I´ve been recently pondering another issue concerning the 787 which i find quite interesting...maybe someone is out there who can shed some light on this issue because i´m out of ideas...
So the 787 appears to be back on track (more or less) with first flight now scheduled for the End-of-June-region. To add a bit of spice, Boeing have now announced that technically, all flight test campaign aircraft will NOT be complete (an unspecified quantity of fasteners with the wrong grip length will not be replaced until refurbishing, ie. after the flight test campaign has been completed). Let´s assume that it´s not going to be a problem. HOWEVER:
The official documentation from both the FAA and EASA on the certification procedure for large aircraft specifically states that all necessary certification activities must be completed and all necessary documentation handed in to the authorities within a specific time period, starting from the day that the application for certification was submitted. This is, for both the FAA and EASA, 5 years exactly.
In other words, an airframe manufacturer has 5 years from the day of application to complete "their stuff" and show it to the authorities.
This period can be extended by an additional 12 months if the airframer has a good reason for being late.
IF the airframer (Boeing) cannot manage to complete all certification activities and documentation within this period of max. 6 years, basically, it´s Time At The Bar, or rather Game Over, because THEN the application for certification would expire and the airframer would have to start from scratch!
I´ve recently checked on the web when Boeing applied for certification of the 787 with both authorities named above and guess what..... application for type certification of the 787 was submitted end of march 2003. This means that *by law* Boeing would have to complete all certification activities within the next ..erm.. two months.
If i´m right in my thinking, the world might be in for another 5 - 6 years delay of the Dreamliner entering service....and Boeing in serious trouble.
My question is: Is anybody else aware of this? Especially at Boeing? Or am i lacking some additional vital information here? Is there some special "It´s no big deal"-clause Boeing has with the aviation authorities? If so, Boeing must have even better contacts in high places than we´re giving them credit for - surely "Bending the law" would come to mind!!
- Or am i missing something completely different?- Please help because i´m out of ideas!!!
So the 787 appears to be back on track (more or less) with first flight now scheduled for the End-of-June-region. To add a bit of spice, Boeing have now announced that technically, all flight test campaign aircraft will NOT be complete (an unspecified quantity of fasteners with the wrong grip length will not be replaced until refurbishing, ie. after the flight test campaign has been completed). Let´s assume that it´s not going to be a problem. HOWEVER:
The official documentation from both the FAA and EASA on the certification procedure for large aircraft specifically states that all necessary certification activities must be completed and all necessary documentation handed in to the authorities within a specific time period, starting from the day that the application for certification was submitted. This is, for both the FAA and EASA, 5 years exactly.
In other words, an airframe manufacturer has 5 years from the day of application to complete "their stuff" and show it to the authorities.
This period can be extended by an additional 12 months if the airframer has a good reason for being late.
IF the airframer (Boeing) cannot manage to complete all certification activities and documentation within this period of max. 6 years, basically, it´s Time At The Bar, or rather Game Over, because THEN the application for certification would expire and the airframer would have to start from scratch!
I´ve recently checked on the web when Boeing applied for certification of the 787 with both authorities named above and guess what..... application for type certification of the 787 was submitted end of march 2003. This means that *by law* Boeing would have to complete all certification activities within the next ..erm.. two months.
If i´m right in my thinking, the world might be in for another 5 - 6 years delay of the Dreamliner entering service....and Boeing in serious trouble.
My question is: Is anybody else aware of this? Especially at Boeing? Or am i lacking some additional vital information here? Is there some special "It´s no big deal"-clause Boeing has with the aviation authorities? If so, Boeing must have even better contacts in high places than we´re giving them credit for - surely "Bending the law" would come to mind!!
- Or am i missing something completely different?- Please help because i´m out of ideas!!!
