Source: Boeing to propose 787 battery fix to FAA
Source: AP
WASHINGTON -- Boeing has developed a plan that it intends to propose to federal regulators to temporarily fix problems with the 787 Dreamliner's batteries that have kept the planes on the ground for more than a month, a congressional official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner is expected to present the plan to Michael Huerta, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, in a meeting on Friday, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.
Boeing Co. spokesman Marc Birtel said the company doesn't talk in advance about meetings with federal officials.
"Everyone is working to get to the answer as quickly as possible, and good progress is being made," Birtel said.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20130220-source-boeing-to-propose-787-battery-fix-to-faa.ece
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I worked in the military branch, but we kept the KC-135 flying (aka, the commercial 707) up to 2009, from its birth in 1956. It was a wonderful airplane, the first big time intercontinental jetliner that made it good. But it was refueling planes in the air before it was flying people to Paris.
In the 1980's Boeing re-engined and re-skinned the entire fleet of KC-135s. The engines were the GE/Snecma CFM-56 which doubled the thrust of the KC's JT-3s and made it more efficient, and much more quiet (my job, as an acoustical engineer).
I flew to my home state in one of the last commercial 707s one week. The pilot got into a severe wind sheer problem while starting his descent into Cleveland. The wings were flapping like a bird, and we plunged thousands of feet in much too short of time for passenger comfort. The damned thing was plummeting like a rock, but I knew the pilot put nose down to regain lift to cancel the stall due to the wind sheer. We were all scared shitless, but I knew the plane. That pilot not only gained control easily, but he brought that beautiful bird in and landed it without as much as a bump.
When I deplaned, I told the stewardess that I worked on KCs at Boeing and I wanted to have a word with the captain. I simply told him, nicely done. It was indeed, a beautiful maneuver. Scared the shit out of everybody, but beautiful nonetheless.
The 707/KC-135 was a helluva aircraft.
The KC-135R:
