Mr.v4h. President Bill Clinton Background of the making of Boeing 787 During the late 1990s, Boeing began studying replacement aircraft programs as sales for the 767 and Boeing 747-400 slowed. The company proposed two new aircraft, the 747X, which would have lengthened the 747-400 and improved efficiency, and the Sonic Cruiser, which would have achieved 15% higher speeds (approximately Mach 0.98) while burning fuel at the same rate as the existing 767.[6] Market interest for the 747X was tepid, but the Sonic Cruiser had brighter prospects. Several major airlines in the United States, including Continental Airlines, initially showed enthusiasm for the Sonic Cruiser concept, although they also expressed concerns about the operating cost.[7] The global airline market was disrupted by the September 11, 2001 attacks and increased petroleum prices, making airlines more interested in efficiency than speed. The worst-affected airlines, those in the United States, had been considered the most likely customers of the Sonic Cruiser, and thus Boeing officially cancelled the Sonic Cruiser on December 20, 2002. Changing course, the company announced an alternative product using Sonic Cruiser technology in a more conventional configuration, the 7E7, on January 29, 2003.[8][9] The emphasis on a smaller midsize twinjet rather than a large 747-size aircraft represented a shift from hub-and-spoke theory towards the point-to-point theory,[10] in response to analysis of focus groups.[11] The Dreamliner logo Dreamliner was announced in July 2003. The replacement for the Sonic Cruiser project was dubbed the 7E7[12] (with a development code name of Y2). Technology from the Sonic Cruiser and 7E7 was to be used as part of Boeings project to replace its entire airliner product line, an endeavor called the Yellowstone Project (of which the 7E7 became the first stage).[13] Early concept images of the 7E7 included rakish cockpit windows, a dropped nose and a distinctive shark-fin tail.[14] The E was said to stand for various things, such as efficiency or environmentally friendly; however, in the end, Boeing said that it merely stood for Eight.[8] In July 2003, a public naming competition was held for the 7E7, for which out of 500,000 votes cast online the winning title was Dreamliner.[15] Other names in the pool included eLiner, Global Cruiser and Stratoclimber.[16] B787 in launch customer All Nippon Airways blue and white livery. In the background are two assembly halls, with huge doors facing left. Vehicles are parked in front of the halls. All Nippon Airways launched the 787 Dreamliner program with an order for 50 aircraft in 2004. On April 26, 2004, Japanese airline All Nippon Airways became the launch customer for the Dreamliner, by announcing a firm order for 50 aircraft with deliveries to begin in late 2008.[17] All Nippon Airways order was initially specified as 30 787-3, 290–330 seat, one-class domestic aircraft, and 20 787-8, long-haul, 210–250 seat, two-class aircraft for regional international routes such as Tokyo Narita–Beijing. The aircraft would allow All Nippon Airways to open new routes to cities not previously served, such as Denver, Moscow, and New Delhi.[18] The 787-3 and 787-8 were to be the initial variants, with the 787-9 entering service in 2010.[19] Design phase The 787 was designed to be the first production airliner with the fuselage assembled with one-piece composite barrel sections instead of the multiple aluminum sheets and some 50,000 fasteners used on existing aircraft.[20][21] Boeing selected two new engine types to power the 787, the General Electric GEnx and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000.[8] Boeing stated the 787 would be approximately 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the 767,[22] with approximately 40 percent of the efficiency gain from the engines,[23] plus gains from aerodynamic improvements,[24] increased use of lighter-weight composite materials, and advanced systems.[19] The 787-8 and −9 were intended to be certified to 330 minute ETOPS capability.[25] During the design phase, the 787 underwent extensive wind tunnel testing at Boeings Transonic Wind Tunnel, QinetiQs five-meter wind tunnel at Farnborough, UK, and NASA Ames Research Centers wind tunnel, as well as at the French aerodynamics research agency, ONERA. The final styling of the aircraft was more conservative than earlier proposals, with the fin, nose, and cockpit windows changed to a more conventional form. By the end of 2004, customer-announced orders and commitments for the 787 reached 237 aircraft.[26] Boeing initially priced the 787-8 variant at US$120 million, a low figure that surprised the industry. In 2007, the list price was US$146–151.5 million for the 787-3, US$157–167 million for the 787-8 and US$189–200 million for the 787-9.[27] The 787 airframe underwent extensive structural testing during this time.[28][29]
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 04:18:17 +0000
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