Inside the world's biggest aeroplane workshop:
Boeing factory in Seattle
- Inside the nerve centre: A commercial plane, painted with 200 gallons of weather-proof gloss, nears completion
- Boeing's world-famous Everett factory is bigger than Disneyland and Versailles Palace
- There, one can see the construction of the luxury 787 Dreamliners, which are used by carrier Norwegian Air
- More than 30,000 employees are rotated on the site, which even has its own police force and fire department
- Built in 1967 to manufacture the 747, Boeing's presence in Everett has attracted Microsoft, Apple and Amazon
They say it takes a village to raise a child. But, when it comes to creating an aircraft, it clearly takes a town - or, rather, a factory the size of a town.
Specifically, it requires something like the Boeing production facility in Seattle's Everett, which happens to be America's largest source of commercial jets and the world's biggest building.
Stretching out over nearly 100 acres - the equivalent of 50 football pitches - its vastness is hard to comprehend until you roll through the main entrance gates, where it appears before you like a real estate juggernaut.
Originally built in 1967 to manufacture the 747, Boeing's presence in Everett has since attracted a host of other global businesses to the area, including Microsoft, Apple and Amazon. Yet it remains the largest.
Since launching 50 years ago, it has grown to enclose 472 million cubic feet of space over 98.3 acres, which, for perspective, means it could comfortably house Versailles Palace (and gardens) or Disneyland Florida with 12 acres left-over for parking.
Rest assured, however, there's no mickey-taking here. On the contrary, it's serious business.
One that manages to churn-out roughly 50 world-class aircraft models, each month - including the company's newest twin-aisle airplanes, the 787 Dreamliner and the 747-8.
Considered the new generation of aeroplanes, they are now regularly snapped-up by a variety of competing commercial carriers, such as Norwegian Air.
Thousands of people from all over the world visit the site every year, but most recent VIP visitors have included U.S. presidents, international dignitaries, CEOs and astronauts.
Epic: Stretching out over nearly 100 acres - the equivalent of 50 football pitches - its vastness is literally record-breaking
Nearly finished! An aeroplane at the end of the Boeing production line nudges hanger gates the size of a football field
Working hard: Staff at the production facility rotate through 24-hour-operating days in the week, but are off at weekends
Upon arrival one is given a thorough verification check (including a K9 sweep for explosives), followed by a swift debrief on the site's no-nonsense access conditions: zero photography, zero social media and absolutely zero wandering off. Heck, even bathroom breaks must be supervised.
Then again, given what they're making here, it's a reassuring ceremony.
Beyond this, however, it's an epic hive of precise activity. There are more than 30,000 employees on rotation at the plant at any given time, which means footfall is heavy.
Ironically, because the space is so vast, they aren't actually expected to walk from one end to another.
Instead they have a handful of other (fun) options, which include 2,000 segways, 2,000 tricycles and 2,000 rikshaw bikes. There's even the odd car, too.
Vast: Peter Lloyd surveys the vast Boeing site from a viewing deck, while staff navigate the space on bikes and segways
Constructed in order: The fuselage is the first part of the assembly mission, which comprises of parts from across the world
In action: A focused Boeing employee can be seen carefully overseeing the progress on the tail of the aircraft
For ease, we coast through the site on a motorised vehicle, much like a pimped-up golf buggy, which takes 20 minutes to deliver us from one end of the production line to the other.
This continuum is marked-out by a large, yellow track that runs across the ceiling and acts as an industrial, overhead conveyor belt.
Interestingly, the parts it carries are usually sourced off-site from 10 different countries, including Japan, Italy and Switzerland - meaning each plane is a global composite of modern technology.
But, the parts that ultimately make the grade are determined by a combination of price, quality and availability (although now President Trump wants to re-focus investment in US materials, they're refocusing to accommodate this).
Regardless, once all the necessary parts are 'bought' they're transferred to Everett, where the real work begins. Think Meccano, but with much, much higher stakes.
First up is the fuselage, which is assembled upside-down allowing gravity to (literally) pull its weight in the building process. It's securely held in an elevated position by a horizontal, hydraulic cylinder so that, when the base is completed, it can be flipped over for the remaining top half.
Big operation: Huge structures give engineers access to the split-level cabins, which require meticulous attention to detail
Ready-assembled: A food service area is pre-made for installation (left), as is a toilet, which costs a whopping $20,000 (right)
Have wheels, will travel! Boeing provide 2,000 segways, 2,000 tricycles and 2,000 rikshaw bikes so staff can travel quickly
That's cool: The site has no heating because the warmth generated by staff and machinery keeps the temperature at 19C
Then, once completed, it's shuffled along for the wings to be connected, including a vertical stabilizer and horizontal tail plane.
Next, the landing gear is installed, followed by an auxiliary power unit that gives the plane electricity even when the engines are off. Following this, the passenger seats, ventilation, cabin and cockpit interiors also go in, before the most expensive bit: the Rolls Royce engine.
Then, the whole thing is lovingly covered in 200 gallons of weather-proof paint. This, plane-spotters will know, is the final piece of the puzzle and marks test-flight readiness.
It's an arduous and meticulous process, but - perhaps surprisingly, it isn't completely relentless.
Although it operates 24 hours Monday to Friday, the site actually shuts down at weekends to afford employees quality family time. It's only when deadlines risk delay - or hiccups happen along the way - that staff are expected to work Saturdays or Sundays.
This is a modern, practical approach to business that manifests inside the building's facilities, too. For example, there's a daycare centre for parents to drop their kids, plus a restaurant, five coffee shops and sleeping quarters if people need a nap.
Add to that a fire department, a police force with its own canine unit, a dry cleaning service, laundry, gym and on-site doctor and, suddenly, the outside world becomes increasingly unnecessary.
Which is beautifully ironic given that Boeing's entire function is to facilitate travelling the world.
Global: An U.S flag hangs in the interior, while the plane fins of numerous airlines who use Boeing are also displayed
Integral: The landing gear is installed, then an auxiliary power unit which gives the plane power when the engines are off
Thankfully, the new 787 Dreamliners (which we witness being made and were previously flown over in) boast enough new, improved features to coax even the most dedicated homebird outside.
The most technologically advanced aircraft in the skies today, the $193.5million Dreamliner is as green as they come, with 20 per cent less emissions than other comparable aircraft.
Much of this is thanks to the fact it's largely made of carbon/polymer resin, which is lighter than similar-sized aircraft. Having no metal plates and rivets, meaning there’s also less drag.
Inside, LED lighting, wider aisles and higher ceilings offer a smoother, quieter journey through the friendly skies.
It also boasts larger windows with an instant, push-button 'sunglasses' option, shielding-out the sun much more stylishly than traditional pull-down blinds.
Passengers can also expect a less bumpy flight, too, as on-board computers sense oncoming turbulence and kill it by manipulating wing control surfaces.
Best of all, Dreamliner cabins also simulate an altitude of 1,800 metres - 600 less than conventional planes - reducing jet lag symptoms such as headaches and muscle pain.
No chance of being sleepless in this Seattle-made beauty.
Then again, should one expect anything less? After all, there's an old aviation saying that's endured for a reason: 'If it's not Boeing, I'm not going.' One couldn't agree more,.
Production line: The jets inch along the factory floor as they gradually evolve from the conception to execution
Ta-dah! A Qatar Airlines plane nears completion after weeks of arduous assembly at the factory in downtown Washington
(Source:The Mail, UK)
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