ALERT Boeing performing additional checks on 787 Dreamliner after finding more assembly line defects

Category: News
Author: Sharad Ranabhat
Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in front of South Carolina Factory. The new 787-10 will fly up to 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km), covering more than 90 percent of the world's twin-aisle routes, with seating for 300-330 passengers, depending on an airline's configuration choices. The vertical stabilizer on this 787-10 reflects the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery, a refreshed look for the Boeing family of airplanes that started with the 747-8 and evolved with 737 MAX. Many features of the livery on the original 787 are reflected in the new design, and the prominent number designator on the tail helps distinguish various models within the same product family. Final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018.

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner quality inspections related to previously disclosed production flaws have found the same issue in other parts of the jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began a review of the 787’s final assembly line following a series of quality control issues. Boeing said that the inspections for the production flaws were hampering the manufacturer’s delivery deadlines.

As reported by Andrew Tangel and Andy Pasztor in The Wall Street Journal, this time the defects are imperfections around joins on the 787’s carbon-composite fuselage, meaning the surface was uneven.

A Boeing spokesperson said that the defects are tiny, about the width of a human air and this defect does not pose any imminent safety hazard. He said:

“These findings are part of Boeing’s review of assembled 787 aircraft to ensure each meets our highest quality standards prior to delivery to customers.”

The FAA said that it is aware of the problem and is in continuous talk with Boeing. An FAA spokesperson said:

“The FAA continuously engages with Boeing through established continued operational safety and manufacturing oversight processes to appropriately address any issues that might arise.”

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