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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 2411.PDF
Commercial aircraft of the world Boeing PO BOX 3707, Seattle, Washington 98124, USA* (206) 237-2121 -*" 32 94 30 There is no doubt that the success of Air bus Industrie in the last year has given Boeing a nasty fright, and the company hopes that the 757 and 767 have arrived in time to check the advance of the Euro peans. Boeing seems to have been success ful recently in holding the line across its home territory—having lost Eastern which bought the A300 early on—but its depen dence on the US market has not helped in smoothing the effects of the current re cession. Five years ago Boeing made a bold move to split the UK away from Europe and two of the three vital elements slipped into place. Rolls-Boyce became lead engine supplier in the 757 and British Airways bought 737s and 757s. But British Aerospace played hard to get and did not pick up an attractive Boeing offer to design and build the 757 wing. Instead it sided with Europe and is now firmly wedded to Airbus. This has left Boeing looking towards the Japanese, Italians — and Canadians — for partnerships to spread the financial risks attached to the launch of major aerospace projects; it looks likely that Boeing will be chosen by the Japanese as a partner on a 150-seater programme. Naturally, be ing number one in the airliner market makes Boeing the target to beat, and be cause it has the widest product range it needs the most investment to keep its models up to date. The challenge for Boe ing right now is to keep selling enough aircraft so that it is not embarrassed by the development costs of the 737-300, 757, 767, and stretched-upper-deck 747-300. It also needs enough spare cash to begin to fund the 7-7. Unlike Airbus, it cannot afford a costly overdraft. 727-200. The announcement (just after last year's Survey had gone to press) that Federal Express had ordered 15 new freighter 727-200Fs came as something of a surprise. Just as production of the world's best selling jetliner was beginning to run down, Boeing launched a new ver sion. Deliveries will begin in the middle of next year and will continue at one per The TA11 is designed for long, thin routes month. The basic 727-100 made its first flight in February 1963. Boeing currently holds 1,825 orders for the 727 and has delivered 1,807. The pro duction rate for 1983 will be about two per month and unless some new top-up orders are received the end of the line is in sight. It is worth noting, nevertheless, that recent 727 deliveries are powered by the 16,0001b thrust JT8D-17A, which offers a 5 per cent improvement in fuel burn over the -17, and that several other jet liners do not even have the 727 backlog total of 18. Boeing really is playing down its interest in the re-engined 727BE and says it is no longer being considered. It says it needs a firm market for 200 conversions before the programme could be a serious propo sition. It reports that interest among the airlines has declined and that the RE is no longer a viable option. The idea will not die, however, and Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed are still seriously examining the concept. The engine company would like another outlet for the PW2037, and Lock heed would like something to follow the TriStar on the Palmdale production line. The problem remains the price (about $14 million for a basic conversion) and dis agreement among airlines about what they The Boeing 727-200 FLIGHT International, 23 October 1982 want. Some say they need a simple re- engining and a ballasting of the nose to offset the weight of the new engines. Others say they want a forward-fuselage stretch, a two crew cockpit, and revised systems. On balance the project probably will not go ahead. Programme Status: all 727 models: Orders, 1,825. Delivered, 1,807. Production rate, two per month. 737. Sales of the 737 and its derivative, the 737-300, passed the 1,000 mark in March when TAP placed an order for seven JTD8D-17A powered 737-200s. Production has been running at ten per month this year and will average eight a month in 1983. Although it first flew in April 1967, a second bulge in 737 orders began in 1978 and has carried the aircraft forward. Its customer base of 109 operators is larger than for any other type and Boeing has now delivered 895 examples against an order list of 1,003. In addition to its success, the other most interesting feature of the 737 is the way Boeing is currently talking about develop ing the aircraft past the -300 into -400 and -500 series. The big question is whether the -500 is the 150-seater that everyone is discussing or whether Boeing wishes to leave its intentions vague while it ponders the future of the 7-7 (and A320). In March 1981 Boeing announced the full-scale go-ahead of the stretched 737- 300. Powered by the 20,0001b thrust CFM- 56 and retaining 80 per cent commonality with the -200, the new model should fly in March 1984. First deliveries are scheduled for that November. Despite its common ality, the -300 is a major new derivative, as the accompanying drawing shows, with new "hamster-pouch" nacelles and revised wing and tail. A new interior using fea tures from the 757 should save 7321b in weight. The aircraft will use carbon com posites for the rudder, elevator, dorsal fin, spoilers, and ailerons to give a further 2431b weight reduction. Overall, the 737- 300 should, according to Boeing, burn up to 25 per cent less fuel per seat than the -200. It will carry more payload and achieve similar airfield performance. In addition to the basic maximum take-off weight of 124,5001b (56,360kg), the 737-300 is offered with options of 130,0001b (59,090kg) and 135,0001b (61,360kg). Maxi mum zero fuel weight is now 106,5001b 1185
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