Dreamliner 4 delay

Scott Hamilton is apparently hearing something of a delay on Dreamliner 4 (LN 4) final assembly. Though it is still scetchy, it may be related to section 44 of the main fuselage that is built by Alenia. Here's Scott's blog entry.

UPDATE

Jon Ostrower is reporting what appears to be structural damage to section 44 and thus has indefinetely delayed final assembly of Dreamliner 4. It seems that a Alenia employee was not following proper procedures when he installed incorrect fastneners improperly. There is no indications that this was a deliberate attempt to damage the aircraft but rather an issue related to perhaps proper training and procedures when assembling these structures.

Boeing has no date as to when LN 4 will be delivered to Everett. Read Jon's article here.

The section has been repaired this weekend and I suspect that the center fuselage for Dreamliner 4 is being kept in Charleston as Boeing and Alenia need to be sure that the structural integrity of the aircraft is not compromised by the mishap. If there are structural issues then there could be a delay in the finishing up the test flight program due to delay in getting Dreamliner 4 in the air. In any case the issue isn't design related but more related to training of the Global Aeronautica employees in Charleston, many of whom are brand new to building aircraft, let alone composite aircraft.

Global Aeronautica will have to review it's training procedures and oversite of new employees building these structures.