Photos: (Clockwise from top right) Engine mechanic Vince Daggs adjusts an engine plumbing system on a 777 engine; assemblies mechanic Debbie Branlund readies a fan cowl support beam for engine installation in Everett, Wash.; engine mechanic James Fletcher, working from a circular ladder, installs support brackets for tubing and electrical wiring to a 777 engine while Andrew Hackett, seated, installs an airpressure system in Everett. recent years for greater control of cost and airplane performance, all of which will benefit airline customers, Piasecki said. Aftermarket opportunities and growing support services are other driving forces behind this move, according to Boeing leaders. The company has added engineers with industry propulsion expertise to its ranks and created the Ladson facility in South Carolina with propulsion development in mind. Engineers there make up almost half of the nearly 300-person workforce. They work in areas such as core engineering, systems engineering and production engineering. “We haven’t done this sort of design work at Boeing for several decades, especially in the nacelle structure,” said Aleks Radic, a propulsion core engineering manager at the South Carolina site. “You can see the level of enthusiasm and motivation in all of the engineers. It’s really exciting to bring that talent and skill back into Boeing.” In Everett, the propulsion factory offers engine build-up and strut production lines for the 747, 767 and NOVEMBER 2016 | 13
Frontiers November 2016 Issue
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