Boeing 787 Dreamliner Transports July 2021 Richard Aboulafia Vice President, Analysis [email protected] Program Briefing The Boeing 787 (originally 7E7) Dreamliner is a twin-engine twin aisle commercial transport designed for medium and long-range flights. Just above the size class of the 220/260-seat 767, the 787 features advanced technologies such as a 787-8 largely composite airframe and mostly electric systems. Launched in 2004 by ANA, the 787 original plan. Over 900 have been de- Boeing first announced the 787 in entered service in November 2011, livered. early 2003, and decided to offer the three and a half years later than the 787 to airlines in December 2003. Manufacturer The Boeing Co. P.O. Box 3707 Seattle, WA 98124 Tel: (206) 655-2121 www.boeing.com Subsystems Airframe The 787 is the first jetliner with Charleston. Charleston delivered its Various suppliers provide another composite material primary struc- first 787 in 2012. In mid-2020, Boe- 4% of the airframe. The rest comes tures. The main material is graphite ing decided to close the Everett line, from Japan, Italy, and South Caro- combined with a toughened epoxy leaving Charleston. As of September lina. resin. The wing also uses TiGr, tita- 2020, of the 1,062 787s built, 404 had Seating is eight or nine abreast. nium/graphite composite. The cur- been built in Charleston. The final The majority have been ordered with rent composition of the airframe, by Everett-built 787, #1095 for ANA, nine abreast interiors. weight, is 50% carbon fiber lami- rolled off the line in February 2021. nated composites (CFRP), with the Boeing (pre-Wichita divestiture) Airframe Subcontractors remainder comprising 20% alumi- was to supply 35% of the 787 struc- • Alcan Rolled Products: alumi- num, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and ture, including the vertical fin (Fred- num 5% other. erickson), the fixed and movable • Alenia/Vought Aircraft (Tri- In terms of design, the 787 resem- leading edges of the wing (Tulsa), the umph)/Boeing: Working together bles most twin aisle jetliner, only flight deck and part of the forward fu- in Charleston, SC as Global Aer- with a swept fin and a more tapered selage (the Wichita facility, now onautica, the two companies were nose. Controls are largely electric. Spirit AeroSystems), movable trail- to provide 26% of the 787 struc- Final assembly took place in Ev- ing edges (Hawker De Havilland, ture including the center and aft erett and Charleston. The 787-8 and Australia), and the wing-to-body fuselage and the horizontal stabi- some -9s were built in Everett, while fairing (Winnipeg). lizer. In March 2008, Boeing pur- some -9s and all -10s were built in chased Vought’s share of Global, World Military & Civil Aircraft Briefing ©Teal Group Corporation Boeing 787 Dreamliner Page 2 and in December 2009 it acquired • GKN Aerospace: Composite mat • Latécoère: passenger doors Alenia's share as well. Thus, for wing ice protection system, ti- • LMI Aerospace: wing tooling some of this work is now per- tanium wing to body and wing to and components formed by Boeing, although Ale- nacelle fittings; complex ma- • Norsk Titanium: D-printed struc- nia has retained its production chined titanium and aluminum tural titanium components share (horizontal stabilizer and parts and assemblies for horizon- • Orbital ATK: composite frames the central and aft sections, tal stabilizer on 787-9 for -9 and -10 center and aft fuse- amounting to 14% of the 787 • Hafei Aviation Industries lages structure). In June 2011 Boeing (AVIC): wing to body fairing • PlasticFab: composite and metal announced an agreement with panels panels Alenia under which Alenia acts • Hexcel: pre-preg composite ma- • RTI International Metals: tita- as a second source for production terials nium components (for Fuji and of the horizontal stabilizers for • Hitco Carbon Composites: com- Kawasaki) 787-9 beginning in 2013. Boeing posite floor beams (for Kawa- • Saab Aerostructures: large cargo said it will develop the stabilizers saki); passenger floor and cargo doors, bulk cargo door, access for the 787-9 itself, and will tran- header beams (for Spirit) doors sition the primary stabilizer pro- • Israel Aerospace Industries: Sec- • Safran (Messier-Dowty): main duction when mature to a loca- tion 47 passenger cabin and cargo and nose landing gear (including tion yet to be determined. Alenia compartment floors, passenger design) will be a secondary source. The and cargo door surrounds • Saint-Gobain: nose radomes (for remainder of Vought has been • Jamco: flight deck bulkhead Spirit) sold to Triumph Group. • Japan Aircraft Development. Jap- • Shenyang Aircraft Group • Asco Aerospace Canada: Section anese industry provides 35% of (AVIC): vertical fin leading edge 48 upper fin deck, bulkheads the 787 structure, including the • Souriau: composite connectors • Avcorp: composite structural wing. Main companies will in- components for Fuji • Stellex: Section 41 pax floor as- clude Mitsubishi (responsible for sembly (for Spirit) • BHA Aero Composites: vertical the main wing box), Fuji/Subaru fin panels • Strata Manufacturing (UAE): (CFRP center wing box, integra- vertical fin ribs on -9; vertical • Boeing Aerostructures Australia tion of the wing box and main fins starting in 2020 (formerly ASTA): trailing edges landing gear wheel well), and • TAL Manufacturing (Tata Mo- • Chengdu Aircraft (AVIC): rudder Kawasaki Heavy Industries (re- tors): floor beams on -9 • Curtiss-Wright: structural fittings mainder of forward fuselage, • Toray Industries: TORAYCA and mechanical system for large main landing gear wheel well, prepreg composite material for cargo door (for Saab) main wing fixed trailing edge). Japanese contractors and Boeing • Daher: thermoplastic composite • Korean Aerospace Industries: • Triumph: long support spars (for structural parts front and rear spars, three trans- Shenyang) • Ducommun AeroStructures: tita- verse beams in Section II center • Turkish Aerospace Industries: el- nium detail components and sub- wingbox (for Subaru); wing fixed evator, cargo barrier, body seal assemblies trailing edges (for Kawasaki); • VSMPO-Avisma: titanium forg- • EADS: aft pressure bulkhead Section 41 nose wheel well (for ings • M.C. Gill: floor panels Spirit); pivot bulkhead • Korean Air Aerospace: aft body structural assembly; wingtips Propulsion Engines In mid-2016 Rolls introduced the Propulsion System In April 2004 Boeing selected a Trent 1000-TEN, an upgraded ver- Subcontractors choice of two engine contractors. sion. It entered service in November • Aermacchi: nacelle fan cowls General Electric is offering its GEnx- 2017. (for Goodrich) 1B70, related to the GE90-94B, The losing 787 engine was Pratt & • Aernnova: engine cowlings while Rolls-Royce is offering its Whitney’s PW-EXX. • Avio: gear boxes, LP turbine Trent 1000, a Trent 900 variant. static components and casing, lu- These are in the 70,000 lbst class. brication system on GEnx (12% program stake) World Military & Civil Aircraft Briefing ©Teal Group Corporation Boeing 787 Dreamliner Page 3 • FACC: thrust reverser compo- spool on GEnx (6% program • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: nents and movable blocker doors stake) LPT blades, IP turbine discs, on GEnx thrust reverser (for • Goodrich: thrust reversers, na- combustor parts on Trent 1000 Goodrich) celles • Spirit AeroSystems: engine py- • GKN Aerospace: composite fan • Ishikawajima-Harima/Mitsubishi lons containment case on GEnx; tita- Heavy Industries: LP turbine ro- • Sumitomo Precision Products: nium thrust links; outer guide tating components and module Trent 1000 heat management sys- vane mount ring and rear fan case assembly on GEnx (15% pro- tem (with Parker Aerospace) for Trent 1000 gram stake) • Techspace Aero: booster stator • GKN (Volvo Aero): fan hub • Kreisler Manufacturing: Trent on GEnx (3% program stake) frame, turbine rear frame, booster 1000 fuel manifolds (for Parker • Woodward Governor: GEnx fuel Aerospace) system integrator Electronics The 787 has a 777-compatible weather radar, and terrain awareness the integrated standby flight display flight deck. Rockwell Collins pro- and warning systems. Smiths Aero- and offers a wireless IFE system vide liquid crystal and HUD displays space is providing the Common Core (Panasonic is an alternative IFE pro- and communications and surveil- system. Honeywell is providing the vider). Korry Electronics is provid- lance system packages, including navigation and aircraft health man- ing flight deck control panels. VHF radios, TCAS, WXR-2100 agement systems. Thales is providing Other Systems Other Suppliers sensing system, fuel quantity in- • Michelin: second source for af- • Astronautics Corp: electronic dicating system, fuel manage- termarket nose and main tires flight bags ment software, flight deck light- • Moog: flight control actuation • Avtron Manufacturing: starter ing system, flight attendant seats, system generator dynamometer test optional flight deck entry video • MTI Global: thermal and acous- stands surveillance system tic interior insulation (for Spirit) • Bridgestone: tires • Goodrich Hella: exterior lighting • Northwest Composites: sidewalls • CTT Systems: zonal drying sys- • GS Yuasa: lithium-ion batteries and linings tem (for Thales) • Panasonic (Matsushita Avionics): • Carleton: life support systems • Héroux-Devtek (CESA): actuator cabin services system • Crane Aerospace: power condi- components (starting 2020) • Parker Aerospace: hydraulic sub- tioning modules for Smiths com- • Héroux-Devtek: torque tubes system, pumps/reservoirs, filter