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US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has rolled out its first vertical fin for its new commercial airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. This achievement paves the way for the airplane to begin final assembly in Everett, Washington.
It also marks a major milestone in the race to produce the airline on time for delivery in July.
The vertical fin, the largest primary structure of the 787 airframe, was manufactured and assembled by Boeing's internal supplier at the Composite Manufacturing Centre (CMC) in Frederickson, Washington.
Employees at the Boeing Frederickson Composite Manufacturing Centre have also transferred into place a skin panel sub-assembly on the main box, or centre section, of the first production 787 vertical fin during implementation of a "pulse" moving assembly line.
To create additional production capacity to build the 787 vertical fin, the Boeing factory implemented significant improvements, including a pulse moving line featuring right-sized tooling, determinant assembly and advanced technology drilling techniques, a statement issued by Boeing said. CMC produced the composite 787 vertical fin at the same factory it has been using for the last 15 years.
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