Over the weekend Matt Cawby spotted the two Air India 787s that are ready for delivery sporting temporary US registration numbers on their fuselages. This lead to speculation that the aircraft are to be flown out of Everett for possible storage, maybe in the desert. Well the speculation was mostly correct. The two 787s, ZA233 (LN 29,VT-AND) and ZA236 (LN 35, VT-ANH) will be flown to Charleston to join sistership ZA237 (LN 46, VT-ANI) on Monday, July 2nd. Now the reason why it is being flown to Charleston isn't officially disclosed but the obvious reason could be for a triple delivery to AIr India and that still could happen but sources have told me that delivery to Air India is still listed as "TBD". It is conceivable that these three airframes for Air India will be delivered from Charleston but another reason is that if Boeing is able to turn the keys over to the carrier between July 4th and July 8th, they will be unable to fly away during those dates as the runway at Everett will be closed. This way Boeing leaves open the delivery and fly away during those dates by transferring these airplanes to Charelston. The most likely reason is to free up space in Everett for other aircraft that are ready to be delivered. Already ZA135 (LN 66, JA815A) is already out of paint and need to prepare for pre-flight. ZA100 (LN 7, JA803A) is currently sitting in the fuel dock sans its rudder (don't know why) this aircraft is projected to be delivered at the end of July but it still needs to have its rudder reattached and go through pre-flight. The pace of aircraft reaching the flightline ready for pre-flight is quickening and Boeing needs the space. Given the uncertainty of the Air India deliveries this is a good move to keep the pace at Everett moving. ZA461 (LN 58, A7-BCB) for Qatar Airways is already at Boeing Field to prepare to fly to Farnborough later this week this airplane is still projected to deliver later this month. Another flightline stall should open up tomorrow as ZA509 (LN 56, JA812A) will deliver today, as far as I know, and should fly away tomorrow July 2. ZA508 (LN 51, JA811A) should deliver around July 11th with fly away on July 12th.
On Tuesday another line move should occur which will push out ZA119 (LN 69) for ANA and will mark the start of final assembly for ZA537 (LN 74) for LAN.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
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Maybe we will see more aircraft transfer to Charleston, space is getting crowded at Everett. As Chraleston has very little preflight activity currently, they can probably take more frames until their FAL starts to spit out frames faster.
Planes that are ready for a B1 flight could possible be flown to Charleston? That way Everett could free up more stalls needed with an increased number of preflight frames.
They need to start delivering planes. With Planes coming out very close to ready, they should deliver about a month after they roll off the line.
Anything less than 3.5 deliveries a month from here on out should be taken as a sign that they are not out of the woods yet.
I see on the Production chart the JA816A is in a Paint Hanger but I saw a picture that shows a plane being towed into a paint hanger but it has a darker tail. I think its the LAN aircraft.
Brendan Kearney reported today that the second Charleston Dreamliner (LN#54 I would assume) was rolled out of the factory over the weekend.
Yes I saw.
AI are moving out!:)
BOE233 (B788) departed KPAE @ 14:15 PDT for KCHS ETA 22:29 EDT http://t.co/a2EjaqA4 #flightaware 55 minutes ago
BOE236 (B788) departed KPAE @ 14:04 PDT for KCHS ETA 21:54 EDT http://t.co/aegdh5Rx #flightaware about an hour ago
Yes thank you I know.
Possible rudder problems or re-work required? It was noted that when one of the Air India airframes last flew back to Everett it probably had a new rudder since it didn't have the full livery.
I don't think so, all that could be done in Everett, no need to fly to CHS for that. These planes are redy to be delivered, I think they're going there for short term storage (a couple of weeks at the most) and could be delivered (all three) by middle of this month.
Meant that about LN7 getting a new or re-worked rudder, not flying to CHS to get a new one. Can't remember which of them it was, but one of the AI planes came back from San Antonio with the new rudder.
Sorry, yes, ZA 236 (LN 35, VT-ANH) seemed to have its rudder replaced when it was in San Antonio and now it looks like LN may have had it's rudder replaced or at least temporarily removed for some work and then reattached as i was painted when it was reattached.
Uresh,
with LN# 54 now on the flightline at Charleston, can we assume that there was an line move inside the FAL? If so that would mean that LN# 76 is now in position #1. Any news on the next frames scheduled?
Thanks again for all of your updates and insight.
John
There wouldn't necessarily be a move inside as they have so few frames going through that line. The current frames can stay where they are until they are totally complete (no need for change incorporation) and then move on to the next station. I hope to get more information on the next 10 frames next week.
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