Ray of light: Press members tour Boeing 787 Dreamliner's cabin displaying versatile LED lighting system during a press preview in Singapore on Sunday. The company's newest jetliner is here for the Singapore Airshow 2012 as part of their 'Dream Tour 2011-2012.' (AP/Bryan van der Beek)
Boeing Co., the world's second-largest plane
maker, is frustrated with the latest 787 Dreamliner production glitch,
but it shouldn't delay output goals, a top executive said Sunday.
Boeing has fixed a shimming problem discovered earlier this
month on some 787 fuselages and plans to inspect other planes for the
error, Boeing vice president of 787 development Mark Jenks said. Shims
are used to close tiny gaps in joints.
"It's a pretty straightforward issue," Jenks told reporters in
Singapore. "It shouldn't have any significant impact on our production
ramp-up."
Boeing still plans to boost production from a current two to
three 787s per month to 10 of the planes per month by the end of next
year, Jenks said. Boeing delivered its first Dreamliners last year to
All Nippon Airways after a parts shortage, a labor strike and a fire on a
test flight triggered several delays and pushed back delivery by three
years.
"Clearly it's frustrating, and we'd rather it not happen,"
Jenks said. "We've really moved from some things that early on hit us
that really were sort of unusual with the new technology, now to these
kinds of things which really aren't that different from th problems we
always have to face when we ramp up production."
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: (AP/Bryan van der Beek)
The Dreamliner is the world's first commercial plane made
mostly of lighter-weight composite materials. Boeing says the plane cuts
fuel consumption by 20 percent and lowers operating costs by 30
percent.
The planes also feature a high ceiling, bigger windows that can darken and softer lighting.
The first Dreamliner version, the 787-8, carries between 210
and 250 passengers. Boeing plans to deliver the 787-9, which is longer
and carries between 250 and 290 passengers, by early 2014.
Jenks said Boeing is currently studying a possible 787-10, which would be bigger than the 787-9.
Boeing has received orders for 870 Dreamliners from 59 airlines and is showcasing the plane at this week's Singapore Airshow. (nvn)
