More major components for the first 787 are arriving at Boeing's Everett plant near Seattle, as the manufacturer prepares for the roll-out of the first twinjet on 8 July.

The first set of composite wings - each 30m (98ft) in length - has arrived from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) by 747LCF Dreamlifter.

Last week, the Vought Aircraft Industries/Finmeccanica joint venture Global Aeronautica delivered the first mid-fuselage section, which, at 25.6m, represents around 50% of the entire fuselage.

Assembled at Global Aero­nautica's plant at Charleston, South Carolina, the mid-fuselage includes section 43, a forward fuselage section (made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries) section 11/45 (the centre wheel well and centre wing box made by KHI and Fuji Heavy Industries) and sections 44 and 46, the centre fuselage (made by Finmeccanica's Alenia Aeronautica division).

Goodrich, which builds the 787 thrust reversers, has delivered the first set to Rolls-Royce's Derby, UK plant for installation on the Trent 1000 engines that will power the 787 in the flight-test programme.

787 wingset 
©Boeing
 The first wingset for the twinjet arrived from MHI last week




Source: Flight International

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