You can always count on earnings reports to reveal information that doesn't always make it into a press release. Spirit Aerosystems released its 3Q earnings report today and they announced the company has completed the upper lobe of Section 41 for the first 747-8F. Spirit even threw a small picture right in the presentation. It doesn't look a heck of a lot different from any other 747-400, but this airplane is quickly becoming a reality.
UPDATE: I have a question that needs an answer - Does the General Electric GEnx-1B engine have to fly on 787 before the GEnx-2B engine can fly on the 747-8F?
Hey Jon...
Didn't GE test run the GEnx on their testbed?
So my guess is that the GEnx test should also apply to the 748F/I as well
I also guess tghe same of refuelingtech , I hope that 747-8F isn't delayed .
Just this week an email went around with photos of our first shipset of parts for the 47-8 - in our case the Kreugers and leading edge variable camber panels. We were even ahead of schedule.