FlightBlogger Archive 2007-2012

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  • Air New Zealand unveils economy lie-flat for 787-9, er, 777-300ER

    Economy Skycouch Mum & Kids After.jpg
    Economy Skycouch Young Couple Stretched Out.jpg
    When Boeing delivers its first 777-300ER to Air New Zealand in November, the first 11 window rows of its economy class cabin will feature a new “Skycouch” to provide a lie-flat experience. As launch customer for the 787-9, the innovative new seat was intended to be introduced starting with the first delivery originally set for late 2010. 
    The airline hopes that two adults will purchase two seats and a third at roughly half the price to take advantage of the lie-flat Skycouch. No word yet on whether or not the seats will be restricted on low load factor flights, so there are definite questions on how they will manage the revenue on this very unique product.
    The airline also plans to introduce a six-abreast 2-2-2 configuration for new angled Premium Economy seating (Photo below) that features a common table that Air New Zealand is comparing to business jet seats.
    The economy and premium economy seats are a custom design by Air New Zealand and will be manufactured under license by Recaro and Contour, respectively. The airline hopes to sell that license to other airlines looking to introduce the economy lie-flat seats as well. 
    The 777-300ER will be configured with 340 seats, including 246 Economy class, 50 Premium Economy and 44 Business Premier seats. 
    Starting in December, the airline will fly the new economy seats on selected NZ5 and NZ6 on services as the new aircraft is introduced between Auckland and Los Angeles and dedicated return service on NZ1 and NZ2 between Auckland and London (Via Los Angeles) starting in April 2011 replacing 747-400 aircraft.
    The airline will also retrofit its existing 777-200ER fleet from mid-2011 and by 2012 will have it on all Asian, North American and UK services. Air New Zealand’s 787-9 will be delivered wit these seats starting in late 2013.

    ANZ787-9Jcabin.jpg

    Also worth noting, the photo below of the business class seating (after the jump) appears to be the first shot of a future 787 cabin. 
    Also, as you can see in the vidcap to the right, the bottom of the windows feature the control buttons for the electro-chromatic windows, though in this particular shot they are covered with traditional window shades.
    All the shots in the promotional video also appear to have been shot inside a mock up of the 787’s cabin with the 18-inch tall windows and LED lighting. If nothing else, it definitely gives a first indication of what the -9 launch customer has planned for its interiors.


    More photos 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.

  • January 25 – The Week Ahead Open Thread

    Here’s a completely unrelated video I uploaded last night. I filmed this is a jump seat arrival into Sao Jose dos Campos last September during my visit to Embraer.

    Air New Zealand’s Game Changing Seat

    Eighteen time zones ahead of where I sit right now, Air New Zealand is trying to change economy class seating forever. Monday evening in the US (11 AM Tuesday in Auckland), Air New Zealand will unveil its new long-haul economy seats that may completely change how we all travel in the back of the plane. While few details are available, some have speculated that ANZ has come up with a way to offer near-flat beds on its new 777-300ER, which will enter service later this year. The seat was supposed to be introduced on the airline’s first 787-9, but that isn’t planned for EIS until late 2013. If this product does “change the game” so to speak, how does ANZ avoid creating a disincentive for buying a business class ticket? 

    787 Post-IAW Layup
    ZA001 has been in a planned post-initial airworthiness layup for maintenance and ground tests since its last flight on January 14. Program sources say the aircraft is set to return to flying by the end of the month. ZA002 is expected to rejoin the flight test shortly as well.
    Boeing Earnings
    The US airframer is set to release its 4th quarter and full year 2009 earnings. I’ll be covering it live on Wednesday morning. Things to listen for: 747-8F update, 787 progress, early indications of Boeing’s strategic thinking on 737 re-engining and new strategies for cutting production costs.
    Udvar-Hazy out at ILFC? 
    The Wall Street Journal reports that Steven Udvar-Hazy has been replaced by Doug Steenland (fmr. CEO of Northwest) as chairman of ILFC, the world’s largest aircraft lessor. This is another chapter in the tumultuous story of ILFC’s relationship with AIG, which received $182.3 billion in bailout aid from the US government over the last 18 months. Mr. Udvar-Hazy had some prophetic words for me at the Singapore Air Show in 2008: “We’ll have to see if the cold that the US financial markets have caught will turn into a virus that will spread world wide.”
    Two years and a one massive global recession later, his words were an understatement of epic proportions. Though things may not be as they seem with this ILFC story, keep an eye out on this one to see how it develops. 
    Bombardier Financing
    Airbus and Boeing have teamed up (seriously) to oppose the export financing terms that Bombardier is using to sell the CSeries. Bombardier is classifying the 100-149-seat, 5-abreast, 2,950nm coast-to-coast CSeries as a regional jet, while the marketing of the aircraft suggests otherwise. The European and American airframers suggest that the favorable financing categorization gives the CSeries an unfair competitive advantage in the marketplace. Remind me again, has export financing helped Boeing or Airbus avoid production cuts? Headline: Pot & Kettle team up to call Bombardier black.
    Apple Tablet
    As a Mac Addict, I’m eagerly awaiting Wednesday’s announcement from Apple about its future tablet. There are more rumors than facts about the mythical device, but I’m quite curious to see what it will be able to do. From a digital publishing standpoint, it may transform (insert struggling news medium here) forever. I’m in a wait-and-see mode on this one, but it could take this blog another step forward. We’ll see.
    Singapore Bound!
    Late Friday afternoon I’ll board a plane from Dulles for the first of two legs to the 2010 Singapore air show. Leg one will take me on a United Airlines 777-200(ER?) to London followed by a 5hr layover at Heathrow before switching terminals for my first flight on the A380 with Singapore Airlines (SQ317). Seeing 50K on my seat assignment and 75K on the return leg (SQ322) is downright surreal. 
    Don’t forget, the Twitter hashtag is #SIN10. 

    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.

  • Time Lapse Video: Salvaging US Airways Flight 1549

    ▶ Video originally embedded here

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    This Flash-based video is no longer available.

    A little more than a year after one of the most impressive landings in the history of aviation, N106US, formerly known as Flight 1549, will be on the auction block. Word on the street is that  there are some very interested buyers out there with some very creative plans for this Airbus A320. David Martin, who lives just above the site of the water landing, spent 72 hours filming time lapse video of the recovery effort to remove the submerged aircraft from the Hudson River. The result is more than a little bit impressive. Also, word to the wise, check the carfax history on this plane before making any bids, I hear that it might have some water damage.

    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.

  • Page one of the Engineering to English dictionary

    A good friend – who also happens to be an aerospace engineer – passed these along to me this afternoon. I thought there might be a few of you out there who will get a laugh out of these. Happy Friday!

    2010 Top 25 Engineer’s Terms and Expressions

    (What we say versus what it means) 
    1. A number of different approaches are being tried.
    We are still guessing at this point.

    2. Close project coordination.

    We sat down and had coffee together.
    3. An extensive report is being prepared on a fresh approach.

    We just hired three punk kids out of school.
    4. Major technological breakthrough!

    It works OK; but looks very hi-tech!
    5. Customer satisfaction is believed assured.

    We are so far behind schedule, that the customer will take anything.
    6. Preliminary operational tests were inconclusive.

    The darn thing blew up when we threw the switch.
    7. Test results were extremely gratifying!

    Unbelievable, it actually worked!

    8. The entire concept will have to be abandoned.

    The only guy who understood the thing quit.
    9. It is in process.

    It is so wrapped in red tape that the situation is completely hopeless.
    10. We will look into it.

    Forget it! We have enough problems already.
    11. Please note and initial.

    Let’s spread the responsibility for this.
    12. Give us the benefit of your thinking.

    We’ll listen to what you have to say as long as it doesn’t interfere with
    what we have already done or with what we are going to do.
    13. Give us your interpretation.

    We can’t wait to hear your bull.
    14. See me or let’s discuss.

    Come to my office, I’ve screwed up again.
    15. All new.

    Parts are not interchangeable with previous esign.
    16. Rugged.

    Don’t plan to lift it without major equipment.
    17. Robust!

    Rugged, but more so
    18. Light weight.

    Slightly lighter than rugged
    19. Years of development.

    One finally worked
    20. Energy saving.

    Achieved when the power switch is off.
    21. No maintenance.

    Impossible to fix

    22. Low maintenance.

    Nearly impossible to fix
    23. Fax me the data.

    I’m too lazy to write it down.
    24. We are following the standard!

    That’s the way we have always done it!
    25. I didn’t get your e-mail.
    I haven’t checked my e-mail for days.

    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.

  • Sources: LAN set to take early 787 slots

    LAN.jpg

    Santiago-based carrier LAN is set to make a major acceleration in its delivery of its first Boeing 787 after a slot swap with Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), say sources close to the Latin American carrier and the US airframer.

    Two delivery slots from the early batch of aircraft scheduled for delivery in late 2010 and early 2011 have been reallocated from ANA to LAN, the same sources tell ATI and FlightBlogger.

    According to a source at the airline, the first 787-8s were intended for delivery to LAN in 2015 after accumulating more than two years of delays.

    LAN declined to discuss the change, as “there exists a confidentiality agreement with Boeing. The company will inform about this issue if and when it is appropriate”.

    Boeing also declined to discuss the shift as a matter of policy to not comment publicly on delivery schedules, saying that “occasionally we and our customers make order adjustments that better support their overall fleet needs, while allowing us to successfully manage our production plan”.

    Program sources add that the 10th and 16th aircraft built will now be delivered to LAN. ANA assumed ownership of several early delivery slots after five Chinese carriers deferred their orders in early 2009.

    LAN, which selected Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, first announced in July 2007 its intent to purchase 26 787s and lease six more, marking the largest 787 order from a Latin American carrier.

    The order included 18 787-8s and 8 787-9s and an additional lease of 6 787-9 aircraft from ILFC.

    The 787-9s leased from ILFC were initially intended to be the carrier’s first aircraft to replace Airbus A340-300s on long-range routes. The first 787-9s were supposed to be delivered in 2011, the same year as entry into service of the type.

    After two years of delays, the 787-9 will now enter service with launch customer Air New Zealand in late 2013.

    As part of its contingency plan for the 787 delays, LAN purchased an additional four 767-300ER aircraft in November 2008 from Boeing and was seeking a fifth, while installing winglets on its 767 fleet to improve performance.

    Airplane 7, the first production 787, is set to be delivered to ANA in the fourth quarter of 2010 following a planned 8.5 month certification campaign which began in December 2009 with the aircraft’s maiden flight.

    While the early batch of 787s are believed to be over target weight, which will impact performance, the company has already begun incorporating weight saving techniques into early airframes.

    Program sources say weight savings on early aircraft, Airplanes 7 through 19, have focused on the wing skins.

    Starting with Airplane 20, Boeing will introduce a higher MTOW of 502,500lb – up 18,500lb from the initially planned 484,000lb – to “help us to meet the expectations of our customers”.

    Airplane 10, which entered final assembly in September 2009 is currently in the paint hangar at Boeing’s Everett, Washington facility, while the forward fuselage and wings for Airplane 16 have arrived from Kansas and Japan, respectively.

    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.

  • Boeing confirms start of 747-8F final gauntlet

    Boeing confirms that Final Gauntlet tests are currently underway on the first 747-8F, the 1420th 747 built since the program’s inception in 1966.

    Designated RC501, the first 747-8F is undergoing a rigorous series of closed loop tests that will trick the new 747 into believing the aircraft is flying to test the response of the systems.
    The aircraft is “flying” a standard B1 first flight profile, simulating potential failures that validate the levels of redundancy in the aircraft’s systems.
    Mark Feuerstein, chief 747 pilot, is on board the flight deck of RC501 for the test which began this morning and will span roughly 40hr of continuous tests, wrapping up in the morning hours of 23 January.
    Feuerstein will be joined by senior test pilot Tom Imrich for the aircraft’s first flight, which is expected early this year.
    Following the Final Gauntlet the aircraft will spend about a week in post testing layup as it prepares for taxi tests and formal flight readiness review, as well as issuing of its experimental certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration. 
    The milestone comes 40 years to the day after the first commercial service of the 747-100 with Pan American World Airways between John F. Kennedy International Airport and London Heathrow.
    In an unrelated story, Boeing says that RC521 – the second 747-8F – will be re-registered after a painting error that assigned the same registration (N747EX) to both the first and second test 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.

  • Number Crunching: What JAL’s bankruptcy does to the 747-400

    FlightBlogger image
    Tuesday’s bankruptcy filing by Japan Airlines (JAL) ended weeks of speculation about the airline’s uncertain financial future. As part of the upcoming restructuring that will see more than 15,000 jobs eliminated, the airline is retiring its fleet of 35 747 passenger aircraft (27 -400s & 8 -400D) . 

    The retirement decision came juxtaposed to the 40th anniversary of the 747’s entry into service. With the help of Flightglobal’s ACAS database I crunched some numbers about the 747 fleet today.
    Currently, of the 1418 747s built and delivered since 1970 (RA001 was never delivered), the worldwide active fleet of 747s (all variants) stands at 810, this includes military and governmental VIP customers as well, compared to the 633 active -400s. Japan has been a vital market for this airplane over the years with 1 in 10 747-400s in the world flying with a Japanese operator today.
    However, as a result of the economic downturn and a progressive retirement of older 747s, 56 -400s of all types are parked, nearly 1 out of every 10 747-400 built. 
    By 2013, Air New Zealand, Air India, Singapore Airlines will no longer fly passenger 747s, all opting to replace their models with smaller 777s or larger A380s. With the coming retirement of the 37 JAL -400s, the number of parked -400 aircraft will more than double when combined with other airlines’ future fleet plans. 
    With surplus 747-400s available, the result will be to hasten a steady and precipitous drop in purchase and lease rates for -400s. The introduction of the new -8F and -8F will only serve to drive those prices lower and lower. There are two ways to look at this:
    OPPORTUNITY
    The retirement of older 747-400s means that less efficient large aircraft will be replaced with equally large or larger more efficient aircraft meaning future competitions for Airbus and Boeing to sell the A380 or 747-8I, respectively. Boeing vice president of marketing, Randy Tinseth, said at the Dubai air show in November that “ultimately we believe that market is going to pick up when airlines…this coming cycle…start to replace their older 747s.”

    CHALLENGE
    However, with 747-400 values dropping, the incentive to purchase a new 747-8F drops (where Boeing believes the market is) making it potentially cheaper to convert passenger -400s to freighters even if they are less efficient. Steve Rimmer, chief executive for Guggenheim Aviation Partners, which recently canceled two of four 747-8Fs on order, said in October that “we’ve never seen this quantity of freighters before in the desert” and added that “this time we won’t see the market pick up fast because there’s a lot of good quality aircraft in the desert”. 
    Too many aircraft?
    While a difficult point to concede for this aviation geek, there are perhaps too many aircraft in the world. I would add that this point extends to narrow-body aircraft (which are also dropping in value) also. Boeing and Airbus responded to staggering demand for aircraft big and small hiking production to potentially unsustainable rates. As a long term business the immediate benefits of hiking production are weighed against long term impacts (positive and negative) on future sales.

    External factors are more often than not blamed for causing aerospace downturns, but I close on a much broader question: If Boeing and Airbus are solely responsible for their production rates, do aerospace industry downturns rest in their own hands if the market is oversupplied?

    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.

  • January 19 – The Week Ahead Open Thread

    74740thFINTcover.jpg

    40 Years of 747
    In honor of the 40th anniversary of the entry into service of the 747-100 with Pan Am in January 1970, Max Kingsley-Jones and I have authored a package of features commemorating the event. During my visit to Seattle in December for 787 First Flight, I had an opportunity to sit down with Joe Sutter, who served as chief engineer for the 747 program in the 1960 who confessed to me that he “always felt the original 747 looked stubby.” 
    The package is a great historical overview of the program and includes a comprehensive update on the company’s plans for 747-8F and -8I production.


    747-8F Final Gauntlet

    As the aircraft moves toward its first flight, RC501, Boeing’s first 747-8F, will likely undertake its 40hr final gauntlet test beginning late this week. As part of the final gauntlet tests, the aircraft will be tricked into believing it is flying, so test engineers can see how the aircraft’s systems react when flying a B1 (Boeing test flight) profile. 


    JAL Declares Bankruptcy
    While it won’t effect day-to-day operations, JAL’s bankruptcy is a major shift in the Japanese (and potentially global) airline market center of gravity. More than anything it provides more questions than answers: Does the airline stay with oneworld? How hard does Delta push for JAL to join SkyTeam? What does this mean for their first 787s expected within a year? What will the retirement of 37 747-400s mean to the residual values of the jumbos worldwide? Was Boeing counting on a 747-8I order from JAL? How does ANA respond? What does this mean for Trans-Pacific anti-trust immunity? Does this make the Japanese market more or less difficult for Airbus? 
    Like I said, lots of questions.

    Airbus 6000!
    Emirates took delivery of the 25th A380 yesterday (A6-EDH), an aircraft that happened to be the 6000th Airbus aircraft delivered since 1974. It took Airbus 19 years to deliver the first 1000, six years more to deliver number 2000, 3000 followed in 2002. The 4000th was an A330-300 to Lufthansa in 2005 and the 5000th was an A330-200 delivered to QANTAS in 2007.
    Next Steps for 787 Flight Test
    With initial airworthiness in the bag, ZA001 will move toward further validation of the primary flight control system and flutter testing as flight engineers get their first ride aboard the 787. Following the flutter and PFCS testing, the aircraft will move toward high-speed stability & control (S&C) tests. For ZA001, the now cleared initial airworthiness and phase one of S&C tests were the largest single block for the first test aircraft during certification. 

    Before it enters the flight test program early next month, ZA004 will spend this week demonstrating the emergency escape slides as part of the certification program. Lastly, LCF4 made it maiden flight on Friday and should join the fleet in Everett next month.

    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.

  • 787 Flight Test Update: Month One

    ZA001-BFIclimb_560.jpgFlightBlogger image

    It has been one month since the 787 first flew from Paine Field in Everett and the program has been steadily accumulating flight test hours, having flown approximately 60hr and 56min over 15 flights (Plus one ZA002 ferry), as measured by the take off and landing notification alerts from flightaware.com.

    Dennis O’Donoghue, vice president of Boeing’s flight operations test & validation unit, said to Bloomberg yesterday that “We have been so happy with the progress we’ve made with the 787, I’m almost giddy.”
    This report, compiled with the assistance of Matt Cawby and numerous other Seattle-based photographers and many others reflects the progress of 787 flight test over its first month.
    On its targeted 8.5 month road through through certification, Boeing expects about 4000 “deliverables” to the FAA for the certification for the 787. Mike Delaney, former chief engineer on the 787 program, says those deliverables consist of test reports and analyses, as well as pilots signing off on various aspects of aircraft handling.
    Of those 4000 deliverables, 300 are strictly related to flight test, meaning that the only method of demonstrating compliance is through the flight test program. There are “some areas where the method of compliance is analysis substantiated by [flight] test so there are subtleties in there but these are strictly where it says “method of compliance is by flight test,” says Delaney now vice president of engineering for airplane performance & product architecture. 
    MUCH MORE BELOW

    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.

  • Why is ZA002 returning to Everett?

    ZA002 is making its second flight this afternoon, a quick ferry flight from Boeing Field back to Everett. Randy Neville and Van Chaney will at the control of the aircraft for the quick flight north, the first since December 22nd. Here’s why:

    Debris forces second 787 back to Everett
    Boeing’s second flight test 787 is set to make its second flight, a return trip to Everett, for a thorough cleaning of its fuel tank following the discovery of foreign object debris (FOD). 
    The FOD was found trapped in the fuel filter following the aircraft’s 22 December first flight to Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. 
    Boeing confirms that “crews discovered very small amounts of debris” inside the aircraft’s fuel tank during a planned non-operating period following first flight.
    Programme sources say a piece of cheese cloth left in one of the aircraft’s fuel tanks is said to be responsible for the return to Everett, where the facilities to accomplish the cleaning are located.
    While the issue is ultimately a “minor setback” and represents more of a headache to getting the flight test fleet up and running, Boeing adds that FOD find has prompted them to go back and look at factory procedures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

    I’ll have a complete status update on the first month of 787 flight test tomorrow.

    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.