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2007-05-31 Europe

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Posted by Steve White 2007-05-31 00:02|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ] Top

#1 This is a bit misleading; the 787 still uses rivets, and the Boeing company is facing a shortage of fasteners. The carbon fiber structure requires specially coated fasteners to prevent the rivet from corroding and the rivet industry hasn't recovered capacity following the 9/11 collapse of the commercial aircraft market. the 787 sub assemblies being received @ Everett are held together with temp. fasteners that require replacement prior to delivery. how this will unfold is anybody's guess, but for now the Boeing company is still all roses and cream.
(although involved to some degree w/ 787 stuff, this is all from open source news reports)

Posted by USN, ret. 2007-05-31 00:26|| 2007-05-31 00:26|| Front Page Top

#2 USN Ret. (thanks for your service, BTW), I assume the rivet shortage will only cause some delivery delays in the short run, and be resolved in the longer run? I like roses and cream with my Boeing - first stock I bought quite a few years ago, a few flat spells but has done nicely for some time and bids fair to continue its non-turkey-like ascent. I'd say with Airbus looking like it's beset with comprehensive problems, from management ethics to business judgement to technical execution, Boeing has some breathing room on the commercial side to complement its robust defense and space ops.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-05-31 01:34|| 2007-05-31 01:34|| Front Page Top

#3 It looks like the A350 is heading for gutter.

Posted by Unoger Gonque4516 2007-05-31 05:55|| 2007-05-31 05:55|| Front Page Top

#4 How much more bad news can there be? It's a quagmire, I tellya!

Posted by Bobby 2007-05-31 06:31|| 2007-05-31 06:31|| Front Page Top

#5 And besides, Dr. Steve, a tube is statically indeterminate. Fourth-order differential equations are (or used to be) involved.

Posted by Bobby 2007-05-31 06:33|| 2007-05-31 06:33|| Front Page Top

#6 Verlaine:
the problem is the corrosion protection requirements for the metallic fasteners. The Carbon Fiber and rivets ( or bolts for that matter) are quite a bit apart as far as compatibility and the introduction of any liquid that can act as an electrolyte will cause the creation of a battery. and all batteries have an anode and a cathode. one gets consumed during the electron movement and the carbon is pretty stable so that leaves the fastener. since an aircraft also has lots of other things that must be attached to it, the selection of a satisfactory fastener is a bit more complex than walking into the local True Value and picking up a handful of 1/4-20 stove bolts. Titanium has shown promise as a fastener, but cost gets in the way.
Yes the fastener industry will rebound but i would not be surprised to see some delivery delays, at least in the early days for the Dreamliner.
I am still waiting for Boeing to announce the sale of some Dreamlifters to air freight companies. take market share away from the Anatov 124s.

Posted by USN. Ret. 2007-05-31 14:49|| 2007-05-31 14:49|| Front Page Top

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