Reports indicate that Boeing has reallocated its engineering staff to support ongoing commercial development programs and expedite aircraft deliveries.
According to a memo to program staff first seen by The Air Current, engineers have been redirected to the 737-7, 737-10, 777-9, and 777-8 freighter programs, shifting away from the experimental X-66A project.
The X-66A, also known as the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator aircraft, is part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) program. Based on a heavily modified McDonnell Douglas MD-90, it features extra-long, thin wings braced by diagonal struts, creating space to “eventually accommodate advanced propulsion systems that are limited by a lack of underwing space in today’s low-wing airplane configurations.”
The original timeline envisioned the demonstrator’s maiden flight as taking place in 2028, with a production aircraft ready during the following decade. However, this plan might be affected as Boeing works to meet customer commitments.
“It is critically important that we meet our commitment to customers on 737-7, 737-10, 777-9 and 777-8F and on airplane deliveries,” Boeing said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Boeing has reportedly discussed the reassignment plan with NASA, which has offered additional personnel to help maintain progress on the X-66A.
2 comments
Isn’t that special?….Boeing again does not realize the impact in quality product over deliveries out the door for bottom line.
What were those Engineers working on?
At Boeing, most Engineers will tell you they hardly have time to get ‘off task’…so Boeing decided to pull Engineers off the important work they were doing, giving them less time to review issues on paper, and put these people on the floor to surveil what’s going on and move product out of the door faster to delivery…..but that’s not the hard training these people at the factory need and were never given.
Not sure what Business School these eggs went to, but it sure is showing up now in the worst of times.
The simple fact of this. Is Boeing is chasing the bottom line. Money coming in to the company, over future developments. Interesting the story doesn’t mention engineers being removed from 777X !!!, or would that really spook the Investors.
All of this should have been sorted out with quality control inspectors at least 2 years ago. If not after the MAX crashes.