New Boeing jet will take three days to assemble, exec says EVERETT, Wash. (AP) =97 Boeing's newest jet =97 the mid-sized,= fuel-efficient=20 7E7 =97 may take as little as three days to assemble as the company=20 drastically cuts down the number of pieces needed to build an aircraft, a=20 Boeing executive says. Mike Bair, a senior vice president leading the=20 Boeing 7E7 program, said the company has a "high-level idea" of the=20 components it will build or have brought in to the factory and believes it= =20 can dramatically shorten the assembly process, which now takes 13 to 25=20 days for other Boeing jets. "We're trying to get as much of the work done= =20 before final assembly where we bring the airplane together in relatively=20 complete pieces and put it together in a relatively short time," Bair told= =20 business leaders, state legislators and others attending the Snohomish=20 County Economic Development Council's quarterly luncheon on Wednesday. "So= =20 some pretty dramatic improvements," he said. Bair offered a few other details about the jet =97 which will be the 11th=20 all-new jet built by Boeing. He said the company wants to design a jet that= =20 has the same recognition factor among the general public as the 747 jumbo=20 jet. "We want people to instantly recognize that it's a a 7E7," he=20 said. The jet will be faster than the 777 but a bit slower than the 747,=20 he said. The jet will seat between 200 and 250 passengers and have a range= =20 similar to that of the extended-range versions of Boeing's larger 777,=20 which can fly more than 8,200 miles. Boeing is looking at more advanced=20 composite materials in building the jet, which are lighter than aluminum,=20 resist corrosion and could mean fewer pieces in constructing the fuselage,= =20 he said. In addition, Boeing is looking at ways to improve the quality of=20 the air in the cabin, Bair said. But Bair did not offer any indication of where Boeing will assemble the=20 7E7. Boeing is awaiting bids from communities from around the country on=20 the amenities, perks and incentives they can offer the Chicago-based=20 aerospace manufacturer to locate the plant in their states. Washington=20 state, where Boeing builds all but one of its commercial jets, formally=20 launched its campaign Wednesday to land the 7E7, although legislators and=20 state officials have been touting their commitment for weeks. Bids are due= =20 by June 20, and the company expects to make a decision on a final site by=20 the end of the year. The company has said it estimates between 800 and=20 1,200 people will work in final assembly and support for the new jet. "A=20 lot of people think this is about us looking for a large check," Bair said.= =20 "It's not. It's us looking for a business environment that will allow us to= =20 be successful for 25 or 30 years." *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.natalielaughlin.com/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************