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Frontiers December 2015 - January 2016 Issue

Everett site prepares for future work with new buildings, tools BY ERIC FETTERS-WALP A flock of multistory cranes has roosted just north of the landmark Boeing factory building in Everett, Wash., over the past year. Those cranes, countless trucks weighed down with construction materials and hundreds of workers have helped the new Composite Wing Center rise. Not far away, advanced manufacturing equipment is streamlining fuselage drilling in a recently completed addition to the Everett final assembly complex. A third building, for manufacturing, test and delivery support, is due for completion in early 2016 south of the Everett Delivery Center. Nearly a half-century after Boeing started building its new 747 assembly factory 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Seattle, the company is making large investments in facilities at the site as it prepares to make 777X airplanes, in addition to the 787, 777, 767, 747 and KC-46 tanker lines. “When I decided to join the 777X program, I had no idea of the magnitude of this project,” said Veronica Leclerc, an executive staff analyst who moved from Boeing Portland to help Composite Wing Center Operations. “It has been exciting to see how many people must DECEMBER 2015–JANUARY 2016 47 The Composite Wing Center is the size of 25 U.S. football fields One truss is approximately 2.5 million pounds (1.4 million kilograms) Photos: (Top, from left) The first of three large autoclaves used for manufacturing composite wings is installed in the Composite Wing Center; the central office tower. GAIL HANUSA | BOEING (Bottom) Another view. ANDREW NESS


Frontiers December 2015 - January 2016 Issue
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