First Flight Could Be Pushed Into Late October... Or Beyond

Is the Dreamliner giving Boeing engineers nightmares? The Seattle Times reported Saturday further delays may be in store for Boeing's much-anticipated 787 Dreamliner. The company will reportedly announce  Wednesday the first flight of the 787 could be pushed into late October or later, according to a source close to the program.

As ANN reported, rumors of a delay began swirling early last month. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said unnamed sources reported the first flight had slipped to sometime in October.

Systems integration issues were reported as being behind a possible delay at that time. The paper's sources said engineers are experiencing difficulties with installing flight control systems and software, and getting those components "talking" with other systems in the highly-integrated airliner.

The Times reports issues with the aircraft's structure, which was partially dismantled after the ceremony for the July 8 rollout. The 787 was disassembled to facilitate the installation of such systems as electrical wiring, flight deck instrumentation and hydraulic tubing as well as replacing temporary fasteners with permanent ones.

The fastener replacement is taking much longer than expected, said the source, and the wiring installation has barely even begun. First "power on" is still weeks away.

But, said the source, "there's a good chance it can still fly by the end of October."

The company said Friday the tail section had been reattached but crews still had the engines, doors and the leading edges of the wings yet to go.

Boeing spokesperson Yvonne Leach said, "We have in place contingency plans that would protect the planned May 2008 first delivery in the event that the date of first flight moves."

"The target date could well move into the fall as we proceed through the complex work of final assembly, systems integration and structural testing," she said.

"There is an immense amount that must come together during the upcoming weeks and ... there are inherent risks that do not surface until this particular phase of airplane development."

CEO Jim McNerney acknowledged in July the first flight might not happen until October.

The company said the aircraft presented at the rollout ceremony didn't have a lot of the installation work that was supposed to have been done by the company's major airframe partners prior to the rollout.

If the first flight takes place at the end of October, which leaves only seven months of flight testing if the company is to make its goal of a May 2008 release. The 777 had 11 months of flight tests.

Despite the gloomy rumors, Boeing is still planning a late September launch.

"The plan is the plan until we know for sure we are going to change the plan," Leach said.

There has been some speculation Boeing is paying the price for placing marketing ahead of construction. A veteran Boeing engineer told the Times Friday the assembly job was rushed to meet a marketing-inspired deadline. 

"The 7/8/7 date was for show," he said. "The showmen at Boeing had the upper hand over the engineers."

The scramble to catch up is in full swing. Jarrod Bartlett, a Boeing spokesperson, said the company is currently hiring 60 to 80 mechanics for temporary work at the Everett plant, according to the Wichita Eagle.

The 787's program chief Mike Bair and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Scott Carson will give more details at the update Wednesday, Leach said.

FMI: www.boeing.com