EVERETT — The giant blue tubes inched across the overpass on Highway 526 connecting Boeing’s plant and its flight line at Paine Field. Safely across, they continued toward their final destination — a 1.2 million-square-foot factory that makes the 777X’s huge carbon-fiber, composite-material wings.
Boeing is investing more than $1 billion to build what it calls the Composite Wing Center.
The autoclaves will be at the heart of the center. Machines built by Mukilteo’s ElectroImpact will lay down carbon fiber tape over wing spars and other components. Then the parts will be baked in the 120-foot-long autoclaves — big enough to handle the 777X’s wings.
After coming out of the Composite Wing Center, the wings will be moved to the 777X final assembly line. With a wingspan of 235 feet, 5 inches, the 777X’s wings will be the longest ever made by Boeing.
The Composite Wing Center will hold three autoclaves. One was moved to its new home on the north side of Boeing’s Everett plant earlier this summer.
As many as 1,500 workers and 17 cranes will be on site during construction. The Composite Wing Center covers 27 acres. It is 1,200 feet long and 950 feet wide. The roof is 100 feet tall, and the highest open space inside is 60 feet.
The building is slated to be finished in May.
Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.
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