Boeing takes leap forward with composites

Use of composites is not new to the aerospace industry, but with its 7E7 airplane Boeing plans to stretch the material technology to new limits.

Boeing is far enough along in development of the “superefficient” 7E7 to say confidently that it is a groundbreaking airplane in several respects, but with production two years away, the company for now is keeping secret some of the technology details that make the plane-and the processes used to build it-unique.

Chicago-based Boeing has made no secret of what it calls a commerical jet first: a majority of the twin-aisle jet's primary structure-including the fuselage and wings-will be made primarily of composite material. What's secret is, among other things, how those composite parts will be made and bonded. The parts will be larger than typical aluminum panels, according to the company, meaning there will be fewer of them. That is one of the main reasons why final assembly of the 7E7 will take only 3 days instead of the 13-17 days typical of today's airplanes. As for the processes and equipment that will be used to joint the large panels, “We are too early in the development process to provide that detail,” said Boeing spokesperson Loretta Gunter.