What to do when you are in the Seattle area?
Since I had already played tourist in Seattle a few years back, I skipped it. I know, I know…but I just didn’t feel that the reward for figuring out parking or public transportation was worth the hassle, since I had already been there. So, what did I do?
I went to Everett, Washington to watch Boeing build some jets.
They tout this facility as the “world’s largest building by volume”. I can attest that it is a very large building. In fact, the buildings in the photo above are just where the finished planes go for painting.
When the facility is in full swing, they are building 747, 777 and 787 Dreamliners. There wasn’t a lot of activity the day I was there. It was an interesting tour, and if you like factory tours, I would recommend it, even though it wasn’t a free tour.
Yes, I paid $25 to take the tour of The Future of Aviation Center & Boeing Tour.
They don’t permit photography inside the factory, so I don’t have any photos that I took.
However, once you get to the Future of Flight, after the tour, they will take your picture and let you choose the background. It kind of looks like I’m inside the factory, doesn’t it?
In the Future of Flight portion, they have all sorts of bits and pieces that help explain their products. For instance, this is the GE90 engine.
There was this section of a Pan Am fuselage. I used to fly Pan Am when I would go back and forth to Guatemala. I still remember the deep voice of the announcer over the PA before the flights, “Pan Am le agradece mucho…”
The inside of this segment reminds me of an Airstream, what with all the rivets and spars.
The 787 Dreamliner is a completely different sort of structure.
Believe it or not, it is made out of carbon fiber composite material.
From what I remember, the fibers are wound around a form many layers thick and then they are baked. It takes about 35 tons of the material to build the 787.
Here’s an extreme close up of the fiber.
According to their display, the use of composites add up to a better airplane and a cleaner planet.
- 1,500 fewer sheets of aluminum are needed per plane
- 50,000 few fasteners are needed per plane, which is an 80% reduction
- reduced aircraft weight for greater fuel efficiency
- non-corrosive composites allow for higher, more comfortable cabin humidity
- Reduction in use and disposal of hazardous materials
- reduced overall materials waste
If you would like to see a “fast build” video of putting together a Dreamliner, your wait is almost over!
Incidentally, the parts are made in Japan and flown over to the factory for assembly in the Dreamlifter.
Imagine that! They had to build a special plane to bring the parts to the factory. It kind of makes me wonder why they chose to do it that way. I think the guide may have explained it, but I don’t remember now.
This is an international company. I guess it makes sense to spread out the work.
I had another wonderful even happen north of the campground. I got to meet up with a friend from Kalamazoo and her husband.
I’ll bet it had been a decade since we’d seen each other. It was great to see Jen again and to meet with her husband, Brook.
When you’re on the road by yourself for as long as I had been, meeting up with someone you know is a real treat. Finding out that she married a charming and intelligent man is a plus.
And I was glad that I was able to get my truck in and out of the restaurant’s parking lot.