Boeing: February 2008 Archives

Aviation photographer Liem Bahneman sent me this picture this morning of B-KPF, illustrating just how low the 777-367ER was to terra firma. (video)

From Liem:

Not to beat a dead horse, but I finally got around to making an illustration that depicts, by my estimate, the altitude of the Cathay-Pacific 777-300ER flyby at its lowest point (immediately prior to pulling up, as indicated by the wing flex and my subsequent photos).

I based this one the 20.4" 777 fuselage diameter and the estimated position of the runway below (based on the shadow).

I put my estimate at 31 to 33 feet. The media is saying 28 feet, which I initially thought was an extreme number, but now that I've taken the time to actually look, its really not that far off the mark. What is 4-6 feet of difference when you're talking about that much hardware being that far off the ground?

Good news coming out of Everett for the 787 Program:

"First Flight"
From Randy's Journal:

Our 787 chief pilot Mike Carriker, and our 787 systems director Mike Sinnett had an awesome experience earlier this month. They “flew” the Dreamliner with the “Blockpoint 8” software for the first time - in a successful test of the 787 integrated avionics and flight systems hardware and software that are now in final development.

EVERETT, Wash., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The composite technology, design and construction of the 787 was proven during a series of testing scenarios conducted beginning in late 2007 and concluding this week. The tests were performed on a composite fuselage test section and are part of Boeing's certification efforts for the 787.

Onward.

At the conclusion of 2007, aircraft makers and industry analysts expected orders for new aircraft in 2008 to cool considerably. By many measures the global economy has slowed, yet the expected downturn in aircraft purchases has not materialized for airframers. Looking at the available numbers from Airbus and Boeing illustrate that not only have orders not slowed, but they are up sharply over the same period last year.

Take a look:

Boeing has booked 189 orders to date during 2008 versus just 70 for the same period in 2007.

Airbus booked 238 orders during January 2008 versus 97 during January and February 2007.

*Official Airbus data for Februrary 2008 unavailable

Earlier this week, Steven Udvar-Hazy spoke with Flight's Laura Mueller saying, "Starting from today, no more than 75% of the order book is rock solid. The rest is potentially flaky or could disintegrate rapidly to become flaky and would be subject to deferrals and cancellation.”

“Boeing and Airbus want to put off the day of reckoning as long as they can, but it is coming. Airlines will start looking in the mirror every few months and ask: ‘what can we really absorb here?’ Once those reality checks are done more frequently, we will begin to see some major adjustments on a macroeconomic basis.”

Even based on his assertion that only 75% of the order book is solid, orders still exceed the pace of the previous record setting year. Even with this blistering start to 2008, growing market worries will continue to leave the further pace of orders as an open question. Only time will tell.

The multi-year, multi-billion dollar, multi-role KC-X Tanker contract could be awarded as early as today, following a meeting of the Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) responsible for signing off on the plan for the United States Air Force's 179 new aerial tankers.

The initial contract for either Boeing 767 or Northrop Grumman/EADS/Airbus A330 aircraft is worth up to $40 billion, with follow on contracts that could total as much as $100 billion.

According to industry analysts, Boeing is thought to be the odds-on favorite for the tanker deal. A lot is at stake for both manufacturers including the future of the 767 line in Everett, as well the potential establishment of a tanker/freighter production line in Mobile, AL for Northrop Grumman, EADS and Airbus.

UPDATE 3:02 PM: All indications point to the decision being announced Wednesday afternoon. The announcement will kick off with the notification of Congress, followed by contractor notification over the following hour, concluding with a formal announcement at the Pentagon at 5:00pm.

UPDATE 12:11 PM 2/27: The Malaysia Sun has "reported" that EADS and Northrop Grumman have won the USAF tanker contract. No word yet if they were able to generate the required 1.21 gigawatts for the return trip.

UPDATE 3:06 PM 2/27: Reuters is reporting that an announcement, according to a US official, is now expected Friday following the closure of the US Markets. Curiously, I noticed this morning that all the Tanker advertising from Boeing and Northrop Grumman had been removed from the Pentagon Metro stop.

FlightBlogger will be following the Tanker deal developments throughout the week.

Just got back from Singapore about 20 minutes ago and had to put this up:

Cathay chief 777 pilot fired after low-level flypast stunt
By Nick Ionnides

The Aircraft in Question
Cathay Pacific
Boeing 777-367ER
B-KPF

More pictures at the Seattle-Deliveries blog.

SINGAPORE -- Boeing is considering suspending work on the -3 shorthaul variant of its troubled 787 twinjet as it fights to get production of the long-range -8 lead version and development of the -9 stretch back on track.

A 787 programme source says the delay in development of the -3, “May be a precursor for cancellation. Regardless, we're stopping work on it.”

The source adds that the short range -3, “being developed simultaneously with the -9…was really stretching the company's resources. This will free up people to work on the much more popular -9 variant.”

The -3, so far ordered only by 787 launch customer All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL), had originally been due to enter service in 2010, a few months ahead of the -9.

“We have been informed that there is a possibility of a delay to the 787-3,” says JAL. “We have not received a new delivery schedule since the delays to the programme were announced. Obviously the 787-3 is important to our plans. It has a shorter wingspan, which is important at key airports in Japan.”

Boeing is drawing up a new delivery schedule for all 787 customers in the wake of production delays which have pushed the aircraft’s first flight back to mid-2008. The manufacturer says it expects to announce its plans at the end of the first quarter and is unable to comment on any possible resequencing of the variants before then.

“We are working through delivery schedules with our suppliers,” says Boeing marketing vice president Randy Tinseth. “We won’t get the plans done until the end of the first quarter.”

On the future of the -3 variant, Tinseth says: “We have a commitment to ANA and JAL to build that airplane.”

Just released:

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

Final Assembly Begins on Another Boeing 787 Dreamliner

A buzz has been floating through Everett these last few days. An excitement not felt since the July 2007 roll out of Dreamliner One. In the evening hours on the 10th of February a modified 747-400 touched down after its brief journey from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

On board was a payload both significant for its level of completion and what it represents for the future of the 787 program. Under a cold, wet and cloudy Washington sky, a parcel of progress found its way into Building 40-36 at the Boeing plant in Everett.

The precious cargo was the nose section for Dreamliner Two, which is destined to be the second 787 to take to the skies.

The nose structure (Section 41), which was manufactured by Spirit Aerosystems, arrived largely complete, stuffed with its windows, windshield wipers, doors, ducting, wiring, insulation, flight deck bulkhead, significant flight deck structure and much more. All flight deck equipment, such as panels, controls and LCD screens are installed in Everett. Section 41 also shipped with its radome installed to protect the honeycomb radar that had already been installed underneath.

Some food for thought as we head into the weekend.

Image Courtesy Howard Pain

Boeing targets two-tier response to Airbus A350-1000 threat
By Stephen Trimble

The proposed 787-10, likely to be a 305-seater, "is a good product against the [777]-200, 200ER-class airframe", says Carson. "The 777-300ER is a little bigger and the 777-200LR has a little more legs so they could well co-exist. That will be part of the product and market studies that we continue to refine."

Carson also emphasises that Boeing believes the basic 777 airframe can remain competitive through the next decade with perhaps a "modest" refresh, focusing on engine and airframe technologies.

"There comes a time when you think about what you're going to do with the upper-end of that marketplace," he says. "We'll make some decisions about what to do with a major refresh, but we're not in any panic about that. We think its doing incredibly well in the marketplace right now."

Rather, Boeing still plans to hold off developing a new widebody in the 380-seat-and-above class market for at least 10 years, he said, adding such an aircraft would feature an all-composite airframe like the 787.

BA could eventually operate up to 30 A380s: Airbus
By Max Kingsley-Jones

Meanwhile, Leahy is feeling confident about Airbus's chances in phase two of the BA campaign to replace the bulk of its 747-400 fleet, where the A350 XWB is up against the proposed 787-10 and "777X" design study. The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh has said that he aims to reach a decision on this deal before the end of the year.

The 787-10 is "too small" so Boeing "is looking at what it can do with the 777 as the -300ER is not competitive with the A350-1000," says Leahy.

"We feel we have the right aircraft with the A350 and BA is leaning in that direction," he adds. Leahy does not expect Boeing to be ready to finalise its 777 development plans this year "unless it pulls a rabbit out of a hat".

India's Tata Motors unit to manufacture components for Boeing's Dreamliner February 06, 2008: 06:34 AM EST

MUMBAI, Feb. 6, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- India's largest vehicle maker Tata Motors Ltd, part of the salt-to-software Tata Group, said its engineering solutions unit has signed an agreement with the Boeing (NYSE:BA) Company to supply structural components for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner airplane program.

No financial details were given.

In a release, Tata said wholly-owned TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd will build floor beams for the 787 using new technology with advanced titanium and composite materials.

The floor beams for the 787 airplane will be produced at TAL's new facility in the central Indian city of Nagpur and then transported to Boeing partners in Japan, Italy and the US for further assembly, it added.

This is extraordinarily significant at first glance. This appears to be one of the first steps in the 787 recovery plan. BCA Chairman and CEO Scott Carson is speaking later this morning to a group of aerospace analysts and I'm sure this will be on his agenda. The announcement of a new structural supplier this far into the program means that 1. Another supplier has been replaced or 2. Another supplier was unable to meet the initial demand for floor beams and this is a supplement. Either way, it's clear that a supplier has not been making the grade on floor beam production.

By the looks of this graphic, IAI appears to be the supplier in question. The Wall Street Journal authored a piece in December citing significant concerns by BCA leadership about IAI and Vought Aircraft Industries, both partners are directly responsible for structural components like the floor beams on the Dreamliner.

Look for more on this here as the day develops.

UPDATE 1:00 PM: Scott Carson did not mention any supplier changes in his speech to the Cowen & Co Conference.

UPDATE 12:12 AM: According to a source familiar with the agreement Tata will manufacture floor beams beginning with the 787-9 an 787-3. There has been no change to suppliers of floor beams for the 787-8. It remains unclear whether or not Tata will be working in conjunction with the current 787-8 suppliers to supplement production or be absorbing the current work package for the variant aircraft.