Boeing has opened its 787 vertical stabiliser fabrication facility in Salt Lake City, Utah intended to feed its new North Charleston, South Carolina final assembly line.
The creation of the 3,250sq m (25,000sq ft) composite fabrication facility will allow Boeing to move toward production of 10 787s per month by the end of 2013, with the fabrication of three 787s per month out of Charleston.
The line is also intended to duplicate the work Boeing does at its Frederickson, Washington facility, ensuring that 787 production cannot cease in case of a work stoppage in the Puget Sound.
Boeing plans to ship the stabilisers by truck to South Carolina, which is currently how it transports the fins from Frederickson to final assembly in Everett, Washington.
The Charleston line is set to be activated in July, with the first vertical stabiliser to be delivered to South Carolina in the fourth quarter.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
