Spar power: Team kicks off 777-8 Freighter production
With drilling of the 108-foot wing structure, teammates are building the industry’s latest – and largest – twin-engine freighter.
Operator Casey McDowell begins drilling the first hole into a 777-8 Freighter spar in Everett, Wash. (Marian Lockhart photo)
About 100 teammates at the 777X Composite Spar Shop in Everett, Wash., cheered Monday as Casey McDowell operated the controls to drill the first hole into a wing spar for the 777-8 Freighter.
- With that step – Boeing's traditional start of major assembly – the 777/777X team has started production on the 777-8 Freighter. The airplane is designed to be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine freighter, program leaders said.
- “You don’t forget these moments,” McDowell said. “Having our team together as we got underway on this airplane was special.”
Airlines and cargo operators have ordered 59 777-8 Freighters since Boeing launched the program in 2022. Boeing has said it is working to deliver the first 777-8 Freighter in 2028.
Teammates in the Composite Spar Shop celebrate the start of 777-8 Freighter production. (Marian Lockhart photo)
Meaningful moment: For Robin Thorning, an automation manager with 38 years at Boeing, this milestone was particularly poignant.
- “I helped build the very first 777 – WA001 – early in my career, and it’s exciting to get to start our newest member of the 777X family,” said Thorning.
- Thorning and his father, son and daughter also share nearly 100 years of Boeing service.
- “To touch these incredible airplanes and help bring them to life is a privilege and really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We take our work seriously as we continue to drive to build safe and more-efficient airplanes,” Thorning said.
Catch up quick: Teams at the nearby Composite Wing Center fabricated the spars, along with skin panels and stringers.
- Each wing has two spars – front and rear – that measure 108 feet (33 meters) long.
- Fabricating a pair of spars for each wing requires 392 miles of carbon fiber tape – the length of the drive from Everett to the state of Montana.
- The combined weight of a pair of spars is 2,500 pounds.
Teammates in the Composite Spar Shop celebrate the start of 777-8 Freighter production. (Marian Lockhart photo)
What’s next: Teams will move the finished spars to the main factory, where they’ll be assembled into the first 777-8 Freighter wings with the CWC parts and other components.
- “You are leading the way as we introduce our newest freighter into our production system,” said Jason Clark, 777/777X vice president and general manager. “Thank you for building our future.”
About the family: The 777-8 Freighter is one of three members of the 777X family, which also includes the 777-9 and 777-8 passenger airplanes. The three are the newest members of Boeing’s market-leading widebody family.
Video and photos:
Download high resolution photos of Boeing employees and the drilling of the first hole here.
Go deeper:
Learn more about the 777-8 Freighter here.