Just read that the average 737NG has over 600,000 fasteners. My brain can't even picture that.

Saw it in an old Boeing maintenance course PDF I was flipping through. Always figured it was a lot, but that number is wild. Makes you think about every single nut and bolt during a heavy check. Anyone else come across a stat that just stopped you for a second?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.faith25d ago

Yeah, "every single nut and bolt during a heavy check" is what got me. I used to just see the big panels coming off. Now I picture a guy with a bucket, just for fasteners. Changes how you see the whole job.

the_hayden24d agoMost Upvoted

Wait they actually take off every single one? That's insane. I always figured they just opened the big spots and left the rest alone. A whole bucket for just the tiny parts is a wild mental image. Totally changes how I think about plane maintenance for real.

blair59725d ago

Okay but "every single nut and bolt" feels like a stretch. They're not literally taking apart the whole frame. It's more like specific panels and access points. A bucket of fasteners sounds messy, in my experience there's trays and organizers to keep track of things. It changes the picture, but maybe not that much.