May 16 2007
The gigantic composite wings for the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner were delivered to Everett at 4:10 a.m. PDT today.
Manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at its facility in Nagoya, Japan, each wing is 98 feet long. Standing on edge in custom-made tooling, the wings were delivered together to Boeing via the Dreamlifter, a specially modified 747-400 used to transport 787 major assemblies. The 787 is the first commercial aircraft to use composite materials as its primary structure. It is also the first Boeing aircraft featuring an all-composite wing.
"A composite wing of this size has never been built before," said Scott Strode, 787 vice president of Airplane Definition and Production. "This is a tribute to our fantastic team. We believe the Dreamliner sets a new standard for how commercial airplanes will be made in the future."
The wings were immediately delivered to the 787 final assembly factory. Additional work -- including attaching the wingtip and movable surfaces -- will be completed by Boeing. The total wingspan of a 787 is 197 feet.
The 787 Dreamliner is the fastest-selling airplane in aviation history, with firm orders for 567 airplanes from 44 airlines.