Boeing: February 2009 Archives

Boeing has shaken up the leadership of the 747 program with the reassignment of its top executive.

Mohammad "Mo" Yahyavi will assume the leadership of the 747 program, departing his vice president position on the Commercial Airplanes 737 P-8A Poseidon team.

Yohyavi replaces Ross Bogue (pictured) who has served as head of the 747 program as VP and general manager since September 2007.

Bogue also served as Vice President and general manager of Boeing's Everett Site, and has been reassigned as Vice President for the Fabrication Division, a position which he previously held until he was promoted to site leader in February 2006.

This change in the 747 program represents a second shake-up of program leadership in eighteen months. Dan Mooney previously served as head of the 747 program until Bogue assumed the position.

Boeing announced a delay to the 747-8 program of six to nine months in November of 2008, citing scarce engineering resources and a supply chain unable to accommodate the volume of engineering changes required to meet design release deadlines.

Boeing has earned 78 orders from nine customers for the freighter version and 28 orders for the passenger variant of the aircraft. Lufthansa currently stands as the only passenger airline to select the 747-8I, with an order for 20 of the type.

The limited orders for the -8I variant have sparked questions about the commercial viability of the 747-8I aircraft with only one airline customer, though internally Boeing continues to actively pursue its development. Flight International previously reported that Boeing has studied various options for the program, including terminating the 747-8I and running the 747-8F as a standalone program.

Delivery of the first 747-8F to Luxemberg-based Cargolux is expected to take place in the middle of 2010 following a flight test and certification program beginning late in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

UPDATE 2:40 PM 2/25: Yohyavi will be replaced by John Pricco as head of the P-8A program. Also, Bogue replaces Pat McKenna who will be leading a team to find and implement opportunities to improve the efficiency of the 787 supply chain.

Photo of Ross Bogue courtesy of Boeing

Later this afternoon in Everett at the Future of Flight Aviation Center, the first 777F will be handed over to Air France Cargo in a formal delivery ceremony. The video above shows F-GUOC, the third 777F built, being rolled into position next for the festivities. The 777 Freighter is expected to depart Everett for Paris tomorrow.

Special thanks to Liz Matzelle for the great video. Make sure to watch the video in HD also, it's the last time you'll probably see this Air France jet so sparking white and clean.

All I have to say is: Nice parking job.

As far back as May of last year, Boeing publicly discussed that the brake control system was a key pacing item for the 787 program. Tracing the evolution of this issue, which Crane and Boeing have stated is resolved, today we find Crane announcing they need to develop a new version of the software, potentially for the 787-9, later blockpoint 787-8s, or even an additional evolution for initial certification. The recipient of the new software is unclear at this point, but it certainly something to be aware of moving forward.

Aviation Week - May 23, 2008:

While Boeing VP and 787 General Manager Pat Shanahan says most systems are ready to go, the airplane's brake control monitoring system supplied by Crane Aerospace to the former Smiths Aerospace division of GE Aviation has fallen behind schedule and remains a threat to first flight in the fourth quarter this year.

Design concerns about the brake monitors arose during build and test reviews by GE and Crane. As those issues were being worked out, power supply issues also cropped up. A joint GE-Crane team is addressing the problems at Crane's Burbank, Calif., facility.

A GE manager says the team is making "good progress" toward supporting Boeing's flight test schedule. "They are later than we want, but they will support first flight," the manager said.

FlightBlogger - August 5, 2008:

Boeing expects to have all of the hardware on Dreamliner One qualified by the second or third week of August, "with the exception of the brakes."

Boeing - October 31, 2008:

"The issues with the brake software are behind us, functionality required for flight test is in the labs and is working well. (The final "blue label" version -- for flight test -- is in the lab and is undergoing tests, all known software problems are resolved. The formal "red label" version will follow in two weeks. We plan on a service-ready update during flight test that adds some additional functionality including tire pressure, operator initiated test, and dataload)," said 787 spokeswoman Yvonne Leach.

Crane Co. CEO Eric Fast - February 18, 2009:

"The Company expects to complete development of the brake control system for the Boeing 787 that meets the originally specified requirements during the second quarter of 2009 although engineering efforts at reduced levels will be needed to support test flights.

However, Boeing has communicated certain changed aircraft requirements that affect the brake control system, and we have recently entered into discussions with our customer, GE Aviation Systems, regarding development of a new version of the 787 brake control system, including whether this additional development work will be funded by the customer.

It is the Company's position that it is not required to undertake this additional development work without customer funding, and the costs of such work, which could be material, are not included in our guidance." Emphasis added.

Air France Cargo is set to take delivery of its first Boeing 777 Freighter 19 February in a ceremony the company's Everett facility.

The aircraft, which is the third 777F assembled, is registered F-GUOC and is set to depart Everett, Washington on 20 February for Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The first two 777F aircraft will also be delivered to Air France Cargo. Both are currently undergoing refurbishment after a roughly 350-hour flight test program during the 2nd half of 2008.

The new Freighter, which is based on the 777-200LR platform, first flew on 14 July and was certificated on 3 February by the US FAA and validated three days later by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

F-GUOC first flew on 7 February 2009 and will operate along side Air France's fleet of 51 777 passenger aircraft, including -200ER and -300ER models. All of the fleet's 777 aircraft are powered by General Electric GE90 engines.

This first 777F delivery to Air France Cargo was initially expected in late 2008, but was delayed two months due to the 57-day International Machinist and Aerospace Workers Union Strike that halted jetliner production.

According to Boeing, 12 customers have ordered a total of 73 777 Freighters.

Photo Courtesy Matt Cawby

Several people sent me emails recently asking if I could find the 11 minute CNN interview of USAF Col. Mark Tillman. Col. Tillman served as President Bush's Air Force One pilot for eight years from 2001 to 2009. In case you were wondering, Col. Scott Turner now serves as President Obama's Air Force One pilot.

I recently found that the interview was put online, so while this blog is flying on autopilot this week, I thought it was a nice item to share, especially in honor of this week's 40th anniversary celebration of the 747s first flight in 1969.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 747's first flight, I offer a second documentary produced in 2002 that explores the evolution of the 747 into the -400  and the production improvements that have marked the 747's tenure in Everett.  For a full exploration of the 747-400's internal systems, take a look at a previous post that takes you inside the flight deck of a Cathay Pacific 747-400.

I will admit to some overlap in this documentary from the last one, but it features interviews with Joe Sutter, the father of the 747 program, Brien Wydell who served as First Officer on that first flight and Jack Jones who is currently VP of 787 Final Assembly. If nothing else, take this video from the perspective of a historical juxtaposition and watch how the world's most recognizable passenger airplane has changed over the last four decades.

On February 9, 1969 at 11:00am PT, RA001 - The Spirit of Everett, changed the way the world travels with the first flight of the Boeing 747. The original -100 model, registered N7470, lifted off to the north from Runway 34L at Boeing's Everett, Washington plant.

Forty years later, that first 747, first flown by Jack Wadell, Brien Wygle and Jesse Wallick would go on to serve as the basis for over a dozen different passenger, freighter and special mission variants, including a fire fighting supertanker, airliner supply chain hauler, airborne laser cannon and of course, Air Force One.

That original model -100 sold for $24 million in 1967, slightly less than the $285-300 million a 747-8 sells for today. Perhaps my favorite fact about the 747, is the idea that the Wright Brothers flight could take place in the wingspan of one of the orginal jumbojets.

The following program is a fitting tribute to the more than 1400 747s that have been built over the years. The documentary, which was made around the 20th anniversary of the 747's first flight, has amazing archival footage and interviews from the 1960s during the development of the first Boeing 747s.

Photo Credit FlightBlogger