October 2010 Archives

Next week from November 4-6, Boeing will dispatch a 787 on a marketing trip through western Europe with stops in Paris and Amsterdam. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported Friday that Schiphol Airport officials had confirmed that the twin jet was slated to visit the Netherlands on November 5.

At stake is an order for up to 100 aircraft for delivery starting in 2014 to replace the carrier's older A340s and 747s. In May, KLM president Peter Hartman told Flightglobal the order had "stalled" because "the manufacturers are not willing to give us fixed dates and [aircraft] specifications."

Boeing appears set to give Air France/KLM the certainty they are looking for with a 787 visit to each airline's home base.

Program sources confirm that ZA006 (N787ZA), the second of two General Electric GEnx-1B powered 787s, is slated to hit the road for the new jet's third European swing.

Air France/KLM has always selected General Electric or SNECMA (or CFM) engines for its aircraft, putting the GEnx powered 787 at the top of the airline's interest list for replacement, though the carriers said they would likely opt for a mix of the two.

With three years to go before A350's entry into service, negotiations between Airbus and GE to have second engine option along side the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB have largely disappeared from public view. In May 2009, GE said that once ZA005 and ZA006 entered flight test, the engine-maker believed it had an opportunity to "restructure discussions" with Airbus around adding a second engine to the program.

GE had previously been comfortable with offering an engine for the A350-800 and -900, but was reluctant about developing a competing engine for the -1000, which is set to go head-to-head with the 777-300ER powered by the GE90-115B.

Let's see if a trip to Airbus's backyard will push the engine back to the forefront.

Boeing's two week hold in 787 shipments has overshadowed an even longer period of non-movement in the final assembly line, as the company works to address lingering horizontal stabilizers issues.

Driving the latest hold, the third this year, is a shifted delivery schedule of the Alenia Aeronautica-built 787 horizontal stabilizer and the need to deliver a shipset free of workmanship issues, first disclosed in June, that would need time consuming rework at Boeing's Everett, Washington final assembly facility, says Boeing.

Yet, as Boeing disclosed the two two-week hold in delivery, structural sections had already been accumulating in the back of the factory as the assembly line has not advanced since early October for Airplane 28, and the line is not set to pulse again until early November and could stretch to the middle of the month, according to those working on the program.

As recently as August at the time of the last delay announcement, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh expressed confidence in the recovery plan, saying "horizontal stabilizer 27 and on we're not too worried about, we've got that one pretty well overwhelmed."

Though horizontal stabilizers 28 and 29 will still require inspection and potentially significant rework. Boeing now expects the first "clean" stabilizer free of workmanship issues to be delivered from Italy starting with Airplane 30. 

Here's the latest from Southwest Airlines media day in Dallas today:

Photo Credit Nick Knapp

When it was mentioned internally in a Boeing company webcast last month, the 737 Next Generation Plus entered into the aerospace lexicon, with few specifics attached. This week, the 737NG+ became a reality as Boeing unveiled its first 737 Sky Interior and discussed the possibilities for what a 737NG+ might become. The Seattle Post Intelligencer reported yesterday on comments made by Boeing 737 chief engineer John Hamilton:

And engineers are looking into other changes, such as changing the tail size, incorporating carbon fiber-reinforced plastics and using new materials to cut weight on the floorboards for what Boeing is calling a 737NG Plus, Hamilton said. "We think we can get something more out of this (plane). We haven't been able to really pin down a number yet."

These are just the kind of changes that customers want, rather than clamoring for whole new engines, which add cost and complication, he said. "You're not getting a strong response saying go re-engine. They like the incremental improvements."

With an onslaught of new orders for the 737 as it is today, Boeing is in no hurry to invest the time, money and resources in re-engining the venerable narrowbody. Though all signs point to the airframer moving slowly toward an allnew airframe, though that entry into service could be a decade away. The urgency to make radical changes to the 737 is even less as Airbus steps back slowly from re-engining, as it looks to evaluate the feasibility of the A320 NEO matched against the engineering resources required for the A350, A380 and A400M.

/>This week will mark two years since Boeing and its largest union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) agreed to end the strike that crippled jetliner production for nearly two months. The four year contract is now at the half way point and a year from now negotiations will be getting underway once again between Boeing management and the IAM.

Crossing the contract's mid-point, Seattle news station KIRO7 takes a deep dive into Boeing and its future in Washington State. The one-hour long, six-part program touches on all the usual suspects: 787 production, South Carolina, tanker, Airbus, 737 re-engining, P-8A progress, aerospace beyond Boeing in Washington State, China, local politics and of course, labor relations.

In addition to the six segments, KIRO has also provided the complete uncut interview with Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh.

Well, it's not quite tapping the dashboard to see how much gas you've got left, but 787 ZA004 is spending the day crossing the United States, overflying major cities like Boston, Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham, Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City or San Francisco to test the 787's fuel quantity indication system (FQIS), say program sources. 

ATLANTA -- It's hard to keep up with what day it is when you're at an air show. Eventually it all blurs together and you just lose count. Technically we're discussing the official day one of NBAA, though Mary and I had been there for two days already with press day on Monday. Whatever the count is, here's our rundown of Tuesday's activities at the show. Our third and final wrap up should be out on Friday with footage in transit.

ATLANTA -- Personal jet or entry level jet?

When Piper Aircraft's single engine Piperjet demonstrator (N360PJ) flew for the first time during Oshkosh in 2008, it joined a growing marketplace of personal jets alongside the likes of the Cirrus Vision SF-50, Diamond D-Jet and Epic Victory Jet. With the halving of the under-$25 million market and the near-decimation of the personal jet concept, Piper took its original proof-of-concept demonstrator and staked out a position above the personal jet market and just below the entry level jet/very light jet market dominated by the Cessna Mustang and Embraer Phenom 100.

However, Piper's approach to its new $2.5 million 2014 Piperjet Altaire takes the cabin of a very light/entry leve jet and melds it with a single Williams FJ44-3AP top rear mounted turbofan. The scaled up cabin of the original Piperjet has become a four-person cabin with two additional seats up front in the cockpit, with an optional seventh seat in place of the lavatory or entertainment cabinet.

I had a chance to sit down with Piper executive vice president Randy Groom inside the mock-up of the Altaire on display at NBAA on Tuesday and he said the aircraft's chief selling point is its 25% better operating costs than comparative twin engine entry level/very light jets. With a 35,000ft cruising altitude, 360kt cruising speed and 1,300nm range, the performance is roughly on par with, and in some cases exceeds, the aircraft it competes against.

Many people I spoke with at the show about the Altaire immediately comment on the idea of a single-engine jet and the reliability of the powerplant. Though single-engine aircraft are far from uncommon, with aircraft even larger than Phenom 100s and Mustangs with single-engine turboprops. Piper is banking on delivering that same level of reliability and safety with its Altaire. Williams aims for a 4,000h time before overhaul maintenance interval for the single powerplant and a 2,000h hot section inspection interval.

Groom said he was excited at the reception of Piper's new jet here at NBAA and had already sold several right from the company's stand on the show floor. With its touted-lean economic performance as its selling point, Piper aims to provide an operating cost advantage over its larger competitors.

After two-years of watching shaky air taxi/small private jet operators struggle to launch or die trying, the Piperjet could change the face of this model. However, Piper is banking on a return to growth on the small end of the jet market, which has shown itself to be particularly vulnerable to economic volatility. Continued weakness in the personal jet segment is expected to continue, while entry level/very light jets are forecast to make up 25% of deliveries over the next 10 years; Piper's market-straddling Altaire may find itself in the right spot when it enters service in 2014.

Piperjet marketing video available below the fold 

ATLANTA -- With structural sections coming together in Everett for RC001, Boeing's first 747-8I is destined to be the biggest BBJ yet, with its first flight slated for the end of the first quarter 2011, kicking off a fourth month certification campaign.

The flight test program marks the first time in Boeing's history that a lead flight test aircraft is slated to begin its service life as VIP configured aircraft.

"It's pretty exciting for us in our little BBJ world to have the first airplane to be going through the manufacturing process," says Steve Taylor, Boeing Business Jets president.

Taylor says the four-month certification process is "not all that dramatic, it's two airplanes. One of them is a Lufthansa airplane and one of them is our VIP airplane. It's a very short flight test program because virtually all the work is done on the freighter."

Many of the troubles encountered during the development of the 747-8F are expected to be ironed out ahead of testing the 467-seat three-class 747-8I, including the limit cycle oscillation encountered on the Nabtesco-supplied inboard aileron power control unit.

"The aileron actuator that has been giving us fits," says Taylor. "That's the same actuator [on the 747-8I]."

The certification campaign will cover the end of the first quarter and the majority of the second quarter and culminate with first delivery of a refurbished RC001, in green configuration, to an interior completion center, along with four additional VIP -8Is, during a two month period at the end of 2011.

"I lay awake at night trying to figure out how I'm going to deliver five of them in the compressed period we have," says Taylor.

Three more VIP 747-8Is will be delivered in 2012, rounding out the eight aircraft backlog. Lufthansa's first -8I is slated to be handed over to the German flag carrier in early 2012.

Photo Credit Boeing

ATLANTA -- Bombardier's new Global twins aim to eclipse Gulfstream's G650 by many important metrics, not the least of which is the price tag.

The Global 7000 (PDF factsheet) and 8000 (PDF factsheet) started life more than two years ago as a single codenamed aircraft, the M170, a 7000nm jet, roughly the same size as today's Global Express XRS.

That first concept later morphed into two aircraft with the help of 150 Bombardier Global customers, which naturally divided themselves into two distinct categories; one group prioritizing range, and the other to cabin space.

The aircraft, says Brad Nolan director of product planning for Bombardier business aircraft, is a response to the rapid economic growth of India, China and Latin America the need to connect points directly was put at the forefront.

"As wealth was spreading across the globe, we saw the need for a longer range airplane," says Nolan. "We also saw customers who were more centrally located on the globe, but a key group of operators was looking for absolutely the largest cabin in business aviation."

Bombardier aims to best the high-speed range of the Gulfstream G650, with long legs of 5,650nm and 5,100nm at Mach .90 for the Global 8000 and 7000, and 7,900nm and 7,300nm at Mach .85, respectively. Gulfstream announced Monday that its G650 has validated its 5,000nm range at a M.90 cruising speed.

The Global 7000 and 8000 will also sport price tags of $65 million in 2010 dollars, compared to around $58.5 million for the Gulfstream G650.

The two new jets will take elements from the existing Global Express XRS and Global 5000 for the 7000 and 8000. The 7000 and 8000 will be 135in and 27in longer than the Global Express XRS, respectively. Additionally, the horizontal and vertical tail will be mostly common across the Global family.
 


The all-new wing, one of two sources for the Global 7000 and 8000's long legs, is currently in wind tunnel testing says Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. The thinner high-speed wing will feature four pairs of spoilers, two pairs of flaps and three pairs of slats. Wind tunnel testing is expected to continue for at least six to eight months. Each aircraft will feature a 104ft 4in wingspan.

Bombardier has not yet decided if the new Globals will feature a fly-by-wire flight control system, and a decision is expected shortly.

The other major investment for the new Global 7000 and 8000 will be the General Electric TechX, which Bombardier says will be enable a 14% and 18% improvement in fuel efficiency over other long-range business jets.

On the flight deck, Ridolfi says the Global Vision flight test program for the Global Express XRS and Global 5000 have served as a technological "building block" for the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics that will be employed on the 7000 and 8000.

The Global 7000 and 800 will enter service in 2016 and 2017, respectively, while Ridolfi says the timing of the new jets was driven by the technological requirements of the engine and wing more than the availability of engineering resources required for the company's CS100 and CS300 CSeries jetliners which enter service in 2013 and 2014.

The both aircraft exceed the critical 100,000lb maximum takeoff weight mark, which is a critical barrier for gaining access to airports in Teterboro and Aspen. Though the 106,500lb and 105,050lb MTOWs for the 7000 and 8000 will likely be able to backed off to 100,000lbs with a flight manual supplement, sacrificing some range for access to the business jet-frequented airports.

"Given the margin we have," says Ridolfi. "You can imagine the 8000 still goes an awfully long way at 100,000lbs."

ATLANTA -- During Gulfstream's Monday press conference at NBAA, I had a chance to ask Joe Lombardo, president of Gulfstream Aerospace, about the prospects for a G450 and G550 large-cabin replacement aircraft, purported to be in development. Here was the exchange:

Jon Ostrower: Can you speak to what you're hearing from your customers in terms of demand for replacement in the G450/G550 market?

Joe Lombardo:  All we can do is point to our history, we're not ready to make an announcement as far as what we're ready to do with the 450/550. Just from our history we're a company that continues to look ten to fifteen years in advance. When we're ready to make an announcement. we'll do so. We appreciate the question, we're just not going to talk about it."

Here's a rundown of some of the press day news here in Atlanta:

• Piaggio upbeat at show despite halving of deliveries from 2009
• Universal launches Android navigation app
• EMS Aspire offers rich connectivity for small aircraft
• VIDEO & PICTURES - Inside the new Gulfstream flagship
• BizJet International hands over second BBJ to Boeing
• Cessna reboots its flagship Citation Turboprop royalty: Beechcraft 350i King Air
• Aircell broadband gets EASA approval for Challenger
• Embraer's Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000 make show debuts
• Heritage Aviation to offer BLR winglets
• Aerion gets supersonic test results
• Large-cabin aircraft to drive business aviation industry recovery

Gulfstream's G250 is making its show debut here in Atlanta after a 14h 31min, 6,192nm from Tel Aviv, with station stops in Shannon, Bangor and Savannah.

Ronen Shapira, chief pilot for Israel Aerospace Industries and the G250 was accompanied on the transatlantic crossing by Captains Ravi Palter and pilot Dov Davidor on the trip from Tel Aviv, along with technicians Uzi Mizrahi and Amir Levi.

The longest of three legs for Serial Number 2003 (4X-WBJ) clocked in at 5h 49m, between Israel to Shannon, Ireland, was stretched to 6h 12min and included avionics testing in Ireland. The testing included a full approach, missed approach testing of the aircraft's Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, for which the G250 is the launch customer.

As it transited through Europe, Shapira says air traffic control frequently called up to the new jet to ask what type of aircraft the crew as flying. Prior to its flight, the aircraft had received reduce vertical separation mimumums (RVSM) approval, enabling its 41,000ft initial cruise and later climb to 43,000ft on the first leg to Ireland.

Shapira says this was not the aircraft longest flight for the G250 since its first flight, 2003's second flight topped out at 7h 1m.

As part of the first over-water crossing, the super mid-size Honeywell HTF7250G-powered twin flew no more than about 400nm from land at any time during the transatlantic leg.

The aircraft touched down on US soil for the first time on October 15 in Bangor, Maine after another 5h and 56min leg, landing in dreadful weather conditions, prompting a 30 degree, 20 gusting to 29kt crosswind approach in heavy rain.



"We had landed previous with a higher crosswind component in Israel," says Shapira, a former IAF F-15 pilot. "It was quite uneventful. When you consider the integration between the airplane, the auto-pilot, the auto-throttles and the new wing, you have and airplane with flying qualities very similar to the G550."

The aircraft departed Bangor on 16 October with 8,600lbs of fuel - below maximum - and climbed directly to 43,000ft at Mach .80 in 18m and flew to Savannah, Georgia, home to the head office of Gulfstream Aerospace, touching down at 11:25 local time.

The aircraft, serial number 2003 transitioned to Atlanta and Peachtree DeKalb Airport on Sunday marking the types show debut along side the large-cabin high-speed Gulfstream G650.

Following its visit to NBAA, G250 will continue its flight test campaign in the US, heading to Bakersfield, California for far-field noise testing and high altitude takeoff performance in Alamosa, Colorado. The aircraft will visit Savannah once again before returning to Tel Aviv. Shapira says the aircraft plans to return to the US in January for natural icing tests.

For the G250, 2011 will be spent accomplishing its certification campaign as it aims for joint certification from European, American and Israeli regulators, with first delivery to follow by the end of that year.

Two additional airframes, S1 and F1, are part of the static and fatigue ground test campaigns. Limit load testing has already been completed and ultimate load testing is under way.

Further more, the G250 integration test facility has also completed more than 1,400h of testing on software version 2.1, which is currently flying on the test fleet.

As of October 12, the G250 had completed more than 214h over 73 flights since first flying in December.  The three aircraft flight test program includes dedicated aircraft for aircraft performance, systems, and avionics testing.

Map Credit Gulfstream

On the other end of the aviation spectrum from the A380s and 787s of the world lies a flying squirrel suit and an unhealthy addition to adrenaline. Jeb Corliss, my new personal hero, zips along at unimaginable speeds across mountain ridges all over the planet. This was just too darn impressive not to share. Special thanks to Andrew Stroman for passing it along.

Bombardier kicked off NBAA 2010 with by preempting its own Monday announcement by unveiling its new Global 7000 and 8000 large-cabin business jets. There has been significant Industry buzz around the new jets, which were first believe to have prompted the Canadian airframer to reveal the details around its largest business aircraft two days ahead of its planned October 18 press conference in Atlanta.

Bombardier says its October 16 release was not moved up due to any outside speculation, rather it was "always the plan to issue the news and start an interaction with journalists."

The family of aircraft, the Global 7000 and 8000, grows the company's existing Global Express XRS and Global 5000 products with a new high-speed transonic wing. The Global 7000, which is the larger of the two aircraft features a high-speed mach .90 cruise or a 7,300nm range at mach .85. The aircraft, Bombardier claims, features a 20% larger cabin than the "current market leader", which Bombardier says is its Global Express XRS. The Global 7000 will be the first of new pair to enter service in 2016.

The Global 8000, a designation that appears to correspond to its 7,900nm range at mach .85 and features a similar high-speed cruise. The cabin of the 8000 is around 19% larger than the Global 5000, which will remain as a product offering along with the Global Express XRS. The aircraft is set for entry into service in 2017.

The aircraft also sport windows that have 80% more surface area than the current Global family. Bombardier says the General Electric TechX engine with 16,500 lbs of thrust and is the first aircraft to be powered by GE's new family of engines.

Photo Credit Bombardier

With four days to go before the world gets its first look at Bombardier's M170 at NBAA, there are indications the Canadian airframer's new design is a stretch of its Global 5000 and Global Express XRS family. Bombardier appears to have opted for the same 106in (8ft 10in) cross section for the M170 family, keeping the aircraft within 2in of the Gulfstream G650.

BUSAN & SACHEON -- The striking topography of Busan draws immediate comparisons to San Francisco with its ivory Gwangan suspension bridge connecting the popular tourist beaches of Haeundae to the Suyeong, where the city's massive port moves everything from cars and ships to semiconductors and consumer electronics. Busan is the world's fifth largest port and South Korea's second most populous city on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula, with lush rolling green hills dotted with clusters of near-identical high-capacity apartment buildings.

On this side of the planet, Boeing's 787's supply chain operates away from the western spotlight shined on Everett, Charleston, Foggia and Derby. The Dreamliner's Asian supply chain has largely been hidden from view since 2006, when empty factories were filled with nothing but promise. Today, Boeing holds its Asian partners up as exemplary members of its global supply chain, underscoring the quality, reliability and completion level of structures coming to final assembly.

Tucked back from the taxiways of Busan's Gimhae International Airport at Korean Airlines Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), a factory is in a state of perpetual movement as it builds composite components for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. With nearly five years of 787 production under its belt, the company is already building parts for the 62nd 787, which will be the fourth for Doha-based Gulf carrier Qatar Airways next year.

To walk around KAL-ASD, you can see the story of the 787 on display. As they ready for shipment to Fuji Heavy Industries, the upper panel stringers for the Section 11 center wing box display a question-mark shaped bite removed from the once flat edge. That bite taken out of the the stringer serves as the basis for the side-of-body modification that curtailed 787's first flight in June 2009.

Once performed at final assembly in Everett, and later in Charleston, the side-of-body stringer cutout was done in a cramped, confined phone booth-sized working space that required artificial light and a respirator. That fix, now a simple cut from the stringer at the beginning of production is a healed scar once apparent on the surface, now driven deep into the supply chain far from final assembly.

While a telling sign of the 787's maturation, the innocuous cutouts are a reminder of how challenging it has been for Boeing to get to this point for the program. As two nodes on a network of suppliers, KAL-ASD and nearby Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) will have to flow information and parts around the globe three times faster than they do today to meet Boeing's 787 ramp up by 2013, a daunting task that may be even more challenging than those already vanquished.

What happened on the week of June 26, 2007?

Apple released its iPhone and Boeing rolled out its 787.

This is not the first time the fortunes of Boeing and Apple have overlapped. Their respective design and global supply chain philosophies draw from the same inspiration.

Both the iPhone and 787 would carry their company's branding on the side, though under the skin is an integrated piece of technology brought together by a myriad of global suppliers guided by the OEM's design philosophy.

"Apple invented the iPod, markets it, sells it, supports it, and integrated the whole concept. But they don't care about building it," Aboulafia wrote in a letter to clients. "With the 787, Boeing is moving in Apple's direction."

Though, as history as shown, that model has worked better for Apple than it did for Boeing.

The similarities go even deeper with the foundational technologies that drive these products. Apple built scalable technologies like multi-touch and iOS starting with the iPhone. For Boeing, the 787's more-electric architecture and common core computing system are cut from the same cloth; technologies intended to scale up or down to a 737 or 777 replacement. For Apple we see this today in the iPods Nano and Touch and iPad. Just think of the Dreamliner Gallery as Boeing's version of the App Store.

Today, Boeing released a new 787 video advertisement on its newairplane.com site today incorporating air to air footage shot during flight test along with a group of very pleased business class passengers. The ad was part of a new campaign by Boeing to publicize the Dreamliner, which is also appearing in print form in the pages of Flight International and Aviation Week at the moment.

When I first watched the ad, what immediately stuck out was not the visuals, but the music. It seemed very familiar. Where had I heard something similar before? And it hit me, Boeing's 787 was channeling the Apple's iPhone once again. Listen for yourself:

During San Francisco Fleet Week, which took place this past weekend, United Airlines flew a 747-400 (N173UA) in an aerial display over the city's bay allowing for some specular images. This shot almost reminds me of the old Kai Tak approach. Special thanks to Brad Waler for allowing me to share this image.

Photo Credit Brad Waler

These two stories had to be placed side-by-side, because while they are unrelated in subject matter, they are very related. Access to China is tops on the minds of every aerospace company on Earth and with the Comac ARJ21 coming online and the C919 not far behind, what happens to joint ventures with Chinese companies once domestically made competing products are available is anyone's guess, but this episode may serve as a guide for the future.

Shot:

"Very few customers today are willing to purchase aerospace products or services without expecting some form of industrial partnership, through global supply chains".

-Boeing CEO Jim McNerney
McNerney tells unions Boeing's global supply chain is crucial
Seattle Times
October 7, 2010

Chaser:

Brazil Doesn't Expect China To Approve Embraer Plans To Stay
Wall Street Journal
October 7, 2010

SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)--Brazil's Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA (ERJ, EMBR3.BR) likely won't get authorization from China to change over production lines, meaning the company will probably close its factory in the Asian country in 2011, a person in the Brazilian government said Friday.

Embraer, as the world's fourth-largest plane maker is known, is phasing out construction of its 50-seat ERJ-145 plane after it delivers the last of its orders in March. Embraer sees no demand in the region for the smaller airplane and is seeking authorization from China's government to begin production on larger, 120-seat planes, the company's press office said Thursday.

It took all of 24 hours after it was first reported the 747-8 and 787 would require larger separation distances than its predecessors. The initial rule called for 10nm separation between the aircraft, significantly more than the 4-6nm currently required for spacing. Dominic Gates of the Seattle Times was the first to report on the change.

I have had an editorial policy in place over the last year to not directly post industry produced videos when other independently produced content was available. That being said, and knowing full well I'm about to make an exception to that policy, I wanted to share Boeing's latest 787 Flight Test video highlighting the testing that 787 test aircraft underwent at Edwards Air Force Base, Roswell Air Center and Keflavik Airport.

This is the first footage the company has shared of ZA001's Velocity Minimum Unstick (VMU) or tail-strike test that measures the take off performance of the aircraft. Additionally, the video shows the ZA001's wet runway and ZA002's crosswind testing (More Video). 787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker provides some technical background about the nature of the tests and the different tasks flight crews undertake to demonstrate and define the performance boundaries of the new jetliner.

Video Credit Boeing

ZA006 - Registration: N787ZA - Serial No: 40695 - Final Assembly: 3/14/09

Not since ZA001, has a first flight of a 787 been shrouded in such mystery. ZA006, the last of six flight test aircraft, and second GEnx-1B-powered 787 is set to take to the sky Monday on its first flight. This is the first, first flight since June when ZA005 flew for the first time. ZA006 had planned to fly in June, though the aircraft's maiden sortie had been inexplicably delayed several times, pushing its first flight to more than 10 months after the flight test program first began in December.

Boeing declined to specify which of its test pilots will ferry ZA006 from Paine Field to Boeing Field by way of Moses Lake and will offer the names following the completion of the flight.

ZA006, which has a minimum data system, will primarily be tasked with lightning/eletromagnetic effects (EME) and high intensity radiated field (HIRF) testing. In addition, the aircraft will be tasked with further extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) testing, as well as systems functionality and reliability (F&R) evaluations.

Put simply, ZA006 is batting cleanup for the 787 flight test program, capturing a battery of miscellaneous tests required for certification.

One little known fact about ZA006 is that when fuselage sections showed up in Everett for final assembly, the doors were already painted.

While that seems unremarkable, you should know that they were painted in the Dreamliner livery, as they came right off of ZA001 following the July 2007 roll out.

Video Credit Liz Matzelle

Well, it looks like that grainy 737-900ER (N53442) photo was legit after all. As of October 1, the transition of Continental Airlines to United Airlines began in earnest, starting with the unveiling of four aircraft painted in the new United colors. Whatever your opinion on the new livery, it appears that it is here to stay. A 737-800 (N78285), 757-200 (N29124) and United Express ERJ-145XR (N12157) all wear the merged carrier's colors.

For those of you keeping count, that makes three distinctly different United color schemes in operation today. If I'm not mistaken, the Delta had three at once with the transition from the classic widget, to the barely-widgeted colors, and finally to the infamous Deltaflot scheme.

If you happen to find yourself on a United or Continental flight in the near future, the combined airline's new CEO, Jeff Smisek, who previously lead Continental, is now featured in the company's updated safety videos.





If you prefer safety announcements with a little more sparkle, look no farther than Cebu Pacific. I personally think they nailed it.


Photo Credit Phil Hyde

TOKYO -- I had to. Word on this street is that it's a favorite spot of a certain vice president of marketing. It's my last night here in Japan and we are out exploring the city with a chance to breathe after a non-stop week. I'll be making a near dawn trip to the Tokyo fish market early Saturday then off to Narita for ANA 2 back to Dulles.

It's been a fascinating, insightful and jammed visit to Asia and I'll have complete write ups and comprehensive updates from the five 787 suppliers I visited in South Korea and Japan. Much more ahead.

Sayonara and onward!

FlightBlogger, out.

NAGOYA -- Not long ago, I wrote about Boeing's 300-seat dilemma and what to do about its declining share of the 777-200ER sized aircraft market. The ascent of the A350-900 had blunted sales for the 301-seat jet, while Boeing's customers swiftly shifted their buying patterns to the larger 365-seat 777-300ER. It appeared judging by the sales figures alone that Boeing had abandoned the -200ER, allowing its -200LR to exist as a ultra-long range niche.

Though let me suggest an alternate line of thought. Boeing has already replaced the 777-200ER and its name is the 787-9. Boeing marketeers would say that the 787-9 and 777-200ER sit next to one another in the product family and that a conceptual 787-10, a further stretch, would best fill the role of the -200ER.

While the sales numbers tell one story, the actual specifications of the 787-9 tell a very different one. Let's start in the cabin.

While the 777-200ER airframe is 209ft 1in (63.73m) long, compared to 206ft 1in (62.82m) for the 787-9, passenger cabins are virtually identical with only 23in (59cm) difference in length. While its not a perfect comparison with requirements for lavs and galleys, as well as space around exits, a cross-section that provides nine-abreast seating on both aircraft can provide similar layouts with a 3.2in narrower aisle and 1.3in narrower seat on the -9.

Boeing says that the majority of 787 customers have selected nine-abreast seating in economy, allowing them to go to a near-777-style configuration. At eight or nine-abreast seating in economy, Boeing has created a platform that may be able to compete directly with both the A350-800 and -900. Yes, it snug at nine-abreast, and yes you may lose a row or two in the process, but now let's get under those composite floor grids for the next comparison.

The forward cargo volume of the 787-9 is identical, yes identical, to the 777-200ER. There is room for 2,490sq ft which can accomodate 6 96x125in pallets. In the back of the aircraft, the 787-9 can fit 16 LD-3 containers compared to 14 on the 777-200ER, a difference of 320sq ft. Put simply, belly space is room for revenue that doesn't require a meal and whatever is lost in the cabin can be compensated for underneath.

Now a quick look at performance. Assuming nearly equivalent passenger counts and an increased cargo capacity, the 787-9, a lighter airframe than the -200ER, can fly 8,135nm compared to 7,725nm for the -200ER on 14,220 11,792 fewer gallons of fuel.

ANA's conversion of 15 787-8s to -9s for high-density domestic operations may be a good indicator of the start of a more overt trend toward replacing the -200 and -200ER sized aircraft with the -9. ANA plans to configure the 787-9s with around 400-seats and while not directly stated, the only other 400-seat domestic configuration in the carrier's fleet is the 777-200 with 418-seats in two-classes.

By 2013 when the 787-9 enters service, ANA's average 777-200, of which the carrier has 16, will be approaching 15 years old. A 777-200 operating in domestic configuration for short hops has significantly more cycles than a -200 or -200ER operating on long-haul missions, causing ANA's -200s to age considerably faster.

As the 787-9 gains more clairty into 2011, we could see Boeing shift the larger Dreamliner into a spot once reserved for the 777-200ER. By all outward appearances the configuration of the aircraft points to its future ambition. 

NAGOYA -- In an announcement promising more details on October 18 at the upcoming National Business Aviation Association show in Atlanta, Bombardier has given the green light to develop a new large cabin business jet.

So what's known about this new Global? Not much.

Industry sources indicated today that General Electric has been selected to power the new Global, though what engine specifically remains unclear.

We do know this aircraft started its life with the M170 codename and may potentially be named the Global Express II, a stretch or clean sheet design that will match the Gulfstream G650.