/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense and Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Unmanned & Urban Aviation
      • Commercial Space
      • Program Management
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Routes
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
    • Defense and Space
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Space
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
  • Products
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense and Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Events
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Baltics, Eastern Europe and Russia (BEER)
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • MRO Transatlantic
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
      • Commercial Aviation
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Asia
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference (ASC)
        • Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference - Europe (ACE)
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • Aerospace Manufacturing Conference (AMC)
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • DefenseChain Conference (DCPE)
      • Air Transport
        • CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit
        • CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Live
        • Routes Americas 2021
        • Routes Asia 2021
        • Routes Europe 2021
        • Routes Reconnected
        • TakeOff North America 2020
        • World Aviation Outlook Summit 2020
        • World Routes 2021
      • Business Aviation
        • Business Aviation Week 2020
        • Business & General Aviation Conference (BGA)
      • Awards
        • 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureates Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
    • Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
  1. Back to Air Transport

Share

In Pictures: First Boeing 737-9 Noses Toward Rollout

Guy Norris
Guy Norris/AW&ST

The first 737-9, line no. 6250, is positioned at the end of the dedicated MAX central assembly line in Renton, Washington, where it is undergoing completion prior to moving to the paint hangar.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

At 138 ft. 2 in. in overall length, the 737-9 is just under 10 ft. longer than the 737-8 but retains the same basic wingspan. The winglet measures 9 ft. 6 in. in overall height.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

The starboard wing for the second 737-9, complete with winglets painted in the colors of launch operator Lion Air, is pictured prior to mating with the fuselage. Lion Air became launch customer for 737-9 with an order for 201 in February 2012. Note the extended spoilers, which are controlled by fly-by-wire on the MAX.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

Boeing’s push to automate wing manufacturing at Renton is moving to the next phase with the introduction of the spar assembly line (SAL). 

Two SAL cells, each containing four robotic drilling machines, are replacing less efficient automatic spar assembly machines introduced in the mid-1990s with the development of the 737NG. The SAL reduces machine footprint by 80% while increasing throughput by 33%—two key aspects of the drive to accelerate production to 47, 52 and 57 aircraft per month in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The first production spars were processed through the SAL in the third quarter of 2016 and will be up and fully running by the end of 2017. The SAL follows the introduction of the panel assembly line (PAL), an automated system developed by  automated manufacturing specialist Electroimpact based in Mukilteo, Washington.

The introduction of the PAL process builds on the shift to the horizontal build line for the 737 wing, which came in 2012 as part of the longer term rate increase from 35 aircraft per month to 42 per month. The horizontal buildup system, which replaced the traditional system of drilling and fastening in static vertical jigs, also introduced automated machines made by Electroimpact and sped up the wing build lower skin assembly process by 35%.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

The difference between the low-drag tail cone of the 737-9 and the standard aft section of the current production 737 is pictured in this view of the first stretched MAX with a new -900ER for Alaska Airlines on the adjacent assembly line in the background.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

To ensure adequate ground clearance and minimize interference drag, the CFM Leap1B is cantilevered ahead of and slightly above the wing.

Guy Norris/AW&ST

Inspired by the pioneering use of a similar feature on the 787 for drag reduction, the laminar flow lipskin for the MAX’s CFM Leap 1B engine nacelle is made from a one-piece, spun-formed sheet of aluminum supplied by GKN Aerospace. 

Previous
Next

Boeing is close to unveiling the 737-9, the second member of its new CFM Leap-1B-powered MAX family. The first aircraft is set for rollout at the end of the month and will likely make its first flight in April. The test and certification program will involve just two aircraft and is expected to last nine months compared to almost 13 months for the 737-8.

Guy Norris

Guy is a Senior Editor for Aviation Week, based in Los Angeles. Before joining Aviation Week in 2007, Guy was with Flight International, first as technical editor based in the U.K. and most recently as U.S. West Coast editor. Before joining Flight, he was London correspondent for Interavia, part of Jane's Information Group.

Related Content

Air Transport
In Pictures: Boeing 737 MAX First Flight
Air Transport
Boeing Rolls Out 737 MAX
Air Transport
End Of An Era: Lufthansa Retires Its Last Boeing 737
Air Transport
In Pictures: First Flight of the Airbus A350-1000

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense and Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use