787 Fuselage sections delivered
787 Fuselage sections delivered
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company, today delivered the first carbon fibre fuselage sections of the 787 Dreamliner, manufactured at its Grottaglie plant.
The two fuselage sections, the central one, No. 44 (8.5 m long) and the central-rear one, No. 46 (about 10 m long) were loaded on the Boeing Dreamlifter and transferred to the Charleston, South Carolina, facility of Global Aeronautica in the United States. Once integrated at Global Aeronautica, the fuselage sections will be transferred to Seattle for the final assembly by Boeing of the first prototype of the innovative 787.
This delivery is the culmination of a process that began in 2004 with Alenia Aeronautica acting as independent prime partner of the programme. Working as part of a global team, Alenia Aeronautica has financed, designed, developed and produced the structural aircraft components on contract, the infrastructure and the technological processes necessary for their production. The production of a one-piece, carbon fibre barrel has required innovative technologies and processes that are being used in the aeronautical field for the first time ever.
Alenia Aeronautica's newest plant in Grottaglie is fully dedicated to the production of the 787 fuselage sections and is one of the most advanced aeronautical facilities in the world. Alenia Aeronautica Foggia plant is also involved in this production where the horizontal stabiliser is produced,consisting of two monolithic cocured boxes, 20 m long and made, just as the fuselage and wings of the 787, of carbon fibre, with absolutely excellent design and production technologies. The cocured box of the 787's horizontal stabiliser produced in Foggia is to date the biggest composite monolithic structure ever built for a commercial aeroplane and weighs 540 kg.
Alenia Aeronautica has a substantial role in the production of the 787. Alenia Aeronautica manufactures the central and rear fuselage sections and the horizontal stabiliser. Alenia Aeronautica accounts for 14 per cent of the aircraft structure.
