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Beat Round-Up: Delta firms 100 737s, 787 and 747-8F delivery timelines, ANA EIS routes, GEnx-1B PIP1 cert, Charleston activation

Delta 737 Buy Goes Live

Delta Air Lines confirmed its order for 100 737-900ER aircraft this morning, the largest single order for the extended range stretch of the single-aisle jet. As the airframer thinks about the geographical balance of its narrowbody backlog growth, it’s worth noting that of Boeing’s net 737 orders for 2011 (274), wholly 74% (200) comes from just two customers.

747-8 & 787 First Deliveries

Boeing is closing in on delivery of the first 747-8 freighter no earlier than September 7, say company sources, though they caution its possible that this date may shift to slightly later in the month. The airframer has yet to release an official schedule for the delivery to Cargolux. RC502’s first flight will be the key milestone for guiding the first delivery timeline. Cathay Pacific is expected to become the second recipient of freighters in September, followed by Atlas Air in October.

All Nippon Airways’ first 787, ZA101, is closing in on first delivery sometime between September 22 to 30, with a ferry flight to Japan two days later. With its engine run on August 18, the aircraft is closing in on its first flight on September 1. FAA and EASA type certificate and FAA production certificates will be awarded August 26.

Also, ANA announced its first 787 domestic (Okayama, Hiroshima) and international routes (Beijing, Frankfurt).

787 Cancellation

Boeing’s backlog of 787s shrunk by six this week, with a cancellation by an unidentified carrier. Possible suspects: Delta, Gulf Air or possibly a European carrier. The airframer now holds 821 order for the type.

GEnx-1B PIP1 Certified

General Electric received certification of its GEnx-1B engine with its Performance Improvement Package 1 that will shave 1.4% off the specific fuel consumption (SFC) of one of the two engine options for the 787. The improvement comes from an increased in the number of low pressure turbine (LPT) blades. This certification clears the way for the first of two planned PIPs to be flown on ZA005 or ZA006. Certification of the GEnx-1B 787 airframe combination is still expected in the fourth quarter followed by delivery to launch customer Japan Airlines.

Charleston’s First 787

Just as Hurricane Irene is closing in on the eastern seaboard, the Charleston final assembly line has taken delivery of the last of the major structural sections for Airplane 46 (Air India), the first 787 to be built outside of Everett. The aft fuselage was walked across the campus from the former Vought Aircraft Industries building on August 22 where the structure is fabricated and undergoes systems installation. The section 47/48 joined the already delivered wings, center, forward and empennage structures, which first began arriving on 24 June.

Prior to delivery to final assembly, Airplane 46’s center fuselage was used to shakedown new tooling on Line C, the third structural join and systems integration pulse line at the Charleston campus. Airplane 57, the next Charleston-built 787, will be joined in the newly inaugurated line.

Rendering Credit Boeing

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 25, 2011
Delta to order 100 737-900ER to replace 757 fleet, delays order for next 100 aircraft (Update1)

Delta Air Lines is expected to announce Tuesday it has purchased 100 737-900ER aircraft to replace is aging 757 fleet, reports Bloomberg News and Air Insight.

According to Air Insight, the carrier will take delivery of all 100 by the end of 2018. The order is a significant win for Boeing, which at one point was believed to not even have planned to bid for the Delta’s business after not being able to meet near-term delivery commitments.

The move blocks a further growth in Airbus’ North American market share following the purchase of 260 Airbus A320 and A320neo family aircraft by American Airlines on July 20. That order also included 200 737 family aircraft, including the 100 airframe tentative launch order for the re-engined 737-7, -8 and -9 family.

Delta, currently a split narrowbody operator, flies the 737-700 and -800 along side the A319 and A320s the airline inherited through its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines, the first North American operator of the type.

The Atlanta-based carrier said it planned to acquire a total of 200 new narrowbody aircraft, leaving 50% of the massive fleet renewal order undecided for the smaller end of its mainline fleet, pitting Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier’s CSeries against one another.

However, Airbus gained significant ground inside another Boeing stronghold – the Japanese market – with Qantas purchasing 110 A320 and A320neo family aircraft for its low-cost Jetstar to be based in Japan.

UPDATE 12:46 PM ET: CONFIRMED – Delta will order 100 737-900ER aircraft, the largest single order for the type. Further, industry sources confirm that a selection of a smaller narrowbody that pitted the CSeries against the Embraer E-195 has been delayed, as the airline does not see the same level of urgency to replace its 757s starting in 2013. The airline’s aircraft evaluations excluded consideration of the re-engined narrowbodies from Airbus and Boeing. FULL STORY

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 22, 2011
FAA and EASA clear 747-8F for early September first delivery (Update1)

Boeing announced this morning that the 747-8 freighter has been certified by both the US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency, clearing the final hurdle before the first aircraft is turned over to Cargolux early in September. Here’s my full story on the certification.

UPDATE 7:25 PM ET: It appears as though the first aircraft for delivery, RC502, will be handed over sometime in the first week of September.

Further, Boeing received notification from the FAA that the final six airport that were threatened by the Congressional budget impasse have been fully certified for use by the 747-8. Internationally, ICAO is expected to hand down its verdict on the 747-8’s wake vortex separation rules “very soon”, says 747 programme vice president of engineering, Todd Zarfos. The 747-400 is required to maintain a 4nm separation and 6nm spacing ahead of general aviation aircraft.

Meanwhile, the 747-8I is progressing into its certification phase of flight test, heading for certification and first delivery at the end of the year. First delivery will see the handover of RC002 to VIP completion, followed by first delivery to Lufthansa for airline service in early 2012.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 19, 2011
Boeing closes in on 66-inch Leap-X for 737-7, -8 and -9 (Update1)

Boeing appears to be nearing a final decision on the fan size of re-engined 737, settling on a powerplant that will not require any modification to the aircraft’s landing gear, confirm company and industry sources.

As the airframer moves closer to a vote by the board of directors later this month, a 66in CFM International Leap-X fan is gaining consensus internally as the final configuration of the re-engined jet which is likely to enter service in 2016 or 2017.

Further, the updated aircraft is expected harmonize the type’s brand in line with the 787 and 747, changing the 737-700/800/900ER to the 737-7, -8 and -9.

Boeing declined official comment on fan size deliberation.

The updated jet is also expected to feature external nacelle chevrons for noise reduction, similar to those featured on the 787 and 747-8, and detailed assessments are underway to incorporate a revised tail cone, natural laminar flow nacelle and hybrid laminar flow vertical stabilizer for additional drag and fuel burn reduction.

Boeing is seeking to strike a balance with its design, delivering 10-12% fuel burn improvement with the update engine without changing the 737 too significantly to break fleet commonality with its current models, in turn giving existing customers the flexibility to evaluate the Airbus A320neo without consideration of the switching costs.

Compromise is a central tenet of aircraft design, balancing engineering, manufacturing, certification and cost consideraitons to create a product that best meets customer requirements.

While Boeing’s 66in fan will have a lower bypass ratio and higher specific fuel consumption (SFC) than the 78in Leap-X and 81in Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine options for the A320neo, the smaller engine will weigh less and create less drag on the 737’s airframe.

According to one industry assessment of the engine’s performance, the SFC improvement of a 66in fan places its SFC improvement around 13-14% over the 61in CFM56-7B engine that powers the 737 today, and once integrated onto the aircraft would deliver a fuel burn benefit of 10-12%.

The narrowing consideration of a 66in fan for the re-negined 737 was first reported by Leeham Co. in an August 10 posting and the study of 65 or 66in fan was reported by Bloomberg in July.

A design shelved earlier this year, designated the 737RE, featured a 70in fan, which required an 8in nose gear extension to meet the required 17in engine nacelle ground clearance to avoid hitting taxiway lighting.

The 737 could have accommodated up to a 67in fan before requiring any changes to the landing gear.

According to that now-defunct plan, the longer nose landing gear would have prompted a redesign in the lower lobe of the forward 41 section would requiring Boeing to modify the electrical equipment (EE) bay to find new routing for wiring and equipment racks.

The changes would have also likely necessitated widespread changes to the aircraft’s empennage and fuselage.

Boeing is seeking to avoid repeating the troubles it encountered when developing the 747-8 freighter and Intercontinental, which began its design life as a “simple” re-engine with General Electric GEnx-2B powerplants.

The mounting of the 747’s engines and stretching of the fuselage, prompted significant changes to the aircraft’s wing and flight control systems that caused a ripple effect across the jumbo’s design. In turn, this drove up the extensiveness and cost of the change required to deliver on the jet’s performance targets.

Once Boeing receives the go-ahead to offer the 737-7, -8 and -9 to customers, it will be able to begin taking orders for the updated narrowbody, including firming a commitment for 100 of the type from American Airlines, announced on July 20.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 18, 2011
Boeing completes 787 flight test with Top Gun-style tower pass

Boeing has confirmed Saturday’s 787 flight test completion.

And now your moment of Zen:

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 17, 2011
Photos of Note: United’s first 787 heads to final assembly

Earlier this month, the last parts for United Airlines’ (formerly Continental Airlines) first 787 arrived at Boeing’s Everett, Washington facility to begin final assembly. The aircraft’s center fuselage arrived at Paine Field aboard the Dreamlifter just before All Nippon Airways first 787 was unveiled on August 6, and the forward fuselage arrived from Wichita on August 4.

I managed to capture this particular aircraft at both ends of the supply chain, having photographed the aircraft’s 43 Section at Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Nagoya last September before it was shipped to Charleston for integration. In the overnight hours Tuesday, the fuselage sections are expected to be loaded into final body join at position one inside the factory.

This aircraft, Airplane 45, is expected to inaugurate service between the carrier’s Houston hub and Auckland, New Zealand after it is delivered in early 2012. The 6444nm journey will be the first route for the 787 to take advantage of the 330 minute ETOPS certification that will be available when the fuel quantity indication system software is updated early next year.

Continental has said they will outfit the aircraft with 228 seats – 38 business and 192 economy – but this announcement was made well before the merger with United. Delivery will happen after the carriers receive its single operating certificate, and may represent the single airline’s new long-haul product combining features of both.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 15, 2011
Certification flight testing complete, the 787 fleet is still busy

Six-hundred and six days after it first began on a cold and rainy December day, it’s done. Mostly.

The certification flight trials for Boeing’s first 787 variant were completed in the afternoon hours of August 13, rounding out a half-day’s worth of testing that took ZA102 to Salt Lake City, Utah and Billings, Montana before returning to Paine Field in Everett.

It would be the last of the required certification flight testing required for the FAA’s system functionality and reliability (F&R) testing, which began in late June.

On Sunday, ZA102 flew with a plane-load of passengers to put the the aircraft’s IFE and environmental control systems to the test, with final F&R ground tests afterward, say program sources, a test for Boeing, not the FAA.

The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered test fleet has flown nearly 3,800h since ZA001’s maiden flight on December 15, 2009 and along with two General Electric GEnx test aircraft, visited 14* countries, and faced high altitudes, freezing and sweltering temperatures, high winds, water and one very important trial by fire.

The 20 months of testing, was significantly longer than the company’s first planned eight months, at one point in late 2007 estimating that 787’s certification would take as little as five, employing its 24h test methodology to fly 2,430 hours to certify the Rolls-Royce powered 787.

Monday will likely bring the formal announcement by Boeing of the completion of 787’s certification flight tests with Trent 1000 Package A engines.

While this first extraordinary chapter in the life of the 787’s test program comes to a close, there are still major milestones left to secure, including final US and Japanese regulatory approval and certification of the airframe pairing with 70,000lb Trent 1000 Package B and General Electric GEnx-1B engines still being tested on ZA005 and ZA006, is expected later this year.

The first four deliveries to ANA will be powered by Package A engines and will live their lives rated at 64,000lbs of thrust for short and medium-haul international missions, before the Package B engines – which are being tested in Yuma by ZA004 – advance to within 1% of promised specific fuel consumption.

Notably the 1% SFC is for the engine only, and its yet unclear how close the updated engine gets to the aircraft-wide fuel burn target when integrated, though ANA has said the 787-8 is still capable of reaching to US East Coast from Japan, when they begin international operations in early 2012.

While the Package A certification is a crucial first step to establish the 787’s base type certificate, the Package B and GEnx-1B certifications will clear the way for the next 823 ordered by the world’s airlines.

*US, Canada, Iceland, UK, France, Poland, Japan, India, Bolivia, Peru, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 15, 2011
The quirks and questions of All Nippon’s first 787

With the final days of 787 flight testing with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Package A engines coming this weekend, ANA’s first 787, ZA101, has moved from the Everett Modification Center (EMC) – formerly ATS Factory South – to the fuel dock for fuel system checkouts, a sign of the aircraft’s coming first flight. The 264-seat aircraft will undergo “first of model” evaluations ahead of its delivery to ANA in September.

The aircraft was officially unveiled (video) in a ceremony in Everett last weekend, but after a week of bouncing around I’m finally getting to posting some thoughts on this first 787’s notable tidbits. This page did a preliminary look at the interior of the domestically configured aircraft in July, but this was the first opportunity go get hands-on with ANA’s first 787.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 12, 2011
A new generation of Airbus A330 Beluga Super Transporters? (Update1)

At first glance, this looks like one of the five heavily modified Airbus A300-600 Beluga Super Transporter, right? Now look again. That is the unmistakable shape of an A330 wing and winglet.

The photos, which appear on the Airbus website and photo gallery (page 15), illustrate an A330-300 heavily modified to a next generation Beluga Super Transporter. A quick back-of-the-napkin calculation places an A330 Beluga about 18% longer than the A300-600.

For its coming production increases, Airbus hopes to eventually achieve a rate of 13 A350s per month, but it would appear more likely that narrowbody production would benefit the most if Airbus uses the A330 as a means to advance beyond 42 A320 family aircraft per month.

From a production ramp up point of view, this fits well into Airbus’s Red modus operandi within the Piepenbrock framework. The production system doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but takes the existing beluga design and adapts it for an aircraft that already has a fuselage the same width as the A300-600.

UPDATE 1:38 PM ET: The official line from Airbus on the photos is: “it is indeed a mistake”. The European airframer said it wasn’t sure where the graphics came from or why they were posted.

The mistaken publication or creation of the graphics aside, the key question is how far could such an aircraft fly? And more importantly, could it connect central Europe to the southern United States to a city like Mobile, Alabama for example? Toulouse is 4,159 nm, 3,802nm from Broughton and 4,224nm from Hamburg.

As a reference point, an A330-200F has a 4,000nm range with 70t of payload and today’s A300-600ST has a range of 1,500nm with 40t and 2,500nm range with 26t.

Photos Credit Airbus

Map Credit Great Circle Mapper

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 9, 2011
Photo of Note: Introducing JA801A, ANA’s first 787

Photo of Note: Introducing JA801A, ANA’s first 787, originally uploaded by flightblogger.

This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.

This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.

August 6, 2011