As Boeing's earnings impress, another delay for its Nightmareliner?

Boeing (BA) delayed its 787 Dreamliner for a fifth time last month when it announced on June 23 that there was a wee little problem with the part of the aircraft where the wing connects to the fuselage. At the time, I questioned whether the 787 would ever be safe to fly since it seemed as though Boeing's computer models were unable to predict the physical behavior of the aircraft in the real world. Now, as Boeing reports its quarterly earnings, two of its engineers admit that the 787 will be delayed at least another six months.

Since July 8, 2007 (7/8/7), when the 787's first program chief decided to present to the public a crippled version, the Dreamliner has proven to be much more of a marketing success -- with 850 orders -- than a real aircraft in which people can fly. The Dreamliner has been delayed five times and it appears poised for at least a sixth delay.