Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Mark Wagner [26]
To some traditionalists the scale of the outsourcing, particularly the wing, was nothing short of shocking. To Boeing, however, it was all part of the grand plan to improve production efficiency by transitioning to its new role as a large-scale systems integrator. “The wing generates lift, but the thing that makes it fly is our ability to understand the requirements of the customers, and to integrate all that into an aircraft that works,” said Bair.
With the partner team coming together, Mulally and Bair flew to Chicago for the pivotal “go/no go” board meeting on December 15, 2003. Tensions were high and the planned 1 1/2-hour board meeting lasted 4 hours. But those waiting nervously outside did not have to worry. “We could have got the vote in the first ten minutes, but the board wanted to know about the changes,” said Stonecipher. The decision was in the bag, and the scene was now set for a historic announcement the following day in Seattle.
Passenger appeal was a key design driver from the start, with an emphasis on a better cabin environment, wider aisles and seats, larger windows, and bigger overhead baggage bins. Composites enabled cabins to be pressurized to higher levels, thereby lowering cabin altitude from about 8,000 feet to 6,000 feet, and raising humidity and comfort levels. The windows, 18.4 inches tall and 10.7 inches wide, were expected to be the largest on any commercial jet aircraft—though not quite on the never-to-be-beaten scale of the 26x19-inch windows of the Vickers Viscount turboprop! Mark Wagner
Chapter 3
DREAMTIME
OUTSIDE IT WAS A TYPICAL GRAY, OVERCAST SEATTLE WINTER’S DAY, but inside the Washington State Trade and Convention Center there was a carnival-like atmosphere. More than three thousand people were gathered in a party mood on December 16, 2003—one day shy of the one-hundredth anniversary of powered flight—to hear Boeing announce that the 7E7 was officially for sale.
Mulally, standing on stage with Stonecipher, had the crowd in his hands as he reflected on the timing of the announcement. “Savor this moment. This is a great way to start the second century of powered flight,” he said as the audience clapped and cheered. Indeed, the celebration was a double one for the Boeing workers, as the authority to offer (ATO) the 7E7 was accompanied by the news that Everett had won the site selection contest and would be home to the Dreamliner.
China’s interest in the 7E7 emerged after a customer conference in Beijing in May 2004. The long-term result was a $7.8 billion group deal covering sixty aircraft for Air China (fifteen), China Eastern (fifteen), China Southern (thirteen, including three for its Xiamen Airlines subsidiary), Hainan Airlines (eight), and Shanghai Airlines (nine). Each was also assured first deliveries in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The deal, signed by the Chinese government on January 28, 2005, also closely coincided with the formal designation of the 7E7 as the 787.
More than eighty alternative sites had been reviewed, but the case for Everett had been “compelling,” said Bair. Much of the credit went to the Washington State government, which, having recently seen Boeing move its headquarters out of state to Chicago, stepped up with tax and other incentives worth about $3.2 billion to secure its bid. “Many factors weighed into the decision. But it’s clear that the best overall solution for Boeing and the 7E7 is to place final assembly in Everett,” said Bair.
In December 2003 Boeing’s Everett site was officially named as the final assembly site for the 7E7. Ending months of speculation, the decision came as a massive relief to the Boeing employees there and to Washington State, which had offered tax and other financial incentives worth more than $3 billion to