January 2008 Archives

Allegedly leaked information and photos on the PilotsofAmerica.com forum. Very interesting stuff here if it's confirmed.

At about 700 ft AGL, the auto throttle commanded engine acceleration. One engine started to rollback during and the other engine started to accelerate then 8-10 seconds later began to roll back. Once the flight crew noticed, they pushed the throttles up and the engines' EECs responded but the engines did not. It appears that no fuel was getting to the engines.

The investigation continues to look broadly for a cause of the dual engine rollbacks. Fuel exhaustion is the only item that has been positively ruled out. Aspects that the FAA believes the investigation is concentrating on are:

• Ice in the fuel somehow limiting the fuel flow to the engines. A maintenance message indicating excessive water in the center tank was set during taxi on the two previous flight legs, although it cleared itself both times. The airplane was being operated in a high humidity, cold environment, conducive to ice formation.

• Small-sized contamination building up in the engine fuel systems somehow limited the fuel flow to engine. All the fuel samples have tested for contamination of larger particles (sizes outside the fuel specification). Testing has been started looking for small particles (greater than 5 microns).

• Engine hardware failures sending inaccurate data to the engine electronic control (EEC) causing the EEC to demand insufficient fuel. A preliminary review of the EEC data from the right engine shows erratic combustor inlet pressure (P30). A leaking P30 sense line could cause this, or the EEC receiving a higher than actual fuel flow parameter.

• Software coding problem in the EEC causing the EEC to demand insufficient fuel. British Airways installed a new engine EEC software revision in December 2007. The software was approved in May 2006. There were several changes to the software as part of the revision. Two items seem remotely related to the accident: improvements to low power stall recovery logic and fan keep out zones for ground maintenance. The first two items would be related to a part 25 compliance issue, while the last two items would be related to a part 33 compliance issue.

MUCH MORE BELOW THE FOLD

Make sure you don't have a lot to do for the rest of the day. This may take some time.

Airbus A380 - High-Resolution Interactive Cockpit

This item just hit Reuters:

ANA to buy 60 Boeing planes for $5.7 bln - paper

TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - All Nippon Airways (9202.T: Quote, Profile, Research), Japan's second-largest airline, will spend about 600 billion yen ($5.7 billion) to buy about 60 new fuel-efficient planes from Boeing (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday.

ANA will buy the new planes over the next four years to combat soaring jet fuel prices, the newspaper said.

The new fleet is expected to include 28 Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s, 26 midsize 787s and five of the larger 777-300s, the Nikkei said. ($1=106.23 Yen)

Image Courtesy of The Boeing Company

Boeing Earnings Call
Boeing was unsurprisingly guarded about the 787 in its 2007 earnings calls. We won’t hear specifics until the end of this quarter about where things stand on production and delivery specifics. First flight is still targeted for the end of June, so at least the weather could be nice. Side note, a lot of Dreamliner Two is in Everett. Center fuselage and nose section are the last major parts left to arrive.

One quote from McNerney this morning caught my eye, “By and large, we are absolutely not dropping suppliers.” A qualifier and an absolute in the same sentence…interesting. I would imagine that "absolutely" is the more important part of this sentence, but it does leave potential wiggle room.

Singapore Air Show 2008
I’m able to give significantly more notice (this time) that I will be attending the 2008 Singapore Air Show in mid-February. I personally had seven days notice before I left for the Dubai Air Show last November, so being able to actually prepare for the air show is definitely a good thing. I’ll be doing quite a bit of videoblogging while I’m there, so I’ll be able to provide a significantly better front row seat for all of you that week. More on this as the air show approaches.

British Airways 777
This is really an item I haven’t weighed in on at all, primarily because there have been countless barrels of ink spilled on this topic already. Having flown four different legs on British Airways 777s not three months ago, this whole situation certainly gave me an sinking feeling (more than normal) when first hearing about the accident.

Situations like Quito, Toronto and London illustrate the safety and quality of the design by Airbus and Boeing of their wide-body products. The fact that no one was seriously injured in any of these three accidents isn’t a miracle, it’s a tribute to rugged and durable aircraft design and stellar performance and training of the flight crew.

The inquiry over the last few weeks has led investigators closer and closer toward the fuel system and suspicions, at least initially, point to fuel contamination. If identified as the cause of the engine power loss, then this has both technical and political ramifications. China, not known for its stellar quality control, will have to take the significant steps to ensure that visitors to Beijing for the summer Olympics won’t be risking life and limb on their return flight. The odds of fuel contamination being as slim as they are, this is a perception issue that has far reaching consequences for the growth of tourism to China.

Week in Review
You have likely noticed the lack of a week in review video this week. Don’t worry, I had too. I’m resolving some technology issues and migrating over to a more stable video editing platform that doesn’t crash on me every 10 minutes. Also, I’ll be moving to the Brightcove player which is higher quality. I’ll fold last week’s orders into the next video in a slightly different format than I’ve presented before. Keep in mind the BETA label on the videos is still in full effect.

Before you read the release, make sure you take a look at what Steve Trimble dug up on the 777F.

Boeing Begins Major Assembly of First New 777 Freighter

SEATTLE, Jan. 29, 2008 –Boeing [NYSE: BA] mechanics began major assembly of the new 777 Freighter at the company’s Everett, Wash., facility today. The 777 Freighter will fly farther and provide more capacity than any other twin-engine cargo airplane.

“We are excited to begin production of the 777 Freighter so we can put the airplane into service with our customers,” said Larry Loftis, vice president, 777 Program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 777 Freighter’s unmatched range, efficiency and capacity as a twin-engine cargo airplane will significantly enhance our customers’ ability to deliver freight.”

Workers took the first step in major assembly for the new 777 Freighter by loading its 97-foot-long wing spar into a tool that automatically drills, measures and installs more than 5,000 fasteners into the spar. The spar is the internal support structure that runs through the full length of the wings and provides support to the wing.

The first 777 Freighter will be delivered to launch customer Air France in the fourth quarter of 2008.

“Our vision to develop the 777 Freighter as the world’s most capable twin-engine cargo airplane is now becoming a reality with the start of major assembly,” said Kim Pastega, deputy program manager and engineering leader, 777 Freighter Program. “Our customers and suppliers worked closely with us to reach this important milestone.”

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

To celebrate 100 years of Flight International, we want to discover the "100 Greatest" in aviation; by determining the top twenty civil aircraft, military aircraft, engine, people & moments. Here the best civil aircraft is put forward!

I entertained a bunch of different options when deciding which civilian aircraft deserved the title of "greatest." The title is somewhat arbitrary and greatness can mean many things. My colleague Max Kingsley-Jones picked the A320 and its transformative effect on the European aviation industry. I wrestled between the easy choices, the DeHavilland Comet, Boeing 707 and 747 and Douglas DC-3. All are extraordinary aircraft that have transformed and shrunk the planet Earth, but those are easy choices.

I finally settled on a less conventional choice: The Cessna 172

First flown in 1955, there have been more than 43,000 Cessna 172s built for flight schools, private pilots, and special missions all over the planet. The first 172 sold for just under $9000, today the aircraft goes for just under $300,000, base price. Cessna has almost run through the alphabet with variants adapting and updating the original design to be safer and more technologically advanced with every passing year. The 1955 Cessna 172 wouldn’t recognize a 2008 Cessna 172 with a G1000 glass cockpit, yet the pedigree is the same.

Cessna created an aircraft that incorporated an unprecedented level of engine reliability and aircraft stability that made learning to fly a safer and cheaper goal. This aircraft arguably is the foundation upon which aviation has been built over the last fifty-three years. This aircraft has been the day-one aircraft for hundreds of thousands of pilots.

Just ask any pilot which plane hosted their first flight?

My answer: Cessna 172SP N26502, June 16, 2005.

From the Flight Archives on October 11, 1957 (Same as the Sputnik issue):

Introduced in November 1955, the Model 172 is probably one of the easiest aircraft to fly in the world; it is regularly sold to people with no previous flying experience who, with the assistance of a certified instructor, qualify on the 172 after their first few days of ownership. Powered by a 145 h.p. flat-six engine, the 172 has two adjustable seats at the front and a bench for two at the rear, and the interior is lavishly furnished, soundproofed and very fully equipped with such items as coat hangers, a cigarette lighter, windshield de-frosting and cabin heating. Like all Cessnas, the 172 has an all-metal, flush-riveted airframe with exceptionally low drag. Wings are provided with high-lift slotted flaps and a stall-warning system, and the undercarriage comprises a "Land-O-Matic" main gear with spring-steel suspension and disc brakes, and a fully steerable nosewheel with which the aircraft can be turned round on a taxi-strip less than 30ft wide. Some thousands of Model 172s are at present in service, and production is in excess of 50 per week.

More pictures below the fold.

The interconnectedness of the aviation industry has often been likened to a massive global chess game. A skilled player makes a move of one piece with deliberate consideration for all the moves to follow, always mindful of the larger picture at hand.

Boeing’s latest move across the global chess board lands in the heart of Texas at the site of the old Kelly Air Force Base in the city of San Antonio, Texas has quietly been growing as a secondary base to compliment the primary Everett 787 production line.

Boeing signed an agreement last July to fly the first eleven Dreamliners to San Antonio for refurbishment and modification following the flight test program.

An article on flightglobal.com earlier this week revealed that number has grown to “at least 20,” according to Keith Graf, an aerospace economic development official for Texas’s state government. Mr. Graf went on to say that, “the number may continue to rise.”

Flightblogger has confirmed with the Federal Aviation Administration that Boeing has filed for an extension of its production certificate to cover the San Antonio facility.

An FAA spokesman said in an email that the request is to permit Boeing “to refurbish 787 airplanes after flight testing and [make] changes needed to bring non-flight test airplanes into type certification configuration.”

In the short term, the growth of San Antionio as a base for 787 refurbishment and modifications draws a direct comparison to the way Airbus has used its secondary European sites to support A380 assembly. Just as Airbus uses its Hamburg facility for interior installation and rewiring of the superjumbo, Boeing is utilizing a secondary site for similar operations.

MUCH MORE BELOW THE FOLD

The first QANTAS A380 took to the skies this morning over Toulouse. MSN014 with temporary registration F-WWSK will be delivered in her final form as VH-OQA in October 2008.

Image Courtesy Yvan Panas

UPDATE 10:21 AM:

In other QANTAS news, a French blogger Katener photographed A380 structures for MSN029 being delivered to in a convoy earlier this week. A special thank you to a fellow spotter whose eagle eyes identified the MSN and the upper deck window configuration as being unique to the Australian flag carrier.

I've added the following updates to the main A380 production post.

The next delivery of parts for an A380 is expected to take place in a complete convoy over four days from January 21-24, 2008. The convoy will contain both the left and right wings, the horizontal tail plane and forward, middle and aft fuselages. It is unknown which MSN this aircraft belongs to.

Please contact me if you are aware of which aircraft will be getting these parts.

As always, If you feel that there are required changes or additions to any of this information, please do not hesitate to contact me at flightblogger (at) gmail (dot) com or leave comments.

Latest updates below the fold.

Image Copyright Jon Ostrower

Photos are courtesy of Matt Cawby

Both American and United have voiced their growing frustration with the pace of development of a suitable replacement for the nearly 400 aircraft they want replaced. Both Boeing and Airbus are in no hurry to replace their narrowbody offerings. But really, why should they? There were almost 1800 A320/737NG aircraft ordered in 2007.

Each excerpt courtesy of Lori Ranson with ATI

United:

Jake Brace, CFO at United parent UAL, told journalists today that in the long term the carrier is “very interested” in a narrowbody replacement that “neither of the manufacturers is offering yet.”

“We are encouraging them because we think that is the right way to replace what is a pretty large narrowbody fleet for us,” Brace says. He adds the carrier would not seek a replacement aircraft until well into the next decade.

Management at American Airlines is hinting the carrier might have to use current Boeing narrowbodies to replace its MD-80 aircraft as a result of slow movement by manufacturers in offering a next-generation narrowbody design.

CEO Gerard Arpey tells analysts and investors the carrier “continues to be a little discouraged” by the timing of the next generation narrowbody.

According to the Flight ACAS database, there are 615 active MD-80 and Classic 737 aircraft being flown by Delta, Northwest, United and American. These airlines have made no secret of their desire to replace each and every single one with a newer generation of fuel efficient aircraft.

Enter the CSeries

The frustration by US airlines presents itself as a golden opportunity for the Bombardier CSeries. There has been speculation as to whether or not the new 110/130 seat aircraft will ever see an official launch. However, according to Mary Kirby of Runway Girl/Flight International/Air Transport Intelligence:

“We expect to have guidance by the end of 2008 on whether to go forward with that,” said Bombardier director, airline industry analysis and strategy Chuck Evans today during an Air Transport World webinar.

Bombardier could wait until the end of the year before announcing a decision on whether to launch the proposed 110/130-seat CSeries.

He notes, however, that Bombardier sees the CSeries “as the next logical step for our business”.

He adds: “We’re looking at the CSeries as the future platform to carry us [into the] future.”

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

The A350 XWB is beginning to take shape as program suppliers are being selected in earnest. Airbus is expecting that 90% of suppliers for the A350 should be locked down before March of 2008.

The last week has brought the program two new, very significant, program suppliers.

The first, a billion dollar contract for the fuel and hydraulic systems, went to Parker Aerospace of Irvine, CA. The contract is notable not only for the systems involved, but the physical location of the company. Airbus has sought to work with dollar-based suppliers since the Euro has gained significant strength over the US Dollar causing significant financial hardship for the European airframer. Moving work outside the Euro-zone gives Airbus the breathing room it has sought over the last few months.

The second massive contract, which is for the flight deck and avionics package, went to Thales (pronounced Tah-les). The contract is valued at a staggering $2.9 billion over the next twenty years. The relaunch of the A350 XWB during the Farnborough Air Show in 2006 set into motion a complete redesign of the new composite long range twin. Airbus unveiled it's new next generation flight deck which consists of six 15-inch LCD displays and standard Heads Up Displays back in September as part of that redesign.

Correction: The LCD displays are only 15 inches.

Image Courtesy Airbus SAS

Airbus has already chosen several major systems suppliers for the XWB including:

Goodrich - Engine Nacelle and Thrust Reverser
Honeywell - Auxiliary Power Unit and Air Management System
Moog - Primary Flight Control Actuation System
Messier-Dowty and Liebherr-Aerospace - Landing Gear
Rockwell Collins - Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator
Rolls Royce - Engines

Early indications of the final design have begun to emerge as well, with the definition of the redesigned nosed being released back in September.

Image Courtesy Flight International Magazine

The detailed definition of the aircraft is expected to be frozen later this year. The wings are likely to feature a sweep slightly less than the original concept design of 35 degrees. Another central question to the A350 XWB program is the inclusion of General Electric engines on all variants of the new Airbus. Airbus and GE have been in negotiation about adding a second engine along side the Trent XWB by Rolls Royce. GE is contractually obligated to Boeing not to develop an engine that would compete with its popular GE90 which flies on the 777. With questions popping up about the fuel consumption of the Trent 1000 engines (a close cousin of the Trent XWB) operators are likely pressing Airbus hard for a second choice. In an interview last week, Allan McArtor, Chairman of Airbus North America, said, “We’re disappointed that GE hasn’t joined the program yet.” Adding, “We’re confident that issues are being worked through. It hasn’t happened yet, but we believe it will.”

This week's week in review has a little something new inside of it. Call it an informational (royalty free) music interlude. As always, I'm looking for feedback and comments on what people think. This week's was put together a bit quicker due to time constraints and in a less ideal environment, so please bear with me.

Script below the fold:

The MSN014, the first A380 for QANTAS was seen taxiing under its own power today for the first time at a very wet and rainy Toulouse. The aircraft, F-WWSK, should undertake its maiden flight shortly. By comparison, the first taxi tests for F-WWSH, MSN011, the first A380 for Emirates, took place roughly a week prior to the aircraft's first flight in early September.

Photos Courtesy David Barrie

Oh yeah, and just found this. Apparently, you can now book for the first Emirates A380 flight on October 1 from Dubai to JFK.

See the complete production update.

A veteran engineer who has spent a lot of time around the 787 Dreamliner remarked to me late last fall that Boeing just needs to stop and "listen to the airplane."

Today, we saw the first signs that Boeing is beginning to listen to its 787, and this is a good thing. Both the airline and financial communities are rightfully angry about a lack of details surrounding production targets for the next two years. When building guidance forecasts, this point of ambiguity does not help Boeing's case. Though it is impossible to divorce this from the health of the program as a whole, Boeing must remember that doing work out of sequence was what got them in trouble in the first place.

Basing the program over the next year around flight testing and certification, rather than jumping ahead to production ramp up, allows the aircraft, the processes and the management of the supply chain to mature on a smaller scale that sets Boeing up for long term success with its production ramp up.

If the ramp up had continued as planned, any design modifications that would have come out of flight testing would have had to be applied to already complete aircraft waiting for certification on the flight line in Everett or stored in the desert. This is a tedious and costly process. By allowing flight test to be the core of this program, Boeing will save enormous energy by giving retrofit design change responsibility largely to the partners themselves.

However, even before these eventualities can be entertained, Boeing must ensure that its suppliers are able to perform at the required production levels in the first place, a goal that currently appears far out of reach for some.

Taking the significant step forward by placing "additional operational experts" in Everett and at supplier partners, Boeing is once again returning to its roots by restoring the value to skill and experience in this program. This is an incredibly crucial step that will likely yield immediate dividends. Up until now, suppliers had been struggling with a workforce that, in the words of one engineer, requires "an aerospace state of mind [that] just isn't here." Boeing built its aerospace preeminence on valuing skill and experience. Making sure partners realize that same lesson is absolutely essential.

The most painful part of this program is yet still ahead, as the production schedule and significant supplier questions are fleshed out. The answers will likely not be pleasant ones and they do need to come soon.

Increased transparency is something that has been sought after from Boeing for many months, and Scott Carson and Pat Shanahan took one very large step in the right direction today. While I originally felt that disclosure of a comprehensive recovery plan including specific timelines and goals were absolutely essential for this call, I am left feeling that the transparency created by today's announcement is actually found in not overreaching.

Boeing still has a long way to go in buying back its credibility on the 787, but that starts with realistic goals and forthright assessments of the capabilities of this program.

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

This will be today's running thread for the delay announcement today. Leave your thoughts, question here as the news develops today.

12:18 PM: Post call podcast with Addison Schonland and Scott Hamilton.

11:27 AM: Carson says that production ramp up and dealing with suppliers will come later in the quarter and the primary focus will be on Airplanes 1-6. This is VERY significant, it appears that Boeing has hit the stop button on airplane 7 and on. Gaining footing on the flight test airplanes is the first priority.

11:18 AM: Shanahan says that "parts are not the pacing item." Reconciling part documentation has been, "onerous and time consuming" This leads directly back to supply chain management and the VELOCITY software tasked with managing all the parts in the program.

11:10 AM: Boeing is placing "additional operational experts" in Everett and at supplier partners. This is really a first step to putting skill and experience along side a large newly trained workforce.

11:01 AM: The conference call is about to get started. I won't be liveblogging on a stenography basis, but rather providing thoughts as the call develops.

10:28 AM: The LCF has just left Everett for Nagoya. It will return tomorrow or Friday with the wings for Dreamliner Two.

9:35 AM: Just wrapped up a podcast with Scott Hamilton and Addison Schonland at IAG on the delay. Another podcast will follow the 11 AM conference call.

8:45 AM: Boeing officially announces that first flight has been pushed to by the end of the 2nd quarter.

Boeing Shifts Schedule for 787 First Flight
Wednesday January 16, 8:45 am ET
- First delivery now expected in early 2009
- No impact on 2007 financials; no material impact on 2008 earnings guidance

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA - News) today announced that first flight of the 787 has been moved from the end of the first quarter of this year to around the end of the second quarter to provide additional time to complete assembly of the first airplane. Deliveries are now expected to begin in early 2009, rather than late 2008.

"The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply-chain."

Carson said that while solid progress has been made on the assembly of Airplane #1, the rate at which jobs are being completed has not improved sufficiently to maintain the current schedule.

Boeing will delay first flight of its 787 Dreamliner three more months, according to independently confirmed sources inside the program.

FlightBlogger has confirmed that Boeing is expected to release the announcement of the delay early Wednesday morning. The announcement is expected to move the first flight date to have Dreamliner One or Two making its maiden flight by June 30, 2008, which is the close of the second quarter of the year.

Boeing has declined to comment to Flight International or any other media outlet on the potential delay announcement.

Details of the revised power on, first flight, certification and delivery targets are expected to be released at the official announcement Wednesday.

Since last week's report by FlightBlogger that Dreamliner One had slipped by three weeks, schedules now indicate a the aircraft is a now a full month behind where Boeing had hoped it would be at this point in its revised schedule.

The pending delay announcement leaves open the question as to whether or not Dreamliner Two will be the first 787 to fly before Dreamliner One which was originally planned to make its first flight in September 2007.

According to sources in Charleston, Dreamliner Two, which is still largely spread out at supplier factories around the world awaiting delivery is, "farther along than Airplane One" is right now in Everett.

With final assembly of Dreamliner Two set to begin at the end of January, those who are working with the aircraft are optimistic about the speed in which the aircraft can be made flight ready.

The delay is expected to once again transform the delivery schedule which originally was supposed to have 109 787s in the hands of airline customers by the end of 2009.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Boeing will announce that no 787s will be delivered during 2008. Japan's All Nippon Airways was originally expected to receive its first 787 (Dreamliner Seven) in May of 2008. This was changed in October when a six month delay pushed the first delivery to November or December of 2008. The October delay pushed the planned 2008 delivery of 30-35 aircraft to 2008, affecting fifteen airline customers.

This latest delay will undoubtedly affect not only those original fifteen recipients, but many of the remaining 40 customers who have ordered 787 aircraft.

One industry source tells FlightBlogger that airline customers began to be notified about the delay this past weekend.

Along with the airlines, the program's suppliers are expected to feel an even greater impact. When Boeing brought its risk sharing partners to collaborate in the design and manufacture of the 787 Dreamliner, contracts stipulated that these suppliers would not be paid until the 787 was certified.

The Chicago Tribune estimated that in December, just days before the last official program update, that, "three major suppliers face a total cash shortfall of $1.2 billion next year because their payments from Boeing have been delayed along with the initial 787 deliveries."

The shortfall is likely to grow with this latest delay, putting significant strain on what is arguably the most complex industrial supply chain ever conceived. The Tribune also reported that as many as five of the biggest partners were seeking to renegotiate the terms of their contract to alleviate the cash flow burden of the continuing delays.

Stay with FlightBlogger for continuing coverage of the 787 Dreamliner program delay announcement throughout the day on Wednesday.

This was given to me by a very close friend tonight, and I thought it was just a perfect contrast to what is likely heavy news ahead.

Click to Enlarge

The Wall Street Journal has published a news alert stating that sources close to the 787 program have said that the first flight of the 787 may be delayed until June and an official announcement is coming soon.

Developments to follow.

6:33 PM: Asked to comment on reports about the delay, Northwest says, "Boeing has notified Northwest that they will be making an announcement tomorrow." Northwest is deferring all comment until after the announcement is made.

6:13 PM: Sources tell FlightBlogger that airline customers began to be notified about the delay this past weekend.

5:03 PM: James Wallace of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has confirmed the delay according to his sources.

UPDATED, 1 p.m.:

Boeing will announce the latest delay Wednesday morning before the markets open, sources confirm. Boeing will say it will not be able to complete flight tests in order to deliver planes this year. So no 787 deliveries in 2008. It also will say it can't ramp up production fast enough to deliver 109 jets by the end of 2009, my sources say. This development is significant and will have a major impact on the stock price. Boeing shares are already tumbling late this afternoon in response to a story about the latest 787 delay that was just posted by the Wall Street Journal.

Boeing executives will hold a conference call with analysts and media early Wednesday morning to explain the latest delay.

4:46 PM: All indications point to a potential announcement of some sort as early as tomorrow. The WSJ story is the first to directly target the 109 airframe delivery by the end of 2009 with concrete details.

According sources in Charleston, Dreamliner Two is being prepared for delivery by the end of this month. The level of assembly and completion of Dreamliner Two is "farther along than Airplane One" is right now in Everett. This leaves open the question as to whether or not Dreamliner Two will be the first 787 to fly.

4:20 PM: Boeing is telling reporters that the official comment is that, "We are declining comment."

On the heels of this morning’s A330-200F announcement in Mobile, AL, I had an opportunity to sit down with Airbus North America Chairman Allan McArtor and Chairman and CEO of EADS North America, Ralph Crosby. We discussed a number of topics during the phone interview on both the commercial and defense fronts.

I started off with a question about potential growth in Mobile that went beyond just the A330 Freighter. Airbus is targeting 10 A330/A340 a month coming off the line by 2009 or 2010. In addition, they’ve said they also want 13 A350s per month in Toulouse by 2015. The last piece here is that Airbus has also said that they the A330 is a complimentary aircraft in the widebody offering and they, are going to continue producing the popular twin at the same time as the A330. The long preface, brought me to this question, is there enough room at Toulouse to assemble both the A330 and A350 at the pace Airbus wants, and if not, would the A330 passenger model end up on a final assembly line in Mobile?

McArtor felt it was an, “Interesting theory and…it was always possible.” He agreed that, “there would need to be additional capacity created for the A350 and long range A330/A340…and that [Airbus] hasn’t tried looking into it yet.”

I then asked about the status of negotiations with General Electric about bringing a second engine offering to the A350. This has been a sticking point for potential A350/787 customer Air France/KLM which requires all its aircraft to be powered by General Electric engines.

Mr. McArtor, started by saying, “We’re disappointed that GE hasn’t joined the program yet.” Adding, “We’re confident that issues are being worked through. It hasn’t happened yet, but we believe it will.”

When asked if the discussions were being held for a power plant for all variants or just the -800 and -900, Mr. McArtor confirmed that, “We’re looking at supplying an engine for all variants.”

From the most unlikely of sources:

Boeing set to begin assembly of new 777 freighters
Shipping Digest
Monday, January 14, 2008

Boeing plans to begin assembly of its new 777 freighter on Jan. 29 at its plant in Everett, Wash.

The first 777 freighters are to be delivered to launch customer Air France in the fourth quarter. As of late December, Boeing had sold 82 of the new all-cargo aircraft to 11 customers. Those orders account for more than 20 percent of the current backlog for 777s.

The new freighter will have a revenue payload capability of more than 103 metric tons. The main cargo deck door of the 777 freighter can facilitate easy direct-transfer shipments with the 747 freighter fleet, which provides about half of the world's freighter capacity.

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

Airbus is bringing A330 Freighter assembly to Mobile, but only if they get the tanker. This story broke on Friday when it was first reported by George Talbot of the Mobile Press Register. The on-going battle between Airbus and Boeing ratchets up another notch with this new development from EADS and Airbus.

There are important questions that come along with this, mainly, what happens if Northrop Grumman and EADS don't get (at least part) of the contract? With the A350 coming down the line, there is a finite amount of production capacity in Toulouse. Airbus says that the A330 is a complimentary product to the A350 and the production equation has to balance out eventually. This has the potential to soften the Euro-Zone pain Airbus and EADS have been enduring, so A330F production may be coming to the US after all if the tanker goes to Boeing.

Much more on this as the day progresses.

Image Courtesy Airbus SAS

Airbus A330 Freighters to be Assembled at Mobile, Alabama Facility

Mobile, Alabama; Arlington, Virginia, January 14, 2008 – EADS will co-locate the production of the Northrop Grumman KC-30 Tanker platform and the Airbus A330 civilian freighter aircraft at its Mobile, Alabama aerospace center of excellence, resulting in a robust final assembly line that ensures low risk, high efficiency and increased capacity for both military and commercial customers.

This decision – which is dependent on U.S. Air Force selection of Northrop Grumman’s KC-30 Tanker as its new aerial refueling platform – will further leverage EADS’ investment in its future Alabama facility, located on Mobile’s Brookley Field, and significantly increase its industrial presence in the U.S. market.

Both the KC-30 Tanker and A330 commercial freighter are based on the best-selling, industry-favored Airbus A330 twin-engine jetliner. Co-locating production of these aircraft will add to the efficiency of the Mobile assembly facility, and ensure a smooth and continuing production flow. It will enable EADS to provide its customers more flexibility in the assignment of final assembly slots at Brookley Field for the military aerial refueling platform or the civilian freighter, depending on demand. The site would be expanded to support the production of up to four aircraft per month, ensuring ready capacity to meet the Air Force’s delivery requirements at no risk, while fulfilling the A330 Freighter’s growing order book which is already at 66 aircraft.

As promised, the 2nd edition week in review. All your comments fell on receptive ears and I thank you all for your feedback. Again, this is very much a beta test experiment, so bear with me.

Enjoy.

Script, as requested, after the jump.

According to sources in Everett, internal schedules show the overall assembly calendar for Boeing’s Dreamliner One around three weeks behind the revised schedule, Flightblogger has learned. To make up time, Boeing has shifted significant manpower resources to achieve the aircraft power on milestone by month’s end. Work in Building 40-26 is almost exclusively focused on meeting this target on time.

The slippage can be attributed at least partially to on going part shortages and the ramp up of the over 30,000 part supply chain that drives the 787 Dreamliner program.

Boeing was repeatedly approached for comment but had not responded by press time.

787 Program Manager Pat Shanahan identified power on as a critical goal at Boeing’s December 11th Conference Call update:

“I'm focused on this milestone for two main reasons. First, power on is a significant knowledge point technically because we can then retire risk around the integration of the airplane. And second, our schedule becomes much more predictable once we get the power on because the airplane is finally in the state that our factory was designed for.”

A slow Tuesday in preparation for a busy Wednesday.

Came across these on YouTube. Rough clips from the upcoming Legends of Flight IMAX film.

Even more below the fold.

Happy Monday!

I'm trying something totally new to kick off 2008 and I wanted to share it with all of you.

As you may remember, I had been doing week ending discussion threads about all the week's big stories. I felt it was time to take that idea one step farther. Below is the first FlightBlogger Aviation Industry week in review video.

It recaps a few of the big stories for the first week of 2008. If all goes well and the response is positive, I'll be doing this every week. It should hopefully be published every Friday. I wanted to get this one out much sooner when I finished it on Saturday, but my blog was giving me some trouble and this is my first chance to post it.

Ultimately, I am requesting your feedback. What do you think? What do you want to see? Is this something I should do regularly? Is it helpful for keeping up with the industry?

Thanks for watching!

The final tally:

Boeing Sets Third Consecutive Record for Commercial Airplane Orders in 2007

* 1,413 net orders (1,423 gross) surpasses 1,044 net orders reached in 2006
* Record orders for 787 Dreamliner
* Record orders for 737 program
* Record orders for Boeing freighters

SEATTLE, Jan. 03, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] recorded 1,413 net commercial airplane orders during 2007, reaching more than 1,000 orders for an unprecedented third consecutive year, and setting a Boeing record for total orders in a single year.

Boeing also set new order records for the 787 Dreamliner, the 737, and for Boeing freighters.

The 2007 total surpasses the previous Boeing records of 1,044 net orders in 2006 and the 1,002 orders set in 2005. Gross orders in 2007, which exclude cancellations and conversions, totaled 1,423. Boeing recorded 1,050 gross orders in 2006 and 1,029 gross orders in 2005. Unfilled orders for Boeing Commercial Airplanes is now over 3,400 airplanes.

"It has been another strong year for commercial aviation, and we are grateful for our customers' trust in our team, and our products and services," said Scott Carson, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer. "We deeply appreciate the role we play in our customers' plans for growth and success, and we are focused on meeting our commitments.

All eyes turn to Airbus.

MSN014, the first A380 for QANTAS, will be making its maiden flight on or around January 14th from Toulouse to Hamburg for interior fitting and wiring rework. The aircraft, which is currently registered as F-WWSK will enter service with QANTAS as VH-OQA in October of 2008 connecting Los Angeles to Melbourne. This will be the 12th A380 to fly.

MSN007, the promotional A380 that is registered as as F-WWJB is now at XFW being fitted with the interior for Etihad. Delivery to Etihad is not anticipated until 2013. The aircraft joins F-WWSH (MSN011 - Emirates) and F-WWSB (MSN005 - Singapore) in Hamburg. The second A380 for Singapore should be delivered early this month.

See the complete production update.

Boeing confirms that the 100 order aircraft that was first placed at the 2007 Dubai Air Show by the newly formed Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will be added to the total Boeing order book for 2007 not 2008. The impact of this order, which adds to firmed orders from QANTAS, British Airways, Jeju Air and Vietnam Airlines potentially puts Boeing over Airbus in orders for the first time since 2002.

Update 3 - 6:58 PM: Boeing and GOL have announced the completion of an order for 40 737-800 for the airline's fleet modernization. Boeing has announced that this order will be included in its Order and Delivery total for 2007. This pushes the order total near 1400 for Boeing.

Update 4 - 7:20 PM: The order battle continues. Airbus still has 293 orders outstanding for 2007. 100 for DAE, 8 for Cathay, 25 for Air Asia and 160 for Chinese Carriers.

Update 5 - 7:28 PM: Small mathematical error. QANTAS was counted in the original 1213, so the current total stands at 1394. Which, for the record, is still incredibly impressive.

The unofficially tally stands as 1304 for Airbus and 1394 for Boeing.

1213 as of December 18, 2007
+5 Jeju
+24 British Airways
+12 Vietnam Airlines
+100 DAE
+40 GOL
1394 TOTAL

Update 2: The final 2007 tally will be announced Thursday morning on the Orders and Deliveries page.

Press Releases Below the Fold

No other single number has driven aviation marketing more than the number eight. Yes, it was numerally in sequence after the 777, which was just a coincidental perk, but highly intentional. The A380, A350 and the 787, 747 all have their base models as -800 (Airbus) and -8 (Boeing).

Here's why:

Eight

From Wikipedia

The word for "eight" in Chinese (Pinyin: bā) sounds similar to the word which means "prosper" or "wealth" (发 - short for "发财", Pinyin: fā). In regional dialects the words for "eight" and "fortune" are also similar, eg Cantonese "baat" and "faat".

There is also a resemblance between two digits, "88", and the shuang xi ('double joy'), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜 (xi, 'joy', 'happiness').

Some people also think that 8 can be associated with the symbol meaning infinity (an 8 turned 90 degrees).

Telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for USD$270,723 in Chengdu, China.

The Summer Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to open on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 p.m.

A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate reading A88888 for 1.12 million yuan.

Dragon Fish Industry in Singapore, a breeder of rare Asian Arowanas (which are "lucky fish" themselves, and, being a rare species, are required to be microchipped), makes sure to use numbers with plenty of eights in their microchip tag numbers, and appears to reserve particularly numbers especially rich in eights and sixes (e.g. 702088880006688) for particularly valuable specimens.

The Asian market has been a top priority for Airbus and Boeing, with massive orders being announced every several months. The 2008 Singapore Air Show in late February will prominently display the massive efforts of both aerospace giants and their never ending quest to win the market share battle of Asia. Boeing forecasts over a trillion dollars in potential sales in the Asia-Pacific region over the next twenty years. Eight is indeed a lucky number for Boeing, Airbus and Asia.

Quite consequently, the 787 passed its 800th order today with the firming of 12 aircraft for Vietnam Airlines. This brings last week's 790 order total with British Airways to a staggering 802 orders to date for the 787. A very good way to start off two thousand and eight for Boeing.

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

Flightblogger 1.0
May 1 - September 21 (hiatus) November 2 - 9

Page loads:
605,319
Unique Visitors:
390,752

Flightblogger 2.0
November 9 - December 31

Page loads:
253,339
Unique Visitors:
159,586

2007 Totals:

Page loads:
858,658
Unique Visitors:
550,338

Not bad. Not bad at all.

I felt this was fitting in honor of the commencement of the year 2008.

Tail number 52-0008. Happy 'Balls Eight' everyone!