Guy Norris in Los Angeles & Max Kingsley-Jones in London
Boeing will decide by the end of June on whether to further accelerate 787 production to as many as 16 per month after continuing record demand for the new twinjet. The manufacturer is also refining the 787-9 stretch model, increasing the wingspan slightly.
Boeing has won 393 orders and commitments worth more than $55 billion since the 787’s launch in April 2004. Programme vice president and general manager Mike Bair says the company is “in the middle of looking at what production rate we should support, post-2010”. He adds: “There’s physically no limit, it’s just an investment decision.”
Suppliers have already agreed to support a faster-than-planned increase following a study in 2005 and the latest evaluation considers an even greater escalation.
The line is now “completely committed” as far as early 2011, although several positions are also booked as far out as 2016, says Bair. Boeing last year found slots for an additional 16 aircraft by the end of 2009 to bring deliveries to 112 for the first two years of production which officially begins with the start of major assembly of the first Fuji Heavy Industries-made wingbox on 27 June in Japan. The first 787 is due to make its maiden flight in August 2007 and enter service with launch customer All Nippon Airways in mid-2008.
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| Boeing 787 production is completely committed until early 2011 |
Although the manufacturer does not discuss production rates, it acknowledges that there are plans to go well beyond its widebody record of seven per month achieved with the 777.
The 787-9’s wingspan has been increased by “around 2m [6ft]” primarily due to aerodynamic considerations, says Bair: “The increased span gives us better lift over drag and better low-speed performance.” Until now the aircraft, which is still being defined, was to have the same 60m wingspan as the baseline 787-8 model.
Bair says that the -9’s revised wing design “will probably be” the configuration adopted for the proposed 787-10 double stretch, with which the manufacturer is “very active in the market place”. He expects a decision to proceed with the 300- to 310-seater “within the next 12 months”.
Meanwhile, as Boeing last week competed 25% of the drawing releases for the 787-8, Bair says a weight saving effort is underway because the aircraft is “still a couple of percent above our weight target, but below our guarantees”.
Source: Flight International
