Samsonite

"DATE:19/05/09 SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news Airbus production issues delay next Qantas A380 delivery By Max Kingsley-Jones Delivery of the next Airbus A380 to Australia's Qantas has been delayed by over a month due to continuing production problems at the manufacturer, claims the airline. The aircraft, which will be the airline's fourth of the type, was due for delivery at the end of May, says Qantas. "Airbus has advised us that, due to production issues, it will not be delivered until mid-July. It is now scheduled to enter service at the end of July," it adds. Qantas recently deferred its seventh to 10th A380 deliveries by up 10-12 months due to the economic downturn, but is still taking three aircraft this year. "After number four in July, we will take another two by the end of the year," it says. Delay to delivery of the fourth A380 will mean "a short delay in offering additional A380 services and we have adjusted our schedules accordingly", adds the airline." http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/...0-delivery.html

The Residence Garden.

Emirates just took delivery of another 777, making it their 75th, and they have more on order. They also account for 1/4 of the entire A380 order book, with over 50 on order. It has yet to be seen if they will take all 50+ as there is some doubt that part of the world can produce enough customers to fill them. Emirates will have to cannibalize other markets to get enough customers to meet their goals and the carriers in those markets will not let that happen.

Not anywhere close. Boeing is in much better shape to survive than airbust. The A400M could drag airbust down, along with the A380. A truly independent company couldn't keep both of those programs going and survive.

Well, if they are not buying the 747-8i, why isn't there a mad rush to buy the A380? There just isn't the need, in the eyes of most airlines, for that big of an aircraft. For many years the only aircraft with both size and range was the 747. Now that there are other planes available, e.g., the 767, 777, A330, A340, and soon the 787, there is no need, for many airlines, to buy anything larger. IIRC, only two of the U.S. owned airlines even own 747s. United and Delta and Delta didn't own any until they acquired them as a result of the merger with Northwest. Of the longer range Airbust models, only the A330 is selling well. The A340 is just about dead. Too bad, it was a nice looking airplane. There is at least one airline that has announced they are going to start flying transatlantic with the Boeing 737-900ER and many have been doing it for years with the 757. In other words, there is little need for an aircraft much bigger than a 777. It will take a small miracle for Airbust to break even on the A380 and, if they do, it will take 20 years or more to do it. A privately owned company couldn't afford to make a product for that long and not turn a profit.

Not so, cPom. The flying critoen has sold 200 in the NINE years since it was first offered. The Boeing 747-8 has sold 100+ in FOUR years since it was first offered. The 1,419th Boeing 747 rolled off the production line a week or so ago, and there are 3 of the new 747-8s in various stages of assembly. The airplane that is replacing the Boeing 747 at those airlines that need the long haul capacity of a very large aircraft, is Boeing's own 777-300ER, not the A380. Why are airlines buying an aircraft with fewer seats than the 747? Because they don't have the need for more seats. It is pretty simple when you do the math. The 777-300ER uses two engines instead of 4, like the B7747 and the A380, so it uses less fuel. It weight 100,000 pounds less than a 747-400, about 400,000 pounds less than an A380, and it carries over 1,000 cu.ft. more cargo than the 777-400. The A380 has little to no room for cargo, other than passenger luggage. So, the 777-300ER uses less fuel since it has two engines and weights less, carries almost the same number of passengers as the 747-400, and carries more cargo. Cargo is where the money is, not passengers. The 777-300ER can be configured, depending on the airline and how greedy they are, to carry almost as many passengers as a 747-400. Air France and KLM are notorious for cramming as many people as possible into their aircraft. At least seven airlines, including Emirates, have ordered the smaller 777-200LR for their ultra longer haul routes. The 777-200LR, has the same engines, wings, and landing gear as the 777-300ER, but the shorter fuselage of the 777-200ER. To date 1,112 Boeing 777s, all models, have been sold. Of that, 408 are the 777-300ER, which first went into service in 2004. Of that 408, 185 have been delivered, leaving a backlog of 223, and the orders continue to roll in. The 777-200LR, which went into service in 2006 has sold 50. The 777F, based on the 777-200LR, which just went into service February of this year, has sold 72 to date. How many A380 have been delivered? 14. Again, how many A380 have been sold? 200. Again, when was the A380 first offered for sale? NINE years ago. You are going to have to see a major improvement in the world wide economy and, therefore, demand for air travel before you seen an increase in demand from the airlines for more flying critoens (A380s). The A380 and the A400M have Airbust between the old rock and a hard spot. If they weren't funded by the various European governments, one of those programs would have be canceled. At least the A400M project. As it is, ultimately, both programs will probably survive. BTW, cPom, how is the A380 doing? After some initial fanfare, both the airlines who have taken delivery and Airbust have gone very quiet as to its performance and you know how airbust just loves to crow.

And that has WHAT to do with the a380, the ugliest airliner ever made?

Kompletter Unsinn.

One hell of a lot better looking than that flying whale, or is it the flying critoen, or.... Oh, yes! That jetliner that looks like it was built by microsoft, the Bloatliner, aka, the A380.

A clear, high quality video of Dreamliner 2, in ANA livery, being moved from the paint hanger to the flight line. It is a very nice looking aircraft. http://vimeo.com/4622928

25 out an order for 42 from a leasing company is the rumor. That still leaves over 850 orders for the 787. Someone also converted a 777-200LRF order into a 777-300ER order or vice versa. The 777 production cut mentioned in that story is not quite correct. If the recession continues they do plan to lower monthly output by June of 2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightbl...ut-777-out.html As to A380 production:

And the 707, 727, 737, 757, 767, and the extremely popular 777, especially the 777-300ER. I've been asking the same question on a couple of aviation boards. IMHO, after the merger with McDonnell/Douglas, the same group that drove McDonnell into the ground somehow got control of Boeing..... However, the 787 will fly. It won't be much longer.

Ok, mr. pedantic, here is a news story just you. :) "DATE:06/05/09 SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news Airbus cuts A380 production rates again By David Kaminski-Morrow Airbus is further cutting production rates for its A380 from 18 to 14 this year, in response to customer requests for deferrals during the current economic crisis. The airframer in January had already revised downwards its A380 production plan for 2009 from 21 deliveries to 18. Airbus is also committing only to delivering "more than 20" of the double-deck aircraft in 2010. "Onward production rates and deliveries are dependent on airline demand and availability of customer financing," says the manufacturer. Airbus says it will take "mitigating actions" against the "negative effects" of the revised A380 production plan on cash flow. But it says there will be "no significant impact" on earnings as a result. Airbus has already disclosed its intention to reduce production rates of the A320 family from 36 to 34 per month from October, while production of the A330/340 family is currently at 8.5 per month. Development of the A350 XWB, it adds, is continuing "with full speed"." ttp://www.flightglobal.com/home/default.aspx

Isn't that exactly what I said?

Nope. Saw it, read it, and was waiting for you, or wacky, or cPom to bring it up. If you followed this as closely as you might like other to believe you would know there is nothing new in Bernstein's report except in their opinion, it will take longer to certify the plane than Boeing has scheduled. The weight issue has been known for a year, maybe a little longer, but nothing will really be known until they get the aircraft in the air and see how it performs.

Well, the first three are off the assembly line. Number one is complete and on the flight line undergoing fueling tests and they should be firing up the engines any day now. Number two is being painted in the livery of the launch customer ANA. Number three is in the 747 hanger where they are working on the interior. It will be used for whatever tests are necessary of the "standard interior" and will probably be the last of the six test aircraft to fly. The first 4 are fitted with RR engines and the next two will have GE powerplants. Number five is being fitted with its GE engines as we speak. The assembly of number 7 will start soon. So, barring anything catastrophic, I think it is time to optimistic, for a change. :)

Boeing 787, originally uploaded by Charles Conklin. Just hours after Dreamliner One vacated Paint Hangar 45-03 across from Boeing's Everett factory, Dreamliner Two filled the open spot to receive its first coat of paint. Looking like things are finally working the way they were suppose to a couple of years ago. http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/

On the way to the fueling dock for its first load of jP4, or are they calling it avgas these days? Won't be long now. Official schedule calls for first flight by the end of June, but it could be sooner.

Thanks for the information. It Google Analytics considered a "spider" or a "bot"? :)

MM, Why is "Google Analytics" monitoring member activity on this board? Thx.

He was talking about production rates. You really do have a very serious reading comprehension disorder.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/...rst-flight.html "DATE:23/04/09 SOURCE:Flight International Boeing 787 programme tempo accelerates towards first flight target By Jon Ostrower Boeing has accelerated the pace of the 787 programme as it targets a first flight by the end of June. Key milestones required for the maiden sortie have been completed, but questions remain about the production ramp-up effort. The airframer completed the factory gauntlet on 20 April, the first of three closed-loop simulations tests, marking the hand-off of 787 prototype "ZA001" to the flight-test team. Programme sources indicate that the factory "gauntlet test" was accomplished faster than anticipated. In addition, the static-test airframe also conducted its third and final pre-first-flight requirement on 21 April, with the wings being flexed to limit load, ie 100% of the load expected to be seen in service. Boeing emphasises that analysis of the test, which saw the wings pushed 20-30% beyond limit load towards ultimate load, is ongoing, but appears positive. March 09 787 Line © Boeing Structural components for the first production aircraft - the seventh airframe that had been designated ZA007 but is now dubbed ZA100 - have begun arriving at the assembly line in Everett, Washington, and include the wings and aft fuselage. The designation for first production 787 was changed after Japanese airlines assumed control of many early delivery slots from Chinese carriers. Other tests ahead for ZA001 in the near term include final landing-gear swing tests before it is moved to the flight line for the intermediate gauntlet trial, which will see the 787 fuelled for the first runs of the Hamilton Sundstrand APS 5000 auxiliary power unit and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Boeing says all hardware and software is ready to support a first flight later in the second quarter as currently scheduled, although some industry analysts are sceptical, suggesting that the event could slip in July. Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney expressed confidence in the programme schedule during the company's quarterly earnings call on 22 April, as it progresses toward flight testing, roughly 22 months later than originally planned. However, the airframer is still being pressed about its production ramp-up plan and whether or not its fragile supply chain can perform to the level of demand. Ron Epstein, analyst for Bank of America/Merrill Lynch recently questioned the plan, citing build times of over 300 days for centre fuselage sections by Global Aeronautica. McNerney reaffirmed that Boeing's 50% purchase of the North Charleston, South Carolina facility has added "significant" production stability and the integrator is no longer a "bottleneck" for the programme. However, McNerney cautioned that Boeing is a year away from evaluating 787 production rates following the initial deliveries as it gauges global demand for the new long-range twinjet in the wake of the current economic turmoil, leaving the door open for a future readjustment." http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/...rst-flight.html ******* "Photo: A peek at ZA001 By Jon Ostrower on April 21, 2009 3:17 PM Dreamliner Composite 1_1000.jpgConsummate airplane spotter Liz Matzelle somehow managed to squeeze out a really neat composite photo through the open cracks of Building 40-24 this morning. The result of her largely inexplicable photography efforts are above. You can "clearly" see ZA001 in Building 40-24, which will be jacked up off of its landing gear for today's swing tests." Photo Credit Liz Matzelle http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/ *************** "The Road to 787 First Flight - April 21 - ZY997 completes pre-first flight tests By Jon Ostrower on April 21, 2009 11:40 PM Boeing's pace towards 787 first flight continues to accelerate as the static test airframe has completed the third and final pre-flight test required for ZA001 to fly, Boeing confirms. On Tuesday, Boeing completed limit load testing which flexed the wings of ZY997 to a deflection of over 17 feet (120-130%), considerably exceeding the test requirement which only called for the wing to be flexed to 100% of limit loads a 787 would encounter in service, says a source familiar with the testing. Boeing says the test flexed the wings to an equivalent of 2.5 times the force of gravity. The previous two required tests included: * High-blow testing, which raised the internal pressure to 14.9 lbs. per square inch gauge (psig) and was completed on September 27, 2008. * 1G check out, which deflected the wings to nearly 10 feet, checking for interferences in the flight control surfaces and was completed on March 20, 2009. Today's test was used to further check for possible interferences of the movable flight control surfaces of the wing as well. ZY997 has spent nearly a year entangled in the blue metal frame of the static test rig in Building 40-23 as ZY997's structure has been systematically tortured to find the outer limits of the Dreamliner's structural strength. Later in the certification campaign, Boeing will conduct the ultimate load test, bending the wings to one and a half times, or 150% of limit load, to satisfy FAA safety requirements. Boeing has not yet decided if it plans to bend the wings to critical load, demonstrating the conditions that would destroy the wing, a force greater than 150% of limit load." http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/

Good to hear. The yellowish/tan color scheme is easy on the eyes. This blue scheme is too similar to that pharmaceutically dependent web site. :)

I have to agree. Peter Norton cannot be happy about having his name associated with some of the worst software products on the market.

At this point only a major problem will delay the schedule, but, even if that were to happen, you can be sure there won't be two years between first flight and delivery as there was with the AFC-380 (Airbust Flying Citroen).