Boeing inspecting 787s for horizontal stabilizer problems

NEW YORK: Aerospace giant Boeing said Friday it has detected a " workmanship issue" with the horizontal stabilizer of its 787 Dreamliner but it expects to remain on track for its first delivery by the end of the year.

"We expect that this issue will be addressed within the existing program schedule," the company said in a statement. "The 787 remains on track for first delivery to ANA by the end of this year."

Boeing said problems with improperly installed spacers and the torque of associated fasteners were found in some aircraft. The Dreamliner is a long-range, wide-bodied, twin engine jetliner.

"This finding requires inspection of all airplanes and rework if discrepancies are found," it said.

It said all flight test airplanes would be inspected before their next flight, which is expected to take one to two days. Any reworks would take up to eight days for each airplane.

But the company rejected as "inaccurate" reports that the fleet had been grounded.

The Seattle Times first reported on Thursday that Boeing engineers were in the process of inspecting the 23 Dreamliners assembled so far because of a horizontal stabilizer problem.

The horizontal stabilizer is a component in the rear of the aircraft that is designed to stabilize it in flight.

The Dreamliner's horizontal stabilizer is made by Italy's Alenia.

The aircraft's innovative structure, 50 per cent of which is made up of composite materials, and its manufacture in more than 100 sites has created many technical problems for Boeing.

It's first flight test was held December 22, 2009, two years behind schedule.

Boeing announced at the end of May that it planned to accelerate production from two planes a month to 10 by the end of 2013. At the time, it had orders for 830 aircraft.