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Boeing scales back 787 production due to supply shortage from Spirit AeroSystems
NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Boeing said the company had been forced to temporarily scale back the production of 787 Dreamliners at its North Charleston plant due to problems in the supply of certain parts and components from its key subcontractor, Spirit AeroSystems. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...
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Lets give Boeing a break!
Supply issues everywhere. Why would Boeing not be affected.
IIRC, Spirit is the new name for the firm which now runs the former Boeing Facility in Wichita. While that has nothing really to do with this problem, aren't they also the major supplier for the 737 fuselages. I know those also come out of Wichita and are ferried by train to Washington. If railroads are also taking the components of the 787 to South Carolina, one only has to look at the state of the US railroads to see a potential problem.
Yes, Spirit builds the 737 fuselages in Wichita. Spirit has a total of 5 plants in the US and more in other countries (https://www.spiritaero.com/company/global-locations-contacts/). As far as I know (being a train and aircraft fan), no 787 components are shipped by rail. The satellite photograph of the Charleston plant does not show any rail spurs into it or rail lines next to it. There is one close enough that if they wanted rail service they could probably build a spur into the plant.
If anyone is interested in seeing pictures of Boeing's freight cars, including 737 fuselages being shipped by rail, here are several, http://rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?road=TBCX. I guess the cars whose numbers begin with 747 are probably all retired by now.
