The Revolutionary Boeing 787
As Boeing rolls out the 787 Dreamliner, Varifrank posts a very interesting history of the last 80 years of aviation history, complete with photographs, and notes:
The aircraft that is rolling out today, has been assembled with a very small staff in a little under 30 days from parts built all over the world, using structures that were created by machines from materials developed in a laboratory.
The result is an aircraft that before its first flight has already impacted every aircraft manufacturer in the world. That is the true test of a revolution. There were lots of great prop planes in the 1950s but after the Boeing 707 came out, it didn’t matter; they were finished.
Worldwide sales for the 787 have already surpassed over 600 airframes, and virtually every single manufacturing slot from Boeing that has available until 2013 is now completely sold out. There is simply no more capacity to be had to make more of these aircraft, and all of the “costs going up†excuses aside, Boeing is actually rasing its price for the 787, not because it costs more, but because they can get more for it. Selling it at a discount is not in the cards when you are at capacity and there is no real competition. And for the next few years, there is no real competition for the 787.
In 10 years, any aircraft that is not made entirely of composite mateials will seem as out of date as anachonistic as the “Tin Goose†or the DC-3.
So today when you watch the 787 roll out, watch it with an eye towards the future because someday your going to tell your grandkids that you once flew on jets that were made entirely of metal and they will look at you like you rode into town on a covered wagon.
Read the whole thing.
Update: More from CargoNewsAsia:
In the absence of immediate new-generation aircraft competition from Airbus in this market segment, it will be tempting for Boeing to maintain the current production schedule – and profit from the tight supply market to continue its “no discount” policy, said CAPA.
This is the low-risk strategy and looks good for the short-term profit projections of analysts. But, given the remarkable success of the B787 sales programme (the first new aircraft to sell over 500 units before its first flight), the pressure will be mounting internally to capitalise on the potentially rich pickings by ramping up production.
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