Design engineering at large

Profile

About Me

RSS Feed

Add this blog to your RSS newsreader!

By Category

Blog

Design engineering at large

« Hydraulically speaking, it's a... | Main | Bluetech, Clean Tech, other gr... »

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Criticism of Boeing widens over third 787 delay

SeattlePI columnist Bill Virgin writes a great column this morning on Boeing executives losing credibility over the third delay in the 787 Dreamliner's roll-out. He lays some blame on the move of Boeing's corporate HQ from Seattle to Chicago. He quotes a source who asked: "Did the guy who knows how to make airplanes move to Chicago or D.C.? Or did Boeing forget how to make airplanes, sort of like how Starbucks seemingly forgot how to make coffee?" Sounds like a former Boeing engineer to me. Slanted to the local view and sympathetic to Boeing's unions that would love to see the global production plan scrapped, the column still is a good read. The only thing he omitted was irony that these delays come under CEO Jim McNerney's stewardship of Boeing. The former GE and 3M executive is famous for making his executives deliver or suffer the consequences.

At least one customer greeted the latest news with more than just passing concern: All Nippon Airways (ANA) issued the following statement yesterday. “We are extremely disappointed: this is the third delay in the delivery of the first aircraft, and we still have no details about the full delivery schedule. We would urge Boeing to provide us with a 120% definitive schedule as soon as possible.” A statement like that makes one think one of Boeing most faithful customers could be looking more favorably at Airbus although anything like the 787 from the European aircraft maker is years off. You can bet the Boeing folks are at ANA today.

The Wall Street Journal said Steven Udvar-Hazy, chairman of leasing giant International Lease Finance Corp.expressed concern over the latest delay, but conceded the new schedule is "more realistic." ILFC is the largest 787 customer with 74 planes on order.

Finally and more favorably for Boeing, the 787 program for all its delays seems to be in good hands with program manager Pat Shanahan. I've heard him now on two or three update calls and for guy with a job too big for anyone, his grasp of the details is superb. In January, he promised to give comprehensive review of the 787 schedule and progress and he delivered yesterday in an update to media and financial community.

Related entries in: Communities | Design News |

(Add your comments)

at 4/11/2008 4:53:41 AM, salem said:
the delay is expected, due to new tecnology,however boieng is inferior to what it is said to be.The new a350 will also have problems at production/delivery date.lack of competition is the main problem from other companies.

at 4/11/2008 9:16:59 AM, James said:
"scarpped?" "ommitted?" Hmmm...Does DN have an opening for an editor?

at 4/11/2008 9:42:54 AM, jake said:
Delays are expected when you ramping up for production, but not when Boeing has not even performed a Power Up yet. This basically amounts as Fraud. You cannot sell a product with a promised delivery date when they know full well they could not meet that promise. Proclaiming that the project is On Target during their massive 7-8-7 media blitz was an outright lie. Boeing should be sued for Fraud on top of compensating their customers for this, mark my words, not the last to come delay. Go Airbus!

at 4/15/2008 8:54:52 PM, John Dodge said:
James, Good catch. Will fix tomorrow. JD

at 4/17/2008 7:21:28 PM, captain said:
Jake, You are a harlot? Or are you french? Do you have any idea what you are talking about?

at 4/25/2008 8:10:21 AM, Chuck said:
While slamming former Boeing engineers may be in vogue, it doesn't mean they don't have a point, either. Putting your flagship product into an untested supply process and not owning up to the tremendous management responsibility and accountability when the inevitable happens (new product, new problems) is the core issue. Sr. Boeing mgmt issueing delay updates like it's a stock ticker that they have no control over is, well, irresponsible. Acting this way on a flagship product ought to be unforgiveable.

at 5/20/2008 4:44:51 PM, JointMan said:
Hope Boeing has some method of control on fiber direction and bonding around bolts and joints. Have seen too many fibers in the wrong direction and position around joints. Fiber direction is a trouble from stress analysis to the last man on the line.

at 7/3/2008 12:38:37 PM, SteveB. said:
I think the reasons for delay have actually been structural, not fasteners or supply--but Big B. did not want to spook the public on a completely new material, getting people into the craft will already be a problem. Even the "Power-Up" could still be "eyewash" if there are structural problems. We really need to save 20% on jet fuel, this is the biggest financial gamble I've ever seen, I really hope it works.

Post a comment

Design News Partner Zone

JUNE 26TH WEBCAST: Collaborative Requirements Engineering
Speed your innovation. Capture the "voice of the customer" and translate customer requests into user requirements that define new products. Find out why the new ENOVIA Requirements Management solution enables organizations to improve their overall global requirements management process. Read More

Mechatronics in action
Successful synergistic integration of controls, electronics, computers and mechanical systems is key to the 21st century design process. Unlock the secrets at the Mechatronics Zone!

Webcast: Sensor Know-How Now
Join our moderator Randy Frank and John Keating from Cognex and explore Solving Industrial Inspection Problems. Read More

Engineering Concept Conduit
Engineering Concept Conduit looks at new products and the components that make them exceptional. Each month we’ll look at a new electronic product and see what makes it tick from an engineering point of view. We’ll explore the design and engineering challenges for the product and examine the components that solved those challenges.

Light Matters: Systems Level Approach to HBLED illumination applications
Its good practice to apply a systems-level approach to high-brightness LED (HBLED) illumination applications. Minimally, the system includes the optical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the of the HBLED, the lens (if any) which is built-in to its package, secondary optics such as external plastic lenses/reflectors to direct the light as your application requires and power driver electronics. Read More