September 2009 Archives

Albaugh Visits Charleston
Newly minted President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Jim Albaugh, made his first visit to Boeing Charleston and Global Aeronautica today as news spreads of the recently filed permits for the second 787 assembly line.

Though there appears to be no direct connection to Albaugh's visit to Charleston and the selection of a second line, that decision - expected by year's end - will define his early months at the helm of BCA.

The Charleston Post Courier reports that the details of the permits make way for a 720,000 sq. ft. facility at the southern end of Charleston Air Force base on the Boeing Campus. Scott Hamilton notes that the Everett factory is 4.3 million sq. ft. by comparison. A quick calculation shows that 720,000 sq. ft. is roughly one-sixth of the Everett factory, which is split into six main bays for final assembly of the 747, 767, 777 and 787. The 720,000 sq. ft. figure makes the new facility's footprint almost identical to that of the current 787 line.

Sources indicate that that there has been increased surveying activity at the Boeing Charleston site with heavy equipment arriving on site, such as an excavator, small bulldozer and a brush cutter.

Boeing emphasizes that no decision has been made on the location of the second line, however, the permits indicate that brush clearing would begin in November if the green-light is given.

In addition, the State of Washington has publicly made its own case for why it should be the site of the second 787 line. Scott Hamilton explores the important difference between Washington State not providing Boeing any incentive for the second line vs. Boeing not actually asking for anything from Washington.

Z18 Moves -9 Again
This page reported last week that the first 787-9 would be airplane 109 instead of 88. The 109 figure was correct, however only to the Z17 schedule, not the latest Z18 revision, which now puts the first 787-9 at LN139. Apologies for any confusion.

The Changing Tone of the Backlog
In recent weeks, the tone of the now 840 aircraft 787 backlog has shifted. When early customers discussed cancellations, the reasons given were attributable to the economic downturn. QANTAS, LCAL, S7, SkyPeace, RBS (unconfirmed) all cited the economy as the key driver for the cancellations. Earlier this week, TUI Travel, which recently merged with First Choice, reduced its combined 787 order by 10, while expanding purchase rights for an addition 13 aircraft.

However, as the global recession begins to bottom, 787 customers have begun to cite the program delays as a driver in future fleet planning. Oman Air now says its order for 10 hinges on the outcome of first flight, while Kenya Airways is openly discussing a potential A330 order for interim capacity and LOT Polish Airlines is considering placing an Airbus order as well. In addition, Vietnam Airlines is also weighing its options on its 787 order.

First flight could help to settle much of this uneasiness, however the number of airlines seeking either interim lift or discussing potential order cancellations has grown considerably. These four airlines hold firm orders for a total of 39 787s, according to Boeing's website.

Dreamliner Eleven
Boeing is set to take delivery of the final structural sections (Forward and Center) for the 11th 787 this weekend and early next week as the production pace beings to quicken. Early next week will also see the arrival of the wings for Dreamliner 12 as the line pulses forward. As the final body join for the 11th 787 gets underway later next week, the first production 787 (ZA100) will likely move out of final assembly to the paint hangar for closeout and aqueous wash of the wing tanks before receiving the official ANA colors. Access to the side of body and center tanks will still be available to install the wing fix later on.

Dreamliner Eight - Photo Credit Brendan Sobie

Now Gulfstream's version: See more photos from the G650 roll-out

Here's the full set of photos from yesterday's G650 rollout, including the flights to and from Savannah. Seven thousand people attended yesterday's ceremonies that saw the new large-cabin business jet taxi in under its own power. I suspect a power roll-in could be a first for an aerospace industry.

The first thing you notice when walking around the aircraft is the wing, which is incredibly clean and already has a slight upward curve to it. Also worth noting, the sharp angle at the edge of the cockpit windows gives N650GA an almost Cardinal-esq appearance. In case you're wondering, the windows are 16% larger than the G550's, which strangely makes the aircraft look smaller from far away. From an aesthetic point of view alone, this is one good-looking aircraft. For the sake of full disclosure, I don't think I've ever met an aircraft I didn't think was good-looking. Enjoy!

On location at Gulfstream's G650 manufacturing site. N650GA (6001) taxied in under her own power. The aircraft will fly by the end of the year.

Off to Savannah momentarily aboard a G550 for the rollout ceremonies to see N650GA (Fmr. N601GD) in the flesh. Will be tweeting all day from the event. Special thanks to The Enterprise Report for the first photo.

Thanks to a cached version of the G650 wikipedia page, it appears Gulfstream has been making some impressive strides with its new business jet. One item that has since been removed from the current entry reads:

The G650 was first spotted taxing under its own power at the Gulfstream Savannah Georgia production facility on Sept 26, 2009. A photo of the aircraft was published.

That photo has proved elusive. However, thankfully, others have not:

Air France A380 Flies...Again
Last Friday in Hamburg, Air France's first freshly painted A380 (MSN033) took to the skies for a five-hour cabin test flight. The aircraft lifted off without the new Premium Voyageur economy class aboard which will be first introduced in October aboard the airline's 777 fleet. The Wall Street Journal detailed the spat between Airbus and Air France on the A380 cabin modifications. Air France should take delivery of F-HPJA in late October, with two more expected to follow before the end of the year (MSN040 & 043).

G650 Rollout
Tomorrow morning, I'll be hopping a quick flight down to Savannah, Georgia for Gulfstream's roll-out of the new large-cabin G650. It feels like just yesterday that Gulfstrean announced the program. How quickly they grow up. Word on the street is that the aircraft has already has first engine start. Perhaps Gulfstream has a treat for us tomorrow with a surprise first flight too? I'll be tweeting live all morning tomorrow.

WAEA
Starting early next week, I'll be heading west for a week of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity at the World Airline Entertainment Association conference in lovely Palm Springs. Mary Kirby (Runway Girl) and I will have the show covered wall to wall bringing you the latest innovations on what we may see in the cabin of the not-so-distant future.

Second of two parts detailing the 787 operations of Spirit AeroSystems-MORE PHOTOS

To hear Harold Leslie talk about the work ahead on 787, it becomes clear that his confidence in the ramp comes from the fact that tasks that would previously take days have been designed to take just hours on 787. On previous programs, it would take 2 to 2.5 days to hang the passenger doors. For the 787, the passenger doors, built by Latecoere, and the nose landing gear, supplied by Messier-Dowty, both can be installed in a single eight-hour shift. Once the floor grid is installed, significant work can be done concurrently, further cutting the integration time.

Another major time saving initiative about to be implemented by Spirit is the activation of a series of automated guided vehicles or AGVs. The AGV, as its name suggests, will transport completed barrels from the composite fabrication facility (CFF), where the barrels are wound, to the systems integration facility without a human operator.

Microchips currently being installed in the floor of the CFF will create a systematic predefined path between stations for the AGVs to follow. The barrels will, quite literally "take themselves" from station to station, cutting both time and manpower, says Leslie. The AGVs will enable daytime movement of each barrel without disrupting production.

The next major block point for Spirit will be at Airplane 34 with the incorporation of two major weight saving initiatives. The floor beams will transition to a hybrid titanium-sine wave design and a Pi-box shaped design for the seat tracks. These two changes, which will run the length of the fuselage, are expected to reduce the empty weight of 787 by more than 1000 lbs, according to the assessment found in Airbus's 787 Lessons Learnt dossier.

After the Airplane 34 blockpoint change, the next major change incorporation point for the 787 will be on the 787-9 at Airplane 109, says Leslie. Spirit expects to be able to use a mostly common set of tooling, as the stretch of the fuselage will come entirely in the center fuselage in Sections 43 and 46, not the forward Section 41.

"Right now, that's pretty big for us if we can keep the -8 and the -9 common," says Buck Buchanan. "When I say keep it common, that doesn't mean that the -9 has to look exactly like the -8 does today. But if we have to strengthen the 9 somewhere, if we can allow the 8 to carry the weight of the strengthening, we'd like to build one 41 section for the -8 and the -9. That has good cost benefits for the program. Every model we are that way, we did that on aluminum airplanes too. We really drive towards as much commonality as possible," he adds.

Buchanan says he expects the major sizing of the 787-9 to firm up about a year from now, but adds that the -9 configuration could be driven by what Boeing learns in flight test on the 787-8.

Boeing added an additional 21 airplane -8 buffer into the production stream, versus the previous plan to build the -9 at Airplane 88, according to program sources. The 787-9 is now set to enter service at the end of 2013, the same year that Boeing is planning to meet its 10 ship set per month ramp up.

First of two parts detailing the 787 operations of Spirit AeroSystems - MORE PHOTOS

At Spirit AeroSystems Wichita, Kansas facility, 31 737 Next Generation aircraft speed out of the factory on railcars bound for Boeing's final assembly line in Renton, WA. It's a noisy atmosphere amid the industrial symphony of highly coordinated operations. A quick glance at a calendar suggests that the 31 per month rate means one narrowbody aircraft manufactured per day, but with just 21 manufacturing days in a month, Spirit produces almost 1.5 737 fuselages each day, up from a maximum rate of 21 per month achieved on the 737 classic.

At that rate, Boeing and Spirit churn out enough 737s per year to completely replace the fleets of Southwest Airlines and Ryanair, the two biggest 737 customers, in just 24 months.

Spirit has earned a great deal of experience in building effectively to a high rate of production, but each 737 that leaves Wichita represents only the structure of the aircraft. A few blocks south Spirit is undertaking its most ambitious project yet, fabrication and integration of the forward fuselage (Section 41) of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

Along with this 21-foot long section, Spirit is responsible for delivering the pylons and fixed leading and trailing edges of the 787's composite wings.

To date, Boeing has taken delivery of 10 flying forward fuselages, plus two test barrels for the static and fatigue airframe, as well as another - designated ZY901 - that quietly made its way to Everett in November 2007 for additional testing. Of those 10 delivered, six are for the flight test program, four are production standard. Another sixteen barrels are in various stages of completion in Wichita.

Spirit's formidable challenges are the meticulous creation of each composite barrel it fabricates while simultaneously managing its role as a Boeing top-tier supplier and handling its own supply chain that feeds the parts destined for integration inside each forward fuselage.

Right now, Spirit is operating at about 10% of its 2013 target of 10 787s per month. Spirit CEO Jeff Turner recently conceded that with Boeing pulling from its supply base about once a month it is not exactly a regular production flow for his company.

"What we really need to get productivity is a production drumbeat," says Turner, speaking at a September investor conference.

The pace of that drumbeat will build quickly if Boeing and its partners are able to overcome the nearly crippling challenges of the last two years.

Turner says that it is costing his company between $10-15 million per month to keep the 787 running at this low rate as it prepares to begin ramping up in 2010. So far, the company has wound 26 barrels, the most recent one to avoid passing the expiration date of the composite tape it has in storage.

Spirit, Turner says, has the floor space to meet 10 a month on 787, and now with the company's new dual-headed automated fiber placement machine, Spirit can wind at least seven barrels per month as the rate rises.

As the company works toward managing the ramp up, there are two supply chains to Spirit. The first is directly managed by Spirit, and the second, known as Partner Managed Inventory (PMI), is managed by Boeing has been a source of trouble. Spirit's interaction with PMI suppliers is limited to dictating the need and timing of deliveries.

Heading into 2010, Boeing is expects to begin ramping its 787 production rate in preparation for first delivery, now targeted for the end of next year. As the rate increases, each partner will have to improve productivity, delivering the same level of completion at an ever increasing pace.

"Right now," says Turner. "We have all kinds of plans, all kinds of ideas of what we can do to improve productivity...I like to say it is like a snow skier. You can have all kinds of plans for going down the hill, but until you are moving, you can't execute them and you can't change course and those sorts of things.

"As soon as we get this production line moving, a lot of the plans we have today will come true. Some of them we'll say, well, that that isn't going to work and new ones are going to emerge. And that is what we really need on the program is some momentum so that we can make the improvements. We have tons of ideas."

Boeing handed over the keys of the first of at least 30 brand new 777 Freighters to FedEx yesterday. The delivery marks the first long range twin in the company's fleet. Guy Norris made an interesting point about the what the 777F will provide to FedEx for the first time:

Secondly, the 777F - which is based on the 777-200LR, is FedEx's first ETOPS-qualified aircraft. Although the company has been a loyal A300/A310 operator for years, its true long-haul overseas operations have been conducted using DC-10-30, MD-10 and MD-11 trijets. Now finally, FedEx enters the 21st century with a long haul twin.

As outside observers, we never get to see the mountain of paperwork that goes along with such a hefty purchase. Each 777F (at list prices) is valued at $252.5 to $260.5 million. However, the FedEx 10Q filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is public record, details the 161 options that the company selected for its 777F. The prices for each option are redacted, but the eight pages are a treasure trove of interesting items.

For example, the one that jumped out for me was the line item for an Enhanced Vision System, which if installed, would be a first for a 777 operator. I created a PDF document with just the list of options to make the 10Q easier to read. Enjoy!


  Photo Credit Boeing

Boeing has announced it has begun modifying two 787 Dreamliners as it pushes toward meeting its goal of flying by the end of 2009.

The company's first 787 to fly, ZA001, along with the static test airframe, ZY997, are currently undergoing modification to return full static strength to the upper stringers of the structure that joins the wing to the side of body of the aircraft.

Boeing says the entire process of preparation, installation and restoration will take about three months, with program sources indicating that the installation itself will take roughly 30 days to complete.

After the installation is complete, Boeing will have to restore ZA001 to flying condition which includes a thorough aqueous wash to remove any debris accumulated during the work inside the fuel tanks.

Boeing says that to gain access to the area being modified, some systems and access doors were removed and will have to be reinstalled.

Following the completion of the installation, Boeing will first analyze the fix on ZY997 through a series of static tests that will validate the design, ultimately clearing ZA001 for flight.

After being in the shop for three months, ZA001 will go through a "warm up" process by repeating some gauntlet testing and taxi testing to prepare the 787 for it's maiden flight, says Boeing.

The company announced June 23rd that it had discovered that the upper stringers of the wing to body join were not strong enough to meet FAA certification requirements for static strength, curtailing plans to fly by the close of the second quarters.

In a strange cosmic coincidence, 747-8 (RC501) and 787 (ZA001) could fly on the same day, or at least Boeing is thinking they may:

Boeing ready to handle simultaneous first flights of 787 and 747-8
By Brendan Sobie

Boeing has decoupled the flight test programmes for the 787 and 747-8, allowing the two new aircraft to potentially take to the skies for the first time simultaneously.

The 787 and 747-8 are both now scheduled to have first flight during the fourth quarter, most likely the second half of November or first half of December. To avoid having to slow down one flight test programme to keep another on schedule, Boeing has taken the unprecedented step of entirely separating the two flight test programmes and allocating each with a dedicated set of equipment and resources.

Every sign on the 787 front continues to point to a late November first flight target. I'm not necessarily saying that University of Washington and Washington State football fans will have to split their attention, but it may be darn close.

Progress on RC501 has been accelerating as well, with low and high pressure blow tests being conducted earlier this week. The next tests will be to test the flap cable and perform ground vibration tests and prep for the factory gauntlet is also underway. Boeing says that RC501 should go to the flight line in 3-4 weeks.

Programming Note: I've been laid up with the flu for the the three days and I'm finally feeling like a human being again. I've been working on a big blog feature on my visit to Spirit two weeks ago in Wichita. My goal is to have it up today. Stay tuned.

As you may know, I was down in Brazil last week visiting Embraer's Sao Jose dos Campos and Gaviao Peixoto facilities. We had a chance to see the company's commercial jet production and the rapidly advancing Phenom 100 line. Embraer hopes to deliver 110 Phenoms this year and it looks like they are well on their way doing just that. We were only allowed to photograph selected portions of the assembly operations, but I hope that it gives you a glimpse into the goings on at two of the company's biggest facilities.
 

At the bottom of Page 82 of Airbus' Global Market Forecast are three interesting concepts for the European airframer's next generation narrowbody concept. The A30X is now not expected for another 15 years, but the concepts provide an interesting glimpse into the potential for non-conventional concepts that could define the replacement of the A320 family. Rear mounted engines seem to be in the imagination of the company's engineers, with options for both ducted and unducted configuration, as well as a Sonic Cruiser style model, presumably for long range operations.

Radically pushing the envelope of new aircraft configurations will invariable run into interesting challenges for airline operations and airport layouts. This, of course, will be an interesting one to watch.

Hat tip to Keesje for the spot

Have you been busting your tail to become a top notch engineer? Boeing IDS and Flight International have teamed up to sponsor the 2009 Engineering Student of the Year award.

The key criterion for this award is the impact, or potential for impact, of the candidate's work on current or future aeronautical or space technology. This impact might be seen in:- new or enhanced systems, processes or tools; new levels of performance; improved life cycle costs; new capabilities; or other areas. The award is open to any full- or part-time engineering student in a program leading to a recognized academic degree such as B.S., M.S. or Ph.D.

The deadline for entries is September 25 (next Friday) and students can enter themselves, or a professor may nominate on behalf of a student. Make sure to check out all of the details.

The winner will be guests of Boeing at the Dubai Air Show, which is scheduled for November 15-19. The award will be presented on the 14th of November. I'll see you there!

Boeing is set to begin installation of the side-of-body fix on ZA001 next week to return full static strength to the wing of the first 787, according to program sources.

Boeing declined to confirm the timing of the installation.

ZA001, Boeing's first 787 Dreamliner, has been in preparation for the installation inside Paint Hangar 45-04 since late July when the aircraft was taken off the flight line following low speed taxi tests completed earlier that month.

Based on previous estimates by Boeing that the total preparation and modification for each 787 will run about three months, ZA001 should emerge from the paint hangar in early October.

The static test airframe, ZY997, is expected to undergo installation concurrently as ZA001 is being modified, said Boeing in a late August program update. Following installation, ZY997 will be used for full scale validation of the side of body fix, clearing the way for 787's long-delayed maiden flight.

However, sources familiar with the installation process say that the fix itself will likely take about 30 days to complete, pushing the public debut of the modified ZA001 closer to the middle or later part of October.

Boeing's latest forecast targets 787 first flight by the close of 2009, with first delivery in the fourth quarter of 2010 to Japan's All Nippon Airways. This page previously reported that first flight was targeted for late November or early December, an assessment that remains in place today, according to those familiar with first flight planning.

The installation is expected to be especially challenging based on the difficult to access location inside the aircraft's wing boxes and center wing box.

Boeing halted preparations for the 787's maiden flight June 23rd after it was discovered that the upper stringers of the wing to body join were not strong enough to meet FAA certification requirements for static strength.

Inside the factory, Boeing has taken delivery of the last two structural sections for the 10th flying 787, ZA104. The fully stuffed forward fuselage, which arrived Tuesday evening from Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, was the first pre-painted fuselage section shipped to Everett.

Later this afternoon, Boeing will complete a line move that will clear the way for ZA104 to be loaded into the final body join position at the back of Building 40-26, the 787 final assembly line.

Taken from the control tower at Gaviao Peixoto airport near the town of Araraquara. GPX has the longest runway in the southern hemisphere and is the South American alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle if need be. In addition, it hosts Embraer's flight test operations, as well as final assembly of both the Phenom 100 and 300.

SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS -- Embraer has completely overhauled its final assembly operations for the E-170 and E-190 family of aircraft, switching from a slant assembly to a pulsing assembly line.

The now two-month-old horse shoe-shaped final assembly line hosts five indoor positions and a sixth that sees the aircraft move to the flight line in preparation for flight test.

Embraer says that an aircraft will move positions every two days, spending a total of ten days inside, with an additional two days outside before flying.

The original slant line, which previously hosted seven fixed dock slant positions exclusively for E-190 and E-195 aircraft, now consolidates E-170 and E-175 operations into a single final assembly line for both families.

The new system seeks to removes critical path milestones, such as the installation of interiors, engines and other key assembly tasks that could otherwise hold up the movement of the assembly line.

The horse shoe shaped assembly line eliminates the wing-to-body join process from the final assembly area. The mating of the wings to the fuselage is now done elsewhere at Embraer's Sao Jose dos Campos facility.

After the wing-to-body join is complete, the aircraft arrive fully painted in preparation for systems installation, interior outfitting, engine installation and other pre-flight checks including power-on.

The new system, which the company says was approved in 2007, is part of Embraer's push to incorporate philosophies of lean manufacturing into its aircraft assembly operations.

The company says that the Phenom 100 very light jet was the first Embraer aircraft to incorporate this methods into its production plan from day one.

Good morning from Brazil! Just arrived here in overcast Sao Paulo after a quick 9.5 hour flight from Dulles on 777 N798UA. I'll be here for the next three days visiting Embraer in Sao Jose dos Campos about 45 minutes away. I'll be in the factory later today to see the company's commercial assembly lines and the off to Gaviao Peixoto to see the Phenom operations tomorrow. I'll also be getting a further update on Phenom 300 flight test and Legacy 500 development. Should prove to be a very busy first half of the week for me. More from Brazil soon!

A somewhat rare Sunday post for me, but I thought it was a good chance to get oriented once again on the whereabouts of the 787 fleet.

ZA001 remains in Paint Hangar 45-04 where it has been since late July for side of body modifications. ZA002 was moved on Friday to the 48,375 square foot temporary structure ahead of its modifications as well, with ZA004 making the trip south to Aviation Technical Services (ATS) on Wednesday for the same purpose. If this order is any indication, the first, second and fourth 787s will likely fly in that order as well.

ZA003, still unpainted with a red Northwest rudder, is parked along side ZA005 in Building 40-24 (below) behind a China Southern 777-200LRF. ZA006 is all buttoned up in storage on the flightline and will head to ATS next.

The ZA designations, which were originally meant to run sequentially early into the production run, were changed when the delivery order for the early 787s were reassigned to All Nippon Airways. As a result, ZA007, the seventh production 787 became ZA100. However, the ZA numbers no longer run sequentially. ZA100 through ZA102 represent Dreamliners Seven through Nine, while Dreamliner 10 is designated ZA104 and Dreamliner 11 is ZA103. Confusing things further, Dreamliner 12 is ZA105 and Dreamliner 13 is ZA115.

The first production 787s are all positioned inside Building 40-26 (top) with ZA100 at position three, ZA101 at position two and ZA102 at position one in the body join tooling. The line is expected to pulse in the middle of next week to make way for assembly of Dreamliner 10/ZA104. The aft fuselage and wings for ZA104 have been in the factory since each arrived on August 31st and September 1st, respectively.

ZA100 now sits at the head of the 787 final assembly line, with ZA101 at position three and ZA102 in the body join tooling at position one. Both ZA101 and ZA102 have yet to receive their vertical tails yet.

ZY998, the fatigue test airframe, is now positioned on the flight line and ZY997 is being prepped for the side of body fix in Building 40-23 where the aircraft has been since April 2008. ZY997 and ZA001 will be modified concurrently.

Photos Courtesy AirShowFan

I always have trouble finding the right thing to say on this day.  

We all have our stories of where we were on the 11th of September 2001.

I have my own story, but perhaps today isn't the day to share it. I find days like today are meant for listening. Listening to the experiences of those who lived it in New York and Washington, D.C., the city I now call my home. Perhaps most importantly, I listen to the silence and remember the emptiness left by the gaping hole in the New York City skyline.

And naturally our thoughts move to aviation and the perversion of innovation meant to bring people together, not tear them from our lives. After eight years, it still pains me that something that has brought much joy in my life was used as a vile weapon.

Though I try not to think of the pain, fear and uncertainty of that pristine September day, but rather the courage, unity and the sense of sacrifice and purpose that took hold in the days that followed.

On this day, I take pride in the city that I call my home. I take pride in the city that welcomed my grandparents to Ellis Island almost a century ago. I take pride in the country that provides me the right to speak and write freely.

Let us never forget.

First Published 5:50 PM ET:
The machinists at Boeing Charleston have voted against continued representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, according to the employee hotline set up to notify the workforce of the result.

Employees voted 68 in favor of continued representation by the IAM and 199 against. A simple majority vote was required to continue the IAM's representation of the Boeing Charleston workforce.

In reaction to the preliminary vote that has yet to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Boeing spokesman Tim Healy said in a statement it was happy with the outcome and suggested that process was a distraction from the work going on at the facility:

"We are pleased that hourly workers expressed their desire to deal directly with the company on employment matters without any intermediary. We're also pleased that Boeing Charleston can now move forward to focus on excellence and meeting commitments on the 787 program."

According to a report on thestreet.com, IAM spokesman Bob Wood indicated that Boeing involved itself in the vote:

"It's a democratic process. We certainly feel that workers would be better with union representation. It's too bad that Boeing did not stay neutral in the process and let the workers decide."

Healy maintained that the petition to de-certify was driven by employees alone and Boeing had no role in its initiation. Adding that per the rules laid out for a de-certification vote, after the election is scheduled "both sides have a right to communicate their point of view."

Healy said that the initial 2007 vote for representation by the IAM took place prior to Boeing's July acquistion of the Vought Aircraft Industries facility which is responsible for the fabrication and integration of the 787's aft fuselage sections.

The vote may clear the way for Boeing to select the North Charleston, South Carolina site as the location for the second 787 line. A final decision on the line has been based in large part on the relations between Boeing and the IAM, its largest union.

The IAM, which represents the company's more than 25,000 machinists and aerospace workers, went on strike halting production in Boeing's commercial aircraft factories for 57-days during September and October of 2008.

The the vote is expected to be certified by the NLRB within seven days.

Vought Aircraft Industries - June 2008

Machinists and aerospace workers at Boeing Charleston, formerly Vought Aircraft Industries, are voting from 1:30 to 5:00 PM ET on the future of the workforce's relationship with International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The vote could play a pivotal role in deciding whether or not Boeing selects the North Charleston, South Carolina site for the second 787 line. Company officials insist that the vote is not tied to the decision on the second line, but the issue of labor relations with the IAM in Seattle are at the center of Boeing's thought process on the location of expanded 787 assembly.

FlightBlogger will cover news of the vote as details become available.

This 737-800 will find its way to a railcar bound for Renton shortly.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China has been sharing details about its new C919 aircraft and its early vital statistics have it taking a market space directly between the Boeing 737-800/A320-200 and the smaller 737-700/A319-100.

The C919 will seat 168 in a single-class economy configuration or 156 in a mixed class arrangement with two variants, a standard and extended range model. The standard range will fly 2,200 nm and 3,000 nm for the extended range model. The range comparison puts the performance of the C919 slightly below that of the comparable narrowbody offerings from Airbus and Boeing. Flight also reported from Asian Aerospace 2009 that Comac plans smaller (130-seat) and larger (190-seat) variants of the C919.

This particular date, September 9, 2009, or 09/09/09 no matter how you write your date, actually holds the explanation for why the C919 is called the C919. Nine is a number of special significance in Chinese culture. Just as the number eight was selected for the 787-8 and the A380-800 as a Chinese symbol of good luck, Comac opted to use 9 for its symbolism as well.

According to Wikipedia:

The number 9 (九, Pinyin: jiŭ, jyutping: gau²), being the greatest of single-digit numbers, was historically associated with the Emperor of China; the Emperor's robes often had nine dragons, and Chinese mythology held that the dragon has nine children.

Moreover, the number 9 is a homophone of the word for "longlasting" (久), and as such is often used in weddings.

Longevity appears to be at the center of Boeing's thinking about its future Chinese competitor as well as well. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney last week addressed the question of longevity and customer commitment to Chinese commercial aircraft.

If you're sitting on a panel in 10 years talking about a Chinese participation in the manufacturing of airplanes, what kinds of things do you think you'll be saying regarding technical proficiency, marketing success, product design globally?

I think we'll be saying that technically, they can do it. I don't know if it's 10 years or 15 years, but -- I would still guess at that stage, though, that customer acceptance will still be out in front of them.

Because when you build these machines, the issue is rarely, can you build it? The issue is, will the company stand behind it for 25 years? And will the company have the wherewithal to evolve derivatives the next fleet of airplanes, and all the services that come with selling these things?

I mean, when you look at a typical airplane and you sell it to somebody, the engine is rebuilt a couple of times; the airplane is rebuilt a couple of times; there's improvements that are spiraled in while you do that. And so a customer needs to see an enterprise that will not only serve them but will have the wherewithal to keep improving the product. And that is what the Chinese will have to eventually overcome before they sell a lot of these to a lot of customers.

But technically, they do a lot of the components today. They're learning how to assemble them in Tianjin right now. They've got to overcome the Shanghai experience in the late '80s, in terms of customer perception. But technically, 10 to 15 years; customer acceptance a little bit beyond that. That would be their challenge.

Every new aircraft model tends to invite comparisons to previous models that have come before it. Fellow journalist and blogger Kieran Daly joked that it looked like a Bombraer-Boebus C7320. The one element that jumped out at me were the engines, which bear a striking resemblance to the GEnx-1B and Trent 1000 nacelles on the 787 with the elongated engine cowl for improved laminar flow.

On the supplier side, Comac has said CFM, GE and P&W are bidding to power the narrowbody and will be selected by year's end. Flight also reports that:

Goodrich, meanwhile, has formed a joint venture with Xian Aircraft in China in an effort to supply the C919's landing gear and Honeywell, which provides flight control systems for Chinese commercial aircraft, has held talks with Comac.

Comac has also touted an efficiency improvement of 15% over the A320 and 737 while offering the aircraft for a lower cost than its western competitors, setting up a price war if the market is receptive to the product, especially outside of China's borders.

First flight of the C919 is scheduled for 2014 with entry into service in 2016.

Beautiful weather here in Kansas for my arrival. That was my ride:
United Express CRJ200 N905SW. Time to get to work.

McConnell Air Force Base - Wichita, Kansas - June 2008

Fall Begins
The surprisingly busy Summer has now come to a close with Labor Day here in the United States, and based on the week ahead, things are really picking up speed quickly. Starting tomorrow, I begin two months of on-the-road reporting starting with Wichita on Tuesday (see below) and at least 36,000 miles to fly before it's all said and done.

British Airways E-170
Last week British Airways took delivery of its first Embraer E-170 (G-LCYD) aircraft, the second new type for BA along side its first Airbus A318 (G-EUNA). Each aircraft are certified for the steep 5.5 degree approach to London City airport where they will be frequent visitors for significantly different missions. The E-170 will fly on UK regional routes, while the A318 will cross the Atlantic to JFK with an all-business configuration.  The E-170's UK arrival was postponed last week after an alleged bird strike following the climb out from Recife in Brazil. The aircraft has since returned to Sao Jose dos Campos for minor repairs. Embraer undertook steep approach trials at London City during the Summer with a specially painted E-190 aircraft.

COMAC & Asian Aerospace
On just about the other side of the planet from where I sit, a small and dedicated team of Flight journalist is covering Asian Aerospace 2009 in Hong Kong. (Make sure you check out Day One's digital daily) While not the largest of shows, Asian Aerospace will certainly make headlines this year with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) unveiling preliminary details about its model C919 aircraft, the first major mid-market narrowbody to enter the fray since the A320.

Boeing Charleston De-certification Vote
On Thursday, Boeing Charleston machinists and aerospace workers will vote to continue their affiliation with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The vote, which may not even take place this week due to a complaint by the IAM, is being watched closely from all corners of the country. It is widely believed that if Boeing Charleston goes fully non-union, the South Carolina facility will garner a significant leg-up over its Pacific Northwestern competition for the second 787 assembly line. It's more than a little bit worth noting that one year ago last week both the IAM voted to strike, halting jetliner production at Boeing for 57-days. What a difference a year makes.

Lufthansa A380
The first A380 for the fifth of sixteen customers has taken shape outside the aircraft's final assembly line in Toulouse, France. The aircraft, which is bound for Lufthansa and will be delivered early early next year, has received its engines and is approaching its first flight. MSN038 (F-WWSH) will be flown to Hamburg for painting and cabin outfitting. As is the Airbus custom, European and Middle Eastern A380 customers receive their aircraft by way of the Hamburg Delivery Center. Lufthansa will be the second European operator of the type after Air France takes delivery of MSN033 later this year, and the German flag carrier is expected to configure its A380 fleet with around 550 seats, the largest operator to do so.

In addition, the first Wave 2 A380 - MSN026 - entered service with QANTAS yesterday, the first superjumbo to be outfitted with production standard wiring harnesses, and the fourth for the Australian airline. Previously A380s had been wired and re-wired by hand after it was found that CATIA V4 and V5 wiring definitions were incompatible, creating gaps in the extensive wiring throughout the A380. 

No more AA300s
Two weeks ago, and with little fanfare, American Airlines completed retirement of its Airbus A300 fleet. The last day of scheduled operations took place on August 24th with a flight Guatemala City to Miami, a flight to Port-au-Prince with another return to Miami, followed by its last revenue flight from Miami to JFK as Flight 1908 with Ship 070 (N90070). The retirement marks the end of the type's usage in North America. Discussion of a new twin-aisle medium haul has been reignited in recent weeks with reports that both Boeing and Airbus are actively looking at a twin-aisle offering as part of its 737 and A320 replacement studies.

Top Aviation Tweeters
Shashank Nigam over at Simpliflying has put together a great list of aviation tweeters and it's a must read. I was honored to be included on the list along side 10 other must-follow industry tweeters that include: Benet Wilson, Steve Frischling, Dan Webb, Ron Callari, Addison Schonland, Devesh Agarwal, Mary Kirby, Brett Snyder, Rob Mark and Scott McCartney. 

Flickr Cleanup
Some do Spring cleaning, others do Fall cleaning. That being said, I've more or less cleaned up my Flickr account, which now contains more than 2,300 photographs. I added a handful of new ones last week, but the real change is a more organized tagging that is much more easily searched. For example, a query for Dreamlifter, British Airways or 737 yields a much more polished result than before. Feel free to go exploring. May I recommend a search through the 787 archives?

Why Wichita?
In February, I penned a business analysis on the rapidly changing fortunes of Wichita, Kansas, one of the United States' biggest aerospace clusters. The city, which is home to Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Boeing, Bombardier (Learjet) and Spirit Aerosystems, has found itself at the center of a worldwide economic downturn and a political environment openly disdainful of its chief export, business aircraft. I'm in Wichita all week to expand on that original article for a feature for NBAA in October that will provide an up-close look at where things stand for the city and the prospects for the future.

The five year battle between Boeing and Airbus on claims the European-airframer received illegal subsidies for the development of its commercial portfolio has taken a significant turn with reports indicating that the World Trade Organization has ruled, at least in part, in favor of Boeing.

The preliminary ruling, which was handed down today, has been distributed confidentially to US and European trade officials.

Almost immediately, the rhetorical war of words erupted as initial reports in the Wall Street Journal citing multiple sources claiming that the initial ruling declared the repayable launch aid for development of the A380 represented an illegal subsidy by the governments of France, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain.

The United State Trade Representative says the 1000-plus page report is under review and its confidential contents are not being discussed.

Neither Boeing nor Airbus have issued official statements on the ruling or on any of the reports detailing the decision, with unnamed sources as the best place for information.

As a counter-point the report of the A380's illegal subsidy, another report by Dow Jones Newswires and Financial Times suggests that 70% of the United States' claims on Airbus subsidies have been dismissed, citing a European source in Brussels.

Adding that despite the finding of illegality, the ruling "also confirmed that repayable launch aid is a permissible way to partner with governments."

Despite the lack of official confirmation of any of the details contained in the report, elected officials have not been deterred from weighing-in on the potential implications.

Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA), whose home state hosts the majority Boeing's commercial operations, has been a vociferous proponent for the company on Capital Hill, hailing the report and calling it "encouraging" while decrying the "the damage that has been done to America's premier airline manufacturer which has suffered the loss of 20 percent of the market share -representing hundreds of billions of dollars in value and tens of thousands of jobs."

Dicks urged the Pentagon, which is currently preparing for a re-bid of the US Air Force tanker contract, to take into account the WTO ruling in its decision-making.

"The U.S. government cannot reward illegal market actions that have harmed U.S. manufacturers and stolen U.S. aerospace jobs," said Dicks. "The tanker contract must be awarded on the basis of a level playing field, and because of today's ruling that means it must account for the direct and unlawful subsidies that have allowed Airbus to launch the A330 and other large civil aircraft without the risks that other manufacturers must assume."

The reaction appears to solidify the assessment of aerospace analysts that the ruling, no matter the outcome, would only serve to further the rhetorical arguments and political maneuverings, rather than force real changes in how Boeing or Airbus deal with government money.

According to one source familiar with the WTO rules, any appeals filed by both sides to the preliminary ruling must be resolved within 90 days of being filed, meaning that a "final WTO ruling will be out by next spring."

Still pending, however, is a counter suit by Airbus alleging that research and development funding through NASA has directly benefited Boeing's ability to transfer the intellectual property towards developing commercial aircraft, such as the majority-composite 787 Dreamliner.

Yet the same source familiar with the WTO case also suggests that no matter the outcome of the European case against Boeing, "Europe will have to come into compliance with today's ruling." Adding that "If the EU prevails on any of the allegations it has made, that will not excuse the EU from complying with rulings that go against it in the US case."

A seemingly relaxed Jim McNerney spent yesterday morning candidly discussing his Boeing's future along side aerospace industry analyst Heidi Wood at Morgan Stanley's Global Industrials Unplugged Conference.

As McNerney discussed his company's recent experience with composite technology on the Boeing 787, he looked toward future applications of what he believes Boeing will learn from current struggles.

"For example," he said of the 737 replacement. "If we decide to go with a composite fuselage based on our lead and being able to manage composites, and think we can get there first, we may decide to go first. Engine technology will probably be a push. So, that airframe may be the discriminator."

Referencing the two years of delays endured by Boeing on the 787 McNerney says: "I like our chances there, in terms of coming up with a more innovative -- Lord knows, we've learned the hard way on how to design and build composites."

"Eventually, that's going to pay off for us. And it's really going to pay off when we do -- re-do the 777 and when we take a look at the narrow-body. It's the bleeding edge -- eventually, the innovator's advantage will come back to us. Right now it hurts like hell."

McNerney presents a 'when', not an 'if' statement for Boeing to re-do the 777, potentially providing a glimpse at the airframer's future planning. Boeing publicly introduced the idea of re-winging the 777 or developing the double stretch 787-10 at June's Paris Air Show, as a competitor to the A350-900 and -1000.

Perhaps the company's thinking has shifted as the 787-9 has slipped almost an additional year to late 2013? Does the 787-10 make sense against the current program schedule? 

A Boeing spokesman reiterated that no decision has been made regarding the 777 or the 787-10 and the company is waiting on the performance of the A350-1000 to firm up before making any final determinations on product strategy between 305 and 365 seats.

Boeing predicted in July that the details of the preliminary ruling on the WTO case would leak in the days just before Labor Day. Almost like clock work and right on schedule, the Wall Street Journal reports that the WTO will rule that Airbus received illegal subsidies for its aircraft development programs, setting up a potential challenge to state aid for the A350.

According to the WSJ:

Legal experts say the WTO's preliminary decision, part of a process that could drag on for years, could alter the framework for government aid to airplane makers, which invest billions in developing new jetliners. In addition, the decision could eventually crimp Airbus's ability to tap state funds, these people say.

Though the challenge to the A350 may be the important first test case for the ruling, the conseqences could reach far beyond the trans-Atlantic trade battle between Boeing and Airbus. The ruling may serve as preceedent for future aircraft development and could have an impact on the planning of nations like Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and India to develop commercial aircraft of their own. This ruling certainly has the potential to significantly alter the landscape for those wanting to get a piece of the commercial pie.

When General Electric and Boeing collaborated to develop the GEnx engine earlier in the decade, the two aerospace companies always envisioned that the engine would first hang, and fly, under the wing of a 787 Dreamliner.

Instead, the second GEnx variant, the -2B model which is rated at 66,500 lbs of thrust, was installed under the wing of the 747-8F late last week for the first time.

The -2B model has been in flight test since March 24th and has amassed more than 1,500 hours of ground tests and 100 hours of flight testing under the wing of GE's 747-100 test bed.

The -2B differs from the -1B engine with the inclusion of a conventional bleed air system, whereas the 787's systems are electrically driven.

As RC501, the first 747-8F, inches closer to flight test, Mohammad "Mo" Yahyavi, 747 vice president and general manager says that Boeing has identified 3,500 lbs or about 4/10 of 1% of the aircraft's 975,000 lb MTOW that will be removed for weight savings, according to a report by Aviation International News.

"At this point we are working with our suppliers. For example, one of our suppliers-[GE subsidiary] Middle River, which makes our thrust reversers for us-is coming up with some really good ideas for weight reduction and we are working with them to apply those.

One of those ideas involved switching from a steel to an aluminum ring. Asked about possible changes to materials used in other parts of the 747-8 to lighten the structure, Yahyavi confirmed "there are a few of those examples going on right now," as program engineers prepare for scheduled first flight of the freighter version during the fourth quarter.

In addition to receiving its four GEnx-2B engines, Boeing has also installed one of the aircraft's raked wingtip and will later install the second after leaving the factory to extend the 747 wingspan to 224 feet 7 inches, a growth of more than 13 feet over the -400 and -400F.

Program sources tell FlightBlogger that RC501 could leave the factory for the paint hangar as early as the middle of the month, but suggest that the date is fluid and could slip to later in September.

Boeing says first flight is targeted for the fourth quarter of the year, with early indications that the company has set its sights on mid-November for the maiden sortie.

Photo Credit Boeing