Recent Deals

Over the past few weeks, more and more airlines have continued to sign on for the Boeing 787 project. Continental Airlines confirmed their order for 5 787-9 Dreamliners, pushing their order total to nearly 25. Continental said they chose the 787 because of its extremely low cost per seat mile. Both Larry Keller, CEO of Continental, and Ray Conner, Boeing Sales Executive, have both described the deal process as a dream. First Choice Airways of the United Kingdom has also reached an agreement for four additional 787s. As airlines continue to see the progress Boeing is making, expect more and more 787 orders. With the A-380 struggling, the airline industry at Boeing is on a tear.

Components Coming Together

On March 14, 2007, Boeing celebrated the roll out of the first vertical fin for the Boeing 787. The vertical fin is the largest primary structure on the 787 airframe. The vertical fin was built at the Composite Manufacturing Center and utilized the highest level of technology in its design. The assembly is moving along strongly as Japan has been producing their components on time. The 747-400 LCF or large cargo freighter, has started brining over many of the parts from Japan. Boeing continues to assert it is on time and the 787 roll-out is looking closer than ever.

Order News

On February 19, 2007, Air New Zealand finalized an order for an additional four 787-9s. The order total is now 468 total from 37 customers. On the 19th, Boeing also finalized a deal with LOT Polish Airlines for one additional 787, bringing their total to eight. The Dreamliner launch is set to become the most successful launch of any commercial aircraft ever. Boeing has seen more orders from international airlines than expected. Kenya, Jet, and Aeromexico have all recently added their names to the list of potential customers. Expect the number of interntaional orders to grow within the coming year as the launch nears.

Bad News for Boeing

Earlier mentioned within this blog was the use of composite materials for the construction of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. Development has hit a snag with the most resent round of destructive testing. During a simulation of a bird strike, where a bird carcase was shot at a section of the wing the composite skin of the that section shattered. This is tremendous set back as engineers begin the search for a solution.

Finally, The Building Begins

According to Aviation Week & Space Technology, the first sections of the first 787 forward fuselage and its center wheel built in Japan, are being air-freighted to Boeing's factory in South Carolina. Obviously, these sections are too big for UPS or FedEx to ship, so Boeing created a LCF transport aircraft known as the DreamLifter. There are currently only two DreamLifters made out of three DreamLifters intended for shipping 787 parts. The first DreamLifter wasn't even painted when it started shipping the 787 parts around. That's how relentlessly Boeing is trying to keep the 787 on schedule. Besides having parts from Japan, Boeing also assign other companies around the world to design different parts of the 787. The nose of the 787 is made in Kanas, while center fuselage is created in Italy. The final assembly of the 787 will take place at Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington. All Nippon Airways and a Japanese carrier have placed orders for the 787. So far so good for Boeing.

Owning a 787

For airlines interested in the Boeing 787, the first major obstacle is cost. The most basic model, the 787-3 is listed at between $138-143 million US dollars. The more capable 787-8 is listed at US $148-158 million. Lastly, the long-range 787-9 is listed at $179-188 million in US currency. The 787 will hold nearly 33,258 gallons of fuel when fully loaded for long haul trips. Airlines must determine if the demand will cover their costs. However, an advantage to owning the 787 is that it is interchangeable between General Electric and Rolls Royce Engines. The engine market alone for the 787 is estimated to top $40 billion. Airlines have been pleased to know that the 787 is a two-pilot crew with easier training than previous models. This will also help to keep operating costs low. One of the unknown benefits of owning a 787 is that the cabin is made of components that are immune to corrosion. This will allow the 787 to be kept at a higher humidity and further increase passenger comfort. The overall improved comfort of passengers in both coach and business class will make flying on the 787 a pleasure. This will clearly help to offset some of the costs of ownership.

New Age; New Construction

With the new design of the 787 several new technologies will also be incorporated in the design. the most "cutting-edge" is the use of composite materials rather then aluminum. According to Boeing almost half of the construction of the fuselage and wings of the 787 will be of composite materials. Other technologies contributing to the cutting-edge of the program are the power plants. Both General Electric and Rolls-Royce have been contracted by Boeing to culminate that latest in gas turbine engine technology to develop an entirely new engine design for new 787 fleet of aircraft. All partners in the joint venture are expecting an unprecedented 8% jump in efficiency. The new 787 should be lighter and more fuel efficient then anything before it making it far more cheaper to operate as it can carry more payload, farther, for less fuel.

Information is courtesy of Boeing Corporate Web Page