787

[crj567]

CRJ,

It can be repaired. Delta's been doing flight control surfaces in one of the World's largest composite repair shops for years.

More importantly, the design is very damage tolerant and better than composites designed thirty years ago on the airplanes we see on line. You whack aluminum with a hammer and it deforms. For the most part, you whack carbon fiber with a similar force and it bends, flexes and in an instant goes back into shape.

I'm no expert, but I think the crux of this issue was not whether carbon fiber can be repaired, but whether it can be repaired as part of the pressure vessel.

Obviously, control surfaces have been fixed for years with no ill effect, but the pressure vessel is a completely different animal. I think the engineers are biting their nails on this one.

It is not hard to visualze how the forces are different-the control surfaces deal with a simple deflection force, where the pressure vessel is more of a stretching force.

-Boeing may well have over-reached here.....
-I hope not, but they could be in a world of hurt if they cannot do an easy repair rather than a plug replacement.

 

[~~~^~~~]

- they could be in a world of hurt if they cannot do an easy repair rather than a plug replacement.

Looking at it being built, I can't fathom a barrel replacement. The sections are huge.

If you mean a plug / patch, then yes, it looks like that would work just fine.

Again, the structure is very damage tolerant and IMHO is repairable.

 

[flyguy75000]

the 777 should have been the last large twin engine "B-47" style airliner/aircraft built. the 787 should be a blended wing/ceramic engine/shark skin-canal aerodynamics configuration built with nano tech structors. our "mba leaders" can't seem to (have the vision) make the leap like the great industry leaders did with the DC-3/2 or 707/747 types.

it is a shame and pionts another finger at the USA and its growing list of problems.

What is a shame is that someone with your intelligence and engineering genious is a mere E-190 FO. What a waste of talent.

Let me know when the LearLove Aircraft Co. gets its "blended wing/ceramic engine/shark skin-canal aerodynamics configuration built with nano tech structors" transport category aircraft certified for production by the FAA.

Stick to gear and radio duty, buddy.

 

[ace6453]

word from Renton buddies say the first three 787 test birds will be shredded for dust do to engineering issues, the plane needs a whole redesign.

Completely untrue. My brother is one of the senior engineering project managers and he said they still hope it flies this year (probably not now cause of strike) but more realistically next spring (March-ish)