Boeing 787 first flight delayed to mid-November/mid-December

[TAP-A343]

Boeing has announced a significant new delay for the first flight date of the 787 programme.

The delay has been caused by travelled work problems and completion of flight control software which means the aircraft's first flight will be delayed to mid-November/mid-December.

The delay has been Boeing’s original plan called for the first 787 to be ready by late-August to launch a nine-month airworthiness certification process ending with first delivery to All Nippon Airways in May 2008.

Earlier in the third quarter, Boeing acknowledged that the end of the window for first flight might slip from late September to early October, requiring the company to complete airworthiness certification in only seven months to remain on schedule for first delivery.
The first assembled 787 was rolled out on 8 July with great fanfare, but Boeing’s celebratory mood was to prove premature. The aircraft was assembled with thousands of temporary fasteners as Boeing’s main suppliers reported a major shortage of aviation-quality rivets for the main fuselage and wing structures.

Also in July, Boeing was still working to complete the aircraft’s software load and had not yet installed the avionics and wiring.

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...-december.html

Let's just hope that we don't have another A380 here.

Regards.

[Bok269]

Im Hoping Boeing can bounce back. Im confident they can.

[FlyingPhotog]

Do we think they will still be able to make the delivery on time?

[Will_Power]

Do we think they will still be able to make the delivery on time?

Ya that is what I was wndering, but I bet the delivery date will be moved back till july or something. I do have my doubts about boeing even reaching that deadline, I fear they've got a long road a head of them.

[Crunk415balla]

Do we think they will still be able to make the delivery on time?

I still think it'll be around the announced date.

[Jerrycobra Boeing]

i heard they have trouble finding the temporary fasteners, they rushed do make the rollout date and didn't mark were the fasteners are, they are marked red, and i also heard they were from home depot, lowes, what not, so they have to find and replace with airworthiness ones