WSJ - Another 6mth Delay To 787
 

Full WSJ story in this link here:

Boeing Jet Faces Delays in the Wake of Walkout - WSJ.com

A program update is also due soon. (link)

Geez...I had plastic airplanes as a kid in the 70s. They can't be that hard to make. :D

Boeing and Airbus have both stated publicly that the market is big enough for both manufacturers. Yet, both mismanage their programs and make promises they cant keep.
The 787 was marketed as the aircraft that would burn 20% less fuel. Neither the Rolls Royce nor the GE engines will provide that. This is very slippery marketing indeed and may present more problems ahead.

AL

I just heard that the 787 is heavier than planned, which means more fuel burn and less range. They are still trying to get back to planned weights. First few planes might be heavier than planned.

Just finished my yearly PC in IAH, and word is that Larry would rather wait for the 787 vs getting more B777's due to the substantial fuel savings of the 787. Will be interesting to see what happens. I hope Boeing gets their act together soon since now it seems they're promising things they can't deliver, are are starting to mimic Airbus in the delay arena. Once the dollar starts getting stronger, then Airbus will be more cost advantageous, and Boeing will be looking like the big three automakers. I smell another corporate bailout headed this way ........:(

I have a feeling that someday the history books will show that these program delays led to the rise of China's AVIC as a major player in the aircraft manufacturing industry. They're years away from that now, but it will happen. You heard it hear first.

Skyward80

Boeing is paying for all of its outsourcing. When you build all the main components of the aircraft in completely different parts of the world by the cheapest bidder this is what you get, an really expensive erector-set airplane that doesn't quite fit. The machinists struck because thier new contract had little to no protection from outsourcing thier jobs. I find it ironic that boeing blames delays on the machinists when it was the outsourcing in the first place that caused the delay.

Hopefully not. But you may be right. The main reason for these delays is that Boeing decided to contract out much of the component manufacturing to the lowest bidder rather than doing it in-house. The contract suppliers it seems made Boeing some very nice promises. The salesman told Boeing "Oh yeah, we can build that no problem. We've got tremendous experience in doing what you want and we do it cheaper than anyone else." Truth is, they didn't have the experience or know what they were doing. Now Boeing is paying the price in a mis-managed program whose health relies on a bunch of inexperienced suppliers.

Back to China, if you think this is bad for Boeing could you imagine a rice farmer riding to work on a rickshaw then trying to assemble a complex plane? That plane would frighten me.

At one of the prior media briefings, Shanahan mentioned that the block point weight improvements would emerge from LN20/LN21.

Given the strenuous tests the first test 787's will go through, coupled with the delays, I'm sure Boeing will compensate those customers handsomely, ANA especially!

While you may be right about the "mechanics" of the delay problem, the blame, IMHO, still rests with Boeing. For something this important, they should have done their homework a little more thoroughly regarding the capabilities of their suppliers.

At this rate, 787 will be out on the street about the same time as A350EX (or whatever it's called).