Boeing to delay stretched Dreamliner version: report

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co <BA.N> is set to delay the first delivery of a stretched version of its 787 Dreamliner from 2013 to 2014, the West Australian newspaper reported on Monday.

The paper cited no sources for the information about the delivery schedule for the 787-9, which will seat 250 to 290 passengers. A Boeing spokeswoman said delivery for the plane was "still on track for late 2013."

The 787-8, the first version of the Dreamliner with seating for 210 to 250 passengers, is set for first delivery in the third quarter of 2011.

The light-weight, carbon-composite plane is three years behind schedule due to snags in the complex global supply chain. Boeing has taken orders for 827 Dreamliners.

The world's second-largest commercial plane-maker now faces the task of getting the production rate for the plane up to 10 a month.

"We doubt whether investors will be overly surprised by yet another setback on the 787," said Robert Stallard, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, in a research note.

"Nevertheless, the crystallization of these concerns is still likely to be unhelpful for investor sentiment" he said.

Boeing is set to report second-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Bernard Orr)