpones daily 787 operation to Frankfurt until April 2012.

In other news, Air India, which badly needs money, demands $1 billion over Dreamliner delays...

[Kapitein]

I saw the 787 landing in BKK fridaymorning, first view of it. I still find it funny looking, don't know why...

[Desert Rat]

Hmmmm landing ...it was thursday morning or friday afternoon then.

[Kapitein]

Hmmmm landing ...it was thursday morning or friday afternoon then.

Indeed my fault, it was thursday. Left BRU on wednesday.

[RoMax]

Some more delivery delays for the 787. There will be no 787 deliveries in February, these sheduled for this month will move to March.

- L/N40 (JA806A for ANA): first flight 7th February, moved into EMC for aft fuselage inspection some days ago. As said, inspections can take 3 days, repairs up to 2 weeks. New delivery date March 14th.

- L/N23 (JA822J for JAL): had first flight last year and went to San Antonio for rework. Sheduled delivery around March 24th.

- L/N33 (JA825J for JAL): first flight sheduled for February 13th, sheduled delivery around March 24th.

- L/N42 (JA808A for ANA): first flight around February 29th, no fixed delivery date at this moment.

About the ETOPS and F&R testing of the GE powered 787. They have flown 48,5 hours, it's expected they have to fly 150 hours in total to finish certification.

About the 748. Yesterday RC557 (L/N1450) finished it's first flight. This is to be number 7 for Cathay Pacific (B-LJG).

[sn26567]

Boeing is used to 'write' things in the sky during F&R/ETOPS testing and after they wrote things with the 787 and 748, they are now writing '787 followed by the Boeing logo' with a 787-8 with GE engines. Again this is part of the ETOPS testing.

At this time they have done 9 hours and they are working on the logo, 10 hours should follow...so a flight of 19 hours.

It is impressive to see what the pilots managed to achieve:

http://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/B ... /KBFI/KBFI

[sn26567]

Japan Airlines has placed a firm order for 10 Boeing 787-9s and converted 10 787-8s it already had on order to -9s.

The new order and conversion bring JAL's total Dreamliners on order to 45 comprising 25 -8s and 20 -9s. It also still has 20 787 options.

JAL plans to put its first 787 into service in April.

Source: ATW online

[RoMax]

Ethiopian Airlines announced their first 787 routes. Flights are open for reservation, but initial day of 787 operation may be changed depending on delivery dates.

Effective 15 June:

Addis Abeba- Dubai: daily, replacing 767/77L except between 16 August and 15 September

Code: Select all

ET600 ADD2215 – 0300+1DXB 787 D
ET601 DXB0435 – 0740ADD 787 D eff 16JUN12

Addis Abeba- Johannesburg: daily, replacing 767

Code: Select all

ET809 ADD0850 – 1330JNB 787 D
ET808 JNB1420 – 2050ADD 787 D

Effective 15 August:

Addis Abeba- Guangzhou: daily non-stop, replacing 767 with stop in BKK

Code: Select all

ET606 ADD0030 – 1515CAN 787 D
ET607 CAN2300 – 0600+1ADD 787 D

Effective 18 September:

Addis Abeba- Harare: operating 4/weekly replacing 767, days 246 operated by 738

Code: Select all

ET873 ADD0920 – 1245HRE 787 x246
ET872 HRE1440 – 1955ADD 787 x246

Addis Abeba- Lusaka: operating 3/weekly on days 246, replacing 767

Code: Select all

ET883 ADD0910 – 1215LUN 787 246
ET882 LUN1500 – 2005ADD 787 246

http://airlineroute.net/2012/02/19/et-787update1/

[RoMax]

Jetstar announced they will get their first 787 mid-2013, making them the first low-cost airline to operate the 787. In total they will get 15 of the Qantas order for 50 787's, they will get a two class configuration.
Qantas itself delayed its EIS of the 787 to save money in the 2 years to come. The first delivery to Qantas was planned for 2012 (3 of them would be delivered this year), Qantas did not specify when they would get their first 787.

[Spotterke]

Will jetairfly still get a 787 ??

[RoMax]

Will jetairfly still get a 787 ??

Yes, I even think they'll get two of them. But at least not before 2013 or 2014 (don't know exactly)

Besides that, Air New Zealand converted two options into firm orders for the 787-9, bringing the order of the launch customer of the 787-9 to a total of 10.
ANZ agreed on new contractual terms and the delivery shedule is modified, with the first 787-9 now being delivered in the second quarter of 2014 (originally it was planned for late 2013, later in 2011 it became early 2014). This statement let me think that ANZ still believes in de 787-9 and wanted to convert two options into firm orders for a very cheap price as compensation for the delays.

ANZ said they benefit from their new B77W's which are operating very efficiënt, but still they are hindered by the delays of the 789. But they added that despite the costly and extremely frustrating delays they still believe that the 789 is the best solution for them and worth the wait (the combination of very long range, limited pax capacity and efficiency make the 789 perfect for an airline in New Zealand).

In the mean time, Boeing achieved the 25% detail engineering release milestone in early February. The production of the first components for the first 789 started. By the 4th quarter they expect to have released 90% of the detail drawings. Production of the centre wingbox will start in the last quarter of this year and several other components will be finished in the first quarter of 2013. In the first quarter of 2013 Boeing will finish final assembly of the first 789 to come to first flight in the middle of next year.

Boeing said they learned their lesson from the 788 production disaster and they will try to avoid a huge amount of rework after final assembly. They will closely follow their contractors and they'll make sure that every component entering the final assembly is 100% complete or at least very very close to being complete. The same disaster as with the 788 would be unacceptable, in the early production months, the 788's left the FAL with about 5,000 to 7,000 works still to be done after FAL (currently it is at about 500 to 1000, planning to achieve no rework needed around the middle of this year).

But it seems more and more airlines are confident in the 787-9, the latest year the 787-9 got many more orders as the 788 and several airlines converted from the 788 to 789 (with most recently JAL). Several new technology is introduced in the 789, for exemple HLFC (hybrid laminar flow control) on the tailplane and fin, this is designed to reduce drag and was tested on ZA004 or ZA003 (don't remember exactly, as both tested new technology for the 789) last year. The flighttests proved to be very succesfull and the design for the 789 is essentially complete.