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Originally Posted by gunnut
..To be fair, the 787 is rumored to have weight problems of its own. Its ambitious fuel savings might have to be cut back, which will piss off customers who bought it based on efficiency.
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The 787 is right now 2.5% over the target weight, but there is a fudge factor built in to the target weight to guarantee the efficiency levels promised. This is not at all unusual for a new plane at this stage. Even at this weight, the fuel consumption would be as promised, so Boeing is not worried about that.
Last week a center barrel had to be scrapped due to bubbles caused by a faulty mandrel, but they are building 2 more simultaneously so that the schedule will not be set back. There were a couple nosecones that would not have been used on a production plane, but they were okay for a prototype. That's not an issue to Boeing, though it got some negative press.
Considering this is the first all-composite airframe for Boeing, things are looking pretty good. Singapore just booked an order for 20 planes last Wednesday.