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Archive 2007-2012

Boeing puts original 787 tooling on eBay, yours for $14,999.99

Off to the left wing of a 787 at position three inside Boeing’s 40-26 final assembly line, you’ll find a 70,500lb piece of tooling called the Max Move. Designed to lift and install General Electric GEnx-1B and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines into position for installation under the wing, this particular Max Move was built in Sweden in 2007 and can lift a hefty 31,000lbs. It was part of the company’s repertoire of ultra-lean tooling to minimize the recurring cost of the 787 and reduce reliance on legacy equipment such as overhead cranes.

Now Boeing has put up the MaxMove up for sale on eBay! The starting bid is a mere $14,999 and you’ve got until next Tuesday to submit your bid. Bidadoo, who is running the auction for Boeing, is still waiting on the first bid, so this Swedish robo-tooling could be yours for a steal.

From what I understand from program sources, the Max Mover was used once in 2007 to install the Trent 1000s for ZA001 ahead of the July rollout, but has laid dormant off to the side on the factory floor ever since. Boeing has since opted for a much leaner pylon winch system to load engines, which has yielded significantly faster engine installation times. It’s not the first time Boeing has shifted its original tooling plan, the company now uses legacy overhead cranes to move 787 wings into position for final body join, rather than mobile floor tooling.

The MaxMove needs to be out of the factory by July 1, so make sure your PayPal account is ready to roll.

Lastly, a very special thank you to the person who pointed this out to me.

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.

June 9, 2011
Photo of Note: 747-8 Intercontinental from the top down

Photo 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.

June 9, 2011
Its flight testing complete, lead 747-8F heads for refurbishment

Sixteen months after its first February 2010 first flight, the first 747-8F, RC501, has completed its Boeing testing responsibilities and ferried from San Bernardino, California to the company’s Global Service & Support facility at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas earlier today. RC501 will enter refurbishment along side RC503 and 787 ZA177 for Japan Airlines. Both RC501 and RC503 will be delivered to launch customer Cargolux “later this summer”.

The lead test flight 747-8F flew for more than 1,000h during its time with Boeing Test & Evaluation, including initial airworthiness and stability and control trials, flutter, velocity minimum unstick and max brake energy tests. RC501 was also the guinea pig for the rest of the fleet, first discovering and troubleshooting issues that have challenged the type’s development program such as the landing gear door/flaps 30 buffet, inboard aileron power control unit issue and wingtip flutter oscillation.

In other 747-8 news, RC522, the third test aircraft, will make its first air show visit later this month to Paris along side 787 ZA001 and 747-8I RC001, and will continue on to Luxembourg to visit Cargolux on June 23.

RC523, the fifth -8F aircraft, remains an active asset continuing 747-8 systems functionality and reliability (F&R) testing on 8-12 hour missions around the United States since June 1.

Also, who could forget the Flight International cover shot RC501 provided?

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.

June 8, 2011
A350 composite wing panels to be first out-of-autoclave parts

While all the attention at the Paris Air Show will surely be turned to the airlines and the aircraft makers they will be shopping from, a little known technology company called Advanced Composites Group Ltd., may be set to make a big impact on the future of commercial aerospace manufacturing in Le Bourget.

On display for the first time will be parts manufactured for the Airbus A350 XWB composite trailing edge wing panels. While on its surface that may not seem particularly notable in an aircraft that has 52% composite primary structure, each panel is made from MTM44-1, the first application of out-of-autoclave (OoA) composite technology for commercial aircraft structure.

The heavily infrastructure intensive process of curing composites at 180 degrees Celsius requires expensive massive autoclaves to cook monolithic parts that seek to deliver a higher strength to weight ratio over comparable metallic parts. The autoclaves are a massive part of the cost of the capital expenditure for majority-composite aircraft, along with the high cost to run the high-temperature, high-pressure ovens for each shipset.

Boeing is currently in search of a method of building an all-new composite narrowbody aircraft without autoclaves, allowing for significantly higher production rates running at 40, 50 or even 60 aircraft per month, while cutting both the non-recurring and recurring cost to build each one.

It should not go unmentioned that the Advanced Low Cost Aircraft Structures (ALCAS) program led by Airbus and Dassault, which helped to ready MTM44-1 for production primetime, was funded by the European Union’s Framework Six program, explicitly mentioned in the Boeing WTO complaint. In fact, the recent WTO appellate decision determined that the Framework Six program represented a specific subsidy, but not one that was prohibited. The program represents a definitive example of integrated stakeholders developing commercially viable technology that further the goals of all the parties involved.

Though as Boeing looks to make a decision about an all-new jet or re-engined 737 in the next nine months, a battle of aerospace materials is in the works with significant news expected from metallics giant Alcoa in the coming days as well, setting up Paris to see duelling technologies make their case for large-scale commercial implementation.

However, the battle doesn’t necessarily represent polar opposite directions for airframers, but rather finding the right application for both OoA and advanced metals as each seeks to make make their case for not just new jets, but also reducing the weight and cost for those already in production.

Photo Credit Airbus

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.

June 7, 2011
Is Jeju Air the “well-established” unidentified CSeries customer?

One tipster has pointed to Jeju Air as the “well established” carrier mentioned in Bombardier’s CSeries order announcement today. The unidentified carrier ordered three CS100 aircraft, with options for an additional three more. The South Korean airline is both a Boeing and Bombardier customer, operating 737-800s and Dash 8-Q400s to the holiday island of Jeju. I’ll file this under speculation, but call it another data point for those of us trying to solve the mystery.

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.

June 7, 2011
Dig into Flightglobal’s Pre-Paris Air Show interactive magazine

Can’t wait another 12 days before the 2011 Paris Air Show kicks off in Le Bourget?

Flightglobal has put together an interactive preview issue for the biennial show for your perusal. The FG team is going to be bringing coverage of the show from every conceivable angle, including the return of our FLIR pod to watch live-streaming of the flying display. Also, make sure to sign up for your personalized MyParis page to customize the news you’d like to see coming out of the show. My colleague, IFE and interiors expert Mary Kirby and I will be reprising our daily wrap videos from the show and naturally we’ll be tweeting up a storm with the #PAS11 hashtag. I go trans-Atlantic a week from this Friday and hit the ground running on the morning of June 18 and then it’s full throttle from there.

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.

June 7, 2011
A350-1000 to get new Trent XWB+ engine, takes aim at 777 family

The 93,000lb Trent XWB engine, recently called “certainly sufficient” to meet the mission requirements of the 350-seat A350-1000, appears set to get a 5000lb thrust boost to better compete with Boeing’s 777-300ER. That jump to 98,000lbs – which Steven Udvar-Hazy said was necessary to meet its goals – is aimed at increasing the payload range capability of the -1000 another 500nm from 7,990nm to 8,490nm. Yet, even if the new Trent XWB is only designed to meet the near-8,000nm mission, then the powerplant may begin to accelerate Boeing’s -300ER upgrades, and could pose a larger challenge to the 777 family.

While the development of the new larger 98,000lb Trent XWB will certainly push the late-2015 EIS well to the right, even before any A350-900 delays are made official, the new engine gives Boeing some clarity on how to respond to the design changes.

However, understanding the foundations of Airbus’s incremental “DNA” this new (and costly) engine is not a one-off to compete at 350-seats. The Trent XWB+ (or whatever it will be dubbed) is Airbus’s answer for not just the -300ER market, but the ultra-long range -200LR at 301-seats, and more even more importantly the highly successful 777F.

The A350-1000 engine was already set to power both the A350-900R and A350-900F, so even with a five year slip to 2020, the -1000 gets Airbus into the long-range 350-seat market faster than Boeing got to the -300ER after the 777-200’s 1995 entry into service. In no uncertain terms, Airbus is taking a page from Boeing’s own playbook in the same way that the General Electric GE90-110 and -115 cover the 777F, -200LR and -300ER.

Though, the new engine also presents increased risk for the A350-1000. Boeing, by comparison, moved the simple fuselage stretch of 33ft 3in first to the 777-300, then evolved once again to the 777-300ER’s updated airframe and GE90-115BL engines. The much maligned “Derivatives R Us” phase of Boeing’s history in the late 1990s has yielded its current cash crop of product.

The middle step to the -300, which was a basic stretch of the 777-200ER’s airframe, allowed Boeing to significantly de-risk the -300ER’s development by better understanding the airframe’s capability before optimizing it for the longer missions. Make no mistake, this engine looks to be readying a full assault against the 777 program.

Photo Credit Airbus

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.

June 6, 2011
747-8I, 747-8F, 787, Sky Interior, 777-200LR to headline Paris for 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.

June 6, 2011
News Notes: 747-8F F&R; underway, CSeries’ Swedish order, G650 testing resumes, Air India’s half-billion dollar 787 compensation

SEATTLE — I’ve been pretty well trapped underground writing for our Paris Air Show issue which comes out in two weeks, but I’ve finally finished 6,100 words worth of features looking at Boeing’s coming production ramp up, 787 and 747-8 flight test. As you’ve rightly noticed, they’re has been a lack of content here on the blog as my attention has been turned toward print, but I’m back in the saddle again having woken up from my typing-induced haze in the Pacific Northwest for two jam-packed days of briefings here with Boeing. There won’t be any direct news from the briefings immediately as the contents are under embargo for Paris later in the month.

That being said, there are several notable important news notes that have unfolded over the past few days.

Boeing begins 747-8F F&R testing

Boeing kicked off 747-8F system functionality and reliability (F&R) testing today with RC523 covering 16 US states over 10 hours Wednesday, say program sources. Boeing said last week it expected the F&R testing to get underway in June once the Federal Aviation Administration has signed off on the Honeywell flight management system software. The state of functionality of that software is currently unknown, as it is unclear what the final resolution was and if the aircraft will have full functionality at the time of first delivery.

Swedish CSeries Order

CSeries broke its order dryspell today when Sweeden’s Braathens Leasing ordered 5 CS100s and 5 CS300s for Malmo Aviation. While ten aircraft is hardly an order that has the potential to change the competitive landscape, it is forward commercial momentum heading toward the Paris Air Show, which should see more orders for the type materialize. This is the first order for the new jet since February 2010, when Republic Airways purchased up to 80 CS300s.

G650 returns to the sky

The Gulfstream resumed its G650 flight test campaign on May 28, with S/N 6001 (N650GA) moving ahead with plans to certify the aircraft by the close of this year. The US business jet airframer confirmed the aircraft is now being operated with a temporary increase in the aircraft’s minimum speed and a new limit to the maximum angle of attack on take-off, after the company cautioned the G650’s minimum speed might increase as a result of the April 2 accident in Roswell, New Mexico.

Leap-X nets Virgin America, ILFC

A report from Bloomberg News indicates that CFM is readying to announce its first Leap-X customers for the A320neo. The 30 Virgin America A320neos that gave the program its first firm order in January will be powered by the new Leap-X engine. Additionally, ILFC will power the balance of its 100 aircraft A320neo order with the Leap-X, adding another 40 airframe to CFM’s column.

Air India’s half-billion dollar 787 compensation

The Economic Times reports that Air India has been offered $500 million to compensate Air India for the late delivery of 27 787 Dreamliners. A quick look at the numbers translates the massive compensation deal means that $18.5 million in revenue is shaved from the 27 aircraft. Or another way to look at it, Boeing has to remove an additional $1 million in cost from the first 500 787s to cancel out the effect of the deal. Keep in mind, more than 300 early 787 airframes – of which Air India’s are included – were sold for an average of $76 million to begin with.

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.

June 1, 2011
Boeing makes subtle, major move toward a new aircraft

Buried in the second-to-last paragraph in an announcement of vice presidential promotions for its chief engineers was a word about Terry Beezhold, who serves as the 787 airplane level integration team (ALIT) leader. Beezhold, effective today, becomes Boeing’s vice president for process, tools and affordability. One particular line in his new job description stands out:

In his new role, Beezhold will work with Engineering, Information Technology,

Manufacturing, Airplane Programs and CAS to make sure all Boeing Commercial

Airplanes computing processes and tools support the entry into service for the 747

Freighter and Intercontinental and 787 airplanes, support the sustaining airplane

programs and enable the planned rate increases for the 737, 767, and 777 programs.

Additionally, Beezhold will work on affordability associated with the non-recurring

process for future airplane product development. Doing so, he will work closely with

Larry Schneider, vice president of Product Development; Mike Bair, vice president of

Advanced 737 Product Development, and Lars Anderson, vice president of Advanced

777 Product Development.

The position is significant as it lays the groundwork establishing the business case for the coming spate of potential development programs, including the stretched 787-10X, 777 upgrade and clean sheet 737 replacement.

Match that description against this 1997 Flight International article about future product development and a new role for one of Boeing’s Master Engineers, Walt Gillette:

One of the initiatives is aimed at creating “faster, cheaper”, processes which would enable Boeing and its suppliers to develop an all-new aircraft at half the cost of current projects. Although Boeing declines to offer any details, Flight International understands that the project’s broad target is a 50% reduction in the 70-month timescale and $7 billion cost of the 777 programme.

Boeing’s name for the project is the Airplane Creation Process Strategy, and it is led by its director, Walt Gillette, who was appointed to the position in January. “We met suppliers a while ago to begin discussing the issue, although we’re not ready to talk about it much externally at the moment,” says Boeing. The Airplane Creation Process Strategy group reports to Harry Arnold, executive vice-president of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group’s define- and aircraft-development section.

Gillette’s work on the ACPS in the late 1990s spawned the 787 program as we know it today, laying the foundation for the aircraft’s business case, which included – broadly – the composite structure, systems architecture and global supply chain.

The overarching context for this move comes out of Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh’s comments from Investor Day on the plans for developing a supply chain and production system for a 737 replacement:

What we’re really scratching our head on right now, though, is the other thing that you always have to look at when you do an airplane, and that is the production system. How can we take an airplane that’s probably composite, and how do we ramp it up from zero airplanes a month, up to 40, 50 or 60, and how do you do that in a short period of time? And we’ve got a team that’s off working that and working that very hard.

Right now, the effort has been, for the most part, internal. But what we have to do different? And if this is a composite airplane, how do you do it without autoclaves? How do you reduce the amount of tooling? How can you figure out how you don’t have to drill a lot of holes that you have to fill? I mean, there are lot of things that have to be considered and we have set up a team under Ray Conner and we’re bringing in people that have worked high-rate production in other industries to help us figure out what this manufacturing system would look like. I think if you don’t design the production system in parallel with the airplane, we’ll find – we’ll have difficulty.

No clear indication of the company’s direction, but certainly another step forward.

Photo 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.

May 27, 2011