(NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, USA - August 15, 2009: Boeing Co. stopped production at a 787 Dreamliner facility in Italy that was making parts for the plane's fuselage because of weakness in its composite skin, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday. 
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers ~ Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash.
Unparalleled Performance ~ The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 kilometers).
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity. Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.
The Chicago-based manufacturer ordered its subcontractor, Alenia Aeronautic in Naples, to stop work two months ago, the same day it announced a separate structural flaw at where the wing and the fuselage meet, the newspaper reported.
Boeing downplayed the news, saying Alenia was installing a fix to the problem and that it would have no affect on schedule or cost. The company had to cancel the maiden flight for the 787 scheduled for June because of the wing-fuselage weakness, and hasn't announced yet a new target date.
Shares of Boeing were down about nearly 5% at last check to $44.31. Over the last year the stock has declined more than 30% on the recession and fears customers might cancel new aircraft orders due to falling air-traffic demand. However, the mounting problems in the 787 program's supply chain have also been a significant overhang.
"After a thorough review we found only two locations on each airplane that needed to be strengthened with a fairly simple patch," Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter told the Journal, regarding the problems sat the Alenia facility.
The two patches can be applied externally and should prevent any "wrinkling" of the composite material, which could lead to further damage if left unrepaired, she said.
The wide-body jetliner is about two years behind schedule. More than a hundred subcontractors have been doing the majority of the production work to help spread out costs, but it has also led to a variety of supply-chain problems including a shortage of fasteners and incomplete software.
In July, Boeing said it would buy a Vought Aircraft facility that builds fuselage parts for the 787 to give the manufacturer greater control of its supply chain. It's the second purchase of a 787-related facility.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
First deliveries of the next-generation jetliner are currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2010, about two years behind the company's original schedule.
After June's first-flight delay, some analysts predicted the first delivery will now occur sometime in 2011.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers ~ Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash.
Unparalleled Performance ~ The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 kilometers).
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity. Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.
The Chicago-based manufacturer ordered its subcontractor, Alenia Aeronautic in Naples, to stop work two months ago, the same day it announced a separate structural flaw at where the wing and the fuselage meet, the newspaper reported.
Boeing downplayed the news, saying Alenia was installing a fix to the problem and that it would have no affect on schedule or cost. The company had to cancel the maiden flight for the 787 scheduled for June because of the wing-fuselage weakness, and hasn't announced yet a new target date.
Shares of Boeing were down about nearly 5% at last check to $44.31. Over the last year the stock has declined more than 30% on the recession and fears customers might cancel new aircraft orders due to falling air-traffic demand. However, the mounting problems in the 787 program's supply chain have also been a significant overhang.
"After a thorough review we found only two locations on each airplane that needed to be strengthened with a fairly simple patch," Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter told the Journal, regarding the problems sat the Alenia facility.
The two patches can be applied externally and should prevent any "wrinkling" of the composite material, which could lead to further damage if left unrepaired, she said.
The wide-body jetliner is about two years behind schedule. More than a hundred subcontractors have been doing the majority of the production work to help spread out costs, but it has also led to a variety of supply-chain problems including a shortage of fasteners and incomplete software.
In July, Boeing said it would buy a Vought Aircraft facility that builds fuselage parts for the 787 to give the manufacturer greater control of its supply chain. It's the second purchase of a 787-related facility.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
First deliveries of the next-generation jetliner are currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2010, about two years behind the company's original schedule.
After June's first-flight delay, some analysts predicted the first delivery will now occur sometime in 2011. 
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