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<< Previous   of   Next >> Michael O’Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) The Dreamlifter, a modified 747, landed at Paine Field on April 24 with a set of 787 wings that were made in Japan.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, July 8, 2007 747 with a whalelike bulge ships 787 parts to Everett By Mike Benbow, Herald Writer Washington offered the Boeing Co. a present if it chose the state as its preferred spot to assemble its newest jet - the 787. Build it here, Gov. Gary Locke said, and we'll spend $15.5 million to create a new pier to receive the large containers carrying 787 parts from around the world and send them quickly by rail to your Everett assembly plant. Boeing did choose Everett as home to the Dreamliner. And Port of Everett officials will complete the state's part of the deal later this year. But in the middle of all that, Boeing officials changed their minds. Initially, the company looked for areas with a deepwater port, such as Everett. But since Everett is not a major shipping center, cargo companies would charge higher rates for the 787 deliveries. Flights are considerably cheaper and more flexible, said Scott Strode, the Boeing vice president for 787 production. The company still plans to use the pier for parts for its 777 and other jets. But the key to 787's worldwide assembly line is a specially designed jet - dubbed the Dreamlifter - to carry plane pieces and materials around the world. Typically, it will fly parts between Nagoya, Japan; Grottaglie, Italy, Wichita, Kansas; and Charleston, S.C. to a final stop in Everett. Actually there's not just one special jet. There are four of them, officially known as the 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter. The first new freighter, modified in Taiwan by Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp., made its first flight on Sept. 9, 2006 and was certified in early June after more than 1,000 hours of testing in the air and on the ground. With its humped back and white paint scheme, the Dreamlifter resembles a flying beluga whale. Other distinguishing features: * The freighter has three times the cargo capacity of a typical 747-400 - 65,000 cubic feet. * Its ceilings are 26 feet high, tall enough to handle the fuselage of a 747. * The tail section has a hinge that allows it to swing out of the way for easy loading and unloading. Boeing officials said the special jets cut costs by 20 to 40 percent and reduce shipping times. For example, a set of 787 wings made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would spend 24 days bobbing across the Pacific Ocean to arrive in Everett. The jets also reduce the amount of money tied up in inventory. Boeing can get that same set of wings delivered by plane in a day, meaning the plane will be built, delivered and paid for much more quickly. The first modified freighter carrying the first 787 part, a horizontal stabilizer, touched down at Paine Field at 6:30 p.m. April 24, inspiring many at the Boeing plant. "This is awesome," said security guard John Carr. "This is so great." The special plane built to carry parts for a special jet also requires a special machine for loading and unloading. The stabilizers were removed from the Dreamlifter by a newly designed cargo loader that is 118 feet, 1 inch long and 27 feet, 6 inches wide. It can be raised to 33 feet, 1 inch in the up position and carry parts that weigh 68 tons, or roughly 150,000 pounds. It can travel at a top speed of 10 miles per hour and has 16 axles and 32 tires. Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com.

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