Thursday, June 10, 2010

787 Production Movement

Boeing is preparing to restart final assembly on the 787s by June 14th but until then there will be movement of currently assembled airframes around Paine Field.

To start ZA006 the last test flight aircraft and the second to be equipped with the GEnx-1B engines will be pulled out of building 40-24 tomorrow night and taken out to the Boeing flightline to be prepared for its first flight expected around July 13th.

ZA100 (LN 7) will be moved out of building 40-26 on Sunday June 13th and will be placed inside 40-24.

After the line move ZA101 will occupy position 4, ZA102 will occupy position 3 and ZA115 (LN 22) will be moved to position 2 all inside building 40-26. This will make room at position 1 for ZA177 (LN 23) to start final assembly on June 14th.

ZA005 will conduct its first flight on June 16th and will create on empty spot on the flightline (their going to need it)

After a couple of weeks, there will be another line move with ZA101 being moved to 40-24 on June 27th. The aircraft that are in 40-26 will be moved one position to make room for ZA116 (LN 24) to start final assembly on June 28th.

After about another two weeks there will be another move with ZA102 being moved out directly to the flightline on July 12th. On July 13th ZA230 (LN 25) will start final assembly.

Interestingly when Boeing put the temporary halt into effect ZA175 and ZA176 were moved into the ATS Hangar and they will remain there. The aircraft are not finished and I think Boeing will probably finish them at ATS.

Lastly, all the completed 787s and 747-8 are going out to the flightline without engines and interiors. This is so Boeing will not have to pay the suppliers for these items until they're needed to be installed which is closer to their first flight dates.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I have to say Uresh, your updates are really good and you're now my first source of information, particularly relating to the 787.

Thank you, it's much appreciated

Mike (Sydney, Australia)

Uresh said...

Thanks Mike it's very much appreciated. Comments like yours makes me want to get more juicy info for the readers!

Gianfranco said...

Mike is right ! Thanks Uresh for all these informations, day after day.

Gianfranco (Paris, France)

Uresh said...

Thanks Gianfranco. I appreciate the kind words!

johnv777 said...

I completely agree with both Mike and Gionfranco. I stop in several times a day to check for new info. Thank you Uresh. It is a wonderful source of info.
One small typo in your latest post Uresh
" This will make room at position 4 for ZA177 (LN 23) to start final assembly on June 14th."

I think you meant to say position #1

Uresh said...

Thanks John. And I'll correct the mistake. Thank you again!

Unknown said...

ditto .. it is the first web site i check everyday for the past couple of years :)

Thanks a BUNCH!

Peter said...

Uresh,
you are a great source for info on the new Boeings.

One thing, you wrote
[quote]Lastly, all the completed 787s and 747-8 are going out to the flightline =>with engines and interiors<=[unquote].

However, I have this feeling it should be =>without engines and interiors<=

Thanks for a great job.