February 2011
Volume 09, Issue 09
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Frontiers cover wrap for Boeing's Phantom Ray

On Dec. 14, Boeing's Phantom Ray took a ride on top of a modified NASA 747 from St. Louis to Edwards Air Force Base in California, where the unmanned craft will undergo flight testing. The February issue of Frontiers includes a photo essay of that journey, and a downloadable photo of the 747 and Phantom Ray in flight. Also in this issue is a downloadable photo of 16 Harrier jets flying in formation in mid-December over the United Kingdom -- one last flight before the country's Harrier fleet was retired from military duty. Click here to download these two photos.

Cover Story

Journey to tomorrow

The Phantom Ray, an unmanned airborne system developed by Boeing’s Phantom Works organization, will soon begin flight testing at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Getting Phantom Ray there efficiently and safely was a challenge -- one captured in this Frontiers photo essay. It was carried from St. Louis to Edwards in December on the back of a NASA 747 normally used to ferry space shuttles. The six-hour flight was more than a year in planning.

FULL STORY >>

 Journey to tomorrowBOB FERGUSON/BOEING
Clear and simpleRICHARD RAU/BOEING

SHARED SERVICES GROUP

Clear and simple

Fighter pilots can’t afford to look through the windshield of their F/A-18 Super Hornet and see a manufacturing imperfection--a tiny spot that could be mistaken for an approaching unfriendly aircraft. Boeing engineers, with the help of a Boeing photographer and his Panoscan camera, have developed a way to find minute windshield defects before installation.

FULL STORY >>

Commercial Airplanes

Safety is a BIG deal

Sitting in the driver’s seat of a Kalmar straddle carrier 35 feet (nearly 11 meters) above the factory floor at Boeing’s Everett, Wash., plant provides a unique view of why safety is so important: The massive Kalmars, used to load and unload shipping containers, share the transportation aisles with employees. A Boeing team that includes Kalmar drivers decided to make a video that is helping the company achieve its goal of improving workplace safety.

BCA STORY INDEX >>

 Safety is a BIG dealBOB FERGUSON/BOEING
Supplying changeED TURNER/BOEING

ENGINEERING, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Supplying change

The Boeing supply chain spans the world, and making sure it all runs smoothly is critical to the company’s performance and success. Boeing has been working closely with its suppliers to reduce risks and make improvements as part of a new approach by the company’s Supplier Management organization.

EO&T STORY INDEX >>

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Rescue mission

When a large model of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was discovered in a warehouse, no one realized how valuable it was. Its true identity -- the original wind-tunnel model used by Boeing engineers to develop the famous World War II bomber -- was not discovered until after it was nearly destroyed in an accident. Volunteers have restored the model to its original condition and it will soon be on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

FULL STORY >>

Rescue missionHERB PHELAN