Ray Conner and others cut the ribbon to officially open the 777X Composite Wing Center
Photos and story by Brandon Farris in Everett: / Published: May 20, 2016
Boeing completed the next milestone for the 777X program with the opening today of the Composite Wing Center in Everett, Washington.
Located on the north side of the Everett Boeing plant, just behind the 777 final assembly line, the new Composite Wing Center will manufacture the world’s largest composite wings for the Boeing 777X, the company’s newest commercial jetliner.
Ground broke at this site in October 2014, and just a year and a half later, the majority of the building has been completed and parts are being installed in preparations for the first aircraft. One of those parts, and the highlight of the tour, was the giant autoclave that will be used to bake parts together to produce the wings.
Boeing has also installed two Automated Fiber Placement robotic machines, that we got to see while the team was testing the device, getting it ready for production. In total, Boeing has invested more than $1 billion on this site.
“Today’s event is bigger than celebrating the opening of a magnificent new building,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “It’s about our employees, and shared success with our partners around the region and in Olympia in keeping the Puget Sound at the forefront of aerospace leadership for decades to come.”
The Boeing 777X is an advancement of the ever so popular 777 with the 777-8X being designed to compete directly with the A350-1000 while the 777-9X is targeted at serving a market no other airplane can. First flight and delivery is still on schedule to be completed within the next four years.
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Contact the editor at roberto.leiro@airwaysnews.com
Contact the photographer at brandon.farris12@gmail.com
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