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Movie Monday – April 11 – Airbus on the A320neo

Last week, Airbus hosted a group of international media for a series of briefings on the European aircraft-maker’s coming A320neo, whose entry into service has been moved up to October 2015. Today’s Movie Monday puts you in the briefing, thanks to Addison Schonland at Innovation Analysis Group.

The first part, which runs a little bit over 44 minutes, is presented by the airframer’s chief operating officer customers, John Leahy, covering the New Engine Option’s product overview. Also included in Leahy’s presentation is the company’s thinking on what engine technology it will take to replace the A320, bringing the A30X to market no earlier than 2030.

The second part, running 20 minutes, is presented by Tom Williams, Airbus executive vice president programmes who takes you through how Airbus is approaching the engineering and industrialization focusing on the development of the Leap-X and PW1100G, as well as the sharket. According to Williams, Airbus may be building only A320neo aircraft by 2018 as it ramps up production.

Note that Williams discusses the plug-and-play sharklet-ready aircraft, which will incorporate the wing and center wing box design modifications this year ahead of the sharklet certification. This will allow the sharklets to be installed on A320s as a retrofittable package along with an additional software change.

I’m sure there are those who won’t be happy for me posting this verbatim, but think of this as a good way for all the strategy and competitive intelligence practitioners at Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer to hear the presentations as if they were in the room.

Also, I look forward to posting the 737 Replacement/Y1/New Light Twin market and technical industrialization briefing for Movie Monday here as well when/if it happens. Enjoy!

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.

April 11, 2011
Boeing begins 747-8I flutter trials, 787 advances toward ETOPS

Boeing began flutter testing Friday to evaluate the aeroelastic stability of the first 747-8 Intercontinental, as the aircraft advances toward its type inspection authorization (TIA), which will formally kick off the Federal Aviation Administration’s involvement in certification flight tests, the company confirms.

Matt Cawby’s KPAE blog captured RC001, Boeing’s first 747-8I, at 32,000ft in the flutter track high above Washington state on its first day of flutter testing. Company sources say the aircraft achieved a Mach .96 cruise at 35,000ft during the first day of testing. According to audio of the test, the outboard aileron modal suppression system (OAMS) was tested on RC001, which was absent during the aircraft’s first flight.

Coincidentally, flutter testing for the 747-8F began almost exactly one year ago, coming eight weeks after the new freighter’s first flight. As an indication of the new jet’s maturity, Boeing has begun flutter testing roughly 20 days after its March 20 first flight.

Additionally, RC503 has ferried to Keflavik, Iceland for crosswind and limit wind testing, while RC001 continues runway performance and max brake energy tests in Palmdale after leaving Edwards Air Force Base.

For the 787, program sources say ZA003 is conducting “build-up” testing in preparation for extended operations (ETOPS) and system functionality and reliability (F&R) testing. Early tests have focused on power cooling and single-engine operations.

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.

April 10, 2011
Is this Boeing’s rendering of its composite 737 replacement?

Wearing a subtle and nearly opaque Boeing company livery, this rendering of a 33 787-sized windowed passenger aircraft looks to be the first early concept for the 737 replacement, the first of its kind outside the four walls of Product Development.

The image comes from a presentation by Dr. Charles Harris, who serves as Director of the Research Directorate at NASA’s Langely Research Center, who earlier this week gave a presentation to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the 52nd Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference in Denver, Colorado. In his detailed 54-slide powerpoint presentation, Dr. Harris outlined the future material requirements for aircraft, while focusing on the use of composite technology.

Slide 54 of Opportunities for Next Generation Aircraft Enabled by Revolutionary Materials (PDF) contains an interesting title: Future Materials Requirements (Boeing Perspective) with near-term, mid-term and far-term goals for using composite technology in a commercial jetliner. While the goals for the technology are fascinating in their own right, each element sits on top of a rendering that was provided to NASA by The Boeing Company.

The rendering may begin to give away some clues on the possible configuration of this particular aircraft, which includes 33 large windows, two full size exit doors and two smaller Type II exit doors, suggesting a passenger configuration equivalent to, or slightly larger than, the 215-seat 737-900ER.

The windows, whose number is equivalent to the 110 and 126-seat 737-600 and -700, would not be spaced this far apart for an aircraft of similar capacity along with exits as large as they appear in the rendering. One conclusion to draw is this is the New Light Twin (NLT) concept with seven-abreast seating covering 30+ rows and a capacity of about 230 seats in a single-class configuration.

Undoubtedly, this design is a conservative look at what Boeing envisions for a 230-seat composite jetliner fitting into a spot just above the 757. It’s important to remember that the original 7E7 design looked like a scaled down 777 when it was first unveiled, containing barely any of the iconic design elements of the 7E7’s shark fin and the final 787 design.

If nothing else, it provides a first visual glimpse into what Boeing engineers are thinking as far as the configuration of its new jetliner that may see service around 2019 or 2020.

Also See: Clean-Sheet – Boeing’s all-new jet – PART I / PART II / PART III

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.

April 8, 2011
Video of Note: Formation flying with Virgins Galactic and America

Let’s face it, this week was rough.

It started with the Global Observer crash, then quickly moved to the Southwest 737-300 fuselage rupture, Gulfstream G650 crash, the discovery of Air France 447 and the United A320 emergency landing in New Orleans, that guy invented an emergency to land on Rockaway Beach for fun, and now the US government may shut down tonight.

So, it was time for a bit of a change of pace. This is the aviation equivalent of your first sip of beer at the end of a bad day. The title of the post says it all, so just soak in a Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnight Two flying along side a Virgin America Airbus A320 off the coast of California.

Put your feet up, take a moment to relax and soak it in.

The parallel runway landing at San Francisco International Airport is below the fold.

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.

April 8, 2011
Boeing “evaluating the potential impacts” of US government shutdown (Update1)

Yesterday, I submitted a series of questions to Boeing about what impact, if any, a government shutdown would have on the aircraft maker. The US government will shut down at 12:01 AM on April 9 if no continuing budget resolution (or permanent budget) compromise is found, meaning that non-essential federal employees will be on furlough until a solution is found. This includes many personnel at the US Federal Aviation Administration who are neither law enforcement or responsible for the protection of property and safety.

According to the Washington Post, who cites an agency official: (Big hat tip to Chris)

…the FAA will retain all employees necessary to keep the national airspace system operating safely. However, non-critical safety functions would be suspended including aircraft certification, the development, testing and evaluation of NextGen technologies and most budget and administrative activities.

Boeing is currently operating four major simultaneous certification campaigns, three of which are for new aircraft types. The 787 Dreamliner, 747-8 freighter and 747-8 Intercontinental, as well as the 737 paired with CFM56-7BE engines are all currently undergoing certification.

Both the 737 and 747-8 freighter are expected to achieve certification in April and June, respectively prompting the nearer-term need for FAA resources to validate and sign off on tests. Though the 787 may have the most breathing room with its delivery window opening in late-July and progressing through the end of the third quarter in September. Only the 747-8I, which began its flight test program on April 20, has not yet begun to fly for Federal Aviation Administration certification credit.

Inside the factory FAA personnel assist in signing off on assembly operations, though what role Boeing’s FAA authorized representatives (ARs) and delegated engineering representative (DERs) play in signing off on manufacturing work is unclear to this outsider.

The response I received from Boeing this afternoon is as follows:

Boeing is evaluating the potential impacts of a government shutdown, if that’s what comes to pass. However, until a shutdown is declared, we won’t speculate on impact.

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.

April 7, 2011
Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off

The National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary summary of events of Saturday’s Gulfstream G650 accident in Roswell, New Mexco. Much of the information had already been shared by both the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB, though the important fact that the crew was conducting a simulated engine-out takeoff – presumably post-V1 speed – was confirmed by the safety agency that had been floating amongst the aviation community since just after the accident occurred.

On April 2, 2011, about 0934 mountain daylight time, a Gulfstream GVI (G650) airplane, N652GD, was
substantially damaged after impact with terrain during takeoff at Roswell International Air Center
Airport (ROW), Roswell, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight
plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The two flight crewmembers
and the two technical crewmembers were fatally injured. The flight had originated from ROW about
0700 for a local area flight.

The airplane was operating under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Experimental Certificate
of Airworthiness and was performing a take off with a simulated engine failure to determine
take-off distance requirements at minimum flap setting.

Wingtip scrape marks beginning on the runway approximately 5,300 feet from the end of the runway
lead toward the final resting spot about 3,800 feet from the first marks on the runway. Witnesses
close to the scene saw the airplane sliding on the ground with sparks and smoke coming from the
bottom of the wing, and described the airplane being fully involved in fire while still moving
across the ground. The airplane struck several obstructions and came to rest upright about 200 feet
from the base of the airport control tower. Several airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) units
responded quickly and fought the fire.

Coupled with what witnesses say was a unusually high angle of attack seen just before the right wingtip struck the runway, begins to paints a clearer picture of the events.

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.

April 7, 2011
Nine facts about Boeing’s 737 Classic inspection Service Bulletin
Building on last night’s post about the criteria for inspection, Boeing has released details about its service bulletin (SB) issued last night that covers 175 737-300s, -400s and -500s.

UPDATE 6:03 PM: Here’s my complete story on the service bulletin and here’s the full text of the FAA emergency airworthiness directive.

Here are the quick facts:
1. The SB requires inspection of the lower row of fasteners in the lap-joint, along the left and right-hand side of the crown of the aircraft at stringer four between Station 360 and 908, making the area under scrutiny about 50ft long.
2. This SB applies to line numbers 2553 through 3132, which were delivered between 1993 and 2000, which had a frame tear strap spacing of 20 inches.
3. Of the 579 aircraft produced, only about 175 have 30,000 cycles or more.
4. Inspections must take place within 5 days on a portion of the 175 that have 35,000 cycles or more.
5. Inspections will be required within 20 days of the remaining balance of the 175 aircraft with between 30,000 and 34,999 cycles.
6. Around 80 of the 175 are in the US, with the majority flying with Southwest Airlines.
7. Inspections will be repeated every 500 cycles until a more permanent solution can be identified as a result of the NTSB investigation.
8. Line numbers 292 through 2552 had a different lap joint design, which Boeing says included a frame tear strap spacing of 10in. That design already fell into a lap-joint modification program that came in to effect for those aircraft over 50,000 cycles.
9. For line numbers 2553 through 3132, Boeing said it anticipated cracks in this area of the fuselage, but not until 60,000 cycles or more.
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.
April 5, 2011
How did the FAA and Boeing identify the 175 737 Classics?
With the coming of Tuesday’s Federal Aviation Administration emergency airworthiness directive, there are still a few key questions left unanswered by the identification of the 175 737-300, -400s and -500s worldwide that will require intensive Eddy-current inspections of their fuselage lap-joints.

For quick catch up, a 737-300 made an emergency landing in Yuma, Arizona on April 1 after developing 5ft hole in the upper fuselage, which has since been traced to a pre-existing structural fatigue.

Only about 80 aircraft in the US are subject to the inspections, and almost all are the Southwest Airlines 737-300s that will all have completed inspection by late Tuesday.
So what of the other approximately 95 Classics around the world?
Boeing says the group of 175 was narrowed down by two criteria:

The airframes in question had to have 30,000 or more operational cycles.

Southwest says the airframes in question were “designed differently in the manufacturing process”. Boeing confirms there are differences in the lap-joint design, and the specific configuration, says the airframer, was phased out as part of a blockpoint change during the 737 Classic’s production run.

The number of aircraft with this design is significantly higher than the aircraft identified by the FAA and Boeing, though only 175 meet the criteria when paired with 30,000 or more cycles.

The specifics of that design configuration are yet undisclosed, though just how much information is shared publicly is up to Boeing and the FAA.

The natural question that will come along with these available facts is what prompted the different lap-joint design in the first place? And what’s being done to ensure the aircraft with this older design along and fewer than 30,000 cycles are properly cared for just as the higher-cycle aircraft?
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.
April 5, 2011
Movie Monday – April 4 – Qantas Flight 32 in focus

This week’s Movie Monday comes from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), not to be confused with the American Broadcast Company. Four Corners devoted a full episode to examining the A380’s uncontained Trent 900 engine failure that befell Qantas Flight 32 on November 4 of last year. I’ll confess that I have not had a chance to watch the entire program yet, but what I have seen presents it as the most comprehensive look at what happened to QF32, re-created with the full participation of the airline.

The 45 minute look at QF32 also includes an additional 45 minutes of extended interviews with Captain Richard De Crespigny, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Alan Milne, head of maintenance operations.

Four Corners does not allow for direct embedding of their video content, so you’ll have to follow through to the ABC website to watch the complete program or just click the screen capture below. Enjoy!

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.

April 4, 2011
Breaking: FAA confirms Gulfstream G650 Roswell test accident (Update8)

APRIL 2 5:45 PM ET: The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed a Gulfstream G650 test aircraft crashed at 9:30 AM MT on its takeoff roll on runway 15 21 at Roswell International Air Center Airport in Roswell, New Mexico, killing all four aboard.

According to FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunsford, the aircraft had been out spending the morning – 2.5 hours – conducting brake testing when the aircraft had been cleared for takeoff. On the roll the aircraft had “just gotten airborne” when the right wingtip struck the ground, causing the aircraft to lose altitude, collapsing the gear, skidding on the runway and catching fire. (Update: Winds were 10kts and under at the time of the accident)

Two test pilots and two test engineers were onboard the aircraft at the time. Both NTSB and FAA investigators are enroute to the scene. Gulfstream is expected to release a formal statement on the accident shortly.

A source familiar with the accident says that N652GD was the airframe involved and was operating as Gulftest 31 at the time.

Additional updates are below the fold:

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.

April 2, 2011