Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has some impressive environmental credentials

As Boeing’s latest super-efficient aircraft nears takeoff, we take a look at its green credentials

THE 787 Dreamliner is being developed by an international team of top aerospace companies led by US manufacturer Boeing.

The company has taken an “historic” life-cycle approach in developing this aircraft, which has some impressive environmental credentials. Boeing is already working with companies worldwide to ensure that the processes required to recycle the 787 are in place, although first retirements are likely to be 30-40 years away.

The Dreamliner will use 20% less fuel than similar-sized aircraft and carbon dioxide
(CO₂) emissions will be more than
30% better than today’s 767 airplane.

Noise will also be 60% lower than similar-sized aircraft.

A key contributor to this remarkable performance is the use of lightweight composites. As much as 50% of the primary structure, including the fuselage and wings, will be made of carbon-fiber composite material, which is trimmed like cloth.

By contrast, Boeing’s 777 is made of 50% aluminum and just 12% composite. As a result, manufacturing processes will produce less waste and assembly time will be cut by 30-40%.

Existing airplanes are mostly made of aluminum and as much as 90% of the raw aluminum is turned into scrap during manufacturing.

Boeing says using composites has opened up new design possibilities. By manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, it can eliminate 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000-50,000 aluminum fasteners.

Other advantages of a composite structure are that it is lighter and more durable with negligible corrosion and fatigue, and reduced scheduled maintenance.

First delivery of the long-delayed 787 is expected in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Illustration by Tim Bicheno Brown, Flight International Source: Boeing/Flight International

ITEM KEY

Main instrument panel, shroud and center console

1 Forward pressure bulkhead – composite
2 Two-crew cockpit featuring five Rockwell Collins LCDs, electronic flight instrument system and flight bag with dual head-up display system (see illustration)
3 Forward retracting, fully steerable twin-wheel nose landing gear – Messier-Dowty
4 Fuselage – single-piece composite fiber- glass carbon laminate
5 Broadband-enabled first-class cabin
6 VHF 1 antenna
7 Forward cargo hold
8 Galleys and lavatories – composite
9 Broadband-enabled business class cabin
10 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 rated at 70,000lb thrust
11 Aluminum alloy leading-edge and slats
12 Navigation light cluster
13 Raked wingtip – composite carbon sandwich
14 Aileron – fiberglass
15 Outboard flap – carbon laminate
16 Outboard hinged panels – carbon laminate
17 Flaperon – carbon laminate
18 Inboard (hinged) spoilers – carbon laminate
19 Four-wheel main landing gear, (Messier-Dowty) incorporating Goodrich or Messier-Buggatti electric brakes
20 Main-wing box carbon – laminate
21 Center wing box – CFRP
22 Inboard flap – fibreglass epoxy
23 Controllable photo-chromatic passenger windows measuring 483 x 279mm
24 Rear cargo hold
25 Broadband-enabled passenger cabin
26 Cabin floor structure – composite
27 Rear fuselage – single-piece composite fiberglass carbon laminate
28 Overhead six-berth cabin crew rest cabin – composite
29 Rear galleys and access to rest cabin – composite
30 Rear pressure bulkhead – composite
31 Horizontal tailplane (carbon laminate elevator – carbon sandwich)
32 Vertical tail – carbon laminate
33 Rudder carbon sandwich
34 Tail cone (single piece) – composite fiberglass carbon laminate
35 Leading edge – aluminum alloy
36 Rear cargo door – composite
37 Flap fairings – composite
38 Main fuel tanks
39 Connexion steerable antenna
40 Engine pylon – aluminum alloy, steel and titanium construction
41 Engine cowlings – carbonfiber epoxy/construction