| manufactured part of the fuselage and the doors for other Boeing planes, and it was recognition of its technological
prowess that led Boeing to contract out the 787 main wing box to
MHI. The 787 was designed to provide a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Needing to make the wings lighter and stronger,
MHI spent two years in designing and producing the prototype
wing box. To date, MHI has delivered main wing boxes for 50
787s. Final assembly is carried out at Boeing’s factory in the U.S. and so MHI faced a
considerable challenge in
terms of the strength and
the precision of the part’s
fuselage mounting, the flight
control surfaces and the
engine mountings. Boeing
has taken over 800 orders
for the new plane and before
long it will be flying the skies
worldwide. |
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■ Main wing box supplied by MHI
■ Parts made by other Japanese companies
Japanese manufacturers supply some 35
percent of the Boeing 787 structure. MHI
accounts for some 30 percent of that or
over 10 percent of the whole structure. |
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