US aerospace giant Boeing
is considering an interim plan to protect its 787 Dreamliner if its batteries
overheat or catch fire, according to a report Monday in the Seattle Times.
Boeing’s flagship new jet
has been banned from flight worldwide since the middle of last month after
battery smoke forced an emergency landing of one plane and a battery fire was
reported on a parked jet.
The company has stood by
the safety of the lithium-ion batteries used in the plane, pending the results
of an official investigation, but Monday’s report said that the company was
looking for a temporary solution.
According to the daily, which covers a region
including a major Boeing plant, Boeing may encase the battery cells in a
titanium or steel box fitted with a high pressure vent to contain any fire that
erupts in flight.
The US Federal Aviation
Authority (FAA) refused to comment on the report, which the paper said came
from people familiar with the plan. Boeing said the report was speculative and
contained unspecified errors.
The Dreamliner, a
long-haul fuel-efficient airliner built using the latest composite materials,
is key to Boeing’s business strategy as it battles to be top dog in the virtual
duopoly it shares with rival Airbus.
Airbus insiders have told
AFP that the European giant has dropped plans to use lithium-ion batteries in
its future 787 rival, the A350.
According to the reports,
Boeing hopes its interim plan to shield the plane from battery fires will
convince US safety authorities to allow the 50 jets grounded around the world
to return to service by May at the earliest. US aerospace giant Boeing is considering an interim plan to protect its
787 Dreamliner if its batteries overheat or catch fire, according to a report
Monday in the Seattle Times.
Boeing’s flagship new jet
has been banned from flight worldwide since the middle of last month after
battery smoke forced an emergency landing of one plane and a battery fire was
reported on a parked jet.
The company has stood by
the safety of the lithium-ion batteries used in the plane, pending the results
of an official investigation, but Monday’s report said that the company was
looking for a temporary solution.
According to the daily, which covers a region
including a major Boeing plant, Boeing may encase the battery cells in a
titanium or steel box fitted with a high pressure vent to contain any fire that
erupts in flight.
The US Federal Aviation
Authority (FAA) refused to comment on the report, which the paper said came
from people familiar with the plan. Boeing said the report was speculative and
contained unspecified errors.
The Dreamliner, a
long-haul fuel-efficient airliner built using the latest composite materials,
is key to Boeing’s business strategy as it battles to be top dog in the virtual
duopoly it shares with rival Airbus.
Airbus insiders have told
AFP that the European giant has dropped plans to use lithium-ion batteries in
its future 787 rival, the A350.
According to the reports,
Boeing hopes its interim plan to shield the plane from battery fires will
convince US safety authorities to allow the 50 jets grounded around the world
to return to service by May at the earliest.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/18/boeing-seeks-temporary-fix-for-suspect-batteries-report/
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