Warszawa 2012-11-15
Boeing Corporation Boeing-787 Dreamliner. Poland.
320a Section 15.11.2012 year. Poland.
Boeing B.787 is a commercial aircraft adapted to carry about 300 passengers over long distances. The B.787 is the world’s first aircraft to be built primarily of composites. The first user of B.787 aircraft in Europe was PLL LOT.
The genesis of the B.787 aircraft.
The end of the 20th century brought changes to the market for the production and sale of commercial passenger aircraft. Boeing slowly began to lose its dominance to Airbus. While in the segment of aircraft up to 200 passenger seats, the B 737 and A 320 constructions went in parallel, difficult times came for Boeing in larger machines. The number of orders for B.767 and B.747-400 aircraft decreased. Airbus planned to build a giant A 380 aircraft.
Therefore, the bosses of the Boeing company proposed the construction of two new structures. The first was the significantly modified B.747-X. With an elongated hull and more economical in operation. This proposal was received coldly by the airlines, but years later it was finalized as the B.747-8 aircraft.
The second proposal was to be the Sonic Cruiser, the successor to the excellent, but already old B.767. The aircraft was to reach a speed higher by 15% compared to its predecessor with the same fuel consumption. It was supposed to be close to the speed of sound. Its layout is the so-called "duck", which is very innovative for a passenger plane. The aircraft was to have a horizontal tail in the front part of the fuselage, wings with large inflows, a double vertical tail, two turbofan engines located in the trailing part of the wings. Several major U.S. airlines, including Continental Airlines, initially showed enthusiasm for the Sonic Cruiser idea, although they also expressed concerns about the aircraft’s price and operating costs.
On September 11, 2001, the situation changed dramatically (WTC attack). The global aviation market has been shaken. The price of crude oil has increased. This made airlines more interested in efficiency than speed. Especially those in America, to which the offer of the Sonic Cruiser aircraft was first addressed. Boeing officially canceled the Sonic Cruiser program on December 20. 2002.
However, the theme of the new aircraft still existed. Since many of the technologies intended to be used in Sonic Cruiser were already developed, it was decided to use them, but in a more conventional aircraft layout. The start of a new program, designated B.7E7, was officially announced on January 29, 2003.
At this point, it is necessary to write about the then clashing theories of transport. In Europe, the prevailing view was that the passenger should travel through transit ports, the so-called hubs. So when flying from Krakow to Chicago, he should board in Krakow. Fly to Warsaw. Take another plane to New York and then from New York to Chicago. This theory was called focus groups. In turn, in the USA, the point to point view prevailed. People don’t want to switch multiple times. They want to reach their destination on one plane. And that’s why the new plane was supposed to fit into this theory.
The title B.7E7 stood for Boeing 7 Eight 7, meaning eight. Program B 7E7 was also codenamed Y2. The letter Y came from the word Yellowstone. The Yellowstone program is a whole package of modern technologies for commercial aircraft. Among them; composites, electrical systems in place of hydraulics, more fuel-efficient turbofan engines (such as Pratt & Whitney PW1000 G Geared, General Electric GEnx, CFM International LEAP56 and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000). The term Yellowstone refers to; Y1 – B 737, Y2 – B 7E7, Y3 – B 747. The first program was Y2.
In July 2003, a competition for a proper name for the aircraft was settled. The winner was the Dreamliner title, i.e. Liner of Dreams. other names; Global, eLiner. On January 28, 2005, the valid designation of the aircraft was finally announced; Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Design assumptions.
The first drawings and artistic visions showed the B.7E7 with extravagant windows in the cockpit, nose sloping significantly downwards and a shark fin tail. Not all of these ideas survived design time. According to the manufacturer’s assurances, the aircraft was to consume 20% less fuel than the B 767. The engines were to be 40% more efficient. Plus profit from aerodynamic improvements. The aircraft was to have a certified ETOPS capability of 330 minutes.
The first company to place an initial order for the B.787 aircraft was Primaris Airlines. Primaris Airlines was an American company operating in the period 2002 – 2008. The company ordered 20 B 787 aircraft. The second airline that ordered B.787 aircraft was the Italian company Blue Panorama, which ultimately also did not order new aircraft. The third airline was First Choice, which exists and ordered 12 B.787-8s.
We mentioned the windows in the crew cockpit. But the passenger doesn’t care much. He is interested in the windows in the passenger cabin. Anyone who flies knows that the fuselage of a typical airplane has dozens of tiny windows through which you can’t see much, and not much light comes in either. If you want to see something, you have to hug the glass. And the passenger next to him can already watch the newspaper, and in better planes the monitor in front of him. As research has shown, 90% of passengers indicate that larger windows would improve flying comfort. Therefore, the B.787 has the largest windows among all passenger aircraft. The windows are 27cm x 47cm. They are also located so that passengers can see the horizon. It’s certainly not a revolution, but it is an evolution. This improves psychological comfort.
But for the paper airplane to become real, a future user had to be found who would invest his funds in the program. On April 26, 2004, Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced an order for 50 aircraft. 30 B.787-3 machines for 290-330 passengers in a single-class layout and 20 B.787-8 machines for 210-250 passengers in a two-class layout. Deliveries were to start in 2008. Now the engineering work could start in full swing. At this point, we will only mention the first version of the B.787-3, which was ordered by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Ultimately, the B.787-3 version was not created.
During the development phase, the B.787 models underwent extensive wind tunnel testing at Boeing Wind’s Transonic Tunnel, then at the QinetiQ wind tunnel at Farnborough UK, then at NASA’s Ames Research Center tunnel as well as at the French Aerodynamics Research Center ONERA agency. In the final styling result, the aircraft was more conservative than earlier proposals. This was mainly due to financial calculations.
Composite materials.
Composite materials, referred to in short as composites, as the name suggests, are compositions, i.e. they consist of at least two component materials with significantly different physical and chemical properties. A typical example of a composite would be a brake disc pad, which consists of hard ceramic particles embedded in a soft metal matrix. Another example is shower trays and bathtubs that are made of fiberglass. Carbon fibers have been used in aviation since the late 1940s. In the 1980s, the Piaggio P.180 Avanti composite aircraft, which is very popular to this day, was developed – a business aircraft produced by Piaggio Aero. Among large commercial aircraft, composites have also been used for many years. However, these were usually elements that did not carry significant loads.
That’s why building the B 787 (airframe) solely from composites became such a revolutionary change. The main part of the fuselage (without the nose and tail) was made of one large composite piece. Instead of the classic frame sections, stringers and sheathing sheets made of aluminum alloys and around 50,000 different types of rivets. Composites are the heart of the B.787 airframe. Each airframe contains approximately 35,000 kg of basic composite. Shorter versions 32,000 kg. The basis of the composite is carbon fiber reinforced with plastic (CFRP). There is approximately 65.7% carbon fiber in the composite. Carbon fiber composites have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than traditional materials. Saving on the weight of the structure is the main advantage for which the B.787 was developed.
Engines for B.787.
In accordance with the long-term aviation tradition, Boeing allows the buyer to choose one of two dedicated engines. Boeing dedicated General Electric GEnx and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines for the B.787. However, it must be mentioned that initially Boeing wanted to drive the B.787 only with General Electric engines. This was due to pressure exerted by the US government to protect its own market. This way of acting was alien to the Masonic-liberal governments of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the Republic of Poland.
The engines were built according to a new philosophy. Hot air de-icing has been abandoned in favor of more controllable electrical de-icing. Thanks to this, the engines do not have such a typical solution as Bleed Air, i.e. taking air from the compressor to the installation. Interestingly, for the first time in this type of aircraft, one or the other engine can be easily installed. Connectors and hangers have been unified. A lot of attention has been paid to the air intakes and its outlet. The air grip has been redesigned many times to reduce noise as much as possible while maintaining the best air intake conditions. The grips use materials that absorb noise to a large extent. The chevron (chevron) is the most noticeable to the viewer’s eyes. It performs silencing functions. Thanks to these changes, the noise of the engines does not exceed 85 dB, at a distance of about 100 m from the machine.
As for the engines themselves, the first was the General Electric GEnx. This engine is based on the engine used in the B.777 under the designation GE90. From this engine, the composite fan blades and its housing were taken over without changes.
The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, which is based on the Trent 800 engine, is used to drive the B.777. The first launch of the new engine on the dynamometer took place on February 14, 2006. Flight tests were conducted with a B.747-200 in Texas in June 2007, and in August 2007, the engine received FAA and EASA certification.
Suppliers and cooperators.
At the end of 2004, Boeing won orders for 237 machines. At the time, the unit price was estimated at $120 million. In 2007, the values were; B 787-3 $146-151.5 million, B 787-8 $157-167 million, B 787-9 $189-200 million.
It is not true that if Everett is the main Boeing factory, production of the B.787 will definitely start there. The competition was fierce, and other countries wanted some of the shares for themselves. On December 16, 2003, Boeing announced that final assembly of the B 787 would take place in Everett, Washington, and would require only 800 to 1,200 workers. This solution had pros and cons. The advantage was faster final assembly (3-4 days), requiring less logistics. The downside is the need for greater control of suppliers who will be sending larger items. And the need to have a larger plane to transport the B 787 components. To organize the quick transport of components, Boeing rebuilt four B.747-200 aircraft into B.747 Dreamlifters. These planes take on board the entire wings and the entire fuselage of the aircraft.
Few people know that in December 2004, a group of representatives of Boeing, Alena and SAAB came to Poland, looking for partners to build assembly devices needed for the production of B.7E7. Companies in Bydgoszcz, Świdnik, Rzeszów and Mielec were considered. Unfortunately, it is not known what the effects were. In any case, it was a good period of cooperation between Polish and American companies, which cannot be said about later years (2007 – 2012). Let us remind you that in the 90s of the 20th century, doors for the B.757 aircraft were produced in Mielec.
Slightly anticipating the chronology, we would like to point out that representatives of Boeing were in Poland twice: in 2008 and in August 2011. (August 2-5, 2011). The Americans were looking for a place to build a $40 million (?) factory building aircraft components and employing no more than 400 workers. From the silence that prevailed in the media, it should be assumed that no agreements were reached.
Not only the plane itself was supposed to be technically and technologically advanced. Boeing approached the production of the new aircraft in an innovative way. Huge fragments of the aircraft, almost completely equipped, are built in various parts of the world, and the final assembly in Everett is to consist in putting everything together in just 3-4 days.
The process of selecting subcontractors was tedious. This was due to the unusually large share of subcontractors in the production process. It should be remembered that it was not new technologies that were the reason for the program’s delays, but the dispersion of production around the world. According to data from 2007, the division of labor was as follows: Vought was responsible for the rear fuselage section produced in Charleston, Italian Alenia – center fuselage and horizontal stabilizers at Grottagline, Japanese Mistsubishi-Fuji-Kawasaki – wings, Kawasaki and Spirit Aero Systems – front section hull, Hamilton Sundstrand – most electrical installations.
According to data from 2009, production has undergone some changes. The wings were manufactured by a Japanese company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The center wing began to be produced in Italy, Alenia Aeronautica, and in South Korea, Korea Aerospace Industries. The following companies participate in the production of the fuselage: Global Aeronautica, Italy, Boeing, North Charleston, USA, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan, Spirit Aero Systems, Wichita, USA, Korean Air, South Korea. Passenger door (Latecoere, France). Cargo door, entrance door and crew escape door (SAAB AB, Sweden). Software (HCL Enterprise, India). Floor beams (TAL Manufacturing Solutions Limited, India) Electrical installation (Labinal, France). Minor composite airframe components (Korean Air, South Korea). Chassis (Messier-Dowty, UK and France). Power distribution and management systems and ventilation and air conditioning (Hamilton Sundstrand, Connecticut, USA).
The coordination of the project was entrusted to the Israeli IAI plants, but it exceeded their capabilities. Documents circulated between IAI–Alenia–Charleston–Seattle, contributing to delays. Boeing seems to have overestimated the organizational and creative abilities of some suppliers. For example, in Italy, in Grottagline, where one of the new factories was built, a centuries-old olive grove grew. The trees had to be replanted elsewhere, which resulted in a delay of several weeks. Not to mention that almost all manuals and documentation had to be translated from English into local languages. As a result, Boeing had to send representatives to each supplier to oversee production and keep headquarters informed.
The share of Japan in the production of B.787 became very large and reached 35% of the total. Japanese companies took the lead in the program. Nay; the Japanese government financially supported its contractors and subcontractors. It is a pity that the Polish government (2007 – 2012) does not support Polish companies. On April 26, 2006, Japanese manufacturer Toray Industries and Boeing announced a new $6 billion carbon fiber manufacturing deal.
Construction of the first copies of the B.787 aircraft.
During the construction of the first 6 machines, it turned out that the airframe weighed 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) more than expected. After further analysis, it turned out that the proposed version of the B.787-9 will be heavier by about 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg). Therefore, Boeing redesigned some components and used more titanium. This was one of the problems, successfully solved.
Originally, Boeing scheduled the rollout of the aircraft for July 8, 2007, and the first flight for August 7, 2007. These dates match the number 787. Especially the former, due to the American way of writing the date; month, day, year.
The rollout took place on July 8, 2007. However, it was just a marketing ploy, not a proper rollout. The aircraft did not have many components installed, and those that were inside were attached provisionally, without final brackets and connectors. The company saved face, but the plane returned to the hall. The aircraft was disassembled and reassembled using the correct bolts and rivets.
In the fall of 2007, Mike Bair was dismissed from the position of head of the B.787 program. His dismissal was hardly due to him not being able to cope, but rather his statements; – "Boeing will not use some of them in the future" – making it clear that the main cause of delays was suppliers. He was succeeded by Pat Shanahan.
On September 5, 2007, Boeing announced a three-month delay, and on October 10, 2007, a delay of three months, and on January 16, 2008, a further delay. The main reason was problems with sub-suppliers as well as logistics and software development problems. The case of delays became fodder for the media. The media did not accept that such a modern aircraft and sub-suppliers from as many as three continents, huge logistics, could cause delays. The topic died down only after the plane’s first flight.
The aircraft underwent various tests. Including destructive testing. Fears were expressed that the plane would catch fire as a result of the crash and passengers would suffocate in toxic gases. The FAA, which certified the aircraft, requested additional testing due to the scale of the composite materials. Testing showed that the burning composite hull showed no greater toxicity compared to conventional metal fuselage.
On September 27, 2008, the aircraft underwent a pressure test. Within two hours, the hull was successfully pressure tested to 14.9 MPa (102.7 kPa), which is 150% of the required pressure. On May 3, 2009, the first flight prototype B 787 began a series of airport tests; taxiing, take-offs, braking.
On May 4, 2009, press reports indicated a 10-15% lower coverage. Up to 6,900 nmi (12,800 km), instead of the originally promised 7,700 nmi – 8,200 nmi (14,800 km-15,700 km). The bosses of Boeing confirmed these reports, while pointing out that the appropriate slimming has already taken place and the next machines on the production line will reach the promised distance. The reduced distance concerned 21 machines under construction. The aftermath of this information was a new schedule of aircraft deliveries to recipients.
On August 27, 2009, an updated schedule for the B.787 program was announced. The first flight was planned for the end of 2009, and deliveries of the aircraft from the end of 2010. This schedule resulted from the fact that the first three aircraft were not suitable for handover to customers, only for further tests and flight tests.
On October 28, 2009, it was announced that a second final assembly line would be commissioned in Charleston, South Carolina.
On March 28, 2010, the entire cycle of tests of the wings was completed, which withstood the required conditions in 150%. The wings were bent about 25 feet (7.6 m) upwards. Boeing announced that the test went very well.
Continued in the next chapter.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman