...toured the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. It's the facility where they build their "big" planes -- 747's, 777's, and the new carbon fiber 787 Dreamliners were all on the lines when we went through today.
As you probably know, the 787 program is way behind the time schedule in getting built and certified for operation. Six are flying, and another 25 have been built (but haven't been finished due to problems getting all of the components in from suppliers). The plane is largely built out of carbon fiber; has components made all over the world and shipped into Everett for final assembly; and apparently uses so much carbon fiber that the program has helped drive up the price of carbon fiber on the world market.
We saw numbers 28, 29 and 30 being built today. Most of the rest of the non-flying fleet appeared to be sitting around on the grounds of the factory. That's a lot of plastic airplanes.
According to a Seattle Times article that ran this week, the Dreamliner development program will cost $12 billion to $18 billion *more* to get off the ground than Boeing originally estimated.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...amliner19.html
Beautiful planes, though. I remember when the 777 was being built, Boeing had all kinds of early production problems with them, too. I expect they'll get it sorted and we'll all just pay an extra baggage handling fee or something to pay for the over-runs.
Meanwhile, tons and tons of carbon fiber used for each plane: think of all the bicycles that had to die to make one airplane.
Oops, I forgot to make this more bicycling related.
3 bike-relevant facts:
1. We have a number of BF posters who work at Boeing (hi, guys).
2. The Boeing bike commuting team typically kicks everyone's butt in Seattle during the annual bike-to-work competition in Seattle each May. Usually they are *way* ahead of all the teams in total mileage, and they have one team there that is just crazy. I think the top Boeing rider did something like 1,000 miles last May in a month, just commuting to work.
3. Their plant parking lots are so large that at their Renton plant some people use bicycles to commute *from* the farther edges of the parking lot into the plant (Renton is where they build the 737; I bike by this plant frequently).