Boeing: Repairs under way on some 787s
Jetmaker inspecting, fixing Dreamliner's tail defects
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 | 11:49 am
Boeing provided an update Tuesday on a recently discovered defect on its 787 Dreamliner program.
Over the weekend, Boeing said that it was inspecting 787s after discovering incorrect shimming in the aft fuselage of its 787s. Shims are the small pieces of material used to fill inevitable gaps where two pieces join between the 787's skin and the parts that support it. The company said there is no short-term safety concern for the 787s in operation with Japan's All Nippon Airways.
On Tuesday, Boeing said the incorrect shimming is limited to four spots. All 787s will be inspected for the problem. And Boeing expects to find some level of the issue on most 787s.
“There is no need to conduct the inspections or repairs on in-service airplanes immediately,” Boeing said in a statement. “The process for in-service airplanes will be completed as efficiently as possible.”
Boeing called the repair work “straightforward.” Boeing has dozens of 787s that are built but need to be reworked to bring them up to delivery quality. The jetmaker said Tuesday that the shim work can be incorporated with the planned rework on those planes.
Inspections will take several days, the company said.
“We expect that the repairs can generally be accomplished concurrent with other planned work on the airplanes, which is the most important thing to know in anticipating its impact on near-term deliveries,” Boeing said.
The jetmaker said repairs on each aircraft would take a matter of days, not months. Repairs already are under way on some airplanes.
Over the weekend, Boeing said that it was inspecting 787s after discovering incorrect shimming in the aft fuselage of its 787s. Shims are the small pieces of material used to fill inevitable gaps where two pieces join between the 787's skin and the parts that support it. The company said there is no short-term safety concern for the 787s in operation with Japan's All Nippon Airways.
On Tuesday, Boeing said the incorrect shimming is limited to four spots. All 787s will be inspected for the problem. And Boeing expects to find some level of the issue on most 787s.
“There is no need to conduct the inspections or repairs on in-service airplanes immediately,” Boeing said in a statement. “The process for in-service airplanes will be completed as efficiently as possible.”
Boeing called the repair work “straightforward.” Boeing has dozens of 787s that are built but need to be reworked to bring them up to delivery quality. The jetmaker said Tuesday that the shim work can be incorporated with the planned rework on those planes.
Inspections will take several days, the company said.
“We expect that the repairs can generally be accomplished concurrent with other planned work on the airplanes, which is the most important thing to know in anticipating its impact on near-term deliveries,” Boeing said.
The jetmaker said repairs on each aircraft would take a matter of days, not months. Repairs already are under way on some airplanes.
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