Published: Monday, September 28, 2009
Boeing's 747-8 Freighter to fly by year's end
The freighter's release will be followed by the passenger version of the jet, the Intercontinental.
EVERETT — The Boeing Co.'s biggest jet rarely gets the most media attention these days.
Despite their size differences, the company's delayed 787 Dreamliner tends to overshadow the larger 747 jumbo jet.
But Boeing's updated 747-8, which borrows technology from the popular 787, has been making big progress inside the company's jet factory in Everett.
“It's moving along pretty well,” said Tim Bader, Boeing's 747 spokesman.
Boeing had to delay its revamped jumbo jet when problems with the 787 kept engineers on the Dreamliner program longer than planned. But Bader believes the 747-8 is back on schedule and will make its first flight by year's end.
As of late Friday, assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter was 93 percent complete, with employees focused on finishing systems work. Boeing's already performing some of typical functional tests — checking the jet's flaps and landing gear — as it inches toward completion, Bader said.
The second 747-8 test plane isn't lagging too far behind the first. By the time this story is published, Boeing will have powered up its second test plane, which Bader estimates to be 84 percent complete. And the third and final test 747-8, which is 76 percent finished, likely will move into the final body join position early this week.
There is still much to do before the first 747-8 Freighter takes flight. Once systems work wraps up, Boeing will trick the jet into “thinking” it's in flight. After the jet is painted, has its public rollout and moves out to Paine Field, it will be subjected to further tests, including extended engine runs and taxiing.
For the first time in Boeing's history, the company is introducing a freighter version before the passenger plane. To date, Boeing has received much more enthusiasm from customers for the freighter, which has no commercial rival. The 747-8 Freighter has won 78 orders, compared with the passenger model, dubbed the “Intercontinental,” with 27 orders.
Airbus' A380 superjumbo, which is already on the market, seats roughly 55 more passengers than Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental. But Airbus put its A380 freighter on hold while it struggled through production issues on the passenger plane. Boeing has long offered a freighter version for its jumbo jet, which made its debut 40 years ago.
With the 747-8 Freighter in progress, Boeing engineers have been finishing the design work on the Intercontinental at a faster pace then expected, Bader said.
“We're ahead of schedule,” he said.
For 39 weeks in a row, Boeing has met its target for releasing design drawings to suppliers. As a result, the company has released about 78 percent of the design work and will be 90 percent done within about a month, Bader said.
As long as the freighter and passenger plane remain on schedule, Boeing will deliver the first 747-8 Freighter in the third quarter of 2010 and the first Intercontinental in fourth quarter of 2011.
For now, Bader said, “Everything remains on track.”
Despite their size differences, the company's delayed 787 Dreamliner tends to overshadow the larger 747 jumbo jet.
But Boeing's updated 747-8, which borrows technology from the popular 787, has been making big progress inside the company's jet factory in Everett.
“It's moving along pretty well,” said Tim Bader, Boeing's 747 spokesman.
Boeing had to delay its revamped jumbo jet when problems with the 787 kept engineers on the Dreamliner program longer than planned. But Bader believes the 747-8 is back on schedule and will make its first flight by year's end.
As of late Friday, assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter was 93 percent complete, with employees focused on finishing systems work. Boeing's already performing some of typical functional tests — checking the jet's flaps and landing gear — as it inches toward completion, Bader said.
The second 747-8 test plane isn't lagging too far behind the first. By the time this story is published, Boeing will have powered up its second test plane, which Bader estimates to be 84 percent complete. And the third and final test 747-8, which is 76 percent finished, likely will move into the final body join position early this week.
There is still much to do before the first 747-8 Freighter takes flight. Once systems work wraps up, Boeing will trick the jet into “thinking” it's in flight. After the jet is painted, has its public rollout and moves out to Paine Field, it will be subjected to further tests, including extended engine runs and taxiing.
For the first time in Boeing's history, the company is introducing a freighter version before the passenger plane. To date, Boeing has received much more enthusiasm from customers for the freighter, which has no commercial rival. The 747-8 Freighter has won 78 orders, compared with the passenger model, dubbed the “Intercontinental,” with 27 orders.
Airbus' A380 superjumbo, which is already on the market, seats roughly 55 more passengers than Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental. But Airbus put its A380 freighter on hold while it struggled through production issues on the passenger plane. Boeing has long offered a freighter version for its jumbo jet, which made its debut 40 years ago.
With the 747-8 Freighter in progress, Boeing engineers have been finishing the design work on the Intercontinental at a faster pace then expected, Bader said.
“We're ahead of schedule,” he said.
For 39 weeks in a row, Boeing has met its target for releasing design drawings to suppliers. As a result, the company has released about 78 percent of the design work and will be 90 percent done within about a month, Bader said.
As long as the freighter and passenger plane remain on schedule, Boeing will deliver the first 747-8 Freighter in the third quarter of 2010 and the first Intercontinental in fourth quarter of 2011.
For now, Bader said, “Everything remains on track.”
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