The 737 MAX 9 Boeing aircraft, which incorporates some composite parts made by Spirit AeroSystems Inc, has had its first successful flight.
Spirit AeroSystems produced the 737 MAX fuselage, pylon, thrust reverser and engine nacelle at its Kansas facility and the wing leading edge at its Oklahoma facility. In all it has delivered 70% of the 737 structure to Boeing and has been investing in upgrades to its Plant 2 and its Wichita facilities to support growing demand since 2014. Last year, Spirit opened a new 737 thrust reverser assembly area and delivered its first 737 thrust reverser with a composite inner wall.
‘We're proud to celebrate this first flight milestone with Boeing,’ said Spirit president and CEO Tom Gentile. ‘The Spirit factory has delivered more than 9,000 737s since they entered service, and we look forward to continuing the legacy and delivering on our commitments through this newest variant.’
This story uses material from Spirit AeroSystems with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.