With orders for its new Dreamliner breaking pre-production records, Boeing has forged ahead of Airbus in the bid for the mid-size aircraft market. Colin Ellson reports There's never a dull moment when rival plane makers Boeing and Airbus stand toe to toe. The latest confrontation is their battle to corner the market in mid-range aircraft, with the 787 Dreamliner in the US corner, the A350 squaring up for the Europeans. But a fight that threatened to go the distance could be over almost before Airbus
has stepped into the ring or a real punch thrown.
Boeing has always been clear about the specifications for the Dreamliner, its rival less clear about what it intended. As a result, sales for the Boeing aircraft, which began in 2004 with a launch bid from All Nippon Airways, are close to 400 from 30 airlines, while only 100 orders have been placed for the proposed A350.
The crunch came in mid-June, when Singapore Airlines ordered 20 Dreamliners, worth US$4.52 billion, with rights for another 20. Said an analyst for JP Morgan: "The Singapore order is a clear win for Boeing and somewhat troubling for Airbus as the airline had waited for Airbus to clarify its plans for the A350 before committing."
Troubling, indeed, when the aircraft market is valued at some US$60 billion a year, with potential sales of 3,000 mid-size jets over the next two decades. So troubling, in fact, that Airbus has decided to go back to the drawing board, chairman Gustav Humbert announcing the design of the A350, originally based on the successful
A330, will be reconsidered; industry watchers predict the manufacturer will spend US$10 billion developing a new, 300-seat aircraft, which would be more of a competitor to the Boeing 777 than to the 787.
With the Dreamliner no doubt the cause of insomnia in Toulouse, they are also sleepless in Seattle. Not over sales – the 787 is already breaking records in pre-flight orders for an aircraft of its size and complexity – but over where they are going to build it. Construction capacity, with 43 partners at 135 sites around the world, is booked until the end of 2011, and by summer 2010, 16 aircraft should be rolling out of the Everett plant near Seattle every month. Airbus eat your heart out. Whichever clever hat the European plane maker throws into the ring, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – whose first flight is expected next year, with entry into service of the 787-9 version with Air New Zealand in December 2010 – appears up to the challenge.The aircraft comes in three types, ranging from the 330- passenger 787-3, to be used on shorter routes, to the 787-9, carrying up to 290 over a maximum 8,800 miles (16,300km).
Most importantly in the struggle to combat global warming, the 787 will be stuffed with new technology. Powered by two super-efficient Rolls-Royce or General Electric engines, the aircraft will include 50% of composite materials in its primary structure, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. According to claims by Boeing, it will, for example, use 20% less fuel than today's similarly sized jets, while flying at Mach 0.85, comparable to the fastest wide bodied aircraft currently in service.
New levels of passenger comfort are also being built into the 787. It will have sensors in the nose allowing the controls to react to turbulence and provide a smoother ride, while chevrons on the engines will reduce cabin noise.
And the equivalent cabin altitude pressure will be lowered from today's standard of 8,000ft to 6,000ft, which tests have identified as markedly more acceptable to most travellers. Among the other innovations will be larger windows, lightweight seats offering extra space, mood lighting, and more user-friendly loos.
As Airbus rethinks its mid-range aircraft strategy, the Dreamliner should be able to parry any counter punch. More to the point, Boeing could already have delivered the knockout blow. Dreamliner data
Seating:
787-3: 290-330
787-8: 210-250
787-9: 250-290
Range:
787-3: 3,000-3,500 miles (5,500-6,500km)
787-8: 8,000-8,500 miles (14,800-15,700km)
787-9: 8,600-8,800 miles (15,900-16,300km)
Configuration:
Twin aisle
Body width
18.8ft (574cm)
Wing span
787-3:170 ft (52m)
787-8/787-9: 197ft (60m)
Length:
787-3/787-8: 186ft (57m)
787-9: 206ft (63m)
Cruising speed:
Mach 0.85 (650mph)
Programme milestones:
Offered to airlines: late 2003
Configuration finalised: September 2005
Assembly started: 2006
First flight: 2007
Entry into service: 2008 (787-9, 2010)
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