Spirit AeroSystems has completed its first integrated 767 forward fuselage section for Boeing, an expanded statement of work on the Boeing platform, which serves as both a freighter and the basis for the KC-46 tanker for the U.S. Air Force. The unit is scheduled to be delivered December 4, to Boeing in Everett, Wash.
Spirit has previously designed and built four separate forward fuselage end items for the 767 — the cab, lower lobe and two side panels. These were shipped by rail to Boeing for integration. With this new statement of work, Spirit will integrate the four sections into a single unit before shipping to Boeing.
The 767-integration work began in October of this year in the newly opened advanced manufacturing facility on the company’s Wichita, Kan., campus. The building showcases Spirit’s innovative use of new technologies on production lines to improve quality and efficiency.