Aeronca oover the Dreamliners at Paine

[skyking3286]

Boeing is still making the planes and they are still grounded. Which means that Paine Field is filling up with untest flown 787 Dreamliners. Flew over the class D airspace with the Chief and took a few photos of how the ramp is filling up over there. There was another Chief in the pattern too and the controller kept on saying we weren't transponder equipped, as if we didn't know! I guess with all the heavy iron on the field he didn't know how to run a field with 1947 airplanes flying all around!

[rkittine]

They just don't build em like they used to! Your 47 Chief, will probably be flying years after these are flying and again grounded from age.

[jc pacquin]

I read an article saying that because Boeing elected to farm so much of this airplane out they lost controll of cost and quality. Instead of it saving money it has cost them a fortune and each day costs climb. They claim the first mistake was the merger with Douglas and from there it's been a downhill run. Great great pictures! THANKS! JP

[james gevay]

Very nice pictures, and interesting too. It looks like they're closed, with all the signs blocking the taxiways.
Thanks for posting.

[Dennis]

We had a Concord rep at a recent IA renewal class. He said that prior to Boeings battery problems, Concord had made a decision NOT to make lithium batteries for GA due to the runaway heat problems.

How can one company (Boeing) get it so wrong? I am sure that Boeing has sharp engineers. Maybe just a good battery salesman.

Dennis

[MikeB]

Wasn't there an issue over lithium batteries for ELT's several years ago??

Mike

[Dennis]

Maybe Mike, memory not to good. Several years ago, I over charged a small lithium battery. I was amazed to see it swell to twice its size and it was hot as hell. If I had not discovered it, I may have got a fire going on our kitchen counter top and maybe burned the house down.

Since then, I think twice about the location for charging a lithium battery and make sure I don't over charge it.

The battery I over charged was about 1"x2". I can see where a large aircraft battery could be a serious issue.

BTW, the Concord rep said Boeing went to the lithium battery because the weigh reduction would allow two additional passengers.


Dennis

[MikeB]

I know the Chevy "Volt" (for one) uses some kind of a lithium battery. Research shows there are several different types of lithium batteries. Most new aircraft like the "Dreamliners" are pretty complex so it wouldn't be unusual to have some teething problems (as my younger brothers says "After all it's only human" when he deals with a complex problem). Back in one of my former lives (before teaching) I worked for a large truck dealership and it seems like every time we brought out a new generation engine we had problems whether piston failures, crankshaft keyways or fuel injection, etc.
Anyway I'm sure they'll get it solved.
Mike

[Richard Murray]

My understanding of the lithium charging system is each battery required a state of charge measurement as well as a thermal limit circuit and what happened should not have occurred. Oops.