News
Boeing rolls out 787 at increased production rate
May 14, 2013, Everett, Wa. - Boeing has rolled out the first wide-body, twin-engine 787 Dreamliner manufactured under the increased production rate of seven aeroplanes a month.
May 14, 2013 By aerospace-technology.com
The new aircraft is the 114th 787 to be manufactured in total and the 100th 787 to be built at the factory.
Boeing stated that the 787 program was on track to achieve the planned rate of 10 aircraft a month by the end of this year.
The aircraft are currently being built at the Everett Final Assembly facility, the Everett Temporary Surge Line and Boeing South Carolina.
To date, 50 787s have been delivered to eight airlines and Boeing has logged more than 800 unfilled orders with 58 customers worldwide.
The 787 has been plagued by several safety incidents this year, including a crack in the window of a cockpit, an oil leak from a generator inside an engine, a brake problem, and fuel spillage.
U.S. aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all 50 787s in-service from January to April following a battery fire on a 787 that landed in Boston's Logan International Airport and another case of an overheated battery, which prompted Japan's All Nippon Airways' jetliner to make an emergency landing.
In February, Boeing proposed a certification plan for the redesigned 787 Dreamliner battery system, which was FAA-approved in March.
In April, the FAA approved Boeing's design for modifications to the 787 Dreamliners battery system and some of the operators have resumed commercial flights upon installation of the improvements.
The redesigned battery system included improved insulation of the cells, new design of the internal battery components to lower initiation of a short circuit within the battery, and a new containment and venting system.
Boeing has also ramped up the production of its 737 and 777 jetliners and plans to deliver 645 airplanes by the end of this year.
