Improved versions of the Boeing 787 family offering significant efficiency and range increases could be available within six years thanks to refinements in the production technique used to build the twinjet's carbonfibre structure.
Mike Bair, vice-president and general manager of the twinjet programme, says that by the time the planned 787-10 double-stretch enters service in around 2013, Boeing expects to have "better optimised" the composite structure, which will mitigate the range loss resulting from the increased length, and these improvements will be drilled back into the existing -8 and -9 models.
The 787-10 will have around 50 more seats than the -9, but will retain its wing size and operating weights meaning that "the range will fall out, but we will have the technology to get the weight out of the aircraft to make it more efficient to get some of that range back", says Bair. He adds that after 70 years of building aircraft fuselages from aluminium, "we're right at the beginning of learning how to do that with composites".
In the "three and half years" since the decision was taken to use carbonfibre for the bulk of the 787, Boeing has already identified ways to better optimise the structure during construction, says Bair: "We have a laundry list of things we can do. We're talking about a generation and a half improvement."
Bair says that the structural improvements will result in a 5% efficiency gain and Boeing is looking at how to introduce the changes into the 787-8/9. "We could do a block change," he says, where a new build standard is introduced from a certain line number. "We're going to move the performance goal posts [that Airbus is aiming at with the A350 specification]," says Bair.
The 300-seat 787-10 is currently being offered but will not be launched until a customer is secured and then board approval received. Bair says that the 2013 in-service target is "a year later than planned as we've sold all the -10 flight test aircraft production slots" as -8s and -9s. Production of the twinjet is effectively sold out until "the mid-point of the next decade", he adds.
Meanwhile final assembly of the first 787-8 is proceeding on schedule towards the 8 July roll-out ceremony, although Bair concedes that there are "pockets that are behind". He says that at roll-out the aircraft will be structurally complete, but will then need to undergo the installation of systems and ground testing. "The next milestone after roll-out will be the power-on," he says.
The first flight of the -8 is due in the late August/September timeframe and Bair says that if this target is missed there are certain parts of the flight-test programme that can be deferred to ensure Boeing still meets its May 2008 delivery date to launch operator All Nippon Airways.For more news, pictures and information about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, please visit our 787 Aircraft Profile page
Source: Flight International
