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Originally posted by URY914
WTF...
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TAIPEI (AFP) - US aerospace giant Boeing took delivery from Taiwan's Evergreen Group of the first of three 747-400 Large Cargo Freighters (LCF), a plane modified to transport giant-sized Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" assemblages.
The world's first Boeing 747-400 LCF rolled out at a ceremony in a hangar of Evergreen Aviation Techologies Corporation (EGAT), a subsidiary of the Evergreen Group, at Chiang Kai-Shek airport.
"It's hard to believe it's been only 18 months since we announced that EGAT would modify this unique fleet of airplanes," said Scott Strode, 787 vice president of Airplane Development and Production for Boeing.
"This team has set a new standard for partnership, performance and achievement while working to a very aggressive schedule.
"It's difficult to overstate the important role the LCF plays in the 787's success," Strode said.
"Transporting the large composite structures by air is the foundation of the lean global production system we've designed for the 787."
The specialized aircraft conversions and work began in 2005, with the three-aircraft conversion program slated to be completed in 2007.
The enormous airplane is the first of the three specially modified jets that will be used to transport major assemblages back to the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington for final assembly of the all-new Boeing 787 "Dreamliner."
A modified Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft, the LCF can haul more cargo by volume than any other airplane in the world.
The LCF can carry loads three times larger than the original Boeing 747-400 freighter. Boeing's European rival Airbus employs similar modified aircraft to carry assemblages from its many diverse construction sites