Still making things that work

The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been delivered.

It was flown to Japan and will go into service in November for All Nippon Airways.

The takeoff was a few minutes late. The delivery of the first 787 was about three years late, and development of the plane was billions over original estimates.

Nevertheless, completion of the 787 was a masterful achievement. It is lighter and more fuel efficient, using perhaps 20 percent less fuel than other similarly sized planes. It also offers greater creature comforts for the traveler.

More than 800 of the planes have been ordered by airlines from around the world. All Nippon Airways alone ordered 55.

The new 787 Dreamliner is a boon to Boeing and to the country. Boeing may just be the nation’s single largest exporter.

This achievement of Boeing is historic. In a time when the nation is suffering from a loss of hope in the future and a loss of confidence in its ability to work out economic problems, Boeing has created a new standard for the world.

And, as important, the world has recognized it.

Not so long ago, U.S. Steel, AT&T and IBM were among the largest companies in the world and certainly the largest and the most important in the United States.

Now, the largest American company is not a manufacturing and technological powerhouse, but WalMart.

The successful completion of the 787 project and the positive reception it has received from international buyers should be a source of pride for the entire country.

We can still do it, and we can do it in spite of impediments and difficulties. It is good to know that we can still make things and make them right.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher