Boeing rolls out fifth S.C.-built 787

Boeing South Carolina has rolled out its fifth 787 Dreamliner.

Spokeswoman Candy Eslinger wouldn’t say when the latest locally built jet emerged from the North Charleston final assembly factory, but it likely happened last week. The big white plane with a red tail sat on the campus flight line Sunday afternoon.

The rollout indicates the young plane-making operation continues to increase its pace of production.

The first S.C. 787 — known internally as Line Number 46 — rolled out of the factory to great fanfare April 27. It was finally delivered to Air India on Oct. 5.

The second, LN 54, rolled out about two months after the first, on June 30. It now sits on the North Charleston flight line, painted in Air India’s red, white and gold and poised for delivery.

The third plane, LN 60, rolled out after a shorter interval, on Aug. 19, and the fourth, LN 65, rolled out after an even shorter interval, on Sept. 30. Those two planes, also for Air India, switched places Sunday, with LN 65 flying to Texas to be painted and LN 60 returning to North Charleston from the Fort Worth with a fresh paint job.

The fifth rollout, LN 72, means the final assembly building, which opened in June 2011, is now producing roughly one plane per month. It is slated to at least triple that rate by the end of 2013.

Reach Brendan Kearney at 937-5906 and follow him on Twitter at @kearney_brendan.