International SOS Evacuates 800 Clients From Egypt, Provides On-the-Ground Assistance in Wake of Turmoil

Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — While the investigation into the incident onboard 787 Dreamliner ZA002 continues, Boeing has established a plan to fly two other aircraft, ZA001 and ZA005, back to Seattle from Rapid City, S.D., and Victorville, Calif. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has reviewed and approved the plans.

ZA001 was undergoing refueling in South Dakota when the incident on ZA002 occurred and the company decided to forgo additional flights. ZA005 was on remote deployment for testing in California.

The flights follow a series of inspections on the airplanes’ aft electronics bays. No testing will be performed on the flights.

The team investigating the incident in Laredo has developed a detailed understanding of the ZA002 incident, though more work remains to complete the investigation. In addition to the information already released about the incident, data show that:

• The total duration of the incident was less than 90 seconds.
• The fire lasted less than 30 seconds.
• The airplane concluded the event in a configuration that could have been sustained for the time required to return to an airport suitable for landing from any point in a typical 787 mission profile.  

The team in Texas has completed inspection of ZA002 and has begun to prepare to install a new power panel and new insulation material. The team also is repairing minor structural damage that occurred during the event. This damage will be addressed with standard repair techniques in the airplane structural repair manual. The team is currently evaluating the timeline for completion of the repair work.

The incident on ZA002 demonstrated many aspects of the safety and redundancy in the 787 design, which ensure that if events such as these occur, the airplane can continue safe flight and landing.

No decision has been reached on when flight testing of the 787 will resume. Before that decision can be made, we must complete the investigation and assess whether any design changes are necessary. Until that time, Boeing cannot comment on the potential impact of this incident on the overall program schedule.

PALMDALE, Calif., April 19 — The second Boeing 747-8 Freighter, RC521, landed in Palmdale, Calif., today, marking the beginning of a planned transition of 747-8 Freighter testing to Southern California. The more than four-hour flight from Boeing Field in Seattle included testing on avionics and cruise performance.

“Taking the airplane to Palmdale is a big step,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. “The team is focused on ensuring a seamless transition into the next phase of the flight-test program as we prepare to expand testing of the 747-8 Freighter’s performance characteristics.”

The airplane will be stationed in Palmdale for the majority of its scheduled flight-test program. The crew will conduct several tests on the airplane with fuel-mileage and engine-performance testing as key focus areas.

“Palmdale provides an excellent test environment for the 747-8 Freighter,” said Andy Hammer, 747 test program manager. “It allows us to take full advantage of one of the world’s premier experimental test flight facilities and the excellent weather conditions to meet our flight-test requirements on the road to obtaining our amended type certification.”

A contingent of employees has been stationed at Palmdale for the testing, including flight-test engineers and the support personnel who prepare the airplane for each day’s flights. In the coming weeks, the two other 747-8 airplanes in the flight-test fleet will join RC521 in Southern California.
The entire flight-test program calls for the three airplanes to perform a total of about 3,700 hours of ground and air testing. The first 747-8 Freighter delivery to Cargolux is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has teamed with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI] to submit a revised proposal for the technology development phase of the U.S. Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program. The team originally submitted a proposal in May, but the initial Request for Proposal was rescinded and a second request was issued in November.

The SAIC-led GCV team, known as Team Full Spectrum, remains intact from its original proposal effort. SAIC will be the prime contractor, with Boeing, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Defence as subcontractors. The team’s offering draws on experience gained from the Puma and Manned Ground Vehicle programs and will be built in the United States with a team of experienced American small- and mid-tier supplier businesses.

“Team Full Spectrum has again put together an exceptional proposal to answer the Army’s requirement for a modern infantry fighting vehicle,” said Charles Toups, vice president and general manager of Boeing Network and Tactical Systems. “We have focused on the four key elements the Army has emphasized – capacity for a nine-soldier dismounted squad; a schedule that will allow production in seven years; force protection; and full-spectrum operations from civil relief through full combat operations. Our proposal offers mature technology for unequaled capability at the lowest possible risk.”

The team’s focus is to provide a solution that balances the technology the customer requires with the speed it needs to meet operational goals.

“Our offering is designed to protect soldiers by decreasing their burden of mechanical tasks so they can concentrate on accomplishing their mission,” said Deb Alderson, SAIC group president. “In addition, our team’s high technical readiness levels will help us meet the Army’s timeline.”

The GCV program will replace aging fighting vehicles currently in the Army’s inventory with a single platform capable of carrying an entire squad and protecting that squad from improvised explosive devices and other threats of modern warfare. The Army will award up to three technology demonstration contracts worth approximately $450 million each, with a 24-month time frame for development. The contract awards are expected in the second quarter of this year.

Provides additional capacity to manufacture titanium and other hard metals structures

SEATTLE, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing announced today that it has agreed to acquire the business and operations conducted by Summit Aeronautics Group in Helena, Mont. Summit employs 135 people to manufacture titanium and other hard metal structures for commercial and military aircraft.

This acquisition extends a strong partnership between Boeing and Summit. Summit currently performs hard metal machining on 747-8 fail-safe bars, which allow the flaps to move on the wings; 787 edge frames that fit around the doors; and 767 main-landing-gear beams, which facilitate the landing gear rotation. After the transaction, Summit will continue its work on these Boeing programs and manufacture other machined parts for the 787. Summit also will continue to support existing military programs.

“Bringing this successful partner and its talented employees into Boeing provides additional flexibility to support increased production rates,” said Ross Bogue, vice president and general manager of Boeing Fabrication. “It grows our capacity to manufacture titanium and other hard metals structures in support of current and future airplane production requirements.”

“Our Summit team is proud of the work we have done to support key Boeing programs,” said Tom Hoffman, president of Summit Aeronautics Group. “The acquisition recognizes that our people and capabilities are world class. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Boeing and becoming an integral part of the Boeing production team.”

Through the agreement, Boeing will acquire, among other things, the building, assets and inventory as well as assume operation of the site. Boeing anticipates this transaction will close in the fourth quarter following satisfaction of customary closing conditions. This transaction is not expected to have a material impact on Boeing’s 2010 or 2011 financial results. Terms were not disclosed.

Once acquired, Boeing Fabrication will manage the Helena facility. Boeing Fabrication, which is currently located at 10 sites worldwide, provides key manufacturing and assembly capabilities and technologies to Boeing Commercial Airplanes.