Boeing: Some 7E7 work to be done here
Mike Bair, chief of Boeing's 7E7 program, delivered the upbeat news for Washington state during an interview with The Seattle Times yesterday at the Paris Air Show. It was the first public statement from Boeing that the proposed next-generation jetliner would have a significant Puget Sound component.
"I think you can count on (Frederickson) getting a large amount of the work," Bair said.
The Frederickson plant, located south of Tacoma, employs about 800.
Bair did not specify what parts of the 7E7 the Frederickson plant will produce, but The Times reported last month that the structural composites engineering team at Frederickson hoped to build the tail of the new plane.
The Frederickson plant has been building all-composite tails for 777s since that airplane went into service in 1995. Indeed, the latest image of the 7E7 released by Boeing shows a pinched tail almost identical to the distinctive 777 tail made in Frederickson.
Bair also had encouraging words for employees at Boeing's Auburn fabrication facility who manufacture large metal structures, though their role — if any — will not be decided for at least several weeks.
"It's up in the air, but I think it's a safe bet that stuff will come out of Auburn," Bair said. "They are a detailed parts provider, and those decisions are still a ways off."
Boeing announced earlier this month that the 7E7 will be the first commercial airliner to take advantage of the light weight and corrosion-resistance of carbon-fiber composite primary structures.
The airplane will still require substantial quantities of titanium and aluminum to complement its composites, however. Large metal structures are needed even in the composites-manufacturing process, Bair said.
Some in Frederickson knew
Neal Falk, vice president for manufacturing in Boeing's Fabrication Division, said that a small team working on the new-plane program at Frederickson had been aware that the plant would play a significant role in 7E7 manufacture. One of those in the know was Kathryn Whiting, who until this week headed the structural-composites operation there. On Monday, Whiting moved over to a new job on the 7E7 team.
With Boeing carefully guarding details of 7E7 manufacture, workers at the factory have not been officially informed.
"We're very pleased," said Falk, "We brought Frederickson along from a vacant lot to the factory that it is today. It is widely recognized as the most efficient structural-composites facility anywhere in the world."
The Frederickson plant is transitioning to a moving production line to shorten the time needed to build 777 tails. John Triplett, director of Structural Composites in Frederickson, said earlier this month he hoped the improvements would also benefit the 7E7 program.
Bair, asked yesterday if Frederickson would remain on the program even if Boeing decides to locate final assembly somewhere other than Everett, answered: "Absolutely."
7E7 may be much quieter
Separately, Bair said the 7E7 will make great strides in reducing airplane noise. He said breakthroughs in aerodynamics and engine technology could make the 7E7 dramatically quieter than today's jets, making the plane very attractive to airlines that fly in and out of noise-sensitive airports that may restrict nighttime takeoffs and landings.
London's Heathrow, for instance, uses a complicated "points" system to limit aircraft noise at night. The noisier the plane, the higher the points. Heathrow then caps the total number of points it allows each airline.
Most of today's newest aircraft have a point rating of 2. Bair is confident the 7E7 will achieve a rating of 0.5. That would mean an airline could land four 7E7s during restricted hours for every one Boeing 777 or Airbus A340.
"It'll end up being a really attractive selling point," Bair said.
Engine manufacturers have made such dramatic improvements in lowering their noise output in recent years, he said, that when today's newest jets land, most of the noise is made by the airplane slicing through the air.
Aerodynamic improvements made by Boeing engineers in designing the 7E7 should remove much of that noise, he said.
David Bowermaster: 206-464-2724 or dbowermaster@seattletimes.com
Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com