A Model Airplane
A Gazette reader* who, as far as I know, is completely normal in all other respects, drew my attention to this article about Boeing's new jet, the 787 Dreamliner, and its description of the manufacturing process, the "snapping together of enormous composite parts."
I'm sure there are other folks out there who have fond memories of building model airplanes in fume-filled bedrooms. My friend is obviously one of those, and he provided this actual picture of Boeing's process, based on his mental picture (I hope he doesn't take umbrage at my supplying a few mods of my own; think of it as applying a pixel-grinding Dremel tool, amigo):
Of course, snap-together models were for wimps, even if they were easier to assemble and, for me at least, provided vastly improved odds that the final product would bear at least minuscule resemblance to the obviously fake photo on the front of the box (c'mon – nobody could actually apply those cheap decals without leaving obvious fingerprints all over them). But if you had to resort to the snap-together approach, you could salvage some of your dignity by using airplane glue on the seams anyway.
Let's hope Boeing has stocked up on some hefty supplies of industrial strength glue for the Dreamliner.
*Said reader has earnestly requested anonymity, making me wonder if he's engaging in industrial espionage.
dodn't
That's real word, right? OK, now it is. Try "don't."
Sorry, Joni.
Posted by: Zeno at May 22, 2007 09:02 PMI agree, the snap together models were a complete waste of time. The whole point of these projects was to consume the better part of a summer vacation carefully constructing a masterpiece that could later be blown up with firecrackers.
Are you sure 7 is the right age? With only 3 pieces, this seems so simple a caveman could do it. ;-)
Posted by: Gwynne at May 22, 2007 10:31 PMZeno, do I remember Pla paint? I think I've still got some under my fingernails!
carefully constructing a masterpiece that could later be blown up with firecrackers
Gwynne, you grew up around boys, didn't you? ;-)
Posted by: Eric at May 23, 2007 01:27 PMAbout the publisher
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When I was a kid I used to think an aeronautical engineer was the guy who put the big
U
S
A
decal on the Mercury launch vehicle, or used those little bottles of Testors Pla paint (remember the metallic colors?) to paint the shark's mouth on the fuselage of the P51's back in dubya dubya 2.
So I wanted to be one, as a young 'un.
It's life's illusions I recall. I really dodn't know aeronautical engineering at all (but I wasn't far off).
Posted by: Zeno at May 22, 2007 08:53 PM