Boeing's decision to use composites for most of the structure "is turning into a wonderful story," says senior program vp Mike Bair. "Ramp rash - damage by trucks and cargo loaders - was a concern of the airlines, but it turns out that the material is far more robust than aluminum and is almost impossible to damage."
Overall, Bair says, this should make the 7E7 less costly to maintain than a conventional airplane. "A forklift at 15 mph will put a hole in it, like aluminum. We have a patch that takes 40 minutes and it lets you fly today, and a two-hour patch that will last five to ten years." Boeing has been taking aluminum out of some areas of the 7E7, such as the cargo doors.
The 7E7 fuselage will be made in one-piece sections without fasteners. "There won't be any paneling," says Bair. "We are using composites the way composites want to be used." Boeing plans to produce the skin using fiber placement - "stringers, frames and skin, cooked as one piece."
