Aviation News Item: 00443

14th Aug 2009

Source: ubmaviationnews.com

Boeing has found wrinkles in the skin of the 787's fuselage and, as a result, ordered Alenia to stop the production of the respective sections. The wrinkles have been caused by exceeding specifications for the fuselage stringers. The Italy-based supplier could not maintain the required manufacturing tolerances for the stepped edges of these stringers after the installation of a new production machine, according to US reports. All 787s from at least the seventh built aircraft will require modification, which should be a relatively simple reinforcement patch, according to Boeing. The airframer ordered Alenia to stop the production of fuselage barrel sections already on June 22, when it announced structural issues in the wing-to-body joint and deferred the Dreamliner's first flight. The fuselage skin wrinkles and structural problem within the upper connection between the centre wing box and the wing boxes are unrelated, according to Boeing.

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