August 2009 Archives

Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) president and CEO Scott Carson has announced he will retire from Boeing at the close of 2009, but will be succeeded as head of Boeing's commercial unit effective tomorrow by current Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) president and CEO Jim Albaugh.

Dennis Muilenburg will succeed Albaugh as president and CEO of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

The change in leadership comes just days after Boeing firmed up plans to fly its oft-delayed 787 Dreamliner by the close of 2009 after accumulating more than two years worth of delays.

UPDATE 5:45 PM: Flight's story is now up. CEO Jim McNerney says the succession planning let Boeing to consider both internal and external candidates for the BCA CEO role. McNerney cited Albaugh's experience being able to provide "technical oversight at BCA", a reference to his background as an engineer. Carson's background was rooted on the business operations side of Boeing, not its engineering side. McNerney says Albaugh has a "working knowledge" of the 787 program. He also added that Albaugh "is the best person in Boeing at this time" for his new role, an important caveat that does not discount the future leadership potential of executives Pat Shanahan and Ray Conner who were both believed to be front runners for the BCA chief position in the event Carson retired.

Additional updates and full internal statements of both Carson and Albaugh are available below the fold.

This Movie Monday just speaks for itself. Israeli F-15 pilot lands safely with one wing. As the old adage goes, "A good landing is the one you can walk away from."

Special thanks to @erripman for the find.

Author Peter Cohan has spent the last several weeks writing about the 787 at his blog at Dailyfinance.com. Cohan, for the sake of background, is the author of You Can't Order Change: Lessons from Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing. He is both a professor at Babson College in Boston and Management Consultant.

He caused quite a stir last week when he suggested (via sources) that the 787's environmental control system and electrical system could force two more years of delays on the program. I chased his assertions with my sources and found little to support his claims. However, both systems have gone through significant development challenges and revisions, a fact publicly acknowledged in 2008 by then CEO of Hamilton Sundstrand David Hess.

Simply stated "We're all late," Hess said of the entire 787 supply base, including his company's contribution.

His latest column, "Will Boeing's 787 really fly this year?" Cohan attempts to ascertain whether or not the latest schedule is a "head fake" or legitimate path forward. Cohan continues to cite the sources who asserted that the issues with the electrical and environmental control systems would cripple the program, and have added that the flight test campaign would do so as well.

Cohan's "sources familiar with the 787 program" appear to know not of what they speak:

But interviews with sources familiar with the 787 program are not confident that Boeing really has the problem licked. They describe very rigorous testing of five aircraft, with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials keeping close tabs. One source claims that the FAA establishes the requirements for certification and suggests that Boeing will have a tough time satisfying them.

"Sources familiar with the 787 program" who want to talk about flight testing and cannot tell you how many aircraft are in the certification campaign, invite significant skepticism regarding their insight and level of familiarity.

And that plan is very rigorous. As he told me, "The plan Boeing has is to use multiple test platforms, I believe it is five airplanes for flight test, and fly aircraft around the clock seven days a week. Yes, they will have to fly the aircraft at all altitudes in all conditions of flight, including such wonderful conditions such as icing, rain, snow, ice, etc."

And that's not all. My source says that Boeing will "have to test the aircraft under specific test parameters and conditions at a great variety of altitudes within the design envelope. All the tests are supervised by FAA personnel and there are FAA pilots assigned to the test program. It's not like the FDA or other government agencies that allow companies to be 'honest,' the FAA guards their own hen house, and they have very big teeth!"

But another source believes that Boeing will not even be bringing in the FAA for 2009's flight tests. He sees a sequence of tests in which Boeing tries to get its test pilots comfortable with the aircraft before bringing in the FAA.

The conditions that Mr. Cohan described are what is commonly known in many aviation circles as "flight test."

I would also add that if his "sources" are familiar with 787, then I suggest they take the time to understand the context of what it takes to certify a commercial aircraft. Of course the FAA won't be on any of those 2009 tests. The first two months of flight test will be spent getting the aircraft to the point of Type Inspection Authorization. The TIA will bring the aircraft into conformity in preparation for the FAA to begin the certification process. Before this point, the flight test fleet operates with a Part 91 Experimental Type Certificate. Early testing on the 787s will get pilots comfortable with the aircraft, its handling characteristics and make changes as needed. Boeing starts the flight tests for its own learning purposes before the FAA comes in and begins certification. There is simply no scandal here.

Now, let's talk about the seven day a week claim. Yes, that is Boeing's plan. However, "flying seven days a week" doesn't mean a Southwest-style 20 minute turn around. The 24-hour clock is a methodological change in how Boeing does flight test and is very ambitious, but frequently misrepresented. Here's an excerpt from the 787 feature I authored before the Paris Air Show:

BOEING CLOCKS IN FOR BUSY DAY
The underpinning of Boeing's 787 testing is based on efficient use of the 24h clock, ensuring that no part of the day is wasted. Three shifts support the aircraft.

Boeing envisages a day beginning at 06:00 with the arrival of the test crew, followed by a pre-flight briefing 30min later.

At 07:00, each of the six flight-test aircraft will be released back to the flight-test crew after undergoing maintenance or preparations overnight, beginning the 8h testing block. By 08:00, the 90min pre-flight briefings will be wrapping up and the aircraft will be in the sky by 09:00 for a typical 5h testing block. By 14:00, the aircraft will head back to base for a touchdown at 15:00, followed by 2h of post-test debrief.

After touchdown, the aircraft will be handed over for 16h of overnight maintenance and preparation by the second and third shifts, culminating in the aircraft's 07:00 release the following day, for the process to begin again. Boeing then runs preliminary analyses of the data gathered during the day, running from 17:00 to 21:00.

Boeing's Production Integration Center at the company's Everett facility will also support the Seattle flight-test centre during the overnight schedule by co-ordinating maintenance routines overnight to ensure the aircraft are flying again by the next morning, says Bob Noble, vice-president of 787 supplier management.

1. First Flight
Boeing says that ZA001 will fly by the end of 2009, an assessment that confirms previous reporting. Sources continue to maintain that a late November or early December time frame is targeted for the maiden sortie. ZA001 is currently prepped for the side-of-body reinforcement inside Paint Hangar 45-04. Vice president for airplane programs, Pat Shanahan, says Dreamliner One is "functionally ready to fly on all accounts" separate from the wing fix. All gauntlets are completed on both ZA001 and ZA002.

2. Fix Installation
The installation of the fix for each airplane is expected to take three months for each of the first six flight test aircraft. That timing includes the required preparation ahead of the physical installation. Boeing says they have already completed preparation on ZY997 and ZA001 with installation to begin within a few weeks. The pacing is driven by the size constraints inside the wing and center wing boxes. ZA001 will not fly until the fix is installed, tested and validated on ZY997.

3. Flight Test
The flight test program has been extended from 8.5 months to as much as a year if required. Boeing says that they've added "several weeks" worth of margin, but they have from 4Q09 to 4Q10 to complete certification of the 787.

4. 787-9
With the six to nine month slide in first delivery, Boeing has pushed back first delivery of the 787-9 to the end of 2013. The aircraft is currently in a sizing phase before freezing of the external configuration. Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the type and was supposed to get its first in early 2013. In addition, according to an American Airlines spokesperson, the airlines was supposed to receive its first in fall 2013 and has not yet received any revised delivery guidance.

5. 2nd Final Assembly Line
Boeing acknowledged directly that the current infrastructure in Everett is capable of a maximum production rate of seven 787s per month. The company now says it will officially need a second line in order to meet the goal of producing 10 787s per month. Front runners for the line second appear to be Everett and Charleston, though Long Beach and San Antonio are believed to be in consideration as well. A decision will come by the close of the year.

6. Flight Test Fleet
ZA001, ZA002 and ZA003, fully up to FAA spec for certification, have been transferred from inventory (potential to be sold) to a research and development expense of $2.5 billion. There's no word on where they aircraft will end up, however NA001 (1st 757) remains in Boeing's control. ZA001 and ZA002 were originally set to be delivered to ANA and ZA003 to Northwest.

ZA004 to ZA006 will be delivered after significant, though not cost prohibitive, rework following flight test. They aren't currently viable for airline customers but Boeing believes they will be operated by VIP customers eventually. ZA004 was destined for Northwest while the GEnx-powered ZA005 and ZA006 were to go to Royal Air Maroc.

7. The Tally
Today's disclosure of the schedule brings the total program delay to 29-32 months after first delivery was originally planned in May 2008. Delivery of ZA100 to ANA will take place somewhere between October and December of 2010.

Boeing Announces New 787 Schedule and Third-Quarter Charge CHICAGO, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) today announced that the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner is expected by the end of 2009 and first delivery is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The new schedule reflects the previously announced need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft, along with the addition of several weeks of schedule margin to reduce flight test and certification risk. The company projects achieving a production rate of 10 airplanes per month in late 2013.

"This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787's game-changing capability in the hands of our customers," said Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney. "The design details and implementation plan are nearly complete, and the team is preparing airplanes for modification and testing."

Based on the revised schedule and other assumption updates, the company has determined that the 787 program is not in a forward-loss position.

However, separate from the updated program profitability assessment, the company has concluded that the initial flight-test airplanes have no commercial market value beyond the development effort due to the inordinate amount of rework and unique and extensive modifications made to those aircraft. Therefore, costs previously recorded for the first three flight-test airplanes will be reclassified from program inventory to research and development expense, resulting in an estimated non-cash charge of $2.5 billion pre-tax, or $2.21 per share, against third-quarter results. This charge will have no impact on the company's cash outlook going forward.

The 787 team working the side-of-body reinforcement has completed initial testing and is finalizing design details of new fittings that are expected to ensure full structural integrity of the joint. The static test procedure that uncovered the issue will be repeated and the results fully analyzed before first flight is conducted. Fatigue testing also will be performed on stringer components to validate the long-term durability of the modification.

The first 787 test airplane and static test unit have been prepared for the new fittings. Installation is expected to begin within the next few weeks.

--
This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Delta 777-200LR ship 7107 at the Tech Ops ramp in Atlanta.

Having what some might call a day off of sorts. Flying this Delta
757-200 (N630DL) down to Atlanta to visit Delta Tech Ops for the day.
Should make for an interesting day.

Update - My first time on Wi-fi in flight!

FlightBlogger working all sources for details. All signs point to a significant announcement out of South Carolina tomorrow. KING5 in Seattle reporting Boeing is set to file permits for an expansion of Boeing Charleston. Likely related.

Update 12:13 AM:

A new 737-900ER for Continental Airlines departed Boeing Field on August 15th with something new under its wing. If you look closely, you can spot the new CFM56-7B Evolution engine on the left wing of N37434. The nacelle is elongated and the nozzle plug shortened to accomodate the new engine that Boeing says will improve fuel burn on the 737 by 1%. In conjunction with changes to the wing control surfaces, a redesigned anti-collision light, revised wheel well fairing and ECS inlet and exhaust changes, Boeing hopes to improve the fuel consumption of the 737 NG family by a total of 2% by mid-2011.

However, did the 7BE really make its first flight? According to CFM, which unveiled the Evolution engine in April, the engine isn't supposed to fly on a 737 for more than a year. The first time the 7BE is expected to take to the sky is in February of 2010 under the wing of GE's 747 testbed, followed by certification in July 2010 and first flight on a Continental 737 in October 2010.

So, what's going on here? Just a test of the new nacelle and plug? Can someone shed some light?

UPDATE 2:10 PM: N37434 did fly with the revised nacelle on August 15th, but without the Evolution engine. We have about another year to wait before the 7BE is flown on a 737.

Photo Credit Joe Walker

If you happen to be a frequent watcher of Boeing's flight line in Everett, you'll know that even subtle changes in the landscape tend to spur discussion. Though, this week you may have noticed a BIG new addition to the parking lot of the world's largest airplane nursery.

The "tent" appears to be AT LEAST 200 feet wide and 200 feet long, though that's just an estimate on my part. The structure will be covered shelter to house ZA002 - and subsequent 787s - while the wing fix is installed on the side of body. Think of it as a massive operating room...like M*A*S*H 787.

Across the entirety of Boeing's 787 global supply chain from Charleston to China, Nagoya to Naples and Winnipeg to Washington, executives, manufacturing planners and engineers are in the late stages in developing a document that will dictate the future of the planet's most ambitious industrial undertaking.

The document, known as Z18, the latest of 18 revisions to the 787 schedule, dictates all aspects of the fabrication, final assembly flow and customer delivery planning for each aircraft.

A preliminary version of Z18 has been examined by Boeing Commericial Airplanes CEO Scott Carson and is expected to be reviewed shortly by Boeing CEO Jim McNerney, senior program sources tell FlightBlogger.

Sources familiar with the schedule indicate that ZA001's first flight is likely to be slated for the late November/early December time frame, with first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways in the fourth quarter of 2010.

However, Boeing maintains that no decisions on the schedule have been made and the disclosure of the overall program timeline detailing first flight and aircraft certification will be announced by the end of September.

The development of Z18 is a closely held process that takes into account the short and long term production strategies, the ability of suppliers to ramp up and incorporate design changes, the capacity of final assembly operations, the requirements of airlines, as well as the financial considerations that impact the decision-making process.

Scott Fancher, 787 program vice president and general manager, was quoted in July as saying it was no secret that Boeing required a second final assembly line to support the production ramp up and meet the unprecedented demand for the aircraft.

Z18, as a result of this future requirement, could be the first program schedule that Boeing develops with provisions and planning for a second 787 assembly line in mind, no matter where it is located.

Fancher, who's responsible for the implementation of the schedule will require more art than science, his role likened to that of an orchestra conductor, ensuring that each of the partners moves in unison at the required tempo.

INSIDE:

• The latest on the Alenia/Section 46 wrinkles
  
• What does Net Change 5 mean for the program?

Photo Credit Andrew Sieber

If ever a picture was worth 1000 words, this is it. ZA002 began taxi testing today following two days of minor, and now resolved, troubleshooting issues. Taxiing nearby Boeing's newest commercial aircraft, was a B-17G, a flying testament to the company's long history. This particular B-17G "Sentimental Journey" (c/n 32155) was actually built under license by Douglas in Long Beach and was delivered to the USAF in March of 1945. The aircraft was later stored in Japan then converted over the course of its life for various roles, including one as a tanker.

Photo Credit Liz Matzelle (via iPhone)

Oh yeah, and here are some videos taken by Matt Cawby of this afternoon's taxi testing.

Yesterday, Boeing released a photo from the flight deck of RC501 during power on testing for the first 747-8 freighter, and I was struck by the (subtle) differences between the -8 and the -400 cockpits.

Many of the changes build on the 747 flight deck upgrades that found their way into later -400 models, including LCD displays to replace the CRT screens and consolidation of the back up instruments to a single unit.

The 747-8 maintains the same type rating as the -400, but adds HF datalink, new multifunction displays (MFD), a new LCD flight management computer (FMC) interface, cursor control knob like that on the 787, vertical situation display, as well as electronic checklists like those first introduced by Boeing on the 777.

The avionics will also enable RNP .1 navigation for precision approaches and departures.

Other subtle changes to the pilot interface include the removal of the center detent in the landing gear lever. Previously, crews would have to set the lever to 'up', then to 'off' once retracted. Crews need only to set the 'up' position to retract the landing gear after takeoff. As a result of the smaller landing gear lever, the autobrake selector has also been relocated to just above the first officer's FMC, similar to the arrangement in the 777 and 787.

In addition, as a result of the additional multifunction display options, the Display Select Panel on the glareshield, which sits between the Electronic Flight Instrumentation System (EFIS) and the autopilot Mode Control Panel (MCP), reflects a 777-style arrangement to select a range of synoptic pages on the left and right inboard displays and lower center MFD.

Photo Credit Boeing
Graphic Credit FlightBlogger

Taxi tests on ZA002 planned for Monday were put on hold this afternoon for an unspecified reason according to Guy Norris of Aviation Week.

Boeing suspended its attempt to taxi ZA002 just over an hour ago after encountering unspecified issues, despite having boarded the aircraft around midday Pacific time. The flight test team plans to have another attempt tomorrow and is now holding time open on Wednesday Aug 19 as additional margin for completing any system check out items not completed on Tuesday.

When approached for explanation regarding the hold, Boeing says it doesn't comment on the testing schedule for any of its 787s.

Video Courtesy of Matt Cawby taken August 14, 2009

A350 funding from UK, Germany
On virtually the eve of the preliminary decision by the WTO on Boeing's protest to Airbus launch aid, the Governments of Germany and the UK have committed $1.548B and $555m, respectively for the development of the A350. Needless to say, this has not quelled Boeing's ire about how Airbus funds its new aircraft programs. Permit me to ask an open question, would Airbus be able to secure the same amount of funding from traditional commercial sources with more latitude in how it lays out its workshare?

ZA002 Taxi Testing
All indications point to N787EX taxiing under its own power as early as today in Everett. Today's tests, which should mimic ZA001's July testing, will likely mark one of the last public events before Dreamliner Two goes under the knife for the wing fix. Program progress will again be difficult to gauge outwardly. ZA002 will either remain on the flight line covered by a tent or moved north to the ATS hangars to undergo structural reinforcement.

SWA@BOS
Southwest Airlines completed its first flight to Boston's Logan International Airport yesterday, expanding its New England service into Massachusetts. The move is another step forward in Southwest's slow and steady expansion into first tier major metropolitan airports like Denver, La Guardia and Dulles. The airline of the suburbs is moving to the big city. Can't wait to see the DOT data going up against JetBlue.

Reviving FriendFeed
As you can see, I've added a big old "FlightBlogger by E-Mail" button to the left side of the page to receive the blog by email. To the right is FriendFeed which, in it's current form on this page, is quite static. Over the last year or so, FriendFeed (now owned by Facebook) has evolved significantly to better foster and integrate discussion and sharing. I've also found myself using it A LOT more to share stories of note and start discussions. They aren't necessarily items of original content of my own, but it allows me to highlight and comment on interesting things, while using this page for breaking news, analysis and commentary.

I've been able to hone the pace of content sharing: FlightBlogger features medium and extended posts, FriendFeed enables short posting and multimedia sharing and Twitter allows for microblogging. All of these tools are FlightBlogger, it's just a matter of finding the right content for the right platform. No piece exists on its own, and each piece supports the others.

This week's movie monday takes us back to the late 80s aboard F-WWDC an -100 series A320 (MSN004) which later became F-GGEF in service with Air France. The video takes us on board this early A320, which first flew in June 1987, on what was then the world's first fly by wire jetliner. What makes the video unique is that the fly by wire envelop protection isn't being demonstrated in a simulator, but in actual flight pulling some pretty impressive maneuvers you don't usually see from the flight deck.

For a bit of a historical juxtaposition towards aircraft automation, Flight has a story this week detailing a possible feature on the A350 that could descend the airplane automatically in the event of a change in cabin pressure. The system would activate if sensors detected a change in pressure, but would provide the crew the chance to manually override if the pilots were to take over, or cancel the descent. 

The first 747-8F began the process of powering on its systems on Friday as the new freighter moved another step closer to leaving the factory, Boeing confirms.

In the early hours of August 14th, RC501 was rolled on its landing gear from the final body join station inside Building 40-22 to the final systems integration slant.

The commencement of power on testing marks the beginning of the sequential activation of the 747-8s systems. The first typically activated is the electrical system that feeds power throughout the aircraft. Pneumatic and hydraulic power activation is expected to follow shortly.

Boeing expects the new freighter to roll out of the factory to the paint hangar late in the 3rd quarter or early in the 4th quarter before making its maiden flight by the end of the year.

RC501 is the first of three flight test aircraft that will support certification of the 747-8F and will eventually be delivered to Cargolux after being fully refurbished.

Photo Credit Boeing

Alenia Aeronautica has halted production of two major 787 structural components due to wrinkles in the fuselage skin caused by manufacturing flaws in subcomponents of the one-piece composite barrel, according to a letter obtained by FlightBlogger.

The letter's subject: "SECTION 44 and 46 STOP WORK ORDER FOR BARREL" details a correspondence between Jay Campbell, sr. manager for supplier management for the 787 fuselage supply chain, James E. Simmons section 44/46 sr. engineering manager and Ciro Occipinti of Alenia Aeronautica in Naples, Italy.

The letter, signed and dated June 23 on Boeing letterhead, was sent the same day Boeing announced the latest delay in the program citing a need to reinforce the side of body structure.

Boeing and Alenia Aeronautica did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The status of production at Alenia's Grottaglie facility remains unknown at this hour.

This structural issue, sources say, appears entirely separate from the wing fix. Section 44 and 46 are two of the four major structural components that comprise the integrated center fuselage. Section 44, a bonnet section, sits directly on top of the center wing box (section 45/11) while section 46, a complete barrel, is joined to the aft part of the center wing box.

Campbell and Simmons explain the justification behind the production halt as "related to stringer edge steps" causing wrinkles in the skin of the fuselage that were larger than previously "demonstrated during the [preproduction verification] PPV on these components."

Stringer edge steps, as one veteran composite engineer explains, comprise the stacks of the composite fibers that make up the longitudinal structure that is cured and bonded to the skin of the fuselage barrels to give it its strength.

The letter goes on to detail the recommendations for the proper step height of each layer of composite fiber, plus or minus a given tolerance. The letter says that the guide for building fuselage stringers includes a note that says that step heights beyond a given a specified tolerance "will lead to significant degradation of the structure."

The tolerances and dimensions of the stringer were specifically outlined in the letter and are not included in this report due to the proprietary nature of the information.

However, the letter continues:

"Boeing engineering evaluations of the cross-sections provided by Alenia demonstrate that negative margins exist in the line 7-19, and line 20 and on, configurations for section 46. Line 5 and 6 are still under evaluation. While efforts are underway to refine that analysis, it is doubtful that the negative margins will be recovered, and that repair of at least line 7-29 will be required."

Of those 25 shipsets, four have been delivered to final assembly in Everett, Wash, eight are undergoing center fuselage integration at Global Aeronautica in Charleston, S.C. and the remaining 13 are in Grottaglie, Italy.

Each 787 barrel section contains 80 stringers that run the length of the fuselage. The letter did not detail what portion of the 80 would require repair.

The size of the edge steps on the stringers, the letter says, were increased first on "line 5 when Alenia began using the GFM stringer manufacturing cell at Grottaglie."

Line 5 refers to Airplane Five or ZA005, the first General Electric GEnx powered 787, that entered final assembly in January of this year. Sections 44 and 46 were delivered by Alenia for integration at Global Aeronautica in April 2008.

GFM is a company that does milling, cutting, routing and forging of various materials, including composites components.

During the manufacturing process, the composite stringers are fabricated in a clean room, loaded onto the preformed mold, or mandrel, then are wrapped in a preset amount of carbon fiber tape. After lay-up, which is done by a robotic wrapping machine, the mandrel is bagged and moved to the autoclave for high temperature curing.

Boeing's instructions in the letter to Alenia was to complete any carbon fiber placement currently underway, but not to begin any additional bonding or curing of barrels.

According to the letter, specifications were authored to control the height of the "edge step" as a result of what was learned during preproduction verification (PPV). The letter states that Alenia determined it "cannot comply with the requirement" and had requested "that the step height control provisions be eliminated." Boeing concluded that "based on the structural analysis...this is unacceptable" because the wrinkles "represent a risk of a major repair to every unit that is built without engineering coverage."

Boeing's conclusions on this structural analysis were conducted on two scrapped barrel sections identified as being from Airplane 15 section 46 and Airplane 20 section 44. "Sections cuts from the scrapped AP15 barrel show wrinkle geometry well in excess of those found during the PPV." Adding that the specification "does not allow wrinkles in the skin, and the existing effects-of-defects data does not sufficiently characterize the structural performance of wrinkles of this magnitude."

Boeing has yet to provide a revised schedule, known internally Z18, that dictates the 787 production and delivery schedule to suppliers and airline customers. The company has said a revised planning schedule will be available by the end of September.

This structural issue appears to not affect the first flight planning for ZA001 through ZA004, but it is yet unknown if delivery planning of the early production aircraft will be impacted while this issue is being resolved.

After traveling for two weeks, I quickly realized how out of the loop I had become at keeping a close eye on the location of the 787 fleet. I'm all caught up now, so I felt it only fitting to provide a brief update on positions of the 11 787s currently coming together in Everett.

To start, ZA001 is in Paint Hangar 45-04 for the side of body modifications. ZA002 is on the flight line preparing for taxi testing that could get underway as early as this weekend or early next week. ZA003 is positioned on the 767 line in Building 40-24. A freshly painted ZA006, registered N787ZA is also on the flight line.

ZA004 remains at the head of the 787 line in Building 40-26, flanked by ZA005 and ZA100 at the third and second positions, respectively. ZA101 is in the first final body join position and will receive its horizontal and vertical stabilizers shortly. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers plus the wings and aft fuselage for ZA102 are at the rear part of the 787 line.

ZY998, the fatigue test airframe, remains on the 747 line in Building 40-24 just in front of the first 747-8F. ZY997 is being prepped for the side of body fix in Building 40-23 where the aircraft has been since April 2008.

To the Edge of Space
Gizmodo beat me to the punch on this one, but I promise that I found it before they did. I was saving it for a mini-movie monday. I, of course, have now way to prove that, but the beautiful video above (that should be watched in HD) is 11 minutes of what it's like to fly to the edge of space in a Lockheed U-2 spyplane.

UAVs come to DC!
AUVSI is in full swing this week in DC and The D.E.W Line and As the Cro(ft) Flies will be all over the unmanned systems show. I most likely will pop over one or two days this week to shudder at all those jockeying to replace manned aircraft. Man...can't a pilot can't get a break? 

Southwest and Republic Fight for Frontier
In the ongoing battle for the future of Frontier, SWA has upped its bid for the Denver based carrier to $170m against Republic's $108m. If Southwest wins the bidding, which based on a $62m advantage, appears more than likely, SWA will transition Frontier's Airbus fleet to about 40 737-700s, replacing the 51 A320 family aircraft in the fleet. Southwest says it is also entertaining options for what to do with the remaining 10 Bombardier Q400s flying for Lynx.

Seattle pol takes jab at SC
Hat tip to the Boeing employee who sent this my way. Larry Phillips (D), who's running for King County Executive, takes a shot at South Carolina. It's almost like he knows how to get the attention of the tens of thousands of Boeing employees who live in King County.

Spotters Delight
The Seattle Times penned a great article about airplane nuts in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, that might be redundant, but the article captures the passion that enthusiasts bring to following things that fly. Also, Liz Matzelle, a good friend of this blog is prominently featured in the article.

Email Subscriptions
I've gotten requests over the last several months to set up formal email subscriptions for FlightBlogger and all the solutions I had come up with were rather inartful. With the help of FeedBurner, I'm able to offer a daily email with a digest of the previous day's posts. I want to keep the email in your inbox to a minimum, so this is probably the best way to do it.

Sitting still...for now.
I'm back in DC after two weeks on the road and I am beyond happy to be back home with a chance to sit still until next month. All told, I flew seven different legs and 7673 nm between DC, Oshkosh, New York City, London and back again. I'm going to savor every minute of being back in 100 degree nasty sweaty gross swampy DC.

I really should just say submitted without comment, but really, it deserves one. This is absolutely spectacular. It is the kind of video that just brings a massive smile to my face because it captures every single reason why I love aviation. I trust it will do the same for you. My hat's off to Slickhutto.

Embraer's Phenom 300 is pushing through its certification campaign, having passed the 750 flight test-hour mark with four flying aircraft since the aircraft's first flight on April 29, 2008.

The aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft is now finalized and the company is continuing to explore the maximum operational speed and maximum altitude envelope, says Augusto Salgado da Rocha, product strategy sr. manager Executive Jets.

Other testing has included water spray, engine controllability and in-flight start and thrust determination and fire detection and extinguishing in on the Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW535E engine.

Salgado da Rocha added that the aircraft has completed bird strike tests on the light jet and its fatigue and static structural tests are ongoing. Natural icing, crosswind takeoff and landings, cold soak and external noise test have all been completed with autopilot and avionics tests, flutter and high speed tests and landing and takeoff performance are continuing.

The Brazilian airframer says the aircraft is on track for a certification and entry into service in the fourth quarter.

For the smaller Phenom 100, which was certificated in the fourth quarter of 2008, Embraer has delivered a total of 25 of the VLJs to date, says Ernie Edwards, Embraer vice president, marketing and sales U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

The company will introduce its clean-sheet DeCrane Aerospace cabin seat design, with optional armrest in the fourth quarter for newly delivered Phenom 100s with a retrofit option available in the first quarter of 2010.

Embraer has responded to certifications concerns about the amount of cabin space available by increasing the aisle width from 8.15 in to 13.58 in. Other upgrades to the Phenom 100 coming in 2010 will include pathways navigation and a synthetic vision system.

Salgado da Rocha adds that Embraer has been actively retrofitting an interim fix to the Phenom 100's flap system following an airworthiness directive in February after it was found the flap handle position could miscompare between commanded and actual flap settings.

LONDON -- On July 31st, ZA001 was rolled from the flight line to Paint Hangar 45-04 where the first 787 will remain for at least several weeks, as preparations are underway to install the wing fix on the static test airframe in the first major step to remove the obstacle standing in Boeing's way to flying the Dreamliner.

Boeing has begun preparations on the static test airframe (ZY997), the aircraft on which the problems were first discovered, sources confirm. Once installed, the wings of test airframe will again be flexed to validate the static strength of the structure.

Since the June 23rd delay announcement, much of the focus has been centered on not only developing the fix itself, but the challenge to Boeing engineers and assembly crews to install  the side of body fix for the 787.

The installation, which will take place on the upper part of the side of body of the 787, is centered on two areas on both the port and starboard sides of the aircraft. The process of reinforcing the structure that connects the wing to the body of the aircraft will see modifications of both the Section 11 (center wing box) and Section 12 (wing box) of the aircraft.

The physical constraints of the area where repair crews will be working has been described by program sources as a series of "interconnected phonebooths laying on their side."

To paint a picture of just how tight the area is, imagine a 17-foot long space along the wing root that is just over 5 and a half feet tall and about three feet wide. The areas on the top panels of these "phone booths" needing the fix are 17 I-shaped stringer beams on the Section 12 wing box and another 18 on the Section 11 center wing box that are affixed to the upper skin. The area requiring reinforcement is extremely tight providing just 3-4 inches from the top skin of the wing.

Crews will gain access to the inside of Section 11 by way of an access door into the center fuel tank from the rear spar inside the right hand landing gear bay. Two additional access holes leading from the side of the center wing box allows for crews to work inside the area on the Section 12 area of the side of body.

ZA001 and ZA002 hold unique challenges from the remaining four flight test aircraft because the interior working areas inside the fuel tank have been fully closed out and fueled for the previous APU and engine runs. Sources say ZA001 was drained of fuel before being moved back inside the paint hangar.

Supplier sources say that the reinforcing parts required for ZA001 and ZY997 have been shipped to Everett. ZY997, which will be the first test aircraft to receive the fix, has been surrounded by scaffolding in preparation for the installation.

Boeing continues to move forward with increasing the pace of deliveries to Everett, even as 787 is stalled by the fix. Boeing has begun final assembly on Dreamliner Eight, ZA101, though the upper panels of the final body join, sources say, will be done in an incomplete way to allow easier access to the the inside of the aircraft for installation of the fix. Wings for Dreamliner Nine (ZA102) are set to arrive later this week, just under 30 calendar days after Dreamliner Eight's wings were delivered from Nagoya, Japan.

The first production 787, ZA100, has been moved to assembly position two inside Building 40-26, while ZA004 remains at position four closest to the door where it underwent gear swing tests this week.

The Section 11 half of the wing fix is expected to be incorporated at Global Aeronautica beginning with Airplane 15. The Section 12 side of the fix will continue to be completed in Everett because aspects of the modification require the wing box and center wing box to be in the wing to body join process, sources say.

Though as Boeing continues to churn through its internal assessment of first flight and first delivery expected to be ready later in the 3rd quarter, many outside the program are increasingly placing estimates on a slip of greater than six months into the first quarter of 2010 with a first delivery not occurring until the first quarter of 2011.

Over the previous week, FlightBlogger gathered the comments from several news reports, analysts and suppliers to aggregate the estimates on the timing of first flight and first delivery of 787. In addition to the public comments, six aerospace analysts, were polled on their estimates. They were provided the option of declining attribution due to the investment position of their respective firms. A total of 10 data points were collected.

The results, though gathered in an unscientific way, provide a basic framework for a window in which first flight and first delivery may take place. The consensus appears to trend towards early 2010 first flight with first delivery coming a year later in the first quarter of 2011.

The following are the assembled data points:

Source	Type	First Flight	First Delivery
Senior	Supplier	Late 2009	3Q10
Barclays	Analyst	Late 2009	Late 2010
Morgan Stanley	Analyst	Late 2009	1Q11
Seattle Times	News Org.	Early 2010	--
Richard Aboulafia	Analyst	1Q10	2Q11
Analyst 1	Analyst	End 09/Early 10	1Q11
Analyst 2	Analyst	End 09/Early 10	--
Analyst 3	Analyst	End 1Q10	Mid-2011
Analyst 4	Analyst	1Q10	1Q11
Analyst 5	Analyst	Nov-09	1Q11

Well, EAA 2009 has drawn to a close. My annual trip to Oshkosh has again proven to be my favorite regularly scheduled week at work every year. The reasons for this are captured in this week's comment from Flight International. Needless to say, the last several months have been a tough one for the industry, but the sentiment of the editorial voice of Flight has struck a different tone for this week. Also, the final batch of my photographs from the past week have been uploaded. Final tally: 183.

A toast to Oshkosh
Flight International
4-10 August 2009

Airlines in loss. Military and civil programmes under threat. Business aviation in disgrace and aerospace manufacturing suffering cancelled orders, plunging revenues and redundancies. Sometimes it takes an event like AirVenture in Oshkosh to remind us that aviation - at its grass roots - is all about liberation, innovation and the sheer joy of flying.

General aviation is not immune to the economic downturn, as flying schools and small charter operators struggle and even leisure pilots fly less and put off purchases. But - while the world's best-attended air show in the unassuming Wisconsin city has its hard business edge - most of the visitors are there to indulge their passion for flying and marvel in the latest attempt to stretch the boundaries of aerospace technology.

This year's stars of the show were the A380 - still a rare sight in the US Midwest - and Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnight Two: the mothership that will carry the first tourist spaceship towards the edge of the Earth's atmosphere.

The lack of scepticism with which Oshkosh greets such technological marvels is refreshing to those of us used to - rightly - scrutinising the commercial case for new products, whether they be superjumbo airliners or very light jets. AirVenture is not a business show in the strict sense. Few attending the event will be stumping up the $200,000 needed for a trip in Sir Richard Branson's spaceship. Few are likely to have travelled on the A380 from the two North American airports its operators serve. The most active vendors are those offering hats and hot dogs.

However, with more than half a million visitors, Oshkosh is the perfect platform to create a buzz for a product, which is why entrepreneurs such as Branson rate it so highly and why the A380 shows up among the micro­lights, aerobatic trainers and pistons.

Executives do not have to deal with probing questions from financial journalists. Most of the scribes there are enthusiasts themselves. They are not under pressure to reveal reasons for delays to programmes. Market shares, capital outlays and risk are concepts for another day.

In a cynical age, Oshkosh worships innovators in the way that 100 years ago the Bleriots and Wrights were hailed as heroes. So this week, Flight International - amid our pages of news analysis and hard-edged scrutiny of our industry - joins in that enthusiasm and toasts the spirit of Oshkosh.

Now a final news round up:

• Avanti plans Latin American push
• Electric overtakes alternate fuels
• Virgin Galactic flies high at Oshkosh
• WhiteKnight Two rudder change confirmed
• Adam Aircraft under new ownership
• Honda poised to test-fly HondaJet
• Remos secures new investor, plans major US expansion
• Piper to offer Garmin G600 glass cockpit
• Cessna to begin SkyCatcher deliveries in 4Q
• VIDEO: Cirrus seriously considers splitting off jet programme
• Icon A5 first delivery pushed to 2011
• PICTURES: VIDEO: Hawker Beechcraft unveils new King Air model
• Piper lays down ambitious expansion plans
• VIDEOS: PiperJet makes air show debut

Photo Credit Lee Karas

Greetings from London! I'm all set up here for the week at Flight HQ and I've wrapped up my final Oshkosh EAA 2009 video for the show. When the A380 (MSN004) touched down at Oshkosh on Tueday, it was greeted with an extraordinary silence from the thousands of onlookers who had come from far and wide to see the superjumbo up close, most for the first time.

After it landed at Wittman Regional Airport, Flight was invited on board for a tour of the A380 by Claude LeLaie senior vice president of the flight division, who sat in the right seat during the challenging approach to Oshkosh. I filmed the tour with just my iPhone (voice overs too) and the result is a closer look inside the world's largest commercial aircraft.

My colleague, Stuart Clarke, also joined me on the aircraft and had a more proper video camera to capture the tour. There's only a little overlap between our two videos, so consider them companion guides to an A380 flight test aircraft.

Getting ready for my next on-the-road leg to London. Delta 767-400ER
taking me over tonight to LHR. N840MH (cn 29718/830) ship 1816. Quite
thankful for 2-3-2 seating in economy. Next stop Flight HQ.